Fighter

Class Traits

Fighters are determined combat adepts trained to protect the other members of their adventuring groups. Fighters define the front line by bashing and slicing foes into submission while reflecting enemy attacks through the use of heavy armor. Fighters draw weapons for gold, for glory, for duty, and for the mere joy of unrestrained martial exercise.

Regardless of your level of skill and the specific weapons you eventually master, your motivations determine who you defend and who you slay. You could be a noble champion who pledges your blade to gallant causes, a calculating mercenary who cares more for the clink of gold than praise, a homeless prince on the run from assassins, or a blood-loving thug looking for the next good fight.

Your future is yours. When you unsheathe your weapon, what battle cry flies from your lips?

“Battle line? Formation? Listen—I came here to kill whatever comes at us, not to march in a parade. I’ll keep you alive by makin’ the bad guys dead. Got me?”

A fighter can use training and talent to be a good defender. Doing so is the typical soldier’s path. But not all fighters follow that path. Maybe you channel your indignation and bloodlust such that you defy your adversaries despite blows that land solidly. Or maybe you take up two weapons and focus on audacious assaults. In these ways, a good offense makes for solid defense. Specialized techniques aren’t the sole purview of unorthodox fighters, however. Combat systems are as numerous as weapons and the individual warriors who use them. Concentration on a weapon or a style can make your path clear, since certain exploits lend themselves to particular ways of fighting. Whether you’re a scale-clad, sword-and-board trooper; a tattooed, axe-wielding savage; a dualwielding warrior who moves the battle line from moment to moment; or another sort of fighter, this chapter is for you. It contains the following material.

“Combat is about everything around me-terrain, illumination, obstacles, allies, and foes. And my blade isn’t my sole weapon. My body and mind are as potent as any blade.”

EVERY RACE and culture relies on warriors for protection, and each has its own forms of combat that represent native strengths, talents, and beliefs. As a fighter, you are familiar with the techniques of your people, but you also appreciate the combat styles of others. This appreciation helps to cultivate your own signature style, combining strikes, parries, stances, and disciplines from a multitude of martial traditions. As a fighter, one important decision you make is what to hold in your hands or wear on your arms. A shield provides defense at the expense of offense. With a two-handed weapon, you can strike harder, faster, and farther. Fighting with two weapons offers a middle ground between offense and defense, because your off-hand weapon can parry and strike. Alternatively, you might keep one hand unburdened. Although you won’t enjoy the defensive advantages of a shield or the potency of a two-handed weapon or an off-hand weapon, a free hand opens other possibili ties, such as the ability to pin and grab foes. In this chapter, you’ll find support for these options.

Creating a Fighter

You can choose any fighter powers you like for your character. All fighters rely on Strength. Fighters also need Constitution, Dexterity, or Wisdom, depending on which weapon they favor.

The Player’s Handbook presents the great weapon fighter and the guardian fighter; Martial Power adds the battlerager fighter and the tempest fighter, and Martial Power 2 adds the brawling fighter.

Battlerager Fighter

You’re an unpredictable warrior who trusts the adrenaline rush of battle to pull you through as much as heavy armor does. Few aspects of life give you the charge that being in the heat of battle does, and you build up a fury when your enemies manage to hurt you. You thrive on taking it to those foes by wielding highly damaging weapons such as axes, maces, hammers, and picks. Strength is your focus, allowing you to make powerful attacks. You rely on Constitution to give weight to your attacks and to keep you in the fight. Like any other soldier, you count on brutal instinct to help you win the day, so Wisdom is important to you as well. The Battlerager Vigor class feature is designed to complement this build.

• Suggested Feat: Power Attack (Human feat: Durable)

• Suggested Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

• Suggested At-Will Powers: brash strike,* crushing surge*

• Suggested Encounter Power: bell ringer*

• Suggested Daily Power: knee breaker*

**New option presented in Martial Power.*

Brawling Fighter

You have an instinct for mayhem. You fight with a one-handed weapon and leave a hand open so you can punch, grab, and throw. Your body is your best weapon. Every battlefield holds opportunities for a brawling fighter, whether it’s a wall you throw a foe against, fur niture with which to trip an enemy, or stones you can employ as deadly projectiles.

As with other fighters, Strength is your most important ability score. Dexterity is a good choice for your second highest score, because Combat Agility and many of your attacks and utility powers reward Dexterity. After Strength and Dexterity, choose Con stitution to help your hit points and healing surges.

• Suggested Class Features: Brawler Style, Combat Agility

• Suggested Feat: Inescapable Hold*

• Suggested Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

• Suggested At-Will Powers: grappling strike,* slash and pummel*

• Suggested Encounter Power: bash and pinion*

• Suggested Daily Power: seize and stab·

**New option presented in Martial Power 2.*

Great Weapon Fighter

You’re interested in dealing out the most damage you can. You prefer big two-handed weapons such as the greatsword or greataxe. You’re more interested in fighting hard than fighting smart. Your best ability score is definitely Strength. A good Constitution improves your ability to use high damage weapons, such as axes and hammers. Plus, extra hit points always help. Select powers that work well with twohanded weapons to make the most of this build.

