Warlord v1.4.2
Two vast armies stand
across the field of death,
fear gripping the heart of
every soldier. From their
ranks, the banner is carried
forth - a shining beacon
without fear. Before they
even know it, their feet pound across the
ground, their fear left behind as they follow
their symbol of hope to victory.
Collapsing to the ground, a man succumbs
to wounds, exhaustion, terror, and the
overwhelming clash of steel all around.
Death closes in, but before it can claim
him, a hand appears, pulling him to his
feet. "On your feet, soldier".
The line will soon be overrun—until,
among the broken ranks of soldiers, a lone
soldier spots his liege. She stands, unwilling
to turn aside, unwilling to step back from danger,
holding back the horde of enemies alone. Retreat
is no longer an option. With newfound strength
behind every blow, the soldiers stand and fight
like no one has ever fought before.
"How did you do it?" hisses the marauder, his
sword dropped before him in surrender. He kneels
beside his captured comrades, encircled by a smaller
force that seems to have come from nowhere. The
victorious general smiles knowingly and shrugs.
"Luck," he says. "And perhaps a bit of planning."
Warlords are force multipliers for their
companions. Some may be fearsome
combatants, while others may never lift a
weapon, but in either case their presence
on the battlefield will drive their allies to
new heights, guiding them safely through
what would surely have been their doom.
How victory is stolen from the jaws of defeat
can vary, from inciting crazed zeal, to tempering an
overeager charge, to pulling their friends out of the line
of danger in the nick of time. The sole commonality is
that a Warlord alone is but a man, while a Warlord with
their companions is a legend.
Purpose and Drive
Purpose is a common element to those that walk the path of a Warlord. Purpose empowers Warlords to be a larger-than-life, and allows them to be a guiding hand to their comrades. Some Warlords may not seek any particular cause, and merely pursue victory - either as a tribute to a god they worship or simply to attain personal glory. More often, though, a Warlord is driven by a higher purpose - a loyalty to their country or their men, a drive to protect the innocent or crush the weak.
Purpose is an important consideration to a Warlord in understanding why they fight, as it will inform how they fight. Do they try to keep their companions and followers out of danger? Or do they simply press for the strategy that is most likely to win?
.
Power of Presence
Most warlords have no explicitly magical powers, but the presence on the battlefield allows people to exceed what they might have thought of as their own limits, pushing beyond what they could hope to achieve on their own. A Warlord will make their allies feel like they've become better at everything, they will make problems seem surmountable, and they will make the path clear. They make the world less bleak, they make the foes less terrifying. When you have a Warlord on your side, more things go right.
Just as a dragon's frightful presence instills a supernatural dread in mortal adventurers, a Warlord's presence is more than just simple common sense and a head for strategy, it is the power of conviction, the perfection of tactics, or the will to win incarnated in Adventurer form.
Warlord
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Leadership Die |
Leadership Dice |
Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | -- | -- | Warlord Specialization, Battlefield Presence |
| 2nd | +2 | d6 | 2 | Leadership Dice |
| 3rd | +2 | d6 | 3 | Warlord Specialization Feature, Warlord's Expertise |
| 4th | +2 | d6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | d6 | 5 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | d6 | 6 | Prepare for Battle, Leadership Dice Limit Increase (2) |
| 7th | +3 | d6 | 7 | Warlord Specialization Feature |
| 8th | +3 | d6 | 8 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | d6 | 9 | Press the Attack |
| 10th | +4 | d6 | 10 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 11th | +4 | d8 | 11 | Warlord Specialization Feature, Leadership Dice Limit Increase (3) |
| 12th | +4 | d8 | 12 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | d8 | 13 | Warlord's Intuition |
| 14th | +5 | d8 | 14 | Shift the Field |
| 15th | +5 | d8 | 15 | Warlord Specialization Feature |
| 16th | +5 | d8 | 16 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | d10 | 17 | Unbreakable Will, Leadership Dice Limit Increase (4) |
| 18th | +6 | d10 | 18 | Warlord Specialization Feature |
| 19th | +6 | d10 | 19 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | d10 | 20 | Tireless Leader |
Creating a Warlord
When creating a Warlord you should always start with answering the question: what sort of Presence does this person bring to the battlefield? Are they a charismatic inspiration to their allies that drives them to fight on? Are they a wise veteran who acts as a force multiplier for their companions, offering pointers and grit? Or are they a scheming manipulator who sees one step ahead of any move their foes can make, always making sure their allies are in the right spot?
