I was thinking about how cool it would be to have weapons that have special actions that can be made with them in addition to their special abilities. Things like a Scythe allowing you to spend two actions to make an attack that trips the target, Rapiers having a two-action costing disarm attack, bows having a two-action “overdraw” that allows for you to add your strength bonus to damage, two action Attack with a Katana that can only be made with the Katana starting in it’s sheathe and catches the opponent flat-footed, and other cool unique functions.
I saw a user online suggesting a huge sword that takes additional actions to use at all, so like a vertical strike that takes two actions to make, and a horizontal strike that takes three actions but makes a strike against three enemies in range, starting off with a penalty on the first target due to the weight but then a smaller penalty on the second and a bonus on the third as you built momentum.
Might be a level of complexity that the devs want to keep to special and rare weapons, but I think it would be awesome if most weapons, even if just kept to martial and above and not simple, had a special attack that they could do. Would make weapon choice an even bigger part of what makes the character build what it is.
I don't think they will make it that detailled because it would be seen as "too anime" but it would be cool. You can also add in more techniques as your weapon proficiency gets higher
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I agree that the 3-action system opens up a lot more options for special strikes since you don't have to worry about something screwing you out of your precious full-attack anymore.
Some players will definitely be against anything remotely similar to D&D 4E's combat powers. Personally, I think it should be fine as long as these special strikes are generally at-will options you have available just by virtue of using a particular weapon, just like having a shield allows you to spend an action to raise it and a reaction to block damage with it.
Particularly, I think that it's this direction that the 2E Monk should go in. Given the 3-action system, making extra attacks like 1E's flurry of blows is a bit contrary to the 2E's design philosophy.
I say have 2E monk double down on the special martial arts maneuvers (style strikes in 1E for the unchained monk). An uppercut that requires a strike and an Athletics check which knocks an enemy upward. A leg sweep that combines a strike and a trip attempt. And so on.
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They basically have something similar in 1E without being considered anime-like. Many weapons allow you to make trip or disarm attempts without normal penalties or having a special response in case you fail your attempt. It would be a bit like Dark souls, which would be a plus for me though.
I like the idea of proficiency being required to use these actions at all, and getting access to better actions as it increases. That could be a super cool way to demonstrate skill with each weapon.
I agree that the 3-action system opens up a lot more options for special strikes since you don't have to worry about something screwing you out of your precious full-attack anymore.
Some players will definitely be against anything remotely similar to D&D 4E's combat powers. Personally, I think it should be fine as long as these special strikes are generally at-will options you have available just by virtue of using a particular weapon, just like having a shield allows you to spend an action to raise it and a reaction to block damage with it.
Particularly, I think that it's this direction that the 2E Monk should go in. Given the 3-action system, making extra attacks like 1E's flurry of blows is a bit contrary to the 2E's design philosophy.
I say have 2E monk double down on the special martial arts maneuvers (style strikes in 1E for the unchained monk). An uppercut that requires a strike and an Athletics check which knocks an enemy upward. A leg sweep that combines a strike and a trip attempt. And so on.
Groovy, I am right there with you. Giving Monks a bunch of special strikes as they level up would be an awesome approach to the class. And you could have the option for supernatural spell-like abilities, or spend those on additional strikes or maneuvers. I like it.
I would definitely be down for at least each weapon group (axes vs light blades vs polearms etc) having an intrinsic action associated with it, that you get once you're Expert in that group.
Probably best to leave it to groups if it makes it into core. Then when they inevitably do an Ultimate Equipment book, that's where they would have the space / page count to do alternate special moves for each and every individual weapon, if that was something people wanted to see.
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I would definitely be down for at least each weapon group (axes vs light blades vs polearms etc) having an intrinsic action associated with it, that you get once you're Expert in that group.
Probably best to leave it to groups if it makes it into core. Then when they inevitably do an Ultimate Equipment book, that's where they would have the space / page count to do alternate special moves for each and every individual weapon, if that was something people wanted to see.
I had another post about higher proficiency in the different weapon groups would give special bonuses unique to those weapon groups, like bleed effects on axes and reroll I g ones on heavy blade damage dice,but special actions would be a great option as well. It would be pretty legendary of a swordsman to be able to cut air or something else goofy like that.
I'd prefer something like your standard attack gains a rider ability. Say -1[W] to add your strength mod to an attack. That way if you have a class feature that lets you knock someone prone on a hit with a bow you can enhance the attack with that class feature as well.
Essentially instead of having set powers that cannot be combined you would have special traits that can be mixed and matched to create the type of power you want.
I really like this idea, but I also think it seems like an Ultimate Combat supplement sort of thing...
Mechanically, I don't like any martial ability that taxes you actions, since it is counter intuitive to the design of the 3 act system and artificially either reinforces the full round attack by making you worse, or it becomes a side thing that is only situationally useful.
I want my martial characters to have access to all their actions and for those actions to matter.
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I don't think they will make it that detailled because it would be seen as "too anime" but it would be cool. You can also add in more techniques as your weapon proficiency gets higher
I'm rather fond of the idea that a lot of maneuvers like grappling or disarming might take 2 actions, but if you take a feat to be good at it, you can do it for one action, just like a regular attack.
But then again, maybe "Do Something Cool" shouldn't have strong gatekeeping. Rather than codifying, "Only scythes can do this," maybe make a list of special moves you can try with any weapon.
Quick list of things anyone can try?
All these basically combine two attacks, but the second attack doesn't take a penalty. However, the combination requires 3 actions. Certain weapons might be able to do it with 2.
* Cleave (attack two adjacent people)
* Slam (attack someone and bull rush or reposition them)
* Cripple (attack someone and dirty trick to blind, slow, or impose a penalty for them to use a specific limb to attack)
* Clinch (attack and grab)
* Snare (attack and disarm)
* Smash (attack and ignore 2 points of armor)
Light Blades. (Daggers, short swords, sickles, hand axes - anything that can only be used one-handed.) Can clinch for 2 actions.
Heavy Blades. (Longswords, battle axes, greataxe, greatsword, spears - anything that can be used two-handed.) Can cleave for 2 actions.
Polearms. (Spears, glaives, ranseurs - anything that is long and hafted.) Slam for 2 actions.
Light Wallopers. (Clubs, light hammers, daggers, picks, shields - anything small where you hit with the tip, not the length of the weapon.) Cripple.
Heavy Wallopers. (Maces, morningstars, greatclubs - as above, but bigger.) Smash.
Flails. (Flails, spiked chains, nets, and whips.) Snare.
Close. (Unarmed, gauntlets, daggers, light hammers or axes, shields - anything with very little reach.) Clinch.
I like that idea a lot. My main desire is for weapon choice to mean as much as possible, so that you have incentive to choose between a dagger or a long sword other than one deals more damage than the other. Like, what ways can a dagger weilder approach an enemy that a longsword weilder can’t? Mechanics to really push different weapon styles baked into the weapons themselves.
I like that idea a lot. My main desire is for weapon choice to mean as much as possible, so that you have incentive to choose between a dagger or a long sword other than one deals more damage than the other. Like, what ways can a dagger weilder approach an enemy that a longsword weilder can’t? Mechanics to really push different weapon styles baked into the weapons themselves.
These weapons already offer a -2 to hit on secondary attacks rather than -5, depending on how TWF will work, you may see this pop up still.
They did announce in the fighter blog that they wanted each combat style to be represented by feat choice.