Fighter
A human in clanging plate armor holds her shield before her as she runs toward the massed goblins. An elf behind her, clad in studded leather armor, peppers the goblins with arrows loosed from his exquisite bow. The half-orc nearby shouts orders, helping the two combatants coordinate their assault to the best advantage. A dwarf in chain mail interposes his shield between the ogre's club and his companion, knocking the deadly blow aside. His companion, a half-elf in scale armor, swings two scimitars in a blinding whirl as she circles the ogre, looking for a blind spot in its defenses.
A gladiator fights for sport in an arena, a master with his trident and net, skilled at toppling foes and moving them around for the crowd's delight - and his own tactical advantage. His opponent's sword flares with blue light an instant before she sends lightning flashing forth to smite him.
All of these heroes are fighters, perhaps the most diverse class of characters in the worlds of D&D. Questing knights, conquering overlords, royal champions, elite foot soldiers, hardened mercenaries, and bandit kings - as fighters, they all share an unparalleled mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face.
Well-Rounded Specialists
Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. Every fighter can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield a longsword or a greatsword, use a bow, and even trap foes in a net with some degree of skill. Likewise, a fighter is adept with shields and every form of armor. Beyond that basic degree of familiarity, each fighter specializes in a certain style of combat. Some concentrate on archery, some on fighting with two weapons at once, and some on augmenting their martial skills with magic. This combination of broad general ability and extensive specialization makes fighters superior combatants on battlefields and in dungeons alike.
Trained For Danger
Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen's army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat knowledge. Veteran soldiers, military officers, trained bodyguards, dedicated knights, and similar figures are fighters.
Some fighters feel drawn to use their training as adventurers. The dungeon delving, monster slaying, and other dangerous work common among adventurers is second nature for a fighter, not all that different from the life he or she left behind. There are great risks perhaps, but also much greater rewards - few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.
Creating a Fighter
As you build your fighter, think about two related elements of your character's background: Where did you get your combat training, and what set you apart from the mundane warriors around you? Were you particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because of your exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your homeland, a thirst for revenge, or a need to prove yourself might all have been factors.
You might have enjoyed formal training in a noble's army or in a local militia. Perhaps you trained in a war academy, learning strategy, tactics, and military history. Or you might be self-taught - unpolished but well tested. Did you take up the sword as a way to escape the limits of life on a farm, or are you following a proud family tradition? Where did you acquire your weapons and armour? They might have been military issue or family heirlooms, or perhaps you scrimped and saved for years to buy them. Your armaments are now among your most important possessions - the only things that stand between you and death's embrace.
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.
The Fighter
| Fighter Level | Prof Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Fighting Skill (1), Second Wind |
| 2nd | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Action Surge (one use), Resolute (one use) |
| 3rd | +2 | Martial Archetype |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Fighting Skill (2), Grit |
| 5th | +3 | Armour Adept (10%), Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Indomitable (one use) |
| 7th | +3 | Martial Archetype feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Fighting Skill (3) |
| 9th | +4 | Armour Adept (20%), Flawless Strike (one use) |
| 10th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Archetype feature |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack (2) |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Fighting Skill (4) |
| 13th | +5 | Resolute, Indomitable, Flawless Strike (two uses) |
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Armour Adept (30%) |
| 15th | +5 | Martial Archetype feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Fighting Skill (5) |
| 17th | +6 | Action Surge (two uses) |
| 18th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Archetype feature, Resolute, Indomitable, Flawless Strike (Advantage) |
| 19th | +6 | Feat |
| 20th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Extra Attack (3), Fighting Skill (6) |
Class Features
As a fighter, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at 2nd and 3rd Levels: The higher of 1d10 or 7 + your Constitution modifier per fighter level
Hit Points at Higher Levels: Roll 1d10 (reroll a result of 1 or 2) + your Constitution modifier per fighter level
Proficiencies
Armour: All armour, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, 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 armour, longbow and 20 arrows
- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Fighting Skill
You adopt a particular style of fighting or combat skill as a specialty. Choose one of the following listed options. At 4th level, 8th level, 12th level, 16th level and 20th level you may choose an additional fighting skill to use. When you gain a level in this class you can choose to drop one of the fighting skills that you know and replace it with another fighting skill.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls you make with ranged weapons that are not thrown.
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.
Brawling
Your unarmed combat damage is 1d4 instead of 1.
Challenge
You may spend a bonus action in combat to challenge a foe. The foe must have been the target of an attack you made this turn, or, alternatively, you may make a spoken challenge in which case the foe must be within 30 feet and understand the language that you use to make the challenge. The challenged foe will suffer a penalty equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to any attack roll they make against a target other than you until the end of your next turn.
