The only actual feature I know of off the top of my head is the swashbuckler’s Panache feature.
I can imagine any number of situations where I would call for a charisma check though. If a player wants to plead with an opponent, taunt them, feint, etc. I’d probably ask for charisma. If they wanted to do an in-combat intimidation I might already be calling for strength, haha.
The PHB has a list of actions you can do in combat and, unsurprisingly, none of them uses charisma. I guess it would indeed be to appeal to the other party to stop the fight. Or you could try to homebrew some rules about intimidation (on killing someone perhaps), but it's a surprisingly useless feature... Does the fighter at least get something else on that level ?
When you choose this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. Alternatively, you may learn Thieves’ Cant.
BRUTAL BRAWLER
At 3rd level, your tavernside scuffles have honed your ability to deal damage with just about anything that’s handy. You have proficiency with improvised weapons, and treat any improvised weapon you handle as if it has the finesse quality. Additionally, whenever you hit with an improvised weapon, you may spend a bonus action to break it over your opponent. Doing this destroys the weapon, but deals the maximum number each of the weapon’s damage dice could deal to the target. Any additional dice added to the attack’s damage roll are not affected by this ability. (And It scales with level 10 and 18)
The class seems trying to make a dirty or tricky fighter, so I think the people who made this is clearly trying to apply Roleplay checks to the combat but they don't say a thing about it...
Maybe I can talk with my DM about DCs in specific moments when the Roleplay or situation is clear to make some "Fear savingthrows" or something like that.
Ha! I made that exact same second feature for an npc tavern brawler ;)
None of these seems really exciting though, the first one is just a proficiency, and the second one seems tough to actually use with any regularity.
I would indeed see with my DM for some kind of use for these charisma checks. Maybe intimidating as a bonus action when you reduce someone to 0hp, and the result of your check minus5 could be the max CR of affected creatures. An affected creature could have disadvantage on attack rolls for a turn. There's something to work there.
Charisma in combat is going to require a bit of improvisation on both your, and the DM's part. But there are plenty of cool uses that I can think of for this off the top of my head. I'd contest them against Will saving throws.
Taunting enemies into attacking you, or draw their attention [Perform]
Gaining the assistance of bystanders in a brawl for a couple of rounds, or inspiring NPC allies to fight on [Persuade]
Inducing frightened on weaker minions after their leader is taken down [Intimidate]
Roaring defiantly as your HP gets low, to give the impression you're just getting warmed up! [Deception]
See, that's my issue with it. All the ideas you gave are good ideas, but spontaneously, I'd want to make them work off of a Wis saving throw. Which means that there's no ability check to be made, and thus we're not using the feature.
Unless you're proposing to have an ability check AND a saving throw ? With the DC of the ST depending on the result of the check ? But this seems like something that would be circumstantial to use, and would have a lot of occasions to resist by the enemy.
Unless you're proposing to have an ability check AND a saving throw ? With the DC of the ST depending on the result of the check ? But this seems like something that would be circumstantial to use, and would have a lot of occasions to resist by the enemy.
Yes, that's what I'm proposing - but not in every circumstance, because as you say, there's no hard and fast rule around improvising during combat. I'd rule that if I know how hard or easy it should be, I'd do a straight ability check with an appropriate DC based on the 'typical difficulty' table. Persuading the BBEG to give up mid-fight is always going to be nearly impossible, and should carry an appropriate DC.
But if it's quite an edge case, such as seeing how many goblin minions are frightened by an intimidation attempt, I'd have them make will saving throws - with the DC being an ability check made by the character.
And I don't have an issue with giving lots of occassions to resist it by the enemy - the above example is essentially Fear - and balance needs to be considered.
See, that's my issue with it. All the ideas you gave are good ideas, but spontaneously, I'd want to make them work off of a Wis saving throw. Which means that there's no ability check to be made, and thus we're not using the feature.
Unless you're proposing to have an ability check AND a saving throw ? With the DC of the ST depending on the result of the check ? But this seems like something that would be circumstantial to use, and would have a lot of occasions to resist by the enemy.
Why would you want to make them all work off of a WIS saving throw? I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily, but at least 2 out of the 4 that Chequers mentioned are more Persuasion in good faith than Deception (implying bad faith). It seems to me that gaining support from bystanders is a CHA check, as is persuading minions to surrender or run away after their boss has kicked the bucket.
