by reddrhart
This mod is meant to address many of the well-founded complaints regarding the balance and design of D&D 5e, particularly with regards to the outsized impact of magic in and out of combat. A work in progress, I have attempted to follow through on one of the core design paradigms WoTC outlined for 5e’s structure: the Caster-Martial-Expert archetype system. In theory, these three archetypes should inform each of the classes and their respective subclasses by providing a set of basic frameworks that can be blended freely in the design and creation of each class. In practice however, the Caster archetype is overwhelmingly more complex than the Martial and Expert archetypes. With expansive spell lists, multi-class spell slot logics (full, half, third casters), ritual spellcasting, translatable casting customization options such as metamagic and invocations, and a firm majority of base classes, it is clear that the Caster archetype received significant attention. In contrast, the Martial archetype can be summed up in terms of Extra Attack and Fighting Style, while the Expert archetype’s only notable feature is Expertise. Considering the full-caster Bard’s ability to gain both Expertise and Extra Attack with the College of the Swords subclass, it’s easy to see why Martial and Expert classes frequently feel less rewarding to play than their Caster cousins.
In order to address this harsh dichotomy without removing complexity or power from the Caster archetype, I have attempted to produce an equivalent framework for both the Martial and Expert archetypes. I tried to do so in a way that preserved the unique character and flavor of each, rather than attempting to reinvent the archetype from the ground up. As part of that process, I had to rebuild the Caster archetype in order to standardize leveling curves. In place of the full-half-third distinction, each level in a given class and subclass gives 1-6 points in its associated archetypes. Primarily, classes give 2, 4, or 6 points towards growth in its archetypes - I have reserved odd point allocations for subclasses that majorly alter the base class. The exception to this rule is the 3-3 set of classes, which are unique in their relationship to archetype growth, the number and function of subclasses, and the general design of their mechanics. The Core Level Chart shows what features unlock as the character advances along its archetypes.
For Martials, I have constructed the system of Maneuvers and Stances, respectively rough analogs to leveled spells and cantrips for Casters. Maneuvers dramatically expand on the maneuvers given to the Battlemaster subclass of Fighters in base 5e - my thinking here was that actions like parrying, riposting, tripping, and disarming were all part of the basic grammar of melee combatants. For a melee combatant to not know how to parry seems absurd, and robs melee combatants of having a diverse set of actions to perform during combat. A common complaint for Martial players is that every encounter boils down to taking the attack action, rolling damage, and ending turn, while Casters are reshaping the battlefield, wiping out groups of enemies, debuffing and controlling enemies, throwing up arcane protections, and so on. I consulted a number of different systems, including older editions and additions for D&D, in order to build the Maneuver list in order to replicate the kind of superhuman prowess in battle that ought to be at the core of playing the fantasy Martial hero. That being said, I didn’t want to stray too far away from the visceral physicality of the archetype - there are fewer Maneuver levels than Spell levels, and each level builds on the previous.
For Experts, I have constructed the system of Marks and Techniques, following the same analogous design logic. Marks expand on the idea of Hunter’s Mark and Hex from base 5e - spells that often feel more like class features, yet both of which suffer from drop-off in later levels. I’ve codified this by incorporating the extra damage as a core part of all Experts, using the leveled damage of Sneak Attack as a base. Drawing on the flavorful extra utility of Hex and Hunter’s Mark, the various Expert classes and subclasses frequently define their own class-specific add-on effects. In combat, the leveled forms of Marks are designed to ensure that Experts remain the masters of focusing on single targets. Where Maneuvers are about battlefield control and mobility, Marks are about debuffs and lockdown. To that end, Marks are best when inflicted multiple times against a single enemy, providing increasingly severe negative status effects with each level. Where access to a given Maneuver or Spell is gated by level, all Marks are available for Experts to take. As the character gains points in the Expert archetype, they gain access to the more powerful variants of the Marks they know.
Within this system, multi-classing is a streamlined process - taking a level in a different class simply entails whatever the specific class features might be, and then adding points to archetypes as dictated by the new class. For instance, a 1st level Gambler would have 4 points in the Expert archetype and 2 points in the Martial archetype. As such, they would have access to Marks, Techniques, and Skill Expertise as an Expert, while as a Martial they would have Stances and Styles but no Maneuvers. If at 2nd level the character then took a level in Gallant, they would gain 4 points in the Martial archetype and 2 points in the Expert archetype, resulting in 6 points in both. In addition to the 1st level features and hit dice of the Gallant, the character would gain access to both Maneuvers (unlocked at 4 points of Martial) and Action Surge (unlocked at 6 points of Martial). The character would also gain access to Reliable Talent with 6 points in Expert.
In order to bring the same flavorful diversity of the Divine/Arcane distinction that exists for Casters to the Martial and Expert archetypes, I have also produced Aspect trees for each of the archetypes. Casters are now categorized as Divine, Arcane, or Esoteric; Martials are categorized as Power, Precision, or Protection; Experts are categorized as Charming, Covert, or Clever. A character may only have one aspect for each of the archetypes, which the player chooses upon gaining 4 points in an archetype. At the GM’s discretion a character might change aspects upon gaining a level, but this would entail transferring all currently gained archetype points to the new aspect and thereby losing the benefits of the original. Furthermore, the classes are designed and written with respect to a particular aspect, but there is no reason why the class can’t utilize a different aspect instead. The class might be slightly weaker without the synergy its natural aspect provides, but the system is designed to be modular and customizable along those lines.
This mod is freely available for use, though please credit me as reddrhart (red42#64534 on WoTC) in posts, publications, sub-mods, etc. Please keep in mind that though the core systems are now in place, many (most) of the new classes have not yet been created. I work on this in my spare time between dissertation writing and teaching, i.e. rarely. If I ever use a term that isn’t defined in this site, in all likelihood I am importing the feature as-is from 5e, such as with Extra Attack. That being said, this is a working document so not everything has been fully explained since it primarily exists to make sense to me. For instance, the Extra Attacks column on the Core Level Chart is meant to show how many extra attacks character gains based on the number of points the character has as a Martial archetype: at 28 points, the character gets two attacks when they take the attack action; at 64 points, the character gets three attacks when it takes the attack action, etc. Obviously that system uses the language of 5e’s Extra Attack but alters its logic, which might not be immediately understandable (though this explanation hopefully covers that feature at least). Just a heads-up, you might need to take a look at how things work in the PHB in order to figure out how I am using them here. In any case, hopefully this is useful or generative for folks, and if you have any questions you can reach out to thequinbusflestrin (a/t) gmail (d/o/t) com - again, not much time but I will help when I can!
P.S. - I started writing this mod before 5.5e and have not had time to go through the changes made within, though some are interesting (weapon masteries, you have my attention). Someday I will make a call as to whether to change based on 5.5 or if that is even necessary, but that day is not today. Happy rolling!
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