The Commander
The most important words a man can say are, “I will do better.” These are not the most important words any man can say. I am a man, and they are what I needed to say. The ancient code of the Knights Radiant says "journey before destination." Some may call it a simple platitude, but it is far more. A journey will have pain and failure. It is not only the steps forward that we must accept. It is the stumbles. The trials. The knowledge that we will fail. That we will hurt those around us.
But if we stop, if we accept the person we are when we fall, the journey ends. That failure becomes our destination.
To love the journey is to accept no such end. I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.
A beloved human in a feather hat blows into a golden minotaur horn, the deep sound resonating for miles around. The mighty trumpet awakens his crew with a sense of heroic resolve, signaling the path onwards. His promise for gold pushes them through damp sands, past shambling skeletons, and into a pitch black cavern.
Seven devils rise from the depths of hell, walking through an infernal gate to the mortal plane. At their front marches an armored tiefling. The embers of hatred and vengeance glow in her eyes, plainly visible through her black visor. She wields a greatsword of iron, red hot from the lava it was forged in, and upon her head a crown of black flames as the group marches away from Avernus.
The sound of cloven hooves rampages down a hallway, a warning for the gang of entrenched smugglers. An armor clad dwarf trails behind his sneering warthog, metal chain in one hand, and shield in the other. The insignia of the king's army reflects off his brightly polished metal. As he lets out a war cry in his king's name, the warthog joins in on the call.
These are all powerful leaders with the voice to command. Whether they coordinate with their companions to overcome armies, bring terror with a cursed name, or lead with an animal companion at their side, commanders lead the way to victory.
Strength in Numbers
On the battlefield, commanders merge martial training with an overbearing presence. They rarely ever fight alone, instead preferring to fight alongside their most trusted companions. When they are not engaged in combat, a commander still uses their reputation and charisma to influence others, branding them with a reputation as powerful leaders, dreadful tyrants, or trustworthy allies.
A commander leads at the front of a group, using their voice to mold the flow of combat. Despite being fully capable swordsmen, commanders shift some focus away from their own fight to aid others. Commanders rally their companions under a common cause, and their might both inspires allies and demoralizes enemies. If all else fails, a commander can rely on their strong armor and stronger heart to defend themselves from harm.
Rise to the Occasion
Commanders come from nearly every walk of life, ranging from the local guide to the distinguished diplomat and even to crime lords. At the highest levels of society, a great number of kings and queens are commanders due to their influential nature. The details of each commander's brand of leadership vary between one another. Some lead through diplomacy and camaraderie while others exert terror. A few will find their knack for leadership to come naturally, and perfect it through years of experience. Others require years of formal training at an institution using long established techniques.
There are a wide variety of factors that may drive a commander to a life of adventure. For some it is simply the desire to meet new people or explore far lands. Others set out with a more specific goal in mind, one that requires the aid of other adventurers. Sometimes, a commander will be pushed to adventure as their official duty, usually an order from a formal or divine power. Despite an individual's reason for adventuring, all commanders find comfort alongside groups of adventurers.
Creating your Commander
When creating a commander, consider what about you crates a powerful influence. What causes others to instinctively pay attention to you? Perhaps you have a powerful voice that demands attention? Or do you draw people using your charming personality? Or maybe you're full of old stories you can share with everyone, from the humble peasant to the privileged king. Does your name strike fear and terror in the hearts of mortals? Or is it one associated with heroism and courage? What defining event brought about your current reputation?
Consider the events that forced you into a life of adventure. Were you coaxed into a journey by someone else? Or were you forced from your home, causing you to find companionship among adventurers? Perhaps you felt it was a duty for safety and honor? Or do you have a calling so strong you're willing to trample anyone that stands in your way?
