Gladiator

In the middle of a blood-soaked and sand covered arena, a dark elf stands alone, breathing heavily. Her ears ring with the roar of the crowd while her heart beats as loud as a drum. Around her lay bodies in pools of blood, each one covered in slashes and stab wounds. Each one a challenger of the arena who thought they could best the champion.

Gladiators are brutal fighters who often shy away from battlefields, preferring the intoxicating rush of adrenaline that fighting in an arena brings. They are violent showmen of bloodsport, transforming killing into performance art. The crucible of fighting pits and colosseums produce gladiators in droves, but only the strongest and most popular make a name for themselves.

Crowd Pleaser

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you’re a master at getting a crowd excited. You gain proficiency in the Charisma (Performance) and Charisma (Intimidation) skills, and add your Strength modifier to any Charisma (Performance) or Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make.

Arena Brawler

Also at 3rd level, you are an expert at fighting up close and personal. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn to make a weapon attack, you can attempt to grapple or shove a creature as a bonus action.

Dirty Strike

At 7th level, you know that fighting in an arena means taking every opportunity to finish a fight as quickly as possible. When a creature within your melee range falls prone, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against it. If this attack hits, it deals extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Brutal Finisher

At 10th level, you can make an example out of your victims in order to demoralize your enemies. Whenever you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can force any creatures of your choice within 15 feet of you that can see you to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, a creature is frightened of you for the next minute. A frightened creature can reroll its saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Cull the Weak

At 15th level, your time spent fighting the arena has hardened your heart and steeled your nerves. You are immune to being frightened, and you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that are frightened.

Champion of Combat

At 18th level, you have become a legend of the arena and a source of envy for others of your ilk. You can now shove and grapple any creature that is no more than two size categories larger than you. In addition, whenever you use your Brutal Finisher feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to your fighter level rounded up.