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Fighter

Fighter

Daring outlaw or noble hero, dutiful soldier or self-serving mercenary, a fighter faces their destiny with a weapon in hand and few peers in the bloody art of violence.

Their skills and approaches differ, and they employ a dazzling array of fighting styles and special tricks, yet in the end they are defined by their skill in battle, and the true difference between them is not how they fight but when and why.


Fighters are masters of combat, passing beyond basic proficiency to become experts in their chosen style of combat. Each fighter learns a set of techniques that mark them as something special, regardless of whether they are self-taught or guided by a mentor: honing their senses to a razor’s edge and flowing just out of harm’s way while seizing every opening, harmonizing with allies and knowing how to coordinate with them without sharing a word, or harnessing incredible strength to weather enemy blows before crushing them with a single strike.

 

Hardened Warrior

More than skill sets a fighter apart from other combatants: a fighter has gone through a crucible and come out the other side hard as steel. A fighter might be a veteran scarred by the wars they have fought, a knight dedicated body and soul to their oaths, or a student of the sword who spent years in the tutelage of a demanding master. Even the most inexperienced and gentle fighter has a strength within them that makes them unique.

Creating a Fighter

When creating a fighter, it’s important to ask why they fight. Are they a rebel fighting for a cause, or are they a mercenary lending their blade where it suits them? Did they pick up the blade after a tragedy, or is it a skill passed down by their family?


Level

Proficiency
Bonus


Features

Knacks
Known

Maneuvers
Known

Maneuver
Degre
e

1st

+2

Fighting Style, Combat Maneuvers, Soldiering Knacks

1

3

1st

2nd

+2

Steely Mien

1

4

1st

3rd

+2

Maneuver Specialization, Martial Archetype

1

4

1st

4th

+2

Ability Score Increase, Reserves (1)

1

5

2nd

5th

+3

Extra Attack

2

6

2nd

6th

+3

Martial Lore

2

7

2nd

7th

+3

Maneuver Specialization, Martial Archetype Feature

2

7

2nd

8th

+3

Ability Score Increase, Reserves (2)

2

8

3rd

9th

+4

Indomitable (one use)

3

9

3rd

10th

+4

Martial Archetype Feature, Reputation

3

10

3rd

11th

+4

Extra Attack (2), Maneuver Specialization

3

10

3rd

12th

+4

Ability Score Increase, Reserves (3)

3

11

4th

13th

+5

Indomitable (two uses)

4

12

4th

14th

+5

War’s Toll

4

13

4th

15th

+5

Maneuver Specialization, Martial Archetype Feature

4

13

4th

16th

+5

Ability Score Increase, Reserves (4)

4

14

5th

17th

+6

Indomitable (three uses)

5

15

5th

18th

+6

Martial Archetype Feature, Martial Legacy

5

16

5th

19th

+6

Ability Score Increase

5

16

5th

20th

+6

Warmaster

5

17

5th

 


1st LevelCLASS FEATURES

As a fighter, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per fighter level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per fighter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You begin the game with 140 gold which you can spend on your character’s starting weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. You can select your own gear or choose one of the following equipment packages. Also consult the Suggested Equipment section of your chosen background.

  • Brigand’s Set (Cost 114 gold): 2 dueling daggers, garrotte, rapier, 5 throwing daggers, leather brigandine, burglar’s pack, vial of basic poison
  • Guard’s Set (Cost 107 gold): Longbow and 20 arrows, pike, shortsword, medium shield, padded leather, backpack, bell, lantern (standard), manacles, signal whistle
  • Scout’s Set (Cost 117 gold): Greatsword, 4 javelins, hide, medium shield, climbing gear, explorer’s pack
  • Squire’s Set (Cost 128 gold): Shortbow and 20 arrows, shortsword, leather brigandine, pony with padded cloth barding, sewing kit, smith’s tools

1st LevelFighting Style

At 1st level you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Battle Ready

You may activate up to 2 combat stances you know without expending any exertion points using the same bonus action. Once you activate a set of combat stances in this way you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest .

