Base Class: Fighter
Commanders are at home on the battlefield, with a group of allies or minions by their side. While bards simply inspire the courage of their companions, commanders know what tactics have the best chance of leading to victory, and know how to motivate people to fight well. Most commanders are members of the military, but many tribal chieftains, rebel leaders, and ship’s captains have the skills and talents of commanders.
In an adventuring party, the commander is not necessarily the leader, though he is the person to listen to when large or complicated combat looms. Players of commander characters are encouraged to research some classic military tactics, because no amount of stat bonuses can balance out genuinely poor planning.
Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you already have proficiency in the Performance skill, you instead gain proficiency in the Deception, Persuasion, or Stealth skill (your choice).
Leadership Performance
You have a number of leadership performances equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain one expended leadership performance when you finish a short rest, and you regain all of your expended leadership performances when you finish a long rest.
Leader Tactics
You learn 1 tactic of your choice, from the list detailed under “Tactics” below. The tactics affect {{scalevalue}} allies of your choice within 30 feet of you who understand a language you speak, and you can choose yourself as one of the allies.
Iron-Willed Leader
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to help allies break free of one mind-affecting effect. Make a Charisma (Performance) check. If your check beats the DC of the saving throw, your chosen allies within 30 feet of you break free of the effect as if they had succeeded with their saving throw.
Maneuver Leader
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to grant your chosen allies within 30 feet of you the ability to use their reaction to move up to their speed while either taking the Disengage action, making a single weapon attack, or casting a cantrip with a casting time of one action.
Nimble Leader
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to help allies avoid attacks. Your chosen allies within 30 feet of you may take the Dodge action as a reaction or as a bonus action on their next turn.
Operations Leader
When you take this tactic, you devise a set of communication cues. Any allies who have received this training—usually taking ten minutes of discussion and practice—do not need to share a language with you to benefit from one of your tactics.
Additionally on your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to make it easier for you and your allies to help each other with certain skills. While this coordination is in place, your chosen allies can take the Help action as a bonus action to help each other. This coordination requires you to maintain concentration, and both chosen allies—the one with the skill proficiency and the one making the ability check—to be within 30 feet of you at the time of the ability check. You can use your bonus action to change which allies benefit from the coordination each turn. You can concentrate on this coordination for up to 10 minutes. The skills that can benefit from this are Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Stealth, and Survival. This might be used to help the team navigate difficult terrain, maintain a façade while undercover, or perform an ambush.
If you have proficiency with the Stealth skill, this coordination can happen silently via surreptitious signals. If you have proficiency in the Deception skill, this coordination can happen as a serious of code words interspersed with other conversation. An onlooker would need to succeed on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your ability check— whether Dexterity (Stealth) or Charisma (Deception)— to realize the coordination is taking place.
Stalwart Leader
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to steel the resolve of your allies. Make a Charisma (Performance) check. Your chosen allies within 30 feet of you can gain temporary hit points equal to the result.
Strike Leader
On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one leadership performance to coordinate the attacks of your chosen allies within 30 feet of you against a creature. Until the start of your next turn, your chosen allies make attack rolls with advantage against the creature.
Advanced Tactics
Beginning at 7th level, you are quick to action to set the stage for your allies. You have advantage on initiative rolls.
Inspire Sacrifice
At 10th level, when you are targeted by an attack or by a spell or effect that requires a Dexterity Saving throw, an ally within 5 feet of you may use their reaction to interpose their body between you and the attack or effect, granting you 3/4 cover and the following effects. This decision is made by the ally before the attack roll or saving throw is made. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a short or long rest.
Attacks: You gain a +5 bonus to AC for the attack. If the attack would hit your original AC but misses your boosted AC, the attack hits your ally instead.
Saving Throws: You gain a +5 bonus to your Dexterity saving throw. Your ally must also make a Dexterity saving throw against the same spell or effect and has disadvantage on the roll.
Widen Command
At 15th level, the range at which you can affect allies with your tactics increases from 30 feet to 60 feet.
Tactical Genius
At 18th level, you can use your action to direct allies within range of your inspiration to perform swift and complicated maneuvers. Up to 4 allies within 60 feet of you may use their reaction to move their speed and take an action, and you can be one of these 4 allies. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest.
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