D&D 5E Battle Master without Superiority Dice (house rules)

[DND_Reborn]

So, I am not a fan of Superiority Dice and tracking them, etc. I am trying to revise Battle Master to remove them. Maneuvers are pretty much the same, a major difference is when you used to "spend superiority dice" you now use your bonus action. This allows you to use them once every round (the limit until 15th level). I've reduce the bonus (known as the Battle Master bonus) to slightly less than the superiority dice would grant to balance that out.

I am look for feedback (other than just use superiority dice ) and if this makes Battle Masters too powerful or too weak.

EDIT: Would removing the bonus action from the maneuvers make this too good? There is still the limit of only one maneuver per round until 15th level.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

The battle master bonus seems fine. It's got no precedent in published material, but it tracks pretty closely with what WotC was proposing for the Brute and the Weapon Master. I'd make it a die like those archetypes rather than a flat bonus, but that's a matter of taste.

Theree some battlemaster maneuver effects that you don't want used over and over again, though. If that's the case, you can say that a given target becomes immune to them after the first use (until the battlemaster finishes a short rest, probably).

 

[Tony Vargas]

You might check out MDDs from the early Next playtest. They were a round-based resource.

 

[dave2008]

Seems fine, but shouldn't the battlemaster bonuses be higher to correspond to the average of the superiority die?

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Seems fine, but shouldn't the battlemaster bonuses be higher to correspond to the average of the superiority die?

It's at will.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Seems fine, but shouldn't the battlemaster bonuses be higher to correspond to the average of the superiority die?

If I wanted them to be completely equal, yes, but since these are now maneuvers a character could do every round via their bonus action or reaction (depending), I lowered the bonus a bit below the average of what the superiority die would yield.

 

[FrogReaver]

My initial concerns are:

1. Commander's strike - this is already really good in the right party under current rules and even better with your rules IMO.

2. Riposte - any time I'm missed I get a reaction I can attack the enemy with. This is amazing!

3. Parry is even more impressive now too - reaction for flat damage reaction on an attack - no more variableness. Very nice!

4. Menacing attack - chance to cause fear every single turn (can be used from range). This is way too strong.

5. Feighnting attack and a rogue multiclass produces a reliable way to always gain advantage.

EDIT: 6. Rally is really good now - no cost temp hp to any ally (a decent amount as well)

 

[Mistwell]

But what about the ones which already required a bonus action? Like Feinting Attack?

 

[Tony Vargas]

If I wanted them to be completely equal, yes, but since these are now maneuvers a character could do every round via their bonus action or reaction (depending), I lowered the bonus a bit below the average of what the superiority die would yield.

How do you think wizard fans would feel if you reduced all their spells to be equal to cantrips, but useable at-will?

 

[FrogReaver]

How do you think wizard fans would feel if you reduced all their spells to be equal to cantrips, but useable at-will?

In all honesty the effects he's having these produce are closer to level 1 or maybe level 2 spells.