I need assistance on a new action, I know it is not but it feels to me like the dodge action is more oriented toward Dex builds, or it at least feels like they get a little more out of it, so I wanted something that felt the same way and was more themeatic for plate armored tank builds but I want advice on balance and wording.
Action: Block (Shield Required)
You hunker down putting all of your endurance into weathering an enemy onslaught, you can take the Block action when you are wielding a shield Until the start of your next turn:
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from weapon attacks if you are proficient with shields.
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, regardless of shield proficiency.
- Block has no effect against attacks or effects you cannot see, including attacks from invisible sources or made from behind.
- You must be actively holding a shield to benefit from this action.
- If you take the Block action on your turn, you cannot take any other actions, until the start of your next turn.
- The effect ends if you become incapacitated.
I was also thinking of adding wording saying your speed becomes 0. So you cannot move while performing the action.
I need assistance on a new action, I know it is not but it feels to me like the dodge action is more oriented toward sex builds, or it at least feels like they get a little more out of it, so I wanted something that felt the same way and was more themeatic for plate armored tank builds but I want advice on balance and wording.
Action: Block (Shield Required)
You can take the Block action when you are wielding a shield Until the start of your next turn:
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from weapon attacks if you are proficient with shields.
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, regardless of shield proficiency.
- Block has no effect against attacks or effects you cannot see, including attacks from invisible sources or made from behind.
- You must be actively holding a shield to benefit from this action.
- If you take the Block action on your turn, you cannot take any other actions, until the start of your next turn.
- The effect ends if you become incapacitated.
I was also thinking of adding wording saying your speed becomes 0. So you cannot move while performing the action.
A few points you may want to address:
Resistance to Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing from weapon attacks is somewhat limited, as this would not include attacks from monsters without weapons, which is the majority of the monsters you will face (pretty much all Beasts, most Monstrosities and Aberrations, etc.)
Advantage on Constitution saving throws seems a little strange. Why would this help you against something like Cloudkill? Also, this would give you advantage on Constitution saves to maintain concentration...why would having a shield in your hands that you have no idea how to use help you with that?
The wording about not being able to take another action on your turn seems strange. Did you mean also no Bonus Actions or Reactions, or was this specifically meant to negate the use of something like Action Surge or Haste to stop you from also attack on your turn?
A suggestion: make this a unique feature of a magic item for your shield user, that is activated by taking the Utilize action.
Thank you for the feedback, let me clarify, the gaining some sort of effect while not having proficiency is for accessibility so it is less limited and more people can use it.
Secondly having the shield is not the reason for the con advantage just like dodge which gives no other reason than "You put everything into avoiding attacks" I worded mine as "You put everything into weathering an enemy onslaught" that is the reason for the con saves which is no more or less reason than dodge has and everyone is fine with dodge so I feel like that is fair.
Then beyond that, dodge also tells you that you cannot take other actions why did I word it this way? Because dodge has similar wording, this prevents you from attacking while remaining very difficult to hit if you are going to make yourself less succesptable to damage there has to be a trade off but I left it open so that if there was a method it could be combined with other effects like if a character has some effect that would allow its use as a bonus action or reaction, then they could do that.
Then to address why BPS because through my research BPS is the most common incoming damage many monsters still use claws (slashing) teeth (piercing) and limbs like a tail (bludgeoning) so this is the most common damage type from all of the digging I've done and the reason why rage for barbarians is so beloved all it does is the same thing but people consider it one of the most powerful abilities in the game largely due to being able to have it active while they attack.
Which brings me to my next point I can't do that with block because it is supposed to themeatically be more for tanks than dex builds like dodge is and dodge is worded in a way where you mostly cannot stack it with attacks to be op, and it can't detract too heavily from rage for barbarians.
My big theory (probably wrong) is that dex builds get more out of dodge by already having high dex many builds can get higher ac than anyone else by using light armor even more than many plate builds per my experience (anecdotal) then if a player has high dex giving them adv on dex saves they get more out of that too, I want to give the beefcakes something that suits them better, this is for tank fighters and mostly paladins and clerics to do just that, maintain things like concentration on spells, avoid withering effects like poison and overall all just be better tanks, and more than anything be a thematic counter position to dodge.
It may be a dumb, pointless idea in all fairness but I like it and am having fun as this also helps me develop my understanding of the games machanics more deeply.