• Suggested Feat: Power Attack (Human feat: Action Surge)

• Suggested Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

• Suggested At-Will Powers: cleave, reaping strike

• Suggested Encounter Power: spinning sweep

• Suggested Daily Power: brute strike

Guardian Fighter

To fight better, you fight smarter. You’re willing to trade offense for superior defenses and better ability to control the battlefield around you. You fight with a heavy shield and a good one-handed weapon, such as a longsword, f lail, or battleaxe. Like the great weapon fighter, you make Strength your best ability score. After that, prioritize your Dexterity to take advantage of weapons that can be improved by Dexterity-based feats, or your Wisdom to make the most of the combat superiority class feature. You’re hard to hurt and hard to move away from. Select powers that make use of your one-handed weapon and shield, as well as take advantage of your higher Dexterity score.

• Suggested Feat: Weapon Focus (Human feat: Human Perseverance)

• Suggested Skills: Heal, Intimidate, Streetwise

• Suggested At-Will Powers: Sure strike, tide of iron

• Suggested Encounter Power: covering attack

• Suggested Daily Power: comeback strike

Tempest Fighter

Rather than a shield or a big weapon, you have specialized in fighting using a weapon in each hand. You see it as the best of both worlds—given the right training, you can deliver good damage and make up for the lack of a shield with deft parrying. Strength remains any soldier’s bread and butter, and good battlefield awareness—Wisdom—is a must. You also rely on speed, maneuverability, and agility—Dexterity—to get your dirty work done. Constitution is a tertiary ability for you, granting useful staying power against foes not so easily fooled by your fancy footwork and feints. The Tempest Technique class feature is designed to complement this build.

• Suggested Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (Human feat: Human Perseverance)

• Suggested Skills: Athletics, Intimidate, Streetwise

• Suggested At-Will Powers: dual strike,* footwork lure*

• Suggested Encounter Power: funneling flurry*

• Suggested Daily Power: tempest dance*

**New option presented in Martial Power.*

Class Features

Some of your most important characteristics are the ability to wear very good armor, your exceptional hit point total, and your mastery of all military weapons. In addition, you have three unique class features.

Combat Challenge

In combat, it’s dangerous to ignore a fighter. Every time you attack an enemy, whether the attack hits or misses, you can choose to mark that target. The mark lasts until the end of your next turn. While a target is marked, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.

In addition, whenever an enemy marked by you is adjacent to you and shifts or makes an attack* that does not include you, you can make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an immediate interrupt.

Combat Superiority

You gain a bonus to opportunity attacks equal to your Wisdom. An enemy struck by your opportunity attack stops moving, if a move provoked the attack. If it still has actions remaining, it can use them to resume moving.

Combat Agility

This class feature replaces the Combat Superiority class feature.

Fighter Weapon Talent

Choose either one-handed or two-handed weapons. When using a weapon of your chosen style, you gain a +1 bonus to weapon* attack rolls.

These fighter class features are available to any fighter who wishes to explore a different area of expertise. You can select one of the following features in place of the Fighter Weapon Talent class feature.

You can select the following class features instead of another option, such as the ones presented in the Player’s Handbook or in Martial Power. You need not pick the brawling fighter build to select these features.

Battlerager Vigor

Each time an enemy hits you with a melee or a close attack, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (after the attack is resolved). When you gain temporary hit points by hitting with an attack that has the invigorating keyword, those temporary hit points stack with any other temporary hit points you already have. When wearing light armor or chainmail, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with melee and close weapon attacks whenever you have temporary hit points. This bonus increases to +2 if you’re wielding an axe, a hammer, a mace, or a pick.

Tempest Technique

When you wield two melee weapons, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with weapons that have the offhand property. You gain Two-Weapon Defense as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites. When wearing light armor or chainmail, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with melee and close weapon attacks when you are wielding two weapons. This bonus increases to +2 with weapons that have the off-hand property.

Brawler Style

This class feature replaces the Fighter Weapon Talent class feature.

Battlerager Vigor and Tempest Technique are from Martial Power; Brawler Style and Combat Agility are from Martial Power 2.

Fighters and Melee Weapons

Fighters master intricacies of melee weapon skill that other characters can’t match. Unlike other classes, fighters have many encounter powers that work better when used with specific groups of melee weapons (see the table below). Powers associated with a weapon group favor a particular ability score mix, so that fighters with high Constitution are likely to want to use axes, hammers, or picks, while fighters with high Dexterity are more likely to favor heavy blades, light blades, flails, or spears. The weapon feats described in Chapter 6 that provide optimized abilities for specific groups of weapons favor the same ability score mixes, so the list below notes the melee weapon groups and the ability score that is most likely to help you optimize your fighter abilities with that weapon group.

