What's the best Fighter subclass for a character that is a riot-control city guard that can brush off a cannonball to the chest? (Unearthed Arcana included)
Cavalier for the riot police aspect, Eldritch Knight, for the take a cannonball to the chest aspect.
As a sneaky trick, you could Cleric 3/Fighter X and grab Find Familiar. Prepare Warding Bond and cast it through the familiar. Likely, the familiar won't survive much more than a few hits from that, but it's still something extra (and you could double dip from Inspiring Leader). There's likely better ways to spend your levels, slots, and actions, but it's kind of a funny goofy way to do it.
Oh, and Half-orc is a thematic way to do it. Relentless Endurance and Intimidation?
Also, Shifter Beasthide would be a solid bet. Your level+con mod+1d6 temporary hit points and +1 to AC while shifted? +2 con, +1 strength and proficiency in Athletics? Solid
Cavaliers are cavalry and horses generally do not do well in city combats.
Barbarian does not seem like it would fit the concept of Riot-control City Guard, since they are normally the ones rioting. But you could take 1 level in it to get 2 rages. Unless the game gets to 20th level, the loss of 1 fighter level will only bother you as you are a level behind getting ASIs and multi-attacks.
Brute seems to be the best for dealing damage and keeping from taking some damage. But it would take to 18th level to get the I keep healing damage so that may never happen. Barbarian and Brute combo may do the trick though.
I like the Rune Knights, but they are more a buff class that can damage things. Depends on how you role play it though. I normally saw the Rune Knight as a dwarf who knew mystic secrets of the ancients.
To be 100% honest with you, watching the DM roll dice against themselves is pretty boring. One of the other DMs in our group picked a Battle Master and a Sorcerer as NPCs to accompany the party (that particular party only had 3 PCs at the time) and us players would occasionally tune out while he figured out their turns since it was essentially just him rolling agains himself. It really broke the flow.
If this city guard is not going to be fighting against the PCs, IMHO, the simplest subclasses are usually the best for those kinds of NPCs. They require comparatively little time to decide what they’re gonna do, and a lot less rolling to see if it actually worked. With that in mind, something like the Champion might honestly be your best bet. But the Brute isn’t very complex either, so that should work fine if you decide to go that route.
If this NPC is going to be fighting against the party then make them as cool and badassed as you feel they should be. Combating challenging enemies is part of the fun of D&D after all.
Cavaliers are cavalry and horses generally do not do well in city combats.
Barbarian does not seem like it would fit the concept of Riot-control City Guard, since they are normally the ones rioting. But you could take 1 level in it to get 2 rages. Unless the game gets to 20th level, the loss of 1 fighter level will only bother you as you are a level behind getting ASIs and multi-attacks.
Brute seems to be the best for dealing damage and keeping from taking some damage. But it would take to 18th level to get the I keep healing damage so that may never happen. Barbarian and Brute combo may do the trick though.
I like the Rune Knights, but they are more a buff class that can damage things. Depends on how you role play it though. I normally saw the Rune Knight as a dwarf who knew mystic secrets of the ancients.
The horse aspect of Cavalier is not why I suggested it. Take a look at the abilities that don't mention horses and tell me that they wouldn't make a good riot patrolman. Especially as they progress to higher levels. They are all about containment and submission.
As for the horse aspect, I think you are wrong there, too. Properly built and giving the horse proper barding to help it to survive, a mounted riot squad would be quite formidable. Granted a properly equipped bunch of rioters would cause fits for that group. Cavalry have historically been used to help subdue riots, especially in the cities. Part of the reason Paris has such large Avenues was to help prevent fighting in tight quarters and allow the cavalry to get to full speed to trample the rioters that got to dangerous for the foot patrol. See Dr Zhivago for the protest scene (though admittedly the protesters aren't armed in it) to see an idea of the effectiveness of calvary in cities. Of course, something like the scene in Braveheart (which was out in the open) shows how it could be countered, in addition to tight quarters that would limit the effectiveness of the mounted warrior.
TLDR Cavaliers aren't just mounted warriors, and even mounted warriors could be effective in the right circumstances.
Cavaliers are cavalry and horses generally do not do well in city combats.
The 5E Cavalier doesn't rely on a mount the way it did in previous editions. Born To the Saddle is the only ability that's specific to mounted combat, and it comes at the same time as Unwavering Mark, which ROCKS. Everything else works just fine when you're standing on your own two feet. I have a 14th-level Goliath Cavalier and he is an absolute BEAST in combat. Never once has he fought while on a mount.
Cavaliers are cavalry and horses generally do not do well in city combats.
