Ranged martial characters certainly took a hit in the 2024Dungeons & Dragonsrevised rules, butfor melee martial classes, the revision is a mixed bag. There are certain scenarios where the revised Great Weapon Master feat could work out better for martial characters than its 2014 analog and others where players will miss the power lost from the original. While a literal reading of Great Weapon Master currently suggests it applies to ranged weapons like Longbows and Heavy Crossbows,this is likely not the intent and will probably receive errata. Melee specialists can rely on it, with some caveats.
The loss of multiple Stunning Strike attempts per turn hasrendered the Monk a trap class, as none of its damage or mobility features keep up with dedicated martial classes. Limiting Divine Smite to once per round, and requiring a Bonus Action, has removed the usefulness of the Paladin as a damage-dealer. Fighters and Barbarians are a bit more difficult to cleanly analyze, as they are both classes that can build around Great Weapon Master, butboth come with new restrictions.D&D2024’s martials lost significant powercompared to 2014’s rules. Great Weapon Master remains vital for melee-focused warriors.
D&D’s 2014 Martials Still Outpace 2024’s Versions
The Great Weapon Master Feat Still Helps, Especially At Higher Levels
2024’s revised Great Weapon Master feat offers added damage with Heavy Weapon attacks equal to proficiency bonus,but only with attacks made as part of the Attack Action. This makes the choice between Fighter and Barbarian a bit complex, as Fighters are the only class whose attack action scales beyond two attacks, but the Barbarian’s damage resistance and hit dice make them best suited for a frontline melee role that foregoes a shield. The revised rules offer some baffling complexity with weapon swapping, asD&D2024 prioritizes “rulings over rules"and offers little clarity.Wading into a melee remains perilous.
The Barbarian’s Reckless Attack and Brutal Strike features can improve accuracy or add to damage, alongside the bonus from Rage. The Extra Attacks a Fighter can make with the Attack Action still give it the edge in melee damage, albeit with far less durability.
Comparing asimilar 2014 and 2024 level 8 Fighter will show mixed results. A character with a +7 to-hit bonus, achievable with either a 16 to 17 Strength and a +1 Halberd, or a 19 Strength from Gauntlets of Ogre power and a non-magical halberd, offers a good example. In both 2014 and 2014D&D, such a Fighter can obtain both Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master. Against enemies with a 13 AC, the 2014 Fighter averages 28.38 damage per turn when not using Action Surge. A 2024 Fighter with the same feats and abilities averages 24.3 damage per turn.
The 2024 Fighter fares better against higher AC enemies. Against AC 18, the 2024 Fighter averages 16.426 damage per turn, compared to the 2014 Fighter’s 14.55. However,most enemies tend to have lower Armor Class values, unless the paradigm changes significantly in the revisedMonster Manual. This meansthe 2024 Fighter will only benefit in the rarer “boss fights” against higher CR enemies, and in such scenarios, simple spells like Faerie Fire can still provide Advantage, putting the math closer to the AC 13 calculations, where the 2014 Fighter wins out. At high levels, the 2024 Fighter truly benefits most.
Among 2024 D&D’s Weapon Masteries, Graze Wins Out
The Greatsword Is The Best Choice, As A Heavy Weapon With Graze
TheD&D DMGmay change future adventures, and theMonster Manualrevision will obviously provide a fuller context for balance, but it remains a constant inD&Dthatdeath is the best status effect, so damage is important for martial characters. A pure damage focus combines the Great Weapon Master feat with the Graze Weapon Mastery. Whilemost Weapon Masteries are of negligible impact, serving more to slow down combatthan contributing meaningfully, Graze is a valuable addition to damage per turn. The Greatsword is an obvious weapon choice as a Heavy Weapon with the Graze property and reliable damage.
10 Biggest D&D Changes In The 2024 DM’s Guide You’ll Want To Know About ASAP
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide might not affect the core rules as much as the Player’s Handbook, but some key changes shouldn’t be missed.
Reportedly, theD&D Monster Manualwill buff monstersof higher CR, so building effective characters is more important than ever. Since the new Great Weapon Master feat only adds damage to the Attack Action, a single-classed Fighter will get the most out of it, andthe Battle Master subclass still offers the best synergy. The Precision Attack Maneuver can turn near-misses into hits, andother maneuvers are best reserved to add damage to natural 20 critical hits. The value of Graze becomes clear. A level 20 Fighter with a 20 to 21 Strength and a +2 Greatsword provides this illustration.
If a character cannot act, they cannot do any damage. Defensive feats are a significant part of the equation.
Against an AC 22 opponent, such a Fighter averages 49.5 damage per turn with a +2 Maul, a Heavy Weapon that has the same damage die but lacks the Graze Weapon Mastery. Using a +2 Greatsword, with Graze, the average damage per turn increases to 57.4. Leveraging Precision Attack increases this further, turning many near misses into hits.Action Surge will double any of these values, though it is a limited resource. Other feats and items can help ensure this damage is as reliable as possible, like the Mobile feat that adds to movement and lets the Fighter risk Opportunity Attacks.
D&D Fighters Need Mobility & Defense As Well
Feats Like Mobile & Resilient Help Melee Characters Optimize Their Turns
AD&Dencounter balance change regarding hordesplaces less value on large groups of enemies. Still, the Hew feature of Great Weapon Master will likely see some use, though a Bonus Action attack cannot benefit from Great Weapon Master’s damage boost feature. Mobile increases base movement, and Winged Boots grant a character a fly speed equal to their walking speed, offering great synergy andhelping melee characters engage with hard-to-reach enemies. Beyond these considerations, melee characters need to ensure they can land hits. For Fighting Style,Blind Fighting is the best choice, negating enemies' reliance on invisibility or displacement.
A Barbarian with the same feats and Winged Boots is also a reasonable choice for a Great Weapon Master build. The Path of the Wild Heart expands the damage types resisted by Rage. This Barbarian sacrifices the two additional attacks gained by a Fighter and the benefits of Action Surge, trading optimal offense for far more durability.
If a character cannot act, they cannot do any damage. Defensive feats are a significant part of the equation. Mostspells and abilities that limit actions are opposed by Wisdom or Constitution saving throws. Fighters already have proficiency in Constitution saves, and they can take the Resilient feat to gain Wisdom saving throw proficiency, shoring up their defenses against the most common spells that prevent actions. By choosing Blind Fighting as the Fighting Style, taking the Great Weapon Master, Mobile, and Resilient feats, and using Winged Boots, a Fighter can still contribute meaningfully, even inDungeons & Dragons'2024 revision.
