Fighter Guide - Classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5e
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
- MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes! Coming to Kickstarter March 26th, 2024: www.kickstarter.com/projects/... An in-depth video guide to the Fighter class in Dungeons and Dragons 5e.
The fighter is the quintessential martial combatant, a stalwart warrior who faces supernatural challenges with bravery and steel. This video guide will help you choose the best ability scores, skills, feats, and other build options to prepare your fighter for the deadliest battlefields. We’ll also look at famous examples of fighters from fiction, movies, television shows, and more to inspire your next character, and as well as roleplaying ideas to help develop your fighter's background and personality.
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Игры
Choose your weapon! What magic weapon does your fighter most want to wield?
I really love fighters in this edition. They especially shine at mid and high levels. I see a lot of hate for fighters (especially champions) on certain message boards, but when you look at it most the complaints are from low level campaigns where paladins or rangers measure up very well in combat but also have spells.
But from personal experience, fighters really start to pull away around 11 and never look back. Our one campaign ran to level 18 and our champ with that necrotic greatsword from hoard of the dragon queen wrecked everything. He would often do more than 100 dmg in a single round even without action surge. At 18 he killed an ancient white dragon in one round, though he had some buffs (his wife cast foresight on him and my war cleric turned one of his misses into a hit with the +10; his wife also gave him a crit with her portent die and he turned another miss into a crit with lucky. The end result was 4 crits and 3 hits in one round).
Another game i played a battlemaster/bladelock and another player was a half orc champ with sword and board. He'd knock guys prone then beat on them with advantage, rolling 3d8 on a crit thanks to racial, I'd use GWM and either precision attack to help me hit if advantage wasn't enough or trip attack if the target had recovered already. Basically we just spent the whole campaign knocking guys down then smashing them.
My current game we have a halfling champ that currently uses TWF and shortswords. At 8 he plans to grab sharpshooter and at 10 take archery as his second style. It should make a really versitile fighter who shines in any situation. Currently we are only level 6 so we'll see how it goes.
Anyways, just wanted to say great vid and I agree that fighters are awesome and tons of fun. I've become especially fond of the much maligned champion. They are just fun and straight forward. Lets face it, if i wanted a million options I'd be playing a wizard. The 2nd style gives you a lot of flexibility in your playing style. That said, champions don't really shine until mid levels, so if you know your campaign will end before 10 there are probably better choices like paladin, Battlemaster, or barbarian.
FLAMING RAGING POISONOUS SWORD OF DOOM
Vorpal greatsword or flametongue greatsword. Or a Eldritch Knight with a flametongue in one hand and a frostbrand in the other.
Any blade really
But with an enchanted crystal (of his own design! )
Which deals aditional acid damage (later, maybe psychic, if i get some ilithid things)
The Charge Blade that my DM designed in a 9 tier system, that has become the character arc for my Fighter. And now it's been upgraded with some Warlock goodness because I took a death at 2nd level. Now he's a Fighter 2/Warlock 1. This Eldritch Knight just got a bit more Eldritch than originally intended.
“Why would we want to play a fighter?”
8 attacks in one turn... That’s why
24 if you play samurai at level 20
You get advantage every attack by activating the ability don’t remember its name
Then you do 2 action surges giv duo sdvnaage for extra attacks
@@Valiguss
You can’t action surge twice in one turn; and if you go Vengeance Paladin, nab Action Surge, get Hasted, and use the bonus action attack from GWM- that’s 6 attacks at advantage that you can smite on. You’d be missing out on 1 additional attack buuut you’d be able to deal waaay more damage than a Samurai due to the smites (or crit smites, so many D8’s).
But, at max a Samurai can have (with the advantage thing) 9 attacks. If you use, let’s say Sharpshooter, that’s a potential 9d10 + 90 + Modifiers of damage. Not bad.
yall sleeping on the echo knight, 4attacks one echo knight attack, action surge 4 more attacks and another echo knight attack, then throw in a bonus action attack or maybe you teleported, who knows
10 with Polearm Master.
And Champion gets crits at 18-20
Half Orc also gets an extra damage die with Crits
Its nuts.
@@hannahbobanana playing a level 20 one shot of Echo Knight. I'll remember this lol
The problem with these class guides is: you guys narrate this so well that every time I see one, I wanna play that class real bad
“MY FIST ARE RATED E FOR EVERYONE”
@@HWang-vs3yx, maybe also a Barbarian with Tavern Brawler, cuz i stopped fights, i threw a table and killed 3 orcs in the process, was a good session, really enjoyed the 5 bar fights we had over that campaign.... Bartenders hated me though, i used tables, chairs, and even a Goblin as a flail once
that 1 was Good not 2 Bad yeah your A fighter we could have on our team 1 for each of you as long as you have some int as well
@@gamergunn7139 Hold up! How are you just leaving us with "even a goblin as a flail once"? That is a story we need to hear, please tell us xD
So glad I found this,
I'm making a Tshrit of this 😎🤣🔥
@@CRayZWoLF1990 DONT FORGET TO SEND ME ONE :}
1st edition box set first character I ever made, a halfling fighter. I still have the character sheet from 32yrs ago.
Hell yeh, Frame it.
I have you beat by a few years. My Elf fighter from 1980 is about to make a comeback as well as his rod of lordly might. YAY!
My first character was a halfling fighter too
My fuckin' hero. I shall raise a mead in the halls of my ancestors for you.
That's awesome and hilarious, I actually just made a Halfling fighter for my first D&D campaign
the thing about eldritch knights: Fireball is a great spell... when the sorcerer took it eight levels ago. your best spells will be the abjuration ones.
Tommy hasn’t seen star wars yet EXACTLY.
Transmutation would make so much more sense than evocation. The option to the Eldritch Knight caste haste or fly on himself would make the class a lot better...
Rafael Siqueira EXACTLY. Super upvote. This is exactly what I was thinking when I wrote my comment (not sure why I left it out honestly). Transmutation is EXACTLY what the Fighter wants (maybe Illusion too though? Although you can select things like Invisibility through non-restricted selections); Evocation spells on a 1/3 caster are going to suffer, because most likely, you’re gonna want to prioritize STR/DEX, with CON second, so INT will be a Tertiary ability score at best. You’re gonna want spells that don’t rely on INT, and will buff you up so that you can enhance your fighting (like Haste or Fly) not take away from it (like wasting your action to do pitiful damage with a Fireball).
