When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to inspire your allies to fight on past their injuries. As a bonus action, you can choose up to three creatures within 60 feet of you that are allied with you. Each one regains hit points equal to a d10 + your Charisma mod. (a minimum of 1), provided that the creature can see or hear you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (a minimum of 1) and you regain all uses of this feature on a long rest.
Guardian’s Tactics
Starting at 3rd level From the training and the need to protect your allies your tactics you know are sound advice to defending yourself and your allies. These tactics are represented by your Guardian’s Tactics dice, which are each a d6. You have a number of these dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various tactics you have, which are detailed below.
You regain all your expended Guardian’s tactics dice when you finish a long rest. In addition, as a bonus action, you can regain one expended Guardian’s Tactics die, but you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Guardian’s Tactics dice increases: at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12). The powers below use your Guardian’s Tactics dice.
Commander’s Guidance. As a reaction you can use one of your Guardian’s tactics dice you can choose to add this number rolled to an ally’s AC who is within 60 feet until the start of your next turn. You must use the roll before you know if the attack hits or misses.
Guardian’s Assult. You use one of your Guardian’s Tactics dice, Once on each of your turns, immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon, you deal an extra amount of weapon damage to the target equal to the number rolled plus your Charisma modifier.
Guardian’s Command. As an action you can spend a Guardian’s Tactics die, to make an Intimidation or a Persuasion check adding the Guardian’s Tactics die to the roll, to cause a number of creature’s up to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1) within 60ft who can hear, and understand you to become frightened or charmed by you until the start of your next turn. A creature needs to make a wisdom saving throw against your Guardian’s tactics Save DC is 8 + Proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. A creature automatically makes the save if its immune to the condition your imposing on it, or if the creature is undead or a construct.
Royal Envoy
A Purple Dragon knight serves as an envoy of the Cormyrean crown. Knights of high standing are expected to conduct themselves with grace.
At 7th level, you gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, or Performance.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Persuasion. You receive this benefit regardless of the skill proficiency you gain from this feature.
Inspiring Surge
Starting at 10th level, when you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose one creature within 60 feet of you that is allied with you. That creature can make one melee or ranged weapon attack with its reaction, provided that it can see or hear you.
Commander’s Presence
Beginning at 15th level, you can extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally. When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll a failed saving throw and you aren’t incapacitated, you can choose one ally within 60 feet of you that also failed its saving throw against the same effect. If that creature can see or hear you, it can reroll its saving throw and must use the new roll.
Tactical Master
Starting at 18th level, when you use your inspiring surge you can choose two allies within 60 feet of you, rather than one. Your allies can instead choose to cast a spell up to your proficiency bonus if they are able to cast a spell. You regain this feature when you finish a long rest, or when you spend half your Guardian’s tactics dice equal to your proficiency bonus to regain the ability to reuse this feature.
This is just an overall fix to the original PDK from Sword Coast Adventures Guide, to give a bit more towards the idea of a defender of allies and the commander sort of Fighter sub-class that makes it fun to play and a help to your party.
I like the basic idea of the Tactics Dice, and the ability so share your abilities with others. This is my suggestion:
Tactics Dice start out at a D6, you can use them 3 times at 3rd level. Your Tactics Dice pool refreshes on a Short Rest. The effects of Tactics Dice cannot be used on yourself.
Rallying Speech: You spend 10 minutes before Initiative is rolled to give an inspiring speech, and this gives them a number of temporary hit points equal to the roll of your Tactics Die.
Guardian's Tactics: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to share your tactics with your allies to allow them to defend themselves. You roll your Tactics Die to give them a bonus to their Armor Class equal to +2 for a duration equal to the roll on your Tactics Die.
Tactical Assault: Starting at 5th level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give one of each ally within 30 feet of you a one time bonus to the damage on a successful attack.
Tactical Command: Starting a 7th level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give all allies within 30 feet of you a bonus to save based on your wisdom against Charm based effects, and if they save successfully, they remain immune to Charm effects from that creature until they take a Short Rest.
Tactical Envoy: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give each ally within 30 feet all of your skills based on Charisma, if they already are proficient in one of in them, they can use it based on their own level of proficiency. Those who benefit from this ability retain their extra skills until they take a Short Rest.
Inspiring Surge: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give each ally within 30 feet of you the ability to use their reaction to make one more attempt to hit with a melee or ranged weapon. When you use this ability you will require a Short Rest before you can use it again.
Commander's Presence: Starting at 3rd level, all allies within 30 feet of you who are reduced to zero hit points the ability to remain stable (they do not need to make Death Checks) as long as you remain within 30 feet of them.
Tactical Master: at 17th level, the number of Tactics Dice you have becomes equal to twice your Proficiency bonus above the number you already had, and will refresh when you complete a Short Rest.
