I Watch Too Much Anime! (Wanderer/Ronin Fighter Archetype) PEACH

[StarvingGamer]

Wanderer - Fighter Martial Archetype

So a friend asked about bringing the 3.5 Samurai to 5e which, let's just all admit, is a garbage class. I pointed him at the Fighter UA instead but I couldn't stop thinking about the Ronin Iaido archetype through the lens of anime (Kenshin or Nobunaga from HxH). I haven't brewed anything in a while so I thought I'd take a stab at it. Initially it was much more narrow-focus and self-indulgent, but now I think it's approaching something maybe slightly more reasonable? I'd love any thoughts and feedback.

Wanderer
The Wanderer is always prepared for battle, capable of shifting from absolute stillness to ferocious violence in a flash of steel. A Wanderer's weapons are their own, to be wielded as they see fit with speed, precision, and grace. Though they may be fleeing their oaths and obligations, Wanderers are more than capable of seeing any foe to their end.

Art of the Wanderer
By the time you've reached 3rd level, you have mastered the Wanderer's unique weapon technique. When making an attack with a melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

Act from Stillness
At 3rd level, you are more dangerous with your weapons stowed than readied. You can sheathe one weapon at the end of your turn as a free flourish. When you have a sheathed melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property, are not wearing heavy armor or a shield, and at least one of your hands are free you gain the following benefits:

• When a hostile creature that you are aware of within 5 feet of you moves at least 1 foot or makes an attack that doesn't target you, you can use your reaction to draw a melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property and make one melee attack against that creature, and sheathe the same weapon.
• When you are hit by a melee or ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to gain a bonus to AC equal to your Wisdom modifier against the triggering attack.

Sense Intent
Starting at 7th level, you instinctively detect the emotions of those around you. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
In addition, you can use your Insight or Passive Insight to detect the presence of hidden creatures with hostile intent, contested by the Charisma (Deception) check of any creature that wishes to remain hidden.

Focused Mind
By 10th level, your focus is as keen as any blade. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (choose one).

Speed Beyond Sight
At 15th level, your ability to read your opponent lets you strike from the sheath with deadly accuracy. Once per turn, when you draw a melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property as part of the same action you use to attack, the first attack you make as part of that action receives a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Zone of Lethality
Starting at 18th level, you gain the ability to focus your killing intent to gain absolute control over the battlefield. At the end of your turn, if you are not wearing heavy armor or a shield, you can sheathe your weapon or weapons and gain one of the following benefits as a bonus action:

• Until the start of your next turn, you generate an area of pure focus within a 20-foot radius that moves with you, centered on you. If a creature you are aware of moves at least 1 foot or makes an attack that doesn't target you within this area, you can use your reaction to move directly to within 5 feet of that creature, draw a melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property, make one melee attack against that creature, and sheathe the same weapon. Movement granted by this feature doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. You can use your reaction to trigger this action even if you have already expended your reaction this round, but not if you have already used your reaction this turn.
• Until the start of your next turn, you maximize your focus on a single creature you are aware of within 30 feet. If that creature moves or takes any action, you can use your reaction to move directly to within 5 feet of that creature, draw a melee weapon without the two-handed or heavy property, make one melee attack with advantage against that creature, and sheathe the same weapon. If the attack roll hits, the attack's weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to twice your fighter level. Movement granted by this feature doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. To prevent this attack, on their turn a creature targeted by this feature must use their action to stay perfectly still and make a Constitution saving throw with a save DC of 8 + proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. On a failure, they trigger this attack immediately.

You can use this feature twice between long rests.

[JNAProductions]

Lightning Draw is OP.

[Sariel Vailo]

This ruroni enjoys it almost as much as kaoru would. Yahiko would also enjoy it this ruroni believes.

[StarvingGamer]

Lightning Draw is OP.

Thanks? o_O I was looking at the Samurai UA that gets advantage on all attacks plus Barbarian DR for 2 turns, 3x per short rest. Since as I understand it, balance is based around 3-turn fights, with 3 fights between short rests, this basically means Samurai spend 2/3 of their turns with advantage on every attack and DR. By comparison, having Advantage once per-turn with bonus WIS damage doesn't seem that far off, especially since you can't do two-weapon fighting properly or perform significant opportunity attacks without making weird investments or tradeoffs in other areas.

But if you have any constructive feedback I'd be happy to hear it.

[JNAProductions]

Don't compare to UA. That's not very balanced, a lot of the time.

Art of the Wanderer is fine. It just lets you two-hand pseudo finesse.

Lightning Strike is too strong. At the level you get it and the next, it's advantage on every single attack on your turn, and +Wisdom modifier damage. It doesn't scale as well, but it's still a HUGE advantage.

Sense Intent seems kinda useless-you can already do that with Insight.

Focused Mind is fine.

Sight Beyond Sight seems okay.

Zone of Lethality is too much-it's a free opportunity attack plus against any foe within 30' who does literally anything. Which isn't so bad, but the FOCUSED version is insane. +36 damage, and it's nigh-impossible to avoid. It MIGHT be okay, since it is an 18th level feature, but it's iffy.

[StarvingGamer]

Don't compare to UA. That's not very balanced, a lot of the time.

Art of the Wanderer is fine. It just lets you two-hand pseudo finesse.

