MGP 5205

A battle is the heart of every adventure, and the fighter is the lord
of battle. Let the casters weave their spells, let the priests say their
prayers, for only the fighter can withstand the dreadful assaults of
his enemies and claim victory over them. If you want your character
to stand at the forefront of battle, implacable, indomitable, The
Quintessential Fighter is the book for you.
Within this book you will find a new origins system to create your
character’s background and grant him unique bonuses, new character
options, more than 70 new powers, unbelievable combat styles and
martial rituals, 14 paragon paths, many feats, and weapons, armor, and
magic items that will help you build a matchless arsenal.
This book also contains information on martial organizations that
can liven up your campaigns and fantastic arenas in which to enact
epic battles.

ISBN 978-1-906508-11-1
U.S. $24.95

9 781906 508111

www.asterionpress.com www.mongoosepublishing.com
 The
QUINTESSENTIAL
Fighter

By Fabio Passamonti
and Alessandro Santori
 CREDITs
Production Managers Interior Illustrations
Massimo Bianchini Alberto Bontempi
Luca Cattini Claudio Casini
Toni Cittadini
Design & Development Manager Marina Costa
Marco Picone
Simone Delladio
Game Development Elisa Ferrotto
Fabio Passamonti Francesco Graziani
Alessandro Santori Thomas Liera
Andrea Longhi
Additional Design, Emiliano Petrozzi
Revision & Game Balancing Roberto Pitturru
Marco Di Battista Maichol Quinto
Lorenzo Fanelli Andrea Sorrentino
Marco Picone Andrea Vivaldo
Cover Art English Translation
Maichol Quinto Fiorenzo Delle Rupi
Logo, Graphic Design & Typesetting Proof Reading
Andrea Gualdi – Lab 7 Joshua Cole

Playtester & Advice

Marco Di Battista, Alessandro Filipponi, Fabio Maroni,
Mario Rosati, Carlo Rosetti
Special Thanks
Valentina Meconio, Rosalba Spotorno, Antonella Vellante

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Compatibility Logo, D&D, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK,
DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, and MONSTER MANUAL are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the USA and
other countries and are used with permission. Certain materials, including 4E References in this publication, D&D core rules
mechanics, and all D&D characters and their distinctive
th
likenesses, are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are used with
permission under the Dungeons & Dragons 4 Edition Game System License. All 4E References are listed in the 4E System
Reference Document, available at www.wizards.com/d20.
th
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4 Edition PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James
Wyatt; DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, written by James Wyatt; and MONSTER MANUAL, written by Mike Mearls,
Stephen Schubert and James Wyatt
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Quintessential Fighter is © 2008 Asterion Press s.r.l. & Mongoose Publishing
Printed in the US

www.asterionpress.com www.mongoosepublishing.com

Introduction....................................6
The Quintessential Fighter................7
Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role..........10
The Role.........................................12
Fighters in combat situations.......12
A fighter’s armor......................13
A fighter’s weapons...................13
Powers every fighter should use....13
Best Tactics..............................14
Fighters in noncombat situations.... 15
A fighter in towns.....................15
A fighter in the wild.................16
A fighter in the dungeons.........16
A fighter on the planes..............17
A fighter’s race................................17
Fighters and other classes................20
A fighter’s origins............................21
How to read the origins............21
Armorer...................................21
Contents
Mercenary................................22
Noble.......................................22
Outlaw.....................................23
Predestined..............................24
Recruit.....................................25
Slave........................................25
Specialist..................................26
Survivor...................................27
Wanderer..................................27
New build options...........................28
Assault Fighter.........................28
Brutal Fighter..........................28
Exotic Fighter..........................28
Heavy Throwing Fighter..........28
Mounted Fighter......................29
Ranged Fighter.........................29
Transcendent Fighter................30
Multiclass build options...............30
Arcane Fighter.........................30
Consecrated Fighter.................30
Devoted Fighter.......................30
Errant Fighter..........................31
Fighter of the Pact....................31
Stealthy Fighter........................31
Strategist Fighter......................31
Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power.......32
A fighter’s power.............................34
4
contents
New fighter powers......................34
Level 1 At-Will Exploits...............34
Brute’s Iron Fist...................... 34
Flashing Steel . ........................34
Merciless Wound..................... 34
Mounted Rush Strike...............34
Readied Thrust........................ 34
Surging Arrow..........................34
Level 1 Encounter Exploits .........35
Bear’s Tenacious Grab..............35
Dazing Blow.............................35
Man-at-Arms’ Fearsome Strike....35
Reckless Assault.......................36
Level 1 Daily Exploits..................36
Battle Hubris........................... 36
Fiery Weapon...........................36
Forge’s Lightning.....................36
Knight’s Surge.........................37
Level 2 Utility Exploits ...............37
Falcon’s Unavoidable Grip.......37
Humiliating Parry....................37
Unshakable Pillar.....................37
Vulture’ Stubborn Grip............37
Level 3 Encounter Exploits..........37
Archer’s Heavy Volley...............37
Catapult’s Slam........................37
Mounted Reaver.......................38
Sworn Hate..............................38
Level 5 Daily Exploits..................38
Aim for the Head.................... 38
Recruit’s Lucky Strike..............38
Shooter’s Barricade.................. 38
Torturer’s Mark........................39
Level 6 Utility Exploits ...............39
Encumbering Defense..............39
Endure Elemental Fury............39
Fortunate Deflection............... 39
My Weapon, My Armor............39
Level 7 Encounter Exploits..........39
Dragon’s Flame........................39
Lay Waste to the Enemy.......... 39
Mantis’s Embrace.....................39
Troll’s Double Claws.................40
Level 9 Daily Exploits..................40
Roaring Hammer’s Slam..........40
Target Enemy Ranks................ 40
Wyvern’s Outflanking...............40
Level 10 Utility Exploits..............40
Deep Thrust............................ 40
Resist Tortured Senses..............40
Resist Toxic Fumes.................. 42
Unending Bolts of Hope...........42
Level 13 Encounter Exploits........42
Advance to the Rear................ 42
Brutal Domino.........................42
Dire Gallows........................... 42
Smite the Reckless....................42
Level 15 Daily Exploits................42
A Thousand Sparks ................ 42
Deforming Impact...................42
Fatal Defensive Flaw................43
Fatal Hesitation........................43
Level 16 Utility Exploits..............43
Bear’s Crushing Grasp............. 43
Hidden Reservoir.....................43
Prepare to Assault.....................43
Unyielding Warrior Spirit.........43
Level 17 Encounter Exploits........43
Covering Volley....................... 43
Rolling Thunder...................... 43
Seismic Wave............................44
Level 19 Daily Exploits ...............44
Painful Harpoon...................... 44
Taste My Steel!.........................44
You Are Cornered.....................45
Level 22 Utility Exploits..............45
Irreprehensible Bodyguard...... 45
Last Chance.............................45
Weapon Master’s Exploit..........45
Level 23 Encounter Exploits........45
Bonecrushing Knockdown.......45
Mighty Bolt.............................45
Unstoppable Colossus..............45
Level 25 Daily Exploits................46
Chilling Execution.................. 46
Flensing Whirlwind................. 46
Shake the Earth........................46
Level 27 Encounter Exploits........46
Concussion Arrows...................46
Relentless Cleaver.....................47
Skewer of Doom.......................47
Level 29 Daily Exploits................47
Arc of Crimson Slaughter........ 47
Gamble with Death..................47
One Fatal Arrow...................... 47
Ultimate Swing........................47
Martial Rituals ...............................48
Battle Premonition.......................48
 Body and Spirit’s Harmony..........49
Death Oath..................................49
Gladiator’s Immortal Blood.........49
Indomitable Strength . ................49
Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path..........50
Arena Idol.......................................52
Iegor Malvon...............................52
Battle Commando...........................54
Quorwar Grayvale........................54
Champion of Honor........................56
Gorngrin Bullbreaker...................56
Dragonborn Myrmidon . ................58
Trakosar Garkr.............................58
Eladrin Blade..................................60
Gilriel Baranruin.........................60
Fusilier . .........................................62
Etiel Pyrard.................................62
Infallible Thrower...........................64
Draatha Koraxir...........................64
Knight Errant.................................66
Sir Galan Celthor........................66
Lord of Chains................................68
Blasphaor Xalivem.......................68
Pilgrim Fighter................................70
Katrien of Firekeep......................70
Tunnel Defender.............................72
Agnek Stonesoul..........................72
Ultimate Duelist.............................74
Camwaith....................................74
Warrior Avatar.................................76
Nymotalia....................................76
Whirlwind Dervish..........................78
Lamya..........................................78
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat...........80
Feats...............................................82
Heroic Tier Feats.........................82
Brutal Brawl.............................82
Combat Runner.......................82
Crippling Shot.........................82
Defensive Shooter....................82
Dragonborn Contest . ..............82
Dwarven Vigor.........................82
Entangling Flail . .....................82
Entrapping Shield....................82
Hardened Plate . ......................82
Impervious Chain ...................82
Indomitable Courage . .............84
Insightful Counterattack..........84
Isolating Shield........................84
Pierce Armor............................85
Point-Blank Shooter.................85
Refractory Shield.....................85
Rest in Armor . ........................85
Ritual Warrior..........................85
Shield Proficiency (Buckler).....85
Shield Proficiency (Tower)........85
Steady Hand............................85
Tight Grab...............................85
Tight Scale...............................85
Paragon Tier Feats.......................85
Active Offense..........................85
Active Utility............................85
Blade Guard.............................85
Bralani Fencing........................85
Cautious Outflanking...............85
Chain Impact...........................85
Deflecting Shield......................87
Diabolical Surge.......................87
Elusive Shield...........................87
Fiery Burst...............................87
Grappling Mobility..................87
Light Shield Focus...................87
Plate Backlash..........................88
Quick Firearm Reload..............88
Recovering Surge.....................88
Ringing Impact........................88
Side by Side.............................88
Sliding Shaft............................88
Stuck Among Scales.................88
Swift Executioner.....................88
Tearing Axes.............................88
Epic Tier Feats.............................88
Active Offense Mastery............88
Active Utility Mastery..............88
Additional Martial Action.........88
Battle-Hardened.......................88
Chain Mastery.........................88
Firearm Mastery.......................88
Grappling Mastery...................89
Mighty Grasp...........................89
Mighty Superiority..................89
Mirroring Shield......................89
Plate Mastery...........................89
Recovery Mastery.....................90
Scale Mastery...........................90
Shield Mastery (Light).............90
Shield Mastery (Heavy)............90
Multiclass Feats ..........................91
Dweomer Shielding . ...............91
Mobile Guardian Strategy........91
Revealing Gleam......................91
Stealthy Exploit........................91
Umbral Charge........................91
Combat Styles.................................92
How to read combat styles...........92
Overwhelming Wave Technique....92
Relentless Marauder Technique....92
School of the Impenetrable Guard.....92
School of the Raging Fury...........93
Secret Thaumaturgy Technique....93
Style of the Invisible Wind...........93
Style of the Iron Archer...............93
Style of the Unerring Blade.........93
Chapter 5: A Fighter’s Tools . .......94
Adventuring Gear...........................96
Armor and Shields..........................97
Weapons..........................................99
Magic Items.................................. 102
Armor........................................ 102
Weapons.................................... 103
Arms Slot Items........................ 106
Feet Slot Items.......................... 107
Hands Slot Items....................... 107
Head Slot Items......................... 107
Neck Slot Items......................... 108
Contents
Waist Slot Items ....................... 109
Wondrous Items........................ 109
Chapter 6: Organizations........... 110
Fighters and Martial Organizations....112
Hierarchies................................ 112
Duties and opportunities........ 112
Rank in an organization ......... 113
Martial organizations in the world.... 113
Allies and antagonists............. 114
Hidden secrets........................ 114
Reading organizations............ 114
Brotherhood of Blood Lions ......... 115
Crimson Dusk Commandos.......... 116
Iron Adder Company.................... 118
Keepers of the Stone Throne......... 121
Order of Steel Prophets ................ 122
Quicksilver Blades......................... 124
Silver Falcon Academy.................. 125
Swords of Vengeance .................... 127
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena...... 130
Battle Arenas................................. 132
Darkdoom Chasm...................... 132
Bloodfeast Hall.......................... 135
Elemental Vortex Pit.................. 139
Astral Peaks of Champions......... 142
5
 INTRODUction
hether an isolated kingdom’s noble protector Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power features a detailed

W or the most cunning mercenary at the head of

an adventuring company, a soldier faithful to
his king or a lone wolf seeking his own glory, an experi-
enced axe-thrower of a graceful fencer, for glory or out
of need, to enforce the law or to take revenge, the fighter
is the ultimate combatant. His toughness allows him to
endure even the deadliest blows, when his training and
reflexes don’t avoid them. His weapons are accurate,
keen and lethal, his armor impenetrable. He stands fast
to protect his companions and patrons, and in his heart
there is no place for cowardice, fear or doubt.
The book you hold in your hand, The Quintessential
Fighter, greatly expands the gaming options available for
fighters and allows you to create more easily the type
of warrior you have in mind, a full-fledged character
sporting new, exciting powers and feats and unequalled
storytelling depth.
Among the classes featured in the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook, the fighter is with no doubt the most ver-
satile in battle. With his martial powers, he can engage
any foe and face them effectively, choosing from many
devastating attack combinations and altering his strat-
egy according to the type of foes and the circumstances
of the battle. The fighter, whatever moral scruples and
forces drive him along his path, is a stalwart pillar for
his allies during a fight, the entire party’s pivotal center
in terms of security and stability. He is an unshakable
bulwark watching over his companions, standing ready
to unleash an assault or to cover the retreat, as needed.
This handbook provides many additional gam-
ing options to those who want to play a fighter. The
origins options (introduced in Chapter 1: A Fighter’s
Role), provide characters with intriguing and detailed
backgrounds, not only describing their heroic births,
but also providing practical effects they can use during
the game. This section also includes a useful guide to a
fighter’s role, including guidelines about the most effec-
tive strategies, weapons, and armor.
and exhaustive look at many exciting new powers
designed with the fighter in mind; with these exploits,
a fighter will be capable of extraordinary deeds in any
fighting style.
Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path allows you to add more
depth to your character with many new paragon paths,
each infused with unique flavor.
Chapter 4: A Fighter’s Feat is just as exciting; the
new feats introduced in this section will let your fighter
employ incredible tactics, such as deflecting certain
types of damage with his shield or attacking some cat-
egories of foes more effectively.
Mundane equipment and magic items featured
in Chapter 5: A Fighter’s Tools increase the fighter’s
effectiveness and abilities, and also help him fulfill his
arduous role as a defender by enhancing his fighting
skills and survivability.
Chapter 6: Organizations features many examples
of martial organizations, warring companies that may
be used as allies or antagonists for the player characters:
savage mercenary bands and elusive commando teams,
stalwart guardians and fearless gladiators. This section
also includes typical NPCs, inner hierarchies and modus
operandi, so that the GM will be able to include them
in any fantasy campaign to offer new challenges and
adventure opportunities to his players.
Chapter 7: A Fighter’s Arena, will guide you
through the events and the experiences that make a
fighter’s entire life a thrilling adventure: deadly tour-
naments in the underworld’s shadowy warrens and
epic challenges in planar arenas against extraordinary
creatures and rivals.
The material featured in this book will become an
essential tool, easy to use both in game and in prepara-
tion for the next adventure. The Quintessential Fighter
will guide your fighter from 1st to 30th level and will
help you turn your character into a living legend!

The Quintessential Series

The Quintessential Fighter is the second volume in a series of books dedicated to the classes of the Dungeons &
Dragons 4E game. Each book is the result of two combined goals: the development of new gaming options, includ-
ing new powers, feats, paragon paths, and magic items, and a deeper look at your role-playing options, featuring
guidelines for portraying your character as a full-fledged person and making him unique among members of his
class. When using this book to create your character, you may not obtain a more powerful or survivable character
than your fellow players, but you will be able to choose from many additional options and to make your fighter
look, act and fight exactly as you imagine him. All the rules featured in The Quintessential Fighter can fully be used
in any campaign setting. Happy adventuring!

6
THE QUINTESSENTIAL FIGHTER

“Y gnul held his breath and clenched his teeth, crouching behind his large oval shield.
The dwarf’s beard curled and the shield’s handle turned so hot that it was soon unbearable, as
the red flames the dragon breathed over them intensified and became scorching white.
When the dwarf heard Felwain’s last desperate cry, he realized the eladrin was gone. Her arcane wards and for-
mulas had not been strong enough this time. He would weep for the wizard’s demise later, if there was still a “later”
for them; now he had to focus on the fight, on the pounding rhythm of his steel against the creature’s skin, harder
than any armor; a deadly dance of iron and claws, of rushing blood and adrenaline.
There was no time for feelings in a melee; strategy, strength, and training were the only things that mattered. There
was no Ygnul Fallenstone in battle: In his place stood a survivor, a veteran of countless dozens of fights, whose
hand was steady as a stone and whose heart was as hard.
So far, the fight had been easy for the dragon Meldenthral. The heroes had braved his lair after answering the
king’s call to take up arms against the monster. Sneaking through one of the natural tunnels of the Smokeskull
Mountain, they had eluded the dragon’s troops. Or perhaps those lackeys were simply too busy carousing and
reveling after the devastation they had brought to the valley in the last few weeks.
The dragon itself had not been so unwary, though. It knew someone would be brave or foolish enough to accept the
royal contract on its head, and it had led the heroes into an ambush deep in the mountain’s fiery heart.
Two adventurers had already lost their lives fighting against kobold minions or falling to the many traps hidden in
their cramped warrens.
Now, only the most skilled and resolute were left. Fighting their way deep into the bowels of the earth, past flowing
magma and deadly fumes, the kingdom’s bravest champions were quickly running out of strength.
Ygnul examined the battlefield with a veteran’s eye, assessing his surviving companions’ locations and conditions.
Karnoth stood at the center, right beneath the monster’s ominous jaws; in spite of his wounds, the dragonborn kept
the wyrm occupied with his spinning greatsword. The blade’s blows were mighty, but Ygnul knew they were not ac-
curate enough to find the chinks in the dragon’s scales.
How typical: The myrmidon had let once again his feelings dictate his actions. To dodge his blows, the dragon only
had to raise his head above the most forceful blows and snap his retaliation on the backswings, which bounced harm-
lessly from his scales.
Ulthar, hidden in a corner, was still recovering. The tiefling had already unleashed his most formidable spells, loos-
ing curses against the monster that would have blackened the soul of most demons; his efforts had been of little avail,
judging from the enemy’s good health. Hiding in the shadows, the tiefling’s face was a painful grimace that hinted
at the devious and desperate ideas racing through his mind–not all, Ygnul suspected, ending with Ulthar fighting
with the side he started on.
Ygnul snorted. He had no time to waste contemplating betrayal, nor did he care about if and when the exhausted
warlock made the attempt.
Morhadan the archer, for her part, kept as much distance as she could in the cavern, firing two arrows at a time at
the dragon’s scaled breast, at the same time leaping and feinting to keep away from the beast’s scorching breath.

