Fighter Archetype: Captain

While not everyone commanding an army could be considered a Captain, it is those who are guided by virtue (the belief they fight for) and their tactical insight which dictate if they fit this archetype. Captain's command respect through their knowledge of combat and a firm understanding of a simple question: ‘Why do I fight’. This belief is what allows soldiers to unite, to have their swords pointed in the same direction and their captain to take charge.

 

Herald of War

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn commands which are fueled by the party’s Morale. Commands are way to manipulate the battlefield, giving you the edge in battle.

Commands. You learn two commands of your choice, which are detailed under the “Command List” section.  

You learn two additional commands of your choice at 7th, 10th and 15th level. Each time you learn new commands, you can also replace one command you already know for a different one.

Morale. Your Morale level signifies your ability to move your allies to act beyond what they are normally capable of. Following commands strains the party’s ability to do so and depletes levels of Morale. You replenish your Morale levels when you finish a short or long rest.You start with a Morale level of 4. The Morale level increases by one at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th and 20th level.

Call to Arms

Starting at 3rd level the reason ‘why you fight’ has become clear to you. Choose one virtue which will become your call to arms: Valor, Fortitude or Compassion. The virtue of your choice grants you an additional command and allows you new options specific to that virtue as you level up.

Compassion

The greatest leaders are those who can lead by example. They are the ones to show compassion and understanding to those beneath them. Captains whose call to arms is a call for compassion, are the leaders who are ready to serve their people. You learn the “Help” command.

Fortitude

Not all power is measured in strength, some power needs to be measured in restraint and fortitude. Captains whose call to arms is a call for fortitude are the defenders of civilization. You learn the “Situational Awareness” command.

Valor

Those whose call to arms is a call for valor are captains who revel in their martial prowess. Creating a strong defense through an unrelenting offence. You learn the “Engage” command.

Command Respect

Starting at 7th level, your command and knowledge over the battlefield carries through into your body and voice. You can add your Intelligence modifier to any Charisma skill check you make.

Lead by Example

Starting at 10th level, your virtue has found its way from your mind, into your actions. You gain a new feature based on your Call to Arms.

Defend Area

Prerequisite: Call to Arms - Fortitude

You gain a bonus to your Dexterity saving throws equal to your Constitution modifier.

Additionally, any hostile creature moving within your reach, is considered to be moving through difficult terrain.

Follow Through

Prerequisite: Call to Arms - Valor

Once per round you can deal an additional 1D8 damage to any weapon attack you make.

Valiant Strike

Prerequisite: Call to Arms - Compassion

Whenever you take the Help command, you can expend 1 additional Morale, causing any targeted creature to regain 1D4 hit points.

Iron Will

At 15th level, you gain immunity to being charmed or frightened.

Last Stand

Starting at 18th level, you understand your importance in battle and the vital part you play in influencing the morale on the battlefield. This knowledge commands you to push through beyond the point many others could normally take themselves.

When you use Last Stand, you are instantly healed by a number equal to your Captain level + your Constitution modifier. Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

 

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Commands List

The commands are presented in alphabetical order by level and Morale cost.

Against the Odds

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Utility
As a reaction to someone rolling a 7 or lower on an ability check or saving throw during combat, they can treat the roll as if it was an 8.

Blade Herald

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Herald
As a bonus action, you target a creature to be your sword. The creature gains an additional 1D6 damage to the first weapon attack they make on their turn.
    Starting on your next turn, while this effect is active, your Morale is depleted by 1 at the end of your turn. This effect lasts up to a minute or until you choose to end it as a free action on your turn.

The effect also ends if your Morale reaches 0. You can only have one Herald command active at a time.

Critical Defense

Cost: 3 Morale Morale
Type: Bolster
Prerequisites: level 15, Call for Fortitude 
As a reaction to being hit by an attack, you can brace yourself to gain resistance to the attack’s damage.

Engage

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Utility
You are able to lead your troops through harsh and dangerous terrain. As an action you can select a number of creatures, within 20 feet and who are able to hear or see you, equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).These creatures can use their reaction to immediately move up to their walking speed.

Help

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Utility
You know how best to instruct your party in their course of action. You can take the Help action to aid a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). someone as long as they are within 20 feet of you.

Hold Formation

Cost: 3 Morale
Type: Protect
Prerequisites: level 10, Call for Compassion. 
As an action you can shout out to ‘hold formation’. You and any friendly creatures within 10ft. of you gain a +2 bonus to their AC. This effect lasts for a 1 minute duration or until any of the affected creatures moves from their current position.

Improved Blade Herald

Type: Herald
Prerequisites: level 10, Blade Herald
Whenever you target your Blade Herald, they gain an additional feature.
    The additional damage now extends to all weapon attacks made on the Blade Herald’s turn.

Improved Motivating Speech

Type: Protect
Prerequisites: level 10, Motivating Speech. 
The temporary hit points gained from Motivating Speech increases to 1D6 + your Fighter level in temporary hit points.

Improved Shield Herald

Type: Herald
Prerequisites: level 10, Shield Herald 
Whenever you target your Shield Herald, they gain an additional feature. 
    If the attack still hits, your Shield Herald can choose to take half of the damage dealt to you.

