D&D 5.5e: New Player's Handbook - Does these modifications fix martial classes?
Though it might not balance the game, the new Player's Handbook arriving to Dungeons & Dragons later in 2024 gives some classes much-needed enhancements. Let's investigate the most recent developments closely to see if they will sufficiently equip martial characters to be competitive with spellcasters.
Martial Classes Still Demand a Comprehensive Makeover from D&D
Martial classes including Fighters, Barbarians, Rogues, Monks, Rangers, and Paladins in DnD 5e have long battled to match the raw power of spellcasters. Although the new Player's Handbook brings some interesting changes, it's still arguable whether they have bridged the gap notably.
Weapon Mastery: An Interesting Idea with Limited Prospect
Nowadays, many martial disciplines have access to "Weapon Mastery," which provides every weapon special attacking possibilities. For instance, whereas "Vex" lets players acquire advantage on a creature they have just hit, the "Graze" ability deals damage even if the attack misses. This lends some adaptability for combat and promotes experimenting with several weapon kinds. But Weapon Mastery skills are not commensurate with character level, thus over time they will probably lose influence.
Monks: At last earning some much-needed love
Renowned for weakness in 5e, the Monk has had a major overhaul. The new Monk has more potent Focus Point abilities, better-damage martial arts, and a capstone ability increasing dexterity and wisdom. This overhaul could make the Monk a far more practical and fun class. The Monk still suffers with poor health and few range of options, though.
Rangers and paladins: the spellcasting shift
In the update, Rangers and Paladins have followed different paths, turning increasingly spellcasting-oriented. There has some debate about this change. Changes to their core magic abilities—Hunter's Mark (Ranger) and Divine Smite (Paladin—cause the major problem).
Divine Smite: a less potent bonus action
Divine Smite, a paladin's signature ability, let them deal bonus radiant damage with weapon strikes in 5e. These days, one can call this spell a bonus action. This implies, even at higher levels, paladins can only use it once per turn. Furthermore less exclusive to the Paladin, other classes can now access Divine Smite by means of feats like Magic Initiate.
Hunter's Mark: Enhanced Restricted Ability
Although Hunter's Mark is still a bonus action spell, many of the new Ranger skills depend on it being active. This drives Rangers to concentrate on Hunter's Mark, so restricting their spellcasting choices and maybe reducing their combat agility. Although new benefits like Expertise and Blindsight are appreciated, they do not fully offset the restrictions brought about by depending on Hunter's Mark.
Subclasses: An Incredibly Mixed Bag of Changes
Every martial class has fresh iterations of their subclasses; some have been weakened (like the Gloomstalker Ranger) while others have seen major improvements (like the Champion Fighter). Still, a few Tasha's Cauldron of Everything subclasses have stayed essentially unaltered. Known for their strength, these subclasses have maintained rather robustness, which might aggravate the disparity between martial classes and spellcasters.
In the end, though not enough, a step forward.
Although the new Player's Handbook brings some interesting changes and enhancements to martial disciplines, it's still doubtful if they will be sufficient to close the power difference between them and spellcasters. Although the new mechanics might provide more options and make fighting more interesting, the general power level of martial characters might not be much raised relative to high-level spellcasters.
Time will ultimately determine how these developments affect the equilibrium of the game and whether they will at last solve the long-standing power gap between martial classes and spellcasters. We will have to wait for the official publication of the new Player's Handbook to observe community response to these developments.