BlueBurton my guess is, as a lot of things in DnD, the school restriction being Evocation and Abjuration is more a thing of flavor than balance. I would want to the Eldritch Knight and the Arcane Trickster to choose what 2 schools they are getting specialized into, so now you can have a Death Knight bringing Necromancy and Evocation, a Rogue that can use Conjuration and Divination spells... honestly it would make both subclasses feel a lot better without breaking anything. It would still be a buff, but a minor one.
@@rafaelsiqueira2375 you know, I LOVE this idea. Letting them choose which two schools to specialize in would offer some even cooler roleplay options (a Necromancer warrior, with either Transmutation or Abjuration as their second school would be so awesome to play! Plus, you can flavor it so that you're a half-mad warrior, who wanders the land with a small horde of undead, which sounds like it would be incredibly fun in the all-too-rare-but-still-fun-to-play evil campaigns.
I feel like you guys missed the most iconic fighter being Achilles from Greek Myths. "IS THERE NO ONE ELSE?" - Achilles in the movie Troy.
You guys: Fighters are the front line, if they don't do feats of strength who will?!
Me, a barbarian: Hold my ale.
I agree with shoaib, except that any barbarian worthy of the name would take their beer into battle with them!
Yeah, but when you get them near to death, you can't beat a Magic Missile to seal the deal.
Me, a rogue that Alice handed her ale to: you have 30 seconds before I drink this.
Me as a paladin.
Me, a fighter: Hold mine as well, IM STILL GOING TO FIGHT!
Just had the idea of creating a fighter human character who was an experient soldier in his youth, but now is an out-of-shape, rough, regretful old man in his fifties or so who got the urge to fight again for a given reason, starts the game really subpar, average str, low dex, but high wisdom, being crude and wise, speaking always out of experience. Make him a battlemaster and take maneuvering, commanding and menacing strike as first maneuvers, pump his str to 20 and at every ASI, describe it as an intense and painful training montage along with the last of the mohicans theme song. Add an eye slap and a scar for good measure and you're good to go. The best blades are the ones who get folded over and reforged.
Abel Sampaio I can see a Variant Human based off Taskmaster with the Battlemaster subclass. Just carry an entire small armory on your person and switch weapons as the conflict suits him.
I see you Wolverine.
Geralt, here I come ;)
I recommend "eye of the tiger" for the training montage
sounds a lot like Caramon from the time of the twins book by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
I love playing a fighter with a high charisma. Most fighters in movies are fairly charismatic. Think John McClain from Die Hard. Great video as always, guys.
Great point! Fighters can be natural leaders, charlatans, diplomats -- they are much more than just intimidating brutes.
Luke Porter don’t you mean dudes?
Or... a prince!
@@DungeonDudes Really shouldn't be brutes that's what Barbarians are for. Your fighters are trained military officers or occasionally gladiators. I really disagree on low int and cha fighters in a big way.
Pretty sure John McClain has a low CHA. I mean, nobody seem to like him and he is socially awkward...
Best fighter story I have is:
There's a bardic college of whispers behind the scenes in an inn, but the in is an absolute lawless place with a fighting pit, our bard challenges everyone saying "you can't find anyone stronger than my friend here" pointing to my fighter; a full on orc barbarian comes out of the woodwork and after some armwrestling a full on fistfight breaks out; he goes into a rage and I only do half damage, but with a few lucky rolls and a couple of natural 20s, alongside a maneuver or two, I managed to beat him up; not only that, but the bard bet against me so he heals up the orc mid fight; all in all the DM was amazed and said "dude, you just won a 'supposed to lose' fight, you remind me to give you extra experience after the session"
That"s niceee !!!!!!!!!!!
mita0404 reminds me of the time the DM had a fight club in a tavern, and my Half-Orc Fighter came in and joined for three fights. I didn’t know this, but the third fight was with a frost troll, and I was level 4. I ended up rolling well and being creative with the arena (May have impaled the guy on spikes all around the arena) and nearly killed the guy. That pushed me to a level up, and my fighter grew a fondness for grappling anything
I have a fighter that got into a bar fight once. Against a half orc and he got smoked. Then we proceeded in the mission and one of the treasures we found. Was a ring of ram that added a d6 to your unarmed. I got the party to go back to the town and beat the breaks off of the half orc.
You talk about Captain America & then talk about dumping your Charisma. Cap should have at the very least a CHA: 13 so he qualifies for Inspiring Leader.
Cap is a paladin, zero doubt.
some kinda guy: .oath of redemption he never gave up on Bucky
Ryan Strauss but he isn’t exactly pacifistic, he grew up punching nazis. i’d say oath of devotion
Oath of crown for cap
Devotion
"The fighter can take a disintegration spell and maybe even survive" I thought this was hilarious as last week the fighter in my group fell off a ledge fighting a beholder and immediately got rekt with the disintegration ray lol
How about Achilles in Troy? By far the most profound fighter in history that used sword and shield with spear alternate. Love D&D strategies guys, thank you! 😎👍
Playing in my first campaign ever. Half-Orc Fighter w/ Great Axe, missing his left eye. He is called Hul, the Halfeyes. Been having a lot of fun so far.
@Human Resources The Rule of Cool gives him Advantage over dealing with physical disabilities.
Ooh, check out the lore about eyes of Gruumsh from 3.x, that would be really cool to add.
"I came here to kick ass and cast spells, and I ain't a magic user"
I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of bubble gum!!
Dear god I didn’t realize how powerful fighters could become! I’ll have to show this video to my DM so he can better plan for the future. Side note: I hadn’t really considered just how many origin options there are for the fighter, that is a pretty good way of looking at it. We really are just hindered by our imaginations. And once again, another fantastic discussion dudes! Perfect length for a listen while I walk my dog!