7
 Ygnul was pleased with the elf’s cunning. He grinned at the sight of shafts sticking from the tiniest gaps in the
dragon’s armor. Her best shots had penetrated it, and now the monster growled with pain each time its movements
made the arrows sink deeper in its flesh. The elven archer had wisely aimed for the joints, but her quiver was almost
empty, and soon she would have to drop the bow and wield her daggers. Though she wielded the fine mithral blades
adeptly, she would become easy prey at such close quarters.
Last came Tarield. The cleric had used every last bit of power trying to counter the dragon’s fearsome abilities, but
he had only bought a few more moments. In spite of his imposing bulk and experience, he still was a priest, not a
soldier; and his most powerful war prayers had proven weak and ineffective. Now that its full fury was unleashed, the
monster seemed immune even to divine wrath.
The priest held his holy symbol before him, eyes pressed tightly shut as he tried to call down his heavenly patron’s
fury upon the beast. His shaven head was sweating from the crushing heat of the chamber, the legacy of dragon’s
breath and the magma river close beneath their feet.
Meldenthral opened his slavering jaws in a reptilian grin, then raised his tail to slam it against Tarield like
a huge maul.
It was then that Ygnul spotted the beast’s weak point, a soft spot in his iron scales no larger than a fist. As he held
his breath, it was almost like time itself stopped, and the dwarf realized they still had one last chance.
To use its tail, the creature had lowered its head, and when it did, it exposed itself to a dangerous counterattack.
Ygnul shouted a warning to Karnoth, but his words were smothered by the dragon’s roar. Karnoth had fought
many battles at the dwarf’s side, though, and one look at his companion was enough to give the dragonborn the gist
of Ygnul’s plan.
Together they had defeated the fearsome Hammerstone giants, repelled the goblin hordes from Gallowbridge
and defended King Fenalion’s castle against evil Baron Valghen’s besieging armies; the threat of their prowess
had intimidated Xiang-zhou’s devious merchants and their canniness had snared Black Fox, the legendary
outlaw from Snowmail.
The dwarf’s sheer determination was a sign that they might yet pull it out this time, too.
Karnoth drew a deep, thundering breath, dropped his flamberge and charged the dragon.
The dragon’s bony horns met his charge and sank deep into him; Karnoth had to clench his teeth to withstand the
pain. He closed his eyes, summoned his last strength, and wrapped his arms around the monster’s muzzle and bent
it to the side. The myrmidon’ biceps were almost bursting and his scales were cracking as he tried to maintain the
hold around the dragon’s snarling jaws–but he held.
Even as he did, Ygnul charged the distracted dragon, pulling back his axe for the move he had in mind. When
reached the beast, he swung the axe in an overhead chop and brought it down on the dragon’s exposed throat, the
only weakness in its hide. The axe cleft scale and sinew and sheared through even Meldenthral’s mighty arteries,
spraying blackish blood.
The dragon’s body spasmed, and the fire that was still burning in its belly poured over the dwarf’s arm like a
flow of molten lava. Ygnul’s axe glowed red hot and the hair on his arms burst into flames, but Ygnul stood,
ignoring the pain.

8
In its death throes, Meldenthral might still have killed them, but Morhadan’s arrow pierced its eye and its ancient,
wicked mind.
Only then, with one last fiery gurgle, the dragon expired. A forge whose embers were finally cold.
Morhadan rushed to her companions’ side, wondering if they were still alive; Ygnul’s only answer was a soot-black-
ened, bloody, broken –but triumphant– grin.”

“And so it ends!”, the old minstrel said, watching his public’s astonished faces.
The kids gaped in awe and the bard, now that his tale was over, gently invited them to go home.
The sun was setting behind the mountains and the sky was as red as fire. Believing he was alone, the bard picked up
his gear and headed for the inn, looking forward to a good night’s sleep. As he walked down the street, though, he
saw that one of the youngest boys was still there.
There was a light in the boy’s eyes that the storyteller knew all too well, a hunger that would pull a man far from his
home, pull him to a glorious destiny or an untimely death: the call of adventure.
“I want to be a fighter like Ygnul,” the boy said solemnly.
The old bard smiled. “Aren’t you a little young for such things? What’s your name?”
“Riglen”, the boy answered gruffly.
“Riglen,” the bard said again. “I will keep it in mind, boy, should you ever become a hero… should you ever
become The Quintessential Fighter!”

9
 A FIGHTER’S ROLE Chapter 1

T he platoon’s ranks were tight. In the distance, the dragonborn phalanx looked like a shining proces-
sion of steel statues. Even their few unarmored parts were covered with scales the color of forged iron.
They advanced like a living tide of muscle and scale, roiling with fury, tempered by discipline.
They were not, at the moment, the problem.
Sergeant Falmir, standing on the battlements of the besieged city, swore and urged on his archers. It was
already too late when they noticed the three enemy explorers gliding over their heads.
Beyond them, whipped into action by their grim hobgoblin jailors, huge units of goblin savages strained
toward the walls, they shied away at either their masters snarls or their own fear. They were not adequately
equipped or trained, but their longing for revenge over the humans, nurtured for countless generations, shone
from by their cruel grins, rang in their spiteful war cries and the maddening noise of their spears clanging
against their shields.
They had besieged the city for three days. Bloody and thundering nights gave way to pale steel dawns. The
inescapable final confrontation loomed over both armies and its shadow grew longer with each passing day.
The defenders could barely rely upon a few hundred fighters: a core of trained soldiers supported by the
city’s militia. Even young and old men had been enlisted to fight, so desperate was the city’s plight. The
former had faced a battlefield’s horrors without being properly trained, whereas the latter had been forced to
wield a weapon long after the strength of their arms had fled.
Suddenly, the silence was torn by the howling of the monstrous army’s battle horns. The fight was about
to begin.
Kail looked over the battlements, meticulously studying the enemy units’ layout and nature.
“Most of them are only goblin raiders,” he began. The false hope fled his voice as he surveyed the rest of
the army. “Most, aye, but there are tiefling barbarians and dragonborn mercenaries enough. Worse, I’d
swear I spotted a small host of war trolls from the Blooded Plains, hidden behind the catapults. Those
monsters have been fighting since the day that they were born. They will not be easily stopped.”
“And yet, stopped they must be,” Riglen said. “What shall we do?”
“If the halberdiers can gain at least a hundred feet, they will allow us to deploy the recruits behind them.
Most of them have never been in an actual battle, but if the tide turns against us, they will be able to escort
women and children outside the city, in the sewers.”
Falmir and Riglen nodded, realizing that Kail’s orders were an invaluable asset.
“You did your best to train your men, Falmir,” Riglen said, putting a hand over his friend’s armored
shoulder. “They could barely hold a weapon when they started; now they can protect their families. And
they know they owe this chance to you.”
“Perhaps you’re right, but a fair few of our enemies were born to fight, like you and your companions. My
soldiers, committed as they might be, are still smiths, fishers and carpenters. I tell you, I fear to find out
how much my teachings have been effective.”

10
Alberto Bontempi
 The Role
A fighter’s role is always fully defined, both in and out
of combat: He is a defender, a stalwart bulwark eve-
ryone will take shelter behind in the most desperate
situations. Responsibility for his companions’ safety
falls upon his shoulders, but at the same time he has
to prevent the enemy from advancing. He must learn
to take in the battlefield at a glance, to quickly adapt
to the shifting battle lines, to instantly recognize his
enemies’ and his allies’ strengths and vulnerabilities. He
must also be extraordinarily brave and ready to make
sacrifices whenever the need arises. A fighter does not
care about coordinating his companions’ actions or
enhancing their skills. His concern is their survival, and
he ensures it by taking the fight to the enemy while his
companions provide support.
FIGHTERS IN COMBAT
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
SITUATIONS
Combat is the pivotal event that puts a fighter under
the spotlight and gives meaning to his existence. His
defender role requires him to be always in the thick
of battle, ready to engage as many foes as possible. He
must be the unyielding cliff that will break the ongoing
waves of the advancing enemies. The less his compan-
ions are harmed, the better the fighter’s job has been
12 A fighter is always ready to defend his allies.
done. Withstanding everything the enemy throws at
him is undoubtedly vital, but a fighter should never
forget that the best defense is a good offense. With the
proper training and equipment, a fighter can cripple
or outright destroy his foes long before they could
threaten more vulnerable characters.
A fighter’s tactics and style determine not only
how he fights but, often, how his entire party approach-
es a battle. A guardian fighter (see Creating a Fighter
in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook) tends to soak up
damage or prevent it from happening in the first place,
to intercept hindering conditions and block enemy
movement; he fights carefully and deliberately, wearing
his enemies down without ever overextending himself,
and he does not hesitate to pause to get his second
wind or use a magic item.
A great weapon fighter, on the other hand, is willing
to take a greater risk in order to apply his full strength,
cutting down his foes before they ever have a chance to
strike. He wades into the enemy lines and reaps their
broken bodies like a farmer would wheat, defending his
allies by leaving nothing to do them harm.
In combat, a fighter is the perfect foil for a rogue,
ranger or warlock. These characters fill roles that make
them deadly in a fight with a single foe, as long as it is
Roberto Pitturru
surprised or cannot directly threaten the attacker. Thus,
a striker benefits from someone else engaging and
distracting his target. As long as someone is watching
his back, the striker will be able to make the most of
his offensive prowess without taking too many risks.
Nor can wizards dispense with a stalwart fighter’s help;
a fighter keeps melee foes away from the wizard and
shields him from the most direct attacks. As for leaders,
they should never remain too far from a fighter and
vice versa. Whether they are clerics or warlords, these
characters’ abilities and powers are ideal for enhanc-
ing a defender’s effectiveness, increasing his resistance
beyond his usual limits and improving his ability to
strike down his foes.
With an effective use of the rules, options and
guidelines featured in The Quintessential Fighter, every
player will be able to outline his personal approach to
combat and emerge as the true ruler of the battlefield.
A fighter’s armor
All fighters need to wear armor, and maybe carry a
shield as well. Fighters can already benefit from any
type of armor except plate, and unless she has chosen
a very usual fighting style, a fighter should always wear
the best armor she can afford. To the fighter, armor
is like a second skin, her main defensive tool and the
difference between life and death. Sooner or later, even
if she is a great weapon fighter, she should definitely
acquire the Armor Proficiency (Plate) feat. Feats that
further increase the effectiveness of armor, such as Ar-
mor Specialization or as Hardened Plate, Impervious
Chain, and Tight Scale (new feats featured in Chapter
4: A Fighter’s Feat), are often excellent choices as well.
Armor’s effectiveness is even more vital if the
fighter decides not to carry a shield, perhaps so she
can wield a two-handed weapon. Those fighters who
opt for a shield should not underestimate the benefits
of feats such as Deflecting Shield, Elusive Shield, or
Entrapping Shield, as they allow her to use the shield
to prevent certain types of damage or negate a foe’s
important advantage.
Heavy armor negates the benefits of a high Dexter-
ity bonus. Usually, this is not a serious setback, as many
suits of armor, especially magic ones, grant a remarka-
ble AC enhancement. Besides, a fighter rarely opts for a
high Dexterity score; her best ability scores are usually
Strength, Wisdom and Constitution.
In her adventures, a fighter might be stripped of
her defensive equipment. Certain monsters have pow-
ers or special attacks specifically designed to damage
suits of armor. If a fighter finds herself in such a tight
spot, she should put the acquisition of new equipment
at the top of her priorities. If she can afford it, she
should even keep a spare shield and suit of armor close
at hand, perhaps on her horse or in a nearby shelter.
A fighter’s weapons
The fighter’s choice of weapons is at least as vital as his
choice of armor, and often much more difficult. Not
only he will wield them in combat to hurt and destroy,
but in a way, they will also be an expression of their
wielder’s personality: A fighter is defined and symbol-
ized by his armament. One-handed or two-handed
weapons, weapons that can hit a foe beyond the reach
of a simple sword, weapons that can be thrown from
a safe distance, weapons dealing hideous damage on a
critical hit: the fighter is truly spoiled for choice.
If a fighter loses his armor, he will be naked in
combat, but if he loses his weapons, he will be utterly
helpless. He should have one main weapon, his first
choice in combat and the focus of his specialization,
but he should also carry one or more viable alterna-
tives. Including a reach weapon is a wise choice, as it
can be very useful in those fights where the battlefield
or a foe’s special trait require him to make melee at-
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
tacks even without being adjacent to the enemy.
Fighters are rarely specialized in ranged weapons:
they leave that task to strikers such as rangers and
rogues. Defenders want their fights to be up close and
personal, as they are able to withstand an extended
melee better than most foes. A bow or a crossbow,
however, is a good investment–especially for wilderness
adventures, where a fight begins the moment an enemy
is spotted, or when facing highly mobile foes like flyers
and teleporters.
Even a fighter’s race can affect his choice of weap-
ons. Each race has a different idea of war, and thus, a
different opinion on each weapon’s role. The gamut of
available option is now even wider, as it includes the new
weapons featured in this book’s Chapter 5: A Fighter’s
Tools. Dragonborn fighters are the undisputed masters
of flamberge swords, whereas tiefling brawlers excel in
the use of spiked gauntlets; eladrin have brought the art
of fencing to previously undreamt levels, and halflings
are masterful wielders of light blades, which do not suf-
fer any penalty due to their small size.
Powers every fighter should use
A fighter’s powers have one main purpose: to keep foes
at bay. A fighter can remain standing even after suffer-
ing many grievous blows, thanks to his many hit points
and his companions’ support. His exploits are meant to
intercept, hunt down and disable enemies. Of course,
these goals can met either through the use of offensive
powers dealing enough damage to kill or drive of foes, or
by preventing the enemy from reaching the back lines. A
few exploits allow the fighter to slide the enemy to a de-
sired location, while others help him recover his strength.
There are also many powers granting benefits of a
different type. They do not produce effects like those
described above, but they are more original and unusu-
13
 al, filling certain voids in a fighter’s preparation. Choos-
ing from such a wide range requires a little preparation,
but part of the fun in playing a fighter is navigating
through the available options to build a formidable
combatant. Of course, you will have to keep in mind
the type of fighter you want to play in your adventures.
Regardless, your defender role should always remain a
landmark when selecting your best powers.
A fighter’s most useful powers, arranged by tier, are
briefly outlined below.
Heroic Tier: A fighter is a skilled combatant since
the beginning of his heroic deeds. Exploits such as
spinning sweep or steel serpent strike enable him to slow
his enemies down or to push them in an advantageous
position. Powers such as brute strike, cleave and villain’s
menace, on the other hand, allow him to quickly dispatch
more enemies in less time. Utility powers such as bound-
less endurance or unstoppable are invaluable, especially at
lower levels, as they allow a fighter to quickly heal from
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
his wounds or even to attain uncanny healing abilities.
At this tier, a fighter’s exploits may not enable him to
maneuver with the other classes’ freedom, but they are
adequate to his role of front-line defender. The new
powers featured in this book’s Chapter 2: A Fighter’s
Power broaden the range of your available choices and
will be able to fulfill any player’s needs and wishes.
When he learns to master rain of blows or rain of
steel, a fighter becomes a fearsome sight to any enemy
who dares to approach him. If not even these pow-
ers are enough to ensure victory, come and get it and
shift the battlefield help draw the attention of the most
fearsome enemies and to wipe them out one by one,
ensuring your party’s safety. One of the most use-
ful exploits at these levels is with no doubt victorious
surge, which allows a fighter to deal considerable dam-
age and to heal from your wounds at the same time.
A fighter’s relentless assault with the crack the shell
exploit can bring down any defense, whereas powers
such as iron bulwark and stalwart guard make his own
stronger than ever.
The Quintessential Fighter introduces new exploits
granting remarkable benefits to the fighters who select
them; merciless wound or reckless assault, to name just a
few, increase the damage you deal even at lower levels,
while bear’s tenacious grab, brute’s iron fist, and falcon’s
unavoidable grip can make you deadly even when you
are unarmed. Troll’s double claws allows you to attack
and heal from damage at the same time, dragon’s flame
and roaring hammer’s slam change the type of damage
you deal, enabling you to unleash fire and thunder’s
fury upon your foes.
Paragon Tier: At this tier, many exploits pro-
duce different effects based on the fighter’s weapon
of choice, such as anvil of doom or giant’s wake, dazing
your foes or dealing impressive amounts of dam-
age. Other powers can improve his mobility over the
14
battlefield, allowing him to shift into a square that an
enemy vacated (surprise step), or to dance between his
foes, moving and attacking at inhuman speed with
exploits like serpent dance strike.
Other exploits like exorcism of steel tend to neu-
tralize an enemy, or to affect more enemies at once
with different effects (warrior’s challenge). The exploits
available at this tier include reaving strike, possibly the
power that makes a fighter most similar to a striker,
and devastation’s wake, which allows you to leave a
trail of death behind you, cutting down all adjacent
enemies with secondary attacks.
A paragon tier fighter’s powers can impress any
foe. His techniques are close to perfection by now,
and he can rightfully aspire to be the undisputed
master of any arena. His paragon path options only
enhance his prowess. A champion of honor’s exploits
(see Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path) include armed trap, a
power that allows you to reduce the damage you take
and to restrain your foe at the same time. The tunnel
defender, on the other hand, is relentless in deal-
ing huge amounts of damage and hindering a foe’s
combat abilities, thanks to crushing impact and march
of ruin. Guardian entities’ spite and steel pattern turn the
lord of chains and the warrior avatar (more paragon
paths featured in Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path) into
deadly combinations of attack and defense.
Epic Tier: When a fighter attains this tier, he has
pushed his martial skills far beyond the limits a mere
mortal can reach; step by step, he is growing closer
to his epic destiny. Even the powers he gains allude
to his final destination and represent the pinnacle of
martial prowess. Powers like no surrender render him
almost literally invulnerable, allowing him to quickly
regain half his maximum hit points. Reaper’s stance
is another impressive power that can be activated
as a minor action and allows an epic tier fighter to
deal critical hits and ongoing damage to all his foes;
then again, no mercy, storm of destruction, and gamble
with death (see Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power), avail-
able only at the highest levels, mark the climax of a
fighter’s damage-dealing career.
Best Tactics
A fighter must be ready to change his strategies many
times during a battle to adapt to any situation and
always be the first to face any unexpected challenge.
A fighter usually chooses a position in the thick of the
fighting, the better to fully exploit the qualities of the
weapon he wields. A heavily armed fighter, for example,
will try to charge his foe and to engage it as soon as
possible, before he can endanger the rest of the party; a
guardian fighter, on the other hand, will move carefully
and take defensive actions that will allow him –and
especially the party’s second line– to stay safe. These
generic guidelines cannot possibly cover the complex-
ity of all possible combats; in many cases, it will be
foolhardy if not downright impossible to blindly charge
the enemy line; sometimes, a fighter must accept the
fact that his companions are going to take some risks,
so that he may take a more elaborate action to ensure
their long-term survival. Under these circumstances, a
fighter’s versatility and his chosen tactics will make the
difference between tragedy and triumph.
A fighter should choose his feats in accord with
his build and his favored approach to combat, trying
to increase the inherent benefits of his build. At heroic
tier, Power Attack and Powerful Charge are both an
excellent choice for a great weapon fighter. Similarly,
Defensive Mobility and Durable can be very useful to
a guardian fighter. Finally, certain feats, such as Weapon
Focus, are a safe bet for any type of fighter.
A paragon tier fighter enjoys a broader range
of available options. Now more than ever, he should
choose those feats that will improve his abilities with
his chosen type of weapon. Deadly Axe, Heavy Blade
Opportunity, Scimitar Dance and Sweeping Flail are
fine examples of this type of feats, along with Blade
Guard, Edge’s Impact and Tearing Axes (introduced in
Chapter 4: A Fighter’s Feat). Even Armor Specializa-
tion and Shield Specialization are worthy of mention,
as they increase the protection granted by your equip-
ment and your effectiveness as a defender. Deflective
Shield and Elusive Shield, along with Plate Backlash
or Stuck Among Scales (also featured in Chapter 4: A
Fighter’s Feat) combine a defensive function with the
benefit of directly hindering your foes.
A fighter must never leave the weakest members of
his party without protection: Controllers and strikers
can fall to a determined enemy relatively quickly, espe-
cially if the attacking monsters are intelligent or in great
numbers. Thus, even the most aggressive fighter will
have to be able to disengage from a duel to come to his
companions’ side, forcing the enemy to deal with him.
The combat challenge class feature has precisely this
purpose, marking the enemy and goading it into turning
its attacks against the fighter; certain powers, such as
warrior’s challenge, make this feature even more effective.
Other exploits such as defensive training, stalwart
guard, or irreprehensible bodyguard (see Chapter 2: A
Fighter’s Power), allow you to stand fast and shield your
allies from ranged attacks, improving their AC and other
defenses. Powers such as advance to the rear and fortu-
nate deflection are even more valuable, ideal choices for a
fighter who takes protecting his allies seriously.
The ability to move from one side of the battle-
field to another is vital to a striker, but it also helps a
fighter, especially if he is the party’s only defender: one
of the worst situations in a combat is being locked into
a disadvantageous position or crippled by powers and
attacks that immobilize or slow you down. Fortunately,
leaders possess many prayers or exploits to counter
these dire situation; one more reason for the fighter to
always keep within their powers’ range.
Fighters in noncombat
situations
It may come as a surprise, but although a fighter excels
in combat above all else, his contributions can be
meaningful even outside the battlefield. His field expe-
rience, readiness, physical prowess and the knowledge
he has gathered in many years of military life allow him
to be a relevant presence even in less bloody situations.
A fighter in towns
Urban environments are ripe with opportunities and
offer the promise of great riches, but they can also
be fraught with danger. It is no wonder that scores
of mercenaries, bodyguards, militia members and
adventurers of all types prowl the streets looking for
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
a job. Besides, a city always features a more or less
organized garrison, recruitment center or warrior’s
guild. A few towns and cities even feature powerful
mercenary corporations managing the contracts of
an army’s worth of fighting companies. Others sport
famous gladiatorial arenas where fighters risk their
lives to entertain the crowd for fame, wealth or fear
of the slaver’s lash. Examples of these structures are
detailed in this book’s Chapter 6: Organizations.
To a fighter, a town is also an opportunity to find
rest and relaxation, and to replenish all he has lost
or used during the latest adventure. Fighters hailing
from the largest settlements might have learned their
exploits from a trainer or from a specialized military
organization. If a fighter stays in touch with these
contacts, he can gain many benefits: One can never
know when the need to hire an extra minion will
arise, or when a new weapon, perhaps forged from a
peculiar alloy, will prove vital.
Fighters feel at home both among the sweltering
steam of their trusted weaponsmith’s forge and in the
streets of the stately districts, where they know they
can find the job they are looking for. Their richest pay-
rolls often come from the coffers of wealthy merchants;
a fighter can easily gain a reputation downtown, where
rumors run fast and furious. Other fighters prefer to
check the pulse of the underworld, looking for shadier
goods and news and enforcing his companions’ intimi-
dation factor. The mere presence of a mean-looking
fighter in a party can be enough to discourage even the
nastiest criminal from doing anything rash.
Fighters are often the most cherished heroes
among commoners: They embody the power of a good
and strong arm in a world threatened by dark menaces
and blind violence. Their bravery is often seen as an
incorruptible force, unlike the skills of more morally
15
 ambiguous characters. In addition, many tournaments,
duels and sport competitions are usually held behind
the city walls, giving all fighters a chance to win fame
and fortune. If there is enough room in an adventure to
deal with these themes, fighters are going to be pivotal
characters and their renown could grant the rest of the
party enough good will to open up otherwise restricted
information or forbidden locations.
A fighter in the wild
A fighter knows basic survival skills from his first steps
as an adventurer: quick marches, exhausting training
sessions and a life in the field shaped his adventuring
life. As such, he has access to Athletics, Endurance, and
Heal among his trained skills.
Sometimes an army has to cross a steep mountain
pass, an endless desert waste and even a thick rain for-
est: In these cases, careful food rationing and sanitary
conditions may mean more than good tactics and su-
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
Cramped spaces filled with dangers encourage the
use of powers that allow you to slide the target, plac-
ing it in a favorable position. When the entire enemy
force is forced to assault a fighter-held chokepoint, he
can really sink his teeth into his role as a defender.
In narrower corridors, strategy is everything. One
miscalculation from the fighter and the party –espe-
cially the weaker and less protected characters– might
pay a steep price from an unexpected assault.
Fighters cannot hold torches or lanterns, as they
need both hands to wield large weapons or shields;
thus, unless they can naturally see in darkness, they
should carry items such as everburning torches (contra
the name, they do not burn and do not make smoke, so
you can hang them to your belt) or sunrods.
Noisy armor might also be a problem in a place
where every corner might hide an ambush and enemies
keep their ears open to notice approaching victims.
Still, a fighter cannot possibly do without his armor. If

