Sidekick fighter archetype

[mictrepanier]

I revised the UA Sidekick to be a viable player's class. For those liking support role.

see https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/d..._Sidekicks.pdf

Sidekick Fighter archetype (fighter sub-class)

Abilities:

Cunning action
Starting at 3rd level, the Sidekick’s agility or quick thinking allows her to act speedily. On her turn in combat, she can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action.

Helpful
From 3th and beyond, the Sidekick is adept at giving well-timed assistance; the Sidekick can take the Help action as a bonus action but forgo any use of reaction up to her next initiative next round .

Inspiring help
Starting at 3th level, the Sidekick’s assistance becomes especially inspiring. When the Sidekick uses her Helpful bonus action, the creature who receives the help also gains a 1d2 bonus to the d20 roll. If that roll is an attack roll, the creature can forgo adding the bonus to it, and then if the attack hits, the creature can add the bonus to the attack’s damage roll against one target. At any other level, the bonus increases one dice step (5th, 1d3, 7th 1d4, 9th 1d5, 11th 1d6, 13th 1d8, 15th d10, 17th 1d12, 19th 2d6. This ability can be used only once a round.

Fancy Footwork
From 7th level thereafter, the Sidekick learn how to land a strike and then slip away without reprisal. During her turn, if she makes a melee attack against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against her for the rest of your turn.

Helpful Presence
From 7th level thereafter, the Sidekick may help from a 15’ distance. The distance is raised to 60’ at 15th level.

Extra help
From the 10th level thereafter, with one (bonus) action, the Sidekick may help twice. At 15th level the Sidekick may help thrice.

Team Work
From The 18th level thereafter, the Sidekick may lend his action surge to a creature while helping. There is no restriction of class for the recipient ex: a spellcaster or a rogue may benefit from this ability.

[JNAProductions]

This seems a too overloaded. I like the concept, but you get three powerful features at 3rd level, two decent ones at 7th, a positively bonkers one (when combined with the rest of your abilities) at 10th, and another bonkers one at 18th.

Notably, this comes at basically ZERO cost to the core Fighter chassis. The only core Fighter usage of a bonus action is Second Wind, which can easily be used out of combat, so... Yeah. Overpowered, must be toned down considerably.

[mictrepanier]

...The only core Fighter usage of a bonus action is Second Wind

Two-weapon uses a bonus action. Multiclassed characters may use bonus action more, I agree. Helping with interfere with other cunning actions.

Helping give another PC a second roll for ONE attack. I is basically more potent at levels 1-4. I considered removing extra attacks capability for those using helpful (virtually, helping count like an extra attack), but it will not affect first tier games.

How can "Extra help" be OP ? Inspiring help, like sneak attack, only works once a round.

And "team work" ? The action surge is lost to the Sidekick....

Is the Sidekick more balanced w/o Cunning action at 3rd level ? Unlike eldricht knight and battle master, the Sidekick uses no resources for the abilities.

Compare Champion and Sidekick

level 3: 5% more chance of critical vs cunning action, helpful and inspiring help
result: 2x better; 50% better for a champion/rogue multiclass who get 2x chance of massive damage from a critical sneak

level 7: Remarkable athlet vs Helpful presence and fancy footwork
Result: The champion ability is a non-combat ability. My house-rule is to add the 1/2 prof. to existing skills as well, so it raises athletics (and grappling) ability. Seems fairly equal for a clever player

level 10: extra style vs extra help. High level PCs tend to hit quite easily, so helping is less effective. An extra style may be useful. Fair trade for me.

level 15: Definitely an extra 5% critical chance is better than higher stats for existing abilities. Advantage to champion

level 18: Champion's virtual regeneration is better than team work, that just help team put all eggs is the same basket for a bigger omelette. It will work maximum twice before a short rest.

Summary: Sidekick is better at lower level and less at high level. Let me come back the 1st post to readjust...

[JNAProductions]

Two-weapon uses a bonus action. Multiclassed characters may use bonus action more, I agree. Helping with interfere with other cunning actions.

Helping give another PC a second roll for ONE attack. I is basically more potent at levels 1-4. I considered removing extra attacks capability for those using helpful (virtually, helping count like an extra attack), but it will not affect first tier games.

How can "Extra help" be OP ? Inspiring help, like sneak attack, only works once a round.

And "team work" ? The action surge is lost to the Sidekick....

Is the Sidekick more balanced w/o Cunning action at 3rd level ?

