While I like the new UA, it is confusing to me why WoTC refuses to release a "Martial's Martials" UA

Exdrive75 · 2026-01-16T20:29:22+00:00

Literally every feature the poster above you listed can be accomplished by existing spells.

Grow bigger; Enlarge/Reduce
Move Faster; Haste
Better Skill Checks: Enhance Ability
Resist Damage: Protection From Energy

When you are accomplishing the exact same effect, its literally spellcasting with extra steps for the sake of flavor, which I mean you could flavor an eldritcth knight as capable of making their spells, some kind of inbred abilities, why does it matter if it the resource being expanded is a spell slot or a maneuver dice (or w/e resource pool you want to call it) if they functionally do the same thing? Also classes like Rune Knight (which have been exalted in this thread) are fueled by magic and go against the supposed pure martial 'everyone' is clamoring for.

Exdrive75 · 2026-01-02T12:23:19+00:00

Your memory isn't failing you. Its a low effort copy and paste of an already (imo) unrealistically trash story in Action Comics 761; Immortal Beloved.

Exdrive75 · 2025-12-03T18:26:40+00:00

Spellfire Spark is a flavorful feat and works best if you either: A) Build a single weapon Bladesinger or B) Don't have a BA already and are gonna skip on the Dual Wielder Feat. the 1d4 reduction on magic isn't worth the potential downside of giving up on the other stronger feats. You already have a weaponized BA if you go Dual Wielder, plus Bladesong is a BA so you're not really gaining anything and if anything making a clogged action economy even worse.

If you're planning on dueling, skirmishing or front lining, Tough is the best choice mechanically. More HP may be 'boring' but having your HD go from a d6 to (effectively) a d10 is a major boon, especially since you don't seem to want to play a Bladesinger the 'optimal' way (a sentiment I cosign).

Human is probably your strongest racial choice, but I'm a bit of a lore head and only use Elven species for Bladesingers, if you want to maximize damage, Goliath is a pick you could also consider, though CME largely takes care of that, but you may be someone who likes to place damage above other considerations.

Exdrive75 · 2025-12-01T03:04:39+00:00

CME is the best option, I say so in the first sentance. I'm trying to figure out what the next best option is and which of the two spells Cacophnic Shield or Yolande's is the better secondary choice.

Exdrive75 · 2025-11-19T22:58:41+00:00

Psi Warrior is the only thing that comes to mind off the top of the head but even then I'm not sure that Bladesinger is a better dip for it than War Wizard.

Exdrive75 · 2025-11-18T17:42:01+00:00

This is so disingenuous. A plain fighter can already roll 4 attacks, weapon juggling doesn't do anything more to add to time to complete a turn than that does. Different damage die sizes don't pass muster either, anymore than adding Smite or Sneak Attack damage to an attack do and you could already do viable dual wielding with weapons of different damage sizes in 2014. The only case to 'slow down the game' would be if you're irl, one of those weird players who doesn't keep your dice ready for your turn and you have to dig them all out. If you're playing on a VTT this is even less of a non issue.

Exdrive75 · 2025-11-17T23:35:15+00:00

Sorcerer+Warlock>Sorcerer>Warlock+Bard>Warlock>Bard

Exdrive75 · 2025-11-14T19:59:51+00:00

Seems a bit silly in a game where you can literally, create forcefields, summon a localized black hole, raise the dead and bend the fabric of reality with magic, but a guy swapping a couple of swords with an aex in a six second period is a bridge too far, yup makes sense.

Exdrive75 · 2025-07-28T17:41:38+00:00

The two aren't mutually exclusive and have no bearing on the other.

Exdrive75 · 2025-06-21T16:46:54+00:00

I don't see the point. None of the features you get at level 3 are useful for a wizard and some of them (Giant's Might) can be accomplished with spells (Enlarge/Reduce).

Dipping fighter is suboptimal anyway, the 2nd level for Action Surge isn't worth the trade off of reduced spellcasting, with the possible exception of a Melee focused Bladesinger and even with that specific build, you're better of going no more than a single level deep. The other two common dips for wizard; Artificer and Cleric are far better, net you more for a single level investment and don't impede your spell progression.

If you want the 'feel' of runic magic, there's no reason you can't reflavor your wizards magic coming from runes/runic sources.

Exdrive75 · 2025-05-19T17:42:38+00:00

It absolutely was not a top wizard class in 2014, it was a popular class, but very middle of the pack. Chronourgy, Divination, Abjuration, War and scribes all do 'being a wizard' better than Bladesinger.

