The Warlord An armored dragonborn regards her companions. They bleeding, exhausted and hopelessly surrounded. Thrusting her warhammer to the sky, she lets out a piercing war cry, igniting the fire within their hearts to make what may be their final stand. From his saddle, a gnome lowers the spyglass from his battle-scarred face and ponders the formations before him. Precisely one half-second later, he has formulated a plan of attack and begins issuing orders. A half-orc silently signals her archers to take up their positions along the treeline. The second signal, when it comes, will unleash a lethal rain of arrows upon the unsuspecting supply train. While adept combatants themselves, the Warlord’s true strength lies in bringing out the strengths of others. They know exactly how to bring out the best--or worst--in their companions. Inspiring, provoking, and charging into the fight, the warlord does whatever it takes to ensure victory in battle. Victory Through Leadership Like fighters and monks, Warlords dedicate their lives to mastering the art of combat. However, unlike these classes, warlords are not solely focused on developing their own combat prowess. Their martial training is more outwardly directed. They study how to direct their allies to maximize their contribution to the fight. They learn to coordinate the actions of the party, to better control the flow of battle and neutralize dangerous targets. When a warlord attacks a foe themselves, it’s often with the intent of distracting or disabling that enemy, and allowing others to capitalize on the situation. Warlords also have the unique ability to help their allies tap hidden reserves of stamina with their inspiring battle cries. The Call of Battle To the hardened veteran, the question of who gets to impose their will upon the world is paramount. The warlord understands that the answer to this question is usually determined through the use of force. This doesn’t necessarily put them at odds with those who would prefer to peaceful solutions. Indeed, warlords see diplomacy as an important and necessary tool in accomplishing one’s goals. However, they are always prepared to act decisively when negotiations fail. Warlord characters usually come from the ranks of a military organization, whether a mercenary guild, a tribe of raiders, or a band of rebels. A warlord will often have a connection to their former organization or may even still be a member. They may be on a special assignment or on leave to pursue a personal quest. While warlords may share similar approaches to combat, each has their own goals and aspirations, which often lead them to a life of adventuring. Warlords are natural leaders, but those who are used to a strict chain of command may have difficulty acclimating to a party of equals. Credit: Jason Chan Creating a Warlord When creating your warlord, think about how you learned to be a leader. Were you trained in a military academy for noble scions? Were you forced by circumstance to lead a scrappy group of survivors? Did you inspire a group of peasants to take up arms against an oppressor, or lead a prisoners’ revolt? Maybe you challenged your chief for being too timid to lead your tribe to greatness. It can also help to think about your character’s view of warfare and how it relates to their goals. Is it a way to prove your worth or a way to earn riches? Are you out to take retribution for a past atrocity, or to take your rightful place of dominance over the weak and foolish? Maybe you just see warfare as a tragically necessary means to achieving a greater good. 1

Quick Build You can make a warlord quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons or on archery (or finesse weapons). Your next-highest score depends on what School of Warfare you plan to select: Intelligence for the School of Strategy, Wisdom for the School of Cunning, or Charisma for the School of Strength. Second, choose the Soldier background. Class Features As a warlord, you gain the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d8 per warlord level

1d8 per warlord level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per warlord level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: All armor and shields

All armor and shields Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons

Simple weapons, martial weapons Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom

Strength, Wisdom Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows

(a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons

(a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon

(a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack Credit: LeAndraDawn http://fav.me/d9ipfxy The Warlord Level Proficiency Bonus Features Rallying Hit Dice Command Uses 1 2 Rallying Cry, Tactical Strike 1 - 2 2 Command, Bolster Reserves (1d8) 1 2 3 2 School of Warfare, Logistical Support I 1 2 4 2 Ability Score Improvement 1 2 5 3 Extra Attack, Advanced Tactical Strike 1 3 6 3 School of Warfare feature, Logistical Support II 2 3 7 3 Resurgent Cry, Bolster Reserves (2d8) 2 3 8 3 Ability Score Improvement 2 4 9 4 Revitalizing Cry 2 4 10 4 School of Warfare feature 2 4 11 4 Logistical Support III 2 5 12 4 Ability Score Improvement 3 5 13 5 Rousing Cry, Bolster Reserves (3d8) 3 5 14 5 School of Warfare feature 3 6 15 5 Elite Tactical Strike 3 6 16 5 Ability Score Improvement 3 6 17 6 Dual Command 3 7 18 6 Booming Voice, Bolster Reserves (4d8) 4 7 19 6 Ability Score Improvement 4 7 20 6 Clarion Call 4 8 2

Rallying Cry You can use an action to shout words of inspiration to your companions. You and each friendly creature within 30 that can hear you may immediately spend one hit die to regain hit points as you would during a short rest. A creature can only benefit from a Rallying Cry once before completing a short or long rest. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest, When you reach 6th level in this class and every 6 levels thereafter, the maximum number of hit dice each creature can spend per use of this feature increases by one, to a maximum of 4 hit dice at level 18. Tactical Strike The first melee weapon attack you make on each of your turns is a Tactical Strike. If you hit a creature with a Tactical Strike, you may impose one of the following effects on the target: The target can’t make opportunity attacks against creatures other than you.

The target’s movement speed is reduced by 10 feet.