Any of these paths and many more are all possible through the Warlord, but what sort of Presence you select at level one will guide what attribute is most impactful for you in exerting your influence and driving your companions to greater heights.
Quick Build
You can make a warlord quickly by following these suggestions. For a Commander select Strength as your highest attribute followed by Wisdom. For a Chieftain or Paragon select Strength as your highest attribute followed by Charisma.
For a Noble select Charisma as your highest attribute followed by Constitution. For a Packleader, select Dexterity as your highest stat followed by Wisdom. For a Tactician select Intelligence followed by Constitution.
Class Features
As a Warlord, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per Warlord level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per warlord level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor.
- Weapons: Simple weapons.
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, and Persuasion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a simple melee weapon, or (b) a martial weapon (if proficient).
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts, or (b) a shield (if proficient).
- (a) leather armor, or (b) scale mail, or (c) chain mail (if proficient).
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Warlord Presences
At 1st level, you pick the archetype of Warlord you embody, called a Presence, choosing from Commander, Chieftain, Noble, Packleader, Paragon or Tactician, each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.
Battlefield Presence
Starting at 1st level, when you take the Attack action, in place of making an attack, you can use your Battlefield Presence to grant a friendly creature that can see or hear you an additional attack the next time they take the Attack action during their turn.
Any additional attacks granted that are unused at the start of your next turn are lost. A friendly creature can only gain one additional attack from this feature per round from this feature.
Leadership Dice
Starting at 2nd level, you have access to Leadership Dice. These represent your ability to focus your battlefield presence for 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 know three such features: Rallying Mark, Urgent Orders, and Helpful Word. 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 to three at 11th level, and to four at 17th level.
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.
Rallying Mark
As a bonus action, you can expend a number of Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to rally your allies to attack a hostile creature within 60 feet of you.
The next time damage is rolled against that target by an allied creature before the start of your next turn, they can add the Leadership Dice to the damage roll, and the attacking creature regains hit points equal to the amount rolled on the Leadership Dice.
Urgent Orders
As a bonus action, you can expend a number of Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to guide your allies in expeditious action.
Target an allied creature within 60 feet of you that can see or hear you, that creature can immediately use its reaction to move up to its movement speed (up to a maximum of 30 feet) without provoking opportunity attacks. Roll the leadership dice expended, the target gains temporary hit points equal to the value rolled.
Helpful Word
As a bonus action, you can spend a Leadership Die to take the Help action. When you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, if your ally can see or hear you.
Warlord's Expertise
Starting at 3rd level, choose one of the following skills: Investigation, Insight, Intimidation, or Persuasion. If you are not proficient in the chosen skill you become proficient If you are already proficient in the skill you select, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses that skill.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. You can use Battlefield Presence in place of either or both attacks.
Prepare for Battle
Starting at 6th level, you can spend a minute preparing up to five allies for combat. You can expend a number of Leadership Dice up to your per turn limit, rolling them and causing your allies to gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled. Allies that have benefited from this ability can expend a number of hit dice equal to the number of Leadership Dice you expended, using them as they would during a short rest. Any temporary hit points gained from this last until you complete a short or long rest.
Press the Attack
Starting at 9th level, your abilities are further empowered:
Rallying Mark: Boost Morale
When a creature gains hit points from Rallying Mark, you can expend one Leadership die to cause another creature within 30 feet to regain the same number of hit points.
Urgent Orders: Coordinated Movements
When you use Urgent Orders, you can target a number of creatures equal to the number of Leadership Dice spent, spending dice on each target individually.
Helpful Word: Expert Instructions
When a creature benefits from your Help action, you can use your reaction to expend a Leadership Die and add it to their roll. You can use this ability after the original roll, but before the outcome is revealed.
Warlord's Intuition
Starting at 13th level, before rolling an ability check you are proficient in, you can exercise this ability, choosing for the d20 to be equal to your Warlord level rather than rolling. Once you do this, you cannot do this until you complete a long rest.
