Fighter
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d10 per Fighter level
Hit Points at first Level: 10 + Con Mod
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Con Mod
Proficiences
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Str, Con
Skills: Choose two: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.
Class Features
Fighting Styles
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.
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.
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 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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
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.
Starting Equipment
- (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 light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
- (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
Subclass Options
Martial Archetype
Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.
Often mistaken for the telekinetic prowess of psionic warriors,
an aetherblade isn't about the mind, but the soul. Through
meditation, introspection, and the iron will required for total
self mastery, fighters of this martial pursuit eventually learn to
manipulate the world around them using nothing more than
the desire to do so. More instinctual than thought, and more
personal than magic, an aetherblade in action appears to be
the eye in a storm of whirling death, instruments of war
moving as if with a mind of their own. The only tell tale sign
being the aether--or soul energy--flowing from their bodies to
their weapons of choice
An Arcane Archer studies a unique elven method of archery that weaves magic into attacks to produce supernatural effects. Arcane Archers are some of the most elite warriors among the elves. They stand watch over the fringes of elven domains, keeping a keen eye out for trespassers and using magic-infused arrows to defeat monsters and invaders before they can reach elven settlements. Over the centuries, the methods of these elf archers have been learned by members of other races who can also balance arcane aptitude with archery.
Typically bearing heraldic or heirloom weapons, those that follow the archetype of the armiger master a small subset of the vast arsenal of weaponry available to a fighter. Every attack made by an armiger is a display of their precision and speed, weaving between foes and finding an opening in every situation, utilizing both intuition and practice for their expertise.
Skilled in combat both mounted and on foot, Bannermen are
the noble, powerful leaders of the battlefield. Also called
bannerets, chevaliers, and men-at-arms, these soldiers direct
the flow of battle and bolster their allies with their very
presence. Leaders by example, they are some of the first to
enter the field and one of the last to leave it.
Those who emulate the archetypal Battle Master employ martial techniques passed down through generations. To a Battle Master, combat is an academic field, sometimes including subjects beyond battle such as weaponsmithing and calligraphy. Not every fighter absorbs the lessons of history, theory, and artistry that are reflected in the Battle Master archetype, but those who do are well-rounded fighters of great skill and knowledge.
Blademakers call weapons to their aid, slaying their foes
with conjured blades. The weapons leave as fast as they
came, and what weapons are called—as well as how the
blademaker received this power (either training, or had it
bestowed on them) can vary by warrior.
The archetypal Blood Knight employs their own flesh and
blood in the slaughter of their enemies. To a Blood Knight,
battle is everything. It isn’t winning or losing that drives them
so much as it is the opportunity for a good fight. And when
they find that fight, they use everything they have to contest
their opponent. They utilize blood sacrifices to cast spells and
grant themselves additional offensive and defensive capabilities,
though at a steep cost.
A Brightbow is one who has been gifted a divine bow by a god
or some other celestial entity. The wielder of such a weapon is
designated a champion of hope, with arrows that brighten the
dark and lead the lost into a future of light. Only one with an
unshakable conviction could wield such strength, and an even
stronger warrior to use it to its capabilities.
The archetypal Cavalier excels at mounted combat. Usually born among the nobility and raised at court, a Cavalier is equally at home leading a cavalry charge or exchanging repartee at a state dinner. Cavaliers also learn how to guard those in their charge from harm, often serving as the protectors of their superiors and of the weak. Compelled to right wrongs or earn prestige, many of these fighters leave their lives of comfort to embark on glorious adventure.
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.
A chirurgeon is a warrior trained in the medical arts.
Whilst the mundane sciences pale in efficacy when
compared to the magical healing arts of the divine,
they have their offensive uses too. A chirurgeon
uses their knowledge to deliver precise, devastating
blows to their enemies, and keep their allies alive at
all costs when other methods have failed them.
Contract Killers are the boogeymen of the criminal
underworld, typically only employed by creatures who
understand that sometimes to make sure a loose end stays
tied up, you need a professional who can... go the distance.
Also known as Soulstealers, unscrupulous individuals of this
way of life make a goodly amount of coin working with devils,
the most desperate to use their talents to acquire rare or
particularly irritating souls. Students of this archetype usually
work in pairs, master and pupil passing their trade on down
the line, although also working in groups occasionally on
bigger targets.
