D&D 5E Quintis the Warlord, what can he do and when can he do it?

Unlike my other threads, I would like this one to focus on what skills, powers and abilities a warlord should have. When Quintis starts, what should he be able to do? As he levels up, what options should he have? What subclasses should be available to him? This board is full of passionate gamers, help me design a class most of us can agree with.

Note: This post will be updated on a regular basis and I integrate peoples ideas and suggestions.

Warlord
Class Features
As a warlord, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hid Dice: 1d8 per warlord level
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your constitution modifier per warlock level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Gaming Set
Saving Throws: Intelligence and Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Athletics, History, Investigation, Perception, Intimidation, Persuasion

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) Studded Leather or (b) Breastplate
• (a) Hand Crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) Short Bow and 20 arrows
• (a) Longsword or (b) Morning Star or (c) Warhammer
• A dungeoneer’s pack, a shield and two daggers

Level Proficiency Bonus Features Tactics Known
1 +2 Help as a bonus action. 1
2 +2 Encouraging Word (one use) 1
3 +2 We go first 2
4 +2 Ability Score Improvement 2
5 +3 Extra Attack 3
6 +3 Hold the Line 3
7 +3 4
8 +3 Ability Score Improvement 4
9 +4 Encouraging Word (two uses) 5
10 +4 You got this 5
11 +4 6
12 +4 Ability Score Improvement 6
13 +5 7
14 +5 7
15 +5 Listen to my voice 8
16 +5 Ability Score Improvement 8
17 +6 Encouraging Word (three uses) 9
18 +6 9
19 +6 Ability Score Improvement 10
20 +6 10

Encouraging Word:
On your turn, you can use a bonus action to give 1d10 + your Warlord level temporary HP to an ally within 20 feet of you. Once you use this feature you must finish a short or long rest before you can do it again. At level 9 you can use this ability twice per rest. At level 17 you can use this ability three times before resting.

We go first:
You and all allies within 20 feet of you have advantage on initiative checks

Hold the line:
Allies within 20 feet of you have advantage on fear saving throws while you are conscious.

You got this:
Allies within 20 feet of you have advantage on all strength, dexterity and constitution saving throws while you are conscious.

Listen to my voice:
Allies within 20 feet of you have advantage on all intelligence, wisdom and charisma saving throws while you are conscious.

At level 3 there are 3 subclass options.

Lead from the front type: (Hector)

Gains heavy armour and martial weapons
Focuses on imposing conditions on enemies

Focus:
Imposeing conditions that encourages allies to attack that target.
Hiting an enemy and impose a condition on nearby allies of that enemy.


Tactical type:
Gains ability to use martial weapons
Focuses on boosting allies.
Important Stat: Intelligence

Focues on:
Granting allies off-turn movement.
Granting allies off-turn attacks.

Inspriring type:
Gains use of martial ranged weapons
Important Stat: Chrasima

Focuses on:
Inspiring Allies
Martial Healing

Optional:

A warlord who is 1/3 or 1/2 caster focused on battlefield control

Background:

Student of War - a background focused on tactical knowledge

For tactical: to appease people who think it is otherwise overpowered, perhaps granting an attack uses the beneficiary's Reaction, and that restriction goes away at some later level?

The "great destiny" trope that seems to get tied to this concept should live in a subclass, if it is part of the class at all. Perhaps there is the place for that hypothetical 1/3 caster? Perhaps instead of getting spells he gets a few spells-as-rituals, and some non spell magical effects? And Gaes at some point, probably.


I think the "Lead From The Front" guy needs to be able to focus on inspiring by leading the charge, as well as breaking the enemy line. Don't know if that needs to be part of the Hector, or just part of the base class, though.

IMO:

1: Help as a bonus action. Some kind of skill bonus.

2: As an action, you can do one of the following...
Give someone Cha+half your level temporary hit points.
Let someone move half their speed without provoking.
Choose a target, the next time an ally attacks the target, they can make 1 additional attack against the same target.
(other maneuvers)

3: Sub-class.
When you hit an enemy with an attack, you also get to...

4: ABI

5: As a reaction, you can add or subtract Int from an attack roll (including your own).

6: When you roll initiative, you can add/subtract Int from one of the combatants rolls. You can use this after you see the results..

7: Sub-class
When you miss an enemy with an attack, you also get to...

8: ABI

....

11: When you help, it last for an entire round.

...

17: When you use your reaction to add/subtract Int from an attack roll, that bonus last for the entire turn.

Paul Smart said:

Unlike my other threads, I would like this one to focus on what skills, powers and abilities a warlord should have. This board is full of passionate gamers, help me design a class most of us can agree with.