Shift the Field
Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to relocate friendly creatures. As an action, you can expend one Leadership Die to move up to 5 friendly creatures that can see or hear you up to half their movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Unbreakable Will
Starting at 17th level, you are immune to the frightened and charmed conditions.
Tireless Leader
Starting at 20th level, you can roll d4s and use them instead of expending Leadership Dice for Rallying Mark, Urgent Orders, Helpful Word, or Prepare for Battle.
Warlord's Presences
Warlords may invoke a variety of different types of Presence on the battlefield. You can choose which kind of Presence best suits your Warlord from the following.
Commander's Presence
A Commander on the field can be many things - a trusted sergeant, a weary veteran, or merely a person with an uncommon degree of common sense and a particularly keen eye for how to win a fight.
While not as flashy as some of the other Presences on the Battlefield, that just means they are less likely to get themselves skewered. A keen word there and helping hand here, their influence is subtle but effective, inexorably shifting the tides of battle in their favor.
A Commander can come from any background, but is usually someone that has acquired their Wisdom the hard way, having seen a bit of what life and battlefields have to offer.
Martial Proficiency
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you gain proficiency in heavy armor, shields, and martial weapons.
Form Up!
Starting at 1st level, when you roll initiative and are not surprised, any number of friendly creatures within 30 feet of you can move up to their speed a number of feet equal to five times your Wisdom modifier (minimum 5 feet).
Sequential Movement at the Same Time.
D&D is typically a turn based game, and thus people do not typically move at the same time; an ability that allows multiple creatures to move at the same time opens the door to questions about order. This ability represents the Commander's Presence causing their companions to spring into a well oiled routine, and it is recommended that you let the players move in their desired order during this movement.
It should also be noted that this movement is determined by the player moving. A Warlord grants their allies the ability to move, they do not necessarily move them.
Keen Pointer
Starting at 3rd level, you can take the Helpful Word bonus action without expending a Leadership Die if you are within 5 feet of the creature you are taking the Help action against.
When you do so, you can expend Leadership Dice to apply Rallying Mark to the creature you are targeting with this Help action.
On Your Feet!
Starting at 7th level, you can use a bonus action and expend one Leadership Die to restore the will to fight in an allied creature. Choose a friendly creature within 5 feet of you. That creature regains hit points equal to your Leadership die.
When you use this feature to restore hit points to a creature at 0 hit points, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the amount of hit points restored. If the creature is prone, it can choose to stand immediately.
Martial Advantage
Starting at 11th level, you've learned to leverage fighting alongside an ally. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d6 damage to a creature you hit with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally that isn't incapacitated.
Bulwark
Starting at 15th level, when you and any number of friendly creatures within 30 feet of you make a Saving Throw against the same effect, your allies gain Advantage on their Saving Throw if you succeed on the saving throw.
No One Left Behind!
Starting at 18th level, you can move up to your speed to get within 5 feet of a creature while using your On Your Feet feature. During this movement you gain resistance to all damage and the target regains an additional 1d8 hit points for each attack of opportunity made against you during this movement.
Chieftain's Presence
A chieftain is a Warlord that rules by the sheer force of their personality, marked by their booming voice and fearless attitude, it is easy to believe that your band is infallible while your chieftain stands.
They can be lawful or chaotic, good or evil, with such things depending on how they got to where they are in life. An orc that cut their way to the top may be chaotic, believing that strength needs room to rise to the top unfettered by rules, while someone that inherited their authority may have a more lawful bent.
A Warlord with the Presence of a Chieftain need not literally rule anything, but is an exemplar of someone that has or could walk that path through their force of personality and the boisterous inspiration they give those around them.
Chieftain's Proficiency
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you gain proficiency in shields, martial weapons, and the Intimidation skill, or another skill of your choice if you are already proficient.
Wolfpack Movement
Starting at 1st level, the first time you move after you roll initiative, you can bring a number of willing creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 20 feet of you with you. These creatures move the same distance and direction that you move but cannot move farther than their speed would allow. Creature can stop this movement at any point along the path.
Warcry
Starting at 3rd level, as an action or in place of an attack as part of the Attack action, you can expend a number of Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to inspire your allies with a mighty Warcry. You and friendly creatures within 20 feet of you gain temporary hit points equal to the Leadership Dice roll + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
This can affect a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Savage Momentum
Additionally at 3rd level, whenever you spend a Leadership Die, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make before the end of your turn.