perior training. Although he may not feel as at home he intends to be silent, he will have to find an alterna-
in the wilderness as a ranger does, a fighter
can count on an excellent stamina and un-
paralleled resistance to pain and starvation.
Some fighters, especially those who
were born beyond the safety of a city wall,
feel at home on winding paths and the
banks of woodland rivers, hunting down
outlaws and fearsome monsters. In fact,
these threats are the very reasons many
combatants scour the wilderness, test their
abilities and maybe gain wealth and reputa-
tion in the process. Even those fighters less
accustomed to outdoor life might need to
undertake a long journey between one city
and another, riding through endless plains
and only relying on their trusted suits of
armor to protect them from wilderness’s
many dangers and threats. In these cases,
heavy, encumbering armor can be a limita-
tion, as it implies a penalty to Athletics and
Endurance checks. There setbacks might
even turn out to be deadly in situations
where the main danger is posed by a natural
feature, such as threading the waters of a
swift river or climbing a steep cliff.

A fighter in the dungeons

A fighter relies on his bravery and brawn to
withstand the dangers of underground halls
and passageways filled with deadly traps and
hideous monsters. A fighter strides through a
Emiliano Petrozzi

dungeon’s gloomy hallways undaunted, ready

to face even the most unexpected threat with
unparalleled strength and courage.

A fighter boldly strides through the darkest dungeons.

16
tive solution. As previously hinted, suits of armor can
also hinder a fighter making Strength, Dexterity or
Constitution-based skill checks, a recurring need in the
depths of the underground.
Finally, a well-prepared fighter always faces a
dungeon’s dangers equipped with a few healing magic
items; more than any other feature, mazes and tunnels
might delay a leader’s intervention and in those cases,
the ability to heal yourself without any help from oth-
ers becomes crucial.
A fighter on the planes
Not all fighters can tell the difference between the
faerie land and the dark realm, nor can their mundane
minds grasp the essence of the astral vault’s eternal
quiet or of the elemental mayhem’s restless maelstroms.
A FIGHTER’S RACE
Each race has a different outlook on war. More peace-
ful species, such as halflings, focus their military strat-
egies on defensive and pre-emptive techniques (such
as altering the battlefield where the fight will occur,
sending vanguards and spies to watch the enemy, and
so on); more aggressive races, such as tieflings or drag-
onborn, have centuries-old warrior culture, based on
superior weapons, hardened and unstoppable military
units and heroic deeds. These outlooks are outlined
below, so that players might use them as guidelines to
roleplay their fighter characters.
Dragonborn: Dragonborn are a proud race of
martial champions, valuing their weapons above all
else and inhaling a battlefield’s dust as if it were a fresh
and stimulating breeze. Dragonborn fighters are the
ultimate defenders: unyielding, brave, and fierce when
the need arises. Sometimes their unyielding (obtuse,
some might say) morality can lead them to make risky
choices, such as waiting for an enemy to draw its sword
before attacking, or showing a defeated foe mercy, but
this attitude must not be misunderstood. As a proud
and resolute warrior, a dragonborn expects his foes to
fear his wrath more than the steel they have just tasted.
The entire dragonborn culture is heavily influ-
enced by militarism: Even those who live outside the
army and do not care about military business tend
to value a title earned on the field and a hierarchy
defined by the purity of a bloodline. Dragonborn
are passionate creatures, even restless at times; they
express their artistic vein by crafting tools of war. To
their eyes, these items are as precious as a jewel or
a fine portrait to members of another species. Then
again, dragonborn manufactured items tend to be
more functional than elegant, as the finest friezes
and details would be wasted on their hulking shapes.
And yet, they can safely bet on one universal constant:
all enemies, even those hailing from the farthest reach-
es of the universe, can be faced and defeated through
strength of arms.
This awareness keeps a fighter alive and shields him
from the horror and the madness that runs rampant
from a rift in reality. In an alien environment such as
another plane, a fighter tends to be wary–but undaunted.
As he attains higher levels, planar adventures grow
more frequent; a fighter may never feel as at ease on
another plane as a warlock or a wizard, but he nonethe-
less maintains a practical attitude, dismissing any cos-
mic wonder and focusing on the need at hand. When
any certainty seems to crumble and natural laws are
subverted by planar senselessness, a fighter’s down-to-
earth attitude might be an island of sanity.
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
What dragonborn steel loses in elegance is more than
compensated for by its durability: it cannot be easily
broken, thanks to an alloy whose forging secrets are a
legacy from their draconic ancestors.
Centuries of battles against tieflings have led the
dragonborn race to perfect their military strategies.
Now, under the guidance of their skilled battle com-
manders, these incorruptible mercenary brigades serve
a just cause or the highest bidder, pursuing at the same
time glorious dreams of a past lost in the mists of time.
Even in the heat of battle, a dragonborn fighter often
finds the time to graciously acknowledge the skill of
his foe, whom he considers a respected rival. From a
dragonborn’s point of view, all enemies are worthy of
respect, save for cowards. Similarly, being defeated by a
stronger enemy is never considered a source of shame
or a failure, but a lesson to be accepted with dignity.
Since their birth, dragonborn feel they have a grand
destiny to fulfill, a belief that can become a burden in
some cases, a constant reminder that drives them and
guides all their actions. Thus, they rarely stumble unwill-
ingly onto the fighter’s path. This innate call is one of
the factors that fills the ranks of a dragonborn army with
warriors of extraordinary ability and proficiency.
Dwarves: According to common belief, infant
dwarves learn to use hammers and axes even before they
learn to walk. Although this is a myth, it shows how this
race’s members seem born to fight. Not only are their
bodies stout, thick, and brawny, but their souls are also
fierce, hard as steel and exceptionally strong-willed.
Dwarven fighters are prized everywhere. When
others yield to pain, they keep fighting stoically and
without flinching. They might not be the fastest or most
agile warriors, but in a dungeon, where movement is
limited anyway, or on a battlefield thick with obstacles
17
 or with enemies close at hand, a dwarven fighter’s skill is
unequalled. Dwarves tend to use heavy armor, since they
suffer few of the drawbacks other races would. They
traditionally wield axes and warhammers, but nothing
prevents them from using flails, swords or any other
weapons they like. A dwarf’s fortitude is legendary, but
only those who have seen them in action know that the
legends are not exaggerated. To a stalwart dwarf, all other
fighters look frail, lazy or, at best, out of shape.
Military arts are an ancient tradition to dwarves,
as well as a matter of honor. Dwarven mausoleums
are filled with etchings showing the glorious battles
of long ago, and even dwarven weapons and trinkets
are decorated with runes describing their ances-
tors’ deeds. Dwarves are masterful artillerists and
can design canny siege engines. Rams, catapults, and
other machines born of this race’s military genius
are unique works. The mere presence of one of these
wondrous machines along with a platoon of fully
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
armored dwarven soldiers is enough to make even the
most hardened defenders consider surrender.
A human fighter is different from his elven and dwarven colleagues in many aspects.
18
Eladrin: Descended from the fey creatures of the
faerie land, eladrin have an innate, almost unearthly
grace that they can also express in their mastery of
spears and in their deadly and elegant fencing tech-
niques. Before battle, an eladrin fighter stands silent as
a quiet pond and still as an ancient tree. Then, when
the moment to attack comes, he unleashes upon his
foes a relentless assault as fierce as the fury of the
seasons: first they wash over their targets like a storm of
merciless blows, then they weaken them with a flurry
of aimed and precise stabs; then, when the opportunity
arises, they land scorching and inexorable blows, and
finally they finish them off with swings as unexpected
as the wind and just as impossible to fend off.
Eladrin fighters are the undisputed masters of the
longsword. Their culture has perfected this weapon’s
style to the point that all members of this race are
required to train in its use. In combat, a silent eladrin
fencer moves at a startling speed, marking his enemy
before it can realize what hit it. Eladrin weapons and
armors are much like pieces of art, combining effective-
ness and sturdiness with a design of unequalled el-
egance. Metal and silver scales are forged together
to form thin steel plates, which are then carved
and decorated by the best eladrin crafters with
natural symbols and arcane glyphs.
Eladrin fighters do not fear magic; indeed,
they know how to make good use of it
during a fight. Their fey step racial power
allows them to move safely and swiftly,
appearing behind a foe or near a friend
in need. An eladrin army induces fear
and awe in their foes. A noble ghaele’s
standard is a rallying point to many
ancient heroes, whose mere presence
can send enemy warriors fleeing in fear.
Whether they are simple foot soldiers
or renowned duelists, eladrin fighters
are always known for their fierce will and
unequalled technique, and are feared by all
their enemies.
Elves: Generally, those elves who
follow the path of war tend to become
rangers. Still, sometimes an elf opts to
become a fighter. These elves always stand
out among martial heroes of other spe-
cies and demonstrate unexpected bravery.
Their innate perception and balance are
a great advantage in battle, as their keen
senses and the full control they have
over their bodies allow them to get
a better grasp of the surrounding
Claudio Casini
environment and of their enemies’
tactics. They can easily pass from
one weapon to another, fully exploit-
ing all their weapons’ properties, and they can just as
easily use the battlefield to their own advantage, push-
ing their foes onto difficult areas that they can cross
without a problem.
Their speed also makes up for the penalties they
suffer from heavy armor; when even one square al-
lows you to gain a better position, this benefit can
make all the difference. Anyway, elves tend to favor
suits of armor that allow them to make good use of
their high Dexterity bonuses, as most of them can
rely on this innate high ability.
Half-elves: Half-elves are displaced travelers who
absorb and study other cultures’ traditions, trying to
extrapolate the best elements without adopting them
in their entirety. Half-elven fighters also benefit from
this racial custom when it comes to choosing their
fighting styles. Their innate empathy is a great asset
in any battle, as it allows them to anticipate their foes’
actions and to react at peak efficiency. They learn to
use different weapons and armor, selecting the best
equipment for each task and fighting proficiently with
steel armor or a light leather jacket.
Half-elven fighters know better than anyone else
their companion’s necessities, as well as the strengths
and weaknesses of the party as a whole. This discern-
ment is very helpful in their role as defenders, as
it instinctively drives them fit their strategy to the
situation at hand. A half-elf’s innate optimism and
open mind lead him to achieve extraordinary exploits,
either in a melee or in other situations. His presence
and diplomatic skills allow him to touch a respon-
sive chord among the elite and the commoners alike,
quickly making him everyone’s invaluable ally.
Halflings: Although they are not a race of full-
fledged warriors, halflings can count a number of
valiant fighters among their ranks. Halflings maintain
their spontaneous and quick-witted nature even in
combat situations. Their uncanny wits, reduced size
and innate agility make them excellent guardian
fighters. In addition, their undisputed mobility, along
with a good knowledge of the wild and their inquisi-
tive nature, ensure them a special place in militias and
regular units as scouts and foragers.
Halflings are versatile fighters; their preference for
light armor is a given, as is their inability to use larger
weapons, but they make up for these disadvantages
with their tactical wisdom. They can always come up
with a simple and effective strategy, turning an enemy’s
(especially a bigger enemy’s) strong points against it.
Most halflings do not like superfluous acts of
violence and prefer to demonstrate their martial
superiority through powers that confound or humili-
ate their foes, forcing them to fight in disadvantageous
conditions. Many combatants underestimate halfling
fighters because of their small size, but this mistake
often proves their last one. These small fighters’ tricks
can put any enemy on its knees, forcing it to regret the
inaccuracy of its judgment.
Humans: The sheer desire burning in the human
heart is a powerful driving force when it comes to war,
so many humans choose the way of the fighter out of
ambition or greed. Still, whether they pursue a noble
end or fight only for their own sake, human fighters are
capable and adaptable combatants. Their many trials
have taught them to constantly strive to improve their
position, and they often develop a reputation as awe-
some or fearless fighters. In a world ruled by violence, a
human choosing the fighter’s path has a good chance to
stand out of the crowd and attain true greatness.
Humans can adapt so quickly to different situations
that they can readily make good use of any available
weapon or armor. Human armies are usually made of
many different cadres, from common corps such as in-
fantry and cavalry to more exotic ones such as crossbow-
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
men and artillery. In addition, their ingenuity has often
led humans to craft painfully effective tools of death.
Human fighters learn from their mistakes and, if
circumstances allow it, they can put aside their anger
and bias, unlike many other races that are chronically
unable to do so. To a human fighter, yesterday’s enemy
might be tomorrow’s ally, either because of an unex-
pected military accord or simply because an unsus-
pected friendship has blossomed.
Tieflings: Ominous, merciless, uncaring, or down-
right cruel, tiefling fighters can chill their foes’ blood.
Infernal fire flows in their veins like a raging lava river.
Tiefling fighters are passionate and wrathful: They can
launch savage assaults that leave their foes gasping for
air, equally terrified by their display of skill and their
diabolical features.
Although they do not boast a proper military
tradition, tieflings have learned they have to fight to
survive, making the most of all their skills, and devel-
oping fighting techniques more effective than artful.
There is little room for concepts like truce or
mercy in the tiefling dueling style. Such displays of
weakness are unfit for those whose ancestors forsook
their humanity in order to attain true power. Looked
down on by most civilized races, tiefling fighters are the
embodiment of the horrors of war. They consider the
cruelest strategies and the most hideous techniques if
victory so demands; to put it simply, to a tiefling, the
end justifies the means. Tiefling weapons and armors
are often branded with infernal symbols calling back to
the hellish realm and the monstrosities who live there.
Even when these armaments are not actually graced
with infernal power, their insignia can easily demoralize
the enemy. To a tiefling fighter, combat is much like the
rest of life: Every scar is a bitter lesson and every fallen
enemy is one more step on the climb to victory.
19
 FIGHTERS AND OTHER CLASSES
No fighter could vanquish the perils of an adventure
by himself. Strong and resilient as he might be, he
will always need trustworthy allies to help him and
companions that can sustain him when his consider-
able resources begin to run dry. A fighter can interact
in many ways with the rest of the party, especially
with members of certain classes; still, a few recurring
themes can help you to roleplay a fighter character
and to flesh out his interactions with his companions.
Cleric: The cleric is one of the fighter’s best allies.
Not only she is a trusted companion in a melee, her
prayers can ensure many different benefits, remove
harmful conditions, and neutralize many enemy attacks.
In addition, a cleric’s stamina allows the fighter not to
worry too much about her well being, at least for a few
rounds. Whereas clerics rely upon their divine patron’s
might, fighters tend to rely on their own abilities, but
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
the latter are wise enough not to easily dismiss a god’s
favor. A fighter can simply acknowledge a cleric’s might,
but, especially if they worship the same god, the fighter
may hold his clerical companion in awe.
Paladin: A fighter does not fully understand a
paladin’s holy fervor. He does not doubt a paladin’s
martial prowess and considers him a powerful and
trusted ally, but at the same time he dislikes the
moralization a paladin always appends to the practical
business of war. Regardless, when the need arises, a
fighter knows he can count on the paladin to provide
protection and to hold the line against incoming foes.
It hardly matters whether an enemy falls under a
blade’s sheer force or under a sword filled with divine
might; what matters is that the paladin stands at the
fighter’s side without faltering.
Ranger: A fighter is always ready to fight along-
side a ranger, whose tenacity and mobility are seen
as invaluable assets. Much like a rogue, a ranger is
a good partner in combat. She can provide cover
from behind with a volley of arrows, or stand at the
fighter’s side wielding her twin blades, ready to strike
an unprotected spot in the enemy’s defense. A fighter
can rarely understand a ranger’s love for nature and
wilderness, as he favors more civilized places filled
with opportunities and profit. These diverging points
of view can produce misunderstandings, and more
than one fighter considers rangers lonely wanderers
with a shady reputation. Still, those fighters who are
not deceived by appearances, discover that a ranger
can be a faithful and silent ally, a shadow who sudden-
ly springs out, strikes at her foes, and quickly eludes
their counterattacks.
20
Rogue: Fighters usually scorn those who resort
to tricks and deceptions to defeat their foes; still, they
must admit the utility of a rogue’s exploits. When a
fighter learns to fight alongside one of these nimble
strikers, the resulting duo is a deadly combination few
enemies can withstand. Rogues and fighters are usually
complementary outside combat as well. They often
have many common goals in their adventures, and
equally share dangers and rewards (at least as long as
the rogue does not try to cheat the fighter). A fighter
and rogue’s friendship usually springs out of their
penchant for action, rather than actual respect. Fighters
tend to see rogues as con men making a living out of
lies, while rogues can hardly understand the discipline
and dedication that seem so important to fighters.
Warlock: If magic can scare a fighter off, a warlock’s
pact leaves him aghast. Although a few might appreci-
ate a warlock’s willpower and courage, most fighters
think warlocks are doomed, deluded fools: What sense is
there in selling your soul just to get a fleeting morsel of
power? A warlock’s spells are at worst frightening to a
fighter’s eyes, and at best unsettling. Although a fighter
and a warlock might forge a lasting friendship, doubts
and suspicions always gnaw at these relationships.
Warlord: A fighter can gain huge benefits from
a warlord’s presence in the party. A warlord can grant
him important benefits even in the most tense and
crucial moment and can coordinate a fighter’s attack,
skillfully directing him to make the most out of eve-
ry blow. A fighter and a warlord are usually bound
by a strong mutual esteem: When a warlord lacks
the necessary strength to keep fighting, the fighter
comes to his side; when the fighter is in a dire situa-
tion, it’s up to the warlord to bolster his resolve and
to push him beyond his limits.
Wizard: A fighter’s take on magic is controversial.
Some fighters are awed and cowed by magic, others hate
it without reason and see it as a plague to be crushed.
Similarly, a fighter’s interactions with a wizard may vary
greatly. Wizards, at least from a fighter’s point of view,
are totally devoid of common sense and are perpetually
lost in their dissertations about nature, strange phenom-
ena and invisible or ethereal entities. Their hard studies
often keep them away from mundane reality, and many
wizards neglect everything outside their field of study.
Of course there are exceptions, but generally a fighter
tends to blame magic users for their lack of common
sense. Curiously enough, the few friendships involving a
fighter and a wizard focus on their differences: each one
is intrigued by what the other symbolizes.
A FIGHTER’S ORIGINS
A fighter is not just a weapon expert. More than any-
thing else, he is the result of a history filled with too
much violence and pain. A proper background is im-
portant to define what type of fighter your character is
going to be: Did he learn to wield a weapon to protect
his land from invaders? Or maybe he grew among a
band of outlaws haunting the woods? Is he the second-
born in a noble family, or a humble slave who won his
freedom fighting in the arena?
You can choose your origins only at your charac-
ter’s creation: Different origins are often in tune with a
certain building option for your character. Origins are a
new feature, introduced in this series of books, and they
provide a set of useful templates defining your charac-
ter’s nature, past experiences and deepest motivations.
They include an essential background and a few guide-
lines on how to roleplay a certain type of hero, and they
also grant a few benefits. Origins are not a way to gain
one more bonus, but rather an encouragement to make
a deeper connection with your character’s history. Each
set of origins also includes the most suitable build-
ing options, either those included in D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook or featured for the first time in this chapter’s
final section. The following origins are specifically
designed for fighters, but with a few modifications they
might also be applied to other character classes. In ad-
dition, they are not an exhaustive list: players can easily
create their own origins (with the GM’s collaboration
and approval, of course), using the ones featured in The
Quintessential Fighter as models. Of course, only one set
of origins can be chosen for each character.
How to read the origins
The available origins for a fighter are presented in the
following format.
Overview: A cursory look at a typical representa-
tive of the origin.
Adventures: A fighter’s motivations and the goals
which have put him on the adventurer’s path.
Roleplaying: Roleplaying guidelines about this
origin, the typical personality traits of a fighter hailing
from it, and his possible interactions with his adventur-
ing companions.
Races: The best races matching the chosen origin,
and how to customize other races so that they might
apply as well.
Suggested build options: The recommended
builds a player can keep in mind when developing his
character. The suggested build options are much like
those featured in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook. Each
suggested build also includes the best powers, feats and
skills to acquire for that specific build.
Suggested paragon paths: The paragon paths
most suited for a fighter coming from the origin.
Benefit: Each origin includes some special ben-
efits. They usually consist in adding a skill to the class
skills list, a skill check bonus or a new language known.
These rules need to be approved by the GM, but they
give a character more depth without making the game
unbalanced.
Armorer
Who can know weapons and suits of armor better than
those who forge them out of raw metal and scorch-
ing fire? An armorer is a true expert when it comes
to equipment: He can easily assess a suit of armor’s
sturdiness, a shield’s strength, or the technique used to
forge cold iron. Many armorers learn the basics of the
military arts as they fulfill their duties, hanging around
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
militia soldiers, mercenaries and veterans, and always
trying to keep their equipment at peak efficiency. As
they follow their armies into battle, these brave crafts-
men learn to withstand overwhelming odds, and, when
the need arises, to defend themselves from enemy
attacks. These martial armorers are an invaluable
resource for merchants, battle commanders and rulers
alike, especially in time of war.
Adventures: An armorer fighter might have just
completed his training and left his home town, hoping
to find a profitable job in a large city or to join a war-
ring party. Or perhaps he intends to become an adven-
turer because he thinks it will be the only way to gain
the sum needed to start his own business, or to recover
lost magic items once wielded by legendary heroes.
Roleplaying: Fighters with an armorer’s origins
are efficient and down-to-earth people. They rarely
stand back when it is time to get busy. They know the
importance of spending an adequate amount of time
and effort to attain a goal, whatever it might be. They
rarely shun material wealth, as they know they will
need it to further improve their work. Among all fight-
ers, armorers are the most open-minded and friendly, as
they learn from their trade to successfully deal with all
types of people.
Races: Many dwarven fighters hail from the ranks
of armorers, but they are not certainly the only ones.
Eladrin and dragonborn also value the creation of good
martial tools; while the former are keepers of uncanny
crafting techniques appreciated by fighters and aesthetes
alike, the latter focus on durability and efficiency. The
ranks of human fighters also include many armorers;
although they rarely match the skill displayed by the
weaponsmiths of other races, their inquisitiveness may
allow them to forge effective and innovative armors.
21
 Suggested build options: Armorer fighters usu-
ally opt for the exotic fighter build option (see below)
when they focus on the creation of fearsome and deadly
weapons, or for the guardian fighter build option when
they focus on the crafting of impenetrable armors.
Suggested paragon paths: Armorer fighters can
freely follow any paragon path. In their early years,
many tunnel defenders (see Chapter 3: A Fighter’s
Path) worked as apprentices under the guidance of
another experienced armorer.
Benefit: An armorer can build weapons and
armor, if he has the necessary tools and raw materials
to do so. It takes two days of work for each 10 gp of a
weapon’s basic price, and four days for a suit armor.
Such a weapon or armor’s cost is reduced by one third
of its usual market price. This benefit does not allow
the armorer to craft magic items, unless he knows all
required rituals.
Mercenary
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
A mercenary fighter does not follow a cause of his
own: Fighting is just his job, what he does for a living.
Soldiers of fortune, bodyguards, veterans and bounty
hunters are typical warriors hailing from a mercenary’s
origins, as they learned at an early age how to deal with
military structures. They have at least learned a few ba-
sic rules of the camp and the battlefield, and know how
to obey an order–if only to get their payment. Thus,
they tend to keep their word and fulfill their duties,
and to work as a group when the need arises. Whether
they follow the orders of a superior or act autono-
mously, mercenaries know they have to look reliable
and strive to keep a stern and cold countenance. They
know their job implies considerable risks, thus they try
to carefully estimate a potential task from all possible
angles. Mercenaries can use any weapon or armor with
equal skill: Personal preferences aside, they always try
to be fully equipped and prepared for any need.
Adventures: Even those who fight for money
can be heroes: They just make sure they become very
famous for accomplishing the task they were assigned.
Virtually any mission can become an exciting adven-
ture, and the constant search for new patrons willing
to pay for a mercenary’s services is a GM’s best friend
and ensures that the fighter will always be in the thick
of the action.
Roleplaying: A mercenary fighter does not live to
fight, he fights to live. He always examines all factors that
might affect the course of a battle and (unless forced to
do otherwise) he only gets involved if he thinks he will
survive and emerge victorious. This attitude might be
an innate outlook, but more often it is the result of long
years of training and harsh experience.
Races: Mercenary fighters are the pride of many
armies. Races that boast a longstanding military
22
tradition feature competent authorities and suitable
structures to encourage their people to follow this
path. Dragonborn mercenaries are known for their
experience and their unflinching bravery; dwarven foot
soldiers form elite units and are formidably equipped.
Even halfling outriders and elven archers combine
their typical guerrilla tactics with a careful application
of military strategies.
Suggested build options: Except perhaps the
brutal fighter and the transcendent fighter build op-
tions (see below), a mercenary can follow any build
option he likes.
Suggested paragon paths: A fighter with mer-
cenary origins often chooses the arena idol or the
champion of honor paragon paths (see Chapter 3: A
Fighter’s Path). The tunnel defender and the dragon-
born myrmidon (for those fighters who belong to the
respective races) are equally viable paragon paths.
Benefit: A mercenary gains a +1 bonus to all ini-
tiative checks and to all saving throws against fear.
Noble
Weapons, armors, mounts and hosts of followers are
obviously not meant for everyone; thus, even in a
fantasy world, it does not come as a surprise that the
art of war and nobility often walk side by side. Cadets
in a noble house, eladrin knights serving a noble ghaele
and flamboyant duelists all share these origins and have
learned the art of combat from the best mentors. A no-
ble fighter’s youth is not too different or more pleasant
than his colleagues’: A usurper’s ambition might turn
out to be as deadly as a raiding goblin band, and more
than one noble scion has lost his life in the struggle for
political power.
Adventures: Whether he leaves to take back a
title stolen from him or to prove his worth, fights for
a personal reason or to defend his subjects, a noble
fighter can have many reasons to become an adventurer.
In order to heed the call of his restless spirit, he might
appoint one or more delegates to take care of the daily
responsibilities he has inherited, such as collecting
taxes or manage a fief.
Roleplaying: Noble fighters usually look for ad-
venture to feel alive. They hate the daily routine of their
obligations and eagerly await for any opportunity to
test what they have learned in wars, duels, contests and
hunting parties. Noble fighters have no favorite weapon
or armor: Some nobles tend to wear heavy ceremonial
armors, while others prefer lavish jackets reinforced in
leather. They rarely use ranged weapons, as they con-
sider them a coward’s choice and tend to adhere to the
iconography and the traditions of their house, demand-
ing the use of melee weapons. Among fighters, they are
often the most proficient in the lance or the light blade.
A noble fighter can be a ruthless diplomat and ruler,
 as he knows very well that words can be weapons as
effective as a sword. Still, he often makes sure that their
speeches are followed by a show of force. Such fighters
are proud and aloof, and tend to judge others by their
rank, by the size of their holdings or by the number of
troops they can summon.
Races: The above guidelines certainly apply
to human, dwarven, and eladrin fighters, races that
feature a stable social structure and firmly believe in
the sacred values of lineage and dynasties. Elven and
half-elven fighters, while staying faithful to ancient
traditions, are usually moved by a greater individual-
ism; they do not care as much for the formal rules so
typical of these origins. The same applies to halfling
fighters, as they are a race that dislikes any form of
hereditary authority–if not authority in general. Drag-
onborn civilization, on the other hand, closely follows
the military model and holds a dynasty’s purity in
great esteem. Nonetheless, members of this fierce race
develops good stamina in order to survive the rigors of
a wild life, always on the run from his pursuers. She is
better at fighting than at lying, so she does not have the
necessary skill to maintain a second identity she could
use to hide and elude capture. Her prowess in battle, on
the other hand, easily attracts followers and sympathiz-
ers sharing her ideals.
Adventures: An outlaw’s cause –if she even has
one– can be her motivation to become an adventurer.
To obtain the resources required to face her enemies,
the evidence to clear her name or to unravel the plot
that drove her to banditry are all good examples of a
good-aligned outlaw’s motivations. On the other hand,
preying on tax convoys, planning kidnappings and
murders for hire are tasks not above an outlaw with-
out scruples. Even a simple goal like fleeing the place
where she is wanted might be sufficient reason to take
part in the adventures that fate sends her way.

Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role

know very well that each individual must be judged
by their own actions above all else. Thus, they tend
to be more severe with those who are born into
power, expecting them to live up to the legacy of
their ancestors. Tieflings have a restless relationship
with aristocracy; as heirs of a powerful but forgot-
ten empire, they usually belong to decadent martial
houses, and seek to regain the influence and power
their predecessors could not hold.
Suggested build options: Fighters with noble
origins are usually guardian fighters or mounted fight-
ers (see below); they are wary in combat, and prefer to
avoid being hit, rather than to deal massive damage.
Suggested paragon paths: Noble fighters are par-
ticularly suited to follow the knight errant’s, the fusilier’s
or the ultimate duelist’s paragon paths (see Chapter 3:
A Fighter’s Path). They become a paramount of physi-
cal prowess and moral rectitude to those around them,
brothers in arms, rivals, and underlings alike.
Benefit: You add Diplomacy and History to your
class skill list, and you gain a +1 bonus to Diplomacy
checks and History checks.

Outlaw
Out of choice or necessity, some fighters end
up wielding their weapons for
illegal purposes. Still, this does
not necessarily mean their moral
choices are despicable or condem-
nable. An outlaw might be the peo-
ple’s hero, if she fights to overthrow
a tyrannical and unjust ruler; on the
other hand, if she is a murder-
Claudio Casini

er and a raider, everybody will

hate or fear her. An outlaw is
always ready to act and often

An outlaw lurks in the shadows for his prey.

23
 Roleplaying: A fighter with an outlaw’s origins is
always restless and distrustful. She suspects everyone
and often behaves as if her pursuers were right at her
heels. Paranoia can also be an advantage, as it
allows the fighter to readily react to any
danger and to survive, but in the long
run, it will hinder her rather than
help her. After all, what future
can she expect if she does not
trust even the people closest to
her? If you choose an outlaw’s
origins for your fighter, you
should always highlight this
inner tension and make these
dire straits clear. Outlaws usually
prefer light weapons and suits
armor, as mobility is a vital factor
to them. They use a lot of disguises
(from the simplest to the most
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role

elaborate) and they are not above re-

sorting to a ranged weapon or to tools
such as poisons and traps that might give
them an effective if shady edge in a battle.
Races: Humans, halflings and espe-
cially tieflings can be excellent outlaw fighters.
Dwarves and dragonborn, who put honor above
all else, despise those combatants who use tricks and
deceptions in a fight; thus, only the worst elements of
these societies fall into this category. Elves and eladrin
rarely become outlaw fighters, unless they live in a
place where they are an oppressed minority or have
a good reason to openly fight the will of the elders;
on these rare occasions, they form armed parties and
become fearless and elusive rebels.
Suggested build options: An outlaw’s best friends
are the ability to deal fast blows and the ability to am-
bush her foes, if necessary also using bows or crossbows.
Thus, her best build options are the assault fighter and
the ranged fighter (see below), which enhance these
particular techniques.
Suggested paragon paths: An outlaw fighter’s
most obvious choices are the battle commando and
the ultimate duelist paragon paths (see Chapter 3: A
Fighter’s Path).
Benefit: You add Perception and Stealth to your
class skill list, and you gain a +1 bonus to Perception
checks and Stealth checks.
Predestined
Sometimes there is no conscious choice leading a
character to become a fighter. Some say it was the
sword that chose the arm that wields it: the arm of a
Sometimes, a fighter’s fate manifests through a random discovery.
destiny. Some fighters answer that call with energy
and passion, and embrace a life of glorious triumphs
and deadly dangers. Other more pensive fighters are
more resigned and believe they cannot change what
fate, the gods, or chance have in store for them. A
predestined fighter might be the hero mentioned in
an ancient prophecy, or the protagonist of a darker
and more tragic tale. As for their training, they could
be gifted self-taught fighters or cadets trained by a
mentor in the ways of war; in any case, a predestined
fighter always believes that what he has learned so far
will be instrumental to fulfilling his destiny.
Adventures: A predestined fighter needs no further
incentive to become an adventurer: his very existence
is one big quest to achieve fame or another apparently
unobtainable goal, noble or vile as it might be. Among
all fighters, predestined ones are those who look most
actively for challenges. They can be moved by ambition,
bravery or recklessness, but they long to face terrible
Roberto Pitturru

predestined fighter. Whether he is the descendant of threats and foes without ever giving up or fearing defeat.
a great hero of old or a humble figure grown in a re- Roleplaying: A predestined fighter of any social
mote land, a predestined fighter can feel that he has a background stands out from his peers because of his
greater purpose in life and heeds the call to fulfill that evident aura of innate superiority. He knows he is