The target can’t take the dodge action. The effect lasts until the start of your next turn. Command At 2nd level, you can direct your allies to capitalize on opportunities in combat that they would otherwise miss. As a bonus action on your turn, you can issue an attack command to one friendly creature that can hear you and is within 30 feet of you. That creature may immediately spend one hit die to make a single weapon attack or cast a cantrip spell with a casting time of one action against a hostile creature of your choice as a reaction. Spending hit dice this way does not restore hit points. The maximum number of hit dice that can be spent this way before you complete a short or long rest is indicated for your level in the Command Uses column of the Warlord table. When you complete a short or long rest, you regain all expended uses. Bolster Reserves Beginning at 2nd, whenever you complete a long rest, you may take 10 minutes conversing, singing, or telling stories to your allies. If you do, you and up to six nearby friendly creatures each gain a bonus hit die. That die is a d8. Unused bonus hit dice are lost after 24 hours or the next time you use this feature. The number of bonus hit dice each affected creature gains increases to 2 when you reach 7th level, 3 at 13th and 4 at 18th. School of Warfare At 3rd level, you choose a style of leadership that best suits your philosophy of warfare: the School of Strength, the School of Strategy, or the School of Cunning. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10, and 14th level. Logistical Support I By level 3, your ability to read terrain and plan defenses is uncanny. You and friendly creatures operating on your orders have advantage on any ability checks to locate, camouflage, or fortify a piece of defensible terrain. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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. Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Advanced Tactical Strike At 5th level, you master a specialized technique for delivering your tactical strikes. When you gain this feature, select one of the following options: Brutal Strike: If your tactical strike attack roll uses Strength, you may expend one of your hit dice before rolling the attack. If the attack hits, add one die of the same type to the damage roll.

If your tactical strike attack roll uses Strength, you may expend one of your hit dice before rolling the attack. If the attack hits, add one die of the same type to the damage roll. Ranged Strike: You can use your Tactical Strike feature with a ranged weapon as long as your target is within 5 feet of a friendly creature that isn’t incapacitated.

You can use your Tactical Strike feature with a ranged weapon as long as your target is within 5 feet of a friendly creature that isn’t incapacitated. Relentless Strike: If your Tactical Strike misses, the second melee weapon attack you make that turn is also a Tactical Strike. Defensible Terrain Some examples of defensible terrain might include a ruined hill fort

a secluded glen

the entrance of a cave

a rocky outcrop 3

Logistical Support II At level 6, you have a knack for selecting the optimal route and keeping your troops motivated over long journeys. You and any creatures accompanying you you can cover an additional mile of ground per hour’s travel over land. In addition, you and those creatures have advantage on saving throws to avoid exhaustion from a forced march. Resurgent Cry At 7th level, you regain the use of your Rallying Cry after a short or long rest. Revitalizing Cry Starting at 9th level, your Rallying Cry can affect unconscious creatures. In addition, when a friendly creature with no hit dice remaining is affected by your Rallying Cry, it regains 1d8 hit points. Warning Command At level 11, your battle sense is so honed it borders on prescience. Whenever a friendly creature within 30 feet of you that can hear you fails a saving throw, you may use your reaction to allow that creature to spend a hit die to reroll the save. Hit dice spent this way do not restore hit points and count toward your Command total. Logistical Support III At level 11, you have mastered the art of commanding a crew. You and friendly creatures within 60 feet of you have advantage on ability checks made to repair and control vehicles. Rousing Cry Starting at 13th level, you can dispel fear and doubt among your troops with the power of your voice. When you use your Rallying Cry, you and each affected creature may immediately spend one of their hit dice to end one magical sleep effect on themselves, or one effect on them that is causing them to be charmed or frightened. Elite Tactical Strike At level 15, the effects you can impose with your tactical strike become more debilitating. When you gain this feature, the list of effects your tactical strike can impose becomes: The target can’t take reactions.

The target’s movement speed is reduced by half.

When attacks are made with disadvantage against the target, the attacker does not have to roll a second d20. Dual Command At 17th level, when you use the Command feature, you can issue separate commands to two different creatures at once. During so expends two uses of Command, and the actions are executed in the order you choose. Booming Voice At level 18, the range of your Command and Rallying Cry features increases to 60 feet. Clarion Call By 20th level, you can use an action to shout words to bring your allies to a heightened state of mental focus. When you do, you and each friendly creature within 60 feet that can hear you may immediately regain one spell slot of up to 3rd level or one expended use of a feature that recharges after a short rest. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Schools of Warfare A warlord's combat style is informed by their philosophical perspective on armed conflict. Different schools of warfare often emphasize different aspects of combat, such as stealth or simple brute force. School of Strength Strength is paramount in all things. Strength of personality is the essence of leadership. Strength of arms is the path to victory. Bloodlust Beginning at 3rd level, whenever a creature deals damage with an action granted by your command feature, it gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Warmonger At 6th th level, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make to convince creatures to take up arms against your foes. Zeal At 10th level, when you use your command feature to grant an action to a creature, it may to spend one of its hit dice to add a die of the same type to the damage roll for that action. It must decide whether to do so before performing the action. The maximum number of hit dice that can be spent this way before you complete a short or long rest is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Inner Fire At 14th level, the hit dice granted by your Bolster Reserves feature become d12’s. School of Strategy The mind is the greatest weapon of all. To go into battle without a plan is to go into battle unarmed. 4