Warrior

Bloodied but unbowed, the half-orc raises their head, spitting into the dirt. He looks his opponent, who stands a full foot taller, square in the eye. "That all you got?"

Fists flying, the bruises on his knuckles barely registering, the human's unrelenting assault boxes off his opponent from the rest of his party. Each swing keeps the axe of his enemy off of his friends.

No thought but destruction coursing though her mind, the untamed force of rage channeling through the dwarf's mind struck fear in her opponents, as their comrades skulls cracked open beneath her fists.

Warriors are those who have been granted a fighting spirit so unrelenting that they dedicate their lives to the art of battle. They train day in and day out, seeking to achieve the highest level of strength available to them. However it is not war that they crave, it is battle, the thrill of being pushed to the limit, and rising above. A warrior lives to die on the battlefield.

Creating a Warrior

When creating a warrior, consider first the nature of their fighting spirit. Did they acquire it at birth? Or was it ignited within them after a painful loss? Why does your warrior seek to be the strongest?

When you have your warriors motivation figured out, come up with a reason why they are ok working in a team. Your warrior may desire to be the strongest, but they must also be open to collaboration. Perhaps they seeks to challenge a specific individual, or they only desire to fight others of their race in single combat. Or perhaps they naturally find their thrill in battle when fighting as a team.

Quick Build

You can make a warrior quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength, followed by Constitution, then the mental stat aligned with your desired Fighting Spirit. Second, choose the folk hero background.

Combat Lessons

You’ve learned many hard lessons on the battlefield, which you keep in mind to bring victory. At 2nd level, choose one lesson of the body and one lesson of the mind. Your lesson options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you finish a short or long rest, you can swap out one of your chosen lessons for another lesson of the same type. If a lesson has prerequisites, you must meet them to use it. A level refers to your level in this class.

At 14th level, you learn an additional lesson of your choice, and you can swap all of your chosen lessons when you finish a short or long rest, instead of just one. The lessons can be of any type, but you must have at least one of each.

Ki

Starting at 2nd level, you learn to channel your fearsome spirit through your battle-hardened body, represented as Ki dice, which start out as a d6. You have a number of these dice equal to your warrior level. The size of your Ki die increases when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Ki Die column of the Warrior table.

You gain the following three features which you can expend Ki dice to use: Brazen Charge, Fearsome Blow, and Practiced Counter. You learn more features which require Ki dice as you gain levels in this class.

When you expend a Ki die, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you regain all expended Ki dice.

Some of your features will require your target to make a saving throw, or you to make an attack roll with a stat other than Strength. Your Fighting Spirit, which you choose at 3rd level, will determine what your Ki save DC and attack modifier are.

Brazen Charge. If there are no hostile creatures within 5 feet of you, you can use your bonus action to expend one Ki die and move up to 60 feet in a straight line toward a hostile creature you can see, ignoring difficult terrain. If you have a flying speed, you can fly with this movement. You may then make an unarmed strike against that creature, and your speed drops to 0 until the end of your turn (Battle Step can still increase your speed to 5 feet).

Fearsome Blow. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can expend one Ki die to deal additional force damage to the target equal to the expended Ki die plus the maximum value of your Ki die (ie, if your Ki die is a d6, the target takes 1d6 + 6 force damage).

Practiced Counter. When you are hit by a melee attack, you can expend one Ki die as a reaction to gain resistance to the damage dealt and make an unarmed strike against the creature that hit you.

Face Off

Starting at 3rd level, your assault can overwhelm an opponent's senses, demanding an answer. After you take the Attack action, if you hit a creature that made an attack roll on its last turn with an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature must make an opportunity attack against you that turn if able.

Fighting Spirit

Also at 3rd level, your fighting spirit manifests in full display. Choose one of the spirits detailed at the end of the class description, your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 17th level.