Melee Weapon Groups and Associated Statistics

• Axe: Constitution and higher than normal Strength (battleaxe, handaxe, greataxe, halberd)

• Flail: Dexterity (flail, heavy flail, spiked chain)

• Hammer: Constitution (maul, throwing hammer, warhammer)

• Heavy Blade: Dexterity (bastard sword, falchion, glaive, greatsword, longsword, scimitar, scythe)

• Light Blade: Dexterity alone is sometimes enough (dagger, katar, rapier, short sword, shuriken, sickle)

• Mace: Constitution (club, great club, mace, morningstar)

• Pick: Constitution [and rarely Dexterity] (war pick)

• Polearm: Wisdom [and rarely Dexterity] (glaive, halberd, longspear)

• Spear: Dexterity (javelin, longspear, spear)

• Staff: Constitution (quarterstaff)

Most melee weapon groups, with the exception of light blades, require some element of Strength to access the weapon feats that improve their importance. (Light blades have some feats that require only Dexterity, though other light blade feats also require a modicum of Strength.) The list of weapon groups above mentions the ability score other than Strength that helps access the feats that improve a specific group of weapons, as well as fighter powers that are tied to specific groups of weapons. Strength is mentioned in the list only if a weapon group has unusually high requirements for Strength. A few weapons, including most polearms, are part of multiple groups and can therefore be approached from different optimal ability score builds.

Fighter Powers

Your powers are called exploits. Some work better for great weapon fighters and some work better for guardian fighters, but you can choose any power you like when you reach a level that allows you to choose a new power. The choice of weapon you make also provides benefits to certain fighter powers.

The tempest fighter and the battlerager fighter center on these powers. Fighters of any stripe can find powers here to their liking, however.

New Keywords

Some of the powers in this chapter use these new keywords.

Class Feature Powers

Level 1 At-Will Exploits

Level 1 Encounter Exploits

Level 1 Daily Exploits

Level 2 Utility Exploits

Level 3 Encounter Exploits

Level 5 Daily Exploits

Level 6 Utility Exploits

Level 7 Encounter Exploits

Level 9 Daily Exploits

Level 10 Utility Exploits

Level 13 Encounter Exploits

Level 15 Daily Exploits

Level 16 Utility Exploits

Level 17 Encounter Exploits

Level 19 Daily Exploits

Level 22 Utility Exploits

Level 23 Encounter Exploits

Level 25 Daily Exploits

Level 27 Encounter Exploits

Level 29 Daily Exploits

Paragon Paths

At 11th level a fighter may take one of these paragon paths. The Player’s Handbook fighter paragon paths are not included in the source files.

Avenging Slayer

“Justice is hard to come by. I’m here to make sure you pay for your crimes!”

Beyond a few safe havens, the world is an unforgiving land filled with cruelty, terror, and profound evil. The blameless are slaughtered and the works of civilization are torn down, sometimes in a bid for conquest, but just as often out of sheer brutality. Destructive monsters regularly leave behind survivors, and a few of these take up the sword or the axe. These brave souls seek not to put past wrongs right, but to prevent others from suffering as they have, and to slake a thirst for vengeance. In this way, heroism is often forged in darkness. At some point in your life, your course was set, your path laid before you. Maybe your career as a grim hero began the moment you or those close to you fell victim to a fate you were powerless to prevent—your life forever changed by one act of depravity. Perhaps instead, as you have adventured, you’ve witnessed too many appalling acts, seen too many innocents buried, or found wickedness in too many shadows. Whatever the case, you now see yourself as the only one who can stand between the helpless few and the predatory hordes. You know no respite exists for those who would protect the weak. Even so, you willingly take on that task. As an avenging slayer, your brutal efficiency makes you a menacing figure no enemy can safely ignore. You strike fear into your enemies to protect your allies and those who have less power than you. You punish corruption with merciless retribution, defining yourself as a righteous executioner.

Avenging Slayer Path Features

Avenging Slayer Exploits

Avernian Knight

Hellfire and steel are my weapons against darkness.

You’re both a warrior and a warlock, steeped in the martial lore of the Nine Hells. You might have learned the sinister techniques of this path from another practitioner, from forbidden tomes guarded in brooding monasteries, or from the infernal patrons who answer your call when you dabble in the warlock’s craft. Regardless of how you came to follow this path, you wield the power ofan infernal pact; what you choose to do with your dark gift is up to you. As an Avernian knight, you combine the power of a warlock’s pact with exceptional skill at arms, weaving sinister spells into your weapon. In battle, you call upon your spells to scour your foes with infernal curses and punish them severely when they ignore your challenge. Orders of Avernian knights are found in the Nine Hells and in other places where devils hold sway. Most who wield the power of the Nine Hells do so at the cost of their souls and are irrevocably sworn to the service of evil. However, you need not choose evil to follow this path. Sometimes good heroes succeed in turning the power of evil against itself, finding a way to withstand the taint of the dark powers.