The most essential thing to know about a Contract Killer is
that when their targets die, the right to their soul is passed on
to them. They can use that soul in trade, although certain
souls are worth infinitely more than others. The appearance
that deed takes is a physical one, and it differs between
Contract Killers. You can choose your own appearance for
your deeds, or roll on the table below.
Deed Appearance |
|
d6 |
Appearance |
1 |
A sealed scroll, frayed, singed, or stained. |
2 |
Scrimshawed bone or ivory, exquisite in detail. |
3 |
An etched slate of dull stone, ever cold to the touch. |
4 |
A small figurine in the creature's likeness. |
5 |
An uncut gem, pale light visible inside. |
6 |
An iron coin, stamped with eldritch runes. |
A lightly-armored sellsword irritates an armored knight by dodging blows, tiring his opponent before striking home without fear of reprisal. A warrior in full plate trusts his cuirass to stop a savage cut as his own blade sends a head flying. A berserker uses a free hand to entrap a weapon arm and guts his enemy with vicious stabs of his shortsword.
These are the cut-throats, warriors without creed or code, the sellswords and the savages. No knightly apprenticeship or combat academy taught them battle, for they rise from the humblest origins and earn prestige though luck, wit and strength of arms. A cut-throat seizes the advantage at the moment it presents itself, knowing that to falter or gloat before the enemy is finished is to risk death oneself.
A Deepstone Sentinel is a dwarven warrior who combines
martial prowess with power over the earth itself. Each
immerses itself in ancient teachings to learn its ways, and
most become powerful protectors of their people. More
rarely, a Deepstone Sentinel will search out their enemies to
destroy them.
Restriction: Dwarves Only
Only dwarves and duergar can become a Deepstone Sentinel. The teachings and rites needed to become a Deepstone Sentinel are held by the dwarves, who never let an outsider follow such powerful, ancient, and sacred traditions.
Your DM may lift this restriction, as befits the campaign.
Graceful and dangerous as their whirling blades, dervishes
combine incredible skill with the illusion of reckless abandon
in their whirling battle-dances. Incredibly dextrous, they leap
in and out of the fray and transform into a whirlwind of death
that enemies dare not touch.
An archetypical Devout bears a distinct resemblance to paladins
and clerics, particularly in the way they present themselves.
While they lack the divine magic offered by these classes, their
divine fervor and unshakeable devotion to their gods are far from
lacking. A Devout fights for their deity, commonly acting as
crusaders or, less commonly, inquisitors of the faith. These
fighters come from all walks of life, united by their zealotry and
unbreakable faith. In their training, they become capable
combatants, devoted friends, and learned scholars of their faith. A
Devout’s way of life is arduous—they are always fighting for
something, whether for their god, their companions, or a moral
cause. They fully devote their mind and body to defending their
allies and slaying their foes, as they can take on an almost
trance-like demeanor during battle.
In battle, blades clash and ring, shields break and snap,
warriors yell and scream, and beneath it all, the sound of
violence reigns supreme. One sound, however, stands out
above the rest in your memory: the eternal song of the Perfect
Chord, a manifestation of light and sound that bore witness to
your conflict, collecting the cries of the wounded and the yells
of the victors before vanishing once more. Inspired by this
melody, you have dedicated your martial focus to the creation
of dissonance, adjusting the vibrations of the universe to
inflict a discordant cacophony of destructive power upon
your adversaries. With weapons singing a tale of triumph and
despair, you stand valiant before the chaos of everlasting war.
Dragon warriors follow the teachings of ancient spirit dragons that once roamed the lands. They come from small communities that dedicate their lives to such creatures, looking after their shrines and holding holy ceremonies. It is during these ceremonies that the strongest of the tribe meet their protector and a deep connection is formed. Empowered by their deity, these dragon warriors set out into the world with their dragon watching over them.
While Fighters are generally considered masters of weaponry, some choose to go down a different path, learning to grapple creatures for a wild and crowd pleasing style of fighting. Many Dragon Wrasslers fight or fought in entertainment settings like fight pits or a colosseum, and have a knack for drawing a fight out with flashy moves. However, Dragon Wrasslers' true passion is proving their might, and many choose to become adventurers so they can find creatures beyond the strength of normal humanoids to test their mettle against.
