So I'v been looking into the whole Dueling fighting style vs Great Weapon fighting style for some time. TL;DR most threads on the subject concludes that the main factor making great weapon fighting a better option than sword and board is the Great Weapon Master feat.
Otherwise the average gain from GWF in comparison for Dueling (about 2 points of damage) wouldn't be worth the lose of 2 from your AC in most cases.
The possibility that I want to suggest is the option of taking Dueling at the lower levels of the game and then switching to 2 handed weapons and taking GWM feat much later on without taking GWF at all.
This is my take on the matter:
GWM is great. People even say it's broken. There is no denial here. But usually you won't be taking this feat at low levels. Unless you're playing variant human (and get one feat for free) and even still - you'll want to boost your STR to 20 on each ASI crossroad before using the GWM feat - in order to maximize your chances for hitting and overcoming the -5 to hit penalty from GWM (even in cases you can guarantee an advantage). That means that even if you play a variant human fighter and start with the feat, you'll probably want to reach level 6 and get 20 STR before you make it optimal, and that is only in the best possible scenario. Most of the builds will have to reach level 8 or even higher (if they aren't fighters). Meanwhile you're using two handed weapon and get a slight edge to your damage output, but if you're the tank of the group then you're suffering from -2 to your AC, which is crucial. Is waiting many-many levels while using sub-optimal build really worth it only for that sweet-sweet moment far in the future when you'll be able to dish the maximum damage output you can get with your build? I'm not so sure. That is even without stating that not all campaigns - in which you start at low levels - even reach the levels where GWM is where you want it to be. And in some campaigns your character can even die before you pick the fruits of your investment.
But say you're starting at a low level and picking Dueling, using sword and board. You gradually boost your STR in each ASI point. When you finally reach the point where you want to take GWM you're at level 8 or more and then you take it. Now you have Dueling with GWM, which might be not as efficient as GWF, but at least you had a more optimal build for many-many lower levels, and when you do reach GWM - sure you don't reroll some of your damage rolls but you still have a very nice damage output and your +10 to damage from GWM doesn't really care about that.
It depends on your class, I think. If you've got a class feature that gives you a reliable source of advantage, such as the Barbarian's Reckless Attack, or the Vengeance Paladin's Oath of Enmity, I think the GWM is viable at any level. And if your class gets a fighting style, you'll accentuate the benefit of GWM if you take the Great Weapon Fighting Style as well. As far as AC is concerned, yes, you'll take more hits in the short run. But doing more damage means your opponents go down sooner, so they won't get as many attacks. So... it should even out?
It highly depends on what your entire character "package" is going to be. Frankly, if you're going to take the Dueling fighting style, you might want to just stay sword & board. There are plenty of great combinations that can amp up 1H damage to the same heights as 2H builds, and Dueling is a key component that you'll already have.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
It depends on your class, I think. If you've got a class feature that gives you a reliable source of advantage, such as the Barbarian's Reckless Attack, or the Vengeance Paladin's Oath of Enmity, I think the GWM is viable at any level. And if your class gets a fighting style, you'll accentuate the benefit of GWM if you take the Great Weapon Fighting Style as well. As far as AC is concerned, yes, you'll take more hits in the short run. But doing more damage means your opponents go down sooner, so they won't get as many attacks. So... it should even out?
I'm actually playing a kind of unorthodox character some people advised me against: I'm playing a Strength based Ranger. I'm level 5 Ranger - Gloomstalker - 2 level Fighter. My ability scores are: 18 STR, 14 CON, 14 DEX, 14 WIS, 8 INT, 8 CHA. I wear Breastplate, got defensive as my Ranger fighting style and my race is Simic Hybird (from Guildmaster of Ravnica, which gets another +1 to the AC) so my AC is 18 without shield (and 20 with it). I used to wield sword and board but now I'm also testing maul sometimes since I wanted to deal more damage and enemies don't attack me that often like I want them to - instead they attack my frail companions.
My first move of the battle is: 3 attacks (Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambusher. Either 1d8 from battleaxe or 2d6 from maul) followed by an Action Surge - then another 3 attacks. Each attack that hits gets d6 bonus from hunter's mark, and each of the two Gloom Stalker attack that hits gets another d8 from Dread Ambusher).
On the 8th level I'm gonna take another fighter level and take the Battle Master sub-class. Then trip attack my target on the first attack to gain an advantage on all the next following attacks. This isn't as reliable way as Barb's Reckless Attack, and the target that got knocked prone would be probably dead on the following attack or two anyway (unless it's a boss) so I'm not sure it's best to build the GWM tactic around it.
I guess I could also use the Piercing attack maneuver for more reliability on the hits - but that only works for the first four attacks of the battles - after that I lose all of my Superiority Dices until I make a short rest.
I mean, it's still nice...
1st attack of the battle: Advantage from Feinting Attack: 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d8 (Dread Umbusher) + 1d8 (Piercing attack) + 10
2st and 3st attacks: 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d8 + 10
4st attack - like the 1st attack.
Then on the 5th and 6th attack - resume to attack like a normal person.
