Commander (v1.4) Scattered across the Forgotten Realms are thousands of kingdoms, millions of armies and billions of soldiers. Each nation is defined by their leader; some kings use diplomacy, compromise and peace to lead their populus to prosperity, while other warleaders conquer with brute force and savagery. Regardless of how, these individuals lead while others follow. They have distinguished themselves as the inspiring Commanders of the people. Leading the Charge All Commanders thrive in battle as the front of the charge. Outside of the battlefield, they are masters of tactical warfare and leadership. Their keen and strategic insight into their enemies and their allies make them powerfully charismatic. But in the midst of battle, Commanders become more than a figurehead. They are the center of the fight and the champion of their teammates, inspiring them to greater deeds and performing devastating attacks in conjunction with his allies. Commanders know how to utilize their allies' strengths to their greatest effect. The worth of a Commander is measured in the quality, not the quantity of their allies. Although you may not have massive armies at your disposal, Commanders can just as effectively be leaders of small organizations and rebellions. Rise to Power Not all people rise to power in the same fashion. To some Commanders, their leadership position is the result of tireless training and a life spent ascending the ranks of their military to gain the respect of their peers. Others are are granted the position thanks to their impressive personability, forethought and ability to organize groups of people effectively. A select few earned their command by destroying the last leader and taking their place. Different cultures and different races hace different politics, and therefore offer different explanations to explain your position. And among the most ambitious and daring mages exist those who summon creatures to their bidding when no creature on their own plane would dare heed their call. A Unique Approach to Combat Although a Commander is a symbol of their people, they have more to offer to the fight than a flashy suit of armor and poetic words. They do not just sit back and support their allies' attacks. Instead, Commanders shape the battlefield around them by both increasing the effectiveness of their allies' attacks, creating new avenues of approaching a fight, and supplementing the abilities of their aliles to devastate their foes. Each commander's style of fighting is meant to be unique to their party's in order to best enable and accompany their martial combat skills. Art Credit: TheDURRRRian Creating a Commander Commanders, regardless of their origin, are united by a common desire for leadership and companionship. Every leader is stronger with someone to lead. This could manifest as arrogance, bossiness or attachment issues, but your commander should show signs of emotional dependency on company. Perhaps your commander had a lot of younger siblings who they have since lost contact with and miss being in charge of someone. Maybe they are the son of a wealthy duke who has since lost their land but not their sense of priviledge and entitlement. Whatever the reason, their interactions with other people should be largely influential to their character and your character should be willing, able, and driven to engage in social situations. 1

Commander Level Proficiency Bonus Features Battle Command Die Battle Commands Known 1st +2 Diplomatic Leadership, Strategic Leadership 1d6 3 2nd +2 Fighting Style, Natural Cavalier 1d6 3 3rd +2 Commander Position 1d6 3 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 1d6 3 5th +3 Extra Attack, Battle Command Improvement 1d8 4 6th +3 Rallying the Troops 1d8 4 7th +3 Position Feature 1d8 4 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 1d8 4 9th +4 Fearless Leader 1d8 4 10th +4 Battle Command Improvement 1d10 5 11th +4 Position Feature 1d10 5 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 1d10 5 13th +5 Rousing Speeches 1d10 5 14th +5 Position Feature 1d10 5 15th +5 Battle Command Improvement 1d12 6 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 1d12 6 17th +6 Undying Valor 1d12 6 18th +6 Position Feature 1d12 6 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 1d12 6 20th +6 Superior Command 1d12 6 Effective diplomacy is just as important a tool as skilled combat training to a commander. Through coersion, deception, persuasion or a good impression, commanders are well aware of how to get people to work on their side. Your Commander could be charmingly clumsy but, luckily, things always tend to work out. Some Commanders might even use seduction or blackmail to get people to work with them. Whichever route you take, your Commander should be fluent in conversation and negotiation. Quick Build First, make Strength your highest ability score if you plan on focusing on melee weapons, or Dexterity if you plan on using ranged weapons. That score should be followed by Charisma in order to make your features stronger. Constitution should be the next highest score to ensure you have enough health to survive in the head of combat. Class Features As a Commander, you gain the following features: Hit points Hit Dice: 1d10 per Commander level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution Modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution Modifier per Commander level past 1st Proficiencies Armor: Light and Medium Armor, Shields Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial weapons Tools: A gaming set of your choice Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Insight, Performance, Intimidation, and Persuasion Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

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

(a) Studded Leather armor and a simple weapon or (b) Chain Shirt

(a) Diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Light Crossbow and 20 bolts 2