Where other fighters train with parries, ripostes, maneuvers,
and any number of other techniques that require skill,
Dreadnoughts simply develop their physical power and hone
their bodies and wills to peak perfection. They don't see the
need for other pursuits if they are able to simply withstand
blows and hit hard enough that whatever they are fighting
stops hitting back
The archetypal Duelist is a paragon of
weapons play. They are students of their
weapon, its forms, its styles, and its hidden
potential. Those who emulate this archetype
use their momentum and practiced movements
to unleash deadly onslaughts of chained attacks,
flowing from one form to the next effortlessly as
they dance across the battlefield.
As mysterious and feared as their powers, Echo Knights have mastered the art of long-forgotten magic to summon the fading shades of unrealized timelines to aid them in battle. Surrounded by echoes of their own might, they charge into the fray as a cycling swarm of shadows and strikes.
The archetypal Eldritch Knight combines the martial mastery common to all fighters with a careful study of magic. Eldritch Knights use magical techniques similar to those practiced by wizards. They focus their study on two of the eight schools of magic: abjuration and evocation. Abjuration spells grant an Eldritch Knight additional protection in battle, and evocation spells deal damage to many foes at once, extending the fighter’s reach in combat. These knights learn a comparatively small number of spells, committing them to memory instead of keeping them in a spellbook.
An ember knight employs martial techniques combined with
potent fire magic. While ember knights are often mistaken for the
more common eldritch knights at first glance, the source of an
ember knight’s magic comes from within, rather than from the
study of magic. In this way they bare some resemblance to
sorcerers. While the potential to become an ember knight might
be within someone from birth, this potential typically doesn’t
manifest until that person has a few battles under their belt. This
event is generally referred to as an ember knight’s “awakening,”
where they first begin to wield their fiery powers.
Ember knights make for impressive combatants, capable of
clearing out groups of enemies with the explosive blades they
conjure, or merely cutting down their foes with weapons
wreathed in flame. Their presence can inspire fear in their
opponents, and awe in their onlookers.
These warriors can easily find employment in times of war,
where their magical capabilities can be used to wade through
the tides of battle. Many become mercenaries, or even
leaders of mercenary groups, and their services are
often highly sought after. Anyone that employs an
ember knight finds them to be worth their price.
Trained in the grim art of delivering death as a means of reprisal to all forms of criminals and miscreants, lumbering men and women of great physical might who hide their faces behind masks, executioners are feared for the many ways in which they are versed in ending lives, often with a single strike of their huge blades. They are instruments of death, capable in equal parts of serving as oppressors or bringers of justice, but regardless of which role history asigns them they are a stern reminder that no crime goes unpunished.
Simple, mighty warriors who combine raw power
with rigorous training. Regardless of the weapons
they wield a Champion displays martial prowess
honed to deadly perfection. They might be even
more effective than other warriors using the tried and-true, or experiment with a variety of bizarre
weapons and exotic fighting styles. A champion
makes any warrior archetype possible.
Fire was the first aspect of nature mastered by man, the first
unnatural power to guard the races against the terrors of the
night. Over time, civilization has tamed the capricious and
consuming flame, harnessing it not only for security and
energy, but for entertainment. Firebreathers have graduated
from tricks, performances, and religious exercises for the
battlefield, and likewise discard liquid fuels for elemental
magic
The archetypal Ghost-Faced Killer is often a hired assassin or mercenary. They don terrifying masks that resemble supernatural demonic entities to strike fear into their foes. The first Ghost-Faced Killers are believed to have belonged to a clan of assassins that made a dark pact with a demon in exchange for supernatural gifts. In those times the ancient rites of that deal were a closely guarded secret, but now skilled and deadly warriors from all over have learned of the dark ritual that can imbue them with horrible power.
Ghost-Faced Killers are usually cold-hearted warriors who have given up something personally important to achieve their dark power. They are dishonorable combatants that strike their foes when they are most vulnerable and use their supernatural gifts to cause fear wherever they go.
Ages ago, some knights and warriors began to commune with beings from the world of ghosts and spirits, studying their nature in order to replicate them on the battlefield This tradition is known for its close association with death, the spiritual realms, and the feverish dedication with which followers study the undead, learning and understanding all that there is to know about them.
Known as Ghost Knights, these fighters develop abilities to see and enter the spirit world, imbue their weapons with ghostly power, and eventually can become incorporeal themselves.
Most warriors and combat specialists spend their years perfecting the classic arts of swordplay, archery, or pole arm tactics. Whether duelist or infantry, martial weapons were seemingly perfected long ago, and the true challenge is to master them.