I have built about a dozen different Fighters recently. It's hard to run out of possibilities! Melee, ranged, single class, multi-class, heavy armor, light armor...it's ALL in there
Champion Fighter is mathmatically the best Damage Per Round class
They can also make for some genuinely scary foes as well. Build an Enemy Boss as a powerful Fighter with some powerful equipment and armor, and you have a foe who can be absolutely terrifying. I mean, just imagine how terrifying it would be to go up against a hostile Fighter who could withstand a ton of punishment and dish out just as much if not more so when their turn to attack rolls around. Or, if you want a really terrifying foe, a multi-class Fighter/Barbarian who can toss in a Rage to make themselves even deadlier and scarier. They could pretty easily be so scary that the party seriously considers trying to run from them rather than trying to fight them.
Lorenzo from Critical Role's second campaign would be a really good example.
fighter + hand crossbow + sharpshooter + crossbow expert + action surge = many dead things.
Love that you guys mentioned Cap as a fighter, because my friends and I are doing a superhero themed campaign and the one doing Cap is just a human fighter with like 12 feats and a ridiculous shield that always comes back (bonded weapon).
I heard this from a fighter in a sci-fi setting: "Close the file on that one..." *killing blow* "...and delete."
Hot
"Big damn hero", ah fellow Browncoats! :)
“We are just too pretty for God to let us die”
Dudes, you guys should insert a sick guitar riff right after you say "and we're the dungeon dudes!" Your videos are absolutely the best and thank you for all the amazing work!
I modeled a fighter after Ike of Fire Emblem, and he used literally every crit quote from the series before criting. Every. Single. Time.
I fight for my friends
Mind if I ask what the ability scores are?
I CHALLENGE MY FATE!
My favorite is “PICK A GOD AND PRAY”
*THE ENEMY!!!*
First character I ever made was a half orc champion fighter. He is and always will be my favourite character
My Dragonborn Death Cleric started with a single level of Fighter, to get Con Save proficiency and have Heavy Armor right off the bat.
Defensive fighting style, I started with an AC of 17 with my Halberd (Scythe). Then I picked up a Sword and Shield, and now my starting AC is 19.
The DM kinda *hates* how hard I am to hit at times. Then I throw on Sanctuary, and there's another level of tankiness. It's fun for me, though.
Great video! Been waiting for this one, fighters have always been my favorite class to play simply because of it's versatility. I recently played in a 8th level 2-shot campaign with a wis heavy Goliath samurai fighter with the courtier background. His backstory is that he came from a group of mountainous aisles inspired by skellige from the witcher where he served as a honor guard for one of the clan jarls. I role-played him as a gruff old warrior who cared very deeply about his clan's traditions that placed a heavy importance on honorable combat and good social etiquette.
What an awesome character!
Love the use of samurai here
not going to lie i made a fighter thats pretty much the opposite of of a brave warrior. hes 6 levels arcane archer one level into warlock for pact of the hex blade to make his bow charisma based and to grab the hex spell. hes got 8s in everything except an 18 charisma and 16 intelligence. i play him like a coward and a total ladies man at the bar. combat usually consists of either grasping or shadow arrow then i run and hide. occasionally pinging enemies. the only reason hes on the adventure is to remove a cursed necklace that forces him to only speak in lies. its been about 3 months and my party still hasn't figured out my motive
i love this.
i agree with link being a fighter, however the ranger hunter's whirlwind attack just fits sooooo perfectly! at one point i gotta make that character haha
Cu chullain is clearly a berserker barbarian.
Achilles is clearly a warrior
Straight up Warp Spasm
Nope. He's a lancer (and a caster... And an Alter...ok, the alter is actually a berserker)
@@muthafoca9409 xD
You guys really broke down this class well as a noob I appreciate it. Helps me get an idea about what kind of character I can make. Now I want to play a lizard folk fighter
I have this Hobgoblin War Wizard/Eldritich Knight multiclass that I want to try out so bad.
Also, I would say that Cap is more of a Paladin by temperament. If we’re talking about the MCU, specifically, this shows up in Winter Soldier and Civil War. And maybe, that just means he rolled high on his Charisma stat for a Fighter, but the way he talks about his ideals strikes me as Paladin-like.
Cap would be great inspiration for an Oath of the Crown Paladin. One of the reasons why we chose to talk about Cap in the Fighter episode is that he's a great example of a the superhuman elements of a high-level fighter. He doesn't have magic powers, but he is stronger, tougher, and faster than any normal human and fully capable of extraordinary feats.
@@DungeonDudes now he has mjolnir, jokes on you!
Great video tho :)
@@ScarleSimpMikaelOre ☝🏽 HAD
@@derekhandson351 fml
Can you do an update with the other fighters sub classes from XGtE?
Like arcane archer
Monty,Kelly thank you gentlemen for making these D&D tutorials, yourkind of the gold standard of information in educating my new players,informative and passionate about the knowledge you share. Keep up the fantastic work, your our favorite Sage's
Very nice video. I've been rocking a dragonborn fighter in my campaign, and the sheer amount of feats and proficiencies he gets allows him to deal with practically anything. I actually kind of like shield master and mage slayer for melee builds especially because it really help get around the main danger to fighters: spellcasters at range. If you are able to close the gap with a spellcaster, they are dead, and if they try to drop any attack against you that requires a dex save, the shield master will save you. After that you can go sentinel or mobile and you are the master of in the fray combat.
My first and only character I've played in D&D was a fighter and I level 7 I felt I had more options on the battlefield than I can remember. It made every action I took so exciting and I also made sure he had a lot of speed to go with the motif of a lightning based Warrior as an Eldridge Knight would lightning based attacks.
At one point we were fighting a vampire who was able to keep her distance and return into her coffin to rejuvenate her wounds in the middle of the battle. Using a few handy cantrips and making good use of my speed and athleticism I was able to cover the distance of the entire Battlefield in a few short turns and jam my Javelin just in the crack of the coffin before it closed shot stalling her rejuvination and allowing for another party member to come in for the kill as I rushed forward and pushed the javelin I stuck in the coffin across her neck and decapitate her. It was a beautiful first win for our party!
DamienZshadow nicely done
@@twilightgardenspresentatio6384 Thank you! I really cannot wait to play again.
Thanks for posting! You guys did a great job explaining the game play and role play of the fighter. As a vet you guys really won me over with the "love of country" motivation for going out in the world and killing some big bads. The fighter just feels so much more heroic than the other classes that have access to loads of spells and eccentric abilities (divine, arcane, latent bloodlines, etc) because they're just blue collar guys and gals that take something sharp and run it through the villain's face despite the overwhelming dangers present in the D&D universe.