Spirit Techniques

Finally, at 3rd level you've learned to wield your spirit as a deadly weapon. You learn one Spirit Technique from your chosen Fighting Spirit, and you learn additional techniques at certain levels as shown in the Spirit Techniques column of the Warrior table. A technique that requires a saving throw uses your Ki save DC.

Whenever you gain a warrior level, you can replace a technique you know, other than the one granted by your fighting spirit, with another technique of your choice.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 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.

Beyond the Limit

Also at 4th level, you can push your body beyond its limits. You can use your bonus action to expend one Hit Die and regain one expended Ki die. You may use this bonus action a number of times up to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Focus Breaker

Also at 5th level, when you use Practiced Counter and hit with the unarmed strike, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC, otherwise its speed drops to 0 until the beginning of its next turn, and the remainder of its current action is wasted (ie, a creature using the Multiattack action cannot perform any attacks or actions it has yet to perform as part of its Multiattack).

Ki Control

Starting at 6th level, you've gained greater mastery of your spirit, granting you the following benefits:

• Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

• While you are not incapacitated, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You must concentrate to use this flying speed (as if concentrating on a spell). If you lose concentration, you cannot use your flying speed again until the beginning of your next turn.

• You gain blindsight out to 10 feet, and you can expend any number of Ki dice up to your proficiency bonus to increase the radius of your blindsight by 10 feet for each Ki die spent for one minute.

At 13th level, you no longer need to concentrate to use your flying speed.

Spirit Form

Starting at 7th level, as a bonus action you can expend one Ki die to channel your fighting spirit, bolstering your physical form with spiritual energy. Your spirit form lasts for one minute, and ends early if you are incapacitated or you die. When you activate your spirit form, you regain hit points equal to your Ki die, and while it's active, you gain the following benefits:

• Your speed increases by 10 feet.

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Once you use this feature, must finish a long rest before you can use it again. You can use this feature twice between long rests at 11th level, and three times at 18th level.

Unbreakable

Beginning at 7th level, your spirit is unshakable. You are immune to the frightened condition, and when you fail a saving throw, you can add 1 roll of your Ki die to the total, possibly changing the outcome. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a Ki die to do so again.

You can use this feature twice between rests without expending a ki die starting at 13th level, and three times at 18th level.

Combat Instinct

At 9th level, you have honed your instincts to alert you at the slightest hint of danger. When you roll initiative, you can add 1 roll of your Ki die to the total.

Moreover, if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren’t incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn, but only if you use Brazen Charge before doing anything else. You can use Brazen Charge in this situation even if there is a hostile creature within 5 feet of you.

Perfected Spirit Form

By 15th level, you have mastered the use of your spirit form, granting the following benefits:

• Activating your spirit form no longer costs a Ki die.

• Your spirit form now lasts for 10 minutes.

• While your spirit form is active, you can use Fearsome Blow twice each turn.

• You can activate your spirit form at the start of your turn as a free action, so long as you are not incapacitated or unconscious and have not yet moved or taken other actions.

Ultimate Battle

At 20th level, you have ascended far beyond the average warrior. You permanently gain the previously stated effects of your spirit form even when it isn't active, and when you activate your spirit form, you gain these additional benefits:

• Your Strength and Constitution scores, and the maximum for those scores, increases by 2.

• You regain 4 Ki dice.

• You regain 20 hit points, in addtion to what you regain from rolling your Ki die.

Fighting Spirits

A warrior's fighting spirit can be motivated by many things, be it pride in there abilities, a simple love for battle, or sheer all-consuming rage. The nature of their fighting spirit shapes their style of combat, and their expression of Ki energy.

Spirit of Battle

Warriors with a spirit of battle find pure elation in the midst of battle. They love the challenge, the adrenaline, and the satisfaction of a battle well fought.

Ki of Battle

3rd-level Spirit of Battle feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Wisdom modifier, and you learn the Destruction Beam technique. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Just Warming Up

3rd-level Spirit of Battle feature

When you take the Dodge action on your turn, you can expend one Ki die to make an unarmed strike, and your Warrior Training feature activates as if you had taken the Attack action.

