The Strategist (Fighter Sub-class)

[AvatarVecna]

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
-Sun Tzu

Most warriors focus on honing their skill at personal combat, be it weaving magic into their combat style, mastering a particular weapon, or learning little tricks to turn the tide in their favor. But the Strategist knows that no single soldier wins a battle; it is through the power of teamwork and cooperation that even the most powerful enemies are felled, the most insurmountable of forces are routed, the most impossible tasks are accomplished. Rather than devoting themselves to achieving the most they can from their own capabilities, the Strategist learns how to lead their allies to work together more efficiently.

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3rd Lvl: Tactician

Whenever you take the Attack action, you may choose to sacrifice one of your attacks before making your attack rolls; if you do so, an ally of your choice (other than yourself) within 60 ft who can both see and hear you may spend their reaction to take the Attack Action (including any extra attacks they may possess themselves); they may not use this action for any other purpose, including movement. This action takes place before your Attack action does, and this action does not count as part of the targeted ally's turn for all intents and purposes, but rather as an out-of-turn action. A creature may only benefit from this ability once per round, and this ability can only be employed once per round by an individual Strategist.

Additionally, you possess a number of Tactical dice equal to either your Intelligence or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher; these dice recharge on a long rest. As a bonus action, you may spend one of your Tactical dice to affect one creature who can see and hear you within 60 ft (other than yourself); allies gain the die as a bonus, enemies gain the die as a penalty. Choose one aspect to apply this die to: attack, damage, AC, or skill checks. This bonus/penalty applies until the end of your next turn, and is rolled every time it is appropriate. A creature can only be affected by one Tactical die at a time, positive or negative.

At 3rd lvl, your Tactical dice are d4s. At 10th lvl, they become d6s; at 18th lvl, they becomes d8s.

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7th Lvl: Maneuver Master

When making Dexterity-based ability checks in which you are not proficient, you may apply half your proficiency bonus to the check.

7th lvl: Repositioning

When using your Tactician class feature to grant an ally an out-of-turn action, that ally may move as part of the action, and may use the action to Dash or Disengage, in addition to previous options.

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10th Lvl: Veteran Tactician

When using your Tactician class feature to grant an ally an out-of-turn action, that ally can take the Hide or Help actions, in addition to previous options. Additionally, your Tactical dice now recharge on a short rest.

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14th Lvl: Superior Tactician

When using your Tactician class feature to grant an ally an out-of-turn action, you may sacrifice up to two attacks in this manner (granting actions to two separate allies); additionally, affected allies no longer must spend their reaction to take advantage of the granted action. When spending a Tactical die, you may forgo the normal benefits to instead allow a targeted ally to spend one Hit Die, adding your Tactical die to the number of HP healed.

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18th Lvl: Master Tactician

When using your Tactician class feature to grant an ally an out-of-turn action, that ally can take the Dodge or Cast A Spell actions, in addition to previous options. Additionally, if you begin a combat encounter with less than your maximum number of Tactical dice, you regain one Tactical die.

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Spoiler: Credit Where It's Due

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The main mechanic was inspired by JNAProduction's Tactician archetype, which I felt was lacking the power to really keep up as it was, so I added some stuff on, as well as making the main ability level a bit more gradually.

[JNAProductions]

I would limit the attack to one attack. Otherwise, you could potentially double the damage output from the party with just one character.

Though actually... Imagine a party of four Strategists helping each other. One attack, then give the other three guys their full four attacks. Absolutely ridiculous.

It feels a little on the powerful side-I'm not sure what exactly needs to be toned down, but I think something does.

[AvatarVecna]

I would limit the attack to one attack. Otherwise, you could potentially double the damage output from the party with just one character.

Though actually... Imagine a party of four Strategists helping each other. One attack, then give the other three guys their full four attacks. Absolutely ridiculous.

It feels a little on the powerful side-I'm not sure what exactly needs to be toned down, but I think something does.

You've reminded me that of something I intended to include but forgot about. The action-granting power of Tactician can't be used more than once per round, and nobody can benefit from it more than once per round even if there's multiple Strategists. This gets more powerful later, but it only gets absolutely ridiculous at very high levels. Even then, it's not quite as broken as some abuses you can accomplish with spells.

[JNAProductions]

That makes it a lot more balanced. I'd want some playtesting, but my gut says that with that change, it's pretty well balanced.

[AvatarVecna]

That makes it a lot more balanced. I'd want some playtesting, but my gut says that with that change, it's pretty well balanced.

Yeah, with that change you can't employ it 8 times in the same turn (via Action Surge); now the maximum is two times at high level, with or without Action Surge getting involved. Throw a high-level Strategist as the Fighter in a standard party (Fighter/Rogue/Cleric/Wizard), and they boost the entire group up in combat to a ridiculous degree, since the action-granting part of Tactician doesn't have a use-limit.

And I'd be happy to playtest it in a game, if I can find a DM willing to let me run it...preferably a higher-level version, where more of the class can get tested.