D&D (2024) Speculation on the next UA in April

[Minigiant]

The experts are united by expertise, and the priests by channel. I suspect the mages will be next, because all they need is for some mechanism to let them cast more spells than clerics, druids, and bards. That isn't too hard, which is why I think mages will be the next playtest.

The warriors have it a little harder, because traditionally anything that makes you better at hitting someone with a weapon ends up being available to all the melee classes. I don't see much that would make sense for a fighter, barbarian, and monk but not for a ranger or paladin to have.

Experts: Expertise
Priests: Channel Divinity/Nature
Warriors: Advanced Fighting Styles
Mages: Arcane Recovery

Is my guess. Warriors are next because they need the most work.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Experts: Expertise
Priests: Channel Divinity/Nature
Warriors: Advanced Fighting Styles
Mages: Arcane Recovery

Is my guess. Warriors are next because they need the most work.

I am sure there will be plenty of new fighting styles, but I am not sure they intrinsically solve any problems for warriors. Barbarians and fighters aren't really suffering in the combat effectiveness department, and I doubt there is a fighting style that is going to solve the monks' problems, even if "flurry of blows" becomes a fighting style. It seems like a better thing is something that can be changed up every combat or at least every day. Maybe if you could prepare a fighting style every long rest or short rest....That keeps things from feeling as static, and rangers and paladins are too busy with spell stuff on their long rests to be fooling around with changing fighting styles.

 

[Minigiant]

I am sure there will be plenty of new fighting styles, but I am not sure they intrinsically solve any problems for warriors. Barbarians and fighters aren't really suffering in the combat effectiveness department, and I doubt there is a fighting style that is going to solve the monks' problems, even if "flurry of blows" becomes a fighting style. It seems like a better thing is something that can be changed up every combat or at least every day. Maybe if you could prepare a fighting style every long rest or short rest....That keeps things from feeling as static, and rangers and paladins are too busy with spell stuff on their long rests to be fooling around with changing fighting styles.

That's why I said advanced fighting styles.

Warriors would get to upgrade their fighting style and get more than one.

 

[Pauln6]

I am sure there will be plenty of new fighting styles, but I am not sure they intrinsically solve any problems for warriors. Barbarians and fighters aren't really suffering in the combat effectiveness department, and I doubt there is a fighting style that is going to solve the monks' problems, even if "flurry of blows" becomes a fighting style. It seems like a better thing is something that can be changed up every combat or at least every day. Maybe if you could prepare a fighting style every long rest or short rest....That keeps things from feeling as static, and rangers and paladins are too busy with spell stuff on their long rests to be fooling around with changing fighting styles.

I don't think I'd be in favour of fighters changing style every short rest if they had access to every style (it's one of the things that annoys me about superior technique) but having a combat technique that includes several fighting styles to choose between might be fine.

Whatever they do, they must be careful not to make the champion too complicated.

 

[mellored]

I don't think I'd be in favour of fighters changing style every short rest if they had access to every style (it's one of the things that annoys me about superior technique) but having a combat technique that includes several fighting styles to choose between might be fine.

Whatever they do, they must be careful not to make the champion too complicated.

Give every fighting style.
They don't overlap. So it's not really a power bump. It's a versatility bump.

*as long as they don't release more fighting styles.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

That's why I said advanced fighting styles.

Warriors would get to upgrade their fighting style and get more than one.

You didn't say "super advanced fighting style", so it doesn't count.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Whatever they do, they must be careful not to make the champion too complicated.

THis is why I am pushing fro breaking up the fighter... to keep champion simple weakens the ability to have a complex other archtype

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I am sure there will be plenty of new fighting styles, but I am not sure they intrinsically solve any problems for warriors. Barbarians and fighters aren't really suffering in the combat effectiveness department, and I doubt there is a fighting style that is going to solve the monks' problems, even if "flurry of blows" becomes a fighting style. It seems like a better thing is something that can be changed up every combat or at least every day. Maybe if you could prepare a fighting style every long rest or short rest....That keeps things from feeling as static, and rangers and paladins are too busy with spell stuff on their long rests to be fooling around with changing fighting styles.

The only way I think would work for fighters and barbarians without making things less appealing to folks who like the current form of both would be to have stances that you spend a minute at a time in, and changing stance requires an action. Make them at-will or short rest based but effectively close to at-will, and you’ve got a choice made once per fight, giving variety from fight to fight, with trivial added complexity.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That's why I said advanced fighting styles.

Warriors would get to upgrade their fighting style and get more than one.

imo, and Advanced/Enhanced Fighting Style feature that automatically upgrade your fighting style when you reach the relevant level would be great. Archery gets the ability to do special attacks from range (I suspect trip/shove, disarm, etc will move from the dmg to phb), dueling gets a riposte reaction when missed while using one weapon, TWF can use a bonus action to get a damage buff on next attack before start of next turn, etc.


One thing I’m doing in my own 5e-derived game is to give tool profieciencies more oomph and having different classes get unique benefits from mastering different tools.

Same could be done for weapons for the warriors, as a way to do the fighting style thing. Like advanced weapon properties that are only usable by masters of a weapon, and warriors get weapon mastery at XYZ levels.

 

[Minigiant]

imo, and Advanced/Enhanced Fighting Style feature that automatically upgrade your fighting style when you reach the relevant level would be great. Archery gets the ability to do special attacks from range (I suspect trip/shove, disarm, etc will move from the dmg to phb), dueling gets a riposte reaction when missed while using one weapon, TWF can use a bonus action to get a damage buff on next attack before start of next turn, etc.


One thing I’m doing in my own 5e-derived game is to give tool profieciencies more oomph and having different classes get unique benefits from mastering different tools.

Same could be done for weapons for the warriors, as a way to do the fighting style thing. Like advanced weapon properties that are only usable by masters of a weapon, and warriors get weapon mastery at XYZ levels.

I'm hoping for Monkey gripping and Boomerang throws. Buff those STR warriors baby.