Avernian Knight Path Features

Avernian Knight Exploits

Dread Reaper

“All things die, friend. It’s my job to make sure you do, too.”

Countless fighting styles issue from dedicated masters—unimpeachable figures who devote their lives to perfecting combat maneuvers that are carried onto the battlefield by their disciples. But not all techniques evolve from the teachings of these paragons of the warrior’s art. Some methods come from origins far less noble. The path of the dread reaper is one such shadowy road. According to legend, the first dread reaper was Gulkanon, a human paladin of the Raven Queen, stripped of his station and power for offending his god. Even without the connection to the deity he had long revered, Gulkanon was unwilling surrender his place as her champion. He turned to a new avenue of military study, building upon the techniques of savage and fell races in the world—orcs, goblins, ogres, and trolls. He took the crude strokes of these brutish creatures and refined them, developing a range of exploits that focused his strength into a vehicle of appalling carnage. As he grew more confident in his newfound skills, he took the title “dread reaper.” He set out to send souls to his estranged patron in hopes of rekindling the bond that had been broken. Whether he succeeded is lost to time, but his legacy remains. Some dread reapers serve the Raven Queen, and small cults of such warriors can be found who are willing to train promising candidates. Others who have this training, however, lack the will or discipline to find true favor with the god. A few stretch her tenets to accommodate their own excesses. The Raven Queen’s vigilant servants have been known to hunt and slay the worst of those offenders. Whether you had an affinity for death-dealing or found inspiration in the actions of another, you turned to the techniques of the dread reaper. The training offers you a special array of fighting maneuvers that emphasize your already impressive proficiency with two-handed weapons. Your training transformed you from a competent warrior to a terrifying force of destruction. Rather than minding your defenses, you favor wreaking havoc in combat. Enemies can’t help but notice your destructive potential and ignore you at their peril. You can perform astonishing attacks, sweeping through your foes and laying them open with your steel.

Dread Reaper Path Features

Dread Reaper Exploits

Dreadnought

“You can’t slow me down, much less stop me.”

World-shaking battles were fought between the tieflings of Bael Turath and the dragonborn of Arkhosia. The deeds and exploits of those conflicts resound still in epic story and song. One such anthem is Lament of the Dreadnought, a somber song that recounts the final march of Jagannash the Unstoppable, a great dragonborn hero. A doughty warrior famed for his ability to fight on no matter the injuries he sustained, Jagannash accumulated a number of legends. He withstood the full fury of an angry blue dragon, shrugged off the lashes of a pit fiend’s whip, and even killed a tiefling warlock who had hurled him through Hell. The Lament, though, speaks of his final battle and all he achieved in the last offensive against the tiefling empire. Jagannash felled a full legion of devils, strangled their succubus sorceress commander with his bare hands, and hammered his way through the walls of a fortress. He was climbing the tower that housed the tiefling war room when the earth rebelled and swallowed the citadel and all within it. It is whispered that Jagannash fights there still, despite the centuries. Such is his resilience. It is from Jagannash’s example that other fighters who follow a similar creed take inspiration. The mind– body practices of these warriors are kept and taught by a few masters, dragonborn and otherwise. Some even develop these talents without formal training. As a dreadnought, you are an inexorable force of destruction. You turn aside weapons with nothing more than your force of will. Fire cannot touch you; lightning cannot blind you. The core of your might grows from your ability to detach your mind from your body, to disassociate yourself from the pain of your wounds and press onward to keep fighting when others would succumb. You attain this state through discipline and a commitment. All who attempt to stand against you are bound to fall.

Dreadnought Path Features

Dreadnought Exploits

Dwarven Defender

“The wrath of Hell can’t move me, but I can hammer you into place!”

Your people defied the titans and giants. Unity has sustained them, and tenaciousness has upheld them; traditions preserving these values serve them well. They stand unmoved and unconquered, like the mountains, against orcs and goblins and dragons. Dwarf soldiers are unmatched in their fighting prowess and loyalty to one another. War stories hold that a single dwarf foot soldier is the match of any two warriors of another race and the same skill. Two such soldiers are worth five similarly skilled enemies. When the enemy forces are composed of little more than savages, dwarven armies break them like stone channels water. All the institutions of dwarven society have soldiers loyal to the cause. Doughty fighters serve king or lord, guild or business, deity or church, or a simple creed. A few serve the almighty coin, selling their time and axes for wealth. Time-honored fighting techniques teach a dwarf warrior to use his or her racial abilities to the fullest and to use fine weapons and heavy armor. When the dogs of war are loosed, dwarf soldiers hold the line. You are a master of dwarven fighting arts, relying on loyal allies as much as your own courage and resilience. Your expertise lies in defensive maneuvers and battle-line tactics. You know how to take advantage of holes in enemy lines. Allies come to rely on you as the center of the squad. They take heart in your steadfastness and your ability to break the defenses of your enemies. Dwarven Defender Features

Dwarven Defender Path Features

Dwarven Defender Exploits

Glorious Myrmidon

The aods look upon my moment ofalory and know envy.