You can lay waste to an entire group of enemies or really wear them down with this nasty combo. Assuming the attacks actually lands...
So I'v been looking into the whole Dueling fighting style vs Great Weapon fighting style for some time. TL;DR most threads on the subject concludes that the main factor making great weapon fighting a better option than sword and board is the Great Weapon Master feat.
(Examples: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?495883-Shield-vs-Great-Weapon-Need-a-little-math-help, https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/3fvyva/great_weapon_fighting_vs_dueling/)
Otherwise the average gain from GWF in comparison for Dueling (about 2 points of damage) wouldn't be worth the lose of 2 from your AC in most cases.
The possibility that I want to suggest is the option of taking Dueling at the lower levels of the game and then switching to 2 handed weapons and taking GWM feat much later on without taking GWF at all.
This is my take on the matter:
GWM is great. People even say it's broken. There is no denial here. But usually you won't be taking this feat at low levels. Unless you're playing variant human (and get one feat for free) and even still - you'll want to boost your STR to 20 on each ASI crossroad before using the GWM feat - in order to maximize your chances for hitting and overcoming the -5 to hit penalty from GWM (even in cases you can guarantee an advantage). That means that even if you play a variant human fighter and start with the feat, you'll probably want to reach level 6 and get 20 STR before you make it optimal, and that is only in the best possible scenario. Most of the builds will have to reach level 8 or even higher (if they aren't fighters). Meanwhile you're using two handed weapon and get a slight edge to your damage output, but if you're the tank of the group then you're suffering from -2 to your AC, which is crucial. Is waiting many-many levels while using sub-optimal build really worth it only for that sweet-sweet moment far in the future when you'll be able to dish the maximum damage output you can get with your build? I'm not so sure. That is even without stating that not all campaigns - in which you start at low levels - even reach the levels where GWM is where you want it to be. And in some campaigns your character can even die before you pick the fruits of your investment.
But say you're starting at a low level and picking Dueling, using sword and board. You gradually boost your STR in each ASI point. When you finally reach the point where you want to take GWM you're at level 8 or more and then you take it. Now you have Dueling with GWM, which might be not as efficient as GWF, but at least you had a more optimal build for many-many lower levels, and when you do reach GWM - sure you don't reroll some of your damage rolls but you still have a very nice damage output and your +10 to damage from GWM doesn't really care about that.
What do you think?
It depends on your class, I think. If you've got a class feature that gives you a reliable source of advantage, such as the Barbarian's Reckless Attack, or the Vengeance Paladin's Oath of Enmity, I think the GWM is viable at any level. And if your class gets a fighting style, you'll accentuate the benefit of GWM if you take the Great Weapon Fighting Style as well. As far as AC is concerned, yes, you'll take more hits in the short run. But doing more damage means your opponents go down sooner, so they won't get as many attacks. So... it should even out?
DICE FALL, EVERYONE ROCKS!
It highly depends on what your entire character "package" is going to be. Frankly, if you're going to take the Dueling fighting style, you might want to just stay sword & board. There are plenty of great combinations that can amp up 1H damage to the same heights as 2H builds, and Dueling is a key component that you'll already have.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
I'm actually playing a kind of unorthodox character some people advised me against: I'm playing a Strength based Ranger. I'm level 5 Ranger - Gloomstalker - 2 level Fighter. My ability scores are: 18 STR, 14 CON, 14 DEX, 14 WIS, 8 INT, 8 CHA. I wear Breastplate, got defensive as my Ranger fighting style and my race is Simic Hybird (from Guildmaster of Ravnica, which gets another +1 to the AC) so my AC is 18 without shield (and 20 with it). I used to wield sword and board but now I'm also testing maul sometimes since I wanted to deal more damage and enemies don't attack me that often like I want them to - instead they attack my frail companions.
My first move of the battle is: 3 attacks (Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambusher. Either 1d8 from battleaxe or 2d6 from maul) followed by an Action Surge - then another 3 attacks. Each attack that hits gets d6 bonus from hunter's mark, and each of the two Gloom Stalker attack that hits gets another d8 from Dread Ambusher).
On the 8th level I'm gonna take another fighter level and take the Battle Master sub-class. Then trip attack my target on the first attack to gain an advantage on all the next following attacks. This isn't as reliable way as Barb's Reckless Attack, and the target that got knocked prone would be probably dead on the following attack or two anyway (unless it's a boss) so I'm not sure it's best to build the GWM tactic around it.
I guess I could also use the Piercing attack maneuver for more reliability on the hits - but that only works for the first four attacks of the battles - after that I lose all of my Superiority Dices until I make a short rest.
I mean, it's still nice...
1st attack of the battle: Advantage from Feinting Attack: 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d8 (Dread Umbusher) + 1d8 (Piercing attack) + 10
2st and 3st attacks: 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 + 1d8 + 10
4st attack - like the 1st attack.
Then on the 5th and 6th attack - resume to attack like a normal person.
You can lay waste to an entire group of enemies or really wear them down with this nasty combo. Assuming the attacks actually lands...