Just wanted to point out that Indomitable says "failed saving throw", not "failed ability saving throw". Meaning it works on death saves. A little to remember when it becomes relevant at your table, my friends

@sambro6657

4 жыл бұрын

Holy shit your right

@SSB_Master_Hand

4 жыл бұрын

Yoooooooo!

@akrinornoname2769

4 жыл бұрын

The same is true for when you're making death saves and a Paladin is standing close to you. Or when you're a high-level monk

@donaldcedar7574

4 жыл бұрын

@@sambro6657 his right?

@Nerazmus

4 жыл бұрын

That's what he said in the video. But it's still nothing amazing.

I absolutely love this series.

@jakeryker3751

4 жыл бұрын

I agree

@zeldamaster52

4 жыл бұрын

Very excited for when we hit paladin, because all of them are great. Arguably 5e's best martial class.

@357Dejavu

4 жыл бұрын

These are awesome! I agree with most of what is said. I do think goading attack (of the battle master) is pretty good if used on a ranged fighter that is out of range of the monster.

I'd like to mention that the Eldritch Knight also makes a great archer, using either a longbow or a hand crossbow.

@rangerecho

4 жыл бұрын

and even heavy crossbow, if you manage to get your hand on both shaprshooter and crossbow expert (which you likely will)

@johnisaacfelipe6357

4 жыл бұрын

EK is made for cantrip slinging especially with the SCAG cantrips or alongside shadowblade, a ranged EK will definitely fall behind

@agilemind6241

4 жыл бұрын

Depends how you do it. EK gives a fighter-archer insane survivability - Shield + Absorb Element + Protection from Good & Evil. Plus if you use the extra spell at 3rd level to get a Familiar so you can give yourself a much better chance of landing a sharpshooter shot. EK doesn't get shadowblade until way late and the damage only just keeps par with GWM heavy-weapons fighters, and generally the SCAG cantrips fall behind Battlemaster maneuvers or dual-wiedling in terms of extra damage. Originally (before SCAG) I think the EK was meant to be the maneuverable fighter - using Shocking Grasp to do hit-and-run attacks. Or as an arcane archer - use firebolt / chilltouch then follow up with an arrow attack.

@lesliebraun8438

4 жыл бұрын

I made an ek crossbow user for a high-level one shot. Focused on the crossbow side. Low int, but with spells that were only for defense and utility. So no saves or attacks needed. What I had was a quite capable mage, who on a turn with action surge, could throw up to 7 shots from my hand crossbow, and with sharpshooter, was hitting at +9. The damage if they all hit were at I think +17, so it was ridiculous. Didn't actually play him though, a straight sorcerer fit the party better. And that was ok, because it taught me how much damage a well placed cone of cold could do.

@anthonyrowlodge5357

4 жыл бұрын

@@lesliebraun8438 I can respectfully admit that when it comes to know the ins and outside of classes/subclasses and effectiveness and possibilities of spells, I fall short in the knowledge department. Only thing smart I've ever done in a session was set a tar pit full of undead that were partially slowed by the tar but if I or any of my party members were to be pulled in, we would be fucked, (now this was third edition, like a year before 4th edition came out, so no cantrips). There were about a dozen undead and there were only three of us and I was the only spell caster, a sorcerer, used burning hands on the tar and set it all on fire effectively killing all the undead.

I like how the fighter is almost like a create a class template, with the increased feat capacity, loose weapon proficiency and so many archetypes, it’s as if you’re home brewing a class

@torunsmok5890

4 жыл бұрын

Still better off multiclassing than going straight fighter 9 times out of 10

@witchBoi_Connor

4 жыл бұрын

Feats are an optional rule, imo this makes “fighters are balanced around taking feats” an invalid argument.

@funkkymonkey6924

4 жыл бұрын

@@witchBoi_Connor If your DM is not allowing the optional Feat rule, I honestly question their capacity to compromise and give you any agency over your character. Even then, you still receive 4 additional ability points to round yourself out.

@funkkymonkey6924

4 жыл бұрын

@@torunsmok5890 I would not call it that severe of a divide, atop of the fact most classes have arguably weak capstone features. Fighter also works well for secondary class investment as a physical ability multi-tool and general front line beef

@GURGLEGUY12345

4 жыл бұрын

@@witchBoi_Connor Ah, it's you again. I do need to know who that cute...witch? in your avatar is...

Everyone laughs at the Champion until that player starts multiclassing Barbarian: Reckless Attack+Expanded crit range basically allows you to crank up your crit chance to 19% per attack as long as you reckless attack. Add Great Weapon Master and watch your character crit several times per combat. Paladin: Divine Smite dice are doubled on a critical hit, making a greatsword crit in a level one divine smite deal 4d6+4d8+Str mod damage. This all gets even better if you're an Oath of Vengeance Paladin, which can use Vow of Enmity to get that sweet, sweet 19% crit chance on advantage. This combo is a boss killer. Ranger: If you're using UA Ranger, you get advantage on initiative rolls as well as creatures who haven't moved yet while you're taking your first turn. Pairing this ability with Expanded Crit Range and Horde Breaker allows you to wipe out half an encounter before they even get a chance to respond. Rogue: Sneak Attack Dice are doubled on a critical hit. Should speak for itself. Sure, Champion isn't the most game breaking thing out there, but a 3 level dip into Champion or a Champion who is dipping 2-4 levels into another class is hard to beat.

