OK, everyone, here is the EXTREME FIRST DRAFT of the fighter. Please heap those criticisms on!
Fighter
Level | PB | Features |
1 | +2 | Origin, Fighting Style, Maneuvers |
2 | +2 | Martial Archetype |
3 | +2 | Warrior’s Learning |
4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Extended Critical |
5 | +3 | Extra Attack, Weapon Specialization |
6 | +3 | Reputation, Well-Rounded |
7 | +3 | Additional Maneuvers, Maneuver Specialization |
8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Archetype Feature |
9 | +4 | Inner Fire, Martial Archetype Feature |
10 | +4 | Additional Maneuvers, Maneuver Die |
11 | +4 | Extra Attack (2) |
12 | +4 | Extended Critical, Ability Score Improvement |
13 | +5 | Inner Fire (2) |
14 | +5 | Weapon Mastery |
15 | +5 | Maneuver Die (3), Martial Archetype Feature |
Proficiency Bonus goes up by 1 every four levels (+6 at 17th level, +7 at 21st level, and so on)
[[How often should a fighter get feats? Every three levels, meaning 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, and so on? Or more or less often?]]
Ability Score Modifier: +1 to one of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
[[Note: I am going to do ancestries give a +1, backgrounds give a +1, and classes give a +1]]
Hit Points: 1d10
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Fighter level after first until 10th level. Then, 3 + your Constitution modifier per Fighter level afterwards.
Weapon Proficiencies: You are proficient in unarmed attacks (including attacks made while wearing gauntlets), basic weapons (club, dagger, light crossbow, quarterstaff, and spear), and in six weapons of your choice. You become proficient in two additional weapons every six levels (at 6th level, 12th level, 18th level, and so on)
Armor Proficiencies: You are proficient in all armor and shields.
Tool Proficiencies: One tool of your choice
Skills Proficiencies: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival
Saving Throws: Fortitude and Reflexes
[[Note: A downtime activity would be “Weapon Training,” allowing anyone, not just fighters, to learn how to use a new weapon after a certain number of hours spent training in it with a person who has Weapon Mastery in that weapon. A feat could also be used to grant proficiency in another set of weapons, for those who don’t want to wait.]]
Level 1: Origins
How did you learn to fight? Who taught you? Who did you befriend? Choose from the following tables or make your own. The people you name will be your
contacts. They may be willing to help you out, on occasion—perhaps for free, perhaps for a price, depending on how you know them and how you treat them.
d8 | Where You Learned |
1 | Everyone in your town was taught the basics. |
2 | You were recruited into the army. |
3 | You joined or were voluntold into the town’s militia or guard. |
4 | You were sent to a prestigious training school. |
5 | You learned on the streets, at the school of hard knocks. |
6 | You were taught by a parent or other older relative, a local hermit, or a mendicant warrior—someone who themselves had been a fighter of some renown in their heyday and chose you to pass their knowledge onto. |
7 | Nobody taught you; as soon as you picked up a weapon, you found you were just miraculously talented. |
8 | Nobody taught you; you learned—possibly in secret—by reading books on martial techniques, watching others fight, and practicing on your own. |
Then name your
mentor, the person who taught you to fight or had the most influence over you during this time period, and the
friend you made while you were learning.
d6 | Mentor |
1 | They still view you as a student to be critiqued and ordered about. Go put on the water for some tea, student! |
2 | They are proud of how far you’ve come since they first met you; they knew you had it in you. |
3 | They’re honestly surprised you’ve made it this far without having given up or tripped and accidentally impaled yourself on your training blade. |
4 | They are jealous of your fighting prowess. You showed a level of talent they had to fight to achieve. |
5 | They’ve taught a lot students over the years. You didn’t really stand out all that much. |
6 | They’ve put a lot of effort into training you. You better not fail them, because it’ll reflect poorly on them. |
d6 | Friend |
1 | Another student; you helped each other out when you and they were having a hard time with your lessons. |
2 | Another student, with whom you had a great time sparring. |
3 | A sibling or close cousin who was learning at the same time. The two of you stuck close together. |
4 | A person who wasn’t trying to learn how to fight but enjoyed watching the students duel. |
5 | Another student, with whom you were briefly, but romantically, involved. |
6 | A retired warrior who offered friendly advice and a kind word when you were having troubles. |
Finally, name your biggest
rival during this time. This person might still be your rival, but perhaps since then they’ve graduated to friend—or bitter enemy.
