D&D General Fighter Design: The Battle Die

• Add it to a weapon attack roll (probably after rolling the d20 but before knowing the result)
• Add it to a weapon damage roll
• Add it to the fighter's AC as a reaction when hit, maybe making that hit miss
• Subtract it from damage caused to the fighter by an attack
• Do that much damage when making an attack that normally doesn't do damage, such as a trip, disarm, or grapple
• Do that much damage on a missed attack
• Use it as a bonus to an Athletics check (or maybe any skill used in combat)
• Add it to a saving throw
• Add it to combat stunts in some way- for instance, push further

the Jester said:

A long-running back burner project of mine is building the perfect D&D.

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the Jester said:

The idea is that every round, a fighter gets a die that they can use in various ways. It starts as a d4 and increases over time. The fighter can use it every round, but only once per round. They can do things like:

• Add it to a weapon attack roll (probably after rolling the d20 but before knowing the result)
• Add it to a weapon damage roll
• Add it to the fighter's AC as a reaction when hit, maybe making that hit miss
• Subtract it from damage caused to the fighter by an attack
• Do that much damage when making an attack that normally doesn't do damage, such as a trip, disarm, or grapple
• Do that much damage on a missed attack
• Use it as a bonus to an Athletics check (or maybe any skill used in combat)
• Add it to a saving throw
• Add it to combat stunts in some way- for instance, push further

This would be a replacement for most combat-related feats and features that are strictly nonmagical. I'm considering tying extra attacks to it- you can spend your battle die to try to make an extra attack; if you roll a 4+ on the die, you can take an extra attack, so as the number of sides on the die goes up, your odds of getting a second attack increase. I'm not sure if I like that, though.

The idea is that the battle die gives a fighter round-by-round versatility and options while being simple enough to play that players who prefer to just hit things with their sword can simply always use their battle die as a bonus to attack or damage or something.

Anyway, I welcome any feedback.

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Quickleaf said:

What’s the “ecosystem” that your Battle Die exists in? How does it relate to the rest of your fighter class design? Does the fighter class have escalating attack bonus independent of Battle Die?

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• Accuracy: you may add half the die result, rounded up, to an attack roll. You must decide to use this after rolling the d20, but before knowing the result of the attack.
  • Attack is much more valuable a resource
• Damage: you may add the result to a weapon damage roll.
• Parry: you may add the result to your AC as a reaction to being hit by an attack, possibly turning the hit into a miss.
• Endurance: you may roll the die twice, reducing the damage from an attack by the result.
  • Reducing damage is a lot less powerful than being able to negate an attack.
• Overwhelm: you may add the die result as bludgeoning damage on an attack that does not normally deal damage (e.g., trip, disarm, shove, etc.).
• Relentless: you may add the die result plus your attack modifier to the damage of a missed attack.
• Athletic: you may add the die result to an Athletics, Acrobatics, or Intimidation check
  • I'd use all the Fighter class skills here, but I don't remember them all
• Lucky: you may add the result to a Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity Saving Throw after you roll the d20, but before you know the result.
  • Should be more limited than all saves IMO