Cthulhu's Warlord Expanions
Inside this document are a series of alternative abilities for the class and subclasses presented in KibblesTasty's Warlord class as well as his Expanded Tactics Document. Many of these features require playtesting, balance is to be determined.
Detailed in the document are Tasha's styled alternative and expanded features for the base class, as well as additions to the choices of many of the subclasses. There is also a subclass detailed, the Coach, a skill based warlord that doubles as a teacher of sorts. At the end of the document are a series of special items made for Warlord characters in your campaigns, as an idea of potential items.
Warlord Class
The Warlord class used for this document is from KibblesTasty, his Warlord. Most all of the features of this subclass rely on the usage of this class. His homebrewed Warlord can be found here, and his expansion to it, the Expanded Tactics, with the Gifted and Spellweaver, can be found here.
Flavoring the Class
Alternative Ability Scores
Many of the subclasses for the Warlord have features hinging off of Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom, based on the subclass. You can replace these features with another ability score of the three if you so choose. This makes you able to play a wise Chieftan, or a charismatic Tactician, without any major changes to the subclass.
Note this may make some problems with the wording of abilities, but reflavoring can make up for those issues. You can reflavor a charismatic Tactician's Tactical Insight as the reading of body language, or someone who really understands how people work, and rephrase abilities as such. The possibilities are endless!
The Gifted Flavoring
The Gifted Presence allows for a large number of character ideas, thanks to its large number of player choices. Using the new disciplines labeled below, you could use Telepathy to become some sort of Professor X style leader, use Psychokinetics to make a elemental fighter, use Transposition to make a teleporting attacker, or use Nullification to make some sort of anti-supernatural veteran. The Gifted is easily reflavored, and can be a lot more than just a psychic if you do some reflavoring.
Subclasses are Broad
Another note when reflavoring: subclasses are broad showings of examples. The Commander is anyone themed around moving one connected force, the Tactician is anyone focused on enemy movement. Many of the subclasses can be played widely differently. A Commander could be reflavored to a Pirate Captain, who picks up find familiar for a parrot,
and uses the abilities to fight as a crew. The subclasses show broad views of ideas, don't feel restricted to be that which the subclass is titled. Use your imagination when designing characters with the Warlord class, you may be surprised how much you can make with it.
Alternative Features
Leadersip Die
Additional options for usage of Leadership Die at 2nd level
Starting at 2nd level, you have access to Leadership Dice. These represent your ability to focus your battlefield presence to powerful results. Your Warlord level determines the number and size of the dice, as shown on the Leadership Dice column of the Warlord table. You can spend these to fuel various features.
You start knowing three of the following features: Rallying Mark, Urgent Orders, Overwhelming Mark, Protect, or Helpful Word. You gain an additional option when you hit level 6 and level 11.
When you get this feature, you can spend one Leadership Die per turn. Starting at 6th level, you can spend two Leadership Dice per turn. The number you can expend increases at 11th level (to three dice), and again at 17th level (to four dice). A Leadership Die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Leadership Dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Protect
As a bonus action, you expend leadership die (up to your per turn limit) to protect an ally within range. One ally within 30 ft. gains a bonus to their armor class equal to half the roll of your leadership dice, rounded up, until the start of your next turn.
Overwhelming Mark (Revised)
As a bonus action, you can expend a number of Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to stagger your foes, creating an opening against a hostile creature within 60 feet of you.
The next time that creature is hit by an attack by an allied creature before the start of your next turn, the opening is exploited, and the creature is staggered until the end of its next turn. A staggered creature's movement speed is halved, it cannot take reactions, has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, and has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration on a spell.
Each time the staggered creature takes damage (including the staggering hit), up to a number of times equal to the Leadership Dice spent, it takes additional damage equal to a Leadership Die.
Overwhelming Revisions
Overwhelming Mark was written out of the original due to overcomplexity and the lack of power compared to Rallying Mark. This revision largely nerfs it to reduce complexity, but overall is more powerful for multiple allies, becoming stronger later in leveling. It's not for everyone, but I like this form for it, it fills a new niche.
Commanding Versatility
4th level Warlord feature
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can choose one of the following, as you shift the focus of your commanding technique:
- You may switch out one Leadership Die option with another viable choice.
- If you have a Fighting Style, you can replace that fighting style with another fighting style available to your subclass.
