Class Acts: Fighter

By Mike Mearls
Illustrations by David Rapoza

The School of Twenty Blades is a small, unassuming
building nestled on the edge of the civilized world.
Most passersby mistake it for a private residence or
the workshop. The old man who sits on the buildings
front stoop looks unassuming. Few would guess that
he is Crelden Varn, one of the greatest living weapon
masters.
Crelden has taught dozens of young warriors the
art of battle. His ethos is simple. A warrior who relies
too heavily on a single weapon is doomed to eventu-
ally match his technique against a foe who can exploit
his styles weakness. No single school of martial arts
is perfect. Thus, he seeks to teach his students a broad
range of tactics. He encourages them to carry several
weapons and use the right one based on the situation.
Creldens teachings form the basis of the most flex-
ible approach to the fighting arts. His students learn
a variety of stances to react to an enemys tactics.
They incorporate ranged weapons into their strategy,
engaging an enemy from a distance before closing to
attack. They turn a shield into an offensive weapon,
sending an enemys attacks careening into their other
foes. Most importantly, they learn simple attack tech-
niques that, when matched with different weapons,
produce wildly different results. A fighter who studies
the School of Twenty Blades is unmatched in his abil-
ity to react to his foes tactics.
Heroic Tier Fighter Feats
Weapon Master
Prerequisite: Weapon Focus, Weapon Expertise
Benefit: You gain the benefits of Weapon Focus
and Weapon Expertise with all weapons you are pro-
ficient with.
Level 1 At-Will Exploits
Resolute Shield Fighter Attack 1
As you slash into your foe, you pull your shield into a defensive
position between the two of you, guaranteeing that it absorbs
at least some of your enemys attack.
At-Will F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: Shield
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you gain resist
equal to your Constitution modifier against the targets
attacks until the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] + your Strength modifier at 21st
level.

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Managing
Multiple Stances
This article introduces a number of stances
that you can use each encounter. A good way
to track your stances is to either print power
cards for them or note each on an index card.
Arrange them in a stack, with your current
stance face up. When you swap stances, simply
put your new stance on top and put the other
at the bottom of the stack.
Weapon Masters Strike Fighter Attack 1
You shift your tactics to match your weapons strengths, maxi-
mizing its advantages to gain an edge against your foe.
At-Will F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Before making this attack, you may sheathe a weapon
and draw a different one as a free action.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Axe: The target takes additional damage equal to your Con-
stitution modifier.
Mace: You slide the target 1 square.
Heavy Blade: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +1
power bonus to AC against the targets attacks.
Spear or Polearm: Until the end of your next turn, the target
provokes opportunity attacks from you when it shifts.
Level 2 Utility Exploit
Battle Fury Stance Fighter Utility 2
You throw your full weight into each attack, ruining your de-
fenses but scoring a crippling blow with each strike.
Encounter F Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You gain a +2 power bonus to damage rolls with weap-
on attacks but suffer a 2 penalty to AC. You cannot end
this stance on the same turn that you enter it. The bonus
damage from this stance increases to +4 at 11th level and
+6 at 21st level.
Special: This stance ends when you spend a healing surge. You
can end this stance as a free action during your turn.
Level 3 Encounter Exploit
Weapon Masters Gambit Fighter Attack 7
Deflecting Shield Fighter Attack 3
As you hammer your foe with an attack, you move your shield
to deflect its counterattack.
Encounter F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: Shield
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. The next time the
target attacks you before the end of your next turn, one
other enemy adjacent to you suffers damage equal to your
Strength modifier.
Class Acts: Fighter
Level 6 Utility Exploit
Bodyguards Stance Fighter Utility 6
You stand poised, ready to block attacks made against your
allies with your shield or, failing that, your body.
Encounter F Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Whenever an ally adjacent to you suffers damage, you
reduce that damage by 5 as a free action. When you do so,
you suffer 5 damage. You cannot opt to avoid reducing the
damage unless you are unable to use free actions.
Special: You can end this stance as a free action during your
turn.
Level 7 Encounter Exploit
As a master of many weapons, you use this simple attack form
as the starting point for expressing your weapons nature.
Encounter F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Before making this attack, you may sheathe a weapon
and draw a different one as a free action.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. In addition, the target
takes an additional effect based on the weapon you wield.
Axe: Up to 2 creatures adjacent to the target take damage
equal to your Constitution modifier.
Mace: The target is knocked prone.
Heavy Blade: You gain combat advantage against the target
until the end of your next turn.
Spear or Polearm: You slide the target 2 squares and shift 2
squares to a square adjacent to the target.
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Level 10 Utility Exploit
Martial Redoubt Fighter Utility 10
You sink into a broad fighting stance, whirling your weapon in
an arc that disrupts your foes line of sight and allows you to
knock aside your enemys attacks. While you protect your foes,
this stance forces you to compromise your own defenses.
Encounter F Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the stance ends, your allies have cover when adja-
cent to you. Your enemies gain combat advantage against
you.
Special: You can end this stance as a free action during your
turn.
Level 13 Encounter Exploit
Entrapping Shield Fighter Attack 13
You tangle your shield with your foe as you lunge to attack.
While it struggles to escape, you use your shield to deflect at-
tacks against you into it.
Encounter F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: Shield
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage. Until the end of your
next turn, each time you are attacked, the target suffers
damage equal to your Strength modifier if it is adjacent to
you. This benefit does not apply to attacks that target both
you and your target.
Level 16 Utility Exploit
Warding Shield Fighter Utility 16
You twist and move in your current space, your shield held
ready, as you prepare to block your foes attacks.
Encounter F Martial, Stance
Move Action Personal
Requirement: Shield
Effect: You gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses and are im-
mune to forced movement.
Special: This stance ends if you move during your turn. You can
end this stance as a free action during your turn.
Level 17 Encounter Exploits
Weapon Masters Tactics Fighter Attack 17
You shift to a new weapon, catching your enemy off guard as
your tactics make a dramatic transformation.
Encounter F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Before making this attack, you may sheathe a weapon
and draw a different one as a free action.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Axe: All enemies adjacent to you and the target take damage
equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier.
Mace: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Heavy Blade: The targets attack penalty due to your mark
increases to 4 until the end of your next turn.
Spear or Polearm: You slide the target to any other square
adjacent to you.
Class Acts: Fighter
Level 22 Utility Exploit
Martial Supremacy Fighter Utility 22
Your fighting expertise and experience allow you to use your
most familiar attacks with unmatched accuracy.
Encounter F Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the stance ends, whenever you use a fighter at-will
attack power or basic attack, you may reroll an attack that
misses.
Special: This stance ends if you spend a healing surge. You can
end this stance as a free action during your turn.
Level 23 Encounter Exploits
Battering Shield Fighter Attack 23
You hack into your foe, leaving it defenseless for a critical mo-
ment. As another foe closes to attack, you ready your shield to
deflect the attack into your target.
Encounter F Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: Shield
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage and the target is dazed
until the end of your next turn. The next time an attack hits
you before the end of your next turn, the target is also hit
by that attack if it is adjacent to you. This benefit does not
apply to attacks that target both you and your target.
About the Author
Mike Mearls is the Lead Designer for the Dungeons & Drag-
ons roleplaying game. His recent credits include H1: Keep on
the Shadowfell and Players Handbook 2.
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