I mean it seems like for the most part you're tailoring encounters that he can take advantage of (in the sense of a good amount of close combat). So in a case like this then, what you can do is target his weaknesses- force him to make saves vs spellcasters, deal with traps, difficult terrain, and ranged attackers.
i think the biggest problem is what people has said before.
He uses some things that he normally should't have. Like Hunters mark.
Superiority die you can only use a set of times between rests. For him its 4. That is on 4 attacks. I guess he chose maneuver Precision Attack: When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
Have he created his character on DnD beyond? If he havent, then its a good idea to do that. Then he you would see what he can or cant use.
I see it like: weapon damage+superiority dice+ strenght on only 4 attacks between rests.
Then it's: weapon damage+ strength on the rest. (times two as he is attacking two times)
But one time between rests he can use Action surge. That gives him 2 more attacks.
So if he uses all in one attack its: Action surge gives a full attack. So lets say he fights two-handed. That gives a 1d10
4 attacks is 1d10(weapon)+1d8(superiority)+4(strength) times 4. If he hits all its 4d10+4d8+16.
After that attack its only 1d10+4 until he finish a short or long rest.
So if he hits with everything, he can do alot of damage on one round. The rest is just normal.
I might be wrong and miss something, but that is my take of how he works.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking.
I just took an extra look on maneuvers and superiority dice.
Which maneuver gives you extra damage? As i read Precision Attack it feels like its on to hit and not damage.
The list of which maneuvers don't add the superiority die to the damage an attack deals on top of their other effects is the shorter list, since that's just Evasive Footwork, Parry, Precision Attack, and Rally.
It says you choose one of the following, so it seems to indicate that it is the players decision. However the same privilage is not extended to demons or fey.
The players choose from the listed options the number and CR level of the creatures to summon, the DM chooses which creatures are summoned. You can find the answer to this question within the Sage Advice Compendium 1.01 under the question "When you cast a spell like conjure woodland beings, does the spellcaster or the DM choose the creatures that are conjured?" This becomes exceptionally important when the Druid gets Conjure Woodland Beings and realizes under the current way you are (mis)interpreted the spell that he can summon 8 Pixies, each with Polymorph.
And not to sound mean, but it sounds like your Fighter / Ranger is taking advantage of your unfamiliarity with his character, and quite effectively. You should know his weaknesses and his class to keep imbalances at bay. For example:
As a Fighter 5 / Ranger 1 he should not have his Ranger's spell casting. Meaning he can't Hunter's Mark yet.
Even if he could hunter's mark. Keep in mind that he has to concentrate on that. So every time he takes damage make sure he rolls a concentration check.
Action Surge is a once per short / long rest. Meaning he should at most be using it once per battle.
Keep in mind that he only has 4 superiority dice. Once he expends those dice he can't use maneuvers until he finishes a short or long rest.
Furthermore, not every Maneuver adds the superiority die roll to the damage. Some only add it to the attack roll. For clarification, which maneuvers does he know?
Want to know how to defeat your fighter? High Dexterity Spellcasters with Wisdom and Charisma saving throws. Use things like Bane, Bestow Curse, CommandCrown of Madness, Hold Person, Dominate Person. or Banishment. You get the idea. He has Strength and Dexterity saving throw proficiencies, meaning his CHA and Wisdom are probably low. You get the idea.
I recently rolled a battle for my players with a Shambling Mound along with 10 Stirge I commented on the buzzing of giant mosquitos a few times and basically when they attacked the mound I revealed that they were surrounded by Stirges. Those bugs are weak. So they didn't kill my weak players but they were plentiful and problematic. Your ranger will get stomped, double stomped, by the mound while your other players fight the bugs.
This may help with your other problem. Your weaker characters, the monk, can be very useful in handling the weaker foes, just don't clump the weak foes together or they'll be burning hands'd. spread them out so they take individual attacks, your monk can make 4 attacks a round and save the day.
I recently rolled a battle for my players with a Shambling Mound along with 10 Stirge I commented on the buzzing of giant mosquitos a few times and basically when they attacked the mound I revealed that they were surrounded by Stirges. Those bugs are weak. So they didn't kill my weak players but they were plentiful and problematic. Your ranger will get stomped, double stomped, by the mound while your other players fight the bugs.