Two-Weapon fighting is 1) not a Fighter feature and 2) pretty damn subpar for most classes (Rogue excepting) and ESPECIALLY Fighters.

Cunning Action is something a Fighter generally won't need to do-build for melee, and you'll rarely need Disengage unless you're the last one in the thick of it, Hiding isn't something you do in heavy armor, and Dashing... Okay, that's useful even for a heavy Fighter. But it doesn't interfere at all with the BASE FIGHTER CHASSIS, excepting Second Wind.

Rogue's only ever get one attack, unless they TWF, get Haste, have a Scimitar of Speed, or some other bonus. The only one they can rely on natively is TWF, meaning that for levels 3-20, you're granting the Rogue advantage on their only attack. Which also grants them Sneak Attack damage.

Inspiring Help isn't OP, but it's good. And you get two other good features at level three. It's overloaded-any one on its own might be enough, all three together is far too much.

Fancy Footwork further negates the need to ever use Cunning Action on Disengage.

Helpful Presence is fine on its own-but combined with EVERYTHING ELSE this subclass gets on Helping others, it's too much.

As for losing your Action Surge... That's true. But your Action Surge is generally spent with the Attack action. That's 3-4 attacks of, at most, 2d6+5+magical mods damage. Assuming you've got a +3 weapon and all attacks hit, that's 60 damage. Compare to Meteor Swarm. Or Disintegrate. Or any other high level spell, really. Action Surge is such a potent feature that a lot of guides consider dipping two levels of Fighter to be worth it on a full caster, so the ability to just hand it to anyone is insane.

Again, I like the idea. But the execution is far too powerful.

[mictrepanier]

Please check the modified post above.

Rogue's only ever get one attack, unless they TWF, get Haste, have a Scimitar of Speed, or some other bonus. The only one they can rely on natively is TWF, meaning that for levels 3-20, you're granting the Rogue advantage on their only attack. Which also grants them Sneak Attack damage..

Basic help requires to be at melee range of the target, so the rogue SA requirements are met anyway.

level 3 abilities:

Cunning Action: The new Swashbuckler archetype get the same problem: cunning+ fancy footwork efficiency stacks.
Inspiring help is only a d2 before level 5, not at all relevant...
Maybe helpful needs both bonus and reaction (no attacks of opportunities possible) ?

[JNAProductions]

Please check the modified post above.

Basic help requires to be at melee range of the target, so the rogue SA requirements are met anyway.

Cunning Action: The new Swashbuckler archetype get the same problem: cunning+ fancy footwork efficiency stacks.

The difference is that Rogue's only get one attack, two with TWF. If they're against three enemies, they NEED to use Disengage to get away safely.

Also, are you really saying that scoring a crit on a 19 and a 20 is 2X better than Cunning Action, Help as a bonus action, AND improved Help?

[mictrepanier]

Also, are you really saying that scoring a crit on a 19 and a 20 is 2X better than Cunning Action, Help as a bonus action, AND improved Help?

The opposite!

what about:

Helpful
From 3th and beyond, the Sidekick is adept at giving well-timed assistance; the Sidekick can take the Help action as a bonus action. No reaction is possible for the rest of the round.

[Old Harry MTX]

It's probably a too strong nerf, but why don't you make that helpful feature only apply to a designated creature? (at least at the first levels)

You could even create a series of special actions that you and the other creature can take if, for example, you are within a certain distance from each other, to be used in their turn but which also expend the other's reaction, such as extra attacks or movements, or mutual bonuses.

[mictrepanier]

It's probably a too strong nerf, but why don't you make that helpful feature only apply to a designated creature? (at least at the first levels).

For a NPC, it is fine. For a PC, I don't think a player want to be the thrall of another player; being the greatest group support is a more satisfying role.

And it is too difficult to plan- a fighter wants it KISS, not too heavy on maths.

[Old Harry MTX]

For a NPC, it is fine. For a PC, I don't think a player want to be the thrall of another player;

Sorry, I wrote in a hurry and didn't explain how I wanted. Obviously the idea is to be able to change the designated partner by spending, for example, 1 hour training together, or after a long rest.

[mictrepanier]

Sorry, I wrote in a hurry and didn't explain how I wanted. Obviously the idea is to be able to change the designated partner by spending, for example, 1 hour training together, or after a long rest.

Understood. No charmed character. I still think it is too much work in advance... And I want to emulate a good team player, like the Avengers, not only a duo, like Batman and Robin.

You want something closer to the battle master!