Diplomatic Leadership Beginning at 1st level, your keen social intuition places you to converse seamlessly with all manner of folk, and your aura of leadership allows you take control of political negotiations. Choose either Intimidation or Persuasion. You can add your proficiency bonus is doubled for any skill check you make with the chosen proficiency. Strategic Leadership At 1st level, you gain an uncanny ability to calculate effective battle strategies in the heat of combat. Choose three from the list of Battle Command at the end of the class features. You learn one additional Battle Command at 5th, 10th, and 15th level. As a bonus action on your turn during combat, you grant Battle Command die to a friendly creature within 30 feet of you that can hear or see you. You have a number of Battle Command die equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). This die is a d6, which increases to a d8 at 5th level, d10 at 10th level, and d12 at 15th level. After issuing a creature a Battle Command, they have until the start of your next turn to follow it. If the creature does not use the Battle Command, you regain the expended die. You regain all expended uses of this feature after a short or long rest. Fighting Style Upon reaching 2nd level, you adopt a 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. In addition, any friendly creatures within 20 ft. of you gain the effects of your fighting style if they also meet the conditions of the style. Archery You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. 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. 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. Natural Cavalier At 2nd level, riding in vehicles and on horses is as easily as walking for you. You gain proficiency in land vehicles. Art Credit: Jim Pavelek Commander Positions At 3rd level, Commanders choose a position of command to structure their combat tactics around. Choose Position of the Vanguard, Captain, or Emperor. Their abilities are detailed at the end of the class description. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th leveI, 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. Rallying the Troops Starting at 6th level, your presence empowers and emboldens your allies, even in the direst of situations. As an action, you let out a war cry, reinvirograting your allies. You end any Charmed or Fightened conditions on allies within 20 feet of you. In addition, your Rally gains one of the following effects depending on your commander position, as listed below in the commander positions. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Rallied creatures must also finish a short rest before they can be rallied again. Fearless Leader When you reach 9th level, your prowess as a leader of your people has emboldened your resolve to soaring heights. You cannot be Charmed or Frightened. Primed for Battle At 13th level, your heroic presence strengthens the confidence those around you. After finishing a short or long rest, any friendly creatures that rested with you gain temporary hit points equal to a Battle Command die + your Charisma Modifier. 3

Art Credit: TheDURRRian Champion of the People Starting at 17th level, your devotion to your people burns like a fire inside of you, preserving your warrior spirit almost supernaturally. If you drop to 0 hit points and don't die outright, you can make a D.C. 15 Constitution Saving Throw. The DC is reduced by 1 for every creature within 15 feet of you. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. Superior Command Once you reach 20th level, if you enter combat with no remaining Battle Command die, you regain half of your Battle Command die. Battle Commands The Battle Commands are presented in alphabetical order. Alternate Positions!: Choose two willing, friendly creatures. You can choose two switch their initiative order if the difference in their initiatives is equal to or less than the maximum value of your Battle Command Die. You can use this feature when you roll initiative instead of as a bonus action. Break Their Ranks!: Choose a friendly creature. Whenever they hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, they can roll your Battle Command die, add the result to their damage and push the creature 15 away from them. Don't Let Them Escape!: Choose a friendly creature. Whenever they make an opportunity attack against a creature no more than one size larger, they can roll your Battle Command die and add the result to their attack roll. If it hits, the creature must succeed on a Strength Saving Throw (DC 8 + user's proficiency + user's Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. Draw Their Attention!: Choose a friendly creature and roll your Battle Command die. They can use their reaction to move up to their movement and reduce the passive Wisdom (Perception) and Initiative score of all creatures within 30 feet of them that can hear or see them by an amount equal to the result of your roll. Get in Position!: Choose a friendly creature. As a reaction, they can Hide, gaining a bonus to their Dexterity (Stealth) equal to the result of your Battle Command die, and move up to their movement speed. Hold the Line!: Choose a friendly creature. Until the start of your next turn, the target can roll your Battle Command die and subtract the result from any attack made by a creature within 5 feet of them against a creature besides the target. Keep Fighting!: Choose a friendly creature. Whenever they take damage that would drop their health to 0, they can roll your Battle Command die and gain the result as a temporary hit points. On My Mark!: Choose a friendly creature. Whenever you make a weapon attack against a creature, they can use their reaction to make a weapon attack against that creature. They can roll your Battle Command die and add the result to their attack or damage roll. Retreat!: Choose a friendly creature and roll your Battle Command die. As a reaction, the target can move up to their movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks. They also gain a bonus to their movement speed until the start of their next turn equal to 5 x the result of your roll. Watch Your Six!: Choose a friendly creature and roll your Battle Command die. If the target is attacked by a creature while another creature is within 5 feet of them, the target can add the result of your roll to their AC until the start of their next turn. Commander Positions Becoming a Commander is more than being a leader. Commanders forge their own strategies tailored to the strengths of their allies. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks, and the best Commanders are able to select their position advantageously to support the fighting styles of their allies. A Commander's Position is uniquely theirs and will always, even in some minute way, vary from each other Commander's in order to best suit the needs of their followers. Position of the Defender The Position of the Defender makes the Commander the anchor of the team. Plated with heavy armor and shields, the Defender Commander draws the enemy's attacks to shield their allies from attack and grant them ease of movement across the battlefield. Heavy Plating Starting when you take the Position of the Defender at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor. Defensive Position Beginning at 3rd level, you become the anchor of the fight. Your team's combat centers around you, and if anyone wants to get to your allies, they'll have to go through you. As an action, you can settle yourself in a defensive position, reducing your movement speed to 5 feet. You and all friendly creatures within 5 feet of you gain a bonus to their 3

