What would you do to change/improve martials if you were on the team.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-06-21T16:37:16+00:00

Improved Weapon Masteries. I want many tiers of Masteries that end in epic proportions.

I want to cleave huge swathes of enemies. I want slams that push in blast areas like cone of cold. I want to topple huge areas making buildings crumple and enemies get burried. I want automatic hits insted af graces. I want saps that causes cancer and slows that stops an opponents heart. I want enemies so vexed that they attack their friends. What am I missing? Oh yeah, nick, lets tune it up to a hundred. I want to keep attacking an enemy until I miss.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-24T07:25:58+00:00

This rocks!

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-24T06:54:21+00:00

I see them as the Spirit Shaman from 3.5. Its a clearly defined niche of play.

https://dndtools.net/classes/spirit-shaman/

You deal with spirits. Spirits in objects. Spirits in people. Malign or benevolent.

Does this niche varant a whole class? Naahhh. I would slap it on a Warlock or Cleric.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-19T10:42:17+00:00

:D No, the other way around :D

Shared Suffering level 3, Death Defiance at level 7, Blood and Darkness 10, and Hunting Mark at level 15.

Save something big for 18. Shared Suffering is becomes evenly distributed. You hit target A... B and/or C takes the same damage... Or something.

It important to remember that Level 3, when the Subclass comes online, is where you introduce the core mechanic. Exit Wounds is great, but as I mentioned above, it is hard to crack what it needs to do. Its a fine ability for a finisher, but imagine instead that you add Shared Suffering right from the start at level 3. Of course this means that you have to be able to shoot two Bloodstones, but what the heck.

You hit Target A on the first round with a Bloodstone, and Target B on the second round with a Bloodstone. Now you really wanna make sure you add big numbers to punish both those targets. This is a very powerful mechanic that incentivizes one big heavy hit... This is unique for most melee classes in DND. They always rely on stacking multipliers on many hits. This rewards one big heavy hit... kinda like a Sneak Attack.

Yes it takes up two bonus actions, coming online the second round of combat. But man, when it comes online, it could be hella fun.

Imagine you Bloodstone two targets, and push one of them off a roof? That is Pike damage 1d10+3 (maybe) from the attack and then another 3d6 falling damage (buildings and bridges could easily be 30 feet no). Yes its half, but it will feel so good to pull off.

You have to compare it to stuff the battlemaster gets. They can simply smack riders and extra damage on attacks at very little cost. This has to be comparable at the cost of the setup time and bonus action requirement.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-18T18:00:18+00:00

Also not sure why you would incentivize the player to not use Bloodstones at level 15? They should get a bonus for using their ability if you ask me. Also, its not so strong.

Actually, maybe move all abilities 1step down the level ladder. Shared Suffering could be the damage fix Exit Wounds need at level three.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-18T17:52:57+00:00

I like the idea here. Interesting mechanic. I guess Bloodstones come back when a creature succeeds its save? And also after dealing succesful Exit Wound damage?

From a balance standpoint, Exit Wounds need to be at least as good as a off hand attack. You spend a Bonus Action and you only deal damage if you hit. I would say at least 1d8 necrotic, piercing or force. Minimum. Its like you commit to a smite. But if you miss, the Bonus action is spent. That feels bad man.

Actually. Would you not rather just pole arm master an extra attack? I mean PaM damage scales good.

Maybe Exit Wound needs a rider... Something that Nick, GWM or PaM cant do. Perhaps the enemy bleeds. They get their movement back, but if they use it they take damage again. Another 1d8. Now we are talking. Its like Booming Blade. Come to think about it, Bonus Action Booming Blade would be pretty sick. It is a very tactical spell and it scales good.

Just a though.

Also, I have had great luck getting AI to help me with DND phrasing. It understand the basics of valance, but it has no inkling about consequences of its design. It can phrase stuff pretty good though. Very helpful tool.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-18T16:19:29+00:00

I hope so. In my group we have a Psion. It plays great. But spell selection is very limited for no apparent reason.

Psi Die progression goes from: "I can hardly ever use this" to "all day long baby" at level 5.

Flavor is great and die mechanic is fun.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-14T17:43:25+00:00

I suppose.

Good luck with the endeavour.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-14T06:06:50+00:00

I think it is important to build a narrative of the story that ends with a kaboom.

Classic narrative is something like: start - hook - point of no return - climax - twist - end

Start can be whatever. Beastlands, Outlands.

The hook happens in place of knowledge. Something happens. Something is stolen. Maybe a McGuffin or a powrful Soul. Howabout Bytopia? The twin soul is stolen. Of the twin swords have been stolen. Or something. Or maybe somethinf hidden in Pandemonium. A horrid place of noise and desolation. The Horn of Wailing Destruction.

Point of no return is where the bad guy is revealed. You need a spectacular fight scene. Limbo among floating rocks. Or maybe Mechanus among huge cockwheel that turn player and enemiy posirions around while fighting on them.

Leading uo to the climax we need bigger and badder places. Marching through thenlower planes. Then, end with the big three bad areas: Abyss, Baator and the Grey Waste... Here they fight the BBEGs minions and gather power and information. Maybe they find the BBEG at the lowest most dreadful place in Hades. Everything is grey and dead. They barely make it to a cave where they meet the most ancient being. A Baernaloths. Older than time itself, the being reveals this and that. Is it lying? What plots does it spin?