To me the knight banneret should be an inspiring presence and leader, on and off the battlefield.
I would decouple Rallying Cry from second wind. Change to as a bonus action, with healing = proficiency bonus +cha modifier, and just make it 3 allies within 60 feet as long as you are not subject to silence or another effect that prevents you from speaking, usable a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Change Indomitable to “Indomitable Presence”, bonus equal to your cha bonus against frightened, charmed, stunned for self and allies within 10 feet. Increase to 30 feet at 18th level.
Decouple “Inspiring” from “Surge”. Inspire ally: At 10th level you can inspire one ally within 60 feet per turn by your presence and example, granting them to hit and damage bonus on one attack or skill check equal to your cha bonus. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. No action.
The problem with Purple Dragon Knight as it stands is a combination of two things.
It's not that they aren't strong. It's that they are designed around compounding effects. The more of them that you have the more of an affect that their abilities are going to have. Not only because you chain them but because they affect more people. This is not inherently a bad thing but it does make them less appealing to most PC's. Particularly considering the biggest Mentality behind building characters in general is not building as often with Aiding the group and synergizing the group in mind. That's often a secondary or incidental affect of complimentary classes or complete luck. Particularly in AL.
The Second Issue is that the Purple Dragon Knights need that world building that supports them that they are really meant to have. This is a group that really has a bunch of unwritten effects that a DM needs to put into a world to really experience and make useful. This is a member of a Respected and somewhat Feared Knightly Order. This is not just a One Man Fighting Machine that happens to carry the Title of Knight. It is literally an Actual Regimented Knight that has fair ability at functioning as a One Man Fighting Machine. When the Peasants respond to that kind of organization and that kind of reputation, And notable NPC's potentially take that into account for better or for worse. It adds so much more to the character and a lot of Mechanically undefined benefit to leverage that can make most Knights a lot more effective in Various arena's because they don't have to have heard of you in particular. Just the Order that you represent by Membership.
When you take these two things about the Theme in Mind. Your left with only two Options. Either Disconnect them from the Organization and all that Means which will change the Theme of them. Or if you want to carry that theme through then you have to build up the Organization that is behind the Subclass. To Go Somewhere in between it has to reach basically OP levels to represent a group where any one member is practically an Army. Which then usually causes problems with them working with a group of Adventurer's.
Revised Purple Dragon Knight
Rallying Cry
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to inspire your allies to fight on past their injuries. As a bonus action, you can choose up to three creatures within 60 feet of you that are allied with you. Each one regains hit points equal to a d10 + your Charisma mod. (a minimum of 1), provided that the creature can see or hear you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (a minimum of 1) and you regain all uses of this feature on a long rest.
Guardian’s Tactics
Starting at 3rd level From the training and the need to protect your allies your tactics you know are sound advice to defending yourself and your allies. These tactics are represented by your Guardian’s Tactics dice, which are each a d6. You have a number of these dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various tactics you have, which are detailed below.
You regain all your expended Guardian’s tactics dice when you finish a long rest. In addition, as a bonus action, you can regain one expended Guardian’s Tactics die, but you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Guardian’s Tactics dice increases: at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12). The powers below use your Guardian’s Tactics dice.
Commander’s Guidance. As a reaction you can use one of your Guardian’s tactics dice you can choose to add this number rolled to an ally’s AC who is within 60 feet until the start of your next turn. You must use the roll before you know if the attack hits or misses.
Guardian’s Assult. You use one of your Guardian’s Tactics dice, Once on each of your turns, immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon, you deal an extra amount of weapon damage to the target equal to the number rolled plus your Charisma modifier.
Guardian’s Command. As an action you can spend a Guardian’s Tactics die, to make an Intimidation or a Persuasion check adding the Guardian’s Tactics die to the roll, to cause a number of creature’s up to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1) within 60ft who can hear, and understand you to become frightened or charmed by you until the start of your next turn. A creature needs to make a wisdom saving throw against your Guardian’s tactics Save DC is 8 + Proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. A creature automatically makes the save if its immune to the condition your imposing on it, or if the creature is undead or a construct.
Royal Envoy
A Purple Dragon knight serves as an envoy of the Cormyrean crown. Knights of high standing are expected to conduct themselves with grace.
At 7th level, you gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, or Performance.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Persuasion. You receive this benefit regardless of the skill proficiency you gain from this feature.
Inspiring Surge
Starting at 10th level, when you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose one creature within 60 feet of you that is allied with you. That creature can make one melee or ranged weapon attack with its reaction, provided that it can see or hear you.
Commander’s Presence
Beginning at 15th level, you can extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally. When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll a failed saving throw and you aren’t incapacitated, you can choose one ally within 60 feet of you that also failed its saving throw against the same effect. If that creature can see or hear you, it can reroll its saving throw and must use the new roll.
