doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
INSTRUCTIONS- PLEASE READ.
This is a "+" thread. That means that this thread is only for positive contributions about the Warlord. The purpose of this thread is to crowdsource a Warlord. I will make edits to the OP, and for now I will also moderate consensus, but I will lean on heavy contributors for that, as well.
Please remember that this is supposed to be fun and collaborative, and do not participate unless you are intending to help create a homebrew Warlord using the name “Marshal” for 5e. Thanks!
Anything in ORANGE remains open for editing and discussion. Anything in BLACK has been finalized.
Marshal
The Marshal
Class Features
As a marshal, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per marshal level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per marshal level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor. shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Athletics, History, Insight, Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, Deception, Persuasion, and Intimidation.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
Marshal Gambits
At 1st level, you gain the ability to lead the attack, focusing allied attacks for greater efficacy. When you use the attack action to make an attack with a weapon with which you are proficient, or to use an ability that costs mettle, you can grant an ally who can see and hear you a bonus to their next damage roll or saving throw, before the start of your next turn. This bonus is equal to your Gambit Die, as shown in the Gambit Die section of the Marshal table, and you must choose which benefit the ally gains when you use the ability. You learn additional Gambits, and gain Mettle to fuel more powerful Gambits, at level 2, and at later levels from your Archetype.
Marshal’s Expertise
At level 1, you choose one of the two following Traits. When an ally takes the Training Downtime Activity, you can help them by becoming their tutor, cutting the time and cost in half, as long as you are proficient in the tool, language, weapon, or armor, in which they are training.
Warleader
You gain proficiency in Heavy Armor and all weapons.
Inspirational Mind
Your insight is always welcome, especially in those areas where you have studied significantly. You learn your choice of 4 proficiencies, chosen from any language or tool.
Expertise
You gain proficiency in 1 additional skill of your choice, and choose 2 skills or tools with which you are proficient, adding your proficiency modifier twice to checks with those skills or tools.
Martial Presence
Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to project your presence around you to a radius of 15 feet, centered on you. This distance increases as you level, as shown in the Martial Presence section of the Marshal Table. A creature within the Presence must be able to see or hear you in order to be affected by it, and your Presence is only active while you are not incapacitated. You, and creatures up to your Intelligence Modifier of your choice within your Presence, gain your choice of a bonus or penalty to Initiative equal to your Gambit Die.
Mettle
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness yo your inner strength, fortitude, intelligence, and tactical ability know as mettle. Your access to this training and skill is represented by a number of mettle points. Your marshal level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Mettle Points column of the Marshal table.
You can spend these points to fuel Gambits. You learn more Gambits as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a mettle point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended mettle back into yourself.
Some of your mettle features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Basic Gambits. In addition to the Marshal's Gambit, every Marshal learns these basic gambits. When a gambit effects other creatures, they must be able to see and hear you to be affected.
Guiding Strike
When you take the Attack Action on your turn, you can spend 1 Mettle to make a special attack, which deals damage on a hit equal to your Gambit Die plus your Strength or Dexterity Modifier, and you allow an ally to make an attack as a reaction. Either the attacking ally, or the target, must be within your Presence.
Greater Marshal’s Gambit
When you use your Marshal’s Gambit, you can spend 1 ki to target 2 allies, rather than 1.
Brace
You can spend 1 mettle as a bonus action, to call upon your allies to brace for incoming attacks. All allies in your Presence gain temporary HP equal to your Gambit Die plus your Intelligence modifier, and a +1 bonus
Call Formation
As a bonus action, spend 1 Mettle. Enemies within your presence have disadvantage on atttacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn, and allies within your Presence gain a number of feet of extra movement on their turn equal to the radius of your Presence.
Hold The Line
Spend 1 mettle as a bonus action, to grant all allies within your Presence advantage on saves against forced movement, until the start of your next turn. Also once before the start of your next turn, when an enemy makes an attack, you or an ally of yours can make an opportunity attack against them, if they are otherwise able. The enemy and the ally must be within your Presence.
Intrigue Thingy
gambit die to a skill check would be too bardic, but maybe “X allies who can see or hear you can add their proficiency bonus on a check that you are proficient in, once within the next hour.”?
Tactical Insight
Spend 1 mettle after hitting with an attack, to force the target of your attack to make a Wisdom Saving Throw. If they fail, you learn any damage vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities the target has, and grant the next attack against the target advantage.
