Fighter 5e Guide: A Comprehensive Overview
The Fighter class in D&D 5e is a martial master, adept at weaponry and combat. This guide provides rules, subclass summaries, and expert tips to help you build the best fighter.
The Fighter stands as a cornerstone class in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, embodying martial prowess and combat expertise. Fighters are masters of weaponry, skilled in both offense and defense, making them versatile assets in any adventuring party. Their adaptability allows them to excel in various combat roles, from front-line tanks to ranged damage dealers.
This guide delves into the intricacies of the Fighter class, offering insights into optimizing skills, weapons, and abilities. Whether you envision a strength-based warrior wielding a greataxe or a dexterous archer raining arrows upon foes, this guide provides the tools to craft a formidable Fighter build. Discover the Fighter’s core abilities, subclass options, and multiclassing possibilities, empowering you to create a character that dominates the battlefield and embodies the spirit of a true warrior.
Core Fighter Abilities and Features
The Fighter class boasts a robust set of core abilities and features that define their combat proficiency. At the forefront is their remarkable ability to wear heavy armor and wield martial weapons, granting them exceptional durability and offensive capabilities. Fighters also gain access to a Fighting Style at level 1, further specializing their combat approach. Options include Archery, Defense, Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, and Two-Weapon Fighting, each enhancing different aspects of their martial skills.
Action Surge, gained at level 2, is a defining feature, allowing Fighters to take an additional action on their turn, enabling devastating bursts of attacks. Indomitable, acquired later, provides resilience against debilitating effects, allowing Fighters to reroll failed saving throws. These core abilities, combined with subclass features, make Fighters a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield.
Strength vs. Dexterity Builds
Fighters in D&D 5e can effectively utilize either Strength or Dexterity as their primary stat, leading to distinct build styles. Strength-based Fighters excel with heavy armor and powerful melee weapons like greatswords and greataxes, focusing on raw damage output. They benefit from feats like Great Weapon Master, maximizing their destructive potential in close combat.
Dexterity-based Fighters, on the other hand, favor finesse weapons, ranged attacks, and lighter armor. They prioritize accuracy, mobility, and defensive capabilities, often opting for feats like Sharpshooter or Crossbow Expert. This build is more versatile, allowing for effective combat at various ranges and a greater emphasis on dodging and evading attacks. Ultimately, the choice depends on playstyle preference.
Race Selection for Fighters
Choosing the right race can significantly enhance a Fighter’s capabilities. Consider races that offer bonuses to Strength or Dexterity, depending on your chosen fighting style, for optimal combat effectiveness.
Best Races for Strength-Based Fighters
For Strength-based Fighters in D&D 5e, selecting a race that enhances physical prowess is crucial. The classic choice is the Half-Orc, renowned for its Savage Attacks feature, dealing extra damage on critical hits, and Relentless Endurance, allowing them to shrug off a potentially fatal blow. Goliaths, with their Stone’s Endurance, offer excellent durability, reducing incoming damage.
Dwarves, particularly Mountain Dwarves, provide a Strength bonus and added resilience, making them formidable front-line combatants. Consider the powerful Minotaur, known for its formidable charge attacks and natural weaponry. Bugbears offer surprising reach, while Warforged provide unique resistances and customizable enhancements. Even the Centaur, with its natural weapons and speed, can excel.
Ultimately, the best race depends on your preferred playstyle, but these options provide a solid foundation for a devastating Strength-based Fighter. Remember to consider roleplaying opportunities alongside mechanical benefits.
Best Races for Dexterity-Based Fighters
Dexterity-based Fighters thrive on agility and finesse, demanding races that bolster these attributes. Elves, especially Wood Elves, are excellent choices, offering increased Dexterity, speed, and stealth proficiency. Half-Elves inherit elven agility and gain additional skill versatility, making them adaptable combatants.
Halflings, with their Lucky trait and nimble movement, are surprisingly effective, darting in and out of combat. Consider the Tabaxi for unmatched speed and climbing prowess, or the Kenku for mimicry and potential tactical advantages. The Aarakocra offers flight, granting unparalleled mobility and ranged combat superiority.
For a more unconventional option, consider the Goblin, using cunning and mobility to outmaneuver opponents. Ultimately, select a race that complements your desired fighting style, whether it’s a ranged archer, a nimble duelist, or a stealthy assassin. Remember that racial traits enhance, not define, your character’s capabilities.
Considerations for Durable Fighters
Durability is paramount for Fighters who intend to withstand heavy blows and protect their allies. Races that provide bonuses to Constitution are ideal. Dwarves, particularly Mountain Dwarves, offer increased Constitution and proficiency with armor, enhancing survivability. Goliaths, with their Stone’s Endurance ability, can shrug off significant damage.