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Mounted Combatant

While mounted, you gain an expertise die on attack rolls against creatures that are Medium-sized or smaller and not mounted. In addition, you gain an expertise die on saving throws made to resist being unmounted.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, if you are wielding a shield you can use your reaction to hinder the attack, forcing the creature to roll with disadvantage .

Technical Fighting

Whenever you use a combat maneuver any damage dealt by attacks using it deal an additional 2 damage, and your maneuver DC increases by 1. 

Thrown Weapon Fighting

Whenever you would make an attack using a weapon with the Thrown property you may draw the weapon as part of the attack. In addition, your ranged weapon attacks with thrown weapons deal an additional 2 damage.

Tireless Fighting

Whenever you expend Hit Dice to recover exertion points, you recover 3 exertion points per Hit Die expended (instead of 1d4 exertion points as normal).

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack.

Unarmed Fighting

Your unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield, you can strike with both of your hands to deal damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier. If you start your turn grappling a creature, you may deal your basic melee damage to any creature you are grappling.


1st LevelCombat Maneuvers

At 1st level, you gain the ability to use combat maneuvers. You gain proficiency in two combat traditions of your choice. You learn three maneuvers of your choice from traditions you are proficient with.

You gain an exertion pool equal to twice your proficiency bonus, regaining any spent exertion at the end of a short or long rest. You use your maneuvers by spending points from your exertion pool. The Maneuvers Known column of the Fighter table shows when you learn more maneuvers from a tradition you are proficient with, while the Maneuver Degree column shows the highest degree you can select maneuvers from at a given level.

Additionally, whenever you learn a new maneuver, you can choose one of the maneuvers you know and replace it with another maneuver of the same degree from a tradition you are proficient with.


1st LevelSoldiering Knacks

Over the course of your training and adventures you have picked up a variety of skills and tricks to help you make your way. At 1st level you gain a soldiering knack of your choice. Your soldiering knacks are detailed at the end of the class description. The Knacks Known column of the Fighter table shows when you learn more fighter soldiering knacks.


Level 2Steely Mien

At 2nd level your combat experience becomes obvious on some subtle level, influencing how people perceive you, or perhaps how you see them. Choose one of the following options:

Closed Helm

You have great control over your emotions; your face is an unmoving mask, revealing nothing of what you’re thinking. Creatures have disadvantage on Insight checks made against you. In addition, you gain an expertise die on saving throws against being charmed or frightened .

Heroic Flair

Your victories have emboldened you and you radiate with heroic confidence. You have advantage on Persuasion checks made to influence friendly creatures with a CR lower than your fighter level.

Watchful Eye

You are eternally alert and wary, ready for trouble. You have advantage on Insight checks made to determine hostile intent or predict violence, and your passive Perception increases by 5.


Level 3Maneuver Specialization

As you experience combat and perfect your techniques they get easier for you to perform and more difficult for your foes to overcome. At 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level you may choose to master a combat maneuver you know. You cannot master the same maneuver more than once in this way. 

  • The exertion point cost of mastered maneuvers is reduced by 1 (minimum 1).
  • Your maneuver DC for mastered maneuvers increases by 1. 
  • Any attack you make as part of a mastered maneuver (including triggering attacks) deals 2 additional damage.

Level 3Martial Archetype

Also at 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.


Level 4Ability Score Improvement

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


Level 4Reserves

At 4th level your stamina increases, allowing you to engage foes longer without tiring. Your exertion pool increases by 1. At 8th, 12th, and 16th level your exertion pool increases by an additional point.


Level 5Extra Attack

At 5th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.


6th LevelMartial Lore

At 6th level, your knowledge of martial lore deepens. Choose one of the following options:

Military Traditions

You’ve familiarized yourself with wars long past and military protocols of the present. You gain an expertise die on Intelligence checks made to recall lore or gather information regarding warfare or military action. In addition, you gain an expertise die on Charisma checks made to influence soldiers, guards, or other organized martial forces. 