This may help with your other problem. Your weaker characters, the monk, can be very useful in handling the weaker foes, just don't clump the weak foes together or they'll be burning hands'd. spread them out so they take individual attacks, your monk can make 4 attacks a round and save the day.
Stirges are also great in swarms against the Ranger / Fighter. TheStirges don't rely on being HP sponges to be a threat. Also if you have a few attach to the Ranger it becomes a HUGE problem for the ranger. It takes an action to remove the buggers, and though it doesn't say, you can always impose disadvantage to hit them while they are attached or risk hitting the person they are attached to.
I've placed my group against them twice. For the most part I feel they would much rather deal with the Shambling Mound over a dozen Stirges.
Like others have said make sure the content is being applied correctly and he isn't trying to pull one over.
And if he doesn't want to play according to what the DM likes then just explain it's becoming difficult to keep the game fun for the group and putting an additional stress on yourself to try and accommodate such things.
I would stress either he plays by the rules you, the DM, wishes with this character to play by, you the DM create a story element to enforce the "balance" or create Oni that has heard of this "grand warrior" have the Oni rip him apart and if some reason he kills the Oni... That particular one regenerates health and wipe the floor. The Oni has a sword that traps souls.
The now hopefully dead character's soul is trapped and now the party can choose to go save him. Let the the guy roll a new character on DND beyond at level 6 or 7 and make sure rules THAT YOU WANT TO ENFORCE are applied to make your game balanced.
Remember we play to have fun, you as the DM should be having fun too.
This is why I stopped playing DnD after 3.5. It all began back in Advanced DnD and specialty handbooks. Of course players want more and more power! To become the OP of the OP! But then the game becomes very boring doesnt it? You have to throwout 75% of the monsters etc and gear up the campaign just to beat them, challenge I should say. Then if you take down the ginsu cleaver the rest of the party is SOL.
I made a NPC back in the day. He wielded a sword of Haste. The curse is every time you swung you aged a year (in case they got the sword. The villain drank a potion of Storm Giant strength before combat. WHAM WHAM WHAM. I had their Op of the OP down in one round. Suddenly, I was the big cheater. Then they dove into the book of game mechanics and found a way to bypass AC and weapons. You know the kind: Throw a nag of holding over them, drown them, suffocate them, punch them in hopes of KO percentile...
I am buying DND books again because of Critical Role and role playing. I still have yet to play DnD after what has been? 8 or 10 years I think.
This is why I stopped playing DnD after 3.5. It all began back in Advanced DnD and specialty handbooks. Of course players want more and more power! To become the OP of the OP! But then the game becomes very boring doesnt it? You have to throwout 75% of the monsters etc and gear up the campaign just to beat them, challenge I should say. Then if you take down the ginsu cleaver the rest of the party is SOL.
I made a NPC back in the day. He wielded a sword of Haste. The curse is every time you swung you aged a year (in case they got the sword. The villain drank a potion of Storm Giant strength before combat. WHAM WHAM WHAM. I had their Op of the OP down in one round. Suddenly, I was the big cheater. Then they dove into the book of game mechanics and found a way to bypass AC and weapons. You know the kind: Throw a nag of holding over them, drown them, suffocate them, punch them in hopes of KO percentile...
I am buying DND books again because of Critical Role and role playing. I still have yet to play DnD after what has been? 8 or 10 years I think.
Then why are you on a forum for a DnD product for 5th Edition?
Read the last line of my comment and make a wisdom check.
Yeah I saw...you say you don't like anything after 3.5. Then you don't really offer any suggestions/improvements to the situation. You say what you did for a previous system that this is not intended for.
The last line says, "I am buying DND books again because of Critical Role and role playing." As in, now buying with 5e material. Hasn't PLAYED in nearly a decade, but it seems that there's at least more than some interest and like of the game itself.
Tabletoptale's post probably could have been a bit clearer, and maybe shouldn't have been as flippant with their response, but I don't think that's a reason for lashing out. We're all here to enjoy the game, even if that enjoyment is from being a Critical Role spectator.
And its understandable that someone has an issue with power gamers ruining their enjoyment of something for years. Its not like that's the first time its happened, and its a struggle for GMs and players not meshing with expectations. (insert derail and personal rant against 5e multi-classing here, continue on with anedotes of such play of creating disharmony at the table, follow up with detailed explanations of the past three editions, end with self-satisfied conclusion).
