Tactician

Tacticians are fighters who surpass everyone else in their strategic planning and fighting. Their insurmountable knowledge of warfare grants them a huge upper hand in the heat of combat and they are always planning the next step. These tacticians use everything in the arsenal of their mind to guarantee that their side comes out victorious.

Strategic Placement

Starting at 3rd level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the initiative rolls of you and up to three other creatures of your choice within 40 ft. of you. Additionally, during combat, enemies can't take any turns until you've taken your first turn.

Student of War

At 3rd level, thanks to your studies in tactical planning, you gain proficiency in your choice of two of the following skills: History, Insight, Investigation or Perception.

History

Gain proficiency in the History skill.

Insight

Gain proficiency in the Insight skill.

Investigation

Gain proficiency in the Investigation skill.

Perception

Gain proficiency in the Perception skill.

Unique Combatant

Starting at 7th level, you can choose one Combat Method and at 15th level you can choose an additional Combat Method. These Combat Methods represent each Tactician's preferred style of combat and drastically alter how they approach a fight.

Arcane Tactics

During your studies of warfare, you've managed to pick up a couple handy spells. Choose two of the following cantrips: Blade Ward (PHB), Sword Burst (SCAG), Green-Flame Blade (SCAG), Message, Mending, Thorn Whip (PHB), Magic Stone. Without needing any material components. Your spellcasting skill is Intelligence. Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

Creative Tactics

You have a mind like no one else, you are adept at coming up with unique ways of defeating your enemies. With your bonus action you can use any objects sturdy enough (such as rocks, sticks, nails) from the surrounding area within your reach to make a melee or ranged (10/30 ft.) attack roll, dealing 1d4 damage. You can use your bonus action to even use any object large and solid enough (such as a metal plate, frying pan, log) to get +1 to your AC until the start of your next turn. You can also take the Improvise action without spending an action. Lastly, once per short rest you can take two bonus actions during your turn. At 10th level you can use this twice per short rest and at 13th level you can use this to take three bonus actions.

Defensive Tactics

You learn how to position yourself in relation to your enemies to avoid being hurt, add half of your Intelligence modifier (rounded down) to your AC. Additionally, you can use your bonus action to keep track of a specific creature, if that creature makes an attack roll against you on it's next turn, it rolls with disadvantage, if the creature misses you can make one melee weapon attack on it.

Elusive Tactics

Your footwork and evasion is on point, you can take the Dash action using a bonus action and you can twice per short rest take the Disengage, Dodge or Hide action without spending an action.

Flanking Tactics

You've learned how to move carefully behind enemy lines to get to a vantage point. By using double your movement speed and making a Dexterity (Stealth) check (beat enemy Passive Perception), you can move behind your enemies and strike them from behind. Whenever you attack an enemy from behind who doesn't see you, your attack automatically hits and you deal double damage.

Group Tactics

Once per short rest you can use your action to communicate with up to two friendly creatures. You decide on a specific creature that you all can see, if that creature tries to take an action or move before the start of your next turn, you can all use your reactions to make an attack roll with advantage on that creature. Add 1d6 to each damage roll. This bonus damage becomes 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 11th level and 1d12 at 13th level. Additionally, at 15th level you can use this two times before short resting.

Observant Tactics

You can use your action to perform an Intelligence (Investigation) check equal to 5+CR rating (up to 25) on a creature, on a successful check you learn vital information about the creature: Its current HP, AC, CR rating and whether it has spellcasting capabilities. By pointing out its weak points you also roll with advantage if you perform an attack roll on that creature during your next turn.

Persevering Tactics

You can swing the face of battle even in the most unfortunate situations and you don't give up easily. If your team is outnumbered 1:2, all friendly creatures get +1 to their attack and damage rolls and if your team is outnumbered 1:3, all friendly creatures even get +1 AC. When you drop below 15 HP you become immune to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage until the start of your next turn, usable again after a long rest. If you're the last friendly creature conscious (assuming that there were at least three friendly creatures conscious before the fight) you gain double movement speed, +3 AC and you have advantage on Medicine stabilizing checks, usable again after a long rest.

Quick Planning

At 10th level you can use your wit to quickly decide what's imperative in the moment. You can use your bonus action to convert your full movement speed into an additional action, or alternatively take the Help, Improvise, Ready or Search action using your bonus action.

Battleground Awareness

At 15th level your awareness during a fight is honed to perfection, this grants you several useful advantages:

 You can use your action to shout at all friendly creatures who can hear you to reposition themselves and give them 10 ft. movement speed that they can use immediately.

Your acute attention to the fight gives you +5 passive perception during a fight.

Because you're always aware of where everyone and everything is, you can quickly react to all incoming danger, this gives you advantage on all saving throws during a fight, excluding Charisma.

 

Advanced Strategies

When reaching 18th level, by virtue of thorough tactical thinking and teaching, your team acquires a state of perfect synergy. Friendly creatures can pass along their actions and bonus actions to the next friendly creature who takes their turn. Additionally, if two friendly creatures perform a successful attack on the same creature in a row, they both get to make an extra attack. And lastly, at least three friendly creatures can use their reactions (one of them has to use an action to initiate it) to create a defensive line, giving each of them +2 AC, giving advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws and granting other creatures the ability to use them as full cover as long as they hold the line.