Combat Options
Duncehack Edition
So who are you?
Just some tosser with an over inflated sense of self importance.
Send verbal abuse via Minds.com
What is the Duncehack?
It emerged from a place of frustration. There's quite a number of areas where 5e could be improved but... it's not going to happen for various reasons.
The Duncehack is my attempt to fix these problems I have. Plan is to go through the whole game - all of it - and homebrew it into the game I think is should have been.
Feel free to disagree with me, but ultimately I think there's no harm in putting my thoughts out there, at the very least if even one DM decides to adopt these rules, then my job is done.
No DM Guild? No OGL Release?
I chafe under binding contracts and both of these are exactly that.
The DM Guild gives you more room to mess with established rules, but basically demands that all be under the service of flagship settings.
The SRD on the other hand gives more room for interesting settings but clamps down extremely hard on what established rules you're allowed to use. Their biggest contention is that they don't want someone to sell a sourcebook that removes the need for core books. Translation: they don't want Pathfinder to happen all over again.
More to the point, both assume money will change hands. I don't want money, I just want Wizards to fix their game.
Groundrules
Groundrules for the Duncehack are as follows:
No Nerfs: the goal is to bring weaker archetypes on the level of the stronger ones.
Remove Traps: incentives built into classes and archetypes should provide an active payoff, rather than be the suboptimal choice.
Frontload Agency, Backend Power: Generally speaking, people like having more options to do things, rather than more raw power. As a design rule: things that feel like core class features, or are defining class mechanics, should happen in the first ten levels, sheer numeric increases in power should come after that.
No money changed hands here
This is a passion project. I want to keep it that way.
I also want to avoid legal issues for self-evident reasons.
No UA?
Too much changes between UA and official release.
The fewer corrections I have the do between UA changes, the better.
Obligatory Natural Crit Plug
Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.
Obligatory /tg/ Plug
The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.
I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.
Seriously the feedback given for this one was invaluable.
No Images?
Needed to get it under 8mb so I could upload it literally anywhere.
So what is this?
I believe there needs to be more general in-rules options for martial characters in the game, as the utility provided by spells (hell, even just cantrips with all their various riders), renders casters simply more useful than martials in a fight.
This is an attempt to cover a rules-gap I see.
Isn't there already options for this in the DMG?
They're not enough.
But they're not bad as such, so they're included with my own modifications.
See my Fighting Styles changes as well, they matter here.
General Combat
Disarm
A creature can use a weapon attack to knock a weapon or another item from a target's grasp. The attacker makes an attack roll contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the attacker wins the contest, the attack causes no damage or other ill effect, but the defender drops the item.
The attacker has disadvantage on its attack roll if the target is holding the item with two or more hands. The target has advantage on its ability check if it is larger than the attacking creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller.
Overrun
When a creature tries to move through a hostile creature's space, the mover can try to force its way through by overrunning the hostile creature. As an action or a bonus action, the mover makes a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the hostile creature's Strength (Athletics) check. The creature attempting the overrun has advantage on this check if it is larger than the hostile creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If the mover wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature's space once this turn.
Shove Aside
With this option, a creature uses the special shove attack from the Player's Handbook to force a target to the side, rather than away. The attacker has disadvantage on its Strength (Athletics) check when it does so. If that check is successful, the attacker moves the target 5 feet to a different space within its reach.
Tumble
A creature can try to tumble through a hostile creature's space, ducking and weaving past the opponent. As an action or a bonus action, the tumbler makes a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the hostile creature's Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the tumbler wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature's space once this turn.
Throw
You can attempt to throw a creature of up to one size category larger than you. As an action, or instead of a weapon attack if you've already successfully grappled the creature, you and the creature make a contested Strength (Atheltics) roll vs. their Strength (Athletics) or their Dexterity (Acrobatics). If you succeed, you fling the creature a distance of 5 feet, plus an extra 5 per point of Strength Modifier you have (minimum 10 ft.).
The creature is then knocked prone after being thrown.
If you have two free hands, you gain advantage on the roll. If you are a size category larger than the creature, you gain an extra 5 feet of distance for every category difference.
If you are of a smaller size category, you have disadvantage on the roll.
Impact
When you successfully use the shove action to push a creature into an obstacle, such as a wall, the creature suffers 1d4 bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet into the wall the creature is pushed + Your Strength Modifier.
If the obstacle is another creature, no damage is dealt. Instead, both creatures are moved the shove distance. They both must succeed a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) roll at advantage or be knocked prone.