"You're gonna die a pretty grisly death"
Pardon me, my good fellows, but my Eldritch Knight build would like a word with you:
Fighting Style
- Defense or Protection
Feats:
- War Caster
- Shield Master
- Alert or Mage Slayer (you could feasibly take both, but I wanted to leave breathing room for less than stellar stat roles)
Cantrips:
- Blade Ward (lvl 3)
- Booming Blade (lvl 3)
- Message (lvl 5)
Level 1 Spells:
- Shield (lvl 3)
- Thunderwave (lvl 3)
- Find Familiar (lvl 3)
- Alarm (lvl 4)
Level 2 Spells:
- Shatter (lvl 7)
- Blur (lvl 8)
- Scorching Ray (lvl 10)
- Continual Flame (lvl 11, dropped at lvl 13)
- Mirror Image (lvl 14)
Level 3 Spells:
- Counterspell (lvl 13)
- Dispel Magic (lvl 13)
- Sending (lvl 16)
- Haste (lvl 20)
Level 4 Spells:
- Fire Shield (lvl 19)
Depending on if/how your GM decides Blur and Mirror Image interact, you may well be an army all on your own, though a couple of these spells do come from supplement books, so if that grinds your gears, oh well I guess.
As it stands, this is already nigh impossible for most average enemies to drop, and covers all of the defensive bases, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum.
If you throw a more damage-heavy Paladin build (albeit one with a bit of support still built in- Oath of Devotion is recommended) onto the field next to it, you've got a nightmarishly strong frontline. Alternatively, you could take another similarly built EK or a more traditional support Paladin with the Protection fighting style, and you've now got a defensive line so strong it makes a castle wall look like tissue paper.
So... does this make me a dirty Min-Maxer/Power-Gamer, or just a really obsessive build crafter? Seriously, honest question.
Also, if anyone thinks I've missed something, or ought to make a tweak or two, let me know. I always love hearing other opinions on this stuff.
EDIT: The spell list above has been lightly edited in response to the constructive discussion below.
Thanks for the detailed build and comment. I highly recommend anyone interested in a spell list for an Eldritch Knight check out your selections.
To address your honest question, we don't think there is an inherent problem with min-maxing, and overall I'd consider what you've presented here to be the "quintessential" Eldritch Knight.
This character presents a very, very formidable defensive line. A frontal melee assault against against such a character is almost certainly going to fail, and there's just enough support here that hopefully between yourself and your allies you and protect yourself against dangerous magic brought to bear in response.
Characters such as this tend to fall in battle when they are caught in desperate situations which stretch their resources to the limit, or when they encounter foes or situations where their defensive abilities don't quite work as well as expected. For example, a creature with Truesight or Blindsight (such as most dragons and many high-level fiends) ignores both Blur and Mirror Image. In particular, I find that characters with great defences often take the biggest risks, and sometimes land themselves in over their heads. Recklessness and hubris are the flaws of many great heroes, and even a brilliant Eldritch Knight needs to know their limits!
Dungeon Dudes
True enough. Though my original comment was a bit boasty, it was mostly for comedic effect- whether it landed or not is another matter.
My style of play with the subclass, and the style of play I would suggest for most people, is largely conservative. EK doesn't have many Spells Slots compared to other classes, so expending them isn't a small thing.
As far as defense goes, you do take a solid hit in that department when dealing with creatures with blindsight or truesight, and I should have been more explicit with that in my original post. In my experience it doesn't come up _frequently_ outside of planar adventures, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be kept in mind.
I don't seem to see many parties run with the combination, but this is actually one of the reasons I'm such a big fan of the "Shieldbrother" dynamic in combat, as two Protection style PCs with Shield Master can pretty well cover themselves, eachother, and the party in general before even bringing magic into the discussion.
At the end of the day, D&D is a team game, and your gonna get smacked down hard if you don't play to that.
A quick question on spell choice:
A lot of people seem to really push for Absorb Elements of Eldritch Knight, and I can't for the life of me figure out why.
From a damage perspective, it's pretty measly unless you're willing to burn a higher level spell slot, which isn't a cheap proposition for EK. Even then, it might be useful against a Wizard or Sorcerer, but a lot of monsters have resistance to the elements they're spewing out.
From a defensive perspective, there just seems to be better options, especially when you get to higher level magic like Counterspell or Dispel Magic, which can also be used to protect allies. A good roll with Shield Master will cancel a lot of spells outright. And while I know that not everyone runs a sword and board EK (or even uses Feats for that matter) wouldn't that just make the Shield spell (and by extension, the spell slots ot requires) even more valuable?
I really don't see the draw here, but I also seem to be the black sheep on this matter.
I'm also curious if you would suggest any alternate 4th lvl spells. Fire Shield seems to be a no-brainer, but the Dimension Door pick has always felt a bit odd. I mostly suggest it because most of the other 4th lvl spells either have inane material cost (I'm looking at you, Leomund's Secret Chest), would be less than incredibly useful by the time one hit 20th lvl, or are concentration based- which is less than ideal for a frontliner (Blur being an exception due to its defensive capabilities).
Don't get me wrong, Dimension Door is a fantastic spell, but considering that it comes at the cost of your only 4th lvl slot, and it's utility is (largely) selfish in nature, it doesn't seem to be a great fit for EK.
EDIT:
Sorry for the book above, I get a bit talkative at times. In any case, I just wanted to add that this is the first video I've seen from you guys, but it certainly won't be the last. Consider me subbed.
Drake Ford
Eldritch knights are so under valued, they bring great flexibility to the main class
One example would be absorb elements,
In the spell description you gain resistance to a damage type that harms you as a reaction, with a 1st level spell slot, the extra d6 are just a bonus to it
It works great whenever you face ANYTHING that isnt bludgeon piercing or slashing
Handy against pretty much any higher tier monster (like dragons) and all kinds of spell casters
Any spellsif higher level dont come in to use? Cast others at higher levels, sure shield does not give other benefits like this but in a pickel, would you really care?
