Warlord
Warlords turn warfare into an art form. The movement of allies is choreographed and immaculate and their attacks are coordinated and devastating. The presence of a Warlord usually heralds the fall or a nation and the creation of a new one. They focus on guiding those around them to victory even as you hone your own skills in combat.
Mastering a variety of tactics they employ to control the battlefield, Warlords command their allies and enhance their fighting capacity. As they grow they master more tactics and gain more experience as they seek out the path to complete and total victory. Warlords lead using their intelligence instead of their strength of arm more often than not.
A Warlord will set out on an adventure to gain allies or to flee a crumbling military state in order to make a fresh start. They quickly become de facto leaders that lead tight teams full of complex strategy. Warlords prefer to work with seasoned warriors and skilled spellcasters and are not afraid to get their hands dirty alongside more unscrupulous allies.
Quick Build
You can make a Warlord quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in INT, followed by STR. Second, choose the Noble Background.
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1D12 per Warlord level
At 1st level: 12 + Your CON Modifier
At higher levels: 1D12 or 7 if lower than 7, + CON Modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor
- All Armor and Shields
- Weapons
- All Weapons
- Tools
- Cartographer’s Tools
- Saving Throws
- STR, INT
- Skills
- Choose two from: Athletics, Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Survival
Starting Equipment
- 1. (a) longsword and shield or (b) longbow and 20 arrows
- 2. (a) two shortswords or (b) light crossbow and 20 bolts
- 3. (a) leather armor or (b) scalemail
- 4. (a) diplomat’s pack or (b) scholar’s pack
| On Your Feet | When you or an ally falls prone you can expend a Tactical Die and they stand up as long as they have at least half of their movement available. |
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| Form Up | At the beginning of Initiative, while you are not surprised, you can expend a Tactical Die and move allies within 30 ft of you up to the Die’s result times 10 ft. |
| Coordinate Movement | You expend a Tactical Die at the top of Initiative, and for this round you and each ally within 30 ft of you at the time you use this feature have a movement speed equal to the greatest movement speed among the targets chosen. |
| Battlefield Presence | You expend a Tactical Die and abstain from attacking this turn, an ally within 30 ft of you attacks an additional time their next turn and adds the result of the Die to their first to hit result. |
| Urgent Orders | You expend a Tactical Die and each ally you choose within 30 ft of you, including yourself, can take the Disengage action immediately and move up to half their movement speed. |
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| Call to Arms | You expend a Tactical Die and each ally within 30 ft of you gains a bonus to their next attack equal to the Die’s result. You can use this Tactic once per round. |
| Cut Them Off | When you or an ally within 30 ft of you makes an opportunity attack, you can expend a Tactical Die and move up to the target’s movement speed following them. The target adds the die’s result to the opportunity attack's to hit result. |
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| Stand Defiant | In response to an effect that would Charm or Frighten an ally within 30 ft of you, the target gains a bonus to the save equal to your Tactical Die. |
| Learn From Failure | Whenever an ally drops to zero hit points within 30 ft of you, you can expend a Tactical Die and regain that many Tactical Dice (Minimum 2). |
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| No One Left Behind | Whenever an ally fails a saving throw, you can expend a Tactical Die and add the result to the saving throw, possibly changing the result. |
Class Features
Tactical Discipline
Your martial training and study grants you the ability to take command of a battlefield. You gain Tactical Dice that allow you to control the flow of battle. You have dice equal to your Warlord level. Using a tactical die is a special action that you can take once per turn on your turn and once per round.
Your Tactical Dice is a D6.
You know two Tactics. You can use a Tactic by expending Tactical Die/Dice. You regain all Tactical Dice on a long rest.
Tactics
Tactical Warrior
Your mind is your greatest weapon and guides all of your movements. You can use INT as your ability score for combat for melee, ranged weapons, and unarmed strikes as you allow your knowledge to guide your strikes.
Warlord Training
A Warlord needs etiquette to rule and inspire. You gain proficiency with Persuasion or Performance and add twice your Proficiency Bonus to your skill checks with the chosen skill.
Weapon Mastery
You can use the mastery properties of a weapon. You can use the mastery properties of three weapons of your choice.
Armor Mastery
You can use the Mastery option of armor. You gain Armor Mastery for one type of armor.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. You can't take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Warlord Method
You refine and study to perfect your methods of victory. Your efforts give you features at levels 3, 7, 10, 15, and 18.
Biological Warfare
Chessmaster
Chieftain
Coup D'Etat
→ Choose your subclass belowPrepare for Battle
You can spend one minute and expend any number of Tactical Dice to give you and up to six other allies that remain within 30 ft of you for the full minute gain temporary hit points equal to the total result of the expended die/dice + your INT modifier (Minimum 1).
Ability Score Increase
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
Your quick thinking and practiced combat skills serve you well. You can attack twice when you take the attack action.
Way of the Battlefield
Your in-depth knowledge of war allows you to predict the flow of battle. You have advantage on attacks of opportunity and you can expend a Tactical Die to ignore the Disengage action of an enemy within 5 ft of you and make an attack of opportunity.
Ability Score Increase
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.
Greater Tactical Discipline
You work and perfect new tactics as you learn from experience and develop new strategies. Your Tactical Dice is a D8 and you know three Tactics. You can choose from the following Tactics in addition to previous ones.
Greater Tactics
Steady Footwork
You know that an army cannot win with poor footing. You and allies within 30 ft of you cannot have their movement speed reduced by more than 10 ft from Difficult Terrain.
Fervent Leader
A leader is never without a few options to prepare the path forward for their allies. When you roll Initiative and you have no Tactical Dice you regain Tactical Dice equal to your INT modifier (Minimum 1)
At the top of each Initiative if you have no Tactical Dice you regain one.
Unbreakable Will
As a battle tested leader you become unshakable. You have advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.
Ability Score Increase
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.
Superior Tactical Discipline
You strive to continue to expand your repertoire and create new strategies. Your Tactical Dice is a D10 and you know four Tactics. You can choose from the following Tactics in addition to previous ones.
Superior Tactics
Dichotomy of Offense and Defense
You can choose to increase your offensive or defensive capabilities through careful management of your resources. You can use your reaction to increase your AC up to your INT modifier (Minimum 1) by imposing an equal penalty on your to hit bonus until the end of your next turn. Vice versa you can decrease your AC up to your INT modifier (Minimum 1) to add an equal bonus to your to hit bonus until the end of your next turn.
You can use this feature times per long rest equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
Ability Score Increase
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.
Supreme Tactical Discipline
You never cease to improve your tactics and command of the battlefield. Your Tactical Dice is a D12 and you know five Tactics. You can choose from the following Tactics in addition to previous ones.
Supreme Tactics
Time for Action
You know when a pivotal moment arrives during the course of a battle and can act accordingly. At the start of your turn you can enter a state of hyper awareness and rejuvenation using your bonus action. When you enter this state you regain hit points up to ten times your INT modifier (Minimum 1) and if you take the attack action you can attack four times instead of twice. This state lasts until the end of your next turn.
You can use this feature once per long rest.
Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat for which you qualify.
Master of War
You know that a leader on the battlefield is the pivotal Force. You know how to push yourself to tip the scales of war to your advantage. You can use your Time for Action feature twice per long rest.
Inexhaustible Talent
You can use a D4 in place of expending a Tactical Die. If you use this feature on your Prepare for Battle feature the maximum number of D4s is equal to half your Warlord level.
Warlord Method
Warlord Subclasses (14)
Choose your subclass at the level indicated in the class table above.