However, some minds couldn’t stop with the innovation of the crossbow. Experimentation with alchemical components and rare metals have unlocked the secrets of controlled explosive force. The few who survive these trials of ingenuity may become the first to create, and deftly wield, the first firearms.
This archetype focuses on the ability to design, craft, and utilize powerful, yet dangerous ranged weapons. Through creative innovation and immaculate aim, you become a distant force of death on the battlefield. However, not being a perfect science, firearms carry an inherent instability that can occasionally leave you without a functional means of attack. This is the danger of new, untested technologies in a world where the arcane energies that rule the elements are ever-present.
Should this path of powder, fire, and metal call to you, keep your wits about you, hold on to your convictions as a fighter, and let skill meet luck to guide your bullets to strike true.
The Hollow Knight is trained to invest themselves in the armor they wear, allowing them supernatural puissance with their chosen shell, but forcing them to rely on it in turn.
The hoplite is a warrior whose singular prowess and skill can defy even the most overwhelming odds. They are a hero among lesser warriors, the champion of a great army or a band of mighty myrmidons. The hoplite’s discipline and tenacity set them apart from other fighters. They excel at both holding a defensive line and breaking from their ranks to weave through a battlefield, devastating multiple foes.
Born out of the need to guard against the wanton destruction of books and knowledge, the Ancient Order of Knights Librarian was founded. The order was first formed, as legend says, by surviving knights of the Magic Kingdom of Arbia, after acquiring items had resulted in the loss of life and limb. It is thought that the Saint of Knowledge at the time inspired the creation of the Knight Librarians...enhancing their physical prowess with limited magical abilities.
Whatever their true origins, these literary warriors are now known for building libraries -- bastions against ignorance, great and small -- in every village and city they pass through. They are also fierce champions of community; defenders against the Darkness.
Warriors and trackers, manhunters seek a single target and
destroy them. Unaided by magic, they rely on their keen
insight and indomitable determination to hunt down the
unfortunate souls in their sights. Many manhunters are
bounty hunters, while others are mercenaries, bandits, or
soldiers who excel at eliminating dangerous battlefield
threats.
Fighters who fight like falling stones, Meteor Knights are
uniquely specialized in utilizing blunt weaponry to their
maximum effectiveness. Fighters of this school typically
prefer maces, war hammers, and mauls, although some utilize
staves and clubs to resounding effect.
There are those who see the mist as nothing more than mere
fog that muddles the senses, and then there are those who
see the beauty within it, the elegant and fluid movements, the
constant swirling and rolling in its center like the tides of an
everlasting battle raging on. These Fighters are the ones who
are capable of harnessing the mists, and use it to reign
supreme against those who would appose them.
As an archetypal Monster Hunter, you are an expert at defeating supernatural threats. Typically mentored by an older, experienced Monster Hunter, you learn to overcome a variety of unnatural defenses and attacks, including those of undead, lycanthropes, and other creatures of horror.
Fighters who can call themselves a Praetorian Guard (though
some call them devoted defenders) are elite bodyguards who
specialize in defense and in protecting whoever (or whatever)
they happen to be guarding. They are most often hired by
elite nobility or other important figures, and are usually well
compensated for their work. Others might be made the
captain of a security force or a city watch.
The Quartermaster is a fighter that focuses less on their own martial prowess, and more on enabling the other members of their adventuring party to rise to their fullest potential. With a slew of prepared rations, they help their allies stay in top condition, always ready to face to the next challenge.
A risen is a fighter raised from near-death by plants now at
home within their body. Many risen move like jerky puppets,
their organs encompassed by strange flora, bones half-turned
to rotten wood. The forest within might one day call them to
take root, but until then, they fight with the endurance only a
dead thing can muster.
The Samurai is a fighter who draws on an implacable fighting spirit to overcome enemies. A Samurai’s resolve is nearly unbreakable, and the enemies in a Samurai’s path have two choices: yield or die fighting.
The first light of the world is the light of creation; the second, the light of birth; the third, the light of gods; the fourth, the light of the celestials and divine creatures; the fourth, the light of the stars; the fifth, the light of the sun; the sixth, the light of the moons; and the seventh, the light of the soul. Your light channels power from all previous, building ever higher on a divine tower.
Sharpshooters' impeccable aim make them invaluable allies
on the battlefield, where they can pick off vital targets. Outside
of war they are famous for both accuracy and showmanship.