You have proficiency with improvised weapons, and treat any improvised weapon you handle as if it has the finesse quality. Additionally, whenever you hit with an improvised weapon, you may spend a bonus action to break it over your opponent. Doing this destroys the weapon, but deals the maximum number each of the weapon’s damage dice could deal to the target. Any additional dice added to the attack’s damage roll are not affected by this ability.
I'm gonna lift this :)
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"Not all those who wander are lost"
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I'm actually making a fighter character for the Humblewood Campaign (for 5E) made by Hit Point Press and it obviously has some Original content.
I'm talking about a new level 3 archetype that has a weird perk:
"So long as you are in combat, you may choose to use Strength or Dexterity to make Charisma ability checks."
Are there rules about charisma checks like INTIMIDATION in combat? Like DCs, effects, interpretation help for the DM...?
If you don't really know you can help me with some advices or ideas based or not in real d&d mechanics, I'll be grateful for your time.
Thanks for reading!
The only actual feature I know of off the top of my head is the swashbuckler’s Panache feature.
I can imagine any number of situations where I would call for a charisma check though. If a player wants to plead with an opponent, taunt them, feint, etc. I’d probably ask for charisma. If they wanted to do an in-combat intimidation I might already be calling for strength, haha.
The PHB has a list of actions you can do in combat and, unsurprisingly, none of them uses charisma. I guess it would indeed be to appeal to the other party to stop the fight. Or you could try to homebrew some rules about intimidation (on killing someone perhaps), but it's a surprisingly useless feature... Does the fighter at least get something else on that level ?
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Yeah, it gives you two more traits
BONUS PROFICIENCY
When you choose this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. Alternatively, you may learn Thieves’ Cant.
BRUTAL BRAWLER
At 3rd level, your tavernside scuffles have honed your ability to deal damage with just about anything that’s handy. You have proficiency with improvised weapons, and treat any improvised weapon you handle as if it has the finesse quality. Additionally, whenever you hit with an improvised weapon, you may spend a bonus action to break it over your opponent. Doing this destroys the weapon, but deals the maximum number each of the weapon’s damage dice could deal to the target. Any additional dice added to the attack’s damage roll are not affected by this ability. (And It scales with level 10 and 18)
The class seems trying to make a dirty or tricky fighter, so I think the people who made this is clearly trying to apply Roleplay checks to the combat but they don't say a thing about it...
Maybe I can talk with my DM about DCs in specific moments when the Roleplay or situation is clear to make some "Fear savingthrows" or something like that.
I will keep thinking about it.
Ha! I made that exact same second feature for an npc tavern brawler ;)
None of these seems really exciting though, the first one is just a proficiency, and the second one seems tough to actually use with any regularity.
I would indeed see with my DM for some kind of use for these charisma checks. Maybe intimidating as a bonus action when you reduce someone to 0hp, and the result of your check minus5 could be the max CR of affected creatures. An affected creature could have disadvantage on attack rolls for a turn. There's something to work there.
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With the improvise action, you can do pretty much anything.
Charisma in combat is going to require a bit of improvisation on both your, and the DM's part. But there are plenty of cool uses that I can think of for this off the top of my head. I'd contest them against Will saving throws.
See, that's my issue with it. All the ideas you gave are good ideas, but spontaneously, I'd want to make them work off of a Wis saving throw. Which means that there's no ability check to be made, and thus we're not using the feature.
Unless you're proposing to have an ability check AND a saving throw ? With the DC of the ST depending on the result of the check ? But this seems like something that would be circumstantial to use, and would have a lot of occasions to resist by the enemy.
Click to learn to put cool-looking tooltips in your messages!
Yes, that's what I'm proposing - but not in every circumstance, because as you say, there's no hard and fast rule around improvising during combat. I'd rule that if I know how hard or easy it should be, I'd do a straight ability check with an appropriate DC based on the 'typical difficulty' table. Persuading the BBEG to give up mid-fight is always going to be nearly impossible, and should carry an appropriate DC.
But if it's quite an edge case, such as seeing how many goblin minions are frightened by an intimidation attempt, I'd have them make will saving throws - with the DC being an ability check made by the character.
And I don't have an issue with giving lots of occassions to resist it by the enemy - the above example is essentially Fear - and balance needs to be considered.
Why would you want to make them all work off of a WIS saving throw? I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily, but at least 2 out of the 4 that Chequers mentioned are more Persuasion in good faith than Deception (implying bad faith). It seems to me that gaining support from bystanders is a CHA check, as is persuading minions to surrender or run away after their boss has kicked the bucket.
I'm gonna lift this :)
"Not all those who wander are lost"