@neisan92

4 жыл бұрын

@Pelinal Whitestrake He's often seen as a stand up hero, stalwart defender of justice by those who know him. His enemies see him as a thug and a brute. His reputation precedes him for having gone toe to toe with foes out of his league and won. He's really just a quick thinker, and resourceful, pragmatic fighter that would prefer to slit a few throats or sneak his way through danger. He's just strong enough to hold his own in direct combat for a time.

I can stand behind the eldritch knight. Having shield and blur on a guy in plate, wielding a greatsword, feels awesome. Not to mention haste. I'm a bit iffy on using spell slots for attacks, but fireball and firewall are options.

@abadidea5984

4 жыл бұрын

I feel like your GM might have let you get away with a few favors because Eldritch Knights can't learn Blur and Haste. The written rules specify that their starting spells must be Evocation and Abjuration only, and every spell they learn thereafter must also be Evocation or Abjuration, which fits neither Blur (Illusion) nor Haste (transmutation).

@chadnorris8257

4 жыл бұрын

@@abadidea5984 No, you can learn a couple spells of other schools at certain levels. It's restrictive, but a few spells can be non abjuration and evocation. You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the abjuration and evocation spells on the wizard spell list. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic. So at level 3, 8, 14, and 20 you can learn spells from any school.

@torunsmok5890

4 жыл бұрын

@@abadidea5984 dude esper even noted in the video, like the arcane trickster being mostly locked into illusion and enchantment but getting free choice at a couple points, E knights get the same freedom at certain levels.

@johnisaacfelipe6357

4 жыл бұрын

You can learn a scant amount of spells outside of evocation and abjuration. Tbh, I think its a stupid rule that limits the creativity of players. Just give the players the choice to choose the two schools which they are restricted to and include the option to learn spells outside of your two choices every other level similar to the original EK.

@chadnorris8257

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnisaacfelipe6357 I would like this. I'm not sure why the spellcasting needs to be this restrictive. Just let it be like a paladin, except on the arcane side. Or would that be too OP?

I love how the opening of the vid points out that people claim you have a bias towards casters that you try to dissuade... then rate the Eldrich Knight super-high compared to the others. If I knew it wasn't intentional, I'd ask to roll a deception check. Ah, but I jest... and I totally understand. Still, my first D&D character was a Battle Master and I have a fondness for them. I plan on returning to the class one day. Can't wait to see how the other Fighters fare ^-^d

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

1. He rated rally higher than parry when they do the same thing. Preventing you from taking about a level 1 healing spell in damage. There is clearly some 4e byass happening here. 2. He really oversold Warmagic. The fighter is balanced around being the guy with the most attacks for their action and you are giving that up for a cantrip. It should have been the other way around where you could cast the cantrip as a bonus action alongside all your attacks. 3. He rated goading attack badly but imagine using goading attack with a bow so that your opponent can't reach you or have to get past other tanks to hit you. Awesome support for your group.

@PalleRasmussen

3 жыл бұрын

In my experience, and according to every other webdm, the BM PWNs the EK. A BM with three lvls of Bear Totem Barbarian multied in is insanely strong.

Me: I have to do school work Also me: oh, a new Esper video! Nevermind about that work

@block4562

4 жыл бұрын

epic xD

".. it's like red and white if this was MtG." As an old Magic player, I finally have a broad concept of evocation

Just got to the Battlemaster section, and it reminded me of something. During the 5e playtest, Fighters all had the Battlemaster's maneuvers. It wasn't until the official version that these were sawed off and made into a subclass in the name of simplicity. Learning about this pissed me off something fierce, since it's when I realized why Fighter just felt really "off" to me. Fighters are basically given a choice between having a subclass and having all their class features.

@garn4579

4 жыл бұрын

you can still pick up the feat though

@charlottewalnut3118

4 жыл бұрын

Ok that’s just terrible

@user-ze3tq9hf9i

4 жыл бұрын

Just talk with your DM to have it as part of the base class features and then pick the subclass you want.

@christhiancosta1844

4 жыл бұрын

Wow that's sad, they could've just made the general fighter have d6 superior die and battlemaster stronger ones and specialized maneuvers

@mattysmith5571

4 жыл бұрын

that would make martial classes so much better and more interesting. :/

The icing on the cake that is the Eldritch knight is the fact that some spells (such as Shadow Blade and Fire Shield) are much more effective for the fighter than the wizard due to far greater attack count and durability, and I'm really looking forward to playing a dex-based Feral Tiefling eldritch knight thanks to hellish rebuke and the Flames of Phlegethos feat, which are wonderful ways to trade the damage you take for the damage the attackers that would focus you down anyway receive.

@defensivekobra3873

4 жыл бұрын

Dude, pick up green flame blade, then you Will be able to trigger the flame aura from flames of pheletegros every turn while making two attacks per turn at 7th level, one of whom Will deal extra damage

@levkrasovsky4920

4 жыл бұрын

@@defensivekobra3873 That's precisely my plan, my dude! :D

@theuncalledfor

2 жыл бұрын

I think Fire Shield is just too expensive for an Eldritch Knight. That is your _only_ fourth level slot you're using on that. As cool as it is, I just couldn't justify taking it on my Eldritch Knight build.

