Martial Archetype: Faith Militant
At 3rd level, a fighter gains the Martial Archetype feature. Here is a new option for that feature: the Faith Militant.
Faith Militant
The archetypal Faith Militant devotes oneself to an entity of higher existence. While not chosen as a paladin, Faith Militants train themselves harsh and rigid to stand the first in line at the moment of battle, in pursuit of the glory of their sacred crusade. Their devotion, apparently, was answered by their deity, for they are granted divine power to aid themselves and other comrades in combat.
Being a Faith Militant is suffering, many would agree. Faith Militants, too, agree that saying. Not all mortals agree on their cause, and some of the most heathen adversaries would downright deny and mock their belief. But they can't stop the determined crusaders. They're on a mission from their deity.
Divine Mission
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, choose a domain from your chosen deity's list of eligible domains. Alternatively, the following domains are thematically appropriate and easily compatible with the concept of this archetype: Light, Tempest, War.
Spellcasting
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability cast spells.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn an additional cleric cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Preparing and Casting Spells. The Faith Militant Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of cleric spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the cleric spell list. When you do so, choose a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus a third of your fighter level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be an abjuration or divination spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Domain Spells. At 3rd level, you gain one 1st-level spell from the domain spell list for your chosen domain. You gain another spell from your domain spell list when you reach 8th level, and again at 14th and 20th level. Each of these spells can come from any school of magic, but must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Once you gain a domain spell, you always have it prepared, and it does not count as the number of spells you can prepare each day. If a domain spell does not appear on the cleric spell list, the spell is nonetheless a cleric spell for you.
Table: Faith Militant Spellcasting
| Fighter Level |
Cantrip Known |
Domain Spells |
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the domain spell you know with another spell of your choice from the domain spell list. The new spell can come from any school of magic, but must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells, since the power of your spells comes from your devotion to your deity. You use your Wisdom modifier whenever a cleric spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells.
Channel Divinity
Also starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your deity, using that energy to fuel magical effect.
You start with two such effect: Bulwark of Faith and the Channel Divinity option granted at 2nd level by your chosen domain. You employ that Channel Divinity option by using your Channel Divinity ability.
When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short rest or long rest before you can use your Channel Divinity again.
Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect, the DC equals your cleric spell save DC.
Channel Divinity: Bulwark of Faith
When you or a friendly creature that you can see within 10 feet of you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can use your Channel Divinity as a reaction to the creature with divine energy that forms a translucent barrier around the creature. The triggering damage is halved for the creature, and the creature gains resistance to that damage type until the end of your next turn.
War Magic
Beginning at 7th level, when you use an action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Channel Divinity: Fortress of Faith
At 10th level, when a creature other than yourself that you can see within 10 feet of you is targeted by an attack, you can use your Channel Divinity as a reaction to impose disadvantage to the attack roll.
Alternatively, when a creature other than yourself that you can see within 10 feet of you is subjected by an effect that forces the creature to make a saving throw, you can use your Channel Divinity as a reaction to grant advantage to the saving throw.
Indomitable Faith
When you reach 15th level, you are protected by the divine power to the point that you cannot be overwhelmed by mortal sufferings. You become immune to diseases and poisons, your hit point maximum cannot be reduced, and you cannot be aged magically.
Improved War Magic
Starting at 18th level, when you use an action to cast a spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Credits
All contents are created by Weirdo Whoever unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to D&D Wiki and NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool for providing the templates for my imaginations.
The line "They can't stop. [...] They're on a mision from their deity" is a reference to the film The Blues Brothers.
Artworks. Credits for the awesome artworks goes to Crusader, Diablo 3 by MikeAzevedo.
Watercolor. Credit for the clever watercolor goes to Full Page Watercolor Stains by fellow GM Binder users.