Empowering Words
9th level Warlord feature
Starting at 9th level, when you use your Helpful Word feature you can sacrifice a number of Leadership Dice up to half your proficiency bonus. For each die you sacrifice, you can target one additional ally with Helpful Word.
Fighting Style
Paragon's Presence 3rd level, adds to the ability of the same name
Starting at 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by ldl0 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
Unarmed Fighting. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to ld6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal ld4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grap-pled by you.
Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Why can't you get Superior Technique?
While Battlemaster Maneuvers could be an interesting way to amplify this subclass, overall I found the number of die mechanics made the class much more complicated than what a single fighting style should do. You can try it yourself, but overall it would need heavy tweaking to make sense here.
Variant Class Feature: Combatant
Warlord's lack much of the damage of fighters, making up for this with strong support options. Instead of getting any Fighting Styles, this is instead given as a subclass.
If you want your Warlord to be stronger in combat, you can choose to give all Warlords Martial proficiency, change their hitdice to a d10, and you add an additional fighting style at 2nd level. This allows for a tiny bit of added fighting depth to more combative characters, without destroying the Paragon's feature, which allows for an easy additional fighting style.
For the stats of this new fighting style, see the original class feature in the Paragon as well as the expanded options found directly before.
Variant Class Feature: Supporter
On the other hand, you may find that the class is a little too martial. Overall, the class thrives in a space between being a martial or a support, and if you want a world with more supportive warlords, you can use this feature.
If you want a more support based warlord, you can increase their leadership die for all stages, starting at a d6, increasing at 5th, 11th, and 17th and increasing to a d12, and give yourself one extra leadership die. This helps the early game, but keeps the higher levels of play largely unchanged, with only a light boosting.
Another thing you can try to enhance the early game for support is to give an additional leadership die usage from the alternate feature Leadership Die. This really just adds options, it shouldn't effect how your gameplay works.
Arcane Proficiency
Spellweaver's Presence 1st level, replaces ability of the same name
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you gain proficiency in the arcana skill, and learn two cantrips of your choice from the Wizard or Bard spell list. These are Warlord spells for you.
Damaging Disciplines
As you may have noticed from the Expanded Tactics, none of the damaging disciplines were included. This was done by KibblesTasty because of how Warlords are made less for damaging combat, and more for supportive roles.
I chose to add optional rules for playing with these disciplines, as I found some of them fixed some lacking parts of the Warlord, such as elemental options and teleportation based abilities, but keep in mind they may not perfectly fit the class' identity.
Disciplines featured here can be found in KibblesTasty's Psion document here and his expansion here.
The Gift
Gifted Presence 1st level, replaces ability of the same name
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you must first select your psionic gift from the following options. Your gift will impact several of your features.
Telekinesis
You can move objects using your mind. You gain proficiency in one Intelligence skill of your choice, and gain access to the Telekinesis psionic power.
Psychokinetics
You have control over the elements. You gain resistance to your choice of fire, cold, or lightning damage, and gain access to the Psychokinetics psionic power.
Transposition
You have learned to control your position in space through short range teleportation. You gain proficiency in Acrobatics, and gain access to the Transposition psionic power.
Nullification
You have learned how to stop the supernatural of the world with a touch. You gain proficiency in your choice of Arcana, History or Religion, and gain access the Nullification psionic power.
Battle Mind
Gifted Presence 15th level, replaces ability of the same name
Starting at 15th level, the battle around you becomes part of you, and you become part of it, connected by your Psionic power. You gain one of the following benefits based on your gift.
Telekinesis
You can control flying objects and stop them before they hit an ally. When an ally you can see within 60 feet of you is hit by a ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to grant that ally a +2 bonus to their armour class against that attack, potentially causing it to miss instead.
Psychokinetics
Your control over the elements has enhanced your fighting ability. When an ally you can see within 30 feet of you would take fire, cold or lightning damage from a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to grant them resistance to the attack's damage.
Transposition
You can quickly teleport yourself into the way, absorbing attacks. When an ally within 30 ft. is attacked by a ranged or ranged spell attack, you can choose to teleport in the way of the bolt, taking half the damage, and causing your ally to come out unharmed.
Nullification
You can dispel the magic of the world. Using one leadership die, you can cast dispel magic, with a range of 30 ft. You can instead choose to use it at full range using the normal amount of leadership die.