@justnoob8141

2 жыл бұрын

@@theuncalledfor you forget Spell Scroll, access to Wizard spell mean you can use Wish scroll, you just need to roll for it

@theuncalledfor

2 жыл бұрын

@@justnoob8141 Scroll are consumables, you can't have them in your build, you buy or find them during "runtime".

really feel you rated the dueling fighting style too low, or at least should have discussed how it allows for a shield to be used alongside the one-handed weapon. It's actually fairly good for a more tanky build.

@YMDIJ

4 жыл бұрын

Yea, i totally agree with this. The dmg increase is actl higher than gwf on a greatsword on average as well. So it should be on par with/ better than it.

@esperthebard

4 жыл бұрын

I almost gave it A Tier, but in the end, it just stays at +2 damage for your entire adventuring career. Two Weapon Fighter at least scales up as your Str/Dex increases.

@YMDIJ

4 жыл бұрын

@@esperthebard But dueling does scale, just in a different way. Martial classes (except rogue) all get at least 1 extra attack which means dueling applies at least twice for a +4 a turn. For fighters, its even more powerful. On the other hand, i find the scaling of twf abit weak as only your bonus action attack is buffed, in a way it caps at 5 dmg turn and as the game goes into later levels, you can usually get more things to do as a bonus action (e.g polearm master 1d4 atk, great weapon master bonus action atk on a crit or kill, second wind, activate flame tongue, cast shadow blade) even though some are just a once per combat event, considering that most combat don't last for more than 5 rounds, the power of twf decreases.

@avatarmufasa3628

4 жыл бұрын

Two weapon fighter mathematically sucks in comparison to dueling (it also taks up your bonus action). Any analysis i have seen always looks bad. By comparison dueling has always come out favourably. Great Weapon fighting all sucks, i believe it averages a +1 increase on a greatsword, with less on a greataxe So the reasons Great weapon fighting were said to be good, whilst it makes you "feel" good to reroll, realistically it is inferior to dueling. id knock it down at least 2 tiers, not 1 Both the other fighting styles are bad enough that its probably just best to go for the +1 ac. again, people can pick their flavour, but the damage increase just isnt high and i dont think they deserve the high spots. WIth dueling being just great

@tuxxle8830

4 жыл бұрын

@@YMDIJ I would also say twf isn't as strong at higher levels especially if you're gonna be attacking up to three to four times or more with action surge in a turn, which was exactly what Esper the Bard said was Fighter's Strongest advantage. In addition, GwF I think should've been higher ranked as per its effective damage bonus as disscussed in the first answer here: rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/47172/how-much-damage-does-great-weapon-fighting-add-on-average#:~:text=Great%20Weapon%20Fighting%20will%20increase,never%20be%20larger%20than%201.&text=Then%20the%20increase%20in%20the,%5B1%E2%88%92YX%5D.

Finally!! Been waiting for this one for awhile. Thank you, Esper!

Dueling fighting style should get a higher ranking considering you can still use a shield and still receive the +2 damage bonus. That’s insane.

This channel is so under rated. You deserve more subscribers. Great content as usual

Great job if the second part is as informative and entertaining I look forward to the video. Keep up the great work

As you mentioned, Battlemaster's do get additional manuevers, superiority dice; and those die upsize at 10th and 18th level, so they do get decent enough upgrades over time. The manuevers are very weirdly imbalanced though, yeah.

Goading strike has saved my party of casters and rouges so many times over.

Last game I played, I went from Blacksmith Rune Lord subclass (from 5eSRD), and dual classed into a Fighter Runeblade Martial Archetype that made for a great story line and a pretty powerful fighter. A young blacksmith that went out adventuring with his friend, coming across a broken and rusted old sword with a pristine jewel. After piecing the sword together and making an image of the runes, he forged a new sword, carved the runes in and set the stone in it, causing the spirit in the stone to come to life and possess the blade. At the start, only a handful of the etched runes came to life bestowing power, and the more he mastered the sword, the more runes unlocked and became active.

It's fascinating that a ranged fighter is a better physical dps than a ranger. Love the fighter

@aelspecto

4 жыл бұрын

In earlier levels the ranger is better, the hunter's mark+colosus slayer is just too OP for low cr creatures. The fighter gets better once he gets his third attack, but that's a lot investment

I have been subscribed for awhile now and hit "Like" on all your videos. Keep up the great work. I hope you continue to love making the videos, also!

@esperthebard

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support Mussante!

@mussante

4 жыл бұрын

@@esperthebard Yes, and perhaps in the future I can support you in some additional way as well. // Comment: As a careful analyst and lover of etymology and diction etc., I really appreciate your nuanced and patiently explained observations and evaluations. There's always a caveat and context for everything and I'm glad you consistently provide a framework for understanding various phenomena in the D&D world. Many thanks for your art and artistry as well. The storytelling additions really bring it to life.

Cool one 👍 great to see a new video in the series, hope the artificer doesn't take more waiting xD

"...unless you have the war caster feat" *Laughs in Ruby of the War Mage*

@kedolan4992

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, but that assumes you have that specific magic item, which you probably shouldn't count on to make a class "work", where as fighter specifically is in a situation where it can just take extra feats to do just that.

@TuckBolt

4 жыл бұрын

@@kedolan4992 Here's the thing. Once you get Ruby of the War Mage and put it on your weapon, it can't be taken from you because of your bonded weapon ;) That and it's a common level magic item. What DM is going to tell their Mage Knight no to that.