24
destined to greatness, tends to have a high opinion of
himself and considers his role crucial in the outcome of
events. This does not mean that a predestined fighter
looks down on his companions, only that he tends to
act dramatically, as if his every action determined the
fate of many. A predestined fighter can use any type
of equipment, but to him, his weapons will always be
instruments of fate rather than mundane items.
Races: Each race has their own view on fate, ac-
cording to their traditions and customs. Eladrin and
elves, for instance, think that their fate is deeply en-
twined with the faerie land’s pattern, and that they are
but delicate leaves hanging from an invisible and ma-
jestic branch. Dwarves and dragonborn look at their
lives through a lens of pride and fatalism, dreaming to
attain an exalted goal and look back at their past as a
model example. Tieflings at turns fear and covet the
dark destinies they see for themselves. Only human
and halflings, among all races, have a more open vi-
sion of the future and actively work to improve their
condition, always trying to bend destiny to their will.
Suggested build options: Fighters with predes-
tined origins can choose any build option they like; if
they like to highlight their mysterious and otherworld-
ly approach to combat, their best choice is doubtlessly
the transcendent fighter build option (see below).
Suggested paragon paths: Predestined fighters
can follow any paragon path, as long as it leads them
towards the destiny that fate has chosen for them. The
most determined and inspired fighters opt for the war-
rior avatar and the pilgrim fighter paragon paths (see
Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path).
Benefit: Once per day, you can reroll one saving
throw you have just failed.
Recruit
Much like a mercenary fighter, the recruit has to face the
art of war’s difficulties on a daily basis; unlike a merce-
nary, however, a recruit had little choice in the matter.
Perhaps his king decreed all able-bodied commoners
had to enlist in order to fight an unexpected threat, or
perhaps the town council deemed it necessary to enlist
the citizenry to support a campaign against their rivals.
Whatever reasons led her to join the army, the recruit
was plunged into a world she did not know and had to
strive to stay healthy and maintain her grip on moral-
ity. A recruit need not necessarily be a rookie: This type
of fighter rather represents a character’s vague feeling
of inadequacy and awe in the face of war. A fighter of
these origins tends to display a less professional attitude
in combat situations, but also shows a deeper sense of
humanity, care and longing that separates her from a
callous professional soldier. A recruit has received basic
training in the use of weapons and armor; she usually is
more skilled with spears and bows, as these are the typi-
cal weapons assigned to conscripts.
Adventures: A fighter hailing from this background
rarely becomes an adventurer just for love of excitement.
The trials and tribulations she had to endure during her
training have left a permanent scar on her, branding her
soul with pain and loss. Many recruits emerge from their
training abruptly changed, torn between the hardships
of their crucible and the impossible need to return to
their previous peaceful lives. Sometimes, adventuring is
an easy way out of this conflict.
Roleplaying: Recruits tend to live day by day:
They were forced to forget all their certainties when
they left the safety of their city walls, and they know
that an adventurous life can lead to an untimely death.
Some recruits become disillusioned and pessimistic;
others, gifted with a more cheerful streak, eagerly face
their challenges so that they might shed their reputa-
tion as rookies. Unlike a mercenary, a recruit tries to
maintain a solid relationship with non-combatants as
well; she likes to deal with normal people, often more
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
than she does other professional soldiers. Indeed, she
tends to distrust those who judge their worth by their
skill with a weapon or their leadership abilities.
Races: All cultures, in the darkest hours of their
histories, have been forced to rely on every available war-
rior, enlisting their youths and sending them off to war.
In certain races, such as dragonborn, dwarves, or eladrin,
serving under the banner of a ruler, taking up arms and
even sacrificing your own life for the common good is
seen as a privilege. Militias are a recurring reality in hu-
man communities as well, although their ranks are often
swollen with sullen, frightened and unwilling militias
and are treated accordingly by their officers. Halflings
and elves enlist additional forces only when their com-
munities must face a serious crisis. Tieflings and half-
elves, on the other hand, rarely understand the need for
this sacrifice and make little use of amateur soldiers.
Suggested build options: Fighters with the
recruit origins feel safe when they can wield a sturdy
shield and those weapons they are more familiar with;
thus, they often opt for the guardian fighter or ranged
fighter build options (see below).
Suggested paragon paths: The dragonborn myr-
midon, eladrin blade, and tunnel defender (see Chapter
3: A Fighter’s Path) are excellent paragon paths for a
fighter with these origins, as many recruits are initiated
to warcraft precisely to defend their own lands.
Benefit: You add Insight and Perception to your
class skill list, and you gain a +1 bonus to Insight
checks and Perception checks.
Slave
A character with these origins was either taken prisoner
or born into slavery. Gladiators, brutes subdued by pow-
erful lord commanders, or shock troops used as cannon
fodder in an army’s front line are good examples of slave
fighters. To these fighters, combat is a simple matter of
25
 life and death. Their very lives belong (or used to belong)
to a master, usually a despotic one who never cared about
their safety. Slave fighters are suspicious or downright
hostile to strangers, as they always fear being subjected
to new humiliations and abuses. Some rise above their
station, becoming virtuous and fearless in the face of
hardship. Others only care about regaining or maintain-
ing their beloved freedom, no matter who gets hurt in
the process, or perhaps about vengeance against their
masters. Slave fighters may lack traditional training, but
they fight with fierce determination and without caring
about extreme consequences, because they know too well
the consequences of failure. Slave fighters do not rely
too much on equipment: They have learned to defend
themselves with what they have, and to attack with crude
and improvised weapons; some of them, especially gladi-
ators, have learned to fight with their bare hands or have
become proficient with rare and exotic weapons.
Adventures: Slaves can regain their freedom in
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
two ways: Their master can grant them freedom, or
they can escape where he will not be able to reach
them. Both options are excellent reasons to become
adventurers. In addition, a slave fighter might want to
exact revenge on those who imprisoned him, or even
become a liberator bent on saving other innocents from
the fate he had to endure.
Roleplaying: Whatever his motivations might be, a
slave fighter is a combination of might and fury. Attain-
ing great strength and outstanding physical prowess is
his main concern; all other considerations –technique,
equipment, allies– come second. Even the most loyal
slave fighter is often torn by suspicion and cynicism. In
time, he would like to be able to trust others, but he also
fears he could be betrayed and imprisoned again. Some
slave fighters can never recover from this abiding fear.
Races: Unfortunately, few races have completely left
behind the gruesome practice of slavery, either as victims
or as slavers. Only elves, eladrin and halflings explic-
itly condemn this practice, as to these races individual
freedom is the greatest good. In many human cultures,
on the other hand, slavery is not only tolerated, it is con-
sidered a fundamental source of income. Dwarves may
approve certain forms of slavery, but they would never let
prisoners fight for them. Even a dragonborn that lost his
honor might find himself under the yoke of slavery, but
when she is the one holding the chain, she tries to show
at least some respect even to the humblest of her serv-
ants. Among tieflings, though, slave fighters are a com-
mon resource, mere tools in the hands of powerful devils.
Suggested build options: Slave fighters, especially
those fighting in the arenas, are used to fight unarmed,
or armed with unusual and devastating weapons. Their
favored build options are the brutal fighter and the
exotic fighter (see below).
Suggested paragon paths: Fighters with the slave
origins favor the paragon path that allows them to make
26
the most of their inner fury: the arena idol (see Chapter
3: A Fighter’s Path). Others, though, put to good use
their experience in the army and choose the champion of
honor path, serving a more generous and nobler patron.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Endurance and
Streetwise checks.
Specialist
Some fighters stand out from their peers because of their
specific proficiencies or their peculiar role in a fight-
ing force: a sniper, a halberdier, an artillerist, and a flayer
armed with a spiked chain are all examples of specialists.
A fighter with these origins has spent his life training
in the use of an unusual weapon or to perform exploits
impossible for most combatants. A specialist is a deter-
mined hero, but he is not a versatile combatant; he can
never stray too far from the field of action he chose to
specialize in, or from the goal he hopes to attain. A spe-
cialist’s origins have a few common points with the mer-
cenary, but there are also many differences: Whereas the
former has turned war into a job and into his recurring
lifestyle, the latter seeks to further perfect his own skills
and martial discipline with little care for profit or military
organizations. Whatever the focus of his specialization, a
specialist fighter can expect to be widely sought after, and
well paid, by those who require his peculiar skills.
Adventures: To a specialist, fighting is more than a
job, it is an art form. His driving ambition is to become
the ultimate wielder of a specific weapon. A fine repu-
tation and a display of unmistakable skills ensure that
the specialist will never run out of missions, as wealthy
patrons and lord commanders seek his services.
Roleplaying: A specialist fighter is ready to do an-
ything to reach the peak of his proficiency, and avoids
wasting his time with missions unrelated to his goals.
He feels fulfilled only when he can show his superior-
ity, either in using his favored weapon or in deploying
an otherwise untenable strategy. A specialist is usually
very focused on his role and tends to use more than
his share of jargon to emphasize the importance of his
skills; at his most extreme and pedantic, he may seem
to speak an entirely different language!
Races: Every culture has their specialist fighters.
While human combatants with these origins are usually
foot soldiers or cavalry focused on a specific category
of weapons (such as fusiliers, halberdiers, and so on),
other races tend to define broader categories, based on
more unusual criteria, such as the ability to face many
foes at once, the ability to penetrate enemy defenses
or to engage a foe on a difficult terrain. Dragonborn
fighters count many soldiers specialized in two-handed
heavy blades; these specialists are meant to cut off
enemy polearms to clear the way for cavalry and con-
ventional forces. These weapons’ weight and size ensure
that only the most powerful and feared infantry will be
able to use–namely, the dragonborn infantry.
 Suggested build options: Specialist fighters are
well represented by the great weapon fighter, exotic
fighter, heavy throwing fighter, and mounted fighter
build options (see below).
Suggested paragon paths: Specialist fighters usu-
ally follow those paragon paths that allow them to excel
in the use of their favorite weapon or in melee combat,
such as the eladrin blade, fusilier, infallible thrower,
lord of chains or whirlwind dervish paragon paths (see
Chapter 3: A Fighter’s Path).
Benefit: You must select a weapon your fighter is
specialized in, such as a short sword or a spear. Once
per day, you can reroll an attack roll you have just made
with that weapon before the results are announced. You
must use the second result, even if it’s lower.
Survivor
War always brings death and destruction. Legions of
nameless humans die every day for the whims of the
mighty; peaceful settlements are razed to the ground
because of their strategic position; entire families are
exterminated as an example or to avoid future reprisals.
A survivor has become a fighter because of a tragic event
that has upset his entire life. Maybe he lived on a peace-
ful farm or in a prosperous trade city, but war has left its
mark on him and exterminated his loved ones. The sur-
vivor lost all he held dear: family, friends, and properties
are now only dim memories to him, a void he filled only
with the cold steel of a weapon. The survivor was victori-
ous where others fell: His self-preservation instinct has
made an accomplished fighter out of him.
Adventures: A character with these origins needs
no important motivation to become an adventurer: to
wander and to fight is just what he has always done.
His self-preservation instinct was helpful in the past
and he relies on it time and again even now. He often
accepts dangerous or forbidding missions without
caring about danger. Either he is so sure of his own
abilities that he seems almost immortal, or he is seek-
ing a challenge great enough to give him the death he
feels guilty about avoiding before.
Roleplaying: A survivor fighter is an aloof figure.
He does not like bonds, or if he wishes he had some,
the fear of his past traumatic experiences prevents him
from forming new ones. If he is evil, he sees any bond
as an unpleasant limitation; if his soul is good, he does
not want people around him to take risks on his account.
A survivor fighter is usually a lone wolf, a disillusioned
figure who hesitates to embrace any cause or ideal; it
takes only one moment to die, and no abstract concept
can justify this sacrifice. He also knows that violence
might take all he cares away from him any time, so he
has learned to suppress his feelings about everything;
sometimes, he seems not to care even about his own life.
Races: All races have their war orphans; still, these
origins are quite unusual for eladrin, elves, and dwarves,
as these cultures encourage charity and mutual support
to their most unfortunate. Among humans, half-elves,
and halflings, though, these origins are quite common.
Halflings who lost everything because of war usu-
ally react with a fierce desire for vengeance, although
the pain they have endured may dissuade them from
taking up arms when it is not necessary. Dragonborn
survivors, on the other hand, believe they are veritable
pariahs and leave their homes looking for a chance to
redeem themselves, as if staying alive when their loved
ones fell were some sort of shame.
Suggested build options: A survivor fighter can
follow any path and runs the gamut of all the available
combat techniques and fighting styles. He can choose any
build option available, without any particular preference.
Suggested paragon paths: Survivor fighters can
follow any paragon path they like.
Benefit: When a survivor fighter is dying, he
must fail his saving throw against death four times
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
before he dies.
Wanderer
Not all combatants wish to settle down and establish
a place of their own, or to defend the one they have
already found. Some fighters feel the urge to keep
moving, either to avoid the dangers of their past, or to
learn new exploits from the fighters of a distant land.
These wanderers like to travel more than anything else,
perhaps leaving a trail of legends behind them detail-
ing their glorious deeds. Whether they are indomitable
spirits, persecuted fugitives, or traveling duelists, all
wanderers put freedom above everything else. Perhaps
they flee the horrors of past conflicts, or maybe it is
their presence that brings war to any land they visit.
They can be eccentric and vain, or generous souls driv-
en by a noble purpose. Although wanderers need not
be lovers of the wilderness and natural environments,
they prefer open spaces instead of the cramped alleys
of a settlement or a dungeon, and they learn valuable
survival skills in the course of their travels.
Adventures: To a wanderer, the call to adventure
is like a second heart beating in his chest. To explore
forgotten ruins, to chart undiscovered lands, or to hunt
down elusive enemies–all are excellent adventuring
opportunities. To a wanderer, the journey itself is often
more important than the intended destination.
Roleplaying: Wanderers can be social and likeable
people, if their journeys have led them in lands populated
by benevolent and open-minded cultures, or they can be
elusive and proud, if they have experienced firsthand the
effects of intolerance and bias. They know the customs of
many distant lands and have seen creatures that are the
stuff of legends to many common people; such an amount
of exotic lore undeniably contributes to their mysterious
charm. Wanderers rely mostly on their agility, willpower,
and endurance, rather than on armor or a large weapon.
27
 Races: Half-elven and halfling fighters often hail
from these origins; their traditions hold individual free-
dom in high esteem, and encourage all fighters to free
themselves from society and any standing authority.
Humans are social beings and tend to seek the com-
pany of their kin; thus, except a few rare cases, they do
not remain alone for a long time. Dwarves consider the
life of a wanderer an undignified choice, a waste of time
and energies. Tieflings, eladrin, and elves, on the other
hands, often share a strong bond with the wilderness
and the open road, and their personal stories often
begin with these origins.
NEW BUILD OPTIONS
While origins define a character’s background and
help the player to better play his role, build options
are technical combinations that allow you to build a
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
competitive fighter.
This section features many additional build options
along the guardian fighter and the great weapon fighter
builds featured in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
As usual, these builds are not meant to be used as
a restriction and should not be a burden for a player
designing his 1st level fighter. Indeed, they are only meant
to provide guidelines to make a coherent and productive
selection and flesh out an original character, featuring fo-
cused traits that enable him to be the best at what he does.
A † symbol refers to a new feat described in Chap-
ter 4: A Fighter’s Feat; an asterisk (*) refers to a new
exploit described in Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power.
Assault Fighter
An assault fighter wants to be agile when he moves on
the battlefield. Although he remains a defender because
of his class features and a high number of hit points,
he avoids heavy armor in order to maintain a good
mobility and to easily reach the heart of the action. An
assault fighter usually wields a heavy blade, a spear, or
a flail, and makes up for his light armor with a heavy
shield. Strength and Dexterity are his most important
abilities. His most useful powers are those that maxi-
mize his attacks’ damage.
Suggested feat: Defensive Mobility (Human feat:
Action Surge)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Heal
Suggested at-will powers: merciless wound*, tide
of iron
Suggested encounter power: passing attack
Suggested daily power: villain’s menace
Brutal Fighter
This type of fighter fights bare-handed to deal dam-
age, immobilize, and stun her foes. She avoids heavy
28
Suggested build options: The mounted fighter
and ranged fighter (see below) are the most suitable
build options for a wanderer.
Suggested paragon paths: Wanderers prefer
those paragon paths that allow them to move as freely
as possible in and out of combat. A wanderer may
become a knight errant or a whirlwind dervish, others
choose the ultimate duelist paragon path (see Chapter
3: A Fighter’s Path).
Benefit: You learn an additional language of your
choice, add Nature to your class skill list, and gain a +1
bonus to Nature checks.
weapons and armor so that she won’t receive any pen-
alty to speed and skill checks. A high Strength score is
vital to grapple enemies, while a good Constitution or
Dexterity score allows her to better withstand enemy
attacks or to dodge them entirely. When she selects her
powers, a brutal fighter should focus on those that have
unarmed attack as a requirement.
Suggested feat: Brutal Brawl† (Human feat:
Powerful Charge)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate
Suggested at-will brute’s iron fist*, cleave
Suggested encounter power: bear’s tenacious grab*
Suggested daily power: brute strike
Exotic Fighter
Capable of unique exploits, the exotic fighters wields
rare or unusual weapons in combat, in order to pen-
etrate any defense and to deal massive damage to his
enemies. Whether he wields a specific race’s weapon or
not, he favors superior weapons emphasizing spe-
cial properties (such as a high crit weapon or a reach
weapon), possibly two-handed ones. His choice of
armor is not as important, and can be left to personal
taste. Strength should be his best ability score, along
with those abilities associated with his selected weapon.
An exotic fighter chooses powers that are most effective
with his superior weapon, or focus on similar benefits.
Suggested feat: Weapon Proficiency (any supe-
rior) (Human feat: Weapon Focus)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: cleave, reaping strike
Suggested encounter power: man-at-arms’ fear-
some strike*
Suggested daily power: brute strike
Heavy Throwing Fighter
A heavy throwing fighter knows he is his adventuring
party’s first line of defense, but he also knows that he
cannot be everywhere at once; thus, when he cannot