You are a warrior of tremendous athleticism and skill. For you, battle is the ultimate competition-a contest in which your personal triumphs and deeds of daring will win you lasting glory. You measure your victories by the fame and recognition they bring you. Folks might say that you’re proud, vain, Or selfish, and that your hubris is an affront to the gods. You see nothing wrong in wanting to glorify the natural gifts the gods granted you or demonstrating to the world the rewards that can be won with courage, dedica tion, and skill. You value fame, honor, and the stories of your tri umphs over gold and other worldly treasures. You’re on the lookout for opportunities to add to your own growing fame, not through bragging about what you’ve done but by testing yourself against worthy foes and producing evidence of your victories. If you can’t fight the dragon on the village green, then at least you can bring back its head tied to your saddle horn to let everyone know that YOll bested the creature. You have little interest in dishonorable victories or foes beneath your station. Ifyou must give battle to unworthy enemies to protect innocent people, you might choose to set your own challe nge by Wielding ineffective weapons, using only simple attacks, or allowing your opponents the first strike. Defeating a band of goblins hardly adds to your renown at this pOint in your career, but defeating them with your bare handsnow there’s a story.

Glorious Myrmidon Path Features

Glorious Myrmidon Exploits

Halfling Bounder

“Let my size fool you, and that’ll be your last mistake.”

The world is wide and wild, and the nomadic halflings are small folk. Deftness and quick wits have allowed them to survive nonetheless. As they have done so, they have come to rely on wily and daring warriors to protect them. Even settled halflings maintain a soldierly class to see to their interests among other, and larger, civilized folk. The fighting tradition of the halfling bounder favors halfling traits. Bounders are practiced in hit-and-run strategies and pack tactics. They spring about the battlefield, avoiding the attacks of their bigger enemies, striking from unexpected angles, and making harrying assaults. Bounders willingly lay down their lives to allow those they care for to survive and escape danger. Most wandering halfling clans have a number of bounders who serve as scouts. These warriors help keep the traveling band carefree—they put down dangers before the threat becomes dire. Able and willing halflings can easily learn the techniques of the bounder. More than a few put this expertise to use outside halfling communities, satisfying their natural curiosity while protecting friends and common folk. You are one such champion of the halfling people. A flashing blade in hand, you leap about, laughing as bumbling, oversized fools trip over themselves trying to stop you. You’ve learned to use your small size to see the battle from a different angle, enabling you to easily spot openings others miss, hounding your enemies and taking every advantage the battle offers. If your skill comes up short for some reason, your luck more than makes up for it. Halfling Bounder Features

Halfling Bounder Path Features

Halfling Bounder Exploits

Inner Dragon

“The fury of the dragon seethes in my blood!”

Dragonborn issue from the same spiritual line as mighty dragons. Since the earliest days, dragonborn have nurtured their raw fury into a fighting spirit and a proud martial tradition. The empire of Arkhosia formed from these roots, and it expanded at times based as much on the power of its military force as on its civilizing influence. In Arkhosia, dragonborn served dragons in numerous capacities, from vizier to archmage, oracle to valet. The most important roles performed by dragonborn, however, were as agents in a dangerous world or as defenders of the homeland. Soldierly ways passed through the generations, as did the ability to tap one’s inner draconic nature. Particular dragonborn masters hone body, mind, and spirit through martial practice to perfectly tap into the inner dragon. Some come to this knowledge on their own; others gain it from teachers eager to train younger dragonborn in ancient traditions. Only a few master the techniques well enough to become legendary heroes or villains. Whatever your personal history, the untamed blood of dragons flows in your veins. Your veneration of your warrior ancestors has manifested as a supernatural tie to this heritage. You hear the call of the dragon within. Its ferocity courses through you. Woe to those who harm you, for the shedding of your blood rouses the ire of your draconic heart. Inner Dragon Features

Inner Dragon Path Features

Inner Dragon Exploits

Ironstar Mauler

Aawession is the key to victory. Get in there and start mix ina it up while your enemy is still tryina to decide ifit wants to fiaht or not. Hesitation is a luxury we can’t afford.

