Purple Dragon Knight [revised] (Martial Archetype)
Purple Dragon Knights are warriors of the order of the Purple Dragons. Pledged to protect the crown, they take the fight against evil beyond the kingdom's borders. They are tasked with wandering the land as knights errant, relying on their judgment, bravery, and fidelity to guide them in defeating evildoers. Their name comes from Thauglor, an ancient black dragon whose scales faded from ebony to violet as it matured.
A Purple Dragon Knight inspires greatness in others by committing brave deeds in battle. The mere presence of a knight in a hamlet is enough to cause some orcs and bandits to seek easier prey. A lone knight is a skilled warrior, but a knight leading a band of allies can transform even the most poorly equipped militia into a ferocious warband.
A knight prefers to lead through deeds, not words. As a knight spearheads an attack, the knight's actions can awaken reserves of courage and conviction in allies that they never suspected they had.
Restriction: Knighthood
Purple Dragon Knights are tied to a specific order of Cormyrean knighthood. This restriction exists for the Forgotten Realms. It might not apply to your DM's setting or their version of the Realms. Your DM can lift this restriction, and rename this subclass to Banneret.
Battlefield Commander
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to command your allies on the battlefield, allowing them to move in coordination with your words. You can use a bonus action to give an order to another creature within 60 feet of you that can hear you, though it must use its reaction to gain the order's benefit.
- Push the Advantage: The creature makes one weapon attack. It ignores disadvantage on this attack roll.
- Tactical Retreat: The creature moves up to its speed. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Utmost Caution: The creature gains the benefit of the Dodge action until the start of your next turn.
You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
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 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion.
Rallying Cry
When you reach 7th level, you learn how to inspire your allies to fight on past their injuries.
As a bonus action, you can cause up to three creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you to regain hit points equal to 1d6 + your fighter level, provided that the creatures can see or hear you. You can also choose yourself with this feature.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Rousing Commands
By the time you reach 10th level, the directives you give your allies stir them to greater action. When you use your Battlefield Commander feature, the creature you command gains an additional benefit, depending on which course of action you order it to take.
- Push the Advantage: It gains advantage on the attack roll, and it adds your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) to the damage roll.
- Tactical Retreat: It ignores any reduction to its speed, and it is immune to the frightened, grappled, and restrained conditions until the start of your next turn.
- Utmost Caution: It has advantage on all saving throws, instead of just Dexterity.
You can now use the Battlefield Commander feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
Challenging Oath
Beginning at 15th level, you can issue a challenge against a creature within 60 feet of you as a bonus action, as you swear an oath to take this foe down, provided that it can see or hear you. For 1 minute or until you lose consciousness, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and your attack rolls against the target have advantage and will score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Unfalling Legion
Starting at 18th level, your presence is so inspiring that it can bring people back from the brink of death. When you or a creature within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to cause them to drop to 1 hit point instead, provided they can see or hear you.
Once a creature has benefitted from this feature, they cannot do so again until they finish a long rest.