Fighter
| Level | Proficiency | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Fighting Style, Second Wind |
| 2nd | +2 | Indomitable x1, Action Surge x1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Martial Archetype |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 7th | +3 | Martial Archetype |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Indomitable x2, Action Surge x2 |
| 10th | +4 | Martial Archetype |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Third Wind |
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 15th | +5 | Martial Archetypes |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Action Surge x3, Indomitable x3 |
| 18th | +6 | Martial Archetype |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Extra Attack |
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 Intelligence if you plan to adopt the Eldritch Knight martial archetype. Second, choose the soldier background
Class Features
As a Fighter, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d12 per Fighter level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per Fighter level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: All armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
- Skills: Choose two skills 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 armor, Longbow, and 20 arrows
- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.
Fighting Style
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.
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.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield
Two-weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Second Wind
Starting at 1st level, 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.
The amount of hit points healed is equal to an amount rolled on a number of d6's equal to half your fighter level (rounded up). Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
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 9th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn. At 17th level, you may use it three times before a rest.
Indomitable
Beginning at 2nd level, you can choose to succeed at a saving throw which you failed. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 9th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.
Martial Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Choose Champion, Veteran, Marksman, or Eldritch Knight all detailed at the end of the class description. 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 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.
Third Wind
Starting at 13th level, If you've already used your second wind feature, before a rest. You may spend another bonus action to regain a number of hit points equal to half your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Martial Archetypes
Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.
Champion
The archetypal Champion focuses on the development of raw physical power honed to deadly perfection. Those who model themselves on this archetype combine rigorous training with physical excellence to deal devastating blows.
Champion's Might
Starting at 3rd level you gain access to a well of strength and durability called Champion's Might. These dice are added to actions you take described below. The type of dice inceases as you level up, as shown in the table below.
| Fighter Level | Bonus Dice |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1d4 |
| 7 | 1d6 |
| 15 | 1d8 |
| 19 | 1d10 |
Powerful Blows
At 3rd level, you may apply your Champion's Might bonus to the damage of all successful weapon attacks. Further your weapon attacks now score a critical hit on a 19 or 20.
Unrelenting Prowess
Starting at 7th level, you can add your Champion's might to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check you make.
In addition, your toughness allows you to shrug off assaults that would devastate others. Whenever you make a saving throw, even death saving throws, roll your Champion's Might and add the result to any saving throw total.
Additional Fighting Style
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.
Devastating Critical
Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
Unyielding
At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to a roll of your Champion's Might + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.
Veteran
The veteran has seen their share of combat and have picked up tactics, tips, and techniques from a variety of sources. They combine these into a practiced and deadly combination. They even pick up skills to help outside of combat.
Learned Experience
Starting at 3rd level you may pick two techniques to know. Chosen from the list of basic or utility techniques.
What to do, When to do it
At 7th level you may pick two techniques from either the utility category or from the basic category.
Advanced Training
At 10th level you have trained hard and may now pick from the advanced techniques. You may pick one technique from the utility category and one advanced technique.
Practice Makes Perfect
Starting at 15th level, you may pick one technique from any category.
Master of Arms
Starting at 18th level, you may pick one technique from any category.
Additionally each time you take a long rest, you may swap one technique for one you currently don't know.
Basic Techniques
The techniques are presented in alphabetical order.
Charging strike. If you take the dash action you can make an attack as a bonus action, you have advantage and may add +5 to the damage of that attack you may only do this once per round.
Cleaving Blow. When you hit with a weapon attack, you use a bonus action to make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.
Defensive Action. At the start of your turn, You may use a bonus action to fight defensively or disengage. If you choose to fight defensively all your attacks in the round are rolled with disadvantage, however all attacks against you are also made with disadvantage.
Follow-up. If you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may use your bonus action to immediately strike again against the same target, you have advantage on this attack. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
Multi-attack Defense. When a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to gain a +5 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
Warding Blades. When a creature hits you with an attack, you may use a reaction to add 1+ your proficiency bonus to your AC, this bonus to AC is for the triggering attack only.
Advanced Techniques
The techniques are presented in alphabetical order.
Crushing Counter. If a creature misses you with a melee attack you may use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack, you have advantage on this attack. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
Ready for Anything. As a reaction you may choose to be proficient in a saving throw until the start of your next turn.
Self-Sustaining. If you are making death saving throws, you count anything higher than a 8 as a success.
