Tweaking the Base Fighter

[Ziegander]

AUTHOR'S NOTES
I personally dislike Action Surge on principle and find the basic fighter chassis a bit bland. To rectify this, I tweaked the Indomitable class feature and a few other things to replace dead levels and add a bit more color to the class. Now this Fighter is truly a master of combat with two fighting styles and four attacks before 20th level, but as in the days of old, with the change made to Indomitable, it's also a master of saving throws.

With these changes, some necessary changes must be made to the Champion Archetype as well, but it's much maligned as the most bland of the Fighter Archetypes anyway, so that's probably for the best anyway. Let me know what you think of the tweaks and help me figure out a capstone and some replacement features for the Champion. I figure to add more flavor to the Archetype it should reflect actually being a champion in the eyes of the people. Inspiration dice and/or other charisma-based mechanics wouldn't be out of place, I don't think, in addition to the basic, solid, combat prowess upgrades.

Tweaked Fighter


Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features


1st
+2
Fighting Style, Indomitable (d6)


2nd
+2
Additional Fighting Style, Remarkable Athlete


3rd
+2
Martial Archetype


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+3
Extra Attack, Indomitable (d8)


6th
+3
Ablilty Score Improvement


7th
+3
Archetype Feature


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+4
Indomitable (d10), Never Give In


10th
+4
Archetype Feature


11th
+4
Extra Attack (2)


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement


13th
+5
Indomitable (d12), Resolute


14th
+5
Ability Score Improvement


15th
+5
Archetype Feature


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement


17th
+6
Extra Attack (3)


18th
+6
Archetype Feature


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement


20th
+6
Capstone Feature



INDOMITABLE
You have Prowess Dice which begin as d6s. As a bonus action on your turn you may spend one of these dice, roll it, and regain that many hit points. As a reaction when you are forced to make a saving throw, after your roll is made but before you know if it is a success or fail, you may spend one of these dice, roll it, and add the result to your saving throw.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended dice when you complete a long rest.

Your Prowess Dice change when you reach certain levels in this class. These dice become d8s at 5th level, d10s at 9th level, and d12s at 13th level.

REMARKABLE ATHLETE
Starting at 2nd level, you add half your proficiency bonus to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution checks you make that do not already benefit from your proficiency bonus and for all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution checks you make that you add your proficiency bonus to, instead add double your proficiency bonus.

When you make a successful running long jump, or a swim or climb check, the distance you cover is increased by a number of feet equal to your Strength modifier + your Dexterity modifier (to a minimum of 2ft).

NEVER GIVE IN
Beginning once you reach 9th level, you regain all expended Prowess Dice when complete a short or long rest.

RESOLUTE
At 13th level you gain proficiency in the saving throw of your choice.

[PotatoGolem]

Losing action surge is a significant offensive drop, and your added boosts are all defensive or versatility/exploration. Is that intentional? IE, is the goal to make the fighter less damage- focused and more tanky?

[Ziegander]

Losing action surge is a significant offensive drop, and your added boosts are all defensive or versatility/exploration. Is that intentional? IE, is the goal to make the fighter less damage- focused and more tanky?

Part of the goal was to make the Fighter more tanky, absolutely, but less damage-focused, I'm not sure that really matters. Yes, obviously, losing Action Surge reduces its burst damage potential, but that's what I didn't like about it, borderline abusive burst damage just didn't sit well with me as a Fighter class feature, and that aside, with four attacks at 17th level and Champion increased critical range or Battlemaster superiority dice, wouldn't the Fighter remain top of the heap as far as sustainable, per round damage goes?

Admittedly, I haven't done the calculations, but if the answer is yes, then I'd much rather have a Fighter that shrugs off saving throw after saving throw than have Action Surge. Just feels better.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Seems to me that having Superiority Prowess Dice in the base class should shape the subclasses. The Champion could be focused on all-out physicality, spending his dice on ability checks and damage rolls. The Battle Master could simply be rewritten to use Prowess Dice for maneuvers. The EK... maybe have Pact Magic style casting, spending two dice to cast a spell? My big worry is that 5e classes don't usually have multiple resource pools to keep track of.

[Ziegander]

Seems to me that having Superiority Prowess Dice in the base class should shape the subclasses. The Champion could be focused on all-out physicality, spending his dice on ability checks and damage rolls. The Battle Master could simply be rewritten to use Prowess Dice for maneuvers. The EK... maybe have Pact Magic style casting, spending two dice to cast a spell? My big worry is that 5e classes don't usually have multiple resource pools to keep track of.

I had been leaning toward that as well for Champ and Battle master. But EK having dice and spells would be no different than the Bard.

[Ziegander]

So in addition to the 19 to 20 crit at 3rd, the Champion could pick up a feature that lets them spend their prowess on ability checks and damage rolls at 7th to replace Athlete.

I want to give Battle master a better 7th level ability, and maybe give them maneuvers that cost two and three dice.

Casting spells using Prowess a la 4elements Monk is a cool idea that could work. Maybe allow up to 3rd level spells with a sort of Mystic Arcanum analog for a daily 4th and 5th level spell?