Size Up

Your combat experience against a wide variety of foes has given you a good eye for evaluating threats. You can use a bonus action to determine the CR of a creature you can see within 200 feet, and that creature’s maneuver DC. 

Weapon Lore

You gain an expertise die on Intelligence checks made to recall lore or gather information about weapons, armor, and other martial equipment. In addition, you can use an action to investigate the magical properties of such an item by handling it, such as swinging a sword or hefting a shield. You learn its properties, how to use them, whether it requires attunement, and how many charges it has. You also learn if the item has any sentience or bears a curse, though you only learn if it is sentient or cursed (not the nature of that sentience or curse). 


7th LevelArchetype Feature

At 7th level you gain another archetype feature.


9th LevelIndomitable

At 9th level, you can draw upon your indomitable will to overcome pain, resist overwhelming forces, or retaliate  when most warriors would be shirking back. You can use this feature to perform any of the following reactions:

  • Reroll a failed saving throw . If you do so, you must use the new roll.
  • Reduce the damage you would take from a single source or attack by 2d8 + half your fighter level (rounded down).  
  • Make a single attack against a creature that has just completed an attack against you.

You gain an additional use of this feature at 13th level and a third use starting at 17th leveI. You regain all spent uses of this feature whenever you finish a long rest .


10th LevelReputation

At 10th level, your reputation has begun to precede you. Choose one of the following options:

Inspiring

You’re a reputed leader, a person to be trusted whose words are to be heeded. You gain an expertise die on Persuasion checks. In addition, you may spend 1 exertion point as a bonus action to inspire a creature that can hear you. The creature makes an Insight check opposed by your Persuasion check, becoming inspired by you on a failure. Indifferent creatures you inspire in this way become friendly towards you and your allies, and friendly creatures you inspire in this way will consider you an ally and may provide you with local information that would otherwise remain secret. Creatures will remain inspired by you indefinitely unless you do something that would make them hostile or lose confidence in you, such as lying, stealing, or causing them or their allies harm, or being proven cowardly or untrustworthy in any way. 

Intimidating

You’re reputed to be a terror to your foes and a fearsome ally. You gain an expertise die on Intimidation checks. In addition, you can use a bonus action and spend 1 exertion point to intimidate one creature you can see. The creature makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a frightened creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Legendary

Your deeds have become epic stories, growing bigger and more outlandish with each retelling. You gain an expertise die on Deception checks. In addition, you can spend 1 exertion point to weave your real legendary deeds into a Persuasion check as boasting, or include fabricated legendary deeds into a Deception check. When you do so, you have advantage on the check. 


10th LevelArchetype Feature

At 10th level you gain another archetype feature.


14th LevelWar’s Toll

At 14th level, your experiences have left their impressions on you. All the lives ended—both friends and foes—inevitably weighs down on a person, and each must find their own way to cope and pay the toll of war. Choose one of the following.

Battle Scarred

You’ve embraced every victory and loss, and you wear each battle scar like a badge of honor. Whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points you gain a new permanent scar or mark, and you gain inspiration. Once you gain inspiration in this way you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest .

Carouser

You cope through drink and revelry, and have mastered both. You can gain the benefits of a long rest by spending 4 hours drinking, carousing, and taking the occasional blackout nap. You can carouse in this way so long as you consume at least 4 pint’s worth of ale (or equivalent drink), and you are alert and aware of your surroundings while doing so. If you carouse with another creature in this way, you can attempt to learn secrets from it by drinking it under the table. Each hour you spend carousing with a willing creature, make an opposed Constitution check. On a success, that creature answers a question truthfully (even questions it would not normally answer). 

In addition, you can enjoy alcohol as normal but can’t gain the poisoned condition from it.

This feature has no effect on creatures that are immune to the poisoned condition.  