d8 | Rival |
1 | A sibling or close cousin, who desperately wants to be the golden child of the family. |
2 | A bigot, who doesn’t want anyone like you thinking that they can succeed. |
3 | A braggart, who is annoyed you’re not in awe of their amazing skills. |
4 | A “friend,” who sees your relationship with them as a competition, and they are determined to win. |
5 | A member of a lower class or station, who is damned if they’re going to let you beat them, nor will they accept your charity. |
6 | The child of a famed warrior, who wants to prove themselves to be just as good as they are. |
7 | A teacher who seemed to have it in for you. |
8 | Another student, whom you trounced or accidentally (?) hurt badly in an early lesson, and who never forgave you for it. |
[[In another section of the book, GMs will be encouraged to bring in contacts and rivals and use them to engage the player.]]
Level 1: Fighting Style
Choose one fighting style to represent your specialty. If you gain an option to take another Fighting Style, you can’t take the same one more than once. At 6th level and every 7 levels after that (13th level, 20th level, etc.), you gain an additional bonus.
Archer: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Additional bonus: +1 damage.
Armor Mastery: While wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Additional bonus: +1 AC.
Blindfighting: You gain blindsight to 10 feet.
Additional bonus: Range increases by 10 feet.
Bodyguard: When a creature within 5 feet of you hits a target and you are wielding a weapon or a shield, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack.
Additional bonus: Range increases by 5 feet.
Dual-Weapon Fighting: When you attack while wielding two weapons, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Additional bonus: +1 damage to primary weapon’s attack.
Duelist: While wielding a one-handed melee weapon and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls. While wield a weapon with the Parry trait, once per turn, you can add +1 to your AC.
Additional bonus: +1 damage.
Maneuver Specialist: When using a Maneuver, your save DC increases by 1, and when you inflict damage while using a maneuver, you inflict an additional 2 damage.
Additional bonus: +2 damage.
Mounted Combat: While mounted, you gain advantage on attacks made against creatures that are not mounted and are your size or smaller.
Additional bonus: +1 damage.
Polearm Fighting: While wielding a weapon with Reach, a quarterstaff, or a spear, you can use your bonus action to make a melee attack with the weapon’s other end, inflicting 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a successful attack.
Additional bonus: +1 damage to the initial attack.
Pugilism: Your unarmed attacks deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, or 1d8 + your Strength modifier if you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield. If you are grappling something, then at the start of each of your turns, you inflict 1d4 bludgeoning damage to each of those creatures.
Additional bonus: +1 damage.
Two-Handed Weapon Fighting: When wielding a Heavy or Versatile melee weapon in two hands, if you roll a 1 or 2 for damage, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Additional bonus: The number you can roll for damage increases by 1 each time (1-3 at level 6, 1-4 at level 13, etc.).
Weapon-Thrower: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with thrown weapons, and you can draw a weapon with the thrown property as part of the attack you make with it.
Additional bonus: +1 damage.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You learn two maneuvers of your choice from this list, and you gain two additional maneuvers at 4th level, 7th level, 10th level, and every 5 levels thereafter. Each time you learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one maneuver you know with another one. Some maneuvers allow you to purchase them more than once, unlocking extra abilities when you do so. When you do so, you don’t need to spend an additional maneuver die to use those extra abilities.
You can only use one maneuver on each of your turns, no matter how many attacks you can make.
The full list of maneuvers is at the end of the Fighter entry.
[[Note: I think that perhaps each subclass/archetype grants one or more maneuvers specific to that archetype; you may get one for free, or maybe they’re just added to the list of maneuvers you can choose from. In this case, we may want to remove some maneuvers from the list below and add them to specific archetypes.]]
Maneuver Dice
You have a number of d8 maneuver dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus. To use one of your maneuvers, you must expend one of these dice. At 10th level, this die becomes a d10. At 15 level this die becomes a d12. You regain all expended maneuver dice when you complete a short or long rest.