Reckless Assault
Starting at 7th level, when a creature with temporary hit points from one of your abilities deals damage, they can expend those temporary hit points to add damage equal to half the temporary hit points sacrificed to their damage dealt.
Wolfpack Tactics
Starting at 11th level, you excel at taking down prey in coordination with your allies. The first creature you hit that has taken damage from one of your allies since the end of your last turn suffers an additional 1d12 damage.
The first time a creature you grant a creature an attack with Battlefield Presence deals damage to a creature you had dealt damage to during your turn, that attack deals an additional 1d4 damage.
Booming Shout
Starting at 15th level, when you unleash your Warcry you can attempt to frighten enemies. Any number of creatures of your choice within range of your Warcry must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC of 8 + Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus) or become frightened of you until the end of their turn. Once you have used Booming Shout, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Additionally, the range of your Rallying Mark, Urgent Orders, Helpful Word, and Warcry is doubled.
Bloody Victory
Starting at 18th level, when you or an ally reduces a hostile creature that has dealt damage to you to 0 hit points, you can unleash a Warcry as a reaction. When you unleash your Warcry in this way, you do not expend any Leadership Dice and you use a d12 in place of your Leadership Die.
You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining all uses on a long rest.
Noble's Presence
A Warlord with a Noble Presence is not inherently one that was born a Noble, though many are. A Noble Presence Warlord is one that serves to drive their retainers and companions onto greater heights through sheer charisma, a shining beacon of what they are fighting for standing beside them.
Since time immemorial men have fought twice as hard on a battlefield when their leader takes the field to stand among them, driven to heights that would seem impossible in order to protect their liege - while an adventurer of this path may or may not be their liege, their charisma invokes the same fervor in their companions and retainers.
An adventurer on this path is not inherently of noble background, though many often are. A noble reared on the laws of the land is usually lawful, but extraordinary circumstances may have brought about a rebellious streak in one that now seeks to overthrow unfit rulers (or rulers that aren't them, anyway).
Destined Leader
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence you gain proficiency with rapiers, longswords and the Persuasion skill, or another skill of your choice if you are already proficient. Additionally, you gain an additional Leadership Die at 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level.
Call to Arms
Starting at 1st level, when you roll initiative you can call out to friendly creatures within 60 feet of you, providing them with a surge of inspiration, they can add your Charisma modifier to their first attack roll made before the end of their turn.
Inspiring Leader
Additionally at 1st level, a creature with a CR of less than half your Warlord level (or with fewer class levels than you have Warlord levels if the creature does not have a CR) can choose to use your proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier for the attack roll modifier on the first Attack they make in a turn where they have been granted by Battlefield Presence.
Retainers & Followers
A Noble Warlord gets more mileage out of their retainers or followers than other Warlords, but in turn is more dependent on having someone else make their attacks for them.
This does not inherently mean they need NPC followers, however. A loyal retainer is always a good idea, but it can be a friendly Fighter just as easily as an NPC follower.
Divine Right
Starting at 3rd level, you can use Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to cast command. The level of the spell is equal to the number of Leadership Dice spent.
The spell save DC for these spells are 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus.
You can also add your Charisma (maximum 2) to your AC so long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield.
Charismatic Leadership
Additionally at 3rd level, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage bonus of Rallying Mark, the temporary hit points granted by Urgent Orders, and the attack roll of a creature that gains advantage from Helpful Word.
Words of Conviction
Starting at 7th level, you can use Leadership Dice (Up to your per turn limit) to cast bless or heroism without providing material components. The level of the spell is equal to the number of Leadership Dice spent.
Imperative Order
Starting at 7th level, when you spend 2 or more Leadership Dice on a target with Urgent Orders, you can allow the target creature to make a single weapon attack with their reaction instead of moving. If you spend 3 or more Leadership Dice on a target, the target creature can both move and make a single weapon attack with their reaction.
Inspired Zeal
Starting at 11th level, you are always under the effect of a crusader's mantle spell.
Untouchable Presence
Starting at 15th level, you are under the effect of sanctuary spell. This effect ends as normal if you take an action that would break it, but returns at the start of your next turn.
The spell save DC for this spell is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus.