Lightning Strike is too strong. At the level you get it and the next, it's advantage on every single attack on your turn, and +Wisdom modifier damage. It doesn't scale as well, but it's still a HUGE advantage.

Sense Intent seems kinda useless-you can already do that with Insight.

Focused Mind is fine.

Sight Beyond Sight seems okay.

Zone of Lethality is too much-it's a free opportunity attack plus against any foe within 30' who does literally anything. Which isn't so bad, but the FOCUSED version is insane. +36 damage, and it's nigh-impossible to avoid. It MIGHT be okay, since it is an 18th level feature, but it's iffy.

I'll think on Lightning Strike then. I'd be happy to hear suggestions on how to keep that flavor without it being OP. Maybe it starts as just +WIS damage and gains Advantage as an improved version later on? Might try to make it less restrictive though. Getting like +3 damage 1x per turn seems not that great when you lose your option to two-weapon fight or have a real opportunity attack.

Can you already detect hidden creatures with Insight? I didn't realize.

Yeah I'm thinking of reducing the radius on Zone to 15 or 20. I figured it could be a little bonkers since it's 2x per day and, as my DM always tells me, game starts getting more and more broken starting at around 11. By 18 most bets are off?

Thanks for the input.

[JNAProductions]

Make sure you specify that you can detect normally hidden creatures with Insight.

And Lightning Strike... Perhaps JUST the damage bonus would be okay.

[StarvingGamer]

Make sure you specify that you can detect normally hidden creatures with Insight.

And Lightning Strike... Perhaps JUST the damage bonus would be okay.

But like, +3 damage 1x per turn at the cost of having terrible opportunity attacks and no bonus actions seems, bad?

Also I was just cribbing the language used in the PHB for using Perception to detect the presence of creatures, but I'll add the word hidden again so it appears twice?

[JNAProductions]

But like, +3 damage 1x per turn at the cost of having terrible opportunity attacks and no bonus actions seems, bad?

Why does it deny you a bonus action?

And it's, assuming built well, +3 to +5 damage every turn from a low level feature. That's nothing to scoff at.

I might just rework it entirely-perhaps something to do with initiative?

[StarvingGamer]

Why does it deny you a bonus action?

And it's, assuming built well, +3 to +5 damage every turn from a low level feature. That's nothing to scoff at.

I might just rework it entirely-perhaps something to do with initiative?

Because you get one object interaction per turn, which would be the drawing of the weapon as part of the attack. Then to resheathe it to trigger this feature again next turn it uses a bonus action, since you already used your object interaction on the attack. The thing is I really want it to be initiating every attack from a sheathed position. That's the whole reason I made this brew.

EDIT: Also like, even if you build 16 strength/dexterity and 16 wisdom at lvl 1 you're still looking at lvl 8 for +4 dmg and lvl 12 for +5 dmg, and that's ignoring any other feats you might want to take to mitigate the other problems with having a weapon sheathed when it's not your turn

[JNAProductions]

Ah, I missed that it consumed your bonus action.

Maybe move the ability to unsheathe as an opportunity attack to level 3, and pop the damage booster to level 7 or so?

[StarvingGamer]

Ah, I missed that it consumed your bonus action.

Maybe move the ability to unsheathe as an opportunity attack to level 3, and pop the damage booster to level 7 or so?

And keep advantage at lvl 3? Otherwise there is zero reason to sheathe your weapon.

[JNAProductions]

And keep advantage at lvl 3? Otherwise there is zero reason to sheathe your weapon.

No, advantage is too much.

Hm... You could probably actually allow for both reactions and the +Wis modifier damage. It makes your opportunity attacks hit a little harder, and adds a little to DPR, but not too much.

[StarvingGamer]

No, advantage is too much.

Hm... You could probably actually allow for both reactions and the +Wis modifier damage. It makes your opportunity attacks hit a little harder, and adds a little to DPR, but not too much.

K shuffled things around a bit. You get the damage and both reactions at lvl 3, I removed the bonus action requirement to sheathe and made it a free flourish at the end of turn to open up more weapon configurations, and bumped advantage on attacks to lvl 15. Thanks for the input.

[JNAProductions]

Speed Beyond Sight still seems like too much. I mean, combine that with, say, 5 levels of Rogue and you're getting virtually guaranteed +3d6 damage every turn.

Plus, one of the things about handing out advantage is that it makes less incentive for finding advantage in other ways.

[StarvingGamer]

Speed Beyond Sight still seems like too much. I mean, combine that with, say, 5 levels of Rogue and you're getting virtually guaranteed +3d6 damage every turn.

Plus, one of the things about handing out advantage is that it makes less incentive for finding advantage in other ways.

Yeah tbh I was married to advantage because of the Samurai UA making me think that my fighter could be making 6+ swings with advantage basically every combat and also have barb DR but, well, c'est la vie. The WIS damage has been moved to 15 and advantage is gone, the sheathed reaction is slightly better and the zone has been reduced to 20 feet. Closer every day. Also making no heavy armor or shields a new requirement...

[Sariel Vailo]

You only get advantage if your name is kenshin or your old assasin name was batosai the man slayer.

[JBPuffin]

Sense Intent seems kinda useless-you can already do that with Insight.

I know Perception does this, and Investigation could work...but where does Insight get the ability to notice hidden things? I always saw it as "social perception"/"gut feeling."