Commander
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Rally Temp HP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Somatic Communication, Commander's Decrees | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Inspiring Rally, Dauntless Action | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Commander's Discipline | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Call to Arms |
2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 |
| 6th | +3 | Commander's Discipline Feature | 4 |
| 7th | +3 | Lead by Example, Rally (2 uses) |
4 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | Sovereign Reputation | 6 |
| 10th | +4 | Mantle of Courage | 6 |
| 11th | +4 | Commander's Decrees (2 targets) |
6 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |
| 13th | +5 | Commander's Discipline Feature | 8 |
| 14th | +5 | Rally (3 uses) | 8 |
| 15th | +5 | Unwavering Conviction | 8 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
| 17th | +6 | Commander's Decrees (3 targets) |
10 |
| 18th | +6 | Commander's Discipline Feature | 10 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 |
| 20th | +6 | Commander Luminary | 10 |
Quick Build
You can make a commander 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 Charisma. Second, choose the noble background.
Commander Features
As a commander, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per commander level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per commander level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: All armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: Vehicles (land)
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Intimidation, and Persuasion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) any two melee weapons
- (a) a heavy crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
- (a) a chain shirt or (b) chain mail
- (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A cart, harness, and draft animal (CR 1/8 or lower)
Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment from your class and background, and start with 5d4 x 10 gp.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites: Strength 13 and Charisma 13
Proficiencies Gained: light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons.
Somatic Communication
You know a set of somatic gestures that can be used for basic communication. Using a free hand, you can communicate simple messages to nearby creatures. Any creature that knows your somatic gestures and can see you can understand your simple messages. Generally, members belonging to the same organization (such as an adventuring guild or crime syndicate) know and utilize the same set of gestures.
You can teach the set of gestures you use to other creatures, allowing them to understand your somatic messages. Over the span of one hour, you can teach a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus. A creature must share a language with you to learn these gestures. After 7 days of adventuring alongside you, a friendly creature that knows your gestures becomes proficient with them and is able to communicate to other creatures the same way.
Commander's Decrees
You enact your leadership on the battlefield by issuing decrees that push your allies to the peak of their abilities. You know three decrees: Additional Attack, Safeguard, and Sharpen Focus.
As your action, you grant the benefits of a decree you know to a willing creature within 30 feet, other than yourself. The creature must be able to understand you. A creature may not benefit from more than one decree at a time.
When you use this feature at higher levels, you can issue multiple decrees at the same time, each one targeting a different creature. You can select the same or a different decree for each target. At 11th level you can issue two decrees, and at
Additional Attack
You amplify your ally's offensive capabilities by granting them an additional attack. On your ally's next turn, they can make one additional attack as part of their Attack action, or use their bonus action to make an attack. This additional attack is lost if your ally doesn't attack before the end of their turn.
Safeguard
You help safeguard your ally from threats you can see: until the start of your next turn, your ally has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and if you can see an attacker, the attacker has disadvantage on attack rolls against your ally.
Sharpen Focus
You increase your ally's chance of success by directing their focus towards an enemy. You grant your ally a d4, which they can use once before the end of their turn in one of two ways: your ally can either add this die to one attack roll against a hostile creature, or subtract this die from one hostile creature's saving throw made to resist their effect.
When you reach 11th level in this class, the d4 instead becomes a d6.
Inspiring Rally
Starting at 2nd level, you can unite nearby allies with a powerful rally by chanting a war cry, reciting an inspiring passage, or uttering words of inspiration. You use your bonus action to rally yourself and a number of willing creatures within 30 feet up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 other creature).
- Your rally grants you and each rallied creature advantage on any saving throw made to resist or stop being frightened.
- At the end of your turns while using your rally, you mutter a word of inspiration that grants each rallied creature within 30 feet a number of temporary hit points determined by your level in this class, as shown in the Commander table. These temporary hit points disappear when your rally ends.
Your rally lasts for one minute and ends for all creatures if you are unable to speak or if you drop to 0 hit points. Your rally also ends on a creature if that creature drops to 0 hit points or if either of you willingly end the effect. After your rally ends, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again.
Beginning at 7th level, you can use your rally twice between rests, and beginning at 14th level, you can use it three times between rests. You can spend additional uses of this feature to increase the number of creatures you rally: each additional use adds your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) to the amount. You regain all expended uses at the end of a short or long rest.
Dauntless Action
You gain additional ways to use your bonus action at 2nd level. If you make no more than one attack as your action, you can use your bonus action to take the Dash or Help action.
