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 Dungeons & Dragons. 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 greater 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 armor? 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.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.Aetherblade
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 choiceArcane Archer
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.Armiger
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.Bannerlord
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.Battle Master
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.Blademaker
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.Blood Knight
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.Brightbow
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.Cavalier
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.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.Chirurgeon
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 Killer
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. |
Cut-Throat
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.Deepstone Sentinel
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.
Dervish
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.Devout
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.Discordant
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 Warrior
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.Dragon Wrassler
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.Dreadnought
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 backDuelist
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.Echo Knight
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.Eldritch Knight
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.Ember Knight
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.Executioner
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.Exemplar
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.Firebreather
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 magicGhost-faced Killer
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.Ghost Knight
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.Gunslinger
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.Hollow Knight
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.Hoplite
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.Knight Librarians
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.Manhunter
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.Meteor Knight
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.Mist Sovereign
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.Monster Hunter
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.Praetorian Guard
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.Quartermaster
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.Risen
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.Samurai
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.Seventh Light
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.Sharpshooter
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 warriorSlayer
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.Spellscorn
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.Spirit General
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.Stillmind Warrior
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.Stoneguard
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.
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