The Fighter

Creating a Fighter

As you build your fighter, think about two related elements o f your character's background: Where did you get your combat training, and what set you apart from the mundane warriors around you? Were you particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because o f your exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your homeland, a thirst for revenge, or a need to prove yourself might all have been factors.

You might have enjoyed formal training in a noble’s army or in a local militia. Perhaps you trained in a war academy, learning strategy, tactics, and military history. Or you might be self-taught—unpolished but well tested. Did you take up the sword as a way to escape the limits o f life on a farm, or are you following a proud family tradition? Where did you acquire your weapons and armor? They might have been military issue or family heirlooms, or perhaps you scrimped and saved for years to buy them. Your armaments are now among your most important possessions—the only things that stand between you and death’s embrace.

Quick Build

You can make a fighter quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons or on archery (or finesse weapons). Your next-highest score should be Constitution, or Charisma if you plan to adopt the Warlord martial discipline. Second, choose the soldier background.

Class Features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d10 per fighter level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constituion modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constituion modifier per fletcher level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: All armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: None

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• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
• Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) chaimail armour or (b) leather armour
• (a) a martial weapon & a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) two simple thrown weapons or (b) a simple ranged weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Combat Expertise

At 1st level, you gain the ability to control your attacks more finely. You may make a Power Attack by moving your ability bonus for hit to damage, and you may make a Careful Attack by moving your ability bonus for damage to hit.

Modus Operandi

When you reach 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th, you select a Weapon of Choice, Damage of Choice or Armour of Choice from the tables at the end of this class description. Each grants new or improved abilities when you use a favoured weapon or armour type.

Martial Discipline

When you reach 3rd level, you choose a discipline that will guide you in war and peace. Choose Sentinel, Skirmisher or Warlord, all detailed below. The discipline you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, 15th & 19th.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score o f your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores o f your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack & Extra Reaction

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead o f once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, and you may use two reactions rather than one. The number o f attacks and reactions increases to three when you reach 13th level in this class.

Combat Reflexes

When you reach 9th level, and again at 17th level, time-consuming actions in combat become easy and automatic. You may choose any one of the bonus actions from the table at the end of this class description.

Achillean Prowess

At 20th level, the Fighter becomes totally natural with their tools and techniques of choice. They roar easy as others breathe, charge steady as others walk, and fight fluent as others speak.

When using their Weapon of Choice or Damage of Choice, the Fighter scores critical hits on a roll of 19 rather than 20. When using both, the Fighter scores critical hits on a roll of 18.

When using their Armour of Choice, the Fighter may replace the normal Dex bonus to their Dexterity saving throws with their chosen armour's assorted bonuses to AC

Martial Disciplines

Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial discipline you choose reflects your approach. You may select the proactive Skirmisher, the immovable Sentinel, or the magnetic Warlord. All three are detailed below.

Skirmisher

The Skirmisher favours action over reaction. Whether they're lancers charging enemy ranks, dervishes tumbling in and out of melee, or archers kiting foes off, a Skirmisher's fleet feet and quick reflexes give them great freedom in battle.

Jink

Beginning when you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you may use a reaction to move an extra 10' on your own turn.

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Starting at 7th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

Bob & Weave

Starting at 11th level you may Bob and Weave as reactions.

The Bob reaction dodges all attacks of opportunity you would have provoked at a given instance.

The Weave reaction dodges a ranged attack targeting you.

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Starting at 15th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

Castle

Starting at 19th level, friendly creatures between you and your foes provide total cover, provided they are of your size or more. You may fall prone in such a creature's space to receive total cover from all directions.

Sentinel

The Sentinel favours reaction over action. Whether they're hoplites holding ground against enemy charge, duelists catching foes in single combat or archers suppressing foes with constant fire, a Sentinel's confidence and diligence greatly restrict their foes in battle.

Arrest

Beginning when you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you may make attacks of opportunity whenever a creature enters your reach, and whenever a creature within reach targets a third party with an attack, action or spell.

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Starting at 7th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

Parry & Riposte

Starting at 11th level you may Parry and Riposte as reactions.

The Parry reaction adds your proficiency to your AC when a melee attack is made against you.

The Riposte reaction allows you to make an attack of opportunity against a creature who misses you with a melee attack.

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Starting at 15th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

En Passant

Starting at 19th level, when a moving creature is hit by your attack of opportunity, its speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn.

Warlord

The Warlord is a tactical—not a technical—fighter, with all the strengths of the allies they keep. Whether they're coordinating with fellows in arms on the front lines, managing the bigger picture by the roar of their voice and the point of an arrow, or darting in and out of melee to heal and escort allies under a shield's shelter, a Warlord's good judgement and charisma create a team greater than the sum of its parts.