Dont feel like you are powergaming or anything , just consider
You are a fighter , a skilled combattant meant to do 2 things defeat your enemy and survive
All those spell choices generally make sense considering they are meant to help your survivability
In a battlefield , why WOULDN'T you pick blur or mirror image?
You have plenty of offensive capabilities , and adding survival always makes sense for a fighter
A feat for eldritch knights :
Magic initiate
1 first level spell slot of ANY class plus 2 cantrips (you know how we love those!)
In sage advice it stated that with magic initiate,if you have more 1st level spell slots ,you can cast your magic initate spell again, but never at a higher level
So you can fill in any gaps you need or just make that character concep you always wanted.
Another thing to consider are items,scrolls are allways handy ,spell storing items , and dnd is a game with people , you can create your own items and can recive help from others , put that intelligence to good use!
So yeah.
Ramblings done .
Hope it was of use.
Telkei
I hadn't considered using Magic Initiate to work around to Absorb Elements, but it's not a terrible idea now that you mention it.
The spell itself still seems largely outclassed by the Shield Master feat considering how many elemental Spell Saves are Dexterity based, but I've been meaning to give Polearms a go anyhow, and that might be a good pick to fill the Shield Master slot.
Drake Ford
Im unfamiliar with the shield master feat but absorb elements gives resistance regardles of the success or failure on saving throws if thats what you worry about
Consider the resilient feat that gives a plus 1 to a stat that you want to gain proficieny on a saving throw
Also absorb elements is a 1 level spell slot gained at level 3 versus counter spell and dispel magic which you only get at level 13 (this isnt too important if you start around there)
And 3rd spell slot is contested with spells like haste or fly or even fireball
Again once you can only cast these 3 times or 4 if level 20 versus all your spells to survive and get your party members to safety
Though you want to play a protector character it seems
The difference between shield and absorb elements is what it defends you from
Anything with an attack roll is where shield lies
Absorb elements reigns on All elemental damage
For example: cromatic orb spell
It is a spell attack so it requires an attack roll to deal cold ,lightning acid ,fire and thunder damage of your choice for 3d8 points of damage (an extra d8 for higher level cast)
Depending on how high the enemy rolls is what you decide
I do not know your characters stats but for this ill say your ac is 15
If the enemy rolls anything lower than a 20 with modifiers it fails
You use your reaction and you gain a plus 5 to ac until your next turn starts
Anything higher than that or god forbid a natural 20 ( would mean double damage dice so a MINIMUM of 6d8, its a good spell)
(Let me just *rolls die* 17 damage , if it were a crit *roll again*32 points of damage so half this if you use your spell )
You pick absorb elements to gain half damage of whatever element is used until the start of your next turn
You gain an additional d6 of elemental damage for your next melee attack (considering you seem to be going close combat thats good for you)
This also ties in to higher levels fighting paladins , wizards elementals clerics dragons and hazardous terrain like lava or poison gas, sure some creatures might be immune to this but that means you get resistance and no concentration required, in fact it HELPs keep it since it lowers the dc
(Indominable+ resistance +d10 hit die +good ac+ shield+ blur or dodge+ mirror image = 2018 character most likely to survive in combat )
Their lies the reason why these two spells are always a great pick for an eldritch knight or a fighter/caster
Sorry if i repeated a lot but i really just want to understand what you want (even if just to sate my curiosity )
Maybe give me more details and maybe i can help.
So just a side note before I start, I've started to watch all of your guys videos because of how well they are made, how entertaining you guys are, and how deep you go into what you talk about. Keep up the good work! (Also sorry but expect a number of comments XP)
Now onto the task at hand, While Fighters are some of the hardest hitting classes in the game, mainly because they become total buzz saw blades with legs, They can also be some of the best defenders in the game. One of my friends noticed this and with the release of Xanathars came up with this little multi-class. The Knight of Redemption. Aka, A Cavalier Fighter mixed with a oath of Redemption Paladin. This is a self sacrificing knight who rides into battle to be the innocents Shield, as well as their Blade. The paladin's natural damage boosts, which make use of the bonus actions that the fighter may or may not make full use of the bonus action as well as it's Action surge and normal action, The paladin also comes with Summon steed and at say level 9, Summon GREATER steed, falling further into the archetype of the Knight upon his mighty steed coming in to save the day. Plus with the extra attack feature that the paladin has, it also stacks with the Fighters and can still allow it to use 4 attacks at level 20 (sooner actually, earliest at level 15). And with all defense and healing tools the paladin gives along side with the fighters survival make you a true savior to your team and a bane to your enemies..
Very cool concept! Can't wait to hear more comments :)
Paladin/ Fighter is a very potent combination indeed. It has an absolutely stunning burst of damage by combining Action Surge and Divine Smite, and I really like your self-sacrifice idea with the Oath of Redemption! It's tricky to decide if you'd want more Fighter levels or more Paladin levels, as the spellcasting options of the Paladin are very tempting indeed.
Just one thing to watch out for: the Extra Attack class feature doesn't stack. Check the Player's Handbook age 164. The only way to get a third and fourth attack is with 11 and 17 levels of Fighter, respectively.
A thank you for the Rule about extra attack. I guess my past Dm's have always just homebrewed that rule away so there was no "wasted levels" persay.
My friend made a fighter whenever he heard the word evil he'd yell, "EEEEEEVVVIILL!!!!!" in character at the top of his lungs.
Griffin of Glasgow MERMAID MAN AND BARNACLE BOY... UNITE!
I love this so much
Awesome as usual dudes! Thank you :-)
love your content, have never been able to play d&d personally but will always want to, you aere helping me form my hypothetical character
Nah fighters have to have a good wisdom, charisma isn’t the worst but wisdom is we’re it’s at, battle strategy and tactics, I don’t just slam people with my sword I stab between the Folds in their armor or I block his swing and as I spin my blade around I mess up his grip and force him to drop his weapon or I plan out our attack strategy
Strength will only get you so far! Might must be tempered with wisdom, and the bravery to carry the day!
Dungeon Dudes recently found y’all and my favorite thing is how professional and direct y’all are, keep it up.
Especially if you go Samurai!
Especially because without it, you will be one-shotted by enemy wizards.