If you are using the Guard optional rule (found on page 6), you can take the Dash, Help, or Guard action
Commander's Discipline
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your particular style of leadership, such as the Captain. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 13th, and 18th levels in this class.
Ability 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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Call to Arms
Also at 4th level, if you aren't surprised when you roll initiative, you can mobilize yourself and nearby allies. You and each friendly creature that can hear you within 30 feet of you gains an additional 10 feet of movement speed until the first round of combat. A creature can only gain this benefit from one Commander.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Alternatively, you can make one attack and issue your decrees (as described in the Commander's Decrees class feature).
Lead By Example
At 7th level, your leadership drives you to respond to threats quickly in order to keep yourself and your allies safe. You can add your Charisma modifier to your initiative rolls (minimum of +0). If your initiative then equals another creature's, you decide if you take your turns before or after that creature.
Sovereign Reputation
At 9th level, your fame (or infamy) permeates the land and grants you an edge when addressing others. You add your proficiency bonus to any Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation) check you make, if you don't already. When you use either of these two skills, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Mantle of Courage
At 10th level, your rally also gives allies the courage to break free of debilitating effects on your turn.
When you use your rally to grant a creature other than yourself,
When you grant a rallied creature (other than yourself) temporary hit points using your rally, that creature can immediately repeat a saving throw that it would make on its next turn to end a harmful effect on itself, using the same ability and save DC as the original effect. For instance, a creature that is being held by a hold person spell can repeat the spell's Wisdom saving throw. If the creature succeeds on this special saving throw, the harmful effect ends on it. If it fails, it suffers no ill effect.
To qualify, an effect must not require any action on the creature's part to make the save, and any other conditions needed to roll must also be met. A creature under multiple qualifying effects must select one before rolling.
Unwavering Conviction
At 15th level, your confidence protects you from mind-altering effects. You can't be charmed or frightened, and you add your Charisma modifier (minimum of +0) to your Wisdom saving throws.
Commander Luminary
At 20th level, you are an exemplary master of valor and leadership. Your rally lasts for 1 hour, instead of 1 minute. If you have no uses of your rally left when you roll initiative, you gain one use of it.
Optional Rule: Guard
As an optional rule, a creature who wants to protect a nearby ally can take the Guard action on its turn. This action is also added to the list of actions a commander can take using its Dauntless Action.
Guard
When you take the Guard action, you forgo your own safety to protect a willing creature, interposing yourself between the creature and harm you can see. You can guard creatures that are up to one size larger than you.
Until the start of your next turn, the guarded creature has advantage on Dexterity saving throws and attackers you can see have disadvantage on attacks against the guarded creature, but attacks against you have advantage. This effect ends if the guarded creature is more than 5 feet away from you.
Commander's Disciplines
The specific tools and methods a commander uses to lead are known as its discipline. Your archetype is defined by your choice of discipline, each of which augments your abilities.
Captain
Captains have a knack for pushing others to perform at the absolute best of their abilities. A captain doesn't necessarily find success in any individual's actions, but rather in a shared victory among their friends. In battle, they use their powerful voice to mold the flow of combat.
A small party of combatants led by an experienced captain operates like a well oiled machine.
Captain Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Artful Speaker, Captain's Directives |
| 6th | Compelling Maneuver |
| 13th | Captain's Right Hand |
| 18th | Lead the Charge |
Artful Speaker
At 3rd level, you are proficient in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain proficiency in one other skill of your choice.
Captain's Directives
Also at 3rd level, you learn two additional decrees: Captain's Anger and Captain's Navigation, which you can use with your Commander's Decrees feature.
Captain's Anger
You grant your ally 2d8, which they can add to one damage roll before the start of your next turn. If a damaging effect affects multiple creatures, one creature of your ally's choice takes the bonus damage, or two creatures of your ally's choice each take 1d8 damage.
Compelling Maneuver
At 6th level, your command moves your allies to better positions on the battlefield. Immediately after you issue a decree to a target, the target can move up to half its speed without triggering attacks of opportunity, using its reaction. If the target ends this movement at least 10 feet from where it started, the next attack it makes before the end of its turn has advantage.
Captain's Right Hand
At 13th level, your ability to aid others is unprecedented. When you take the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than 5 feet of you.