@CGCommando82

4 жыл бұрын

Ruby of the War Mage doesn't help you though, since EKs can't use a focus to begin with, it doesn't matter if their weapon is a focus

Fighter! I have strong feelings about the fighter. I believe that fighter as a class is the single most dependent on its subclass and feats to be even slightly interesting to play. Fighter was the first class I played, all the way up to level 7, and my kit was SPARCE thanks to my poor decision making, a bad subclass, no feats, and no multiclassing. And my issue lies that no other class is so damning to play as fighter if you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve heard rumors that the pre-5e playtest of fighter had built-in battlemaster maneuvers and man do I wish fighter had that because battlemaster actually feels like playing a fighter. What I wouldn’t give to have maneuvers, even if they were slightly weakened, especially if it replaced a shite features like indomitable and even second wind. Or buff second wind to have more uses but less healed. (I just want something to use my bonus action on gods dammit).

@witchBoi_Connor

4 жыл бұрын

Also on the “why battlemaster is best non-magic fighter” train, you get unique utility abilities for use outside combat and/or for flavor!

@witchBoi_Connor

4 жыл бұрын

Jett Lucas Hayes those are UA and Homebrew, AND two of them are magical. I am talking about, and this video is talking about content available in wizard’s of the coast approved and AL legal content.

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

Saying fighter is the simplest class really is a lie.

@witchBoi_Connor

4 жыл бұрын

Jett Lucas Hayes I know it’s a month late, but I also need to add, the Gunslinger by Matt Mercer is based on the pathfinder class of the same name. Yknow, pathfinder, an infinitely more complex and customizable system?

Arcane archer should have more than 2 special shot uses. There i said it

@christopherfloody5555

4 жыл бұрын

I let my players base the number of uses per short rest off their intelligence modifier, minimum of 1 use. Its a way for them to get more of a beneift out of intelligence other then just a slight DC buff to their arrow effects

@Shadow-gc6le

4 жыл бұрын

@@christopherfloody5555 so basically treating the arcane shots like a gunslingers grit points.

@aaroncollins1698

4 жыл бұрын

@@christopherfloody5555 I do the same thing.

Just wanted to interject about the Ynow Your Enemy ability from Battlemaster is that one it's explicitly out of combat and the longer you interact with the creature the more information you find out so centrally with enough time you could literally know everything about your opponent.

Hey mate, loving the analysis and you have really taken a lot into consideration (especially manuevers, has helped me figure out that mine field) but have to say though, I think Eldritch knights bonded weapon feature should have been a little higher (maybe one more up). Although it does say weapon, altering a shield with a spike or bladed edge usually works so casting it aside if needing to cast then Bonus action to reequip at the end. And most prominent is bonding with a thrown weapon like the hand axe, spears, daggers, have even seen a net used creatively thus somewhat turning the weapon to having the returning feature. True it is an “ok” feature but if used right can give the weapon your using a bit more of an...edge. But overall solid work (thumbs up)

I've been playing a battle master and he is fun to play, as for the know your enemy I've used it to nice effect, the spell caster is talking and I'm getting info on whoever we are dealing with using myself as a baseline. Anyone on par with my fighter physically or with class levels immediately gets my attention, its helped to gauge how tough some one might be too since I can know their Armor Class and current hit points.

Go Esper go Esper go go go Esper. Thanks again for another great video and insight into the game. Gods bless the bardy boi!

Can’t wait to find out what you think of the Cavalier. Cav is my absolute favorite Fighter subclass.

As an Eldritch Knight main this makes me happy to get around the one hand needs to be free to cast somatic spells i would go sword and board and then drop my weapon as a free action cast the spell and use my bonus action to resummon my bonded weapon

Love this series have a great day

Hi Esper! After completing all classes/sub-classes can you make a comparison between them. I want to see which class shines amongst others. I know there are many classes and their sub-classes but even a summarized video would do. That will be the grand-finale of your comparison videos.

Love all the hard work you into this. Was wondering if you had any plans to do this with the monk class?

Nice analysis! Personally, I have found at my table that the battlemaster far outpaces the Eldritch Knight for damage, while the Knight can tank like you wouldn't believe. Precision Attack is the key feature for the battlemaster. Ideally paired with sharpshooter or great weapons master, it will turn lots of near misses into hits on the most damaging attacks. Riposte also puts melee enemies in a world of pain. Not quite as durable as an Eldritch Knight with the Shield spell, but how often do fighters go down anyway? In any event, both subclasses are excellent and I really don't find the fighter to be falling behind the casters in my group.

I disagree on the Champion's improved crit range, it sinergizes super well with the base fighter's multiattack and when you take into account things like advantage it makes the fighter the premier magic weapon user.

There is just something beautiful about the simplicity of the Fighter. Most other classes you have to make choices about spells and feats and whatnot while you're just a guy/gal that swings a sword real good. I play as a Battlemaster homebrewed to be entirely defence focussed and just stand 25ft in front of the rest of my spellcaster-party holding off waves of enemies whilst they fling spells from a safe distance. We have a fun dynamic

My DM combined the Battlemaster and Eldritch Knight archetypes. It is really great and it doesn't feel overpowered. I only wish, the fighter would have had the Battle Master features as standard.

