D&D 5E The Magical Martial

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

WOTC is scared to explicitly make any claims on D&D beyond the 5 core assumptions needed to make base D&D make sense.

That's why I said post both Olympic and Fantasy records. Because WOTC would never choose.

I doubt they are scared, it bet the don’t care or don’t see it as an issue. I don’t the debate in this thread even crosses their mind

 

[Crimson Longinus]

i wonder how many people would ever actually notice if we just outright doubled all of the IRL records and didn't mention we were lying about those being 'regular human capabilities', i bet it would be more fun for DnD martials though.

That would result something like nominally "normal human" low tier hero such as Batman, Conan or Tarzan. "Nominally human" comic book, adventure novel, and action film heroes commonly do things no real human actually is capable of, but if it isn't super blatant we tend not to notice or at least are able to suspend our disbelief.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Not a fan of falsifying records personally. Pretty much defeats my purpose in using them as a base, and really against deception in game design in any case.

If you want your OCs to transcend human limits, just be clear about that in the book. I really don't see why that's so difficult. You still get to play the characters you want to play.

it was less about making martials trancend human limits, even in a minor way, although that's a nice side benefit, more about just how oblivious most people are about what the limits of what people are actually capable of and would be totally willing to swallow if we told them it was the truth.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Fantasy world record is just another way of saying “innate magic”

Magic and Fantasy are not the same thing.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Suppression is an action. You don't get attack unless the target moves.

Ah, I misunderstood. So it is just the ready attack action with some bonuses. That's far more reasonable.

You think I haven't designed other Grandmastery Feats

I don't think anything about these feats. You just have been stating we can add them, as though I'm already familiar with them.

Grandmastery of the Axe
Prerequisite: Level 10
+1 STR or CON
When you attack with a battleaxe, handaxe, or greataxe you have mastery with, you can treat them as if they have both the Cleave and Topple mastery.
When you attack with a battleaxe, handaxe, or greataxe you have mastery and use the Cleave mastery, you make an attack a third and 4th creature within 5 ft of the first.

Okay, liking this well enough. Only note is I think having two masteries was a thing fighters can do at level 9, per the new rules.

Grandmastery of the Hammer
Prerequisite: Level 10
+1 STR or CON
When you attack with a light hammer, warhammer, or maul you have mastery with, you can treat them as if they have both the Push and Topple mastery
Creatures have disadvantage on the Constitution saving throw from a light hammer, warhammer, or maul you wield with the Topple mastery property

Same note with the double mastery. Also, I find the disadvantage on the saves to be a bit lackluster. It does make you better at Topple, but that's a really minor effect overall.

Grandmastery of the Spear
Prerequisite: Level 10
+1 STR or DEX
When you attack with a javelin, pike, lance or spear you have mastery with, you can treat them as if they have both the Push and Sap mastery
When you attack with a javelin, pike, lance or spear you have mastery with and the Push Mastery property, you can push them additional feet equal to your Strength score and there is no size limitation.

You really liked the double mastery stuff. I'm never a fan of the "equal to your score" because I tend to use 5 ft measurements, but that's just me being petty.

Grandmastery of the Sword
Prerequisite: Level 10
+1 STR or DEX
When you take the Dodge action while wielding a longsword, greatsword, rapier, or scimitar you have mastery with, you may roll an attack roll and use it as your AC as long as you are wielding these weapons and not incapacitated
When you attack with a longsword, greatsword, rapier, or scimitar you have mastery with, you can treat them as if they have both the Graze and Sap mastery

See, that first ability is really cool. That's a neat way to change how a player might play. I've rarely seen warriors with a sword take the dodge action, and I'm worried about Monks with this, since there is a feat to get Mastery, but that is neat.

Edit: I went and double checked the UA. I was wrong about what the level 9 ability did. Though I am curious if you are planning these to allow fighters to apply three masteries to a weapon.

 

[Chaosmancer]

and half of the D&D community has an answer for you: A character is capable of doing what a human can do.

It is a really sad day when my goliath is limited to the strength of a human, my tabaxi to the dexterity of a human, and my undead to the constitution of a human.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Sure it does. Fantasy physics/reality is the same thing as magic to reality.

It's a very strange way to view fiction. If it doesn't bear a 1 for 1 relationship with reality, then it must be magic.

There's no room for different but natural.

Seems really limiting, sad, and honestly, kinda lazy.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Maybe, but I really prefer that it is.

Why?

 

[Chaosmancer]

All that really depends on the players... Often I have seen the exact opposite.

New players just ask if they can try to do something. And then they read the rules... see the high DC... see that they are suffering an opportunity attack... and never ask again... seen that all the time in 3e.

And then I think some more guidelines than in standard 5e would help.

So I am all for a happy middle ground. But I think erring on the side of less rules is better than the opposite.

It could have that effect. But if the DC is that high regardless of whether or not they know it, that is merely the difference between making an informed decision, with knowledge of the risk, or being ignorant of your chances.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Ok, but you don't get to insist that other people shouldn't want or need it.

And yet, I have never never cracked upon a fantasy story that opens by telling me that all the contents of that story are made up, and have no bearing on reality.

Seems weird I would need it for a game called Dungeons and DRAGONS, to inform me that it will not be dealing with the real-world.