Grand Decree
Starting at 18th level, you can use this ability to cast command without expending a spell slot or Leadership Dice. When you do so, the spell affects all creatures of your choice within range that could be affected by the spell.
Once you cast command using this ability, you cannot cast it using this ability again until you complete a long rest.
Packleader's Presence
While Warlords may specialize in the control of battles, an Packleader is a Warlord that aims to win a fight before it becomes a battle. Through scouting, preparing, and stacking the odds, they don't fight fair, they fight to win, and seek to only fight when they've already won.
Their control of the battlefield doesn't merely extend to those that fight on it, but to twisting the battlefield itself to suit their needs, stymying and stupefying their foes while concealing and sheltering their allies with the terrain itself.
While good and evil rarely play directly into a Packleader's perspective (they can be either or Neutral just as easily), they tend be Chaotic, viewing the so called "rules of engagement" and other traditions of civilization to be convenient weaknesses they can exploit rather than any sort of guideline they might actually follow.
Tools of the Wild
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you gain proficiency in martial weapons, the Survival skill, or another skill of your choice if already proficient, and your choice of the Herbalism Kit or the Poisoner's Kit.
Concealed Approach
Starting at 1st level, if you have at least a minute to prepare, you can add your Wisdom modifier to a Dexterity (Stealth) check for you and up five friendly creatures. You and friendly creatures within 30 feet of you that roll for initiative while hidden can add your Wisdom modifier to the initiative result.
Nature's Gift
Starting at 3rd level, through your connection to the wild battlefields you've mastered offers you some measure of control of them. You learn the spell mold earth, and can pick one additional cantrip from the Druid list that you know.
Additionally, you can expend one Leadership Die to cast fog cloud or snare as 1st level spells. The casting time of snare is one action when you cast it this way. You can pick one additional 1st level spell from the Druid spell list with a casting time of one action to cast this way.
Your spell casting modifier for these spells is Wisdom, and your spell Save DC for these spells is 8 + your Proficiency modifier + your Wisdom Modifier.
A Pack Leader's Pack
Many Packleaders opt to pick animal friendship or speak with animals in order to establish animal allies to expand their pack, but just as many don't feel the need to be required to have an animal companion.
Shroud of Nature
Starting at 7th level, you and your allies can fade away behind natural shrouds. Whenever you cast a spell that results in you or a friendly creature becoming obscured (such as being within the radius of a fog cloud or behind earth moved by mold earth), the obscured creature can use their reaction to take the Hide action.
Trackless Trails
Additionally at 7th level, you can spend 2 Leadership Dice to cast pass without trace without providing material components.
Fleeting Strikers
Starting at 11th level, if you are not in the same spot you were at the end of your last turn or are obscured from your target, the first attack you make during your turn deals an additional 1d10 damage.
Additionally, a creature that you grant an Attack with Battlefield Presence can take the Dash action instead of making the attack you granted.
Ghosts of the Wild
Starting at 15th level, while under the effect of pass without trace, you can expend one Leadership Die to take the Hide action at the end of your turn without expending an action.
If you use Battlefield Presence to grant an attack to a creature, you can expend one Leadership Die to shroud them with shadows or natural phenomena, granting them advantage on the first attack they make before the start of your next turn. If they are under the effect of pass without trace, you can do this without expending a Leadership Die.
Warlord of the Wilds
Starting at 18th level, you can pick five additional spells from the Druid spell list of 4th level or lower. You can cast these spells using Leadership Dice equal to the level of the spell. You can change the list of spells you have selected when you complete a long rest.
The spell Save DC for these spells is 8 + your Proficiency modifier + your Wisdom Modifier.
Any time you use Leadership Dice to cast a spell, you can take the Attack action (one weapon attack only) as a bonus action.
Paragon's Presence
Legends tell of warriors that fight at the front of a legion, of the valor they display and the inspiration it gives their comrades. A Paragon before their army is a dauntless foe, and an army behind their Paragon is an unstoppable legion.
A Paragon is not inherently good or evil. An evil legion can be led by a bold and charismatic Warlord just as effectively as the forces of good.
As they tend to be those that inspire an organized force, more often than not they will be lawful, but what that personal code of laws entails can vary quite widely.
Martial Proficiency
Starting at 1st level when you take this Presence, you gain proficiency in heavy armor, shields, and martial weapons.