You can use this action and treat the floor as an obstacle provided they were already prone prior to the shove action.
Lunge
When you make a melee weapon attack, you may extend the range of the attack by 5ft. If you do, you suffer disadvantage on that weapon attack roll.
You cannot use this feature if you already have disadvantage to your weapon attack rolls
Opening
If a creature grappling you, at any point before the beginning of your next turn, reaches for an object (such as drawing a weapon), you can use your reaction to make an escape check at advantage.
A creature dropping a weapon does not give you this opening, however a creature switching, stowing, drawing or even just picking a weapon up off the ground does.
If they are reaching for a light weapon, or an object or similar size and weight to a light weapon, with a hand that was empty at the beginning of their turn, then you make the escape check without advantage.
Throw
Because throwing the halfling should be an option and you know it.
Lunge
For some situational tradeoffs.
Impact
Note the wording on 'Shove' action for Impact. No repelling blast free damage for you.
Opening
It's a nerf to let me buff unarmed/duelling without buffing great weapons inadvertantly (blame the 'drop it on the ground as free action and pick it up in my movement' stupidity).
Power Attacks
Before you make an attack with weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to make the attack roll without adding your proficiency modifier. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency modifier to the attack's damage.
Aimed Attacks
Before you make an attack with a weapon you are proficient with, you can choose to make the attack roll with double your Strength or Dexterity (whichever you are using for the weapon attack roll) + your Proficiency Modifier. If you do, you do not add your modifier to the weapon's damage roll.
Charge
When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.
If you move at least 10 feet before taking this bonus action, your bonus action attack gains a bonus to the attack's damage roll equal to your proficiency modifier. If you shove the creature instead, you can move them up to an extra 5 feet away from you (regardless of if you push them away or knock them prone).
Kinaesurgy
When you make a melee spell attack, you can choose to make an unarmed strike instead of rolling your spell attack. If you do, you add your unarmed strike damage to the damage of the melee spell attack.
Brace
As an action you can brace yourself to shrug off an attack you cannot avoid. Until the end of your next turn, you have resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by weapon attacks.
Power/Aimed Attacks
So the Power Attack option is half of the Sharpshooter/Great Weapon Master feats.
Ripping it off the feats and putting it here opens up some design room elsewhere.
Charge
Similar rationale to the Power Attacks, moving it over here means that one of the absolute worst feats in the game can no longer be accidently snapped up by a player who didn't know better.
Kinaesurgy
It's muscle-wizardry as a ruleset.
If you want to know what the Greek pretentiousness means: "Kinae-" means 'to move', "-urgy" means 'to work' (i.e. in the context of making something, or producing an effect).
Brace
Ultimately, blade ward was one of the worst spells out there, partly because the Dodge action exists (it's not that Dodge is better, its that both options are kind of on par, which one's better is determined by a bunch of factors) and that the one case study in a class that really liked using it, the Eldritch Knight, promptly had something better to do the moment booming blade made it into the game.
What is Blade Ward now?
Need to replace that one don't I?
Blade Ward
abjuration cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Touch
- Components: S, V
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, when the target of this spell would suffer an attack roll, they can roll 1d4 and reduce the attack roll by an amount equal to the result. It can roll the die before or after the attack roll against them is made. The spell then ends. Only one creature may benefit from your blade ward at a time.
Grapple Rules
Pin
You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you.
To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is restrained until the grapple ends.
Your movement speed is reduced to 0 until you break the pin. You must spend a weapon attack every turn to maintain it and your weapon attacks against any creature other than the pinned creature are made at disadvantage.
Creatures restrained this way are also still considered grappled by you for the purposes of other rules.
Yank
When a creature grappled by you attempts to make a weapon attack against a creature other than you, you can pull them away making it harder for them to hit.
You may spend a reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack.
Rattle
When a creature grappled by you attempts to cast a spell, you can spend a reaction to shake them in an attempt to interrupt spellcasting (by causing errors in their Verbal/Somatic components).
You force them to make a Concentration check with a DC of 10 + your Strength Modifier. If they succeed, the spell occurs as normal.
If you succeed, their spell slot is spent but the spell fails.
Trip
You have advantage to shove grappled creatures.
Climb onto a Bigger Creature
When attempting to grapple a creature of two size catagories larger than yourself, make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you win the contest, you climb onto the creature and treat it at rough terrain (mitigated by your climb speed if you have one). You move into the target creature's space, move with the target and have advantage on attack rolls against it.