The 5E Cavalier doesn't rely on a mount the way it did in previous editions. Born To the Saddle is the only ability that's specific to mounted combat, and it comes at the same time as Unwavering Mark, which ROCKS. Everything else works just fine when you're standing on your own two feet. I have a 14th-level Goliath Cavalier and he is an absolute BEAST in combat. Never once has he fought while on a mount.
How would he do as Riot Suppression?
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What's the best Fighter subclass for a character that is a riot-control city guard that can brush off a cannonball to the chest? (Unearthed Arcana included)
Unearthed Arcana's Brute subclass.
I'm thinking barbarian as well.
You can't get brute on here any more. I would say cavalier or samurai. Rune knight could work, especially the fire rune with shackles.
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But you can find the Brute in the UA on WotC’s site and homebrew it here as long as you don’t publish it.
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Oh yeah, I knew that. Just that you can't use it outside of it being homebrew.
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I think the abilty to brush off huge amounts of damage that would knowally knock you out is much more a barbarian feature than a fighter one.
Something else to consider is getting a feature like that from your race how about Half Orc, for relentless endurance.
Cavalier for the riot police aspect, Eldritch Knight, for the take a cannonball to the chest aspect.
As a sneaky trick, you could Cleric 3/Fighter X and grab Find Familiar. Prepare Warding Bond and cast it through the familiar. Likely, the familiar won't survive much more than a few hits from that, but it's still something extra (and you could double dip from Inspiring Leader). There's likely better ways to spend your levels, slots, and actions, but it's kind of a funny goofy way to do it.
Oh, and Half-orc is a thematic way to do it. Relentless Endurance and Intimidation?
Also, Shifter Beasthide would be a solid bet. Your level+con mod+1d6 temporary hit points and +1 to AC while shifted? +2 con, +1 strength and proficiency in Athletics? Solid
That’s fair. I just wanted to make sure that the others reading this thread didn’t accidentally misunderstand and think they couldn’t use it at all.
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Cavaliers are cavalry and horses generally do not do well in city combats.
Barbarian does not seem like it would fit the concept of Riot-control City Guard, since they are normally the ones rioting. But you could take 1 level in it to get 2 rages. Unless the game gets to 20th level, the loss of 1 fighter level will only bother you as you are a level behind getting ASIs and multi-attacks.
Brute seems to be the best for dealing damage and keeping from taking some damage. But it would take to 18th level to get the I keep healing damage so that may never happen. Barbarian and Brute combo may do the trick though.
I like the Rune Knights, but they are more a buff class that can damage things. Depends on how you role play it though. I normally saw the Rune Knight as a dwarf who knew mystic secrets of the ancients.
To be 100% honest with you, watching the DM roll dice against themselves is pretty boring. One of the other DMs in our group picked a Battle Master and a Sorcerer as NPCs to accompany the party (that particular party only had 3 PCs at the time) and us players would occasionally tune out while he figured out their turns since it was essentially just him rolling agains himself. It really broke the flow.
If this city guard is not going to be fighting against the PCs, IMHO, the simplest subclasses are usually the best for those kinds of NPCs. They require comparatively little time to decide what they’re gonna do, and a lot less rolling to see if it actually worked. With that in mind, something like the Champion might honestly be your best bet. But the Brute isn’t very complex either, so that should work fine if you decide to go that route.
If this NPC is going to be fighting against the party then make them as cool and badassed as you feel they should be. Combating challenging enemies is part of the fun of D&D after all.
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The horse aspect of Cavalier is not why I suggested it. Take a look at the abilities that don't mention horses and tell me that they wouldn't make a good riot patrolman. Especially as they progress to higher levels. They are all about containment and submission.
As for the horse aspect, I think you are wrong there, too. Properly built and giving the horse proper barding to help it to survive, a mounted riot squad would be quite formidable. Granted a properly equipped bunch of rioters would cause fits for that group. Cavalry have historically been used to help subdue riots, especially in the cities. Part of the reason Paris has such large Avenues was to help prevent fighting in tight quarters and allow the cavalry to get to full speed to trample the rioters that got to dangerous for the foot patrol. See Dr Zhivago for the protest scene (though admittedly the protesters aren't armed in it) to see an idea of the effectiveness of calvary in cities. Of course, something like the scene in Braveheart (which was out in the open) shows how it could be countered, in addition to tight quarters that would limit the effectiveness of the mounted warrior.
TLDR Cavaliers aren't just mounted warriors, and even mounted warriors could be effective in the right circumstances.
The 5E Cavalier doesn't rely on a mount the way it did in previous editions. Born To the Saddle is the only ability that's specific to mounted combat, and it comes at the same time as Unwavering Mark, which ROCKS. Everything else works just fine when you're standing on your own two feet. I have a 14th-level Goliath Cavalier and he is an absolute BEAST in combat. Never once has he fought while on a mount.
How would he do as Riot Suppression?