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D&D Beyond StaffI mean it seems like for the most part you're tailoring encounters that he can take advantage of (in the sense of a good amount of close combat). So in a case like this then, what you can do is target his weaknesses- force him to make saves vs spellcasters, deal with traps, difficult terrain, and ranged attackers.
i think the biggest problem is what people has said before.
He uses some things that he normally should't have. Like Hunters mark.
Superiority die you can only use a set of times between rests. For him its 4. That is on 4 attacks. I guess he chose maneuver Precision Attack: When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
Have he created his character on DnD beyond? If he havent, then its a good idea to do that. Then he you would see what he can or cant use.
I see it like: weapon damage+superiority dice+ strenght on only 4 attacks between rests.
Then it's: weapon damage+ strength on the rest. (times two as he is attacking two times)
But one time between rests he can use Action surge. That gives him 2 more attacks.
So if he uses all in one attack its: Action surge gives a full attack. So lets say he fights two-handed. That gives a 1d10
4 attacks is 1d10(weapon)+1d8(superiority)+4(strength) times 4. If he hits all its 4d10+4d8+16.
After that attack its only 1d10+4 until he finish a short or long rest.
So if he hits with everything, he can do alot of damage on one round. The rest is just normal.
I might be wrong and miss something, but that is my take of how he works.
I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking.
I just took an extra look on maneuvers and superiority dice.
Which maneuver gives you extra damage? As i read Precision Attack it feels like its on to hit and not damage.
I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking.
I recently rolled a battle for my players with a Shambling Mound along with 10 Stirge I commented on the buzzing of giant mosquitos a few times and basically when they attacked the mound I revealed that they were surrounded by Stirges. Those bugs are weak. So they didn't kill my weak players but they were plentiful and problematic. Your ranger will get stomped, double stomped, by the mound while your other players fight the bugs.
This may help with your other problem. Your weaker characters, the monk, can be very useful in handling the weaker foes, just don't clump the weak foes together or they'll be burning hands'd. spread them out so they take individual attacks, your monk can make 4 attacks a round and save the day.
Extended Signature
Like others have said make sure the content is being applied correctly and he isn't trying to pull one over.
And if he doesn't want to play according to what the DM likes then just explain it's becoming difficult to keep the game fun for the group and putting an additional stress on yourself to try and accommodate such things.
I would stress either he plays by the rules you, the DM, wishes with this character to play by, you the DM create a story element to enforce the "balance" or create Oni that has heard of this "grand warrior" have the Oni rip him apart and if some reason he kills the Oni... That particular one regenerates health and wipe the floor. The Oni has a sword that traps souls.
The now hopefully dead character's soul is trapped and now the party can choose to go save him. Let the the guy roll a new character on DND beyond at level 6 or 7 and make sure rules THAT YOU WANT TO ENFORCE are applied to make your game balanced.
Remember we play to have fun, you as the DM should be having fun too.
This is why I stopped playing DnD after 3.5. It all began back in Advanced DnD and specialty handbooks. Of course players want more and more power! To become the OP of the OP! But then the game becomes very boring doesnt it? You have to throwout 75% of the monsters etc and gear up the campaign just to beat them, challenge I should say. Then if you take down the ginsu cleaver the rest of the party is SOL.
I made a NPC back in the day. He wielded a sword of Haste. The curse is every time you swung you aged a year (in case they got the sword. The villain drank a potion of Storm Giant strength before combat. WHAM WHAM WHAM. I had their Op of the OP down in one round. Suddenly, I was the big cheater. Then they dove into the book of game mechanics and found a way to bypass AC and weapons. You know the kind: Throw a nag of holding over them, drown them, suffocate them, punch them in hopes of KO percentile...
I am buying DND books again because of Critical Role and role playing. I still have yet to play DnD after what has been? 8 or 10 years I think.
Read the last line of my comment and make a wisdom check.
I guess you are just smarter than I am....
The last line says, "I am buying DND books again because of Critical Role and role playing." As in, now buying with 5e material. Hasn't PLAYED in nearly a decade, but it seems that there's at least more than some interest and like of the game itself.
So I'm curious, OP. How did you end up solving the issue? How's the game going now?
You only lose if you die. Any time else, there's opportunity for a come back.