Zenith Warrior

by Karizma521

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Zenith Warrior

While the rest of her company sits down to rest, the soldier unsheathes her sword and takes a stance. Faster than a heart can beat, her whole body moves to performs a single complex motion that she then repeats like clockwork. Only she can see the slight variance in her movements, each imperfection a chance for deadly failure. Before her companions get up to move again, she will have completed the motion one thousand times.

The Zenith Warrior

It is in the nature of those who choose steel and blood over magic to train their body and minds. The life of a Zenith Warrior means spending every day trying to best yourself and striving towards the apex of mortal limitations. You spend hours every day preparing for specific scenarios so you may react to them with perfect precision. You wait and watch for opportunities to prove yourself and become a master of timing your strikes. These fighters understand that true miracles are the results of endless training.

Zenith Warrior Features
Fighter Level Feature
3rd Miracle Preparation
7th Impeccable Timing, Miracle Improvement
10th Efficient Opportunist, Inexplicable Fortitude
15th Empyrean Determination, Miracle Improvement
18th Diligent Preparation

Miracle Preparation

At 3rd level, you learn to ready yourself to react to a particular situation with uncanny success. To the untrained eye, this appears like a feat of great luck, but it is actually the result of dutiful preparation and an eye for opportunity.

Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you may choose a number of Miracles determined by your level from the Miracle List (See "Miracle List" below) to prepare. Whenever the trigger of a prepared Miracle occurs, you may use your reaction to activate the effect of that Miracle. Once you use a Miracle, that Miracle is no longer prepared and you may not use that Miracle again until you finish a short or long rest. At 3rd level you can prepare one Miracle at a time. The number of Miracles you can prepare increases by one when you gain certain levels in this class: 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th.

Impeccable Timing

At 7th level, you know precisely when to strike. After initiative is determined, you may roll a d8 and choose to either subtract or add the result to your initiative roll.

Additionally, whenever you roll a d6 for a Miracle you roll an additional d6.

Efficient Opportunist

At 10th level, you learn to stay constantly vigilant for opportunities to apply your training. Whenever you use your reaction roll 1d6. On a 6, you regain your reaction.

Inexplicable Fortitude

At 10th level, you can no longer afford to assume that you will fight under perfect conditions. Your body is trained to continue fighting no matter what. You don't suffer negative effects from extreme weather conditions and you gain special combat options whenever you are grappled, restrained, paralyzed, or stunned:

  • You may use your movement to move up to 5 feet.
  • You may use your action to make a single weapon attack.

Empyrean Determination

At 15th level, you begin to thrash against the limits of mortality by risking your body's ability to rest. Whenever you hit with a weapon attack, you may expend a fighter hit die. If you do, roll the hit die and add the result to the damage roll for the attack which is now considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Whenever you make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, you may expend a fighter hit die. If you do, roll the hit die and add the result to the total for that check. You may do this after you roll, but before you know the result.

Additionally, whenever you roll a d6 for a Miracle you roll an additional d6.

Diligent Preparation

At 18th level, your diligence gives you near-flawless results. Whenever you roll a d6 for a Miracle or Efficient Opportunist you may reroll each d6 once. You must keep the new roll on each d6.

Miracle List

The Miracle Preparation feature allows you to prepare Miracles which are detailed below in alphabetical order. Each Miracle has a trigger that is described at the beginning of its description. If a Miracle requires you to make an attack, you may choose to use Strength or Dexterity and you are profecient with this attack. The damage type is any that matches a weapon you are holding unless otherwise stated.

Aimed Reflection. Triggers when you are hit by a ranged attack. You use a shield, weapon, or gauntlet to reflect an incoming attack to another enemy. Roll 1d6 and reduce the damage by the rolled amount. Then you may make a ranged attack against a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. On a hit, that creature takes damage equal to the amount of damage reduced this way.

Arcane Resistance. Triggers when you fail a saving throw against a spell. You refuse to falter in the face of magic that seeks to oppress you. Roll 1d6 and divide the result by two, rounding down. If the total is greater than or equal to the level of the spell, you automatically succeed on the saving throw instead.

Courageous Rebuff. Triggers when an ally within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack. You heroically jump in front of an attack meant for your ally. Change the target of the attack to you. If the attack would hit you, you gain 1d6 temporary hit points before you take the damage from that attack.

Crippling Blow. Triggers when you critically hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. You put all of your weight into an attack to cause lasting damage. Make a melee attack against that creature. On a hit, they take 1d6 damage and you cripple one of their arms (DM's choice). They can no longer use that arm to cast the somatic component of spells or make weapon attacks until they finish a long rest.

Dazzling Feint. Triggers when you miss with a melee weapon attack. When the enemy thinks you made a fatal mistake, you turn it to your advantage by suddenly striking them with your elbow or the hilt of your sword. Make an attack against your target. On a hit, they take 1d6 damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

Distracting Shot. Triggers when you miss with a ranged weapon attack. You send a shot wide to get the attention of your enemies and give your allies a clean shot. Choose one ally that you can see and that can see or hear you. They may immediately use their reaction to make a weapon attack. If that attack hits, it deals an extra 1d6 damage.

Immobilizing Shot. Triggers when you critically hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack. You take the opportunity of a clean shot to pin down an enemy. Make a ranged attack against the target. On a hit, they take 1d6 damage and their movement speed is halved for one minute.

Surprising Counter. Triggers when you are hit by a melee attack. You push through the pain and manage to give the attacker a hearty blow such as a kick or headbutt. Make a melee weapon attack against the creature that hit you. You have advantage on this attack. On a hit, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage.

Author Notes

The Zenith Warrior is a Fighter subclass for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. It has been through 5 unplaytested iterations that have changed rules and flavor text. The subclass was made to exaggerate some of the most interesting aspects of what it means to be a fighter. Keeping up in a supernatural world means training your body and mind to peak athleticism, and this subclass tries to show a warrior who seeks to best themselves every single day. I would love for nothing more than for people to have fun playing this class. Keep in mind that it is not playtested and any feedback or criticism would be highly valuable to future versions. Thank You! - Chris(u/Karizma55211)

 

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