Subclasses
This expansion has three extra subclasses for the Warlord, the skilled Coach, the healing Protector, and the fiery Overlord.
Warlord: Coach's Presence
A Coach isn't a frontline fighter, instead fighting with their minds, through their teachings of those under them. Skilled in many techniques and a great teacher, the Coach looks out not for themselves, but for their team around them. Coachs teach others above all, they set their life aside to help others make a life in that which they love.
Though originally made as a joke subclass, through many versions this has turned into a much more serious subclass, made for more skill jockey-ing players.
| Warlord Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Coaching Materials, Game Preparation |
| 3rd | Peptalk |
| 7th | One on One Time |
| 11th | Team Spirit |
| 15th | A Watching Eye |
| 18th | Get Mad at the Referee |
Coaching Materials
At 1st level, you have become skilled in the nessecary skills for coaching. You are proficient in heavy armor, martial weapons, and shields, as well as your choice of Athletics, Intimidation, or Performance.
You also gain proficiency in two tools of your choice.
Game Preparation
Starting at 1st level, when you roll initiative, you can grant either yourself or one ally you can see within 30 feet of you a bonus to that initiative roll equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Peptalk
At 3rd level, you have learned how to speak to your team on a deeper level. As an action on your turn, you can expend two Leadership Dice to grant one ally within 30 feet that can hear you a number of temporary hit points equal to the total of the expended Leadership Dice plus your Charisma modifier. While a creature has these temporary hit points, they have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, resistance to bludgeoning damage from nonmagical sources, and they gain a bonus to their damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.
One on One Time
At 7th level, you have learned how to improve the skills of your teammates. At the end of a long rest, you choose one ally within 30 ft. They gain access to one of your proficiencies until you finish a long rest. You keep this proficiency.
Team Spirit
When you reach 11th level, you have reached a better understanding of your team, and can give a Peptalk to multiple allies. When you use your Peptalk feature, rather than expend two Leadership Dice to affect one ally, you can instead spend any number of Leadership Dice, using one die to affect each different ally. When you use Peptalk this way, each ally gains temporary hit points equal to the roll of one Leadership Die plus your Charisma modifier.
A Watching Eye
Starting at 15th level, you become able to glance at an attack and notice its flaws. When an ally you can see within 30 feet makes a Strength, Dexterity or Constitution saving throw, you can use your reaction to grant them advantage on that saving throw.
Get Mad at the Referee
At 18th level, you have learned the truth: that you are much more correct than the referees. As an action, you can expend two Leadership Dice to consult the referees.
Until the start of your next turn, whenever a creature you can see fails a saving throw within 30 feet of you, you can roll one Leadership Die and add it to their saving throw, potentially turning failure into success. Leadership Dice rolled this way are not expended.
Variant: Other Types of Coaches
Not all Coaches are like the ones shown in this sheet. Many don't teach as much like a football coach as this is inspired, and may need minor revisions.
For making another type of coach, switch out the Coaching Materials proficiency choices with any ability of your choice. Additionally, you can reflavor getting mad at the referee as giving amazing instructions to your team, bringing them out of harm's way.
Additionally, if you find your instructor more wise than charismatic, or more intellectual, you can swap all uses of Charisma with Intelligence or Wisdom.
Warlord: Protector's Presence
The Protector is the defender of the weak, a medical worker and leader wrapped in one. Skilled in combat and skilled at saving their allies, being under a Protector is a safe place to be.
Protectors are rarely evil, often forced by their living to be good, or at least interested in helping others. Often Protectors are heroic warrior-healers, skilled with medical traditions from their time on the battle field, and interested not only in stopping enemy life but protecting the life of allies.
| Warlord Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Healer's Proficiency, Protected Entry |
| 3rd | The Gift of Healing |
| 7th | Save a Life, Hero's Blessing |
| 11th | Special Ingredients |
| 15th | Helpful Presence |
| 18th | Stronger Medicines |
Healer's Proficiency
At 1st level, you have proficiency in shields, as well as the healer's kits, martial weapons and the medicine skill.
Protected Entry
Also at 1st level, you learn how to protect your team as they come into a battle. When you roll initiative, you can choose a number of allies within 30 feet of you equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). The chosen allies regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your Wisdom modifier, and you regain all expended uses whenever you finish a short or long rest.