Furthermore, when you take the Help action, you can roll a d20 and record the number rolled. When the creature you help makes its roll, it can use the result of your d20 instead of its own (choosing to do so after rolling). You can grant this benefit a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once) and regain all uses at the end of a long rest.
Lead the Charge
At 18th level, using your bonus action, you can expend an use of your rally to lead your ally in a combined effort, rather than your rally's normal effects.
Select a willing creature within 60 feet, other than yourself. The creature can take one additional action on its next turn, on top of its regular action and a possible bonus action. The creature cannot use this extra action to cast a spell of 4th level or higher or to make more than 2 weapon attacks.
Huntmaster
Huntmasters are warriors used to leading dangerous expeditions. To a huntmaster, their tact is a means of survival. Where a Ranger relies upon their keen senses to survive in the wilderness, a huntmaster uses self determination and companionship to face the unknown. The bond between a huntmaster and its allies transcends even life and death.
Aided by the help of a wild companion, a huntmaster always fights surrounded by allies. A party led by a huntmaster has the determination to face even the most impossible of odds.
Huntmaster Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Hunter's Training, Kindred Companion |
| 6th | Dire Tactics |
| 13th | Call the Hunt |
| 18th | Huntmaster's Unyielding Charge |
Hunter's Training
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, or Survival.
Kindred Companion
Also at 3rd level, you are able to create a bond with a worldly animal: your bonded beast. The bonded beast has its own personality, is loyal to you and your companions, and follows your commands. It can take the form of any Small or Medium beast without a flying speed, but uses the bonded beast stat block while it's tamed by you.
The bonded beast is either a Beast of Strength, Beast of Grace, or Beast of Boldness. The bonded beast stat block uses your proficiency bonus (PB) and your Charisma modifier in multiple locations, which represents the training and trust you share together.
A bonded beast is an extension of its master's command. When you use your rally, you can rally the bonded beast if it's within range, without counting towards the total number of rallied creatures. You can also issue decrees to the bonded beast as you would any other creature.
In combat the bonded beast shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you use a bonus action on your turn to command it to take an action from its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated or if the bonded beast is away from you, it can take actions on its own.
Your bonded beast has a number of hit dice (which are d8s) equal to your level in this class. If it dies, you must spend 8 hours and 100 gp's worth of supplies to locate a new beast and tame it. At the DM's discretion, your new bonded beast has a form that is local to your current area.
Bonded Beast
Small or Medium beast, shares your alignment
- Armor Class 12 + your Charisma modifier (natural armor)
- Hit Points six times your level in this class
- Speed 30 ft. (Strength or Boldness), 40 ft. (Grace)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 4 (-3) 13 (+1) 10 (0)
- Saving Throws Dex +2 plus PB, Wis +1 plus PB
- Skills Perception +1 plus PB; Athletics +2 plus PB (Strength only), Stealth +2 plus PB (Grace only), Intimidation 0 + PB (Boldness only)
- Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11 plus PB
- Languages Understands your somatic gestures and the languages you speak
- Proficiency Bonus (PB) Equals your proficiency bonus
Born of Unity. If the bonded beast has died within the last hour, you can use your bonus action to touch it and expend a use of your rally. The bonded beast returns to life after 1 minute with all of its hit points restored. You cannot use this trait to restore any limbs it has lost.
Sure Footed (Grace). The bonded beast has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.
Actions (Uses your bonus action)
Thrash (Grace and Boldness only). Melee Weapon Attack: one target. Hit: 2d4 + PB slashing damage.
Thrash (Strength). Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + PB bludgeoning damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone (save DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + PB).
Fearful Roar (Boldness, Recharges after a short rest). The bonded beast lets out a roar that affects creatures in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the bonded beast until the end of its next turn (save DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + PB).
Nature's Resolve (3/day). The bonded beast gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + PB. Alternatively, it can grant these temporary hit points to a willing creature within 5 feet of it. While a creature has any of these temporary hit points, it has advantage on saving throws to resist or stop being frightened.
Dire Tactics
At 6th level, you coordinate assaults with your beastly companion in a combined flurry of teeth and steel. When you attack a creature, you open it up to a follow up attack from your bonded beast, marking the creature until the end of its turn.