Stunning Bash. You may substitute one of your regular attacks each round for a shield or shoulder bash. The damage for this attack is 1d4 + your strength modifier. If you are using a shield the damage is 1d6 + your strength modifier. A creature hit by this attack must succeed on a constitution saving throw or be restrained until the end of its next turn. The saving throw is calculated as follows:
Technique Save DC
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack. You may use your reaction to halve the damage of an attack.
Utility Techniques
The techniques are presented in alphabetical order.
Athlete. Roll a 1d6 and add its result to any Athletics check; you may also jump twice your distance and hold your breath twice as long.
Aggressive Diplomacy. You can roll a 1d6 and add its result to any Intimidation check.
Battle Field Knowledge. As an action on your turn. You may make an insight check vs the target's deception to determine if you know something about any creature you are in combat with. You may do this once per creature, and the DM can tell you two of the following:
- Resistances or Vulnerabilities
- Armor class
- Strength score
- Consitution score
- Dexterity score
- Most damaging attack.
Battle Field Medicine. When taking a short rest, you may expend a use of a healer's kit to add 1d4 to any hit dice used to regain hit points. You can target yourself or another with this ability. You may do this a number of times equal to half your fighter level per short rest.
Guard Duty. You may gain the benefits of a long rest after only 6 hours, and your passive wisdom score is increased by +2, Additionally you may roll a 1d6 and add it to any perception or investigation roll to find a hidden creature or an object being hidden on a creature.
Logistics. You can roll a 1d6 and add it to any land vehicles, or Animal Handling roll.
Design Notes
The Fighter presented is mostly unchanged in regards to the core class itself. The rule of design was to create subclasses that use no resources, other than Eldritch Knight's spells.
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The Champion retains many of its own abilities, but is combined with the brute.
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The Veteran largely replaces the battle master, using the action economy.
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The Marksman uses a stance that has built in trade offs, much like reckless attack.
Marksman
The Marksman is a master at attacking from a distance. They are often sought after for their expertise. Be they in the employ of standing armies, or mercenary companies, or defending a village, their skill is undeniable.
Steady Aim
Starting at 3rd level As a bonus action, pick a target you can see within range of your weapon, you can now take aim at that target. You must Use a ranged weapon. While you are taking aim, you cannot take bonus actions on your turn. Unless you are specifically granted one by a spell or ability.
While taking aim:
- Your speed is reduced to 5ft.
- Your Critical hits with ranged weapons do extra damage equal to your fighter level.
- You have advantage on attacks made with ranged weapons.
You can stop taking aim whenever you choose.
Keen Senses
At 7th level, You have advantage on Perception, and Investigation checks that rely on hearing or sight.
Your senses allow you to react more quickly as well. You also have advantage on all initiative rolls.
Arrow Splitter
At 10th level, when you are taking aim, you may forfeit some or all of your extra attacks to receive additional benefits.
| Forfeited Attacks | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 1 | +3 Damage, Critical Hit on 19-20 |
| 2 | +6 Damage, Critical Hit on 18-20 |
| 3 | +9 Damage, Critical Hit on 17-20 |
Quick Shot
Starting at 15th level, any time before or after your turn, you may use your reaction to make a ranged attack against a target you can see, and is within range of your weapon. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack, unless that modifier is negative.
Additionally when taking aim, your speed is only halved.
Minute Drill
Starting at 18th level, when taking aim, you may forfeit your advantage and instead take disadvantage on all your ranged attack rolls.
If you choose to do so you may attack two more times with your ranged weapon.
Eldritch Knight
This subclass is unchanged from the player's handbook. Though you may select any two schools of magic for your spells.
Steel
And
Strength
Clad in polished plate armor, and with a mirror finish on his large two handed sword, the baron's champion rains powerful blows against the brigands foolish enough to attack his lord.
The old dwarf lumbers forward, taking his time, assessing the melee infront of him. His experience and raw talent combine to awesome effect as he confronts the troll that has been threatening the village. With practiced use of his shield, and quick cuts with his sword, the beast soon falls.
The Half-orc draws back his mighty longbow, and waits taking aim at the hobgoblin wizard across the field. Lesser archers would miss this shot. With eagle-eyed precision he lets the arrow loose and it finds its mark, piercing the wizard through his heart.
Cover Art: Russell Dongjun Lu
Watch out for more classes coming soon!
Additional Credits
Inside art listed in order of appearance.
Shield Tat - unknown
Knight Sketch - Marthe Jonkers
Kara - Ina Wong
Mongolian Archer-James Lewis-Vines