Yakk
2022-12-07, 11:24 AM
Melee Threat
Creatures equipped with melee weapons who are not incapacitated threaten everyone in their reach.
The first time on a turn a creature enters a threatened region, or starts their turn there, the threatening creature may make a melee weapon attack on them.
After they have made such an attack, attacks on other creatures triggered by Melee Threat are at disadvantage until the start of their next turn.
Creatures with the Extra Attack or Multiattack features can make multiple attacks as part of Melee Threat. In addition, they only suffer disadvantage after attacking as many creatures as they have attacks in their Extra Attack or Multiattack features.
Two Weapon Fighting
Grants an extra Melee Threat attack if you are wielding two light weapons. Does not use your bonus action, and it doesn't add another target without disadvantage.
Unarmed
Monks generate Melee Threat even when unarmed, as do creatures with the Unarmed combat style.
Attack or Multiattack Action:
If you take the Attack Action, your Melee Threat is reduced by the number of attacks you make during it. Note that by default this is the only way to make unarmed attacks.
Taking the Attack action for melee weapons is relatively suboptimal, as if you don't do it you get it for "free" due to Melee Threat.
Brawling:
You can take the Push or Grab actions as an action. If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can do extra Pushes or Grabs as if it was the Attack action.
Casting a Spell:
If you cast a spell as an action, you are unable to do Melee Threat attacks until the start of your next turn.
Dodge:
If you dodge as an action, all of your Melee Threat attacks are at disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
Ready:
If you ready one or more attacks, your Melee Threat attack count is reduced by as many attacks as you ready.
Engage:
As an action you can engage up to your Extra Attack or Multiattack count creatures within range of your weapons until the start of your next turn (even if they leave range). Creatures that are Engaged suffer disadvantage attacking creatures who aren't Engaged to them. This applies to both you and the creatures you have Engaged.
Disengage:
Instead of ignoring opportunity attacks, when you Disengage you can choose to end the Engaged state.
Haste:
You can make a single attack as an action on your turn without reducing your Melee Threat. Extra Attack does not apply.
Reckless Attack:
The advantage applies to Melee Threat attacks.
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The goal here is to make melee PCs turn more engaging.
You should only take the Attack Action if you are (a) in a real hurry, or (b) using a ranged weapon, or (c) making unarmed attacks without any feature support.
The Melee Threat is strictly better than the Attack Action most of the time, and isn't compatible.
Against a single big foe, Melee Threat acts very similar to Attack action. Against swarms of foes, it is much better.
If 10 orcs charge a level 11 fighter, the first 3 suffer 3 attacks each, and the remaining 7 suffer 3 attacks at disadvantage. They could all die before they get to strike the fighter.
A TRex gets to bite its first foe, tail slap the 2nd, and then each foe afterwards is bitten at disadvantage (if the mouth isn't full) or slapped with disadvantage (if it is).
Melee types on their turn can do the Help action, shove foes around, trip them, grab them to keep them from getting away, dodge, disengage, engage, or whatever. The goal is that their action isn't "I do the action which, if I don't do, I am not contributing to combat significantly, because most of my class features focus on making it more effective".
Creatures equipped with melee weapons who are not incapacitated threaten everyone in their reach.
The first time on a turn a creature enters a threatened region, or starts their turn there, the threatening creature may make a melee weapon attack on them.
After they have made such an attack, attacks on other creatures triggered by Melee Threat are at disadvantage until the start of their next turn.
Creatures with the Extra Attack or Multiattack features can make multiple attacks as part of Melee Threat. In addition, they only suffer disadvantage after attacking as many creatures as they have attacks in their Extra Attack or Multiattack features.
Two Weapon Fighting
Grants an extra Melee Threat attack if you are wielding two light weapons. Does not use your bonus action, and it doesn't add another target without disadvantage.
Unarmed
Monks generate Melee Threat even when unarmed, as do creatures with the Unarmed combat style.
Attack or Multiattack Action:
If you take the Attack Action, your Melee Threat is reduced by the number of attacks you make during it. Note that by default this is the only way to make unarmed attacks.
Taking the Attack action for melee weapons is relatively suboptimal, as if you don't do it you get it for "free" due to Melee Threat.
Brawling:
You can take the Push or Grab actions as an action. If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can do extra Pushes or Grabs as if it was the Attack action.
Casting a Spell:
If you cast a spell as an action, you are unable to do Melee Threat attacks until the start of your next turn.
Dodge:
If you dodge as an action, all of your Melee Threat attacks are at disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
Ready:
If you ready one or more attacks, your Melee Threat attack count is reduced by as many attacks as you ready.
Engage:
As an action you can engage up to your Extra Attack or Multiattack count creatures within range of your weapons until the start of your next turn (even if they leave range). Creatures that are Engaged suffer disadvantage attacking creatures who aren't Engaged to them. This applies to both you and the creatures you have Engaged.
Disengage:
Instead of ignoring opportunity attacks, when you Disengage you can choose to end the Engaged state.
Haste:
You can make a single attack as an action on your turn without reducing your Melee Threat. Extra Attack does not apply.
Reckless Attack:
The advantage applies to Melee Threat attacks.
---
The goal here is to make melee PCs turn more engaging.
You should only take the Attack Action if you are (a) in a real hurry, or (b) using a ranged weapon, or (c) making unarmed attacks without any feature support.
The Melee Threat is strictly better than the Attack Action most of the time, and isn't compatible.
Against a single big foe, Melee Threat acts very similar to Attack action. Against swarms of foes, it is much better.
If 10 orcs charge a level 11 fighter, the first 3 suffer 3 attacks each, and the remaining 7 suffer 3 attacks at disadvantage. They could all die before they get to strike the fighter.
A TRex gets to bite its first foe, tail slap the 2nd, and then each foe afterwards is bitten at disadvantage (if the mouth isn't full) or slapped with disadvantage (if it is).
Melee types on their turn can do the Help action, shove foes around, trip them, grab them to keep them from getting away, dodge, disengage, engage, or whatever. The goal is that their action isn't "I do the action which, if I don't do, I am not contributing to combat significantly, because most of my class features focus on making it more effective".