Charging
If you move at least 20 feet in a straight line and then hit a creature with a melee weapon attack you gain +1d6 damage.
Close Quarters Fighting
You gain +2 to shove attacks, for both attack and defense.
Commander
If you spend one minute talking to a number of creatures up to the number of your proficiency bonus with whom you share a common language you grant them 5 temporary hit points. You may use this feature again after a short or a long rest.
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.
Fletcher
Gain proficiency with Woodcarver's tools.
Footwork
In combat you gain +10 to your speed.
Grappling
You gain +2 to grapple checks, for both attack and defense.
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.
Medic
You gain +2 to medicine checks when using a healer's kit and also when attempting to stabilise a creature without a healer's kit.
Mounted combat
When fighting from a mount you gain +2 to animal handling checks and +2 to damage rolls.
Parrying
When you have been hit by a melee weapon attack you may use your reaction to add half of your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to your AC, which may cause the attack to miss.
Polearms
While wielding a polearm (glaive, pike, spear, halberd) you may use your reaction to attack a creature that moves into your melee weapon range.
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.
Sentry
Your passive perception score is raised by +2.
Shielding
While you are wielding a shield and you have been hit by a melee or ranged weapon attack you may use your reaction to add half of your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to your AC, which may cause the attack to miss.
Tactics
You may add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls.
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, the main weapon you are attacking with does not need to have the light property, though it cannot have the two-handed or heavy property, and you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack. You can draw both of the weapons for use in two-weapon fighting using just one interaction or action.
Weapon Specialisation
Choose a type of weapon to have specialisation in from the following list: axe, crushing (club, greatclub, mace, flail, maul, morningstar, war pick, warhammer), finesse blades (dagger, shortsword, rapier), polearms (glaive, pike, spear, halberd), swords (long, great), bows, crossbows, small thrown (dart, dagger), large thrown (javelin, spear). Weapon Specialisation gives you +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls when using the type of weapon chosen.
Weapon Mastery
You can spend one Fighting Skill to upgrade a Weapon Specialisation Fighting Skill that you have to instead have Weapon Mastery in the weapon type.
Weapon Mastery grants +2 to attack rolls and +1d6 to damage rolls for the type of weapon chosen. This 1d6 is counted as a weapon dice and is rolled twice for critical hits.
Second Wind
You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on in combat to protect yourself from harm. On your turn while in a combat, 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.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 2nd level and again at 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th level, you can increase an ability score of your choice by 1. You can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
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 on top of your regular action, and possible bonus action and reaction. If you used your action to cast a spell of 1st level or higher, this additional action may not also be be used to cast a spell of 1st level or higher.
From level 17 you may use this feature two times. You may only use it once on any round, however. You regain any expended uses after you finish a short or a long rest.
Resolute
Beginning at 2nd level, you can reroll a physical ability check (i.e. a Strength, Dexterity or Constitution check) that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll.
From level 13 you may use this feature twice. From level 18 the reroll is made with advantage. You regain any expended uses after you finish a short or a long rest.
Martial Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Choose Champion, Battle Master 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.
Grit
Fighters, more than any other class, learn to take hits. From 4th level, when a fighter gains a level and rolls the dice to determine their additional hit points they may reroll any result of 1 or 2. The minimum result rolled will therefore be a 3.
Armour Adept
From 5th level, you become so used to wearing armour that it hinders you less. Treat the weight of armour worn as 10% less than its actual weight for the purpose of encumbrance. So Splint armour that has a weight of 60 pounds, has its weight reduced by 6 pounds (10% of 60 = 6) to 54 pounds for the purposes of determining encumbrance.
Additionally, you can use armour more effectively to reduce damage taken from an attack. While wearing light, medium or heavy armour, reduce the damage of any weapon attack which does bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage by 1 point.
From 9th level, treat the weight of armour as 20% less than its actual weight for the purpose of encumbrance. Light armour reduces bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from a weapon attack by 1 point, and Medium and Heavy armour by 2 points.
From 14th level, treat the weight of armour as 30% less than its actual weight for the purpose of encumbrance. Light armour reduces bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from a weapon attack by 1 point, Medium armour by 2 points and Heavy armour by 3 points.
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 6th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll.
From level 13 you may use this feature twice. From level 18 the reroll is made with advantage. You regain any expended uses after you finish a short or a long rest.
Flawless Strike
Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll an attack roll that misses. If you do so, you must use the new roll.
From level 13 you may use this feature twice. From level 18 the reroll is made with advantage. You regain any expended uses after you finish a short or a long rest.
Feat
At 19th level you gain one feat of your choice.