@user-ze3tq9hf9i

4 жыл бұрын

Can you explain how he did? It doesn't seem too complicated but I'm curious how others do it.

@Gamemaster6400

4 жыл бұрын

I would also be inturested in how he did this

@jeremystone5946

2 жыл бұрын

Combining battle master and the eldritch knight reminds me of a spell sword for some reason. Edit: spell sword being from elder scrolls oblivion.

I can say that i have fallen in love with the cavalier subclass since its release from Xanathar's. I enjoy the protector role in games and the subclass enchances that dramatically. Add some polearm master shenanigans in the mix, and it makes things more interesting. Honestly,fun,underrated and versatile both the fighter and its subclasses teach you a lot about the game.

@johnisaacfelipe6357

4 жыл бұрын

Cavalier is extremely fun, Cavalier, Samurai, and Battlemaster are the three fighter subclasses which you can go all the way to level 20 without feeling outpaced by other classes.

How do casters in 5e get as many features as fighters, and get spells and think things are balanced?

@WhyYouMadBoi

4 жыл бұрын

Cause dumbing things down in a system means that the things that were strong in the more complicated version gets buffed in the more simpler version. Back in 3.5 casters had their spells and could barely wear armor along with shit hp (a d4), meaning tanks and martials were all good. In 5e, Wizards can wear armor and cast.

@thereaIitsybitsyspider

4 жыл бұрын

5e balance is whack. Fortunately, you can easily buff things with homebrew

@abadidea5984

4 жыл бұрын

It's because 5e isn't balanced, and hear me out: that's not a bad thing. It just means that classes have differences in the scopes of what they will achieve. The Fighter, well, he *fights* , and he's the best at it. The highest tier of Fighter will achieve legendary feats like slaying titans or facing down whole armies as an unstoppable one-man bastion. But he will *never* reach the heights of the Wizard, who brings entire civilizations to their knees in a moment's passing, who unravels the designs of the gods and reshapes reality to their whim. They're not meant to have the same *level* of power, but they are meant to embody different aspects of heroic fantasy. You can be Doctor Strange, opening portals across all of space and time to assemble all the worlds' heroes and armies in a manner of minutes, or you can be Captain America who rises from the brink of death with little else but a broken shield, ready to face Thanos's entire army, and both are equally as heroic.

@astuteanansi4935

4 жыл бұрын

A 20th level fighter still gets 4 attacks per turn unconditionally, potentially 8 with Action Surge. That is way more damage than any caster can dish out without having to use limited resources (unless they have an at least 2-level dip into Warlock, and Agonizing Blast being so OP without having to invest many levels is not a problem with casters, just with the warlock in particular). Plus the whole 1d6 hit die thing.

@johnisaacfelipe6357

4 жыл бұрын

Honestly, The only caster that is OP in such a way that invalidates martials is the sorcerer with 2 levels dip into warlock. the problem lies in the warlock kit tbh, its honestly stupid. But in terms of single target DPS, fighters do way way more than any caster could do without multiclassing. its just that outside of fighting, a player with a fighter character will have to rely on their wits and personal charisma to carry the day rather than on spells

Another thing to point out about the Eldritch Knight, is that they are somewhat limited in the spells they get, its mostly evocation and abjuration spells, with some exceptions at certain levels. The reason Eldritch Strike is so good, is if you pair it with hold person a spell you can get around 8th level. If you hit your opponent the previous turn they get disadvantage on the save, then the next turn you cast hold person, and if they fail the save, you can action surge and potentially get 3 critical hits on the opponent. Which is a pretty effective combo and one I will be using when I get to play the Eldritch Knight myself

I remember having to resort to that Commander's Strike in a fight once. The party ended up in a fight with a Banshee and her wail ended up fearing my fighter before I could get him into melee range. So instead of being completely useless because I could no longer fight myself, I ended up helping out our rogue by basically giving him more attacks to use on the banshee. It was definitely helpful in that fight for sure.

One of the favorite characters I've run was a Kenku dual weapon fighter who went champion. I loved using the fact that he could perfectly replicate things he's heard and with his backstory and background I was allowed to do things like roaring like a dragon and recreating the sounds of a fight with swords clashing and spells bieng casted. And the easier criticals really helped with his dual wielding allowing massive damage and yes he went down easy thanks to his low AC from wearing only light armors but still. I also seduced a ship of pirates after being shot out of a cannon and that made me like him much more

Ah well, I'm glad you'll be covering the other archetypes too! I was hoping for a short rating summary video of all in one, but still nice hearing some details. I do disagree on some points, considering action economy (involving feats) which makes TWF and Protection pretty bad.. Sadly x) Defense offers most versatility. I think the Fighter will shine brightest if it simply gets a Flametongue and gets to smash 4 attacks per turn al day! Subclasses seem to have less impact, that's OK. Dexterity Eldritch Knight/Paladin for the win xD

You have a good point about Great Weapon Fighting being fun, but Dueling should be equivalent or higher ranked. Dueling always gives +2 damage, which is a larger damage boost than GWF gives all 2 handed weapons. On average, GWF gives Greataxes +0.833 damage, Greatswords/Mauls +1.33 damage, and Doublebladed Scimitars +1 damage. So in all cases, Dueling gives a better bonus than GWF. That's assuming we aren't biased on Sword & Board vs Two-handed Weapons.

@xaviervega468

3 жыл бұрын

GWF combines well with more feats than Dueling does.