[[Note: this is more than the starting number of superiority dice a battlemaster has, but equal to the number of exertion a martial in Level Up has. The fighter will eventually gain more maneuver dice than a battlemaster’s superiority dice, but fewer exertion than a LU fighter. This will allow fighters to use their tricks more often and, hopefully, up their Cool Factor a bit.]]
Saving Throws
Some maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, chosen when you gain this ability. Unless the maneuver states otherwise, if you chose to base the saving throw off of your Strength, your target uses Fortitude to make their saves, and if you chose Reflexes, your target uses Reflexes to make their save.
Level 2: Martial Archetype
At 2nd level, choose your martial archetype. This both indicate the direction your character is striving towards and exemplifies your current fighting styles and maneuvers. You gain additional archetype features at levels X, Y, and Z.
Level 3: Warrior Learnings
By 3rd level, your fighting abilities have given you more knowledge than just how to swing a weapon. Choose one of the following sets of knowledge. When you need to make an Intelligence or Wisdom skill check to recall information about something related to that set of knowledge, you may always add your proficiency bonus. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks made to deal with people associated with that set of knowledge.
If you already are proficient in the related skill, then you may double your proficiency bonus instead.
Bounty Hunter: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about criminals and mercenaries, how to find your way around an urban environment, and on rolls made to track humanoids. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks made when dealing with other bounty hunters and with people you have been hired to track down.
Champion of the Court: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about nobles, heraldry, and politics. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks when dealing with nobility, courtiers, and politicians.
Military History: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about wars, military action, tactics, heroes of battles, and famous weapons and suits of armor. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks when dealing with military generals, soldiers, and veterans.
Monster Hunter: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about three types of monsters chosen from the following list: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, or undead. You also add your proficiency bonus when dealing with other monster hunters and with the victims of the monsters you are hunting.
Urban Fighter: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about a city’s history, as well as when you are looking for important people and locations in that city. If this is your home city, then once between rests, you can gain advantage on such a roll. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks made when dealing with the people who are important in the city.
[[Note: I’m having a bit of trouble phrasing this. What I mean is, if your background says you came from a merchant family, important places and people would be rich merchants, the trade hubs, and the warehouse district; but if your background says you grew up on the streets of a poor, crime-heavy neighborhood, you would be able to find safe alleys, black markets, gang leaders, and so on.]]
Wilderness Warrior: Add your proficiency bonus when making checks to recall information about beasts and plants, about natural environments, and on rolls made to survive in the wilderness. You also add your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks made with other humanoids who live in the wilderness.
Level 4: Extended Critical
At 4 level, your critical range increases by 1, to a maximum of 16-20.
Level 4: Additional Maneuvers (2)
Take two additional maneuvers.
Level 5: Weapon Specialization
Choose one weapon you are proficient with. You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can change the weapon in which you have specialized, representing a change in your fighting techniques and weapon preferences.
Level 5: Extra Attack
When you reach 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the Attack action on your turn. You gain an additional extra attack every 6 levels afterwards (at 11th level, 17th level, and so on).
Level 6: Reputation
Word of your exploits has gotten around—but even without that, people can tell at a glance that you are a fighter of some ability. Choose one of the following reputations:
Formidable Foe, Inspiring Leader, One to be Feared, Renowned Hero, or
Without Fear. With the GM’s permission, you may choose a different reputation. Once per rest, you can gain advantage on a Charisma check made when playing into that role.
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, and you feel that your more recent actions have changed how people view you, you may change your reputation to a more appropriate one.
Level 6: Well-Rounded
When you reach 6th level, either choose a skill or tool you are not currently proficient in and gain proficiency in it, or choose a skill or tool in and gain expertise in it, doubling your proficiency bonus when you use it.
Level 6: Fighting Style Bonus
At 6th level, your ability with your Fighting Style improves, giving you additional ability with it.
Level 7: Additional Maneuvers (3)
Take two additional maneuvers.
Level 9: Inner Fire
At 9th Level, when you fail an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you have done so, you can’t do so until you complete a long rest. You gain an additional use of this ability at 13th level.
Level 10: Additional Maneuvers (4)
Take two additional maneuvers.
Level 10: Maneuver Die (2)
Your Maneuver Die is increased to become a d10.
Level 11: Extra Attack (2)
At 11th level, you can attack three times when you take the Attack action. You gain an additional extra attack at 17th level and every 6 levels afterwards.