You can move around within the larger creature's space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature's ability to attack you creature depends on your location, and is left to your discretion. The larger creature can dislodge you as an action - knocking you off, scraping you against a wall, or grabbing and throwing you — by making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (your choice).
Interpose
When a creature other than your grappled creature makes an attack roll against you, you can spend your reaction to attempt to move a creature you've grappled into the way.
Make an opposed shove check. If you win, the grappled creature instead becomes the target of the attack.
Unless you have two free hands, you make this opposed check at disadvantage. If you are a size category larger than the creature, they have disadvantage on the roll.
If you are of a smaller size category, they have advantage on the roll to resist you.
Isn't Pin just the Grappler feat?
Yeah, but it was bad. So I rolled it into the base rules.
Yank?
I want to give a reason for characters who are fighting with one weapon + free hand a reason to exist with these grapple rules. This one gives them what I've been calling a 'taunt' - 'punishment for attacking anything but you'.
Rattle?
While I don't believe caster supremacy is a thing in 5e (or at the very least, it's nowhere near as bad as 3.5), I do believe 5e martials lack recourse in dealing with casters other then "kill them faster than they can burn spell slots".
Note the wording on Trip
Yes, if a friend has a creature grappled, its easier for you to knock them prone.
Interpose
Grappling puts you in a pretty exposed position. This exists to give some survivability to grapplers.
Climbing onto Bigger Creatures
This was a DMG rule that wasn't quite clear about what size is what. So I bound it to two size categories larger, simply because you Rules as Written let you still grapple creatures one size category larger at disadvantage. Also, I loved Shadow of the Colossus.
Two-Weapon Fighting
Extra Attack: Flurry
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, you also gain benefits to your Two-Weapon Fighting.
Once per turn, when you miss an attack with your main hand weapon during your action, you can make an off-hand weapon attack.
If a feature would grant you further attacks, you may use this feature again per extra attack.
Push Cut
When a creature attempts to grapple, shove or disarm you and fails, you can spend your reaction to deal damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity Modifier (your choice) with one of your weapons to the creature.
Overpower
While two-weapon fighting, you may make a weapon attack with both weapons whenever you use a reaction to take an attack of opportunity.
Dueling & Pugilism
Easy Access
When you have at least one empty hand and you make an Attack of Opportunity against a creature, you can make both a grapple action and a one-handed weapon attack during your reaction.
Open Hands
If you have two empty hands, you gain advantage on grapple checks.
Ground and Pound
While both hands are empty, you can use your bonus action to make grapple, disarm or shove actions.
Note: Dual Wielder
Probably the weakest of the weapon feats and I ended up rolling it into Two Weapon Fighting Style in the end.
Flurry
Extra Attack is what kills Two Weapon Fighting in the end.
Handling it this way means that Two Weapon Fighting doesn't increase its damage ceiling, but it does increase its average.
It's worded that way to specifically so that 20th level fighters get 3 rerolls and off-hand attacks don't get the rerolls.
What about Elven Accuracy?
I'd... say that feat was a mistake.
In a previous version of this feature, I made it have disadvantage for fear of Elven Accuracy abuse... Except that I shouldn't be designing around singular, derpy cases of clear power creep - not to mention this goes against the spirit of the project.
I'll have an optional replacement for Elven Accuracy, but I know many DMs already ban the feat, and I'm inclined to say that if it's an issue, just tablerule with my endorsement that it doesn't effect the rerolls from flurry.
Duelling and Pugilism
The grapple stuff above is a huge boon here, so there's not much to add.
Easy Access/Open Hands
To give Dueling and Pugilism some love to get them into usable status. Hopefully, Opportunity as a rule gives me this much design space. The 'One-handed' part was added in to punish Heavy Weapon users trying to abuse this rule.
Ground and Pound
I thought this would have come as en emergent property of other rules but it didn't work out that way. So here's the second half of Tavern Brawler.
I'm being specific on the improvised weapon thing because I'm fleshing out improvisation into a full ruleset, where you can have things like 'a greatsword made of bone, but it's going to break one of these swings'.
No Specific Rules for Versatile Weapon usage?
They sit in a strange place as they're coming into their own due as an emergent property of other rules and features. Simply: They don't need it.
Heavy Weapon Fighting
Slam
When you make shove actions against creature with a heavy weapon, you move them an extra 5 feet. If you used the shove action to knock them prone, you still move them 5 feet at the same time.