Additionally, while you are below half your maximum hit points, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll of your Destruction Beam technique

Unfaultered Assault

7th-level Spirit of Battle feature

You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, and while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• You can use your Just Warming Up feature without expending a Ki die.

• When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to expend a Ki die and roll it, adding the number rolled to your AC until the beginning of your next turn and potentially turning the hit into a miss.

• Once per turn, when a creature misses you with an attack, you can force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failed save, you automatically hit them with an unarmed strike.

Blitz

11th-level Spirit of Battle feature

When you use Brazen Charge, instead of moving, you can teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a hostile creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You may then make an unarmed strike as normal, or you can use your Destruction Beam technique, spending up to 3 Ki dice on it.

Awakened Instincts

17th-level Spirit of Battle feature

When you start your turn with no Ki dice, you can choose to gain temporary Ki dice equal to your proficiency bonus, which last for one minute. While you have them, your unarmed strikes deal additional damage equal to your Ki die and attacks against you have disadvantage.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until your finish a long rest.

Spirit of Cruelty

Some warriors are fueled by an unmatched craving for cruelty. They seek to inflict as much pain as possible onto their enemies, breaking both body and spirit.

Ki of Cruelty

3rd-level Spirit of Cruelty feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Intelligence modifier, and you learn the Piercing Ray technique. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Demoralizing Strikes

3rd-level Spirit of Cruelty feature

Once on each of your turns when you deal damage to a creature, you can force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failure, the creature has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes before the end of your next turn. It has disadvantage on the saving throw if it is grappled by you.

Additionally, a creature that fails the saving throw of your Piercing Ray technique by 5 or more has its speed reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.

Avatar of Cruelty

7th-level Spirit of Cruelty feature

You gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws, and while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• At the start of each of your turns, you can automatically hit a creature grappled by you with an unarmed strike.

• A creature that fails the saving throw of your Demoralizing Strikes feature becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

• A creature frightened by you takes an additional 1d4 psychic damage each time you deal damage to them.

Devious Ambush

11th-level Spirit of Cruelty feature

You can use your Piercing Ray technique as a bonus action. When used this way, you can only expend up to 2 Ki dice on it, and a creature has its speed reduced to 0 if it fails the saving throw by 3 or more, instead of 5. Also, the additional psychic damage dealt by your Avatar of Cruelty feature increases to 1d6

Blackend Heart

17th-level Spirit of Cruelty feature

When a creature fails the saving throw of your Demoralizing Strikes feature by 5 or more, that creature is stunned until the end of your next turn. Also, the additional psychic damage dealt by your Avatar of Cruelty feature further increases to 1d8

Spirit of Patience

Warriors who wield a spirit of patience prefer to let their opponent make the first move, and the first mistake. They exploit even the smallest misstep to gain the upper hand.

Ki of Patience

3rd-level Spirit of Patience feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Wisdom modifier, and you learn the Spirit Containment technique. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Patient Rebuke

3rd-level Spirit of Patience feature

When you take the attack action on your turn, you can forgo making one of your attacks to instead mark a creature within 5 feet of you as if you had hit them with an unarmed strike, activating your Warrior Training. This mark lasts until the beginning of your next turn. When you hit a marked creature with your Warrior's Strike, you can use Fearsome Blow on that attack without expending a Ki die.

When you use Face Off on a marked creature, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.

Battle Rhythm

7th-level Spirit of Patience feature

You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, and while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• When a creature fails the saving throw against your Face Off feature, it takes the maximum damage from your Warrior's Strike if you hit them with it on the same turn.

• You can use Practiced Counter as a reaction when a creature misses you with a melee attack.

• When you hit a creature with Practiced Counter or Warrior's Strike, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Ki save DC or be knocked prone.