Tactical Master
Starting at 18th level, when you use your inspiring surge you can choose two allies within 60 feet of you, rather than one. Your allies can instead choose to cast a spell up to your proficiency bonus if they are able to cast a spell. You regain this feature when you finish a long rest, or when you spend half your Guardian’s tactics dice equal to your proficiency bonus to regain the ability to reuse this feature.
This is just an overall fix to the original PDK from Sword Coast Adventures Guide, to give a bit more towards the idea of a defender of allies and the commander sort of Fighter sub-class that makes it fun to play and a help to your party.
I like the basic idea of the Tactics Dice, and the ability so share your abilities with others. This is my suggestion:
Tactics Dice start out at a D6, you can use them 3 times at 3rd level. Your Tactics Dice pool refreshes on a Short Rest. The effects of Tactics Dice cannot be used on yourself.
Rallying Speech: You spend 10 minutes before Initiative is rolled to give an inspiring speech, and this gives them a number of temporary hit points equal to the roll of your Tactics Die.
Guardian's Tactics: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to share your tactics with your allies to allow them to defend themselves. You roll your Tactics Die to give them a bonus to their Armor Class equal to +2 for a duration equal to the roll on your Tactics Die.
Tactical Assault: Starting at 5th level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give one of each ally within 30 feet of you a one time bonus to the damage on a successful attack.
Tactical Command: Starting a 7th level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give all allies within 30 feet of you a bonus to save based on your wisdom against Charm based effects, and if they save successfully, they remain immune to Charm effects from that creature until they take a Short Rest.
Tactical Envoy: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give each ally within 30 feet all of your skills based on Charisma, if they already are proficient in one of in them, they can use it based on their own level of proficiency. Those who benefit from this ability retain their extra skills until they take a Short Rest.
Inspiring Surge: Starting at 3rd level, you can expend one of your Tactics Dice to give each ally within 30 feet of you the ability to use their reaction to make one more attempt to hit with a melee or ranged weapon. When you use this ability you will require a Short Rest before you can use it again.
Commander's Presence: Starting at 3rd level, all allies within 30 feet of you who are reduced to zero hit points the ability to remain stable (they do not need to make Death Checks) as long as you remain within 30 feet of them.
Tactical Master: at 17th level, the number of Tactics Dice you have becomes equal to twice your Proficiency bonus above the number you already had, and will refresh when you complete a Short Rest.
<Insert clever signature here>
To me the knight banneret should be an inspiring presence and leader, on and off the battlefield.
I would decouple Rallying Cry from second wind. Change to as a bonus action, with healing = proficiency bonus +cha modifier, and just make it 3 allies within 60 feet as long as you are not subject to silence or another effect that prevents you from speaking, usable a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Change Indomitable to “Indomitable Presence”, bonus equal to your cha bonus against frightened, charmed, stunned for self and allies within 10 feet. Increase to 30 feet at 18th level.
Decouple “Inspiring” from “Surge”. Inspire ally: At 10th level you can inspire one ally within 60 feet per turn by your presence and example, granting them to hit and damage bonus on one attack or skill check equal to your cha bonus. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. No action.
The problem with Purple Dragon Knight as it stands is a combination of two things.
It's not that they aren't strong. It's that they are designed around compounding effects. The more of them that you have the more of an affect that their abilities are going to have. Not only because you chain them but because they affect more people. This is not inherently a bad thing but it does make them less appealing to most PC's. Particularly considering the biggest Mentality behind building characters in general is not building as often with Aiding the group and synergizing the group in mind. That's often a secondary or incidental affect of complimentary classes or complete luck. Particularly in AL.
The Second Issue is that the Purple Dragon Knights need that world building that supports them that they are really meant to have. This is a group that really has a bunch of unwritten effects that a DM needs to put into a world to really experience and make useful. This is a member of a Respected and somewhat Feared Knightly Order. This is not just a One Man Fighting Machine that happens to carry the Title of Knight. It is literally an Actual Regimented Knight that has fair ability at functioning as a One Man Fighting Machine. When the Peasants respond to that kind of organization and that kind of reputation, And notable NPC's potentially take that into account for better or for worse. It adds so much more to the character and a lot of Mechanically undefined benefit to leverage that can make most Knights a lot more effective in Various arena's because they don't have to have heard of you in particular. Just the Order that you represent by Membership.
When you take these two things about the Theme in Mind. Your left with only two Options. Either Disconnect them from the Organization and all that Means which will change the Theme of them. Or if you want to carry that theme through then you have to build up the Organization that is behind the Subclass. To Go Somewhere in between it has to reach basically OP levels to represent a group where any one member is practically an Army. Which then usually causes problems with them working with a group of Adventurer's.
A noble or soldier background helps with this. the two “knight” backgrounds actually don’t.
….but that isn’t a feature of the subclass.