Orcs, known for their Relentless Endurance, can remain in the fight even after reaching zero hit points. Consider the Warforged for their natural armor and resistance to disease, providing exceptional resilience. The Tortle’s high natural armor class offers immediate protection, while the Loxodon’s thick hide and advantage against being charmed or frightened adds mental fortitude.
Ultimately, choosing a race that complements your desired playstyle and enhances your ability to absorb damage is key to creating a truly durable and formidable Fighter. Don’t underestimate the value of hit point maximum increases and damage resistances.
Fighter Subclasses: A Detailed Look
Fighter subclasses offer diverse combat styles. From Battle Masters with maneuvers to Eldritch Knights blending magic, each subclass shapes your fighter’s unique role and capabilities on the battlefield.
Battle Master: Maneuvers and Combat Superiority
The Battle Master subclass is known for tactical prowess, offering a flexible approach to combat. They use maneuvers fueled by superiority dice to control the battlefield and enhance their attacks. These maneuvers can disarm opponents, reposition allies, or add extra damage.
Combat Superiority dice are a key feature, allowing Battle Masters to perform special actions during attacks. The number of dice and their size increase as the fighter levels up. This scaling ensures the Battle Master remains effective throughout the campaign.
Maneuvers like Riposte, Precision Attack, and Pushing Attack provide versatility in combat. Battle Masters excel in both offense and defense, adapting to various situations with ease. This subclass is a strong choice for players who enjoy strategic gameplay and outsmarting their foes. Their adaptability makes them valuable assets in any adventuring party, able to handle a wide range of challenges.
Champion: Critical Hits and Improved Combat Prowess
The Champion subclass is the quintessential fighter, embodying raw martial power and straightforward combat effectiveness. Champions excel at dealing consistent damage and landing devastating critical hits. Their abilities focus on enhancing their physical capabilities and making them formidable opponents in melee combat.
Improved Critical allows Champions to score critical hits on a roll of 19 or 20, significantly increasing their damage output. Remarkable Athlete adds half their proficiency bonus to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution checks, making them skilled in athletics and acrobatics.
Additional Fighting Style provides another fighting style, further customizing their combat approach. Survivor grants regeneration, making them incredibly resilient in prolonged battles. Champions are a solid choice for players who prefer a simple, yet powerful, combat style. Their straightforward abilities make them easy to learn and effective in any situation, making them a reliable asset in any adventuring party.
Eldritch Knight: Combining Martial Prowess with Magic
The Eldritch Knight subclass blends martial skill with arcane magic, offering a unique playstyle that combines melee combat with spellcasting. These fighters learn a limited number of spells from the wizard spell list, enhancing their combat abilities and providing utility outside of combat.
Weapon Bond allows them to summon their bonded weapon to their hand, ensuring they are never without their primary weapon. War Magic allows them to make a weapon attack as a bonus action after casting a cantrip, increasing their damage output.
Eldritch Strike makes it easier for their allies to hit enemies they target with spells, and Arcane Charge allows them to teleport short distances. Eldritch Knights are versatile fighters who can adapt to various combat situations. Their spellcasting provides utility and control, while their martial prowess ensures they remain formidable in melee combat. They are a great choice for players who want a balanced character who can handle both magic and combat.
Samurai: Temporary Advantage and Burst Damage
The Samurai subclass embodies discipline and precision, offering temporary advantages and burst damage capabilities. Their primary feature, Fighting Spirit, grants them temporary hit points and advantage on attack rolls, significantly boosting their combat effectiveness for a short duration. This ability allows them to overcome challenging encounters and deal substantial damage.
Bonus Proficiency grants an additional skill proficiency, enhancing their versatility outside of combat. Elegant Courtier provides advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, bolstering their mental resilience. Tireless Spirit reduces exhaustion, allowing them to use Fighting Spirit more frequently.
Rapid Strike enables them to make an additional weapon attack when using Fighting Spirit, further increasing their damage output. Samurais are excellent damage dealers who excel in burst damage scenarios. Their ability to gain advantage and temporary hit points makes them formidable opponents on the battlefield. They are a great choice for players who enjoy dealing high damage and dominating combat encounters.
Arcane Archer: Imbued Arrows and Magical Combat
The Arcane Archer subclass blends martial prowess with arcane magic, specializing in imbuing arrows with magical effects. Their signature feature, Arcane Archer Lore, grants proficiency in either Arcana or Nature, reflecting their connection to magical energies. Arcane Shot allows them to imbue their arrows with various magical effects, chosen from a list of options, each providing unique tactical advantages.