Sharpshooting holds a long history of competition and fame;
skilled snipers can surpass great warrior
Blood is the currency of the battlefield, and the reason why
you fight. Your style edges on brutality, focusing only on the
essence of victory and nothing more; to be a Slayer is to stain
your hands eternally red for the thrill. Fighters of this
archetype usually abuse their disciplined training for this
purpose, hungrily seeking battle for more worthy combatants
to test their prowess.
Some fighters master specialized armor, or spend their lives
training in certain weapons. A spellscorn ignores specialized
martial disciplines and instead masters the destruction of a
specific type of enemy: mages. While they do not necessarily
stand against all magic users, they understand that such
individuals represent a clear and present danger to the mundane
people of the world, and many of them must be stopped at any
cost. Many Spellscorn might practice magic themselves, and
follow this archetype because they understand how easily this
privilege can be abused.
As a commanding officer, you have lead men to their death. It
is the burden of all commanders to watch their subordinates
fall by blade, arrow and spell, but you have the additional
burden of leading your fallen again. Unlike most soldiers,
yours stayed loyal to you in their life, to their death, and in
their death, and are willing to follow you for as long as you'll
lead them.
The stillmind exercises a variety of secret techniques in order to cut themselves from the source of magic and life that underlies the universe. The effects of this training scar their soul, giving them an unnerving aura recognizable from a distance. The advantages of these techniques, however, are undeniable: Stillmind Warriors are able to resist the effects of hostile magic to an enviable degree, making them ideal assassins and bodyguards.
The dwarves guard the secrets of the Stoneguard jealously,
only allowing warriors of their own to learn them. These
warriors are incredibly resilient and able to withstand
tremendous punishment, learning techniques that help them
to mitigate injury to themselves and their allies.
Restriction: Dwarves Only
Only dwarves and duergar can learn the way of the
stoneguard. The stoneguard fills a special role within the
society and military ranks of dwarves.
Your DM may lift this restriction, as befits the campaign.
The prowess of a Swordsage is different from that of other
fighters; a Swordsage doesn't focus on raw power, learn
specialized battle techniques, study magic, or simply hone
skill. For a Swordsage, the connection to the weapon is a
sacred one that goes beyond the physical. It is the wisdom of
the smith, both the teacher and the student. A Swordsage
seeks only to know the secret knowledge of the multiverse
through combat, and every blow helps to come closer to that
revelation. In this regard, a Swordsage only seeks truth, and
through it uncovers power other warriors could never hope to
achieve.
The undying fighter is defined by their durability. Their
numbers are few but each one is a legend on their own. An
undying fighter will take as many blows in a day, and shrug
them off, as many take in a lifetime. The undying lives and
dies by their armor and shield, they are the first and last line
of defense.
Wandering between worlds, a massive fortress known as the
Eternal Citadel collects forlorn travelers, hermits, and sole
survivors to work in its service. Trapping these lost souls
within its walls until they agree to follow the strange instincts
brought on by the emotions and feelings the Citadel silently
sends, this mysterious bastion works to preserve and protect
all things, destroying only that which would bring ruin and
desolation to the world. You are one of the few who have
wandered inside at some point in your life, seeking shelter
or knowledge, and now the influence of this place becomes
clearly felt, granting you power and longevity to fight the
forces of destruction for all eternity.
The Tormentor Martial Archetype is for creatures that have
dedicated their whole lives into ruining their opponents'
bodies. They specialize in hitting vital spots on a body and
torturing someone without killing them.
Tormentors are rough folks to travel with. They think of
their enemies as toys and can be an obstacle in finishing
them off quite often, but can gather any information by every
means possible
Warriors from the far reaches of the north who
sailed and settled across the known world, who
seek wealth through by any means possible. By
plunder, mercantilism, ransom, or mercenary,
these vagabonds accumulate the wealth of the
world and use it to tie themselves to friends and
allies through oath, wealth, and blood.
A Warblade thrives in conflict. Battle is not only a skill to be
practiced, but an art to be studied and perfected. Tireless
study of weaponry and martial combat leads to mastery of
battle in all forms. A Warblade often will travel far and wide
in search of worthy opponents.
Warlords are accomplished and competent battle leaders.
They stand on the front line issuing commands and bolstering
their allies while leading the battle with weapon in hand.
Warlords know how to rally a team to win a fight.
A weaponsmith extends their skill with weaponry into a form
of craft. Through a mixture of creativity and determination, a
weaponsmith can enhance existing equipment and create
something new