Strength & Intelligence Improvements D&D5e

/* Notes */
  .phb blockquote {background-color: #ebcec3}
  .phb hr + blockquote tr:nth-child(odd) td {background-color: #FDF1DC;}

/* Tables */
  .phb hr+section blockquote tr:nth-child(odd) td {background-color:transparent; }
  table tr:nth-child(odd) td {background-color: #ebcec3}

/* Footer */
  .phb .pageNumber {color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)}
  .phb .footnote {color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)}
  .phb:after{ background-image: url('https://gmbinder.com/images/EsLXSby.png') }
</style>

### Strength Improvements
STR is inferior to DEX in many aspects (STR builds are bad "tanks" outside *Barbarian*, are heavily punished for using Guns/Ranged Weapons, their Damage is on par with DEX builds without its benefits like AC and DEX Saves, their Damage is worse than DEX builds if Feats are allowed, etc).

To make them mechanically viable in the roles of "Tank" and "Damage Dealer", and be less punished in Ranged Combat, they gain the following benefits:
##### Mitigation with Strength
While wearing Armor or having an improved AC calculation (such as *Unarmored Defense*, *Mage Armor*, *Natural Amor*, etc), you gain the ***Reinforcement*** Property, which gives you [<span></span><span>**Mitigation**</span>](#p2) against Non-Magical Damage from Attacks equal to your Strength Modifier. If you wear Magical Armor (or similar *Magic Items* at the GMs discretion), this [<span></span><span>**Mitigation**</span>](#p2) can also work against Magical Damage from Attacks (at the GMs choice). If the *Magic Item* gives a Magic Bonus to AC, the [<span></span><span>**Mitigation**</span>](#p2) gains the same Bonus (such as +1, +2 or +3).
##### Ranged Strength
You can choose to use Strength instead of Dexterity for the Attack and Damage rolls with Ranged Weapons you wield (both with the same Ability Modifier), but you only add half your Strength Modifier to the Damage roll (rounded down).
##### Two-Handed Strength
When wielding a Melee Weapon with both hands that has the ***Versatile*** or ***Two-Handed*** Properties and you use Strength for its Attack and Damage rolls, instead of adding your Strength Modifier to the Damage roll, you can add one and a half times (x1.5) your Strength Modifier to the Damage roll (rounded down).

**Unarmed Attacks.** Certain Unarmed Strikes and Attacks that use natural Weapons, special muscles or the whole body, also count for the *Two-Handed Strength* rule (at the GM discretion). For example: *Bites*, *Charges*, *Slams* and *Tail* Attacks, or the Attacks with Unarmed Strikes from a *Monk* or *Pugilist* of 11th Level or higher.
##### Two-Handed Strength table
<div style='column-count:2'>

| Strength Modifier | Damage Modifier
|:-----------------:|:-:
| +1                | +1
| +2                | +3
| +3                | +4
| +4                | +6
| +5                | +7

| Strength Modifier | Damage Modifier
|:-----------------:|:-:
| +6                | +9
| +7                | +10
| +8                | +12
| +9                | +13
| +10               | +15

</div>

> ##### Mitigation vs Resistance
> In D&D5e (**PHB** pg.197), it is explained that you first add any Bonus and Modifier to a Damage roll (such as Damage reduction of *Mitigation*, DR or Damage increases with *Weakness*) and after that you apply any Resistances and Vulnerabilities.

\columnbreak

### Intelligence Improvements
The Intelligence Ability is less useful in 5e than in previous editions (in D&D3.5 it improved your Skills), to make it more worthwhile (even for Classes that don't use it as an Ability for Traits or Features), add the following benefits:
##### Skills with Intelligence
You gain Proficiency in a number of additional Skills of your choice equal to half your Intelligence Modifier (rounded up, minimum 0).
##### Languages with Intelligence
You learn how to speak, read and write a number of additional Languages of your choice equal to your Intelligence Modifier (minimum 0).

### New Fighting Style
Available as a new option to the *Fighter*, *Paladin* and *Ranger* *Fighting Style* Feature (and others at the GMs discretion):
#### Strong Shot
When you use Strength for the Attack and Damage rolls of your Ranged Weapons, you can add your whole Strength Modifier to the Damage roll (instead of only half).

### New Feats
#### Greater Reinforcement
***Half Feat***  
*Replaces the **Heavy Armor Master** Feat*  
You excel at deflecting and taking strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:

- Increase your Strength or Constitution Score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

- The [<span></span><span>**Mitigation**</span>](#p2) you gain from the ***Reinforcement*** Property is now equal to your Strength Modifier + your Constitution Modifier.