The Gift of Healing
At 3rd level, you have learned how to heal in a whole new way. You get the cantrip spare the dying.
Additionally, as an action, you can expend one Leadership Die to cast cure wounds as a first level spell, and can pick one additional 1st level spell from the Cleric spell list to cast in this way.
Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom.
Save a Life
At 7th level, you have figured out what makes a living thing tick, and the secret of stopping death. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend 1 Leadership Die to cast spare the dying.
Hero's Blessing
Also At 7th level, you can spend two Leadership Dice to cast Lesser Restoration or Prayer of Healing as a second level spell.
Special Ingredients
At 11th level, you learn a series of tonics to better enhance your healing. When you restore hit points to an ally, you can grant that ally resistance to your choice of cold, fire, lightning, thunder or poison damage for 1 minute.
Helpful Presence
At 15th level, simply being near you help keep you alive. Allies within 30 ft. of you can add your Wisdom modifier to all death saves.
Stronger Medicines
Starting at 18th level, you have become a powerful healer using new materials. Choose four spells of 4th level or below from the Cleric spell list. You can cast these spells without
requiring a spell slot, by expending a number of Leadership Dice equal to the spell's level. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom.
You can reselect these spells whenever you finish a long rest.
Variant: Culinary Protector
Protectors come in many shapes and sizes, and can fit many roles, focusing on impacting the field through healing and strategic ideas. The class is largely made for more combat medic based attackers, but can be revised to make a protective Cook.
Replace Healer's kit proficiency with Culinary supplies, and reflavor the more magical spells instead as the usage of herbal teas and remedies, or a hearty feast. You can replace the Protected Entry and Stronger Medicine features with the following:
Preparing Meal
Also at 1st level, you learn how to keep your team in the fight with your food. After a long or short rest, you can spend one hour creating a hearty meal, which provides one serving for each ally within 120 ft. All allies who eat it receive your WIS modifier + your Proficiency Bonus of temporary health.
Masterful Meal
At 18th level, you have mastered the making of food. You can cast Hero's Feast once per long rest, using five leadership die.
Warlord: Overlord's Presence
Overlords are born in fire, raised into evil. Overlords are Warlords given powers and instruction from demons and devils, following in their sininster footsteps, ruling with an iron fist and a fiery force.
Overlords are generally evil forces. Their time under demons and devils cause many to follow after them, and become sinister rulers of those around them. Some do become good, but those who do are often scorned by the demonic forces that gave them their powers.
Overlord's Presence Quirks
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have a forked, demonic tongue. |
| 2 | Your eyes have an infernal glow to them. |
| 3 | Your blood isn't the right color. |
| 4 | You have the start of horns, or if you already have horns, they take a more fiery appearance. |
| 5 | After using a spell that deals fire damage, your hand smokes for a duration afterwards. |
| 6 | You have a reddish, fiery tint to your skin. |
Where are my powers from?
Overlords lore-wise are powered by demons and devils, but how they power your Warlord is up to you. Were you a descendent of a demon? Did your parents make a deal with a devil that led to your birth? It is up to you to determine your legacy.
| Warlord Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Martial Proficiency, Fiery Entrance |
| 3rd | Infernal Legacy |
| 7th | The Scorching |
| 11th | Overwhelming Presence |
| 15th | Empowered Magics |
| 18th | Demonic Fury |
Hellish Proficiency
At 1st level, you get proficiency in shields and martial weapons, and are resistant to fire damage.
Fiery Entrance
Also at 1st level, your infernal powers amplify your
entrance into battles. When you roll initiative, you can
choose to let out a shockwave around you, burning the
area around you, dealing your Charisma modifier of
damage, with double damage against objects.
When you reach 7th level, this damage is doubled.
Infernal Legacy
At 3rd level, you learn hellish magics not meant for this world. You learn the spell firebolt and can pick one additional cantrip from the Warlock list that you know.
Additionally, as an action, you can expend one Leadership Die to cast hellish rebuke as a first level spell, and can pick one additional 1st level spell from the Warlock spell list to cast this way.
Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma.
The Scorching
At 7th level, you have learned how to use your hellish powers to enhance your powers. As a bonus action, you can expend
two Leadership Dice to grant an ally a scorched ash-like covering. For one minute, they have resistance to fire damage and can add your Charisma modifier to melee weapon attacks.