Improved Song Herald

Type: Herald
Prerequisites: level 10,Song Herald 
Whenever you target your Song Herald, you gain an additional feature.
    Your Song Herald gains a bonus to all their saving throws equal to your Intelligence modifier rounded up (minimum of 1).

In Harm’s Way

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Protect
Whenever a friendly creature within 5ft. of you gets hit by an attack, you can force the damage to be dealt to you instead. 

Additionally, if you have the Command: Critical Defense, you can deplete an additional 2 Morale to gain resistance to the damage taken by this feature.

Inspiring Call

Cost: 4 Morale
Type: Heal
Prerequisites: level 15, Call for Compassion
As a reaction to a friendly creature about to be dropped to 0 hit points, but not dying outright, you shout a battle cry strong enough to pierce the Weave, reinvigorating the targeted creature. Instead of dropping to 0 hit points, the creature is healed to 1D10 hit points.

Kick

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Strike
Prerequisites: level 15, Call for Valor
Whenever you attempt to shove a creature you can choose to kick them. If you do so while the target is concentrating on a spell they must make a concentration check with disadvantage. The DC for the check is equal to (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier).

Make Haste

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Utility
As a bonus action, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), granting them an additional 10ft. of movement on their next turn.

Motivating Speech

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Protect
As a bonus action, you can target a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), to gain 1D6 + half your Fighter level (rounded down, minimum of 1) in temporary hit points. The targets must be within 20ft. of you and able to see or hear you, the temporary hit points lasting for up to 1 minute.

Rallying Cry

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Heal
For each weapon attack you forgo during the Attack action, you can target a creature within 20ft of you, who regains 1D4 hit points. The amount of hit points regained through this feature increases to 1D6 at 7th level and to 1D8 at 15th level.

React to Battle

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Bolster
When you take the Ready action at the start of your turn, you can choose to ready your entire turn. You select a creature which becomes your trigger. The trigger is activated when the targeted creature ends their turn. Allowing you to use your reaction to take your turn in combat.

Readied Blade

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Bolster
As a reaction to one of your weapon attacks hitting, you can follow through on your momentum, allowing you to make an extra weapon attack.

Shield Herald

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Herald
As a bonus action, you target a creature to be your shield. If you get targeted by an attack and are within 5ft of your Shield Herald, they grant you half cover.
    Starting on your next turn, while this effect is active, your Morale is depleted by 1 at the end of your turn. This effect lasts up to a minute or until you choose to end it as a free action on your turn.

The effect also ends if your Morale reaches 0. You can only have one Herald command active at a time.

Situational Awareness

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Bolster
As a bonus action, you allow yourself to completely take in your environment, and warn your allies for looming threats. You can select a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) who gain the following benefit: creatures who are hidden or invisible no longer gain advantage on melee attack rolls made against them. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.

Skilled Hands

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Bolster
Whenever you make a Wisdom (medicine) check, in order to stabilize a friendly creature, you can use your bonus action to gain advantage on the roll.

Song Herald

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Herald
As a bonus action, you target a creature to be your inspiration in battle. Whenever you heal your Song Herald or your Song Herald heals you, an additional number of hit points are regained, equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). This effect can only be triggered once a round. 
    Starting on your next turn, while this effect is active, your Morale is depleted by 1 at the end of your turn. This effect lasts up to a minute or until you choose to end it as a free action on your turn.

The effect also ends if your Morale reaches 0. You can only have one Herald command active at a time.

Strength in Numbers

Cost: 4 Morale
Type: Strike
Prerequisites: level 10, Call for Valor 
As a bonus action, you can call your allies to battle. All friendly creatures within 10ft. of you gain advantage on their next weapon attack. 

Sure Strike

Type: Strike
Whenever you take the Attack action you can choose to forgo a weapon attack to strike your enemy swiftly. Target a creature within reach of you, while wielding a melee weapon.
    Your strike causes the creature to take damage equal to your half your Strength modifier rounded up (minimum of 1). Additionally, you regain 1 use of your Morale.

Threatening Shout

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Protect
Prerequisites: level 10, Call for Fortitude. 
As an action you can produce a powerful shout. Any hostile creature within 20ft. of you, and who is able to hear you, needs to make a Wisdom saving throw against as DC of (8 + proficiency bonus + Intelligence modifier) or be forced to target you on their future attacks, if it’s able. A creature can use their action to attempt to break free from this effect, by re-rolling the saving throw. The effect has a duration of 1 minute.The effect also ends if the target is unable to see or hear you at the start of their turn or if you fall unconscious.

Time of Need

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Utility
As a reaction to a creature making an Attack roll, you can try to inspire them. Before knowing the result of the roll, you can allow the creature to roll an additional 1D4 and add the result to their to Hit roll.

Withdrawal

Cost: 1 Morale
Type: Protect
Whenever a  friendly creature, who is able to hear and see you, would normally trigger an opportunity attack from movement, you can command them to carefully disengage. Doing so allows them to not provoke an opportunity attack from that creature. A creature can only benefit from this feature once a round.

Words of Courage

Cost: 2 Morale
Type: Utility
As a bonus action, you can target a creature under at least 1 effect, gained as a result of a failed saving throw. The target can attempt to reroll the saving throw of one effect, if the effect allows for it. If the targeted creature succeeds on the saving throw, the effect ends.