Cade Carter imo, INT is the stat for strategy and tactics, although WIS would also be important for it as well. Plus, you DO NOT want to fail a WIS save. I take Resilient (WIS) with most, if not all, of my Fighters.
An awesome example/inspiration of roman-era fictional fighter: Maximus from Gladiator.
It is a character full of motivation, background story, rivalry, creed, as well as awesome examples of fighting maneuvers and tactics. "Strength and Honor"!
Thank you for making these guides, Dudes, they are fun, informative and well made :D
Thank you guys so much for your great advice. You really break down books worth of reading and help players channel a strong character. : )
You had me at slayer of the manticore
So I'm about to start a campaign with a group of friends and I've never wanted to play a fighter, but I was the last person to choose and our DM was like, you guys are probably going to want a fighter, so I took one for the team and committed to picking a fighter (I prefer ranger or rogue characters). Anyway, after watching this, I'm really excited to role-play a fighter! And as always, great vid!
Hi guys! This one was very enjoyable. I started playing 5e nearly 2 years ago after a 33-year-ish D&D hiatus. Needless to say, the whole game got more detailed and complex. One of the most welcome changes were the multiple ones to the fighter class. Some of the abilities just did not use to exist. It's the class that I'd say most folks start with and I could really see a lot of folks always choosing it since you can really craft whatever kind of fighter you'd like to.
Gimli and Legolas are great examples and especially when you think of the ways they fight. Legolas is clearly a long-range guy whereas Gimli is an up-close guy all the way. It's a really good example when you think of their fighting styles in the Battle of the Hornburg in The Two Towers.
Great video!
My fighter was a modeled as a Viking.
His father wants him to prove himself in battle to show he is ready to lead the clan
Level 20 Fighter using Great Weapon Master with a +3 Greatsword
2d6 (weapon damage) + 5 (Strength modifier) + 3 (weapon bonus) + 10 (GWM) = 20 to 30 damage per hit, with a +9 to hit.
Potentially that's 120 damage per round, 240 damage with Action Surge, which you can do twice at 17th level (just not in the same round). So in 2 rounds a fighter can dish out 480 damage. On top of that, most high-level weapons have special abilities that do extra damage, which could push the damage in 2 rounds past 500!
Which is why I LOVE playing two-handed-weapon fighters. There are some (not many) who despise them and prefer sword-and-board, but I think the damage output compensates for the lower defenses. Just my opinion, and perhaps someone will prove mathematically that I am wrong.
I played this but with a longbow +3 and sharpshooter 17lvl fighter and 3 in rogue assasin
Lol 😂 if ur playing a fighter ur better play something balanced so you can take on multiple types of threats
I started playing a fighter, since my new group kinda needed someone up front and i have some experience and wanted to see what i can do with this (at first glance) vanilla class.
So what i came up with, after some browsing and stumbling over a certain picture was a polearm fighter, that happens to be blind. With my DM we mapped out the playstyle and rules for that. Basically my character (variant human) is adapted to his blindness comparable to Daredevil. Personalitywise he is kinda distant and hardly opens up, due to his past - he is a disgraced soldier of a foreign nation, who has "seen" too much. But his fighting style resembles his inner wish to protect the ones around him, especially the ones that need his help. Needles to say i went for polearm master and sentinel is up next - then probably great weapon feat. Roleplaying a blind character btw is really interesting, because if you take it seriously you dont make eyecontact and always have to keep your limitations (but also benefits - basically darkvision of sorts) in mind.
Excellent useful content, thanks guys!
Ive been wanting to play a melee character for my next campaign. I've never played a fighter. I've only really played spellcasters and the occasional ranger or rogue. Pretty much always done ranged combat. This guide has really helped me out deciding on how to build my next character.
fighter: love the smell of fireballs in the morning
Action surge in the PHB says “and a possible bonus action”. We take that at our table to mean conditional bonus actions like the weapon attack from great weapon master for dropping a creature or critting.
You dont get a 2nd bonus action, only a 2nd action
Really helpful, I think you sold me on the fighter!
I have a Goliath champion in a campaign and I'm really liking it so far
Lots of opportunities to really beef my man up
I love playing as this character, he's really fun and I really look forward to playing him more
ANY LOVE FOR THE ELDRITCH KNIGHT YET?
YES
Dude, yes, but why did you say so to your own comment? And as for my idea for an EK, I'm planning on doing a spear and shield, with my spear being bound to me. That way I can throw it and summon it back
I use an Eldritch Knight who is inspired by a combination of Thor and Kratos from the new GoW. Binding my Battleaxe and after consultation with my DM taking the "thrown weapon master" feat from the critical role: Thaldorei campaign guide. It's almost unfair how many options i get to bring the pain.
Conner Wilcox
Someone showed they did and considering that i see nothing but bad things on them i maaaaaay have overreacted
Also are spears dexterity based?
justin credible
I am unfamiliar with the feat. Can you explain?
I imagine chucking these axes is gonna make mince meat ot of aome goblins
I have my character be an inventor so he can build magical items to fill any gaps he may have and spell scrolls
Never forget that you can cast spells and make equipment for yourself
You could have your battle axe with an enchantment so it has extra dammage like a lightning javelin
Or if you REALLY want to bring the pain, magic initate: hex
Or hunters mark
I made a deep discusion on the polearm mastery feat video under the dungeon dudes pinned comment but nontheless
Both give 1d6 of damage on hit with an attack (as a fighter this is great considering extra attacks)
No saving throw
Bonus action spell
Hex: damage is necrotic
disadvantage on ANY skill check of your choosing
Hunters mark
Unspecified dammage (talk to dm)
Advantage to perception checks and survival checks to find the markes creature
Plus two extra cantrips that, as an eldritch knight , you can never have too many
DM: Immortality is right in front of you, do you want to live forever?!
Fighter: Glory without death has no meaning...
Monk to the DM: "Okay, Sgt Daly."
You guys are my favorite source of information. Could you please discuss your view on the half orc race?
Right now i'm playing a fighter with de Hermit background. I talked to the GM and he gave me the Ritual Caster feat so my character could call a familiar or talk to the trees. the face of the rest of the party when we had to fight and my character just grabbed his axe and started killing everything was priceless. they all fell to think i was a Druid.