Rally

Beginning when you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you may Help a creature with a save, ability check or attack roll, provided the creature is within 5' + 5 x Cha' and can see or hear you.

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Starting at 7th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

Bob & Weave

Starting at 11th level you expend an attack to command creatures within within 5' + 5 x Cha' that can see or hear you.

The Sic command allows a willing creature to attack with their reaction. They can make any single attack they are capable of, martial or magical, but you must specify it as you command.

The Deploy command allows a creature to move 10' with their reaction.

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Starting at 15th level [INSERT ROLEPLAY FEATURE]

Promotion

Starting at 19th level, you may Sic or Deploy an incapacitated creature to wake it for a single attack or move, and you may Rally an incapacitated creature to wake it for a save or ability check. Rallying under such circumstances does not provide Advantage.

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Weapon of Choice

Selecting one among these, a fighter becomes capable of >unique attacks with a certain weapon type

Einhander fighters use an empty offhand to guide and balance their strikes for utmost precision.

As an attack, the fighter may contest their attack roll vs their foe's Wisdom save to inflict the Blind, Deaf or Poisoned conditions until the start of their next turn.

As an attack, the fighter may automatically Blind, Deafen, Poison, or Restrain a creature they have grappled until the start of their next turn, or until the creature escapes the grapple.

Zweihander fighters tear a weapon through the air with Archemedes' two handed grip.

As an attack, the fighter may contest their attack roll vs their foe's Wisdom save to Frighten them or deny their reactions until the start f their next turn.

When the Fighter successfully shoves a target, they may move it up to 15' instead of 5', or they may move it up to 10' and knock it prone.

Two-Weapon fighters coordinate twin weapons to overwhelm single foes and match masses.

The fighter may combine two attacks (including their Bonus Attack) into one Advantaged attack.

The fighter may also split one attack into two Disadvantaged attacks.

Ranged-Weapon fighters loose thrown weapons and projectiles with unparalleled marksmenship.

The fighter may preform the Shove and Grapple manœuvres using ranged weapons, substituting the usual Strength (Athletics) check with an attack roll.

When a target makes a check to escape the "Grapple" of the weapon that pins them, they contest the Fighter's original as a DC.

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Damage of Choice

Selecting one among these, a fighter becomes capable of enhanced Power Attacks with a certain damage type

Bludgeoning specialists may forgo damage on a successful Power Attack and instead remove Dex bonuses to the target's AC until the start of the Fighter's next turn.

Piercing specialists may forgo damage on a successful Power Attack and instead remove armour bonuses to the target's AC until the start of the Fighter's next turn.

Slashing specialists may forgo damage on a successful Power Attack and instead wound the target grievously. Until a Wisdom (Medicine) check is made against a DC equal to the attack's d20 roll, the target takes one weapon die of damage at the end of each of their turns.

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Armour of Choice

Selecting one among these, a fighter gains new movement options when equipped with their favoured armour type.

Light specialists wear medium, light or no armour at all, relying on their agility, rather than durability, to protect them.

Whenever the fighter moves, they may instead Tumble their speed through occupied squares and difficult terrain at no penalty. They are sheltered from AoOs as they enter or leave a creature's space, but otherwise provoke AoOs as usual. The Fighter always ends the Tumble prone, and so a Fighter may only Tumble half their speed if they wish to end upright.

Additionally, the fighter gains Acrobatics proficiency, or any other Fighter skill proficiency if they already have it.

Heavy specialists trust their lives to medium or heavy armour and make no attempts to flee danger.

Consuming their speed in movement, the fighter may Brace themselves, granting resistance to all but psychic damage and Advantage on checks against forced movement.

Additionally, the Fighter gains Athletics proficiency, or any other fighter skill proficiency if they already have it.

Shielded specialists tote their namesake, defending themselves and their allies alike.

The fighter may use an attack to Disengage themselves from a single target, to Disengage an ally within 5', or to grant an ally within 5' +2 to AC.

When an ally leaves 5' reach of the fighter, or when the fighter's next turn begins, the ally loses these benefits.

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Combat Reflexes

Selecting one among these, a fighter becomes capable of enhanced Power Attacks with a certain damage type

Lash: If you do not take the Attack action, you may still make a single attack as a bonus action.

Quickdraw: You may equip any set of weapons you are carrying, as well as any unattended within reach, as a bonus action. This includes equipping shields and reloading ammunition.

Earmark: As a bonus action, you may select a 5' space within line of sight and within your ranged weapon's effective range. This is within your reach, for the purposes of making attacks of opportunity using your ranged weapon (e.g. you may use your reaction to make a ranged attack on any creature stepping out of this space). Selecting a new target space leaves the old unattended.