- When a Creature Hits you with an Attack and you have *Mitigation* from the ***Reinforcement*** Property against it, as an Opportunity Attack you can attempt a Disarm *Special Attack* against your Attacker. If the *Mitigation* of the ***Reinforcement*** Property reduced the Damage to 0, you gain Advantage on the roll to Disarm (**DMG** page 271).

### New Magic Items
#### Gemstone of Reinforcement
*Wondrous Item, Rare*  
While wearing this gemstone in clothes or Armor, the *Mitigation* of the ***Reinforcement*** Property works against Magical Damage, and from any source (such as Falls or Saving Throws).

\pagebreak

## Mitigation & Weakness
A secondary type of reduction or increase to Damage types, and a replacement to the "Damage Reduction (DR)" to be more fair to Creatures that make many attacks instead of a few ones (such as **Monk** & **Two-Weapon Fighting**).
### Mitigation
***New Mechanic***  
*Mitigation* reduces the total amount of certain Damage types a Target takes since the start of a Turn until the end of that same Turn (to a minimum of 0 Damage, and on such cases treating the Attack/Effect as a Miss).

This reduction applies to the total Damage taken in a Turn, even if its from multiple Attacks, Effects or Damage types (you can never reduce more Damage per Turn than your highest *Mitigation number* in total).

Multiple sources of *Mitigation* confer it against different Damage types, but the *Mitigation number* does not stack with other sources of *Mitigation*; you keep the highest one of each Damage type.

### Weakness
***New Mechanic***  
*Weakness* increases the total amount of certain Damage types a Target takes since the start of a Turn until the end of that same Turn.

This increase applies to the total Damage taken in a Turn, even if its from multiple Attacks, Effects or Damage types (you can never increase more Damage per Turn than your highest *Weakness number* in total).

Multiple sources of *Weakness* confer it against different Damage types, but the *Weakness number* does not stack with other sources of *Weakness*; you keep the highest one of each Damage type.
### Exchange AC and Mitigation
***New Option for Monsters & GM***  
The GM can increase/reduce the AC of a Creature in +/-1 in exchange for reducing/increasing its *Mitigation* in -/+2 or vice versa. The GM can do this multiple times, but a Creature's AC cannot be lowered below 10 + its Dexterity Modifier, nor its *Mitigation* be reduced below 0.

This is an option that allows the GM to make/modify Monsters to have a mechanical difference between fast and dodging foes that avoid an Attack with high AC (such as a *Deva*), from slow and sturdy enemies that tank an Attack with high *Mitigation* (such as *Dragons*).

**Only Monsters.** This option is only for NPCs/Monsters, it is not meant for Player Characters as they are already balanced with the AC and *Mitigation* they have.
| AC   | Mitigation |
|:----:|:----------:|
| +/-1 | -/+2       |
> ##### Minimum Mitigation: 0
> A Negative Modifier does NOT give *Weakness*.

\columnbreak

##### Banned Feats
 The following Feats must be removed otherwise they will unbalance the Game if combined with this Document.
 
 - ***Heavy Armor Master***
 - ***Polearm Master***

If you want to allow the ***Polearm Master*** Feat, then Weapons with the ***Reach*** Property no longer gain the ***Two-Handed Strength*** Improvement (as it would be overpowered).

</div>

## Optional Rule: Using Damage Reduction (DR)
If you would rather use the normal DR over *Mitigation*, make the following changes:
### Strength Improvements
Works as written, with the following change:
##### DR with Strength
***Replaces Mitigation with Strength***  
While wearing Armor or having an improved AC calculation (such as *Unarmored Defense*, *Mage Armor*, *Natural Armor*, etc), you gain the ***Reinforcement*** Property, which gives you DR (Damage Reduction) against Non-Magical Damage from Attacks equal to half your Strength Modifier (rounded up). If you wear Magical Armor (or similar *Magic Items* at the GMs discretion), your DR can also work against Magical Damage from Attacks. If the *Magic Item* gives a Magic Bonus to AC, your DR increases by half of that Bonus (rounded up).

<div class='descriptive'>
 
 ##### Mitigation vs DR
 *Mitigation* applies once to the total Damage taken per Turn. DR applies to each instance of Damage (each Attack taken).
 
 Thus, *Mitigation* is always consistent in its reduction, while DR becomes more powerful the more Attacks a foe has.
 
 </div>

### New Feats
#### Greater Reinforcement
Works as written, but the 2nd benefit changes to the following:
- The DR you gain from the ***Reinforcement*** Property is now equal to half your Strength Modifier (rounded up) + half your Constitution Modifier (rounded up).

### New Magic Items
#### Gemstone of Reinforcement
*Wondrous Item, Rare*  
While wearing this gemstone in clothes or Armor, the DR of the ***Reinforcement*** Property works against Magical Damage, and from any source (such as Falls or Saving Throws).