@andrewcoonradt9513

3 жыл бұрын

@@xaviervega468 The damage from GWF is pretty negligible with GWM, it's mediocre on Polearm Master, the extra damage from Orcish Fury is once per short rest for a maximum of 0.833 damage, and Savage Attacker is almost never worth the feat anyway. I'd argue that Dueling (or even Defense) is much better with Polearm Master than GWF is. The best argument to make for GWF is if your DM allows Divine Smites or Battlemaster maneuver damage to be rerolled, which is a contested ruling.

@xaviervega468

3 жыл бұрын

@@andrewcoonradt9513 Dueling/Polearm Master only works with the spear. GWF works with any polearm.

@andrewcoonradt9513

3 жыл бұрын

@@xaviervega468 The Quarterstaff works with Dueling as well. Either way, you probably won't be using GWF on the Spear or Quarterstaff. Then it comes back down to Glaive/Halberd + GWF vs Quarterstaff/Spear (and shield) + Dueling. Reach and 0.8 damage/attack or +2 AC.

I can't wait for the breakdown of the Echo Knight. I personally think its great, though maybe I just like teleporting and a duplicate too much

Really happy to see this vid, the only question i have is the interactions between eldritch knights war magic and extra attack, as i always come back to wondering if i have to choose between a cantrip and melee or 2 melees, and once you get more extra attacks whether it is even worth using war magic and not just using it for pure flavor

@allenfortenberry9924

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's the problem with that feature. It is amazing when you get it but eventually you get to the point where you have to expend your higher level, more limited spell slots for it to be worth it.

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

There is also the fact that through polarm master, crossbow expert, two weapon fighting, ect, you can get a bonus action attack anyways. I wish this feature was the other way around so you could get your attacks in and cantrip as a bonus action.

Honestly, champion 7th level fix is just giving them the peerless athlete ability from oath of heroism Paladin in place of the long jump bit of the feature. Both of those subclass speak of honing your body to deadly perfection, it can definitely fit in there.

Could you do a video on the other fighter subclasses as a follow up video? Like the subclasses available on DnD beyond.

@Nerazmus

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, he will make a video on the subclasses from the other rulebooks. just like with every other class he already made.

Remarkable athlete is +2 to the affected rolls when you receive the feature at level 7. The feature states that you round up, and proficiency at that level is 3. Also(assuming a str score of 20) the strength mod increase to your running long jump, because of the way jump distances are calculated, give you the ability to jump over medium creatures high enough to not provoke attacks of opportunity. The 2nd fighting style can be really good. Defense style and dueling style with polar master can be pretty good with a spear or quarterstaff. The bonus action attack receives the dueling damage bonus, and you get to wear a shield while emulating someone like two weapon fighting for less investment. The survivor feature at level 18 doesn’t turn off unless you’re at 0 hitpoints. It’s on regardless though f if your in combat. Saves a lot of Hit die and other healing resources from the rest of the party. It is directly affected by your maximum hitpoints too, so the AID and hero’s feast raise its effectiveness. Every spell slot or potion not used to heal you in battle is an action taken by other players to destroy your enemies.

"A lot of fighters are not archers" -Crossbow Expert would like to know your location

These are always a highlight of my week, can’t wait for the Paladin and wizard ones!

@esperthebard

3 жыл бұрын

Outstanding to hear that! I did the Wizard ranking already.

I hope there is a segment about feats. Because fighters are NOT the same without comboing and abusing feats. They have frigging 7 asi especially for that. Plus, things like great weapon master + polearm master means an extra attack which can get the -5/+10 , you can do the same with crossbow expert and sharpshooter; you can combo sentinel with polearm master to get the 10ft attack of opportunity that roots and there are other combos too.

@xaviervega468

3 жыл бұрын

To be honest I hate being pigeon holed into using polearms.

My current best character (by group concensus) is a champion fighter. The added crits and lots of attacks were the primary goal hehe.... but I think it was his personality and quirks that made him so popular.

Esper. Always entertaining. Looking forward to the Rangers

Honestly, the more I think about the Champion, the more I'm actually inspired to play as one. I've played many classes who grow to have mythic levels of powers, magic, and techniques who just become pseudo-gods by as early as lvl 11, and I find it difficult to make interesting decisions at mid-to-late game D&D when every problem can be solved with aggressive application of supernatural power. So I think there's a sort of appeal in being just the every-man hero, the hero who *isn't* gifted with magic or abilities, who *isn't* a master of skills or techniques, but just a mortal who is determined to risk their life on the edge of a blade because they *can* . In fact, removing complexity from the class and keeping its mechanics basic means I can stop thinking about problem solving in terms of a catalogue of powers, and start thinking *outside* the sheet. I think it's liberating, and I'd love to give it a try.

@i010001

3 жыл бұрын

This is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it kind of class. Either you think it's impossibly dull with no options, or you sort of lean to your thoughts on it where it's -cool- to play a guy with no powers and that it connects you to the game world by stripping away options. I'm really into that playstyle though. I haven't tried in in 5e, but in Pathfinder I've played a few characters that have a similar lack pf abilities (Choosing only passive options, for example.) It's really remarkably fun. Not having class features doesn't make you better at strategy by the rules, but it sort of puts you in the right mindset to really capitalize on all your options. It sort of radically changes the game from one where you are concerned about your class options to one where you are thinking more in the game world. I was usually the one buying single-use potions to counter specific enemies, varying my equipment to handle the environment better, commissioning specific equipment, and using niche items like spyglasses. I do recommend trying it, as such.