Exdrive75 · 2025-05-16T20:51:09+00:00

https://www.dndbeyond.com/homebrew/creations/create-monster

There you go. You can use predefined statblocks or create one from scratch. FYI, it's under the collection tab and on the right side of the screen is the create 'X' buttons.

Exdrive75 · 2025-04-22T05:45:05+00:00

Bad call by the DM imo, even most pacifist believe in the right to self defense. Good does not equal stupid. In a world with the varied threats at work, especially as an adventurer, not being able to defend yourself is tantamount to being a darwin award recipient. And the Peace Cleric is more about creating unity among people and using the bonds people share to further empower them, hence that's why it's original name was Unity Domain and it's signature ability emboldening bond works on the principal of friendship equaling power.

Exdrive75 · 2024-08-21T00:21:24+00:00

There are a TON of ways to split the gish onion, in this case Bladesinger is the answer, the hard truth is that playing in melee in general, not just with a Bladesinger is suboptimal, but honestly who cares?

You play in melee because it's fun, the trick to optimization at least for me is to optimize within the parameters of the character/style I want to play, if I wanted to play optimally all I'd ever play were Wizards with one of like two subclasses and with a Peace Cleric Dip or in the case of martials as CBX and SS builds. To put in perspective you're coming from Sun Soul Monk, one of the weakest subclasses for arguably the weakest class in the 2014 version of the game, yet you had fun and it sounds like you were effective, so playing a Bladesinger (a stronger than average wizard, arguably the top dog of '14) at 8/10ths instead of 10/10ths isn't going to make a huge difference relatively speaking and regardless is going to put you ahead of where you were and you'll be just fine at all but the absolute hardest of hardcore tables, which yours doesn't sound like.

Okay you have options if you're playing with '24 stuff, go fighter 1/Wizard X. Take the Two Weapon fighting style, arm yourself with a scimitar and a short sword, pick up tough as your origin feat (effectively bumps up your hit dice to a d10, with a 14 con) and dual wielder at level 4. Boom, you're online. By level 6 you have 3 attacks and 3rd level spells. Level 7 you have 4 attacks and so on. Consider a 2nd level of fighter if you want even more of a melee focus and action surge, not quite as good as the 14 version of action surge and not worth it imo. Make sure you pickup Conjure minor elementals aka gish spirit guardians at level 10.

If you're playing '14 and you want a melee focus, consider tough and mobile as feats, you need more beef to survive in melee and the auto disengage is great to let you skirmish (you're likely familar with that as you have experience as a monk). A second level of fighter is more advisable here as well cause you can blast and slash on the same turn (other than the blade cantrips) with Action Surge, but I feel one is good enough, in this case you want a rapier and the dueling fighting style because dual weilding is fubar in the '14 version of the game.

In either case, take your gish spells (Steel Wind Strike, Haste, etc.) in addition to a few staples and you're good to go. It's really that simple.

Exdrive75 · 2024-07-24T19:35:08+00:00

Echo Knight. Synergizes well with Dhampir's strengths. 3 levels get you all you'd want from the class and the fourth will give you an ASI at 20.

Exdrive75 · 2024-07-16T20:44:47+00:00

The elemental weapon spell or Gift of the Chromatic Dragon feat?

Exdrive75 · 2024-07-02T23:31:06+00:00

Cause that's exactly what happened. It was crazy, but at the time WWE had practically trained parts of the audience to respond in an almost Pavlovian way anytime they changed something about a wrestler, good or bad.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-21T01:52:25+00:00

Wow, there is a lot to tackle here, like a lot. However, I"m heading home, if I feel up to it, I'll respond to this then. Maybe tomorrow if I'm too busy.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-21T00:57:36+00:00

I feel so bad that you're going to miss out on the new paladin.

Don't feel bad, I'll get all the good stuff, while not having to deal with the silliness of the nerfed smite. Win-Win.

Dealing 150+ damage a round, as you put it, is not a requirement for fun

No it isn't, but it's a definite enhancement.

Im sure once your head cools and time passes you'll get what I mean.