- Your bonded beast's movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity from marked creatures.
- Your bonded beast's thrash attack deals additional damage to marked creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +0).
- If you marked a creature by attacking it with a magical weapon, your bonded beast exploits the residual magic in the wound, causing any damage it deals to the creature to be magical.
Summon the Hunters
At 13th level, your rally gives allies the strength to power through old injuries. You can target unconscious creatures in your rally's range. When you start your rally, each rallied creature, including yourself, gains 2d6 hit points.
Huntmaster's Unyielding Charge
At 18th level, the determination you share with your pack allows you and your allies to disregard otherwise fatal wounds. If a creature within 60 feet of you would drop to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction and spend a use of your rally to cause the creature to drop to 1 hit point instead.
Your Beast's Personality
While bonded beasts generally take on traits reminiscent of their huntmaster, each one retains an unique personality trait. Regardless of its personality, a bonded beast is always fiercely loyal to its commander.
You can use the following table to determine your bonded beast's personality. Your bonded beast's bond is always the commander that it travels with, and its ideal is always the safety of its companions.
Bonded Beast Traits
| D6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am always hungry. I can sense food a mile away, it's always there... taunting me. |
| 2 | Despite my braveness in battle, I whimper and whine when my best friend isn't around. |
| 3 | My curiosity often gets the better of me. I always stick my nose where it doesn't belong. |
| 4 | I have a sworn duty to protect my friends. If anyone approaches them, I get defensive. |
| 5 | I am incredibly stubborn. When I'm tired I sit still and refuse to move. |
| 6 | Whenever I do something good, I expect a treat in return. If I don't get one I hold a grudge. |
Dread Lord
Bards tell tales of infamous chieftains leading campaigns of terror, conquerors whose name alone causes fear in mortal creatures. Wherever a dread lord goes, an army of blood thirsty warriors is sure to follow. Dread Lords trample anyone that dares stand in their path, using savagery and ruthlessness as a means to an end.
The stench of death is ever present around a dread lord's company, as their name carries with it a mortal fear. The only people who survive an encounter with a dread lord are those purposefully left behind to spread the tale.
Dread Lord Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Menacing, Incite Violence (1d8) |
| 6th | Campaign of Terror |
| 13th | Smite the Weak, Incite Violence (2d8) |
| 18th | Dread Lord's Revenge |
Menacing
At 3rd level, you are proficient in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain proficiency in one other skill of your choice.
Incite Violence
Also at 3rd level, you gain an additional way to use your dauntless action: to provoke your allies into attacking a specific creature.
If you make no more than one attack using your action, you can use your bonus action to point at a creature within 30 feet and mark it for death. The next time one of your allies hits the marked creature with a melee attack, the creature is filled with dread that causes it to take an additional 1d8 psychic damage. On hit, the attacker also gains temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
The bonus damage dealt by this feature increases to 2d8 when you reach 13th level in this class.
Campaign of Terror
At 6th level, when you use your rally, you rile your companions into a frenzy against a single opponent. As part of the bonus action you use to start your rally, you can point at a creature within 60 feet and target it with this feature.
The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against a save DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or be frightened of you for your rally's duration. While frightened this way, you and allies rallied by you all gain advantage on attack rolls and Intimidation checks against the creature. The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the condition on itself on success.
Smite the Weak
At 13th level, your attacks are exceptionally devastating to weak and dying creatures. You gain the following bonuses against any creature whose current hit points are less than or equal to your level in this class plus your Charisma score.
- When you target the creature with a weapon attack, you make the attack roll with advantage.
- If you hit the creature with a melee weapon, the creature has vulnerability to all of that attack's damage.
Dread Lord's Revenge
At 18th level, your dreaded reputation can permeate the most hardened of minds. Other creatures can't gain advantage on saving throws made to resist being frightened by you, and if a creature's Intelligence score is 4 or higher, you ignore any immunity it may have to the Frightened condition.
In addition, your melee attacks deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage to creatures that are frightened of you.
Bonus Magic Item
The bannerlord's standard is a magic item for any DM seeking to reward a commander.
