The Alternate Fighter
A simple-to-use set of tweaks to D&D's master of arms
The Alternate Fighter
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Maneuvers Known | Superiority dice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Fighting Style, Second Wind | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | Action Surge (x1) | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Martial Archetype | 2 | 1 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack (x1) | 2 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Additional Fighting Style | 2 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Martial Archetype feature | 2 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 2 |
| 9th | +4 | Indomitable (x1) | 2 | 2 |
| 10th | +4 | Martial Archetype feature | 3 | 2 |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack (x2) | 3 | 3 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | Indomitable (x1) | 3 | 3 |
| 14th | +5 | Additional Fighting Style | 3 | 3 |
| 15th | +5 | Martial Archetype feature | 4 | 3 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 |
| 17th | +6 | Action Surge (x2), Indomitable (x3) | 4 | 3 |
| 18th | +6 | Martial Archetype feature | 4 | 3 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 |
| 20th | +6 | Extra Attack (x3) | 4 | 3 |
Class 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: All armour, 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 start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
A Response to Tasha's Cauldron
This alternate fighter was made in response to the release of new fighting styles and Maneuvers in TCoE. The presence of a dedicated build section for the battlemaster implies that WoTC has given up on the champion and alternative martial fighters in favour of a robust battlemaster and more niche archetypes. This is intended as a replacement for those who want a little more Master-of-Arms in their base fighter.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. At first level, you gain one of the following options. You gain additional fighting styles at 6th and 14th level. You cannot take a Fighting Style option more than once:
- Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
- Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
- 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. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
- Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
- Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
- Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
- Unarmed Fighting. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal ld4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
Second Wind
You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Combat Superiority
Maneuvers. You learn one maneuver of your choice. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack. You learn additional maneuvers of your choice at 3rd, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.
Superiority Dice. You one superiority dice, which is a d6. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another superiority die at 5th level and one more at 11th level.
If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
Action Surge
Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.
Martial Archetype
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.
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.
Extra Attack
Beginning 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 and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.
Indomitable
Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.
Combat Maneuvers
Ambush
When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can expend one superiority die and add the die to the roll, provided you aren't incapacitated.
Bait and Switch
When you're within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn't incapacitated. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.
Roll the superiority die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.
Brace
When a creature you can see moves into the reach you have with the melee weapon you're wielding, you can use your reaction to expend one superiority die and make one attack against the creature, using that weapon. If the attack hits, add the superiority die to the weapon's damage roll.
Commander's Strike
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
Commanding Presence
When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check.
Disarming Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.
Distracting Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.
Evasive Footwork
When you move, you can expend one superiority die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.
Feinting Attack
You can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your turn. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
Goading Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Grappling Strike
Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and then try to grapple the target as a bonus action (see the Player's Handbook for rules on grappling). Add the superiority die to your Strength (Athletics) check.
Lunging Attack
When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
Maneuvering Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.
Menacing Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Parry
When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier.
Precision Attack
When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
Pushing Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
Quick Toss
As a bonus action, you can expend one superiority die and make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the superiority die to the weapon's damage roll.
Rally
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma modifier.
Riposte
When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
Sweeping Attack
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.
Tactical Assessment
When you make an Intelligence (Investigation), an Intelligence (History), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check.
Trip Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target down. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.
FAQ
Summary of Content
Why give multiple fighting styles?
I've always considered the Fighter's niche to be in their ability to be effective with anything. Bow, spear, shortsword, whatever. They're endlessly customisable and this seems to be something WoTC is also going for. That said, I'm not sure adding more fighting styles helps much when each fighter will only get 1 without multiclassing. The fighter's large number of ASI's, while unique, has in my experience led to a very "swingy" class which can be obscenely strong or rather underwhelming depending on whether feats are allowed.
Isn't this class too strong?
Compared to the original fighter, slightly. This Fighter is by necessity less versatile than the Player's handbook version. This variant was originally conceived before Tasha's added some admittedly strong fighting styles. That said, the lower number of ASI's prevents an issue I've seen in which power gaming or lack thereof can shift fighters wildly above or below the power curve dependent on the choice of feats.
What about the Battlemaster?
This document was created as a response to over-reliance on the battlemaster to carry all the martial flair of the fighter, and is designed to replace that niche. However, there is still a niche for a maneuver specialist subclass. Consider allowing your players to use the battlemaster variant provided in this document.
Battle Master (Variant)
Student of War
When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
- Your superiority dice become d8's
- You gain two additional superiority dice. You gain another superiority die at 7th level and one more at 15th level.
- You learn one additional maneuver, and each time you would learn a new maneuver from gaining a level this class, you instead learn two.
- You gain proficiency with one type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Know Your Enemy
Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:
- Strength score
- Dexterity score
- Constitution score
- Armor Class
- Current hit points
- Total class levels, if any
- Fighter class levels, if any
Improved Combat Superiority
At 10th level, your superiority dice turn into d10s. At 18th level, they turn into d12s.
Relentless
Starting at 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no superiority dice remaining, you regain 1 superiority die.