Light The Torch
As a bonus action on your turn, choose an ally. The next time they deal damage with a spell to a creature within your presence, you and one ally in your Presence deal the same type of damage with weapon attacks as the spell until the end of your next turn. The ally can spend an extra spell slot, even if the spell was a cantrip. If they do, the affected ally can add a number of bonus damage dice to a single weapon attack equal to the level of the extra spell slot spent. The bonus damage dice are your Gambit Die.
Martial Archetype
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a Martial Archetype: the Vanguard, Tactitian, Outlaw, or Sage, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Warning Shout
Starting at level 3, you can warn an ally within your presence of an incoming attack. As a reaction when an ally within your Presence is hit with an attack, but before damage is rolled, you can grant them an AC bonus equal to your Gambit Die. If the attack fails, you can spend 1 Mettle as part of the same reaction to allow an ally within your presence to make a counter-attack using their reaction.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.
Always Ready
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when an ally fails an Athletics, Stealth, or Acrobatics, check, to grant a bonus to their check equal to your Gambit Die plus your Intelligence Modifier.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Advanced Gambits
Starting at 5th level, you learn gain access to new Gambits.
Hamstring Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 mettle to impose disadvantage on saving throws the target makes, and reduce it's speed by half, until the end of your next turn. The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw to avoid this effect.
Teamwork Empowered Stuff
Starting at 6th level, your ability to aid your allies extends to longer and more complex challenges. When you join an ally in a Downtime Activity, they can add your Gambit Die to one roll related to that activity. In addition, when you help with an activity wherein the time or cost is reduced for each participant in the activity, such as crafting, you count as two helpers.
Watchful Eye
At 7th level, your trained reflexes help you and your allies stay safe against a variety of dangers. You add your Inteligence Modifier to Passive Perception, and you and your allies within your Presence add your Gambit Die to saving throws against traps. When you take a long rest, you can grant a bonus to Wisdom (Perception) checks made as part of keeping watch, equal to your Intelligence Modifier.
Inspired Focus
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to grant a saving throw against an effect that is causing them to be charmed or frightened, with a bonus equal to your Gambit Die on up to a number of allies equal to your Intelligence Modifier, within your presence, or end such an effect on a single ally that can see and hear you.
Greater Presence
At 9th level, your presence gets more powerful, in a way that helps interaction
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, perhaps something to do with teaching languages and tool proficiencies at dramatically less cost and time, and learning languages even faster?
Legendary Teamwork
At 14th level, you mastery of facilitating teamwork reaches unheard of heights. As an action, you can spend 4 ki to grant an ally who can see and hear you an action, which they must take immediately.
Timeless Body
At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you can do something really wild.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage. Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the astral projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.
[this stuff is awesome, let's match it! Big group defense buff? ]
Absolute Vigilance
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no mettle points remaining, you regain 4 mettle points.
Marshal Archetypes
Three traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor the three traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All three traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, a monk need choose a tradition only upon reaching 3rd level.
The Vanguard
Goals: Tougher than other Marshals. Deals more personal damage, and focuses support on damage buffs and temp HP granting. Scary to enemies. Maybe when they use Guided Strike the target must save or be frightened?
Monks of the Way of the Open Hand are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to push and trip their opponents, manipulate ki to heal damage to their bodies, and practice advanced meditation that can protect them from harm.
Open Hand Technique
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy's ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:
At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
Tranquility
Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. At the end of a long rest, you gain the effect of a sanctuary spell that lasts until the start of your next long rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Quivering Palm
At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
This is a "+" thread. That means that this thread is only for positive contributions about the Warlord. The purpose of this thread is to crowdsource a Warlord. I will make edits to the OP, and for now I will also moderate consensus, but I will lean on heavy contributors for that, as well.
Please remember that this is supposed to be fun and collaborative, and do not participate unless you are intending to help create a homebrew Warlord using the name “Marshal” for 5e. Thanks!
Anything in ORANGE remains open for editing and discussion. Anything in BLACK has been finalized.