Opportune Moment

11th-level Spirit of Patience feature

When you roll initiative, you can choose to use your rolled total, or any number below it. If you reduce your initiative in this way and another creature goes before you that otherwise would not have, you have advantage on all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws you make until the end of your first turn. Hostile creatures also have disadvantage on attack rolls made against you before the end of your first turn.

Slow Down

17th-level Spirit of Patience feature

When you hit a restrained creature marked by Patient Rebuke with an unarmed strike, it is a critical hit. Also, when a creature fails the saving throw of your Spirit Containment Technique by 5 or more, it is paralyzed instead of restrained.

DM Tip: Opportunity Attacks

When DMing for a warrior, have monsters make opportunity attacks against them as they would any other player the first time the warrior triggers one. After your warrior lands their first Warrior's Strike against a monster, use its intelligence and emotional state to determine if it would continue to make opportunity attacks against the warrior.

Ie, a monster with high Intelligence may recognize their combat ability and refrain from taking the bait, while a monster with low Intelligence might continue to attack without consideration.

Spirit of Potential

Sometimes a warrior does not choose battle. Rather, battle chooses the warrior. Those with a spirit of potential are destined to reach beyond their limits, achieving heights they likely never anticipated.

Ki of Potential

3rd-level Spirit of Potential feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Intelligence modifier, and you learn the Inner Strength technique. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Hidden Potential

3rd-level Spirit of Potential feature

When you miss with an unarmed strike, you have advantage on the next unarmed strike you make against the same creature before the start of your next turn.

Additionally, You regain the ability to use your Inner Strength technique when you finish a short rest as well as a long rest.

Explosive Power

7th-level Spirit of Potential feature

You gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws, and while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• The d6 of your Iron Fist feature is replaced with your Ki die.

• The temporary hit points gained from your Tenacity feature are doubled.

• Battle Step increases your movement speed by 10 feet instead of 5.

• Your Warrior's Strike deals additional force damage equal to your Ki die.

Reach Deep

11th-level Spirit of Potential feature

When you use your Inner Strength technique, your spirit form activates until the end of your extra turn, even if you have no uses remaining. You can also use your Inner Strength technique as a reaction when a friendly creature you can see is reduced to 0 hit points.

Beast Unleashed

17th-level Spirit of Potential feature

When you activate your spirit form, you can expend an additional use of it to draw out all of your potential at once. For the duration of that spirit form, you gain the following benefits:

• Your unarmed strikes deal additional force damage equal to your Ki die.

• Battle Step increases your movement speed by 20 feet instead of 10.

• When you use Fearsome Blow, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Spirit of Pride

Warriors with a spirit of pride reveal in being the best. They will take on any challenge that comes there way, and salivate at the prospect of fighting the strongest foes.

Ki of Pride

3rd-level Spirit of Pride feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Intelligence modifier. You also learn the Ki Blast technique and one other Spirit Technique of your choice. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier

Elite Warrior

3rd-level Spirit of Pride feature

When a hostile creature misses you with an attack, you have advantage on the next unarmed strike you make against that creature before the end of your next turn. Also, your unarmed strikes score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Additionally, you can use Practiced Counter when you are hit by a ranged attack.

Prodigy's Way

7th-level Spirit of Pride feature

You learn an additional Spirit Technique of your choice, and you gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws. Also, while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• Once on each of your turns, you can choose to gain advantage on an unarmed strike.

• When you use Fearsome Blow, you can force the target to succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Ki save DC or be pushed away from you a number of feet equal to 5 times your Strength modifier and be knocked prone.

• You can add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of any spirit technique you use.

Battlefield Tactics

11th-level Spirit of Pride feature

When you use Brazen Charge, instead of moving straight towards a hostile creature, you can move up to 60 feet in any direction, though it must still be a straight line. Also, the range of your Ki Blast technique increases to 60/120.

Absolute Ego

17th-level Spirit of Pride feature

When you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, you have advantage on your next unarmed strike that turn against the same creature. If that unarmed strike hits, it is a critical hit (triggering this ability again).