You definitely have to watch out for trip attack if you're using a polearm; you only get advantage on a prone enemy if you're within 5 feet of it, otherwise you have disadvantage.
Nice catch! You are correct, and many DMs and players probably forget about this!
Personally as a DM I would say any melee attack on a prone creature has advantage and any ranged attack has disadvantage because of its smaller profile (maybe excluding huge and/or gargantuan creatures). That's just how I would do it, even if the rule states otherwise.
Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Especially if you're a dex build going against someone maxed out in strength.
I kind of want to make a fighter modeled after Goblinslayer.
Did you do it?
Officially he's Fighter/Ranger.
@@avozsaj You can pretty much obtain that with a full fighter, subclass : scout ( UA, I think, but not too unbalanced, probably a little weak, as far as fighters are concerned ), it would be better than this lame multiclassing ;).
@@gerardmanvussa501 In the Year One spin-off if I remember right, he put Fighter/Ranger on his character sheet, I mean registration form. Pretty sure because of Favoured Enemy. :p
@@avozsaj You're probably right, but it wasn't my point ;). I'm not found of multiclassing to begin with but even then, fighter/ranger isn't particularly relevant. There's less to win than to lose in such multiclassing, so since there is a fighter subclass which can give the same flavor without the inconvenience... Even if, of course, Goblin Slayer isn't an archetype fit for D&D. If Goblin Slayer would evolve in a RPG system ( which may be the case :p ), it would be a system largely harsher than D&D's which is pretty soft, as far as RPG systems are concerned.
This video has been really helpfull for me a new player :) My alcholic tiefling fighter will benefit alot from this!
Guys got my subscription just from talking about my favorite class like the true badasses that they are ❤️❤️❤️
6:20 Link is a paladin ranger dual class. He's the hero chosen by the Gods smiting evil with the sword of evil's bane. But he also uses a bow a lot and talks to animals.
Link is a fighter NOT a paladin
@@stephaniebri5837 He use magic. He's chosen by a glowing substance. He has a sword that evil cannot touch. He's a paladin.
Maybe the breath of the wild version is a fighter I haven't played thouse.
WRONG! Link NEVER uses magic in any game, ge uses MAGIC ITEMS, just like a fighter. Paladins can heal, link cannot do that. He has ALWAYS been a straight fighter
further more, he kills innocent guards under a wizards spell, an inherently evil act, Paladins can't do evil acts. he has to rely on magical means to heal, from outside forces, paladins can heal. he cannot cast spells, paladins can.
@@stephaniebri5837 Eh he can learn spells in Zelda 2. He also has spells in Ocarina of Time. He even has a magic meter in most games.
And Paladin's can kill charmed innocents just fine in modern DnD. And also bear in mind that Link cannot harm non hostile creatures.
But more than anything he is the Hero Chosen by the Gods. If anything is a job descrption for Paladin that is.
I had a dwarf fighter with a 18str and 20 con and the toughness feat we only got to level 5 in that campaign but I managed to roll max on all my hit die so I had 85 hp with a Ac of like 21 from dwarvern plate and a magic shied
Love your videos! I’m learning so much about D & D. Please do a video on how to create dragonsborn sorcerers if you dont have one
Great jobs lads !
Slainte~
I'm kind of glad I don't have any fighters in my parties I DM for....haha. The higher level they get, the more it sounds like you have to design encounters *specifically leveraged towards them* since they'll just kill evvverrythinggg
They were exaggerating more than a little bit. Most characters if kitted out for damage can do as much damage in a round as a fighter. The fighter can do more only with that action surge, and for most games, that's just once per fight. The real strength of a fighter is their ability to stand in front of the group and take the most heat due to their generally higher armor class and hit points. That's where I have to ask you, if you have no fighters in your group, just who is standing at the front?
Paladins
You think that is bad. Party that with a light cleric and a circle of the moon druid... I'm at my wits end trying to find something to challenge them.
@@TommyTheCat83 I have that combo too. Monsters in 5e are woefully underpowered - I've just started adding an extra damage dice to the attacks they make and boosting their saving throws by half the party's average proficiency bonus.
@@panpiper also quite nice to play a dex based ranged fighter. 'Paired with the close quarters fighting and a ranger dip for more options im currently really enjoying how awesome these 2 classes supplement each other.
Great video... this really helped me solidify the idea for my new fighter tonight. Thanks friends!
I'm going for the larger than life thing, so I'm going to name him Archibald Leonidas Santanahue IV and have him be a fighter motivated for the sport of it all, rather than some great tragedy. I'm looking forward to playing "by the rules of modern warfare", and getting disgusted at anyone engaging in 2v1 or sneaky tactics.
As for the one-liner, ProZD fans might have noticed the first name...
"I think that enemy got... the point!"
Say that everytime you get a crit, please
Readyskull00 Hahah, done deal my friend! I think I’m gonna lean into him only having the one catch phrase and really not understanding how uncool that is to say over and over
I'm a tabaxi Fighter just starting out with my first campaign n I'm rly liking it! Going for a dexterity build wielding a unique style javelin wish me luck!
Came to learn about fighters, learned Jim Halpert plays D&D.
My fighter almost died on first session of campaign...now he has keen interest in vines :D
Fighters are just the classic get things done archetype. They don't have time for super fancy spells or bloodline of magic. A pact with a ancient being or to pray to gods for divine blessing. They pick up a weapon when times are dire and then have it at in the most practical way.
In regards to their stats, I'd say they probably want decent wisdom score. Str/Dex > Con > Wis or Con > Str/Dex > Wis. Because from my experience DM'ing so far (still a newbie DM) and from watching D&D. Wisdom saves probably one of the most important I see pop up because usual involve charms or paralyzing effects like Hold Person. Nothing worse than having the Fighter turn around run at your party's squishy back line.
Wisdom saves come up a LOT more than Intelligence and Charisma saving throws for sure. It's just that when Int/Cha saves come up, the effects attached to them tend to be "get stunned and take a tons of psychic damage" or "get banished to the elemental plane of fire". Wisdom saves are most commonly Fear-type and Charm-type effect. Hold Person and Dominate effects being the really terrifying ones, which unfortunately are ALSO things you don't want to happen to the fighter.