These effects can include dealing extra damage, hindering enemy movement, or even inflicting conditions like blindness or fear. Magic Arrow enhances their ranged attacks, making them magical for overcoming resistance and immunity. Ever-Ready Shot ensures they always have an Arcane Shot available, while Curving Shot allows them to redirect missed arrows to other targets.
The Arcane Archer excels at ranged combat, offering versatility and control over the battlefield. Their ability to imbue arrows with magical effects makes them a valuable asset in any adventuring party. They are a great choice for players who enjoy tactical combat and want to combine martial skills with arcane abilities.
Optimizing your Fighter Build
To optimize your Fighter build, prioritize key ability scores and consider multiclassing options. Strategic choices in these areas will significantly enhance your Fighter’s combat effectiveness and overall versatility.
Ability Score Improvement (ASI) Priorities
For Fighters, Ability Score Improvements (ASIs) are crucial for enhancing combat prowess and survivability. Strength or Dexterity should be your primary focus, depending on your chosen fighting style. If you favor melee weapons, prioritize Strength to maximize damage output. For ranged combat or finesse weapons, Dexterity is key, improving both attack accuracy and armor class.
Constitution is another vital ability to bolster, increasing hit points and improving your ability to withstand enemy attacks. Consider feats like Resilient (Wisdom) to shore up your mental defenses, granting proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, which are common against debilitating spells and effects.
Furthermore, allocate ASIs to feats such as Great Weapon Master or Sharpshooter, depending on your build, for substantial damage boosts. Strategic ASI choices can transform your Fighter into a formidable force on the battlefield, capable of dealing significant damage while remaining resilient in the face of danger.
Multiclassing Options for Fighters
Multiclassing can significantly enhance a Fighter’s capabilities, offering access to new skills and abilities. A popular choice is Rogue, particularly for Dexterity-based Fighters. A one-level dip grants Sneak Attack and Expertise, while two levels unlock Cunning Action, providing valuable mobility. Three levels allow you to choose a Roguish Archetype, with Assassin and Swashbuckler being excellent options.
Ranger is another viable option, especially for Fighters focused on ranged combat. Four levels of Ranger grant access to spells, Hunter’s Mark, and an additional Ability Score Improvement. Multiclassing into Paladin can also be effective, providing access to Divine Smite and other divine abilities.
Ultimately, the best multiclass option depends on your desired playstyle and the specific strengths you want to amplify. Carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks of each class before making your decision.
Equipment and Feats
Selecting the right equipment and feats is crucial for optimizing your Fighter’s combat prowess. Prioritize weapons and armor that complement your build and choose feats that enhance your strengths.
Recommended Weapons and Armor
For Strength-based Fighters, greatswords, greataxes, and mauls are excellent choices, providing significant damage output. Consider versatile weapons like longswords for flexibility. Heavy armor is generally preferred for its superior protection, offering the highest AC. However, Dexterity-based Fighters may opt for finesse weapons such as rapiers or scimitars, paired with medium armor to maximize mobility and Dexterity-based skills.
Shields are invaluable for any Fighter seeking to enhance their survivability, granting a substantial AC bonus. Magic weapons and armor should be sought out as you progress, offering additional benefits like increased damage, enhanced defenses, or special abilities. Remember to tailor your equipment choices to your chosen subclass and playstyle for optimal effectiveness.
Consider ranged options such as longbows or heavy crossbows for situations where melee combat is not feasible, ensuring versatility in various combat scenarios. Regularly upgrade your gear as you level up, seeking out better quality weapons and armor to maintain your combat effectiveness.
Effective Feats for Fighters
Several feats synergize exceptionally well with the Fighter class. Great Weapon Master is a powerful choice for Strength-based Fighters, allowing for increased damage output at the cost of accuracy; Sharpshooter offers similar benefits for ranged Fighters, negating cover and increasing long-range accuracy.
Tough provides a significant boost to hit points, enhancing survivability. Sentinel is excellent for controlling the battlefield, allowing for opportunity attacks against enemies who target allies. Polearm Master grants an additional attack with a polearm, increasing damage potential.
For Eldritch Knights, War Caster is invaluable, allowing for spellcasting as opportunity attacks and advantage on concentration saves. Resilient (Wisdom) improves mental fortitude, protecting against debilitating effects. Lucky provides rerolls, mitigating unfavorable dice rolls. Consider feats that complement your chosen fighting style and subclass.
Martial Adept grants additional maneuvers for Battle Masters. Choose feats that address your character’s weaknesses or enhance their strengths for maximum impact.