Lunging Attack pairs well with the Sentinel feat, as you could attack at 10'-15' (or 20' if your playing a bugbear) and then attack again when the enemy enters your normal 5'-10' range.

I've been playing a samurai from Xge, it's very fun being able to make all your action surge attacks at advantage

My first character was a half orc champion who in the course of the campaign defeated a lich (at lv5, that improved crit saved my hide), ate one of cthulu's severed tentacle's, killed a pirate storm giant with his own ship's cannon and won a wrestling match with a kracken.

As for Eldritch knight, They become one of the hardest to hit fighters in the game, having access to shield and mage armor. If you're playing the Mines of Phandelver, and get the rod of Defense, laugh at how crazy hard you are to hit.

Any chance that you will one day do a video for all Gish sub-classes? I am currently playing an Arcane Trickster and having a blast with him. But I have already been planning my next character and trying to figure out what Gish subclasses to play from: Eldritch Knight, War Mage, Hexblade, Gloom Stalker or Divine Soul. Any suggestions/advice?

Fun play, Do Stunning fist as a monk/fighter, and if they get stunned, Many Battle master maneuvers auto succeed.

25:36 I'd say blue spells in mtg are more similar to the abjuration school than white spells; most walls are blue, most 'you deal less damage' spells are blue and counterspell is blue

@velphidrow8317

4 жыл бұрын

White is about damage reduction and primarily "Protection from" Blue would be closer to spells such as counterspell, dispel magic, and anti-magic field

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

@@velphidrow8317 Counterspell, dispel magic, and anti-magic field are abjuration school spells though. White has a lot of focus on healing as well and would better fit Cleric/Paladin spells.

Someone probably brought it up in the past year+, but Know Your Enemy isn't the *only* thing Battle Masters get at 7th. It is just the only *new* thing. As you bring up in the video, they also get a new combat maneuver *and* an additional combat maneuver die. Between these, and the new ones in Tasha's, there are a variety of good choices, making Know Your Enemy a ribbon feature. I am looking forward to your further reviews, adding in the subclasses you haven't covered yet.

Swords Bard is my favorite Mage/Warrior subclass. A very close second is pact of the blade warlock

I feel like pushing attack should have been given a little more love here..at least a B. While it may be situational the moments where those situations come up it is extremely potent every time.

I mainly play casters, but I LOVE fighters. While they typically can’t incinerate foes with an unwieldy orb of flame, there’s something epic about a warrior slashing down far stronger opponents with his honed skills.

Regarding the battlemaster's maneuvers, it's important to consider that a lot of the better maneuvers are used AFTER your attack hits, which means they're like an on-command crit and even if the target succeeds on its saving throw, it still took damage. This means that with at least some maneuvers, even if the target succeeds on its saving throw, it's never truly wasted. In that sense, they're a bit like weaker versions of the paladin's smite spells. That's something to love about battlemaster.

Command Ally maneuver really shines with Rogue allies. It allows them to Sneak Attack a 2nd time before their next turn.

I remember back in pathfinder when you could just get an 18-20 crit modifier by choosing the right weapon, and could turn it to 15-20 with a weapon enhancement.

Personally cavalier is my favorite archetype, I love opportunity attacks

I figured we were getting all of the subclasses... until my guy started in on those battle maneuvers. Next time, then!

I think you missed out on the main purpose of weapon bond. It's so that you can have a sword and shield and still cast spells without the warcaster feat. You drop your sword as a free action, cast your spell as an action, then bonus action return sword to hand.

since you didnt cover the unearthed arcana fighting styles, might i say the unarmed combat is my current favorite of the batch because it allows me to be more of a boxing archatype than a martial artist like a monk.

Goading attack is actually pretty op in the hands of a ranged fighter

@cameroncortel8650

3 жыл бұрын

Wait a minute.........

To be fair, as someone who played 1st edition in its heyday with a by the book DM, getting a character to 5th level was rare, BUT… you would be amazed how attached one could get to a 2nd level character and how much you paid attention to every little bonus you had, regardless of how niche.

That was an incredible intro speech

New Battle Master Maneuvers from Tasha's: Ambush: When you roll a Dexterity (Stealth) or initiative roll, you can expend on superiority die and add the roll, provided you are not incapacitated. There are times where the are too many foes to fight and the sneaky way is the better option. Adding that die to the stealth roll could help immensely, especially with heavy armor. Plus, nobody can say no to being higher in the initiative order. Bait and Switch: When you’re within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn’t incapacitated. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the superiority die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled. More Warlord capability, seems good for grid combat. Brace: When a creature you can see moves into the reach you have with the melee weapon you’re wielding, you can use your reaction to expend one superiority die and make one attack against the creature, using that weapon. If the attack hits, add the superiority die to the weapon’s damage roll. Kind of a poor man's Sentinel feat, IMO. Commanding Presence: When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check. Pretty interesting, using a superiority die outside of combat. Grappling Strike: Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and then try to grapple the target as a bonus action (see the Player’s Handbook for rules on grappling). Add the superiority die to your Strength (Athletics) check. Not a lot of options for bonus attacks, and this certainly opens one up to keep an enemy occupied. Quick Toss: As a bonus action, you can expend one superiority die and make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the superiority die to the weapon’s damage roll. Hmm... One extra attack with a thrown weapon without burning an action to draw it, and on top two attack actions (action surge is not a bonus action), sounds fun. Tactical Assessment: When you make an Intelligence (Investigation), an Intelligence (History), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check. More non-combat options for superiority dice. Again, interesting.