It's a tough call: unless you rolled really well it's difficult to have exceptionally good mental defences as a Fighter. It's just the "weakness" of the class, which is why you do get features like Indomitable to shore it up in a pinch.
Indeed a tough call. Unless you're my friend. Who is currently rocking a Dwarf Fighter (Eldritch Knight) with 20 Strength, 20 Con, 12 int, 14 wis, 13 cha, 10 dex at level 7...Fortunately for me, he is as new to playing D&D as I am, so he often gets in over his head sometimes where his godly stats can't save him completely. (I may regret at times letting them roll stats...)
Anyway, keep up the good work. Recently found you dudes, enjoyed what I watched. New sub, thought I'd comment on a video or two. :)
Action surge can be used to use the ready action to attack on enemy or friendly creatures turns if you want an interesting multiclass to get 2 sneak attacks in a round.
I know this is an older video but I was hoping y'all could do a video about how you would specifically make a samurai subclass fighter. Or just go over the new subclasses in xanathars guide to everything.
Inpired by you guys, I just made the "Lengendary One Liners table" for Fantasy Grounds with a 100 cool things to say after a kill. This brings a good laugh every time.
My Wood Elf Fighter 's motivation is that she was stripped of her rank due to betrayal of her closest friend and now works to reclaim her honor and seek out justice against her friend.
Look at that huge red dice. Awesome.
With my Half orc Eldritch Knight I went for the Fey Touched feat, and it worked just miracolusely! It gives me a teleport, and gives an other spell, as an eldritch knight it was awesome , I played a sword and board tanky character and the compelled duel spells worked just fine, but there is a lots of great options with it!
What about duel wielding?
They have a video on that, if you haven’t seen it. I know this is late
I play a Goliath Fighter Sword and Shield - Brute Archetype
Going to play a Goblin fighter with a two-handed weapon next campaign, greatly appreciate the video :)
My bro in law invited me to a game of 5th, so on a whim I decided to use roll-offs for the backstory on the Soldier for the dragonborn fighter (I'm more familiar with Pathfinder, so figured that'd be an ok test of the system). No joke, it gave me being haunted by memories of war due to some terrible mistake that led to horrible defeat on the battlefield, and valuing independence over blindly following orders.
Lads and ladies, I think Calistor the dragonborn secretly wanted to be a rogue in a past life.
I like this video, you guys get pretty detailed with a lot of the fighters skills. However, I feel like you spend a lot of time on feats, which are an optional rule that not everyone has access to.
Yeah, now that we are doing dedicated videos on Feats, we are spending less time talking about feats in the class guides. Some classes really love feats (like fighters).
@@DungeonDudes Posts that did not age well. :P
I'm running a campaign with a level 3 goliath fighter. HE WILL NOT DIE
That’s a pretty nice vidja guys
i think fighters can be pretty smart, especially if you eldritch knight it up!
i really love halberd using fighters, or just any polearm using fighter. When you pick up polearm master you are pretty deadly
Fighter flavor: My goliath is called "The yeti" since he wears a Yeti pelt, and is so damn large, people mistake him for one.
Barbar-Fighter Flavor: Totem Of the Bear Barbar with a bear cloak for his totem. Exact same story, but as a black bear.
*Now, Would You Kindly leave a like on this video?*
"If Fighters don't use Feats of Strength; who else will?"
Barbarian:
[Slams his tankard down on the table, while quietly and abruptly standing up.]
I am currently playing a Leonin from Mythic Odysseys of Theros and so far they are pretty good. A +1 Strength and +2 Constitution made him pretty solid.
Actually, it should go along the lines of "I have a special set of feats"
Honestly before your video I thought fighters we kinda meh, after your video I was like wow 8 attacks, or as you said knock someone prone and 7 advantage crit attacks, just shut up that is crazy!!!
Fighters are so OP
Thanks for giving me a new love for the fighter class
7 advantage crit attacks is pretty much only once a fight, the rest of the time it would be 3 advantage crit attacks. A cute trick however is to play a single hand weapon and shield fighter who took the dueling style, and also took shield master. Shield master lets you shove (knock them down) with a 'bonus' action, so you could knock an opponent down each turn and then get all four attacks! Shield master is also really nice for what it does for many saving throws.
I
or more with polearm master
Just got introduced to your channel, great channel!!! i was wondering if i wanted to build a dragonborn Eldritch Knight, how would i do that?
Just in case it might inspire others to try different fighter/race combos I'm currently playing a stout halfling fighter. Rn he has 18 in str, con and Dex at lvl 7. He's 3"2' and is one of the strongest members of my party
I disagree with Intelligence being low. A fighter is no Barbarian, they should have knowledge on how to maintain their weapons and armour and have a plethora of battle tactics memorised. Weaknesses, formations, sizing up enemy strengths etc.
@Natasel I'm not entirely sure you can refer to Charlemagne, the Father of Europe, as an illiterate hick :lol:. His rule is often termed the Carolingian Renaissance due to the flowering of education and culture he promoted. But, aye, your point is well taken that sometimes the 'warrior' was somewhat one dimensional - the stereotype of the Hired Muscle has deep roots :D.
blades are fun
but can anyone recommend me some cool longbow stuff that I can point my dm to? we already discussed that I can enchant arrows upon meeting an artificer or something
There aren't a lot of magic bows in the Dungeon Master's Guide short of the Oathbow, but there's really nothing stopping you from homebrewing any of the normally melee-only weapons into a longbow variant. I think Frost Brand the Flame Tongue work great as bows, for example. I could also see just taking the power from the Javelin of Lightning and applying that to an arrow.
Dungeon Dudes thank you so much I'll definitely look into that :з
Xanathar's Guide also has the Arcane Archer Archetype. Imbuing Arrows with different magic effects, one from each school of magic
Back in 2nd edition my original DM let me have a "Great Bow" fir my single class human fighter. It was the same as a long bow but allowed me to add my strength bonus to damage as well.
Returning arrows! :)
My most recent character is a bugbear fighter. The splash of stealth bonuses and 5 ft. extra reach with wepons is fun to play with. Not to mention + 2 to strength.
Gishtar of white mountain was my favorite fighter. A Goliath Fighter (Eldritch knight) was my favorite character I ever created. Casting shield your fully armored makes you a mega tank.