Marshal
The Marshal
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Gambit Die | Mettle | Martial Presence | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 1d4 | - | - | Marshal's Gambit |
| 2nd | +2 | 1d4 | 2 | +15 ft. | Mettle, Martial Presence |
| 3rd | +2 | 1d4 | 3 | +15 ft. | Martial Archetype, Warning Shout |
| 4th | +2 | 1d4 | 4 | +15 ft. | Ability Score Improvement, Always Ready |
| 5th | +3 | 1d6 | 5 | +15 ft. | Extra Attack, Hamstring Strike |
| 6th | +3 | 1d6 | 6 | +20 ft. | Team-Empowered Presence, Archetype feature |
| 7th | +3 | 1d6 | 7 | +20 ft. | Watchful Eye, Inspired Focus |
| 8th | +3 | 1d6 | 8 | +20 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | 1d6 | 9 | +20 ft. | Greater Presence |
| 10th | +4 | 1d6 | 10 | +25 ft. | Purity of Body |
| 11th | +4 | 1d8 | 11 | +25 ft. | Archetype feature |
| 12th | +4 | 1d8 | 12 | +25 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | 1d8 | 13 | +25 ft. | Tongue of the Sun and Moon |
| 14th | +5 | 1d8 | 14 | +30 ft. | Legendary Teamwork |
| 15th | +5 | 1d8 | 15 | +30 ft. | Timeless Body |
| 16th | +5 | 1d8 | 16 | +30 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | 1d10 | 17 | +30 ft. | Archetype feature |
| 18th | +6 | 1d10 | 18 | +35 ft. | Empty Body |
| 19th | +6 | 1d10 | 19 | +35 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | 1d10 | 20 | +35 ft. | Perfect Self |
As a marshal, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per marshal level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per marshal level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor. shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Athletics, History, Insight, Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, Deception, Persuasion, and Intimidation.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a spear or (b) a longsword (if proficient)
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- (a) scale mail, (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
- a shield
Marshal Gambits
At 1st level, you gain the ability to lead the attack, focusing allied attacks for greater efficacy. When you use the attack action to make an attack with a weapon with which you are proficient, or to use an ability that costs mettle, you can grant an ally who can see and hear you a bonus to their next damage roll or saving throw, before the start of your next turn. This bonus is equal to your Gambit Die, as shown in the Gambit Die section of the Marshal table, and you must choose which benefit the ally gains when you use the ability. You learn additional Gambits, and gain Mettle to fuel more powerful Gambits, at level 2, and at later levels from your Archetype.
Marshal’s Expertise
At level 1, you choose one of the two following Traits. When an ally takes the Training Downtime Activity, you can help them by becoming their tutor, cutting the time and cost in half, as long as you are proficient in the tool, language, weapon, or armor, in which they are training.
Warleader
You gain proficiency in Heavy Armor and all weapons.
Inspirational Mind
Your insight is always welcome, especially in those areas where you have studied significantly. You learn your choice of 4 proficiencies, chosen from any language or tool.
Expertise
You gain proficiency in 1 additional skill of your choice, and choose 2 skills or tools with which you are proficient, adding your proficiency modifier twice to checks with those skills or tools.
Martial Presence
Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to project your presence around you to a radius of 15 feet, centered on you. This distance increases as you level, as shown in the Martial Presence section of the Marshal Table. A creature within the Presence must be able to see or hear you in order to be affected by it, and your Presence is only active while you are not incapacitated. You, and creatures up to your Intelligence Modifier of your choice within your Presence, gain your choice of a bonus or penalty to Initiative equal to your Gambit Die.
Mettle
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness yo your inner strength, fortitude, intelligence, and tactical ability know as mettle. Your access to this training and skill is represented by a number of mettle points. Your marshal level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Mettle Points column of the Marshal table.
You can spend these points to fuel Gambits. You learn more Gambits as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a mettle point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended mettle back into yourself.
Some of your mettle features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Basic Gambits. In addition to the Marshal's Gambit, every Marshal learns these basic gambits. When a gambit effects other creatures, they must be able to see and hear you to be affected.
Guiding Strike
When you take the Attack Action on your turn, you can spend 1 Mettle to make a special attack, which deals damage on a hit equal to your Gambit Die plus your Strength or Dexterity Modifier, and you allow an ally to make an attack as a reaction. Either the attacking ally, or the target, must be within your Presence.
Greater Marshal’s Gambit
When you use your Marshal’s Gambit, you can spend 1 ki to target 2 allies, rather than 1.
Brace
You can spend 1 mettle as a bonus action, to call upon your allies to brace for incoming attacks. All allies in your Presence gain temporary HP equal to your Gambit Die plus your Intelligence modifier, and a +1 bonus
Call Formation
As a bonus action, spend 1 Mettle. Enemies within your presence have disadvantage on atttacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn, and allies within your Presence gain a number of feet of extra movement on their turn equal to the radius of your Presence.