engage an advancing enemy in a melee, he must still stop
it somehow. When he chooses his equipment, he favors
all weapons with the heavy thrown property, such as axes
and throwing hammers, and he always keeps a second
weapon close at hand, to replace the first he has thrown.
Strength remains his most important ability score, and
Constitution comes second, as it is vital to obtain those
feats that improve his favorite weapons’ effectiveness. A
heavy throwing fighter chooses powers that will be useful
both in melee and ranged combat, favoring those exploits
that make the most use of axes and throwing hammers.
Suggested feat: Still Hand† (Human feat: Far
Throw)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: cleave, sure strike
Suggested encounter power: dazing blow*
Suggested daily power: brute strike
Mounted Fighter
Although a mounted fighter cannot always fight while
mounted, most of her tactics are nonetheless focused on
the presence of her trusty steed. A mounted fighter can
Andrea Longhi
choose a one-handed weapon, a shield and a heavy armor,
as she does not need to worry about speed penalties. In
addition to a high Strength score, she needs good Wis-
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
A heavy thrower can easily handle axes and throwing hammers.
dom and Dexterity scores as well. Of course, her powers
will include those that require the use of a mount.
Suggested feat: Mounted Combat (Human feat:
Defensive Mobility)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Heal
Suggested at-will powers: cleave,mounted rush strike*
Suggested encounter power: covering attack
Suggested daily power: knight’s surge*
Ranged Fighter
Ranged attacks are not necessarily beyond the scope of
a fighter. A ranged fighter is a fine defender, as he can
rely on high defenses and good attack scores, but before
entering a melee, he prefers to soften his foes with an
effective ranged volley. A ranger may fire half a dozen
arrows in every direction at once, but he can only hope
to inflict flesh wounds. A ranged fighter, on the other
hand, fires one single bolt with such a strength that it
might fell a foe by itself. His weapon of choice is usu-
ally a long bow or a crossbow; as these are two-handed
weapons, his melee weapons will also be two-handed,
and he will keep them close at hand, ready to draw
them at an instant’s notice. Thus, a ranged fighter
does not use a shield and wears light or heavy armor.
Strength and Dexterity are equally important to him.
29
 His powers run the gamut of all available attack powers,
and include both melee and ranged exploits.
Suggested feat: Defensive Mobility (Human feat:
Far Shot)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Heal, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: sure strike, surging arrow*
Suggested encounter power: dazing blow*
Suggested daily power: fiery weapon*
Transcendent Fighter
Some rare warriors may not have a legendary strength
and ignore any type of formal training, and yet they
show an uncanny gift for weapons and an innate
perception of the art of war. Their bodies are not hulk-
ing masses of muscles and fury, but one look in their
eyes will be enough to spot the gleam of victory. These
fighters are driven by a fire that goes beyond physi-
cal prowess or military logic; they win their battles
through a mysterious combination of determination,
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
luck, and heroism. A transcendent fighter does not fo-
cus on a specific weapon and rarely chooses a superior
weapon to fight; she favors military weapons instead,
especially the most accurate ones. A melee weapon
combined with a shield or a couple of weapons with
different properties are her most recurring options.
Strength remains her most important ability, although
she must ensure good Wisdom and Charisma scores;
the latter may not always be crucial in combat, but it
can enhance certain powers.
Suggested feat: Alertness (Human feat: Action
Surge)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Heal
Suggested at-will powers: cleave, sure strike
Suggested encounter power: reckless assault*
Suggested daily power: comeback strike
MULTICLASS BUILD
OPTIONS
This section features build options designed for char-
acters who have acquired a class-specific multiclass feat
(see the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook). All seven possible
combinations are considered and closely examined,
guiding a player’s choices so that he will be able to
optimize the benefits he gains from abilities and class
features acquired from other classes.
Arcane Fighter
Even without pondering the uncertain and mysteri-
ous ways of wizards, a fighter can add a little magic
to his attacks to make them more potent or versatile.
Maybe an arcane fighter’s blade can better pen-
etrate his enemy’s defenses, or his armor is a sturdier
barrier between his body and incoming blows. His
very martial gestures may be followed by a wake of
magical energy. Whatever the case, an arcane fighter
30
can rely on arcane powers that will assist him in
combat. This fighter cannot and does not want to
become a controller; he only uses magic to enhance
his effectiveness in combat. If he chooses to wield an
implement, he will have to give up his shield (unless
he’s using the safeguard shield implement featured
in The Quintessential Wizard) ; in this case, the pos-
sibility of provoking attacks of opportunity with his
spells when he is engaged in a melee requires a good
improvement of his AC, possibly by wearing heavy
armor. Wisdom and Intelligence might not be as im-
portant as Strength and Dexterity, but they become
very important abilities to an arcane fighter. He can
choose whatever power he fancies, from sheer attack
powers to those meant to hinder, slow or confuse
more enemies at once.
Suggested feat: Arcane Initiate (Human feat:
Defensive Mobility)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Heal, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: readied thrust*, sure
strike
Suggested encounter powers: magic missile (bo-
nus power from Arcane Initiate), steel serpent strike
Suggested daily power: villain’s menace
Consecrated Fighter
A consecrated fighter is an inspired combatant,
blessed by her cult’s ministers to guide a crusade in
the name of their shared beliefs; like a paladin, she is
ready to bravely face any danger for the greater glory
of her god; unlike a paladin, though, she remains a
soldier that does not wield divine magic and prayers,
but keeps relying on her weapon’s martial power.
She plays the role of defender by the numbers, using
heavy armor and shield to protect herself and attack-
ing with a reliable and effective melee weapon. When
allocating her ability scores, Strength should come
first, followed by either Wisdom or Charisma, with a
good score for Constitution as well. Her best choice of
powers include exploits that allow her to attack mul-
tiple enemies and prayers that support her personal
survival and fighting prowess.
Suggested feat: Soldier of the Faith (Human feat:
Human Perseverance)
Suggested skills: Endurance, Heal, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: cleave, reaping strike
Suggested encounter power: man-at-arms’ fear-
some strike*
Suggested daily power: villain’s menace
Devoted Fighter
A devoted fighter is a warrior serving a church or a
specific deity’s cult. He might be a temple guard, a
priest’s armed escort, or a man-at-arms particularly
respectful of religious duties. He is not pervaded by
divine powers, but his life as a combatant is dedi-
cated to his faith and its precepts nonetheless. He
is free to choose any weapon he likes, although such
fighters tend to fight defensively and thus favor
heavy armor and shields. Wisdom and Strength
should be his best scores, followed by Constitution.
His best exploits are also those with a defensive
flavor, whose purpose is to protect the fighter or his
companion or heal their wounds.
Suggested feat: Initiate of the Faith (Human feat:
Human Perseverance)
Suggested skills: Endurance, Heal, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: sure strike, tide of iron
Suggested encounter power: covering attack
Suggested daily power: comeback strike
Errant Fighter
An errant fighter adds to her martial training all the
talents she requires to survive in the midst of track-
less wilderness and the depths of forgotten dungeons.
Instead of focusing on the damage she deals, she seeks
unusual lore and utility powers that will allow her to
move on any type of terrain. In combat, she wields a
shield and a one-handed weapon, so that she will be
able to engage the enemies she meets on an open bat-
tlefield. To her, all ability scores are important, generally
in the following order: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom,
and Constitution. Any power that allows her to hit foes
at range is a good choice.
Suggested feat: Warrior of the Wild (Human feat:
Lethal Hunter)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Endurance, Heal
Suggested at-will powers: sure strike, surging arrow*
Suggested encounter power: passing attack
Suggested daily power: comeback strike
Fighter of the Pact
A fighter of the pact is a sturdy combatant who is not
contented with skillfully handling a blade. He has
obtained a spark of arcane power from a primeval
entity, the better to crush any foe. Whether his power
flows from the stars, fey spirits, or infernal beings, this
fighter uses the mysterious forces of his eldritch pact
to increase the damage he deals, or to cast powerful
curses on his enemies. He usually fights with heavy
armor or a versatile melee weapon (such as a long
sword), but he does not wield a shield, in case he
wants to use a warlock’s implement. His best scores
should be Strength and Constitution (or Charisma, if
he has selected the fey pact). To keep in line with the
arcane powers he gets from his pact, his martial pow-
ers should also focus on increasing damage.
Suggested feat: Pact Initiate (Human feat: Action
Surge)
Suggested skills: Endurance, Intimidate, Street-
wise
Suggested at-will powers: cleave, reaping strike
Suggested encounter powers: steel serpent strike
(star pact and infernal pact) or man-at-arms’ fearsome
strike* (fey pact); dire radiance (star pact) or hellish
rebuke (infernal pact) or eyebite (fey pact) (bonus power
from Pact Initiate)
Suggested daily power: brute strike
Stealthy Fighter
A stealthy fighter is a soldier who learned a few dirty
tricks: She is more agile than a heavy man-at-arms
and more cunning than a common member of the
local militia. She strikes fast in the hopes her foes
will not be able to return the favor. A stealthy fighter
maintains good mobility on the battlefield, wears
light armor and carries a light shield. To her, the
best weapons are crossbows, slings, and light blades,
Chapter 1: A Fighter's Role
which she can use for sneak attacks. Her best ability
score should be Dexterity, followed by Strength and
Wisdom. To this type of fighter, the best powers are
those most suited to her strategic attitude: any exploit
that allows her to hit and run, shift, or gain combat
advantage is a good choice.
Suggested feat: Sneak of Shadows (Human feat:
Alertness)
Suggested skills: Athletics, Intimidate, Streetwise
Suggested at-will powers: flashing steel*, merciless
wound*
Suggested encounter power: steel serpent strike
Suggested daily power: villain’s menace
Strategist Fighter
A combatant may stand in the front line, focus on
his own foe and on the damage he deals, or he may
enter the battlefield always keeping an eye on his
companions, trying to support them in time of need
and directing their actions. The latter is the way of
the strategist fighter. Whatever weapon he chooses to
wield, he is prepared to withstand the fierce blows of
a melee and a few ranged skirmishes as well. Strength
and Wisdom are his first ability scores, followed by
Charisma or Intelligence. His powers build upon his
penchant for tactics and allow him to move his allies
into advantageous positions, to heal them and to move
their enemies so that they will remain isolated and
easy to vanquish.
Suggested feat: Student of Battle (Human feat:
Improved Initiative)
Suggested skills: Endurance, Heal, Intimidate
Suggested at-will powers: readied thrust*, tide of
iron
Suggested encounter power: covering attack
Suggested daily power: comeback strike
31
 A FIGHTER’S POWER Chapter 2

T he situation looked bleak. Half the adventurers had been paralyzed by the touch of the ghouls; their still-
mobile companions reeled before the undead horde, a gruesome tide of claws and twisted limbs.
Riglen swore through clenched teeth; for each walking corpse he sent back to oblivion, two took its
place, erupting from the nearby alcoves.
Going through the crypt tunnels to pass the border had not been a good idea. Oh, they had bypassed the sen-
tries of the enemy army and had even cut a few days from their travel time, but, once again, following Sheran’s
suggestions had put the party in grave danger.
Riglen heard the hiss of ghoulish jaws behind him. Just in time, he thrust his shield out to parry the corpse’s
bite. He blocked it, aye–and he bashed his foe’s head with his shield again and again, until only greenish goo
on the nearby wall remained.
Even as he pressed his advantage and shoved his way into the enemy line, the fighter realized his companions
could not follow. The moaning mass of enemies pressed them too close.
And he was leaving them behind!
As though to remind him, Ashgara’s desperate cry pierced the stale air. Riglen spun. He tried to spot the warlock, but
the undead blocked his view; he grabbed the closest one’s shoulder, ignoring the disgusting chill of its rotten flesh, and
pulled it onto his outstretched blade. He cast the now inanimate corpse aside and sought his imperiled companion.
The press opened enough for him to see Ashgara’s robes torn by the monsters’ claws. The tiefling’s legs were redder
than her usual ruddy skin, and as her blood pooled beneath her, ghoulish maws opened in slavering anticipation.
Not on Riglen’s watch!
He stretched his arms and tightened the grip on his weapons; he had to find enough room to put his best exploits to use.
He focused his mind on the techniques he had learn in many exhausting training sessions; thrust, feint, parry,
swing, and then the falcon’s stance.
First he slipped between two foes, pushing them aside with his sheer strength; then, momentarily free, he spun shield
and blade about him, pushing, slashing and tripping foe after foe, his own safety forgotten. Even the mindless
undead reeled before the assault, their muscles remembering the fear their dead minds could not.
But at last, too soon, one of them caught its balance. It twisted inside Riglen’s swing, and he felt its claw-like
fingers dig into the mail beneath his shoulder. He felt as though the strength were fleeing his sinews, as though
he were already dead. His eye twitched as the cold of the grave shot through his nerves.
So much easier, then, to give in. He was already dead. At least dying here, he would not be without a good
fight afterwards.
So much easier.
Ashgara lay prone a few feet away, a ghoul perched atop her helpless body.
So much easier, aye–for a lesser man than Riglen.
He kneed the ghoul hard enough to leave a red ruin where his armor punched through its rotting flesh. As it fell
away, he began to swing his sword. The first pass beheaded the ghoul that had almost slain him. It was only the
beginning. His whirlwind technique had to be as subtle as a breath and as powerful as a tornado.
Ghouls and parts of ghouls flew from his blade; none of the corpses still moved when he finally stopped his spin. Ashgara’s
assailant was the last, but even it barely had time to raise its desiccated skull to see the sword arcing through its chest.
Looming over the corpses, spattered with their long-dead blood, Riglen threw back his head and roared a
triumphant laugh.
When he looked down and met Ashgara’s gaze, the fighter could hardly tell if the woman was more
shaken by the fate he’d rescued her from, or by her rescuer.
32
Francesco Graziani
 A FIGHTER’S POWER
When the fight begins and blades are crossed, a fighter
unleashes his full potential and turns into a veritable
engine of destruction. Stalwart, fierce and relentless,
he is the opponent no enemy would ever want to face.
He can unleash unerring strikes and devastating at-
tacks, he uses exploits no enemy can hope of eluding
for long and he boasts powers that ensure him near-
invulnerability. A fighter’s repertoire makes him the
leading element in any combat situation. The battle is
fought on more than one front, of course: A wizard can
block a few foes, and rogues and clerics can coordinate
their moves to dispatch a particularly nasty creature.
But they can do this only because of a fighter’s offen-
sive power and protection, two unyielding certainties
that are the foundation of a mighty wall built with his
powers and cemented with his expertise at using them
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
at the right moment.
In this book, at-will powers are marked with a h
symbol, encounter powers with a p symbol, and daily
power with a r symbol.
NEW FIGHTER POWERS
A fighter can select the following new exploits once he
reaches the appropriate level, just as he can those featured
in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook. A fighter’s exploits
represent the techniques he has mastered and define the
way he approaches combat, allowing him to impose his
undisputed martial supremacy over the battlefield.
Level 1 At-Will Exploits
h Brute’s Iron Fist Fighter Attack 1
Even when you are fighting with your bare hands, your blows
are as hard as steel.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee 1
Requirement: You must make an unarmed attack.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Effect: Your unarmed attack die increases by one size.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier at 21st level.
h Flashing Steel Fighter Attack 1
Your quick thrust with the blade is worthy of the swiftest fencer.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier at 21st level.
34
h Merciless Wound Fighter Attack 1
Your attack seems to inflict only a flesh wound, but it leaves a
long trail of blood.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade, a flail, or a pick.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage, and the target takes ongoing damage
equal to your Dexterity modifier (save ends).
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.
h Mounted Rush Strike Fighter Attack 1
Your steed’s mighty leap breaks the enemy’s defense.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must have the Mounted Combat feat.
Requirement: You must be on a mount.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength + 1 vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + half your Strength modifier + half your mount’s
Strength modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + half your Strength modifier + half
your mount’s Strength modifier damage at 21st level.
h Readied Thrust Fighter Attack 1
Your attack is preceded by a cunning sequence of feints and
swings, and your expertise easily overcomes the enemy’s reflexes.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light or heavy blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier at 21st level.
h Surging Arrow Fighter Attack 1
You fire a projectile at full strength. Its flight is shaky, but its
damage is massive.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity - 2 vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier + Dexterity
modifier at 21st level.

Level 1 Encounter Exploits
p Bear’s Tenacious Grab Fighter Attack 1
Your foe thought your attack was only meant to hurt it, but now it
finds itself caught in an iron grip and a furious struggle ensues.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee 1
Requirement: You must make an unarmed attack.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you grab the target.
p Dazing Blow Fighter Attack 1
Your perfectly placed strike leaves the enemy reeling.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
dazed until the end of your next turn.
Elisa Ferrotto
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Merciless Wound
p Man-at-Arms’ Fearsome Strike Fighter Attack 1
A canny display of your expertise with a weapon can send your
foes fleeing even without resorting to your best moves.
Encounter ✦ Fear, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must have proficiency in the weapon you
wield and you must be trained in Intimidate.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Charisma +1 vs. Will
Hit: The target moves a number of squares equal to your
Charisma modifier (minimum 1) away from you. The
fleeing target avoids unsafe squares and difficult terrain
if it can. This movement provokes opportunity attacks.
35
 p Reckless Assault Fighter Attack 1
Your heedless aggression might be dangerous–but is it more
dangerous to you, or to your enemy?
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength + 1 vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier + Charisma modifier damage.
Effect: You grant combat advantage to your target until the
end of his next turn.
Level 1 Daily Exploits
r Battle Hubris Fighter Attack 1
One enemy is not enough to you; you love the thrill of being
surrounded by foes, the better to prove your supremacy.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Primary Target: One creature you have marked
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack.
Secondary Target: Each enemy adjacent to the primary
target
Secondary Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: The target is marked until the end of your next turn.
Fiery Weapon
36
r Fiery Weapon Fighter Attack 1
A flint, a cloth dripping oil–it doesn’t take magic to make fire.
Daily ✦ Fire, Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 2[W] +
Dexterity modifier damage (ranged), and ongoing 2 fire
damage (save ends).
r Forge’s Lightning Fighter Attack 1
Like a hammer on the anvil, your weapon falls on the enemy
and blinds it with raining sparks.
Daily ✦ Lightning, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding an axe, a hammer, a
mace, or a heavy blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier lightning damage, and the
target is blinded until the start of your next turn.
Roberto Pitturru
r Knight’s Surge Fighter Attack 1
As you urge your mount forward, you unleash an unstoppable
attack against your foe.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must have the Mounted Combat feat.
Requirement: You must be on a mount.
Target: One creature
Effect: You gain a bonus to your attack roll equal to half your
mount’s Strength modifier until the end of the encounter.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 2 Utility Exploits
p Falcon’s Unavoidable Grip Fighter Utility 2
In an unarmed grapple, your grip cannot be broken.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: One grabbed creature escapes you
Effect: You make a Strength check vs. the grabbed creature’s
Reflex defense; if you succeed, you hold your grab.
p Humiliating Parry Fighter Utility 2
As you nonchalantly parry an incoming blow, your mocking
expression invites your enemy to try again.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: An enemy misses you with a melee attack.
Target: The creature that missed you
Effect: The target is marked.
r Unshakable Pillar Fighter Utility 2
You take a special defensive stance that makes you nearly
impossible to move or knock down.
Daily ✦ Martial, Stance
Move Action Personal
Effect: When an effect forces you to move –through a pull,
a push, or a slide– or would knock you prone, you can
immediately make a saving throw to avoid moving or
falling prone.
Special: If you have the Stand Your Ground dwarven racial
trait, you make only one saving throw to avoid falling
prone, but you get a +2 power bonus on that save.
r Vulture’ Stubborn Grip Fighter Utility 2
You have grappled your foe, and now it is not going anywhere!
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: After successfully grappling a creature, a forced
movement moves you or the grappled creature beyond
your reach, ending the grapple.
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Endurance.
Effect: Make a Strength check against the grappled creature’s
Fortitude defense. If you are successful and the forced
movement moved you, the grabbed creature slides the
same amount of squares in your direction. If you are suc-
cessful and the forced movement moved the grappled
creature, you slide the same amount of squares in its di-
rection. If you fail the check, you do not hold the grab.
Level 3 Encounter Exploits
p Archer’s Heavy Volley Fighter Attack 3
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Your second arrow hits while your opponent reels from the first.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC, two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage. If the first attack
hits, the target takes a -2 penalty to AC against the
second attack.
p Catapult’s Slam Fighter Attack 3
You leap forward with a sudden twist, pushing your
clenched fists against the ground and spinning to throw
the weapon you held in your hand; the resulting blow is so
strong that it could demolish a wall.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Acrobatics.
Requirement: You must be wielding a heavy thrown weapon.
Target: One creature
Special: You shift 1 square towards the target before the
attack.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
knocked prone.
37
 p Mounted Reaver Fighter Attack 3
Your blow brings your mount’s full weight down on the enemy.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must have the Mounted Combat feat.
Requirement: You must be on a mount.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + your Strength modifier + your mount’s Strength
modifier damage.
p Sworn Hate Fighter Attack 3
Normally, you would remain cool, calm, and in control in bat-
tle; but when an enemy cracks that shell, your vengeance will
be terrible.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Minor Action Ranged visual
Target: An enemy you have marked
Hit: Until the end of the encounter, the target can make a
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
r Shooter’s Barricade Fighter Attack 5
A rain of arrows separates you from the enemy’s front line,
preventing any striker from advancing.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Requirement: You must be wielding a ranged weapon.
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: Your arrows rain down on the power’s area. Any
creature that enters the area or starts its turn there takes
damage equal to 1[W] + your Dexterity modifier. The
cloud of arrows persists until the start of your next turn.
Sustain Standard: The effect continues, and you can move
the power’s area up to a maximum of 2 squares.

basic melee attack against you once per turn as a free

action, if it is adjacent to you. In turn, you gain temporary
hit points equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier and
a bonus to damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier
until the end of the encounter.