You are a battle-tested master of the lronstar combat style. You wield a mace or a flail as easily as a grace ful elf duelist wields a rapier; in your hands, these cruel weapons are as light and quick as willow switches. You have spent countless hours attaining the necessary balance, concentration, and intuition to use these weapons effectively. With uncanny preci sion, you can crumple a shield, break a weapon-hand, shatter fangs, or crush a skull. Beyond mastering the style’s pure physical tech nique, you have absorbed the attitude and mind set of the Ironstar masters. Your chosen style is more than pure strength and savagery. You recognize that fearlessness, intimidation, and aggression are weap ons every bit as important as the maces or flails you wield. Warriors of different races and lands have devel oped techniques similar to yours, but none have studied them more carefully-or practiced them more fiercely-than the dwarf masters who originated the Ironstar technique. You have learned from their teachings and become a fierce and tough-minded warrior. You are the first to charge into the fray and the last to leave it. Enemies do well to fear you.

Ironstar Mauler Path Features

Ironstar Mauler Exploits

Knight Protector

“Nerath might have fallen, but the need for just warriors who abide by a code of honor remains still.”

In this age of darkness, covered by the shadow of fallen empires, never has there been a greater need for those who champion the causes of the innocent. Not since the fall of Nerath has a coherent force of warriors been guided by honor and justice in all that they do. Bold knights who fought for King Elidyr of Nerath are long lost, and the honor code to which they adhered is a curiosity of history to most. However, some see the need for such nobility today, and they try to live up to the standards set by righteous soldiers long dead. These modern fighters name themselves the knight protectors. Some of those who call themselves knights could equal Nerath’s storied fighters in might and zeal. Without a code, though, who can say with certainty if the new knights can match bygone honor? Without a fellowship, how can like-minded individuals work toward similar ends and police their own? Indeed, a number of those who claim to be knights—and even a few who call themselves knight protectors—are anything but counterparts to the admirable warriors of old. Far too many use their self-claimed title for profligate or brutal gain. A loose confederation of knight protectors acts as an organization for those who claim this path. Its members are pledged to look out for one another and to keep the principles of the order. Courage, industriousness, respect, courtesy, and the glory of battle are all guiding principles. Those who fail to uphold these standards quickly find themselves at odds with other knight protectors. Taking up the sword and cloak of a knight protector, you see it as your task to emulate the knights of old. A warrior and something of a leader, you abide by the knight protector code for personal glory and out of respect for the past. In life, you strive to be noble, honest, and fair. When you and your comrades come under attack, you are at the forefront, testing and displaying your courage. Even if smaller minds mock you as an idealist, you know you fight with dignity and purpose.

Knight Protector Path Features

Knight Protector Exploits

Kulkor Arms Master

Swords are pretty, there’s no doubt ofit. But if you want to crack open plate armor or split a dra8on’s scales, you’l! need a weapon with more hittin8 power.

You are a well-traveled veteran, a pragmatic merce nary who has fought in a dozen dirferent lands. Along the way, you’ve come to appreciate the virtues and drawbacks or various weapons. Sometimes you’re a soldier, sometimes a bodyguard, and sometimes a freebooter in search of the next opportunity. Wher ever you go and whatever you do, though, you’re always a master of arms. Many who share your combat style are heartless sellswords, fighting only for the next bag of gold. You might be motivated by coin, or you could find yourselr drawn to a higher cause. Perhaps you pursue a calling as a wandering trainer, instructing castle guards and village militias in the effective use of their weapons. You might be a footloose traveler, searching for a worthy place or cause to serve with your martial skills. Or you might be a renowned troubleshooter, awaiting the next chance to test your skills against violent brigands or fierce marauders. You’re willing to slay monsters and dangerous beasts if that’s what needs to be done, but your true calling is to face enemies that have steel in their hands and prove your mastery over them.

Kulkor Arms Master Path Features

Kulkor Arms Master Exploits

Polearm Master

“Victory is easier to achieve when your reach is longer.”

The versatile polearm is easier to manufacture than a sword, and often easier to use effectively. In its simplest form, the polearm is a longspear—a short blade on the end of a long shaft. Since reach is an advantage, even the humble longspear is an effective weapon in unpracticed hands. In the hands of a master, its deadliness can be unparalleled. More complex polearms offer even greater rewards on the battlefield and off. They combine the best aspects of spear and blade or axe, allowing the user control and damage unmatched by other weapons. It’s little wonder that whole units of soldiers use polearms in war, and that city watches use these weapons to protect citizens, as well as keep them in line. Because polearms are so common and easily crafted, learning to use one is part of most basic military instruction. Advanced skill isn’t so easy to obtain, but the trials of regular combat serve as well as, if not better than, the training ground. The ability to use a polearm against a variety of foes can seldom be learned through the rigors of soldierly education. Through your adventures, you have mastered the polearm. You prefer a weapon that extends your options and your reach, understanding that it’s better to keep monsters at a distance. With such a weapon at your disposal, you not only deal wounding blows to your adversaries and cut wide arcs through multiple foes, you also better protect your allies by commanding more of your surroundings. Polearm Master Features

Polearm Master Path Features

Polearm Master Exploits

Rakehell Duelist

1 can see thaI you are eaaer to die, but you’ll have to wait until 1finish my drink.