Level 12: Extended Critical (2)
At 12 level, your critical range increases by 1, to a maximum of 16-20. Your critical range increases again at 20th level, and every 8 levels after that.
Level 13: Inner Fire (2)
At 13th level, you can use Inner Fire twice between long rests.
Level 14: Weapon Mastery
You increase your ability with the weapon you have specialized in with the Weapon Specialization feature. The damage die of that weapon increases by one die type. If the weapon already inflicted 1d10 damage, it changes to 2d6 damage instead of 1d12. You keep the +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls granted by the Weapon Specialization feature.
Level 15: Additional Maneuvers (5)
Take two additional maneuvers.
Level 15: Maneuver Die (3)
Your Maneuver Die is increased to become a d12.
Maneuver List
Accurate Attack: You can expend a maneuver die and add the number rolled to your attack roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before determining if the attack hits or misses.
Back to Back: When you’re within 5 feet of an ally that isn’t incapacitated, then on your turn, you can expend a maneuver die. Roll the maneuver die. Both you and the other creature gain an AC bonus equal to half the number rolled, which lasts until the start of your next turn. If you are mounted, you can use this maneuver to increase your mount’s AC instead of an ally’s. You can take this maneuver twice to get Substitute.
Substitute: If your ally is targeted by an attack, you can choose to use your reaction to become the target instead. Optionally, your ally can choose to use their reaction to be targeted by the attack instead.
Bleed Out: On a successful hit with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to force the target to make a Fortitude saving throw. On a failure, it takes damage equal to that on the maneuver die. At the start of its next turn, it takes that amount of damage again, from blood loss. Creatures that don’t bleed are immune to this maneuver.
You can take this maneuver twice to cause it to have to continue to bleed on the turn after that one as well.
Cleave: When you successfully attack a creature with a melee weapon, you can expend a maneuver die. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and you can use your reaction make an attack using the same weapon against a second creature within your reach. You can take this maneuver twice to get Great Cleave.
Great Cleave: If you successfully make the second attack, you can also make an attack against a third creature that is within your reach. As long as the attacks are successful, you can continue to make attacks.
Confusing Blow: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to confuse it. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll. You also either give another ally advantage on its next attack roll against the creature or cause the creature to have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the start of its next turn.
Disabling Blow: When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to force your target to make a Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature is blinded or deafened (your choice) until the end of its next turn.
You can take this maneuver twice to affect two senses at once, and you can also choose from blindsight and tremorsense.
Disarming Strike: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and your target must make a saving throw. On a failure, it drops one object it is holding (your choice, if it is holding more than one object), and the object lands at its feet. You can take this maneuver twice to get either Snatch or Throw It Away. You can take this maneuver three times to be able to get both, although you can only use one of those options at a time.
Snatch: When your target drops the idem, you can use your reaction to grab it out of mid-air.
Throw It Away: When your target drops the item, the item flies 10 feet away in a random direction.
Doubleshot: When you make an attack with a ranged or thrown weapon, you can expend a maneuver die to fire two missiles or weapons at a single creature, using one attack roll. If you hit, roll your damage die twice. You You can take this maneuver twice to get Manyshot.
Manyshot: You fire multiple missiles or weapons at once at a single creature who must be within normal range. If you hit, roll your damage die twice and add your maneuver die to the damage roll. Optionally, you can choose to target two creatures that are within 5 feet of each other, using one attack roll. On a hit, roll your damage die twice for one of the creatures and the maneuver die for the other creature.
First Strike: When you roll initiative and aren’t incapacitated, you can expend a maneuver die and add the die to both the initiative roll and your first attack roll. If you don’t already have a weapon drawn, you can draw one as part of this attack action.
Focus Their Attention: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die. Add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and your target must make a Will saving throw. On a failure, then until the end of your next turn, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets other than you. You can take this maneuver twice and get Draw Attention.
Draw Their Attention. Choose an ally. When you use this maneuver, that ally doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from your target until the start of your next turn, and your ally can add half the amount rolled on the maneuver die to the damage from their first attack against your target.
Frightful Attack: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die. Add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and your target must make a Will saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Grappling Attack: When you successfully hit a creature that is no more than one size larger than you with a melee attack, you can use your bonus action to expend a maneuver die and attempt to grapple the target, adding the maneuver die to your Strength (Athletics) check. You can take this maneuver twice to get Iron Hold.