Lead the Charge
Starting at 1st level, you can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier. Additionally, when you roll initiative you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Fighting Style
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.
- Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
- Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
- Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Heroic Strike
Additionally at 3rd level, when you take the Attack action, once per turn you can expend Leadership Dice (up to your per turn limit) to apply Rallying Mark as part of a melee weapon attack.
Whenever you expend Leadership Dice as part of making an attack, you can add the expended Leadership Dice to the damage roll of the attack.
Stand Defiant
Starting at 7th level, when you are reduced to zero hit points, you instantly regain a number of hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Additionally, you can expend a number of Leadership Dice equal to the number of friendly creatures within 60 feet of you, regaining additional hit points equal to the value rolled this way. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Inspired Warrior
Starting at 11th level, once per turn, when one of your allies within 30 feet takes or deals damage, you gain d4 dice, adding it to a pool of dice. You can have a maximum number of d4 dice in this pool equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Until the end of your next turn, when you deal damage you can expend any number of dice from this pool rolling them and dealing additional damage equal to the value rolled.
The Prowess of the Inspired
Effectively in almost all cases, what this ability boils down to is that if their companions are fighting around them within 30 feet, the Paragon will add a number of d4 equal to their Charisma modifier to the first attack on their turn.
The ability can be simplified to that, but that will result in it being slightly stronger than anticipated if the Paragon moves first or has few companions at their side.
Dauntless Resolve
Starting at 15th level, when you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you do this, you cannot do this again until you complete a long rest.
Invincible Legion
Starting at 18th level, your allies will never fall so long as their symbol of hope remains. When a friendly creature within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, but not killed outright, they can drop to 1 hit point instead so long as they can see or hear you.
Once a creature benefits from this effect, they cannot benefit from it again until they complete a long rest.
Invincible Deathwarded Legions?
It is intended that Invincible Legion can be activated before the effect of deathward or similar effects would be triggered.
Tactician's Presence
A Tactician may very well tell you they would just as soon not be close enough to the battle to be considered a combatant, preferring to win their fights before they even reach that stage, but one would be a fool to underestimate how dangerous they are once on the battlefield.
While they might have laid their plans in advance, their sharp minds can quickly pick apart how their foes try to fight against them and effortlessly pierce the crude tactics that would be used against them and their allies.
What tends to mark a Tactician is a keen mind and a willingness to plan ahead... in great detail. Adventurers with a tactician among them are near impossible to pin down, as they will always find a way to turn the tables.
Tactician's Cunning
When you take this Presence at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the History and Investigation skills, or other skills of your choice if you are already proficient. Additionally, if you can take a minute or more making a skill check, you can treat a d20 roll of 4 or lower as a 5.
Battle Plans
Starting at 1st level, you can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier. Additionally, you can exchange your initiative roll with a willing friendly creature within 60 feet.
Tactical Insight
Starting at 3rd level, you can tactically assess a creature's options. As a bonus action, make an Intelligence (Investigation) check contested by a Charisma (Deception) check against any creature you can see within 60 feet.
On a success, you can see through their tactics, granting one of the following effects:
- Determine Attack: You can cause them to have disadvantage on their next attack against a creature that can see or hear you.
- Predict Movement: You deduce where they are planning to move on their next turn. They can choose to change their plans, but if they move anywhere else, their movement speed is reduced by 10 feet as they scramble to adapt.
- Outwit Response: You can find their openings, negating their ability to use their reaction until the end of their next turn.
- Expose Weakness: You can use Helpful Word to grant advantage against that target as part of the bonus action without expending a Leadership Die.
Planning Movement... or not.
A DM can choose to read the second bullet point of Tactical insight as simply reducing the targets movement by 10. It is balanced around this assumption, predicting the movement is optional flavor, but may not fit all DMs styles.
Tactical Flexibility
Additionally at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use Tactical Insight, Rallying Mark, Helpful Word, and Urgent Orders as an action or a bonus action on your turn.
Inscrutable Mind
Starting at 7th level, you gain proficiency in Intelligence Saving Throws.
Additionally, as a reaction when being forced to make a Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma Saving Throw, you can expend one Leadership Die and add the die result to the saving throw.