Weight
While using a heavy weapon, you are constantly reminded of its weight in all of your combat manoeuvres. One-handed weapon attacks while holding a heavy weapon are done at disadvantage. Small creatures attempting to use a heavy weapon simply fail all attempts to swing them with one hand.
Cleave
When you make an attack action against a creature with a heavy melee weapon you are wielding in two hands, and there's another within 5ft of it that is still within range of your weapon, you deal damage to it equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever you used for the attack roll), provided your attack roll would also beat its AC.
Sweeping Arc
When you successfully hit with an attack of opportunity with a heavy weapon, you push the creatures 5 feet in a direction of your choice.
Small Ruleset?
Slam
Yes, when combined with Impact above, you can wring out some damage from knocking someone prone.
Weight
I'm pretty sure I saw this in the PHB, but I couldn't find it specifically spelled out anywhere.
Cleave
Figured instead to give a martial option for some kind of cleave - which only exists in two forms presently (acid splash and the sweeping attack manoeuvre).
Originally this was part of my updated version of Great Weapon Fighting, but I moved it here for a couple of reasons.
First, didn't want Versatile weapons to benefit from this feature, they're getting a lot of other love elsewhere.
Second, I'm going through and rolling weapon types into the fighting styles (such as Polearm Master) to open up some feat design room and opportunity costs.
Sweeping Arc
I was hesitant to include an attack of opportunity feature for heavy weapons, but given everything else I'm doing, Heavy weapons needed a leg up.
Re: Great Weapon Master
The primary half is replaced by the Power Attack General rule above. The second half (the bonus action attack after killing/critting a dude) is a fighting style now.
On Greatclubs
There's only one melee weapon with the Two-Handed property that doesn't also have the Heavy property in the game.
That's the Greatclub.
Given what I've got for Versatile weapons (a mix of the grapple stuff in this document, plus a feat I'm adding in my feat rework), this leaves the Greatclub in a really odd place. It will be the only weapon that has zero useful utility after all these changes.
Also at 10lb. they don't have the heavy property but a greataxe, at 7lb. does?
Make them a 2d4 damage weapon (as opposed to 1d8, fitting its place as poor man's greatsword) and give them the Heavy property.
"But what about small sized races?" you might ask? Well... Quarterstaves and Spears exist and they're both Versatile (1d8) and a fraction of the weight. This change adversely affects literally no one.
Shield Fighting
Shield Variety
Shields
| Shield | AC | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Buckler | - | Special, Shield. |
| Targe | 1 | Special, Shield |
| Kite | 2 | Special, Shield |
| Pavise | 2 | Heavy, Greatshield |
Buckler. Bucklers, due to their tiny size, can be strapped to a wrist while also keeping the hand free (or hold a weapon for two weapon fighting). Doing so however prevents the character from using the buckler as a weapon. While used this way, a Buckler may still be used for the Block action.
When using a buckler as a weapon, it has the following profile:
1d4 Bludgeoning, Light, Finesse, Thrown (20/60)
Bucklers in hand are treated as weapons for rules purposes, bucklers strapped to the wrist however, are not. When using the Block reaction, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for reducing the damage.
Targe. Targes are a medium-to-large sized shield meant to be just as much for offense as defense. They typically have a central cap in the middle of the shield, but it's not unheard of for a spike (or spikes) to adorn the shield, or rarer still, a sharpened edge.
When you buy a targe, you may select whether the damage type is bludgeoning, piercing or slashing. Whenever you succeed a shove check with a Targe, the target of your shove suffers the selected damage type in damage equal to the ability score modifier used to make the shove check, plus your proficiency modifier.
Kite. Kite shields, named so for their shape, are designed to hit that sweet spot of providing as much defense as possible while still being easy to wield. A character using this shield adds their proficiency modifier to the damage reduced by the Block action. In addition, kite shields provide their wielder the benefits of the Limited Cover rule, despite not being a Greatshield.
Shield. A character may only benefit from one shield or greatshield at a time.
Greatshield. A character may only benefit from one shield or greatshield at a time. When using a greatshield, creatures you shove with your shield have disadvantage to their roll to contest it.
Block
When using a shield, and you suffer a weapon attack, you may use your reaction to reduce the incoming damage by an amount equal to your Strength modifier.
Aegis
When using a greatshield, the bearer can spend a bonus action to declare one creature within 5ft of them, that creature gains gains the benefits of half cover while they remain within 5ft of the shield bearer. This does not stack with any AC they recieve from using their own shield. While covering another creature, you have disadvantage to all weapon attack rolls and shove rolls you make.