You are a rakeheU duelist because you’re the best at what you do. With a weapon in each hand, you rely on fast footwork and skillful parries. You scorn combatants who need half an hour to strap on heavy armor before they can do battle. By the time other warriors are ready, you can dispatch three sets of opponents and two flagons of ale. Knowing that a fight is around the corner, you make sure you’re prepared and that you enjoy life while you can. You have won riches and fame by going up against deadly opponents. Although your talents have earned you the means to retire to a life ofluxury, you find that your pu rsuit of the good life seems to end up causing fights. For a rakehell duelist, that’s the pOint. Boasting, gambling, and courting the attractive and the wealthy is fun because it can result in being challenged to a duel. Your reputation attracts a constant stream of aspiring duelists seeking to test themselves against a master. A rakehell duelist usually relishes each opportunity to confirm that he or she is still on top, mercilessly dispatching any ambitious upstarts.

Rakehell Duelist Path Features

Rakehell Duelist Exploits

Rampaging Brute

My hammer says that it and me are cominB in fast and BettinB what we camefor.

Prerequisite; Fighter, Ogremight Student feat Your arrival is heralded by the crash of splintering wood and the roar of a battle cry. When you smash through a door with a single swing of your massive weapon and barrel into the midst of your enemies, they dodge out of the way-if they’re wise. Ifbattle has taught you anything, it’s that weight plus momentum equals deadly force. When you set your bulk in motion, anyone smart knows to stay out of your way. Goliaths are famous for defending mountain passes with a squad ofslingers, a pile of boulders, and a rampaging brute who rushes downhill and slams into the leader of the opposing force as a kill ing rain of rock and stone smashes that foe’s allies. Goliath legends tell of the first rampaging brute, Roglarok, who charged into the midst ofa company of hobgoblins beneath Tizun’s Halls. No one in his tribe could have defeated them single-handedly, but by drawing the defenders ofr, Roglarok allowed his allies to achieve a victory by sneaking in behind the distracted hobgoblins. Your tactics as a rampaging brute focus on charg ing in and tying up foes, keeping them away from the more frail members of your party. Your preferred weapon is a heavy weight at the end of a sturdy haft. You favor light armor or chainmail so that your charges can carry you farther into the heart of the battle. You’ll be hit frequently, but your fury will keep you fighting no matter how grievous your wounds become.

Rampaging Brute Path Features

Rampaging Brute Exploits

Ravager

“For Kord!”

feature A ravager is the quintessential battlerager, a savage and fearless fighter. Such a warrior thrives on rage and bloodlust, literally chewing on a shield’s rim or weapon’s haft to diffuse wild energy when a promised clash is too long in coming. When combat is joined, a ravager rushes headlong into the fray, leaving a trail of bleeding foes and twitching corpses behind. You scoff at disciplined practice, romantic devotion to a code, and effete arms such as rapiers. A dedicated killer, you rely on the force of your weapon and the rush that battle gives you. Some might describe you as an uncultured lout, but you laugh at them as well. When they cower before the horrors of the night and the wild places, you stand fast, ready to whet your weapon on your enemies. Being a ravager means that every skirmish is a chance for blood and glory. It’s an opportunity to win fame, the favor of the gods, and maybe more than one form of immortality. You throw yourself into every fight as if it were your last, leaping fearlessly among your foes where you can wreak the most havoc. With your reckless bravery, you bring fame and honor to yourself, your people, your ancestors, and the gods who watch over you. And if the gods can’t be bothered—to Hell with them too.

Ravager Path Features

Ravager Exploits

Shield Adept

“The shield in my left hand speaks of my survival. With my sword, it whispers of your defeat.”

Storied history follows the shield, a warrior’s best friend and an implement of honor and identity in a fighter’s panoply. A stout shield can turn aside mundane swords and arrows, as well as monstrous venom sprays and dragon fire. Only a steadfast ally is better for covering the flank while you’re taking it to the enemy. Nothing is better to protect that ally. Throughout time, the use of the shield has defined military tactics. In phalanx formations, common among many folk, one soldier stands alongside another, each relying on a comrade’s shield for added protection. During a charge, a shield aids in pushing the enemy back or even down. Warriors in a unit of skilled shield bearers can place their shields together in an overarching arrangement, completely protecting all within the shield shell from outside attack. This is said to have originally been a dwarven trick, a “boulder formation.” The Arkhosian warrior-philosopher Khomagar said, “The shield is the law of the battlefield, protecting the soldier as lordly and righteous edicts protect the empire.” Phalanx fighters from many cultures suffer dishonor or worse for losing their shields in battle, since such a loss weakens the unit as a whole. Numerous peoples maintain a tradition of bringing dead warriors home on their shields, and burying a shield with its owner. Especially among dwarves, a broken shield is seen as a symbol of loss or corruption. The shield is even more important to a small-unit fighter who relies upon it to protect his or her few allies. To the wise soldier who fulfills such duties, a shield is as much a weapon as a defensive item. You know these facts well. Through your countless skirmishes, you have mastered the use of your one-handed weapon and shield. Such is your skill that those who pay too much attention to one of your armaments inevitably suffer punishment from the other. Shield Adept Features

Shield Adept Path Features

Shield Adept Exploits

Shock Trooper

“Move fast, people! And hit them hard!”