These are the reasons I have for my choices but I am work shopping this so by all means if you have better wording or a different approach I would love to hear it, thank you for your time.
All of these criticisms are fair, maybe having the shield is unnecessary entirely perhaps just using the ability is enough in and of itself and shield wielding is pointless...
Oh I also forgot that I wanted that effect available because most spellcasters use concentration to some extent because I wanted them to be able to benefit from the effect as well not just tanks and front line fighters.
I need assistance on a new action, I know it is not but it feels to me like the dodge action is more oriented toward Dex builds, or it at least feels like they get a little more out of it, so I wanted something that felt the same way and was more themeatic for plate armored tank builds but I want advice on balance and wording.
Action: Block (Shield Required)
You hunker down putting all of your endurance into weathering an enemy onslaught, you can take the Block action when you are wielding a shield Until the start of your next turn:
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from weapon attacks if you are proficient with shields.
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, regardless of shield proficiency.
- Block has no effect against attacks or effects you cannot see, including attacks from invisible sources or made from behind.
- You must be actively holding a shield to benefit from this action.
- If you take the Block action on your turn, you cannot take any other actions, until the start of your next turn.
- The effect ends if you become incapacitated.
I was also thinking of adding wording saying your speed becomes 0. So you cannot move while performing the action.
A few points you may want to address:
Resistance to Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing from weapon attacks is somewhat limited, as this would not include attacks from monsters without weapons, which is the majority of the monsters you will face (pretty much all Beasts, most Monstrosities and Aberrations, etc.)
Advantage on Constitution saving throws seems a little strange. Why would this help you against something like Cloudkill? Also, this would give you advantage on Constitution saves to maintain concentration...why would having a shield in your hands that you have no idea how to use help you with that?
The wording about not being able to take another action on your turn seems strange. Did you mean also no Bonus Actions or Reactions, or was this specifically meant to negate the use of something like Action Surge or Haste to stop you from also attack on your turn?
A suggestion: make this a unique feature of a magic item for your shield user, that is activated by taking the Utilize action.
Thank you for the feedback, let me clarify, the gaining some sort of effect while not having proficiency is for accessibility so it is less limited and more people can use it.
Secondly having the shield is not the reason for the con advantage just like dodge which gives no other reason than "You put everything into avoiding attacks" I worded mine as "You put everything into weathering an enemy onslaught" that is the reason for the con saves which is no more or less reason than dodge has and everyone is fine with dodge so I feel like that is fair.
Then beyond that, dodge also tells you that you cannot take other actions why did I word it this way? Because dodge has similar wording, this prevents you from attacking while remaining very difficult to hit if you are going to make yourself less succesptable to damage there has to be a trade off but I left it open so that if there was a method it could be combined with other effects like if a character has some effect that would allow its use as a bonus action or reaction, then they could do that.
Then to address why BPS because through my research BPS is the most common incoming damage many monsters still use claws (slashing) teeth (piercing) and limbs like a tail (bludgeoning) so this is the most common damage type from all of the digging I've done and the reason why rage for barbarians is so beloved all it does is the same thing but people consider it one of the most powerful abilities in the game largely due to being able to have it active while they attack.
Which brings me to my next point I can't do that with block because it is supposed to themeatically be more for tanks than dex builds like dodge is and dodge is worded in a way where you mostly cannot stack it with attacks to be op, and it can't detract too heavily from rage for barbarians.
My big theory (probably wrong) is that dex builds get more out of dodge by already having high dex many builds can get higher ac than anyone else by using light armor even more than many plate builds per my experience (anecdotal) then if a player has high dex giving them adv on dex saves they get more out of that too, I want to give the beefcakes something that suits them better, this is for tank fighters and mostly paladins and clerics to do just that, maintain things like concentration on spells, avoid withering effects like poison and overall all just be better tanks, and more than anything be a thematic counter position to dodge.
It may be a dumb, pointless idea in all fairness but I like it and am having fun as this also helps me develop my understanding of the games machanics more deeply.
These are the reasons I have for my choices but I am work shopping this so by all means if you have better wording or a different approach I would love to hear it, thank you for your time.
All of these criticisms are fair, maybe having the shield is unnecessary entirely perhaps just using the ability is enough in and of itself and shield wielding is pointless...
Oh I also forgot that I wanted that effect available because most spellcasters use concentration to some extent because I wanted them to be able to benefit from the effect as well not just tanks and front line fighters.