I feel like doing some D&D math.
The average weapon attack is ~1d8+3 damage, with about a 65% chance to hit. Ergo, if special weapon attacks become unlimited usage, for balance purposes
Special Weapon Attacks should roughly be equivalent to 0.65*(4.5+3) = 4.9 damage (which includes both actual damage dealt and the "effective damage" of any condition). This simple for abilities that deal direct damage, but more difficult for condition-inflicting attacks.
Weapon Ability Analysis (purple = well balanced with normal weapon attacks)
- Cleave:
- a.) Deal only half damage upon a hit. Assuming you can attack 2 enemies, this deals expected 0.65*3.75*2 = 4.9 damage. If you can hit 3 enemies, it deals 7.3 damage. Equally as strong against 2 enemies, but you're splitting up the damage which is worse. 50% more damage (again split) if you can hit 3 enemies. Both are fine.
- b.) Attacking 2 enemies with disadvantage deals expected: 0.65^2*7.5*2 = 6.3 damage. About 30% more powerful, but you're spreading out damage.
- c.) Alternatively, a -5 penalty is better because it stacks with advantage/disadvantage. (0.65-0.25)*7.2*2 = 5.8 damage. About 18% more powerful, still balanced by being split between two targets. Better!
Note- for the above 2 options, hitting 3 enemies makes it much powerful than a normal weapon attack. - Lacerate: Assuming Bleeding deals 1d4 damage per turn for 2 turns, that's an additional 5 damage.
- a.) Half normal weapon damage means that total expected damage is 0.65*(7.5/2+5) = 5.7 damage. About 16% more damage, but dealing it over the course of 2 turns.
- b.) Disadvantage (or -5) on your attack means that total expected damage is 0.65^2*(7.5/2+5) = 3.6 damage. About 25% less damage, so too weak. - Backbreaker: Enemy gets a Str ST to prevent being knocked Prone. Let's say the enemy has a 50% chance of success. We also know that Shove Prone is, according to RAW, a ~balanced alternative to an attack roll.
- a.) BG3 Backbreaker is thus equivalent to 1.5 weapon attacks -> 50% more powerful with no downside. Obviously too powerful.
- b.) Attacking at Disadvantage (or -5 penalty): the effective damage is 0.65^2*(7.5+0.5*7.5) = 4.6 damage. Basically balanced. - Brace: Costs 25ft of movement, and allows you to reroll ALL melee damage for your turn. Rerolling 1d8 turns the expected value from 4.5->5.5 = +1 damage
- a.) With a single attack, you spend 25ft of movement for +1 damage -> which is actually only +0.65 damage because you need to hit. I'm going to declare that this is too weak.
- b.) With two attacks (bonus action or extra attack or haste), you deal an extra 1.3 damage. Idk this is fair maybe?
- c.) With three attacks, you deal an extra 2 damage.Idk this might also be fair? - Hamstring Shot: Enemy gets a Con ST to avoid having their movement reduced by 50%. Obviously strictly better than a single attack. But by how much? Reducing an enemy's speed by 50% can prevent them from reaching and attacking you or an ally. We know that Shove Prone is equivalent to an attack, and roughly half of prone is "getting up requires half your movement." 0.5*(1d8+3)=3.75. We also know that the cantrip Ray of Frost reduces enemy speed by 10 feet but only deals 1d8 instead of firebolt's 1d10 damage, a difference of 1 damage. Let's take the weighted average (ray of frost only reduces speed by 10, not half) and say that reducing an enemy's speed by 50% is worth 3 damage.
a.) Thus, BG3's Hamstring Shot (50% chance to deal 3 "prone" damage) is roughly 30% better than a normal attack - too strong
b.) Dealing half weapon damage results in an effective 0.65*(7.5/2+3*0.5)=3.4 damage, ~30% too weak.
c.) Disadvantage on the attack has the same problem: 0.65^2*(7.5+3*0.5)= 3.8 damage. About 22% less damage, still too weak.
e.) Take a -2 penalty to attack. The "effective damage" becomes 0.55*(7.5+3*0.5)= 4.95 Perfect - Crippling Strike: inflicts Crippled...I believe that crippled sets your speed to zero..? Setting an enemy (that you're already in melee with)'s speed to zero is not much better than reducing their speed by 50% from ranged, so I'm going to use the same logic as for Hamstring Shot. Somewhere between a -2 and a -5 penalty, along with a ST
- Prepare: Applies Prepared which deals X (I'm not sure) extra damage. Assuming you deal 1 extra weapon damage die (2d8+3 -> 12 damage):
a.) A -5 penalty results in an expected 4.8 damage. A perfect tradeoff - less likely chance to hit for extra damage. - Heartstopper: inflicts Chest Trauma No.
- Rush Attack: inflicts Off Balance?
- Weakening Strike: inflicts Weak Grip?
- Pommel Strike: inflicts Dazed?
- Piercing Strike/Shot inflicts Gaping Wounds?
- Flourish: inflicts Off Balance?
I don't know what Gaping Wounds, Prepared, Off-Balance, Dazed, or Weak Grip so I can't comment on these. If someone wants to post their effects I'd much appreciate it!
And again, all of the above is assuming unlimited special weapon attacks. Being restricted to 1x/short rest changes the math.
Edited for accuracy re:cleave