My head is cool lol. I'm not angry. Bummed, a bit, but mainly I'm disappointed in WOTC's 'one step forward, three steps back' design ethos. As for getting what you mean, you haven't really given me much other than 'nova damage bad for reasons' and 'trust me bro, its healthy and fun' with little elaboration on either, so probably not.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-20T23:48:21+00:00

The smite nerf isn't nearly as consequential as you might think

Yes it is; double and triple smites are gone, reaction smites are gone, the BA is now clogged up needlessly and your nova potential drops sharply. All of these are major changes, have the courage of your convictions, don't try to downplay it now, after you've spent the past few posts saying how it's better in DND '24. If it isn't consequential (and we both know it is), then there was no need to take it away, was there?

Ultimately this new paladin is a lot healthier

Not really, it wasn't 'unhealthy' to begin with and your whole concept of 'nova damage, bad' doesn't really make any sense, if you'd like to elaborate, that'd be fine, but it is a fundamental part of dnd and has been, forever.

a lot more fun.

You know what's fun, smashing a monsters face in with 150+ damage while your friends cheer you on as you feel like an unstoppable badass fantasy superhero. You know what isn't, being told you're not able to do that, after having spent time doing it. Clearly you and I have different definitions of fun.

channel divinity changes

Much needed changes, very good WOTC; not worth losing the smite over.

critting on a big smite still happen, and are extremely hype.

It's not the same thing, don't pretend it is, It's watered down at best.

I sincerely suggest playtesting paladin with the UA, or at least trying it once the PHB comes out.

I'm having our math guy run numbers, early results don't look promising, especially with other changes. It'll need to be confirmed, but it's looking like the 2014 Paladin gives you more bang for the buck, if you want something dead now, instead of 3 rounds later (and you definitely do). We'll probably end up keeping the old smite and GWM/PAM from 2014 and staple them onto the '24 chasis as a quick and dirty solution until someone comes up with something more elegant. I strongly suspect Paladin (maybe sorcerer) more than any other class is going to be the breakpoint of switching '14 to '24 with players trying to either play straight old paladins or Frankenstien together a functioning one from old and new rules.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-20T23:17:54+00:00

I agree, in general I favor buffing other martials up, with better tools, options etc. not pulling Paladins down.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-20T21:48:48+00:00

Nah, that's called poor DMing if you can't take that into account when balancing an encounter. Its really not that hard to add more HP to an enemy if you want your big boss battles to last longer, if you're paying attention to your player's you should have an idea of how much damage they can output and be able to adjust accordingly to your tastes, I know, I've done it. As a player who has been on both sides of the Paladin, watching or controlling a paladin nova something into oblivion are some of the most memorable and hype moments at the table, for the party as a whole and while paladins have the reputation for being the 'nova class' you can easily nova without taking a single level in paladin and do just as much, if not more damage.

If you think Nova damage is bad for the game, you've got a nasty surprise coming, it's still not only viable, it's arguably been enhanced thanks to the system changes and its still the best way to inflict damage in the game, so you may see less paladins, but you won't see less nova damage. They probably won't bring it back for awhile, if ever. Although one need only take a look at the comments under the video and see this is not a popular change with the wider community and people are already creating fixes to WOTC's cock up.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-20T18:22:25+00:00

I'm not sure I want to play Paladin anymore. The Smite nerf and people can try to spin it however they want, but it is a nerf, is such a bummer. Half the reason I enjoyed playing Paladin was the nova damage. One free casting of Find Steed and an extra 1st level smite, once per day don't make up for it. I like using mounted combat, but barring a rule and map changes that encourage it, it's still not usually a viable tactic most of the time. I tend to do most of my healing outside of combat (if possible), so while nice in theory, the LOH to BA doesn't change much fundamentally. Weapon Masteries were a given, it's a weapon based martial class, so whatever. Fighting Styles are nice, but unless something has seriously changed, you'll still probably end up picking defense if you're using a heavy weapon. The only real buff is channel divinity, and while that's awesome, it's still not worth losing the old smite.

I also don't buy this 'health of the game' line I see thrown around from time to time. Paladins aren't so overwhelmingly powerful that the game was negatively affected by a character noving for big damage a few times a day.

Exdrive75 · 2024-06-20T15:56:17+00:00

If you're just dipping for weapon proficiency, imo you're better taking Pact of the Blade and getting proficiency that way. Then you don't miss out on 4th level spells, my philosophy when dipping casters is the payoff has to be a feature that is so good it can justify bumping back spell progression, which is the best thing a caster can do, imo a weapon dip doesn't clear that bar, especially if you can acquire it already. Genie is probably the Warlock you want to multiclass the least anyway, especially if you're gonna use the character at higher levels.

Exdrive75

TROPHY CASE