Control the Field
Starting at 7th level, when you use an ability that moves allied creatures (such as Urgent Orders or Shift the Field), it gains the following properties:
- Deceptive Movement: You can attempt to move creatures that are not allies up to 5 feet (or half their movement speed, whichever is less). The creature must make an Intelligence Saving Throw with a DC of 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency bonus, or feel compelled to move to the new position immediately. Targets moved this way do not gain temporary hit points.
- Flanking Maneuvers: If two allies you move are on opposite sides of a creature after the movement you grant, the first one to attack that enemy has advantage on their first attack if they attack before the creature moves.
- Coordinated Transitions: Allies can move through each other's spaces during the movement you grant without it being difficult terrain.
Tactical Strike
Starting at 11th level, when you succeed on a Tactical Insight check against a creature, the next time you or a friendly creature deal damage against it before the start of your next turn it is increased by 2d6 damage.
Advanced Orders
Additionally at 15th level, when you expend Leadership Die on Urgent Orders, you can allow the creature to take one of the Use an Object, Search, Hide, or Dodge actions as their reaction instead of moving.
Unstoppable Schemes
Starting at 18th level, standing in your way becomes a pointless endeavor. When you move your allies with Urgent Orders or Shift the Field, they can move through spaces occupied by hostile creatures so long as they do not end their movement in an occupied space.
Multilayered Tactics
Additionally at 18th level, when you succeed on a Tactical Insight check against a creature, you can choose two of the listed effects.
Multiclassing
Should you want to multiclass into Warlord, the prerequisites and proficiencies are listed below:
- Prerequisite: 13 in two of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
- Proficiencies gained: Light Armor, Medium Armor.
Editing Credit
- Editing for 1.4.2 provided by Gabriel Russell
Art Credits
- Warlord - Art by adrytia45 - Copyright KibblesTasty
- Chart A Course - Magic the Gathering (Wizards of the Coast).
- Commander Image - (Wizards of the Coast)
- Noble Elf - Pathfinder (Paizo).
- Paragon - Art by shinji2602 - Copyright KibblesTasty.
- Tajuru Warcaller - Magic the Gather(Wizards of the Coast)
- Tactician Image - Art by Alifka96 - Copyright KibblesTasty
Fan Content Policy
Content is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
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Changelog
v1.1
v1.2
v1.3
- Added Packleader.
v1.3.1
v1.4
v1.4a
v1.4.1
- Warlords now get 3 class skills. This fits better with being a d8 class.
- Urgent Orders has replaced Overwhelming Mark
- Press the Attack modified to accommodate Urgent Orders
- Leadership Die now starts as a d6. Does not scale in size until 11 when it becomes d8 (but still scales in number and number you can spend per turn as previously).
Paragon
- Leader the Charge is now Charisma + Proficiency bonus (instead of 2x Charisma).
Packleader
- Shroud of Nature no longer grants advantage when letting creatures hide as their reaction when being obscured.
- Fleeting Striker now triggers if you have moved or are obscured from your target.
- The ability to cast pass without a trace split off from Ghosts of the Wild and moved to 7th level as Trackless Trails.
Tactician
- Renamed Battle Preparation to Battle Plans.
- Control the Field now works of Urgent Orders
- Added Tactical Flexibility at 3.
- Control the Field moved to 7th level (from 15th).
- Advanced Orders added at 15th level.
Noble
- Nobles gained proficiency with longswords and rapiers; I don't really expect them to use it, but it makes sense for the subclass theme.
- The ability to allow creatures with half your CR or lower to attack with your Charisma bonus moved to level 1 and named Inspiring Leader.
- Divine Right and Commanding Voice merged into Divine Right and moved to level 3.
- Moved Chosen Companions to 7th level, renamed it Words of Conviction.
- Moved Imperative to 7th level, and tied it to Urgent Orders rather than Battlefield Presence (making it more limited).
- Changed 11th level ability name to Inspired Zeal and it now uses the crusader's mantle spell, fitting with the Noble's more magical/divine nature.
- Added Untouchable Presence at 15th level.
v1.4.1A
- The ramble fluff at the start has been altered.
- Clarified Urgent Order Movement Distance.
- Clarified wording on Press the Attack for Urgent Orders.
- Clarified the wording on Imperative Order
- Fixed typos and grammar issues.
1.4.2
- Editing! A massive thank you to Gabriel Russell