PhoenixPhyre
2022-04-24, 07:24 PM
Cover is great. Even 1/2 cover provides a significant element of counter-play vs ranged attacks. And then along comes the twins Archery Fighting Style and Sharpshooter. +2 ATK is more powerful, on average, than +2 damage (ie dueling), and when added onto a more mobile, easier-to-defend base (most monsters being exclusively or nearly exclusively melee), that difference is magnified. Now cover from other creatures would make a difference, basically causing you to break even. Until you add in Sharpshooter, which negates 1/2 cover and reduces 3/4 cover to 1/2 cover...which AFS then compensates for. So now you're firing at anything (that doesn't have full cover, which hurts everyone) at par at worst, +2 (relative to someone with the same modifiers) most of the time. And if they don't have 3/4 cover, your -5/+10 is really only a -3/+10. Yeah. No bueno (relative to melee options).
So here is a rough thought on making the pieces still work while reducing the distortionary effects.
1. Use the "Hitting Cover" alternate option (DMG chapter 9) for all attacks (including reach weapons and spell attacks):
First, determine whether the attack roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target but high enough to strike the target if there had been no cover, the object used for cover is struck. If a creature is providing cover for the missed creature and the attack roll exceeds the AC of the covering creature, the covering creature is hit.
2. Change the "ignore cover" bullet point of SS to say that it instead ensures you can't hit an ally who is providing cover. This compensates for step 1 without giving any advantage when cover isn't in play.
3. Alter AFS to read (instead of its current effects)
When wielding a bow, your damage die increases by one size. While wielding a crossbow, you ignore the loading property.
4. Alter CBE's normal ignoring loading property to say that you do not need a free hand to reload it (while still being limited to 1 attack per turn unless AFS) and the bonus action attack bullet point to say that you can use TWF with hand crossbows (either sword + HCB or 2x HCB) instead of getting a free bonus action attack. This is really more about thematics (dual hand crossbows or sword and crossbow, not "fanning a hand crossbow shenanigans, plus not getting the modifier by default).
That way, half and 3/4 cover still have bite. Sure, if you take SS you'll never hit your ally, but you're still 2 or 5 ATK down from the cover[1], which makes the -5/+10 a real choice instead of basically a no-brainer. And AFS now is weaker than the melee ones (roughly +1 DPR for bow and making bows == crossbows), which makes sense because you still have all the benefits of being at range.
This also puts a substantial crimp into EB spam, because now they have to worry about hitting cover. As well as reach melee (although only slightly, because cover is less common against such attacks IMX).
What have I missed in this?
[1] instead of being +2 (AFS) against half-cover and flat against 3/4 cover.
So here is a rough thought on making the pieces still work while reducing the distortionary effects.
1. Use the "Hitting Cover" alternate option (DMG chapter 9) for all attacks (including reach weapons and spell attacks):
First, determine whether the attack roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target but high enough to strike the target if there had been no cover, the object used for cover is struck. If a creature is providing cover for the missed creature and the attack roll exceeds the AC of the covering creature, the covering creature is hit.
2. Change the "ignore cover" bullet point of SS to say that it instead ensures you can't hit an ally who is providing cover. This compensates for step 1 without giving any advantage when cover isn't in play.
3. Alter AFS to read (instead of its current effects)
When wielding a bow, your damage die increases by one size. While wielding a crossbow, you ignore the loading property.
4. Alter CBE's normal ignoring loading property to say that you do not need a free hand to reload it (while still being limited to 1 attack per turn unless AFS) and the bonus action attack bullet point to say that you can use TWF with hand crossbows (either sword + HCB or 2x HCB) instead of getting a free bonus action attack. This is really more about thematics (dual hand crossbows or sword and crossbow, not "fanning a hand crossbow shenanigans, plus not getting the modifier by default).
That way, half and 3/4 cover still have bite. Sure, if you take SS you'll never hit your ally, but you're still 2 or 5 ATK down from the cover[1], which makes the -5/+10 a real choice instead of basically a no-brainer. And AFS now is weaker than the melee ones (roughly +1 DPR for bow and making bows == crossbows), which makes sense because you still have all the benefits of being at range.
This also puts a substantial crimp into EB spam, because now they have to worry about hitting cover. As well as reach melee (although only slightly, because cover is less common against such attacks IMX).
What have I missed in this?
[1] instead of being +2 (AFS) against half-cover and flat against 3/4 cover.