Nerath was a just nation, it is said, but it would be a lie to say that it was built solely through negotiation, the spread of knowledge, and cultural influence. No, as any historian can tell you, Nerath rose on the splintered shields and shattered blades of its soldiers. When an object of conquest doesn’t bend, it must be made to bow. That was the job of Nerath’s legions. Those armies consisted primarily of highly trained heavy infantry supplemented by heavy cavalry—the famed knight protectors. Nerath’s military traditions were derived from older sources. In what any dragonborn would claim to be fine dragonborn style, a special auxiliary force of devastating light infantry led many of Nerath’s assaults. These were the empire’s shock troopers. Military historians liken them to similar troops among other cultures and peoples, especially elves and dragonborn. The typical shock trooper wore chainmail over leather, and carried a longsword and short sword, or dual short swords. The trooper was trained to break the line of an enemy force, moving quickly to kill and wound as many enemy soldiers as possible. If a trooper broke through the enemy line, the job then became direct assault on enemy command positions. Although Nerath no longer exists as an empire, more than a few of its traditions linger. Numerous fighters and schools of soldiery carry on shock trooper traditions. This is to say nothing of the similar soldiers among other peoples, such as dwarf assault fighters. Any warrior who wants training in this brutal and mobile assault style can readily find it. You are part of this sudden strike tradition of fighting. Unlike those warriors who form battle lines, you move among your enemies, defying them to strike you down and forcing them to pursue you. Your daring onslaughts confuse and astonish your adversaries. Even so, your guard is never down, especially in your favorite place: the center of a throng of foes.

Shock Trooper Path Features

Shock Trooper Exploits

Steel Vanguard Master

Trust only in your steel and your skill. People will always disappoint you.

You are a sword master of renown and an expert ill the famous Steel Vallguard style. This style is based on the use oflarge, heavy swords such as the great sword and the falchion. Few can match your skill and lethality with a two-handed sword. Some combat styles are associated with specific schools. academies. or regions; the Steel Vanguard technique is not one of these styles. It was developed centuries ago in the mercenary companies that served the empires of old. Countless variations and embellishments have been added to the style over time. Currently. the mercenaries known as the Steel Vanguard practice the style. and dozens ofdistinct regional styles have their roots in the base style. As a f~lIned sword master, you might be sought out by students who want to learn your techniques or by challengers eager to earn a name by besting a warrior of your skill. How you deal with such challenges is up to you. Between adventures. you might run a training school. teach at a famous academy as a visiting instructor. tutor young nobles, or take on an apprentice for a time. When adventure calls again. you set aside your lessons and once again use the martial skills you have honed over years of fighting.

Steel Vanguard Master Path Features

Steel Vanguard Master Exploits

Tiefling Warfiend

“My rage might be justified, but it still burns within the heart of a devil.”

The mixing of devils and mortals created the tieflings, infusing them forever with tainted fiendish blood. But in that corruption is power. Like any power, it can be tapped for good or ill. Long have tieflings used the devilish energy burning in their spirits. In its most basic form, this infernal might allows the tiefling to channel anger and a desire for vengeance into attacks more vehement than normal. In ages past, however, tiefling warriors learned to channel their negative emotions into tools for war. Fallen Bael Turath had whole cadres of mighty fighters who could funnel fiendish fury into their military maneuvers. Despite the loss of the empire, some of these devilish fighters survived. Their fighting customs were passed on, lasting through the centuries. Today, a few tiefling soldiers offer training that allows would-be warfiends to control the devil inside. Others, who must do without such guidance, find that the inner fiend is best directed into violence lest it pollute other aspects of life. So many of your kind fear the taint lurking in their soul, but you realize it is merely a tool at your disposal. Without needing to embrace evil, you nurtured your infernal aspect and mastered it. You’ve coupled deadly skill at arms with the dread power of your heritage, helping you to defend your allies and to make your foes pay for daring to stand against you. Now the corruption within you serves your aims, coating your weapon in baleful fire and allowing you to consume the fleeting energy of dying foes. Tiefling Warfiend Features

Tiefling Warfiend Path Features

Tiefling Warfiend Exploits

Warhound of Bane

Por 800d orfor ill, the Bod ofwar 8uides myfortune.

Warhound of Bane Path Features

Warhound of Bane Exploits

Fighter (PHB + Martial Power 1 & 2) —