AC equal to your Constitution modifier. This effect persists until you are incapacitated or until you end it (no action required). Additional Rally Effect When you use your Rallying the Troops feature, you shout a bolstering cheer that grants friendly creatures within range temporary hit points equal to your Commander level. Shield Bash At 7th level, your prowess with your shield ranges from defensive to offensive. Whenever you make an opportunity attack against a creature no more than one size larger than you, you can attack with your shield instead of your weapon. You make this attack with proficiency. If it hits, you deal 1d6 + your Strength Modifier in bludgeoning damage and force the creature to succeed on a Strength Saving Throw (D.C. 10 + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. Relentless Protector Starting at 11th level, you learn the Protection fighting style if you don't already know it. If you do, you can learn another fighting style of your choice. You are able to use the Protection fighting style whether or not you are wearing a shield. If are wearing a shield, whenever you use Protection to impose disadvantage on an attack roll, all weapon attacks against the target have disadvantage until the start of your next turn. Pillar of the Guard Once you reach 14th level, you are able to stand your ground no matter what adversity shakes you. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws. In addition, when another creature forces you to make a skill check or saving throw to avoid a status condition (see Appendix A for a list of applicable conditions), you can add your Constitution modifier to the roll if you haven't already. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier. You regain all uses after a long rest. Impenetrable Shield At 18th level, your ability to defend your allies extends to even the most piercing and explosive of blows. All creatures within 5 feet of you are treated as being behind three-quarters cover for the purpose of making Dexterity saving throws against effects. Position of the Vanguard The Position of the Captain requires an iron gut and a heart of steel. Vanguard commanders charge headfirst into the battlefield, using their steadfast confidence to strike fear into their enemy and break open their ranks for their allies to cleave through. Even in the most dire of situations, the Captain inspires their armies with unmatchable heroism. Leader of the Charge Starting when you take Position of the Vanguard at 3rd level, you can add your Charisma modifier to your initiative. In addition, you gain proficiency in navigator's tools and water vehicles. Follow the Leader At 3rd level, you can carve open a path through the battlefield for your allies to use. As a bonus action or after hitting a creature with a weapon attack, you can call for your allies to join you in battle. Until the start of your next turn, friendly creatures can use their reaction to move up to their movement speed towards you without provoking opportunity attacks. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Additional Rally Effect When you use your Rallying the Troops feature, you lead an envigorating charge. All friendly creatures within range have their base movement speed doubled until the start of your next turn. Heroic Rescue Once you reach 7th level, you perform feats of unparalleled courage that become stronger as they become more dangerous. Whenever a creature within a range equal to your movement speed makes a weapon attack against a friendly creature, you can use your reaction to move up to your movement speed to either strike down the attacker or block the blow. You can make this choice after the die is rolled but must choose before the attack hits. Strike Down Attacker: As a reaction, you dash to the attacker and make a weapon attack against them. Your attack deals an extra 1d6 damage for each opportunity attack provoked on the way to your target. Block the Blow: If you choose the ally, as a reaction, you dash to a square in front of them between them and their attacker. If the attack is made from 5 feet away, you push your ally to the next available square behind you. The attack now hits you instead of the original target. If the original attack roll does not equal or exceed your AC, the attack misses. You gain 1d6 temporary hit points for each oppotunity attack provoked on the way to your target. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Cunning Combatant Starting at 11th level, you can maneuver the battlefield in a whirlwind of speed. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used to Dash, Disengage, or Help. When you reach 14th level, your movement speed permanently increases by 10 feet. In addition, you gain proficiency in Dexterity Saving Throws. First into the Fray At 18th level, your agility and prowess over the battle has become second nature. You no longer need to compete with others for the first charge. You always have the highest initiative in combat. 4