Spirit of Rage

Warriors consumed with a spirit of rage will fight until they collapse or until every challenger is dead. They want for nothing but the merciless destruction of their enemies.

Ki of Rage

3rd-level Spirit of Rage feature

Your maximum number of Ki dice increases by your Charisma modifier, and you learn the Ragining Cannon technique. Your Ki save DC and attack modifier are calculated as follows:

Ki Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Charisma modifier

Ki attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Charisma modifier

Wrathful Barrage

3rd-level Spirit of Rage feature

The d6 of your Iron Fist feature is replaced with a d8, and when you hit with your Warrior's Strike, you can sacrifice temporary hit points up to your proficiency bonus to add that much additional damage to the damage roll.

Additionally, when you use your Raging Cannon technique, you can choose to create multiple explosions instead of just one. Divide the number of Ki dice expended for the technique among each explosion to determine their radius. For example, if you expend three dice, you can have one 10-foot-radius and one 5-foot-radius explosion, three 5-foot-radius explosions, or one 15-foot-radius explosion. The explosions deal damage equal to the total number of dice expended - the damage is not divide among the spheres. Creatures in the affected area of more than one explosion make only one saving throw.

Unyielding Rage

7th-level Spirit of Rage feature

You gain proficiency in Charisma saving throws, and while your spirit form is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• The d8 of your Iron Fist feature is replaced with a d12.

• You gain a temporary Ki die at the beginning of each of your turns. This die can only be used for Fearsome Blow or Raging Cannon, and it disappears at the beginning of your next turn if not spent.

• The temporary hit points gained from your Tenacity feature are doubled.

Gigantic Charge

11th-level Spirit of Rage feature

When you use Brazen Charge, you can move through spaces occupied by hostile creatures. Each hostile creature whose space you pass through must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC or take force damage equal to your Ki die and be knocked prone if it is large or smaller.

Catastrophic Legend

17th-level Spirit of Rage feature

If you would drop to 0 hit points, you can instead choose to enter a bersek fervor. Your spirit form activates, even if you have no uses left, and you regain half your maximum hit points. Each creature within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Ki save DC or become frightened of you until the beginning of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Spirit Techniques

Ki Blade

When you take the Attack action, you can expend one Ki die to create a blade of spirit energy that extends from your hand. For the next minute, your unarmed strikes gains a +2 bonus to their damage rolls.

This bonus increases to +3 at 11th level.

Ki Blast

You gain a ranged (20/60) unarmed strike, which uses your Ki attack modifier. On a hit the target takes force damage equal to 1d6 plus the modifier of the ability used to calculate your Ki save DC.

Raging Cannon

Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack action, in place of an attack you can expend any number of Ki dice up to your proficiency bonus to throw a ball of spirit energy that explodes at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. The radius of the explosion equals 5 feet per Ki die spent, and each creature in the blast must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking force damage equal to the expended Ki dice on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.

Spirit Containment

When you take the Attack action, you can expend one Ki die to forgo making one of your attacks, instead forcing a creature you can see with within 60 feet of you to make a Charisma saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failed save, the target becomes restrained for 1 minute. You must maintain concentration on this effect, as if concentrating on a spell.

A creature restrained this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Spirit Seeker

As an action, you can expend any number of Ki dice up to your proficiency bonus to release bolts of life-seeking energy. Each bolt hits a creature of your choice that you can see within 120 feet of you. A bolt deals force damage equal to your Ki die to its target. The bolts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several.

Vital Eruption

As an action, you can expend Ki dice up to your proficiency bonus to send a condensed ball of spirit energy flying towards a point you can see within 150 feet of you. Each creature in a 20 foot radius sphere centered on that location must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking force damage equal to the expended dice on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.

When you use this technique, each other creature within 150 feet of you may use their reaction to expend a Hit Die. They do not need to see you to do so. For Hit Die expended this way, add an additional Ki die to the damage roll. Once a creature has expended a Hit Die this way, they can't again until they finish a long rest.