Click to expand...

I hate to go into details while there's even the slightest chance we might get an official version (and once I've given that up, I'll be done with supporting 5e, anyway), because when I've done that in the past, the official version always ends up dissapointing in some obscure way.

But...

When Quintis starts, what should he be able to do?

Click to expand...

I think for the Warlord to be fully realized in a 5e-worthy incarnation, it'd have to be a little less prescriptive than in 4e. So, for instance, he /should/ be able to restore hps with an ability like Inspiring Word from 1st level on, but, by the same token, that should be one of several choices, so he could eschew that function if the player wasn't interested in it. The other 4e warlord basics - action-granting, buffing, reasonable combat ability, etc - should also be available, but not mandatory. Beyond that 5e can explore other aspects of the concepts - using tactical tricks and stretagems to de-buff or manipulate enemies as well as helping out allies, for instance.

As he levels up, what options should he have?

Click to expand...

Again, don't want to get into mechanical details. What does every class get? More. More uses of an ability that's limited-use. More choices, better choices that are gated by level (something the BM misses out on, for instance - don't repeat that mistake!).

The obvious thought is something like the BM's maneuvers, but that's rather a dead end, since they're not level-gated at all and don't improve in power or variety as the poor BM levels, being designed as they are to be tacked onto the fighter's powerful tank/DPR chassis.

What subclasses should be available to him?

Click to expand...

Presumably an Archetype at 3rd like the other two still-mostly-'martial' classes. The various 'builds' are obvious candidates - Inspiring & Tatical, absolutely. Resourceful I think, would also be a strong idea. Bravura & Skirmishing, well, I don't really care for the names, but they're not inappropriate. Insightful struck me as a little weak, though it could be a more enemy-focused (predicting the enemy, specifically) build, less support, more control/debuffing.
Given 5e's seamless treatment of STR vs DEX with weapons, an archetype suitable for archery would make a lot of sense, and/or one that works well for a fencing master type. Something like wrecan's Hector classification, that manipulated enemies like a controller, though provocation, intimidation or whatever ('tactical' could also get into that kind of thing).
It would be in keeping with the feel of 5e to have a casting sub-class analogous to the EK & AT - I've used 'Mage-Commander' as a place-holder for it, or Warmage might work, I'm sure there might be an obscure PrC that could be tapped for ideas. There might be an opportunity, there, to bring back a version of the Ardent, with some psionic powers. Probably less call for a divine or nature crossover, since we already have Paladins and Rangers.

Here are some more ideas for a warlord. I based this off the warlock. Please help me fill in the rest of the chart and suggest tactics.

Warlord
Class Features
As a warlord, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hid Dice: 1d8 per warlord level
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your constitution modifier per warlock level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, Medium Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: Gaming Set
Saving Throws: Intelligence and Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from History, Investigation, Perception, Intimidation, Persuasion

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) Chain mail or (b) Breastplate
• (a) Light Crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) Short Bow and 20 arrows
• (a) Mace or (b) Spear
• A dungeoneer’s pack and two daggers

Level Proficiency Bonus Features Tactics Known
1 +2 1
2 +2 Second Wind (other character) 1 use 1
3 +2 Choose subclass 2
4 +2 Ability Score Improvement 2
5 +3 3
6 +3 3
7 +3 Instant Tactics (like war magic for tactics) 4
8 +3 Ability Score Improvement 4
9 +4 2 uses of Second Wind 5
10 +4 5
11 +4 6
12 +4 Ability Score Improvement 6
13 +5 7
14 +5 7
15 +5 8
16 +5 Ability Score Improvement 8
17 +6 3 uses of Second Wind 9
18 +6 9
19 +6 Ability Score Improvement 10
20 +6 Capstone 10

Medium armour generally also comes with shields so you might want to add that in. I'd also probably give him martial weapon proficiency at level 1 as well since the only martial weapons the warlord was missing in 4e was military ranged. Also, chain mail is heavy armour, do you mean chain shirt?

Something to consider when building is how the warlord gains combat effectiveness. Each 5e class gains something extra at 5th and 11th level to keep it competitive. That might be a boost in spell efficiency, extra attack, or improved divine smite, etc. At the very least, if I was building a warlord, I'd give Extra Attack at 5th level, it may not improve beyond that but I feel like the class should have it. While it may be primarily about helping its allies, it should also still be able to hold its own if cut off from their allies and surrounded by enemies.

Extra Attack feels like a big deal - I suppose if it's OK for full-casters lik eWar Clerics and Valor Bards and even Bladesinger Wizards, it's probably fine for the Warlord - but I'd prefer to see it is an option with alternate features, or appearing in a sub-class, or at least absent from one or more sub-classes, to leave more design space open.