Hold The Line
Spend 1 mettle as a bonus action, to grant all allies within your Presence advantage on saves against forced movement, until the start of your next turn. Also once before the start of your next turn, when an enemy makes an attack, you or an ally of yours can make an opportunity attack against them, if they are otherwise able. The enemy and the ally must be within your Presence.
Intrigue Thingy
gambit die to a skill check would be too bardic, but maybe “X allies who can see or hear you can add their proficiency bonus on a check that you are proficient in, once within the next hour.”?
Tactical Insight
Spend 1 mettle after hitting with an attack, to force the target of your attack to make a Wisdom Saving Throw. If they fail, you learn any damage vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities the target has, and grant the next attack against the target advantage.
Light The Torch
As a bonus action on your turn, choose an ally. The next time they deal damage with a spell to a creature within your presence, you and one ally in your Presence deal the same type of damage with weapon attacks as the spell until the end of your next turn. The ally can spend an extra spell slot, even if the spell was a cantrip. If they do, the affected ally can add a number of bonus damage dice to a single weapon attack equal to the level of the extra spell slot spent. The bonus damage dice are your Gambit Die.
Martial Archetype
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a Martial Archetype: the Vanguard, Tactitian, Outlaw, or Sage, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Warning Shout
Starting at level 3, you can warn an ally within your presence of an incoming attack. As a reaction when an ally within your Presence is hit with an attack, but before damage is rolled, you can grant them an AC bonus equal to your Gambit Die. If the attack fails, you can spend 1 Mettle as part of the same reaction to allow an ally within your presence to make a counter-attack using their reaction.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.
Always Ready
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when an ally fails an Athletics, Stealth, or Acrobatics, check, to grant a bonus to their check equal to your Gambit Die plus your Intelligence Modifier.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Advanced Gambits
Starting at 5th level, you learn gain access to new Gambits.
Hamstring Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 mettle to impose disadvantage on saving throws the target makes, and reduce it's speed by half, until the end of your next turn. The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw to avoid this effect.
Teamwork Empowered Stuff
Starting at 6th level, your ability to aid your allies extends to longer and more complex challenges. When you join an ally in a Downtime Activity, they can add your Gambit Die to one roll related to that activity. In addition, when you help with an activity wherein the time or cost is reduced for each participant in the activity, such as crafting, you count as two helpers.
Watchful Eye
At 7th level, your trained reflexes help you and your allies stay safe against a variety of dangers. You add your Inteligence Modifier to Passive Perception, and you and your allies within your Presence add your Gambit Die to saving throws against traps. When you take a long rest, you can grant a bonus to Wisdom (Perception) checks made as part of keeping watch, equal to your Intelligence Modifier.
Inspired Focus
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to grant a saving throw against an effect that is causing them to be charmed or frightened, with a bonus equal to your Gambit Die on up to a number of allies equal to your Intelligence Modifier, within your presence, or end such an effect on a single ally that can see and hear you.
Greater Presence
At 9th level, your presence gets more powerful, in a way that helps interaction
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, perhaps something to do with teaching languages and tool proficiencies at dramatically less cost and time, and learning languages even faster?
Legendary Teamwork
At 14th level, you mastery of facilitating teamwork reaches unheard of heights. As an action, you can spend 4 ki to grant an ally who can see and hear you an action, which they must take immediately.
Timeless Body
At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you can do something really wild.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage. Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the astral projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.
[this stuff is awesome, let's match it! Big group defense buff? ]
Absolute Vigilance
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no mettle points remaining, you regain 4 mettle points.
Marshal Archetypes
Three traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor the three traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All three traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, a monk need choose a tradition only upon reaching 3rd level.
The Vanguard
Goals: Tougher than other Marshals. Deals more personal damage, and focuses support on damage buffs and temp HP granting. Scary to enemies. Maybe when they use Guided Strike the target must save or be frightened?
Monks of the Way of the Open Hand are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to push and trip their opponents, manipulate ki to heal damage to their bodies, and practice advanced meditation that can protect them from harm.
Open Hand Technique
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy's ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:
- It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
- It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.
At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
Tranquility
Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. At the end of a long rest, you gain the effect of a sanctuary spell that lasts until the start of your next long rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Quivering Palm
At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
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