Concentration for Fighty-types

[Yakk]

So in another thread, I came up with an idea. Concentration mechanics for fighty-types.

Concentration is a mechanic and a resource that spellcasters can use, and spells that use concentration get an extra helping of power. Gishes, fighty-types with spells, get to use this resource.

Pure fighting types don't. And dipping a bit of casting (say, with a feat) often adds this mechanic to great effect.

What if pure fighting classes could use concentration?

In the thread in question, I suggested using it for upgraded grapples where you restrain/blind/deafen/silence the creature you grapple. Here, taking damage causing you to no longer hold the target quite as tight makes sense.

More generically, I'm thinking maybe adding concentration mechanics to the 5e fighting styles. Maybe as a freebie, or maybe as a feat.

There is the issue that you end up taking concentration checks on taking damage, and that could get tiresome, especially for a frontline PC. And adding complexity to the baseline fighter has the issue that "it is supposed to be simple". Hmm.

[GalacticAxekick]

I mentioned in the other thread that making Con saves whenever you take damage (as a frontline adventurer) would get tiresome. Same with using your actions to constantly re-activate the features you are concentrating on.

But I think you're on to something! Instead of making Fighting Styles concentration-based, I think certain actions or features could benefit from concentration (or concentration-like elements) on a case-by-case basis.

For example, you could have a Fighter subclass called the Martial Artist. The Martial Artist would have a variety of stances, each of which affords him a powerful buff. But he can only have one stance active at a time, and he loses all the benefits of his stance if he is incapacitated, restrained or knocked prone. This way, you wouldn't constantly be making Con saves, but you WOULD be vulnerable to losing your buffs and wasting an action to reactivate them. It would encourage enemies to fight you in a thoughtful way (and likewise, encourage players to fight enemies in a thoughtful way).

Or for example, you could have a Rogue subclass called the Sniper. The Sniper would have the power to aim a ranged weapon attack—to choose on a target during her turn, but to actually fire the attack anytime before her next turn. The aimed attack would have powers that ranged attacks don't normally have, like interrupting enemy movement. And the aimed attack might become more accurate or more powerful if it is aimed until the Sniper's next turn. But the Sniper would need to concentrate on aiming.

Finally, you could have a Paladin or Ranger feature which does not require concentration, but prevents it. The Paladin or Ranger would need to choose between concentrating on spells or benefiting from the feature (which would be more reliable than the spells, but probably less powerful).

[Grod_The_Giant]

Perhaps you could differentiate between magical concentration (broken by damage) and martial concentration (broken by forced movement, and/or being restrained or knocked prone)? You can still only have one concentration effect active, regardless of which it is, but the typing determines how you can lose said concentration.

[Yakk]

Something like this:

Duelist: As a bonus action you can concentrate on Guard. While concentrating on Guard, when a creature within your melee weapon reach is hit by an attack and you are holding a 1 handed weapon, you can expend your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to their AC against the attack, possibly causing it to miss.

Great Weapon Fighter: When you reduce a creature to 0 HP or score a critical hit, you can concentrate on Slaying. While concentrating on Slaying, whenever you hit a creature as part an attack action, you can make an attack on a different creature.

Two Weapon Fighting: As a reaction to being missed by an attack, you can concentrate on Whirlwind. While concentrating on Whirlwind, whenever a creature within your melee weapon reach misses you, you can make an attack on that creature. You can do this at most once with each weapon you are holding between your turns.

but it would be hard to come up with creative ones for every fighting style.

For superior technique ... imagine getting concentration, and can use your d6 each round until it breaks? Or even once next turn.

[oogaboogagoblin]

for things like grappling i think it makes it worse because that means that grappling is even less viable but for something like a strangling atack it would be pretty cool

[Dienekes]

Perhaps you could differentiate between magical concentration (broken by damage) and martial concentration (broken by forced movement, and/or being restrained or knocked prone)? You can still only have one concentration effect active, regardless of which it is, but the typing determines how you can lose said concentration.

For what it's worth, I homebrewed up a series of what I called "Stances" that essentially worked like this. You could only have one up. They took the concentration slot. You lost it when you were knocked prone, incapacitated, or restrained.

Didn't think of forced movement, but that's not a bad one.

Anyway, it worked well, also gave classes more things to do with their Bonus Action.

[Jervis]

So in another thread, I came up with an idea. Concentration mechanics for fighty-types.

Concentration is a mechanic and a resource that spellcasters can use, and spells that use concentration get an extra helping of power. Gishes, fighty-types with spells, get to use this resource.

Pure fighting types don't. And dipping a bit of casting (say, with a feat) often adds this mechanic to great effect.

What if pure fighting classes could use concentration?

In the thread in question, I suggested using it for upgraded grapples where you restrain/blind/deafen/silence the creature you grapple. Here, taking damage causing you to no longer hold the target quite as tight makes sense.

More generically, I'm thinking maybe adding concentration mechanics to the 5e fighting styles. Maybe as a freebie, or maybe as a feat.

There is the issue that you end up taking concentration checks on taking damage, and that could get tiresome, especially for a frontline PC. And adding complexity to the baseline fighter has the issue that "it is supposed to be simple". Hmm.

3.5 Marshal style Auras maybe?

[Grod_The_Giant]

For what it's worth, I homebrewed up a series of what I called "Stances" that essentially worked like this.
Nice! I did pretty much the same thing in my perpetually-unfinished Tome of Battle port.