Fighter Suggestions, and more Martial Class options


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A lot of martial classes would like some of the feats Fighters have access to. At the same time, access to those feats is what makes the Fighters feel unique. It's a catch 22. I think I have a suggested solution.

For Martial Classes: Make feats like Power Attack, Double Slice, Sudden Charge, Point-Blank Shot, and Shield Paragon also General Feats. They can still be Fighter Class Feats, but by making them also available as General Feats helps with the feat woes that many classes have. Multiclassing is a nice option but doing so for 1 feat feels lackluster, and feats like Shield Paragon can't be gained through multiclassing (it'd be nice for a sword-and-board paladin to have this feat before level 20, for example).

For Fighters: Give them a class feature at 5th, 7th, or 9th level that allows them to leverage some of their feats in a way no other martial class can:

"Once per turn, you can reduce the action cost of a fighter class feat you know by one action, to a minimum of one action. You cannot use this class feat again until your next turn."

This would give the fighter the ability to take actions like Power Attack, Swipe, Sudden Charge, Double Shot, and Double Strike one per turn for only 1 action; however, they would not be able to use that same feat until next turn (no double-double slices or double-power attacks!). This would be a Figther-unique class feature, giving them an edge over other classes other than just feat selection. Even if another class can gain double strike and similar feats, no one can use those feats like a true fighter!

I imagine some wording would need to be adjusted, but what do you fine people think? Are there any other combat-styled feats that should be available as general feats?


This makes Fighters more similar to how they were in PF1, but it's a good compromise for letting other classes have access too. Though there would need to be some early general feats to actually gain access to some you need for your build.


I like the idea above but combine it with unlocking the combat feats at different weapon or armor proficience ratings like skill feats. Then the fighter would still get access to cool stuff faster and get to do unique things with it.

The example you provide there is really cool and is definitely the sort of thing a mid to high level fighter should be able to pull off.


I'll be honest, I kinda like how fighters now get exclusive stuff that other classes want.


So while I generally agree I like the idea of that exclusive stuff being things that make them more adept at their chosen fighting style, like the example above rather than the basic things needed to use a fighting style at all which every class that can use a weapon should have access to.

By fighting style in this case I mean two handed, dual wielding, archery, dueling and so on. The fact that I can't talk duelist talents to make a swashbuckler type of rogue is ridiculous. Or be a crossbow specialist fighter.

I really think they are clever enough to fix this without stripping the fighter of anything unique.


PossibleCabbage wrote:
I'll be honest, I kinda like how fighters now get exclusive stuff that other classes want.

I agree with the premise, not the execution. In my mind, there should be a list of feats that are taken with class feats, but aren't tied to classes. Their prerequisites might disincline or prevent other classes from getting access (so like Expert in at least one weapon, to make some feats martial only, and maybe a shift around in starting proficiency, or have them count as expert for the sake of feat prerequisites, or something; casters could get most Metamagic in this list too), but generally anyone who meets the prereqs can take them, and they don't have to be printed twice or more. That saved page space can be used to give classes more unique things, like giving stuff like advanced weapon and armor training boons, to the fighter, and maybe the fighter even keeps one or two of the coolest combat style feats for each style, just to itself, but other classes aren't locked out, they're just not able to do all the things a fighter can, in exchange for all the things their classes can.


As for the fighter and other martial classes losing class feats that make them stand out, fill in the wholes with abilities from books like the 'Weapon Master Handbook'. Abilities like your blocking an attack with your weapon that would take you down, cutting arrows and even spells from the air would make great class feats for the fighter.

The blocking attacks with a weapon would be easy to do, just have the ability let you use a weapon instead of a shield to block. You already have abilities that let you parry with weapons, just make it an upgrade that any of the parry abilities can take.

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