Iron Hold: Your grappled target has disadvantage on attempts to escape your grapple.
Ignore The Pain: If a creature scores a critical hit against you, you can use your reaction to expend a maneuver die and turn the attack into a normal hit. Add the maneuver die to the damage roll.
Knock Off-Balance: When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die and force the creature to make a Reflexes save. On a failure, it is knocked off-balance. Until the end of your next turn, the creature’s Speed is halved and it has disadvantage on ability checks and Dexterity saving throws.
Lunge: On your turn, when you make a melee weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to increase your reach by 5 feet. If you hit, add the maneuver die to your damage roll.
Magebreaker: If you successfully attack a creature that is casting a spell, you can expend a maneuver die and force that creature to make its concentration saving throw at disadvantage.
Mighty Blow: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die. Add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and your target must make a Fortitude saving throw. On a failed save, its speed is reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn. You can take this maneuver twice to get Knock The Wind Out.
Knock The Wind Out: If the target fails its saving throw, it also has disadvantage on attack rolls made until the end of your next roll.
Opportunistic Blow: When you would make an opportunity attack, you can choose to expend a maneuver die. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll.
Parry: When another creature inflicts damage to you with a melee attack, use your reaction and expend a maneuver die to reduce the damage you take by a number equal to the amount you rolled on the maneuver die + your proficiency bonus + your either your Strength or Dexterity modifier, chosen when you take this maneuver. You can take this maneuver twice to get Parrying Counter.
Parrying Counter: If your parry reduces the damage you take to 0, you can use your reaction to make an attack against it.
Powerful Shove: When you hit a creature that is no more than one size larger than you with a weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die. Add the maneuver die to the damage roll, and your target must make a Fortitude saving throw. On a failure, it is either pushed 10 feet away from you or falls prone (your choice). A creature that is a smaller size than you have disadvantage on its saving throw, and one that is larger than you has advantage.
You can take this maneuver twice. If you do so, the target is both pushed 10 away
and falls prone.
Quickfire: When you take this maneuver, choose either ranged weapons or thrown weapons. Use your bonus action to expend a maneuver die and make an attack with a weapon of that type. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll. You can draw the weapon and ammo as part of the this action.
You can take this maneuver twice to be able to use it on both ranged and thrown weapons.
Redirect Attack: When you are hit with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to use your reaction and force your attacker to make a Will saving throw. On a failure, you direct the attacker’s blow to target another creature within 5 feet of you instead. You can take this maneuver twice to get Reflect Attack.
Reflect Attack: Instead of directing the attack to target another creature, you turn the attacker’s weapon back on itself, causing it to target itself.
Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend a maneuver die to make a melee attack against that creature. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll. You can take this maneuver twice to get Retribution.
Retribution: If you hit a creature with your Riposte, it has disadvantage on attack rolls made against you until the beginning of your next turn.
Roll Away: When a creature misses you with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a maneuver die to use your reaction to move 15 feet away in a straight line without provoking opportunity attacks. You can take this maneuver twice to get Roll and Attack.
Roll and Attack: If the movement from Roll Away ends with you within 5 feet of another creature, you can make an attack against that creature as part of the same reaction.
Skillful Feint: Use your bonus action to expend a maneuver die and make a feint against one creature in your reach. You have advantage on your next attack roll against this creature this turn. If you hit, add the maneuver die to the damage roll.
Weapon Whirlwind: You can use your bonus action to whirl your weapon around you in a bewildering pattern. Expend a maneuver die to add half the number rolled to your AC. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
Weaving Run: When you move, you can expend a maneuver die to add the number rolled to your AC. This bonus lasts until you stop moving. If you are mounted, you can choose that both you and your mount gain an AC bonus equal to half the number rolled.
Wildstrike: If you successfully hit with all the attacks you normally can on make your turn against the same target, you can expend a maneuver die to make one additional attack against that target. This attack is made with disadvantage, but you can add your maneuver die to the damage roll.
Work Together: Use your reaction and expend a maneuver die to choose a creature within your reach. The next ally that makes a melee weapon attack against it can add your maneuver die to their damage roll.
