Fighter - Rune Knight

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Overview & Creation

Fighter Class Details

A human in clanging plate armor holds her shield before her as she runs toward the massed goblins. An elf behind her, clad in studded leather armor, peppers the goblins with arrows loosed from his exquisite bow. The half-orc nearby shouts orders, helping the two combatants coordinate their assault to the best advantage.   A dwarf in chain mail interposes his shield between the ogre’s club and his companion, knocking the deadly blow aside. His companion, a half-elf in scale armor, swings two scimitars in a blinding whirl as she circles the ogre, looking for a blind spot in its defenses.   A gladiator fights for sport in an arena, a master with his trident and net, skilled at toppling foes and moving them around for the crowd’s delight—and his own tactical advantage. His opponent’s sword flares with blue light an instant before she sends lightning flashing forth to smite him.   All of these heroes are fighters, perhaps the most diverse class of characters in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. Questing knights, conquering overlords, royal champions, elite foot soldiers, hardened mercenaries, and bandit kings—as fighters, they all share an unparalleled mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face.  

Well-Rounded Specialists

Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. Every fighter can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield a longsword or a greatsword, use a bow, and even trap foes in a net with some degree of skill. Likewise, a fighter is adept with shields and every form of armor. Beyond that basic degree of familiarity, each fighter specializes in a certain style of combat. Some concentrate on archery, some on fighting with two weapons at once, and some on augmenting their martial skills with magic. This combination of broad general ability and extensive specialization makes fighters superior combatants on battlefields and in dungeons alike.  

Trained for Danger

Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat knowledge. Veteran soldiers, military officers, trained bodyguards, dedicated knights, and similar figures are fighters.   Some fighters feel drawn to use their training as adventurers. The dungeon delving, monster slaying, and other dangerous work common among adventurers is second nature for a fighter, not all that different from the life he or she left behind. There are greater risks, perhaps, but also much greater rewards—few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.

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Class Features

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.  

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.  

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.  

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.  

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.  

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.  

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.  

Second Wind

You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.  

Action Surge

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action.   Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.  

Martial Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Choose Champion, Battle Master, or Eldritch Knight, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, 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.   Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.  

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.   The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.  

Indomitable

Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.   You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.  

Extra Attack

Beginning at 11th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.   The number of attacks increases to four when you reach 20th level in this class.  

Extra Attack

At 20th level, you can attack four times, instead of three, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• chain mail or (b) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows
• a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
• a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

 

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Subclass Options

Rune Knight (UA)

You discovered how to enhance your martial prowess using the supernatural power of runes. The ancient practice of rune magic originated with giants. Skiltgravr (“rune cutters”) can be found among any type of giants, and you likely learned your methods first or second hand from such a mystical artisan. Whether you found the giant’s work carved into a hill or cave, learned of the runes from a traveling sage, or met the giant in person, you studied the giant’s craft. In time, you learned how to carve and apply runes to your equipment and how to invoke their magic, ultimately becoming a Rune Knight.  

Bonus Proficiencies

3rd-level Rune Knight feature   You gain proficiency with smith’s tools, and you learn to speak, read, and write Giant.  

Rune Magic

3rd-level Rune Knight feature   You learn how to use runes to enhance your gear. When you gain this feature, you learn how to inscribe two runes of your choice on weapons, armor, or shields (see “Rune Options”).   Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a number of objects equal to the number of runes you know, and you inscribe a different rune onto each of the objects. To be eligible, an object must be a weapon, a suit of armor, or a shield.   Your rune remains on an object until you finish a long rest, and an object can bear only one of your runes.   Each time you gain a level in this class, you can replace one rune you know with a different one.  

Rune Options

Here are rune options for the Rune Magic feature. They are all magical effects.   If a rune requires a saving throw, your Rune Magic save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.  

Haug (Hill Rune)

This rune’s magic bestows a resilience reminiscent of a hill giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance against poison damage.   In addition, you can invoke the rune as a bonus action, gaining resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for 1 minute. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Ild (Fire Rune)

This rune’s magic channels the masterful craftsmanship of fire giant smiths. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.   In addition, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can invoke the rune to summon fiery shackles: the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. While restrained by the shackles, the target takes 2d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, banishing the shackles on a success. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Ise (Frost Rune)

This rune’s magic evokes a frost giant’s stoic calm. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.   In addition, you can invoke the rune as a bonus action to increase your Strength score by 2 for 10 minutes. This increase can cause your score to exceed 20, but not 30. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Skye (Cloud Rune)

This rune’s magic emulates the deceptiveness of a cloud giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and Charisma (Deception) checks.   In addition, when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to invoke the rune and cause that attack to target a different creature within 30 feet of you (other than the attacker), using the same roll. This magic can transfer the attack regardless of the attack’s range. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Stein (Stone Rune)

This rune’s magic channels the insightfulness of a stone giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks, and you have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.   In addition, when a creature you can see ends its turn within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to invoke the rune and force the creature to make a Wisdom saving throw. Unless the save succeeds, the creature is charmed by you for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the creature has a speed of 0 and is incapacitated, descending into a dreamy stupor. The effect ends if the charmed creature takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its haze. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Uvar (Storm Rune)

Using this rune, you can glimpse the future like a storm giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks, and you can’t be surprised as long as you are not incapacitated.   In addition, you can invoke the rune as a bonus action to enter a prophetic state for 1 minute or until you’re incapacitated. Until the state ends, when you or another creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, you can use your reaction to cause the roll to have advantage or disadvantage. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Giant Might

3rd-level Rune Knight feature   You can imbue yourself with the might of giants. As a bonus action, you magically gain the following benefits, which last for 1 minute:   If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn’t change. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage. You can use this feature twice, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.  

Defensive Runes

7th-level Rune Knight feature   You learn to invoke your rune magic to protect your allies. When another creature you can see within 60 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant a bonus to the creature’s AC against that attack. The bonus equals 1 + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +2).   In addition, you learn one new rune of your choice from the Rune Magic feature (for a total of three).

Great Stature

10th-level Rune Knight feature The magic of your runes permanently alters you. When you gain this feature, roll 3d4. You grow a number of inches in height equal to the roll. Moreover, the extra damage you deal with your Giant Might feature increases to 1d8.   In addition, you learn one new rune of your choice from your Rune Magic feature (for a total of four).  

Rune Magic Mastery

15th-level Rune Knight feature   You can invoke each rune you know from your Rune Magic feature twice, rather than once, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.   In addition, you learn one new rune of your choice from the Rune Magic feature (for a total of five).  

Blessing of the All Father

18th-level Rune Knight feature   You learn how to share your rune magic with your allies. When you use your Giant Might feature, you can choose one willing creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The chosen creature also gains the benefits of your Giant Might feature.