Level 5 Daily Exploits

r Aim for the Head Fighter Attack 5
A quick blow to your enemy’s head can put an end to the fight
even before it begins.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a hammer or a mace.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength - 4 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
unconscious (save ends). If the unconscious target takes
damage, it is no longer unconscious.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is dazed until the end of
your next turn.

r Recruit’s Lucky Strike Fighter Attack 5

You put all thoughts of strategy aside and blindly trust your
luck to decide the battle’s outcome.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Attack: Wisdom vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target grants
combat advantage and is immobilized until the end of
your next turn.
Miss: You grant combat advantage to the target until the end
of your next turn.
Thomas Liera

My Weapon,
My Armor

38
r Torturer’s Mark Fighter Attack 5
A cunning fighter can easily detect his enemy’s weak spots:
You know how to deal grievous wounds, pushing your weapon
deep inside to leave your foe screaming in pain.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Heal.
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack against the target.
Secondary Attack: Wisdom vs. Fortitude
Hit: Ongoing 5 + Wisdom modifier damage (save ends),
and the target is weakened until the end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage, and no secondary attack.
Level 6 Utility Exploits
r Encumbering Defense Fighter Utility 6
You raise your weapon in front of your enemies. Although it re-
mains still in your hands, it is so large and sturdy that it shields
you from most attacks.
Daily ✦ Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must be wielding a two-handed weapon.
Effect: You gain a +3 power bonus to AC and Reflex defense.
r Endure Elemental Fury Fighter Utility 6
In a fight, you can weather the elements like no other.
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack that would deal cold, fire, or
lightning damage
Effect: You gain resist cold, fire, or lightning 5 + your Con-
stitution modifier until the start of you next turn. The
type of damage is the same of the attack that hit you. If
you use a shield, increase resist to 10 + your Constitu-
tion modifier.
r Fortunate Deflection Fighter Utility 6
Just as your foe is about to bring a deadly blow down on your
ally, your own blade intervenes.
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Melee weapon
Trigger: One adjacent ally is hit by a melee attack
Effect: You make a melee attack roll, and the ally uses the re-
sult of your roll instead of its AC against the enemy attack.
r My Weapon, My Armor Fighter Utility 6
At the last moment, you intercept and deflect a blow that
would have pierced your armor.
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: An enemy hits you with a melee attack
Effect: You make a melee attack roll and use the result of
your roll instead of your AC against the enemy attack.
Level 7 Encounter Exploits
p Dragon’s Flame Fighter Attack 7
Dashing oil on your blade, you turn it into a flaming brand like
a dragon’s jaws.
Encounter ✦ Fire, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and ongoing 5 fire
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
damage (save ends).
Miss: Ongoing 2 fire damage (save ends).
Effect: Your space is lightly obscured and provides conceal-
ment until the start of your next turn.
p Lay Waste to the Enemy Fighter Attack 7
Your blow cuts deep, leaving a painful, lingering scar.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Special: The target can regain the hit points it lost with this
attack only with an extended rest, and cannot regain them
through any power, ability, or action (such as a healing
surge or regeneration).
p Mantis’s Embrace Fighter Attack 7
You harpoon your enemy and pull it to you, delivering a fatal
blow.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a polearm.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack against the target.
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
39
 p Troll’s Double Claws Fighter Attack 7
Like a fierce troll, you slash your enemy from both sides and
grow stronger at each assault.
Encounter ✦ Healing, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must wield two melee weapons.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (main weapon and off-hand weapon),
two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage per attack. If you hit
the target with both weapons, you gain regeneration
equal to your Constitution modifier until the end of your
next turn.
Sustain Standard: When you sustain this power, you can
repeat the attack. You cannot sustain this power more
than three rounds, and you cannot sustain it if you do not
hit your target with both weapons.
Level 9 Daily Exploits
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
r Roaring Hammer’s Slam Fighter Attack 9
Your weapon strikes the foe with a thundering toll that echoes
over the battlefield.
Daily ✦ Martial, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a hammer or a mace.
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier thunder damage, and the
target is deafened until the end of your next turn. Make a
secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Each creature within close burst 1
from the primary target
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Strength modifier thunder damage, and the
target is deafened until the end of your next turn.
r Target Enemy Ranks Fighter Attack 9
The projectiles you fire upon the enemy ranks are bearers of
pain and strife.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 5
Requirement: You must be wielding a ranged weapon.
Target: Each enemy in blast and that you are able to see
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you push the
target 2 squares.
40
r Wyvern’s Outflanking Fighter Attack 9
Your first swing strikes the enemy with the swiftness of a claw,
then you suddenly move behind it and finish it with a fierce stab.
Daily ✦ Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade or a spear
(not a polearm).
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: You can shift a number of squares equal to your Strength
modifier. If you end your movement in a square adjacent to
the target and you are on the opposite side or corner from
where you started, make a secondary attack against the same
target with the benefit of combat advantage.
Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: Ongoing 5 + Strength modifier damage (save ends),
and the target grants you combat advantage until the end
of your next turn.
Level 10 Utility Exploits
r Deep Thrust Fighter Utility 10
You make sure your blows find the target, even if it means you
have to ignore its response. Your safety does not matter when
you are looking for that perfect strike.
Daily ✦ Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You grant combat advantage. In turn, you can score a
critical hit with a natural roll of 19-20.
r Resist Tortured Senses Fighter Utility 10
When a fight’s outcome hangs in the balance, you can even
ignore those attacks that would dim your senses.
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack that deals radiant or thunder
damage
Effect: You gain resist radiant or thunder equal to 10 + Con-
stitution modifier until the start of your next turn. The
type of damage is the same of the attack that hit you. If
the attack inflicts a blinded, dazed, deafened, or stunned
condition that a save can end, you automatically succeed
on your first save against that condition.
Alberto Bontempi

Deforming Impact
 r Resist Toxic Fumes Fighter Utility 10
No dirty trick will work on you; you will wreak terrible retribu-
tion against your foes, for the insidious tools of cowardly al-
chemists and sneaky poisonous assassins cannot hurt you.
Daily ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack that deals acid or poison
damage
Effect: You gain resist acid or poison 10 + Constitution mod-
ifier until the start of your next turn. The type of damage
is the same of the attack that hit you.
Sustain Minor: If the attack that hit you deals ongoing acid
or poison damage, you keep the benefit of resistance for
another round.
r Unending Bolts of Hope Fighter Utility 10
Your companions hear the hissing arrows soaring over their
heads and know that their enemies will have to look out for
the volley. Your allies can now attack and defend themselves
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
more easily.
Daily ✦ Martial
Standard Action Close blast 5
Requirement: You must be wielding a ranged weapon.
Target: Each ally in blast you can see
Effect: The target gains combat advantage against adjacent
enemies and a +2 power bonus to AC and Reflex defense
until the start of your next turn.
Sustain Standard: The effect continues.
Level 13 Encounter Exploits
p Advance to the Rear Fighter Attack 13
Your attacks give no respite to enemies within range, allowing
your allies to reach safety.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged),
one attack per target
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 2[W] +
Dexterity modifier damage (ranged).
Effect: All of your allies adjacent to the target can shift a
number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier.
p Brutal Domino Fighter Attack 13
With a fierce swing, you hit your foe and send it reeling; a sec-
ond foe, taken by surprise, stumbles upon its ally.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target 1 square and knock it prone. If the target ends
its movement in a space occupied by a creature, that
creature is dazed until the end of your next turn.
42
p Dire Gallows Fighter Attack 13
Your weapon opens a gruesome wound on your foe, and you
raise your enemy above your head using your weapon as a lever.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a polearm.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
pulled into the space you occupy and immobilized 1
square above the ground until the start of your next
turn. At the start of your next turn, the target shifts into a
square adjacent to you and falls prone to the ground.
p Smite the Reckless Fighter Attack 13
Those who consider you easy prey and rush to attack you will
soon find out that they have made a fatal error.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Ranged weapon
Trigger: One creature charges you
Target: The creature charging you
Attack: Dexterity vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is
slowed until the start of your next turn. If the target ends
its movement in a space where it can attack you, it takes
a -2 penalty to its attack roll.
Level 15 Daily Exploits
r A Thousand Sparks Fighter Attack 15
As your blow scrapes against the enemy’s armor, a rain of sear-
ing sparks sears nearby monsters.
Daily ✦ Lightning, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding an axe, a hammer, a
mace, or a heavy blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier lightning damage, and every
creature within close burst 1 from the target takes light-
ning damage equal to your Strength modifier.
Miss: Half damage, and every creature within close burst 1
from the target takes lightning damage equal to your
Strength modifier.
r Deforming Impact Fighter Attack 15
Your blow mangles your opponent’s armor, rendering it useless.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature with an armor bonus
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
a -2 penalty to AC until the end of the encounter.
Weapon: If you wield a hammer or a mace, the target
takes a penalty to AC equal to your Strength modifier.
Miss: Half damage.
r Fatal Defensive Flaw Fighter Attack 15
With a swift series of feints and attacks, you distract your en-
emy and leave it totally unprepared for the next assault.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex, three attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage per attack, and the
target takes a cumulative -2 penalty to AC and Reflex
defense for each successful attack until the end of your
next turn.
r Fatal Hesitation Fighter Attack 15
As your enemy looks around and plans its next move, you exploit
its hesitation to deal a harrowing wound and leave it stunned.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Reaction Melee weapon
Trigger: One creature delays its action
Target: The delaying creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target loses
its next standard action.
Miss: Half damage, and the target does not lose its standard
action.
Level 16 Utility Exploits
p Bear’s Crushing Grasp Fighter Utility 16
Your grip leaves the enemy without breath and prevents it
from moving.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Stance
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must have both hands free.
Effect: Whenever you grab a creature, that creature is re-
strained instead of immobilized, until it escapes your
grab. The creature can try normally to escape your grab.
r Hidden Reservoir Fighter Utility 16
You call upon your remaining strength to find a way to keep
fighting and deal a decisive blow.
Daily ✦ Martial
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must have run out of encounter powers.
Effect: You use a healing surge, but you do not regain any
hit point; instead, you regain one fighter encounter
power. If you regain an attack power and use it before
the end of the encounter, you gain a +1 power bonus
to that power’s attack rolls, deal extra damage equal to
1[W] and, if the power allows you to move the target,
you move it 1 extra square.
r Prepare to Assault Fighter Utility 16
Your rugged willpower allows you to ignore pain and to
launch an irresistible assault.
Daily ✦ Martial
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You use a healing surge, but you do not regain any
hit point; instead, you gain an amount of temporary hit
points equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier and
resist all damage equal to your Constitution modifier
until the end of the encounter.
p Unyielding Warrior Spirit Fighter Utility 16
Your spirit is as strong as your body, and no incantation will
break it; your steps are unstoppable, your soul is incorruptible
and your mind is unconquerable.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack that deals force, necrotic, or
psychic damage
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Effect: You gain resist force, necrotic, or psychic 10 + your
Constitution modifier until the end of your next turn. The
type of damage is the same of the attack that hit you.
If the attack inflicts a dazed, dominated, immobilized,
restrained, slowed, stunned, or weakened condition that
a saving throw can end, you automatically succeed on
your first save against that condition.
Level 17 Encounter Exploits
p Covering Volley Fighter Attack 17
A bolt fired at the right moment can distract your enemy and
allow your companion to flee.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Ranged weapon
Trigger: One creature makes an opportunity attack provoked
by the movement of an ally of yours.
Target: The creature making the opportunity attack
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: The target’s opportunity attack misses.
p Rolling Thunder Fighter Attack 17
The blow you deal would leave even the most well-armored
combatant reeling.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a hammer or a mace.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier thunder damage, and the
target is stunned until the end of your next turn.
43
 p Seismic Wave Fighter Attack 17
You strike the ground before you with all your might,
knocking your enemies to the ground from the shockwave.
The echoing vibrations leave all other foes staggering on the
battlefield.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 2
Requirement: You must be wielding a hammer or a mace.
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude, Reflex
Hit (Fortitude): If the attack hits against the target’s Forti-
tude defense, it takes 1[W] + Strength modifier damage
and it is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Hit (Reflex): If the attack hits against the target’s Reflex
defense, it takes 1[W] + Strength modifier damage and is
knocked prone.
Special: You make only one attack per target, but compare
that attack result against both defenses. A target might
be subject to any or both the effects, depending on how
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
many of its defenses were hit.
Seismic Wave
44
Level 19 Daily Exploits
r Painful Harpoon Fighter Attack 19
The enemy’s charge is broken by your sharp weapon, whose
shaft raises the creature above your head and drops it on the
other side of the battlefield.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Melee weapon
Trigger: One creature charges you and is within your reach
Requirement: You must be wielding a polearm.
Target: The creature that is charging you
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage. You slide the target
in a position adjacent to you, on the side or corner oppo-
site the space it just left; the target is knocked prone.
r Taste My Steel! Fighter Attack 19
You step forward and snarl a threat at your foe, then sink your
blade into its body with all your strength.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Weapon: If you wield a light or heavy blade, you score a
critical hit with a natural roll of 18-20.
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Roberto Pitturru
r You Are Cornered Fighter Attack 19
No enemy can escape when you are determined to bring it to heel.
Daily ✦ Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you slide the
target to a square adjacent to the closest obstacle within
5 squares from the target (if the target is already adja-
cent to an obstacle, it does not move). Then you slide
to a square adjacent to the target, on the opposite side
from the obstacle.
Weapon: If you wield a polearm or a spear, the target is
restrained until the start of your next turn.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, each time you are
adjacent to the target and on the opposite corner or side
from an obstacle, you gain combat advantage against
the target.
Level 22 Utility Exploits
r Irreprehensible Bodyguard Fighter Utility 22
You have sworn to defend your friend at any cost. From now
on, you will watch over her like a guardian angel, deflecting
any blow aimed at her.
Daily ✦ Martial, Stance
Minor Action Ranged visual
Target: One ally
Effect: You choose a target within visual range. Each time the
target is hit by a melee attack, you can shift a number of
squares equal to your Dexterity modifier as an immediate
interrupt, as long as you end your movement in a position
adjacent to the target. If you cannot reach a position ad-
jacent to the target, you do not shift. You can then make a
melee attack roll, and the target uses the result of your roll
in place of its AC against the enemy attack.
r Last Chance Fighter Utility 22
The fight is hard and exhausting, but a true fighter always
finds the strength to launch a final assault… an assault that
will mark his victory.
Daily ✦ Martial
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must have run out of daily powers.
Effect: You use a healing surge, but you do not regain any
hit point. Instead, you regain one fighter daily power. If
your regain an attack power and use it before the end of
the encounter, you gain a +2 power bonus to that pow-
er’s attack rolls, deal extra damage equal to 2[W] and, if
the power allows you to move the target, you move it 2
extra squares.
p Weapon Master’s Exploit Fighter Utility 22
You spin your weapon with uncanny skill and speed, forming
a shifting curtain of steel around you. A true weapon master
deflects, parries, repels, and then strikes. And he strikes hard.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Minor Action Personal
Prerequisite: You must have proficiency in the weapon you
are wielding.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you add your weap-
on proficiency bonus to damage rolls, AC, and Reflex
defense.
Sustain Minor: You cannot sustain this power more than
three times, and you cannot sustain it if you are bloodied.
Level 23 Encounter Exploits
p Bonecrushing Knockdown Fighter Attack 23
You pull your enemy to you, then leap on it and use your
own weight to slam it to the ground. Then you move to the
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
most advantageous side while the hapless foe lies moaning
on the ground.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee 1
Requirement: You must make an unarmed attack.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you pull the
target in your space and knock it prone. Then you shift 1
square.
p Mighty Bolt Fighter Attack 23
When you draw back your bow with all your strength, a foe is
about to meet its death.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Fortitude
Hit: 4[W] + Dexterity modifier + Strength modifier damage.
p Unstoppable Colossus Fighter Attack 23
You relentlessly stride across the battlefield; enemy blows
are but a nuisance, an insect’s sting, and you ignore them;
you only care about dispatching foes, and your blows grow
more and more violent.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You are slowed and take a -2 penalty to Reflex defense;
however, you deal extra damage equal to 2[W] with your
basic melee attacks and your at-will melee attacks.
45
 Level 25 Daily Exploits
r Chilling Execution Fighter Attack 25
With startling brutality, you execute one enemy in front of its
allies, driving them to despair.
Daily ✦ Fear, Martial, Psychic, Reliable, Weapon
Minor Action Close burst 4
Trigger: You kill one creature with a coup de grace
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Intimidate.
Target: Each enemy in burst you can see
Attack: Strength vs. Will
Hit: 2d6 + Charisma modifier psychic damage. The target
must shift one square away from you if possible, and it is
dazed until the end of your next turn.
r Flensing Whirlwind Fighter Attack 25
Your whirling blades open a thousand cuts on the enemy with
a flurry of unbelievable strength and accuracy.
Daily ✦ Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
ongoing 10 damage (save ends).
Weapon: If you wield a flail, the target takes ongoing
damage equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier.
Skewer of Doom
46
r Shake the Earth Fighter Attack 25
The very ground trembles beneath your power: Those who try
to surround you are thrown from their feet by a sudden quake.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 2
Requirement: You must be wielding a hammer or a mace.
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
knocked prone and is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is slowed until the end of
your next turn.
Level 27 Encounter Exploits
p Concussion Arrows Fighter Attack 27
Each fired arrow is stronger than the last, forcing the enemy to
fall back.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is
slowed until the end of your next turn. Make a secondary
attack against the target.
Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target
takes a -2 to AC and to Reflex defense until the end of
your next turn. Make a tertiary attack against the target.
Tertiary Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is
weakened (save ends).
Marina Costa
p Relentless Cleaver Fighter Attack 27
Your blade cuts the enemy’s flesh down to the bone, disrupting
muscle and sinew.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding an axe or a heavy blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
weakened (save ends).
p Skewer of Doom Fighter Attack 27
You skewer the enemy, thrusting your weapon clear through
its body and into the stunned foe behind it.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a polearm or a spear.
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
restrained until the start of your next turn. Make a sec-
ondary attack.
Secondary Target: One creature adjacent to the primary
target and on the opposite side or corner from you.
Secondary Attack: Strength -2 vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 29 Daily Exploits
r Arc of Crimson Slaughter Fighter Attack 29
With a wild spin, you trace an accurate and deadly arc with your
weapon, spelling doom to any who stand on its trajectory.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: Each enemy within weapon’s reach you can see
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Weapon: If you wield an axe or a heavy blade, you gain a
bonus equal to your Strength modifier to your attack roll.
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: The target is pushed 1 square.
r Gamble with Death Fighter Attack 29
Before collapsing, you deal one last decisive blow.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be bloodied.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 10[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: You are unconscious (save ends).
r One Fatal Arrow Fighter Attack 29
You fire an unstoppable bolt that falls down upon the enemy
like lightning, pinning it to the ground; the target can only hope
to avoid being hit by dropping into what cover it can find.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
Hit: 4[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is
immobilized (save ends).
Miss: The target is knocked prone.
r Ultimate Swing Fighter Attack 29
With a brutal half-spin, you send your blade hurtling into your
foes, cutting them down whether they be one or legion.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a two-handed weapon.
Targets: One, two, or three creatures adjacent to each other
Attack: Strength vs. AC, one attack per target
Special: If you target only one creature with this power, you
gain a +2 power bonus to the attack roll. If you target
three creatures with this power, you suffer a -2 penalty to
all three attack rolls.
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
stunned until the end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is dazed until the end of
your next turn.
47
 MARTIAL RITUALS
Wizards and clerics might believe they are unequalled
in their mastery of rituals, but they are gravely mistak-
en. Of course, the elaborate rituals unleashing arcane
or divine energies remain their specialty, but this does
not mean that weapon masters are oblivious to martial
secrets that can produce equally extraordinary results.
Training, concentration, exhausting practice, and
especially the unyielding determination to defeat your
enemy: This is what allows the best fighters to push
themselves beyond a mere mortal’s limits and allows
them to turn their bodies into invincible weapons. A
martial ritual book can be found among the treasure of
a cruel veteran, while a martial scroll might be penned
by a wise duelist before a fight to the death that will
demand a performance never seen before.
The following martial rituals are exclusively meant
for fighter characters and follow the usual format and
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
rules featured in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook, with a
few exceptions. First, in order to master and perform a
martial ritual, a character must have the Ritual Warrior
feat (described in Chapter 4: A Fighter’s Feat) instead
of the Ritual Caster feat. Second, a martial ritual’s cat-
egory might belong to skills other than the typical ones
associated to that category (for instance, an Exploration
ritual could be associated with the Athletics skill, in
addition to Arcana, Nature, or Religion).
The rules concerning the components re-
quired to perform a martial ritual are the same
described in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook
(see Component Cost).
The martial rituals listed below
are not exhaustive; the GM is
free to create new martial
rituals for his characters
as he sees fit.
A fighter prepares for a difficult battle performing a martial ritual
48
MARTIAL RITUALS BY LEVEL
Lvl Ritual Key Skill
2 Gladiator’s Immortal Blood Heal
4 Body and Spirit’s Harmony Heal
5 Indomitable Strength Athletics
6 Battle Premonition Endurance
12 Death Oath Intimidate
Battle Premonition
When a fighter can no longer count the hours he spent
training and his mind is as sharp as the blade he wields, no
enemy can surprise him. In his mind, the incoming fight is
like a page of history already written, and he knows how
to counter each threat with appropriate force.
Level: 6 Component Cost: 140 gp
Category: Divination Market Price: 360 gp
Time: 1 hour Key Skill: Endurance
Duration: 24 hours (no check)
(special)
You intensify your concentration and ready yourself
to react to any sign of danger. For the next 24 hours,
or until the next extended rest, whichever comes first,
you have a fleeting vision of the first attack you will be
involved in (specifically, the scene of a specific attack
form that will target you).
First, in that fight you will gain a +5 bonus
to Insight and Perception checks to avoid
being surprised. Second, during that
fight, the first time you are hit by
an attack, you can force the
attacker to reroll the attack
roll and to accept the
second result.
Andrea Sorrentino
Body and Spirit’s Harmony
You anoint your body with fine oils and unguents that help
you find balance and concentration.
Level: 4 Component Cost: 35 gp
Category: Exploration Market Price: 175 gp
Time: 30 minutes Key Skill: Heal
Duration: 1 hour
You are looking for a physical and inner balance that
will allow you to face the imminent fight with calm de-
termination. When the ritual is completed, make a Heal
check. The check’s result determines the ritual’s effect.
Heal Check Result Effect
9 or less None
10-19 +1 to Fortitude, Reflex and Will defenses
20-29 +2 to Fortitude, Reflex and Will defenses
30 or more +2 to Fortitude, Reflex and Will defenses and
1d6 additional hit points to the amount
granted by each healing surge
Death Oath
The challenge is on and you will not rest until your enemy
falls. The only mercy you will show is a swift death at
your hands.
Level: 12 Component Cost: 1,000 gp
Category: Binding Market Price: 2,600 gp
Time: 1 hour Key Skill: Intimidate
Duration: Until discharged (no check)
You select a single creature (for example, you may select
“the orc called Tramokk”, but not “any orc”) and utter
a solemn oath swearing to kill it. You must have already
met the selected creature in person for the ritual to work.
From now on, you gain a +10 bonus to one single attack
roll and to the damage roll of that attack against that
creature. You can freely choose to which attack you will
assign the ritual’s bonus when you declare the attack; the
ritual’s effects expire at the end of the attack.
Gladiator’s Immortal
Blood
War paintings on your body and simple ancient formulas to
ignore the pain allow you to endure any wound.
Level: 2 Component Cost: 20 gp
Category: Restoration Market Price: 100 gp
Time: 10 minutes Key Skill: Heal
Duration: 24 hours (special)
You cling to every remaining bit of willpower and
stamina to gain an unearthly endurance to pain. When
the ritual is completed, make a Heal check. The check’s
result determines the ritual’s effect.
USING MARTIAL RITUALS
The martial rituals featured in this chapter may only be
used with the GM’s approval. Although they follow the
ritual rules featured in the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook,
they are mostly meant for those fighters who want to
be fully prepared to face a decisive fight. The GM may
not allow the use of these rituals in mundane situations;
indeed, he may limit them to special occasions, such
as a long-expected duel with the fighter’s nemesis or a
combat held in a crowd-filled arena yelling the names
of the two combatants. For the same reason, a GM may
prevent a fighter from performing a martial ritual each
morning, before he begins his adventures; such a use of
these rituals would be a denaturalization of their origi-
nal purpose, which is allowing the fighter to perform at
his best in a moment of extraordinary need.
Heal Check Result Effect
9 or less None
Chapter 2: A Fighter's Power
10-19 Regain 5 additional hit points
20-29 Regain 10 additional hit points
30 or more
Regain 10 additional hit points and gain
regeneration 1 until the end of the
encounter or for 5 minutes
Each effect only applies the first time you use your
second wind. As soon as you use the second wind action,
the ritual’s effect expires. If you do not use second wind
before the ritual’s duration expires, the effect is lost.
Indomitable Strength
You have dedicated your entire life to turning your body
into a weapon as hard as steel, always pushing yourself
beyond your limits. A short training session and a few drops
of a rare invigorating elixir are enough to attain the peak of
physical efficiency.
Level: 5 Component Cost: 150 gp
Category: Exploration Market Price: 250 gp
Time: 30 minutes Key Skill: Athletics
Duration: 12 hours
You attain unsurpassed physical prowess and your
energies seem limitless. When the ritual is completed,
make an Athletics check. The check’s result determines
the ritual’s effect.
Athletics Check Result Effect
9 or less None
10-19 +1 to Strength-based ability checks and skill checks
20-29 +2 to Strength-based ability checks and skill checks
30 or more +2 to Strength-based ability checks and skill
checks, and you cannot become weakened
The bonus to ability checks and skill checks does not
apply to Strength-based attacks.
49
 A FIGHTER’S PATH Chapter 3

