D&D General What does the mundane high level fighter look like? [+]

[Sacrosanct]

There have been a few threads about this recently. One asking if people want a mundane high level fighter or a magic one, one asking how you close the gap between fighters and casters, etc. But I want to narrow the scope for this discussion to what a higher level mundane fighter would look like (note the "+" sign please).

Given: There is an option for a mundane fighter class. Mundane is defined as "no inherent magical ability built into the core class". "Magical ability" excludes being better at something a normal person can do (so jumping, strength, etc. are all on the table), but does include reality-bending supernatural effects, such as illusions, evocation, regeneration, teleporting, conjuration, etc.

When: The fighter advances through levels

Then: the following is a list of traits/features that a high level mundane fighter may gain.

• Stalwart: An attack on every low level opponent within range (those scenes where a lone warrior holds off an entire group of guards).
• Physical: Expertise in any check that is strength, agility, or endurance related.
• Athlete: Double speed, jumping distance, climbing, etc.
• Martial Mastery: Additional effectiveness with weapons and armor that other classes don't get. Perhaps mundane weapons bypassing magic resistance.
• Whirling Blades: Every ally within a certain radius of the fighter gets a partial AC buff, every enemy suffers some auto damage.
• Combat Will: Damage reduction, or perhaps temp HP, ignoring conditions, etc.
• Cavalier: Increased mount movement, stats, redirects, mounted damage, etc.
• Command: Motivating allies under their command for mechanical benefits (better defense, temp HP, additional combat skill, initiative bonuses, etc.)
• Weapon/Armor mastery: only a fighter has learned to unlock certain armor or weapon traits

What other things should probably be on this list if you were to create a mundane fighter?

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

Parry. It should be easier for a "mundane" Figher to just not get hit because they put their weapon and/or shield in the way of an attack.

 

[Quickleaf]

1) Adaptive Cover
Extending on the idea of Cover (+2 AC and DEX saves), maybe a high-level fighter could create "Cover" effectively against effects targeting a range of saving throws, and potentially to extend that "Cover" to an ally.

Flipping over a table is something any character could do to create Cover for themself and a friend.

However a high-level fighter might grab their friend's arm and yank them behind an ogre as a White Dragon breathes, gaining the "Cover" +2 bonus applied to their saves against the White Dragon's breath weapon (which is usually a CON save, not a DEX save).

Edit: In the ecosystem of 5e currently, the Paladin's aura sort of dominates this concept by granting bonuses to saves across the board without requiring any action.

2) Smashing Things
The high-level fighter can take down a structure frighteningly fast with the right tool for the job - hitting a few key spots of the ruined stone tower with that sledgehammer. They might even be able to adapt their weapons to function as improved tools.

Edit: Conceptually, if the barbarian is conceived as the "smashing doors" guy, then this overlaps two class concepts.

3) Siegecraft
There are some potent cool siege weapons in the DMG that usually only see the light of day if it's part of the DM's plans. With some sort of guidelines, these could be opened for the fighter to create/commission and deploy.

Edit: This could step on the toes of the artificer's turret, or whatever it's called. Also, it's setting dependent.

 

[pemerton]

The relationship between attacks per round, damage per attack, hit points recovered per <time period>, etc are all ultimately arbitrary. They're just mechanical devices that establish the parameters in which the game answers the questions "How does this fight go?" and "How badly is this participant hurt?"

In Queen of the Black Coast, Conan kills were-hyenas by shooting them with arrows, and then punching one in the head with his pommel, tearing out another's throat, and smashing a third on marble steps. All this as they rip and tear at him.

In the fiction, this isn't magical - it's just Conan being tough. In the context of D&D, where a were-hyena would presumably have 50-ish hp (as a werewolf does), this requires damage bonuses and a rapid rate of attack. And probably also damage resistance and/or in-combat hp regeneration.

It's controversial to say so, but 4e D&D provides an obvious starting point for thinking about how this might all look in contemporary D&D terms: multiple dice of weapon damage, AoE close bursts, the ability to spend healing surges, and similar sorts of things.

 

[CreamCloud0]

multiple fighting styles (you should start with at least 2 and end up with 5-6) and for the bonuses granted by them to scale with tier in a similar way to cantrips, for example:
the blindsight granted by blind fighting increases by 10ft at 5th, 11th and 17th,
the attack bonus on archery goes from +2 to +4, +6 and finally +8,
interception and protection styles expand to work at 10ft, 15ft and 20ft range,
defense style grants +2, +3 and +4 AC,
and so on and so forth...

attacks of opportunity don't use up your reaction.

double thrown weapon ranges, just, double them, i don't know if i'd double ranged weapon ranges too or just add 50%.

if you don't use your action to take the attack action you can use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack(not as an offhand attack.)

you don't have to pick between ASI and feats, you get a feat and an additional +1.

expertise for a couple of skills.

 

[Oofta]

They look like a high level D&D as far as I'm concerned. Depending on game they could be entirely different, but I'm not playing those games.

 

[Tonguez]

Master Tactician (Auto-win Initiative)
Rally the troops (temporary Morale/HP bonus to allies)
Field command (grants attack/AC bonus to others, bonus movement?)

Bulk - Effective size increased to large
Dasher - base speed is doubled in combat
Hardhitter - Unarmed Damage increased to d8
Active Parry -bonus to AC
Damage Reduction
Use Strength for Ranged Attacks
Great Thrower Improved throw range
Lunge: Improved Reach
Weapon Mastery Can use any weapon trait on any weapon (including improvised weapons) - yes I can cleave with my shoe laces!

Wreck - Break through walls

 

[Clint_L]

There already is a mundane fighter, so I assume this is a thread about buffing the current version. I would not add combat buffs that step on other class's basic roles (i.e. making fighters amazing at unarmed combat (monks) or damage reduction (barbarians)). I would add buffs that are either strategic, or useful out of combat. The 5e fighter is already the best class in terms of damage delivery at high levels, so any buff there is essentially a revamp of the entire game's combat system (which is why this sort of conversation always almost immediately goes to discussing 4e).

 

[Quickleaf]

One of the things I like about Freebooters on the Frontier (it's a PbtA game with influences from D&D and DCC by Jason Lutes in playtest) is how the various character class playbooks have different starting Carrying Capacities determined by Strength and Class. For example, a Fighter gets the most at 13+STR slots, while other classes get less. It's a small thing, not "high level", but it could be extrapolated to how high-level fighters interact with gear (esp. magic items).

 

[Sacrosanct]

There already is a mundane fighter, so I assume this is a thread about buffing the current version. I would not add combat buffs that step on other class's basic roles (i.e. making fighters amazing at unarmed combat (monks) or damage reduction (barbarians)). I would add buffs that are either strategic, or useful out of combat. The 5e fighter is already the best class in terms of damage delivery at high levels, so any buff there is essentially a revamp of the entire game's combat system (which is why this sort of conversation always almost immediately goes to discussing 4e).

I was talking in D&D general, not 5e specific.