Limited Cover
When using a greatshield (or a kite shield), you can add your shield's AC bonus to your Dexterity saving throws.
Shield Bash
When you make an Attack of Opportunity against a creature, you can make both a shove action and a weapon attack during your reaction.
Deflection
If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.
Note: Shield Master
The feat's been depreciated because the bonus action shove thing has been rolled into Dueling Fighting Style.
The rest are literally outlined above as general rules. Removed the part of 'only you' from the saving throw line, because now more than 5-odd spells are actually affected by it.
Adding Shield AC to general Dex saving throws should ease off the 'Dex supremacy meme' a little. Yeah, dex based characters can still use shields, sure, but the rogue who already has +8 in their dex save is going to notice the boost a lot less than the fighter who has +2.
Why go with Shield Types?
Swashbucklers can't use bucklers. I don't know why, but this makes me deeply angry in the pit of my soul.
Note on Cover
I originally didn't really want to touch cover but... They really needed clarification. I've got them in a later page.
Situational Rules
Powerful Build
For rules purposes, creatures with Powerful Build have the following considerations:
- They occupy the same space as a Medium creature.
- When in contested Shove, Grapple or Disarm checks, they count as a Large creature.
- For the purposes of other rules that specify a Medium creature, they count as one.
- For the purposes of mounting they count as a Medium creature
- For the purposes of being mounted (i.e. in the case of the Centaur), they count as a Large creature.
Player Mounts
Player characters may be used as mounts following all of the regular rules for mounts, save that the PC is always considered an independent creature and their Strength score is sufficient to handle the weight (as well as the weight of their own equipment).
While this rule is directed at Centaur player characters, there is nothing preventing a Halfling wizard using a Goliath barbarian as their trusty steed - however for any non-traditional bodyplan (i.e. non-horse-like) requires a purpose built exotic saddle.
Creature as a Weapon
A larger creature may use a smaller one as a weapon.
If you have a creature of two size categories smaller than yourself grappled, you may wield them as a weapon.
They are considered an improvised weapon with the heavy property. If they are conscious they may use their reaction to impose disadvantage on your weapon attacks for your turn.
Any time you damage another creature with your 'weapon', your 'weapon' must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer the same amount, half on a successful save.
Bonus Action Order
When a feature grants you the ability to make a weapon attack, shove, grapple or disarm in your bonus action, you can make this bonus action before, or after, any of your other weapon attacks.
Powerful Build
Wanted to clarify that weird 'medium and a half' size that they occupy.
Player Mounts
This might be a strange thing to highlight, but when I've had a merman at the table before (as in, fish from the waist down) and another PC served as their 'mount' by having them strapped to their back...
Players will come up with some crazy ideas if you let them.
Creature as a Weapon
This speaks more to my sense of humour than anything.
Yes, when combined with my Powerful Build points, this does mean that Goliaths can beat people to death with a Gnome.
As it should be.
Bonus Action Order
This means Shield Mastery users can use the bonus action to knock prone before they make their attacks.
Cover Rules
Cover Limits
Cover only provides you protection against attacks, and sources of dexterity saving throws, made on an angle where the cover would protect you.
If an effect would push you away, or destroy the cover, you lose its benefits. If you're grappled or restrained, you also lose its benefits.
Quarter Cover
A target with quarter cover has a +1 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has quarter cover if it's behind an obstacle that only blocks a portion of less than half its body. Quarter cover is often flimsy and its protection is more a matter of luck than actual sturdiness, and as a result, unlikely to confer their benefit for more than one attack.
If the source of Quarter Cover takes damage from any source, it is destroyed.
Half Cover
A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend.
Three-Quarters Cover
A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk.
Total Cover
A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.
Hitting Cover
When a ranged attack misses a target that has cover, you can use this optional rule to determine whether the cover was struck by the attack.
First, determine whether the attack roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target but high enough to strike the target if there had been no cover, the object used for cover is struck. If a creature is providing cover for the missed creature and the attack roll exceeds the AC of the covering creature, the covering creature is hit.
Cover Limits
A hell of an important detail that simply isn't addressed in the rules.
Quarter Cover
Because it was a category I thought was missing that could use a rule.
Half, Three Quarters, Total Cover
Didn't need any changes, the Cover Limits clarification deals with it.
Hitting Cover
Here for completion's sake as this is a DMG rule.
It's worth noting, especially if the cover is destructible... or its another creature...