That's another general suggestion: Some classes, like the Fighter, are very much 'all there' in the basic chassis, with sub-classes not making a huge difference to it's primary function. IMHO, the Warlord would benefit from having a lighter chassis, with more-developed sub-classes. A bravura should almost certainly have extra attack (or a feature that can be used to get it), other sub-classes, maybe not.

I dont know if some of you played Fate of the Norns: ragnarok, but I think there's some interesting concept in it for warlord subclass. One is the Stalo, a warmaster focusing on the weapon he inherited from an ancestor that grows in power with him and allows him to do ''combo'' attacks with his companions. In 5e it would be a warlord with which the companions would spend their reaction to chain attacks in the warlord's turn.

Another is the Maiden of ratatosk, even more the aggravatrix. She use taunt and dodge to bait her ennemies and make them lose their turn. She also master debuffs and counter-attacks. I can see a warlord who dont ''attack'' in their turns, but lure the ennemy and counter attack as a reaction on a miss.

4e had an archer build for the warlord. I'd take the ambush master from the UA scout, add a favored battlefield (same a ranger favored terrain, but with party buff) and the ability to give advantage on ranged attacks after a sucessful hit x/short rest ( 4e Paint the Targer, Pin Cushion or Archery Commander)

Thanks everyone. Some good suggestions so far. I am working on putting them into the chart. Tony I am trying to build this on a Warlock chasis to have maximum flexibility for sub classes.

Based on what I wrote here:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...to-make-it-happen/page8&p=7040757#post7040757

Class Features
As a warlord (or commander or marshal), you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per warlord level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your
Constitution modifier per warlord level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armour, medium armour, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, and Persuasion

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) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Class Features
1: Grant Attack. Ally of your choice that can hear you makes a weapon attack as a reaction. Recharges after a short or long rest. Tactical Actions. If you are not surprised, you can allow an ally to reroll their initiative.
2: Assistive Action. Can use the Help action as a bonus action. You can also aid saving throws or defence. Field Medic. You stabilise allies as a bonus action on your turn. Additionally, you grant the creatures a bonus 1d8 Hit Dice. Creatures can only gain the bonus Hit Dice once per long rest.
3: Warlord subclass feature
4: Ability Score Improvement
5: Coordinated Attack. When you use Grant Attack, you can make a single weapon attack.
6: Warlord subclass feature
7: Improved Grant Attack. When an ally attacks, they can move before or after they attack, up to half their speed.
8: Ability Score Improvement
9: Rally. All friendly creatures of your choice within 60 feet who can hear you gain 1d10+warlord level temporary hit points. Once per short or long rest. Field Medic. Instead grant 2 bonus Hit Dice, which are d10s
10: Warlord subclass feature
11: Reactive Support When an ally you can see fails a saving throw, as a reaction you can allow them to reroll.
12: Ability Score Improvement
13: Rally. (two uses)
14: Improved Reactive Support When you grant an ally a rerolled saving throw, they add 1d6 to the new roll.
15: Warlord subclass feature
16: Ability Score Improvement
17: Grant Attack. (two uses) Field Medic. Bonus Hit Dice are d12s
18: Warlord subclass feature
19: Ability Score Improvement
20: Triage. When you stabilise a creature they regain hit points equal to your warlord level.

That's what I'd do if I needed to make a warlord and was limited by the design of 4e in terms of options and design...
Design of much of the powers based on all of 30 minutes of brainstorming, so the design is shaky at best.

Design Notes
The weakness with this class is it relies heavily on allies that make weapon attacks. It doesn't work with casters. By design, it will work with archers though. However, the can't do much on its own.
(On thinking of this, Grant Attack should have the option of granting the Dash action instead.)

The bonus Hit Dice of Field Medic came from an earlier warlord discussion. It's a way to grant actual healing and extend the adventuring day without overlapping with Song or Rest, while also working with the DM's ability to tweak healing.

Coordinated Attack. I purposely said "weapon attack" here rather that "melee weapon attack" for the possibility of a ranged warlord.
It'd be nice to work in a fighting style someplace. Maybe 3rd level.

Rally is an ability I think is so-so. But useful. I dislike having it and the improved version so close (ditto Reactive Suppport).

Reactive Suppport is the real cleric replacement power. Clerics and druids aren't always healers in 5e. But they're useful for lesser restoration and greater restoration. To say nothing of raise dead. Repeating a saving throw isn't as good as actually turning stone to flesh, but it can help.