Overwhelming Presence
At 11th level, your presence overwhelms even the most strong hearted of foes. When an enemy under the effects of Overwhelming Mark makes an attack, as a reaction you can burn them, dealing one leadership die of damage + your Charisma modifier.
Variant: Elemental Warlords
While the Overlord is largely made for demon followers, it can be easily transformed into other elemental forces. To do so, simply change the spells given by Infernal Legacy to ones that more closely follow your element, and switch all the uses of fire resistance or damage into another damage of your choice. Note that some damages may be much more powerful or useless than others, it is not reccomended to use non-elemental damage types such as force or slashing.
Empowered Magics
At 15th level, your hellish magics have become enhanced to great effect. You can pick four additional spells from the Warlock spell list of 3rd level or lower. You can cast these spells at 3rd level using two Leadership Dice. You can change the list of spells you have selected when you complete a long rest.
Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma.
Demonic Fury
At 18th level, your infernal powers have granted you the ability to take a demonic form. As an action, you can go into a demonic form. You gain the following benefits for one minute:
- You gain a flying speed of 30 ft.
- You can add your Charisma modifier of fire damage to all attacks you make.
- You are immune to fire damage.
- The Scorching costs one Leadership Die instead of two.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you take a long rest.
Items
With this expansion are weapons made for your Warlord to help enhance their leadership die and add extra utility to their combat.
These weapons are largely Wondrous Items and made to be changed, so if you dislike a portion, feel free to change them to your liking.
The Raven Lord’s Blade
Rare greatsword, requires attunement by a Warlord
Legends tell of the Raven Lord’s might in battle, how he could seemingly move without being seen, fly through the night sky with armies of soldiers. While the blade that gave him his power has fallen into disrepair, it remains tainted by his dark powers.
You gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls with this weapon.
When wielding this blade while attuned, the power of the Raven Lord flows through you. You get a flight speed of 20 ft., and as a bonus action, you can give an ally within 60 ft. a flying speed equal to 15 + Leadership Dice for one turn using two leadership die.
Battle Standard
Uncommon wondrous item, requires attunement by a Warlord
You can expend one use of your leadership die to give all allies within 30 ft. a +1 to attack and damage rolls until the end of your next turn.
Additionally, you gain one leadership die.
Enhanced Battle Standard
Rare wondrous item, requires attunement by a Warlord
You can expend one use of your leadership die to give all allies within 30 ft. a +2 to attack and damage rolls until the end of your next turn.
Additionally, you gain two leadership die.
Credits
Many thanks to KibblesTasty for the creation of the class! Artists are as labeled below:
pg 1: Widow of War by Bladdneart, Deviant Art
pg 3: Lightning Knight by VictorGarciapq, Deviant Art
pg 6: Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded by Peter Mohrbacher, Art of MTG
pg 7: Noble Banneret by Josu Hernaiz, Art of MTG
Abberant Standard
Rare wondrous item, requires attunement by a Warlord
The Abberant Standard is a standard covered in eyes that seem to watch your allies no matter where they are. When attuned, you can determine the exact location of any ally within 60 ft, even through walls.
Additionally, you can use Helpful Word even on allies that cannot see or hear you within 60 ft., through a short telepathic message.
Iron Fist
Artifact wondrous item, requires attunement by a Warlord
Legends speak of the Iron Fist, a symbol of power passed down through generations, thought long lost when the last remaining warlord of the empire fell. Rust forms on the sides, but the guantlet still bears unparalleled power over the people of the world.
The Gauntlet flows with power, a dark red glow emanating from its grasp. Though it looks like a simple metallic gauntlet, words of power are etched into the side in a long lost language, and as it moves, a fine red mist almost like blood trails behind it.
When attuned to the Iron Fist, your unarmed strikes deal 1d10 + your Constitution modifier of damage. When you make an unarmed strike, you can pick one ally within 20 ft., who can make an unarmed strike on the same foe.
Using five leadership die, you can hold up the Gauntlet, dark power flowing into nearby foes. All enemies within 40 ft. must make a Charisma Saving Throw against 10 + your Strength Modifier + your Constitution Modifier. On a failed save, enemies take 4d10 damage and are under the effects of the Dominate Person spell.
Additionally, you gain 3 leadership die.