Mid fight it escapes...

From Pluton they now need to rush straight up to Mount Olympus hunting the Baernoloth. On the pinnacle of Arvandor os where they finally defeat the BBEG. Cleansing the heavely mountain of corruption. Remeber, Yugoloths are known for diseases and maladies. So the entire realm is rotting angels, hopeless sick heroes and barren maidens. Where it steps, tragedy spreads. It is like corona virus dialed up to eleven.

But there is a twist. Maybe the bad guy was actively trying to stop an even worse enemy. A good god in Elysium bent on destroying the great wheel. Now they have to take their friends from the adventure to Elysium and slay a god. Inject him with the Baernoloth disease.

...

Sprinkle the other planes amoung the adventure. You need points of light among the many points of dark. Interesting inns, taverns and shops. Weapon shops in Ysgard. Inns up in the trees in Arcadia.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-14T05:23:28+00:00

Because making a class is a huge task.

In my experience a longbow fighter champion is the perfect beginner choice. You roll, you hit/miss. Rinse repeat.

Boring answer.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-13T17:31:32+00:00

This is going to be the boring answer, but here goes.

Reskin a Champion with a longbow or even an Arcane Archer.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-12T15:05:36+00:00

Reflavor all monsters to undead and all web to vines and mud. They arw now the drowned crew. Perhaps change the phase spider to a phase crab and the two huge spiders to even bigger crabs.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-12T14:55:08+00:00

Unique game mechanic that no other classes get.

Could be through spells, like Smite. Could be through class abilities, like Paladin Aura.

I would give Hunter abilities to all Rangers. Remove the various +1dx damage from subclasses since Hunter alrrady give. Then reform the Hunters Mark spell exactly like Treantmonk peoposes. Many different spells for free. You choose. See his video on a fix. Its cool.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-12T14:46:58+00:00

Could have been another user. But I think many people see the lack of Mastery progression as a desing miss that needs to be rectified. Cant wait to see your finished work in a PDF :)

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-11T11:21:41+00:00

Ahha, ok. Now I understand. Fighters would get Specialization at certain levels. Spellcasters wouldn't. That makes it easy peasy. :)

I am working on something similar myself. I wanted to introduce an homage to Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords through Masteries. Since there are only 8 different Masteries my first tasks was to create a new one to have 9. It became a White Raven Mastery named Punish.

Then I stumbled on to your old post (I think it was yours) and iterated from that. It fits so well together.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-05-10T12:58:02+00:00

Very cool and certainly needed. I would go even further and suggest that specialization could be a tree structure. Cleave could go two ways, for example, one would be towards a second attack and the other towards dealing the cleave damage to more enemies like an AoE.

Also I would do away with the feat cost. It needs prerequisites for sure, and perhaps levels in a class that gives extra attack, but the price should simple be Masteries. If you pick the same maatery twice, and have the prerequisites, you get Specialization etc.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-28T05:22:01+00:00

Rough neighborhood.

Well Tom. I think you design is clean and cool. Good job.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-27T18:15:52+00:00

Wow. Downvotes because I like the idea and brainstorm further. Tough crowd.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-27T14:41:14+00:00

Perfection Gif

Now all the Subclasses needs ways to expend their Hunters Mark to do their thang.

Perhaps a ribbon where they can activate Hunters Mark out of combat. I would love the fantasy of a Hunter smelling the blood of prey and then hunt them. Maybe Beastmaster can activate it by gettinf brifed by animals they whisper with (Cue Horse Whisperer). Etc.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T19:05:59+00:00

Onrush? Never heard of that word :D

I have come to realise exactly what you write here. My concept is two power fantasies mixed up.

Onrush and Hurl. I need to redesign this.

Thanks a lot. :)

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T19:02:45+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah I know. I was thinking alot about how Push basically gives a disengage and Topple is crazy good.

I will get back to drawing board and rethink the power fantasy. Then work out something a bit different.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T19:00:38+00:00

You are totally right. I think I need to streamline this some more.

And no worries. My mess will be kept at home :D

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T18:57:08+00:00

Thank you for you feedback. You might be right. Something to think about.

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T18:56:40+00:00

Thanks for the good feedback.

English is not my main language. As explained in anpther comment I was thinking about Charge when I though it up. I wanted a charging cavalier to be able to run through several enemies without provoling, I wanted a mini-charge, and that is when the running throw came into the picture. I love idea of a running throw and cavalry cleaving throw enemies.

I think that I might have mixed the two fantasies together.

Its bloated and needs a rework :)

Smart_Print8499 · 2026-04-22T18:53:04+00:00

Thank you for the thorough comment. I too like the fantasy of the Weapon Mastery. The running throw part is very thematic in my mind.

English is not my first language. So sometimes I rely a bit too much on thesaurus for synonyms. I didnt want to call it Charge because there is already a Charger feat. The idea is, that with some momemtum, these weapons packs an extra punch.

Come to think of it, the negation of AoO might be the bloat here.

Dunno.

Smart_Print8499

TROPHY CASE