One Eye Open

Your life has been so regularly in danger that you’ve learned to literally sleep with one eye open. You are alert and aware of your surroundings while sleeping during long rests . You can also never be surprised and you gain an expertise die on initiative checks.


15th LevelArchetype Feature

At 15th level you gain another archetype feature.


18th LevelMartial Legacy

At 18th level, your mastered maneuvers have become as natural as breathing, and you have the opportunity to pass your techniques down to the next generation. By spending 8 hours sparring, you can teach another willing creature a maneuver you have mastered using Maneuver Specialization. A creature must be proficient in at least one combat tradition to learn a maneuver in this way, it can only learn maneuvers of a degree from which it already knows at least one maneuver, this counts against its numbers of maneuvers known.


18th LevelArchetype Feature

At 18th level you gain another archetype feature.


Level 20Warmaster

At 20th level, you have become an undisputed master of battle. You gain the following features.

Master of Combat

You master every maneuver you know and any future maneuvers you learn as per Maneuver Specialization. Additionally, choose one maneuver of 3rd degree or less that you know. You are able to use the chosen maneuver without expending any exertion points.

Finishing Blow

You can make spectacular, devastating attacks which inspire awe in those nearby. When you miss with a weapon attack while taking the Attack action, you can choose to hit instead. Alternatively, you can choose to change a hit with a weapon attack into a critical hit, or when you score a critical hit you can choose to deal maximum damage.

All hostile creatures who see your Finishing Blow make a Wisdom saving throw against your maneuver DC or become frightened for 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest .


Soldiering Knacks

When you gain access to a new soldiering knack, choose one of the following.

Amphibious Combatant

You gain a swimming speed equal to your Speed, and may spend 1 exertion to reroll a failed Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check related to aquatic activity (such as Athletics checks to swim, Acrobatics checks to keep balance on a ship’s deck, or Constitution checks to hold your breath). You may choose whether to use the new roll or the original. In addition, you add your proficiency bonus to the number of minutes you can hold your breath before suffocating, and can spend 1 exertion to hold your breath for an additional minutes equal to your proficiency bonus.

Burst of Strength

You have moments of incredible strength. You may spend 1 exertion to add your proficiency bonus to a Strength check, even if you already add your proficiency bonus to the check. 

Campaigner

You have the ability to go for the long haul, carrying heavy equipment across long distances. You double your Strength score when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can lift, push, or drag. You may also add your proficiency bonus to the number of hours you can march before you risk fatigue from a forced march.

Clearsight Sentinel

You gain darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. In addition, you do not suffer disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks in lightly obscured areas (such as in light fog, moderate foliage, or heavy precipitation).

Extreme Leap

When you take the Dash action and make a long jump after moving no less than 20 feet, your jump distance is doubled for the turn. You may spend 1 exertion to triple your jump distance for the turn instead, and may move the full distance of your jump even if it exceeds your Speed.

Mountaineer

You gain a climbing speed equal to your Speed, and may spend 1 exertion to reroll a failed Athletics check to climb, choosing whether to use the new roll or the original. In addition, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement.

Nightwatch

You are used to sleeping light and making the most of your rest. When taking a long rest , add your proficiency bonus to the number of hours you can spend in light activity. In addition, one hour of that time can be spent in strenuous activity near the rest site (such as patrolling, fighting, or other adventuring activities) without interrupting your rest.

Stable Footing

A steady stance and careful footwork is instinctive to you. You have advantage on any check or saving throw to avoid falling prone or handle difficult ground (such as against a grease spell or slippery ice). You are never prone after taking fall damage, and when calculating fall damage you treat the fall distance as if it were shorter by a number of feet equal to your proficiency bonus × 10.

Weather Beaten

Exposed to all kinds of weather over your life, you are inured to all but the most deadly effects. You gain advantage on saving throws against cold and hot weather, as well as any adverse effects from wind or precipitation.