I really think there ought to be a proper weaponsmith fighter. I know the forge cleric is dope but it makes sense that a smith might also be a fighter. Also weapon bond is one of those features that make me wanna play captain America or Thor, throwing their weapon around the battlefield. But--also also--I know that would take a homebrew on the part of the shield. But one hand to cast, one arm wielding a shield they can break faces w near and far...that sounds fun to me

Battle Master rule on a battle map, not theatre of the mind groups. It also shines in a power gamer group, where everyone is optimized. Giving commanders strike to a half-orc assassin to get a sneak attack is great, and manuevering strike to get casters in and out of the best positons for their spells (line of sight) is great. If no ones keeping track of positons, Battle Master is just another fighter.

the fighter was my first character is 1AD&D and I love it still. To those who think a fighter is boring, may yourself on a pit roast before the mighty Kord

Just want to point out, the eldritch knight does not get the arcane focus feature in it's spellcasting (nor ritual casting). And that the material component is the somatic component so to speak should you get both, like pointing the gem in the case of chromatic orb. And also EK works good with a duelist style, rapier and a free hand. Or also archer :P

lol I was curious about the fighter, searched for this video and you just uploaded.

I've been waiting for the Cleric since day 0...

Goading attack is better than menacing attack due to fear effects being commonly resisted or negated by other features/spells of classes and races, sure it doesnt impose skill disadvantages or movement impediment but skills are rarely used in combat, and if tou attack at distance against an enemy in melee with an ally while you are at least 40 ft away from it he will attack with disadvantage your allies, and he wont be able to easily approach you since you are far away from it, different from menacing which requires you to be in melee to use it, another bonus is that there is absolutely no other way of dealing with "Taunt" like fear does via Brave for example from halflings and other races with similar stuff, or the heroism spell, or the stillness of mind from the monks or other classes that makes them immune to be frightened

I'm curious, are you going to do one of this series for the classes you've yet to cover?

Great, now I've got a burning desire for a fighter idea too.

Can't wait for the cleric and wizard tier list

@Arbraxius

4 жыл бұрын

Wizard tier list is already released

I wonder if you'll make a bard ranking video

The really unfair thing about the fighter subclasses is that the champion and battlemaster only get updated or attention when they release fighting style and maneuver class update arcana. The Eldritch Knight potentially gets buffs every time they make new wizard spells. SCAG spells buffed it , XANATHARS buffed it(shadow blade is ridiculous), and now even Wildemount potentially buffs them.

Know Your Enemy is definitely not the only thing Battle Masters get at 7th level, they also an additional superiority die and two new maneuvers. That's a pretty sweet haul on it's own, and Know Your Enemy is just the little side ability.

Even in 5E, this is probably my favorite class.

I'm hyped af for the Cavalier!

im not sure i agree with weapon bond being a D class, i know its somewhat minor but its one of the skills i find myself using the most when playing eldritch knight. i think i would put it as a C or B but thats just my personal opinion

Maybe an alteration for the Battle Master Parry, is that you add your proficiency bonus to your AC instead. That way it starts out good, and will improve as your character improves, making for good story purposes.

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

You could add half your dice to AC. The dice grows overtime from a d6 to a d12 so it would be risky but potentially save you. In 5e a reliable +6 AC would be too much.

Can you get the benefit of great weapon fighting while using a longsword with your shield on the back? Or do you have to use a shield in hand to get the AC from it.

Something that I'm going to start commenting on (possibly even go back and do it to the others) is the Average Ranking, Assigning S as 6 Points and F as 1 Point, Adding them up and dividing by the number of features. Fighter General - A (Fighting Styles; A) Champion- C Battlemaster- C (Maneuvers- B) Eldritch Knight- B

Here's a fun rule for you DM's: I personally do something different for critical hits: Instead of the player rolling their damage dice twice, simply have them deal the maximum amount of damage (For example, a fighter with a +4 strength and a 1d10 warhammer as an example, on a crit deals 14 damage + whatever they roll and any other dice/modifiers.) No matter what, even if he rolls a 1 for his damage roll, he still deals a lot of damage. Crits hurt, yo! I also however, have enemies use this critical system. My players dread being hit with a big bad enemy's critical hit when I open roll it.

@joelsasmad

4 жыл бұрын

That's actually the rule Feast of Legends, the Wendys Trpg uses.

@Naxthural

4 жыл бұрын

@@joelsasmad Oh, is it? Well that is certainly nifty!

quick note about the Champion's Remarkable Athlete ability. It applies to any Str, Dex, or con check that doesn't already use your prof bonus. Which means any check that is a straight roll with not skill attached counts. Particularly with STR as Athletics certainly does NOT apply to all strength based actions you want to use it for. like breaking stuff or lifting beyond your capacity. These don't actually work with Athletics RAW, though I know many groups make this mistake (myself included). Also, con checks to hold your liquor. That is all.

I can see see battle master build that utilizing the age old classic maneuver, "Gang up one opponent.