T he tieflings seemed to rise from shadows surrounding Riglen, their horned features weirdly illuminated by
the dim, harsh lighting of the alley.
Under his worn cloak, the fighter had already lain his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was searching
the slums to learn who was behind the fire that consumed the Sellsword’s Bride, the inn he and his companions were
staying for a few days. In a few hours, Sheran had gathered the necessary information and found out the arsonists
were a band of outcast tieflings called the Stray Ones.
Riglen suspected he’d found them.
“You, there,” the gang leader called. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to stay in Dodeas’ ghetto after sunset?”
“We don’t like meddlers,” a second tiefling added.
“Especially if they are meddling in our business,” concluded the third.
“I am not here to fight you,” Riglen said. “I only need a few answers.”
The thugs stared silently at him for a moment, then laughed. Riglen found the situation every bit as amusing; he
joined their sardonic laughter.
That quieted them quickly enough. When they fell silent, the fighter let his own laughter die and said, “Now that
we’re such friends–who hired you to burn down the Sellsword’s Bride?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, friend, but don’t push your luck. Drop your money to the ground and be
gone, and maybe you’ll leave on your own legs. Keep snooping around, and we’ll have to teach you a few manners.”
“I have no time to lose,” Riglen said. “Give me the name and I’ll leave you alone.”
Without warning, a thug’s blade flashed forward. Although the thrust was swift and accurate, it only pierced
Riglen’s cloak, scraping against the plate armor he wore beneath.
“Who do you think you are?”, the outlaw snarled, fixing the fighter with a coal-red stare. “This is our territory! All
you’ll get tonight is a painful death and an unmarked grave!”
“Are you sure of that?” He hurled his torn cloak back to bare his wargear.
The outlaws’ eyes rested for a few tense moments on the iron symbol engraved on his helmet: a roaring lion with a
crimson blade in his paws. That was the Blood Lion’s symbol, mark of undisputed masters of the arena, gladiators
known for their boldness.
One of the tieflings swore and charged Riglen. With single twist of body and cloak, Riglen disarmed him,
knocked him to the street. Before the thug could grope for his blade, Riglen reversed it and thrust its point into
the outstretched hand.
“I’ve seen that move before,” one of the still-standing thugs hissed. “He’s the Ironwall Arena idol! He strangled
an ogre!”
“Are you sure?” the leader asked, eyeing his writhing, bloodied lackey.
“I saw him with my own eyes, while I was pickpocketing the audience. You don’t easily forget such a scene.”
The tieflings gulped and stepped back.
Riglen gave a little bow, only incidentally grinding the blade deeper in the palm of the fallen thug. “Now that the
introductions are over, gentlemen, I trust I can count on your cooperation?”

50
Andrea Sorrentino
 ARENA IDOL
“Never mind your weapon’s sharpness or your armor’s
thickness. In the arena, only one thing counts: victory!”
Prerequisite: Fighter class
An arena idol lives for the roaring crowd that celebrates
his newest victory and is considered a champion of
gladiatorial games. An arena idol is a fighter who does
not fear death, and who more than anyone else has
learned that toil and pain are his life’s main driving
forces.
Arena Idol Path Features
Crowd’s Hero (11th level): Once per day, an ally
you can see can spend a minor action to incite you to
greater martial feats. You gain a +2 power bonus to all
defenses and score a critical hit with on a roll of 19-20
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
until the end of the encounter.
Vanquished Enemy (11th level): When you
drop a target that is your lever or higher to 0 hit
points or fewer, or when you score a critical hit against
a target that is your lever or higher, you gain a +2
bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls until the end of
your next turn.
Save Your Strength (16th level): When you
spend an action point to take an extra action, you gain
regeneration equal to your Constitution modifier until
the end of the encounter, and you can use second wind
again, even if you have already used it in this encounter.
Arena Idol Exploits
p Intimidating Strike Arena Idol Attack 11
You swing your blade at your foe’s eyes, leaving it blinded and
intimidated.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target 1 square.
Weapon: If you’re wielding an axe or a heavy blade, the
target is blinded until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You can make an Intimidate check against the target
as part of the action you used to attack with this power.
52
r Study Your Foe Arena Idol Utility 12
You watch your enemy as he moves and you gain defensive
benefits from its mistakes.
Daily ✦ Martial
No Action Personal
Effect: Gain a power bonus to your initiative check equal
to half your level. Use this power after rolling your initia-
tive check. In addition, you gain a +1 power bonus to AC
until the end of the encounter. If you use a shield, the
bonus increases to +2 and it also applies to your Reflex
defense.
r Gladiator’s Verdict Arena Idol Attack 20
You humiliate your foe, knocking it down and disarming
it. With a sudden twist, you seize its own weapon for the
finishing blow, and this moment of triumph turns you into a
fearless fighter.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you knock the
target prone. The target drops whatever weapon it was
wielding and you can choose to grab it with a free hand
or let it fall to the ground at your feet (in your square).
You can only grab a one-handed weapon.
Special: If you choose to grab the dropped weapon with a
free hand, you can immediately make a basic melee attack
against the target as a free action, using that weapon.
Effect: Gain a +2 power bonus to Will defense until the end
of the encounter.
Iegor Malvon, Arena Idol
Occupation: When he was only a child, Iegor’s
entire village was slaughtered by gnoll raiders. His
survival instinct saved him, keeping him away from the
flames and the fights where his mother and his only
sister lost their lives. Hurt in body and mind, realizing
he had abandoned his loved ones to their fate, he joined
a band of evacuees heading for distant frontier settle-
ments. In those remote lands, he cultivated his brawl-
ing skills, growing up on the streets and serving a shady
slaver, first as henchman, and then as arena fighter.
After a stormy debate with his former patron, Iegor
has taken a sudden leave from those bloodied contests.
His former master wants revenge for Iegor’s presumed
betrayal and has placed a conspicuous bounty on the
gladiator’s head.
Physical Description: Iegor is tall and brawny.
He has dark skin, short black hair and green eyes. His
coarse voice never trembles and his controlled moves
speak to his indomitable will.
 Attributes and Skills: Iegor operates at peak
physical efficiency, but he is also troubled by his past.
Although he is not cultivated and knows nothing of
manners, he is no fool.
Values and Motivations: Iegor cannot escape the
shadows of his past. His main limit is his belief that he
has no other alternative to the blade; the callous façade
he puts up in every adventure is actually an emotional
shield to avoid further suffering.
Behavior: Iegor is stubborn, aggressive and fierce;
and yet, these flaws cannot hide a valiant soul. Unfortu-
nately, he likes to drink away the ghosts that haunt his
memories.
Useful Knowledge: Iegor is an experienced
athlete. After spending his youth in the arena’s forges,
he knows the properties of the most common weapons
and armor like the back of his hand. His experience
as an enforcer also enables him to gather information
quickly, especially in the underworld.

Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path

Mannerisms: Iegor is restless, and he always
seems about to start a quarrel… or a brawl.
Origins: Iegor selected the survivor’s origin (see
Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). When he is dying, he
must fail four saving throws to die.

Iegor Malvon Level 17 Soldier

Medium natural humanoid, human fighter XP 1,400
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +10
HP 154; Bloodied 77
AC 35; Fortitude 33, Reflex 28, Will 27
Speed 5
m +4 Vicious Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 1d8 + 14 damage.
M Brute’s Iron Fist (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires unarmed attack; +22 vs. AC; 1d6 + 13 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 1d8 + 14 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Intimidating Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
+25 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 14 damage, and the target is pushed
1 square and blinded until the end of Iegor’s next turn;
Iegor can make an Intimidate check against the target as
part of the same action he used to attack with this power.
M Mountain Breaking Blow (standard; encounter) ✦
Martial, Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 3d8 + 14 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Storm of Blows (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 1d8 + 15 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
Maichol Quinto
Hidden Reservoir (minor; daily) ✦ Martial
Iegor can use a healing surge, but he does not regain any
hit point; instead, he regains one fighter encounter power.
If he regains an attack power and uses it before the end of
the encounter, he gains a +1 power bonus to that power’s
attack rolls, deals 1d8 extra damage and, if the power
allows him to move the target, he moves it 1 extra square.
Study Your Foe (no action; daily) ✦ Martial
Iegor gains a +8 power bonus to his initiative check and a
+2 power bonus to AC and to Reflex defense until the end
of the encounter. Iegor uses this power after making the
initiative roll.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Endurance +15, Intimidate +14, Streetwise +14
Str 22 (+14) Dex 13 (+9) Wis 14 (+10)
Con 18 (+12) Int 11 (+8) Cha 12 (+9)
Equipment +4 savage scale armor, +4 vicious longsword,
gauntlets of ogre power, heavy bashing shield (lvl 15)

53
 BATTLE COMMANDO
“I can bypass your soldiers’ ranks as easily as I can pierce
the rings of your chainmail. In either case, I win!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, Sneak of Shadows feat
Battle commandos are canny fighters specialized in
breaching enemy ranks to spread death and chaos.
Once they have penetrated the heart of enemy defenses,
they hold their captured positions and put up a fierce
fight rather than sneaking back to the shadows from
whence they came. Commandos are fearless fighters
who use their mobility to be at the center of any battle.
Battle Commandos Path Features
Infiltrate (11th level): You gain a bonus equal
to your Wisdom modifier to Acrobatics or Athletics
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
checks made to escape a grapple, to Strength-based
attacks to bull rush an enemy, and to AC and to Reflex
defense against opportunity attacks when using a crawl
action to leave a square adjacent to an enemy.
Pathfinder’s Action (11th level): When you
spend an action point to take an extra action, you also
gain an extra move action that you can use in a follow-
ing turn during the same encounter.
Aggressive Standup (16th level): You can stand
up as a minor action, instead of a move action. In ad-
dition, when standing up, you can push an adjacent
enemy 1 square if it is up to one size category larger
than you, and you can shift into the space the enemy
vacated.
Battle Commando Exploits
p Treacherous Steel Battle Commando Attack 11
In the blink of an eye, you unsheathe your weapon and attack
the target, taking it by surprise.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Effect: You can draw the weapon you use to make this attack
as part of the action you use to attack with this power.
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target grants
you combat advantage until the end of your next turn.
p Keep the Advantage Battle Commando Utility 12
No one escapes easily from a battle commando’s wrath.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: An enemy ends a condition that caused it to grant
you combat advantage
Effect: The enemy still grants you combat advantage until
the end of your next turn.
54
r Breach Enemy Ranks Battle Commando Attack 20
You hurt and confound your enemy, taking advantage of its
confusion to reach a better position.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target a number of squares equal to your Strength
modifier and knock it prone. Each enemy adjacent to
the square where the target is pushed is knocked prone
as well.
Miss: The target is knocked prone.
Effect: You can move a number of squares equal to your
Dexterity modifier, but you must end your movement in
a square adjacent to an enemy.
Quorwar Grayvale,
Battle Commando
Occupation: Quorwar’s parents were escapees
who used to live in a village deep in the heart of an oak
grove, and who survived its destruction. The young
elf grew up in a human city, and although he kept his
kin’s traditional love of unsullied natural places, he also
showed an unusual fondness for battle. Making the
most of his agility and speed, Quorwar joined the mi-
litia; first he served as a scout, then he became a battle
commando. He became famous when he snuck into an
orc fortress, opened the gates to his fellow soldiers and
joined them in their frontal assault, claiming victory.
Quorwar is currently attached to a group of guerrilla
soldiers called the Crimson Dusk Commandos (see
Chapter 6: Organizations).
Physical Description: Quorwar’s height and
weight are typical for an elf of his age. His black hair
show shades of dark green, the same color of his stern
eyes. He wears loose garments that do not hinder his
movements, reinforced with leather and iron to provide
a better protection.
Attributes and Skills: Quorwar is agile and alert.
He is not very good with words, but this is rarely a
setback in his line of work.
Values and Motivations: Quorwar wants revenge
on those who destroyed his village when he was still
a baby. In time, this desire has become an obsession
and now the elf is willing to offer his help to anyone
that might provide him with clues about the raiders’
identity.
Behavior: This battle commando is silent and
aloof. When he speaks, he uses a few choice words and
goes straight to the point.

Useful Knowledge: Quorwar is a skilled scout. He
knows the most treacherous terrain and the layout of
many goblin and orc camps.
Mannerisms: Quorwar tends to silently put a
finger to his lips when a discussion grows tiresome or
useless.
Origins: Quorwar has selected the specialist’s ori-
gin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). He is specialized
in the longbow. Once per day, Quorwar can reroll an
attack roll with the longbow he has just made. He must
use the second result, even if it is lower.
Claudio Casini
Quorwar Grayvale Level 15 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, elf fighter XP 1,200
Initiative +12 Senses Perception +11; low-light vision
HP 133; Bloodied 66
AC 30 (31 with light shield); Fortitude 27, Reflex 27 (28 with
light shield), Will 26
Speed 7
m +3 Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 9 damage.
r +3 Intangible Longbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+20 vs. AC; 1d10 + 11 damage.
R Surging Arrow (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Range 20/40; +18 vs. AC; 1d10 + 14 damage.
R Cover Retreat (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Range 20/40; +20 vs. AC, one attack against one, two, or
three creatures; 2d10 + 11 damage. Each ally of Quorwar
adjacent to the target can shift 4 squares.
M Treacherous Steel (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
+21 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 9 damage, and the target grants
combat advantage to Quorwar (save ends). Quorwar can
draw the weapon he uses to make the attack as part of the
same action he uses to attack with this power.
R Deforming Impact (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Range 20/40; +20 vs. AC; 2d10 + 11 damage, and the
target takes a -2 penalty to AC until the end of the
encounter. Miss: Half damage.
Deep Thrust (minor; daily) ✦ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Quorwar grants combat advantage, but can score a critical
hit with on a roll of 19-20.
Keep the Advantage (immediate reaction; encounter) ✦
Martial
An enemy ends a condition that granted combat advantage
to Quorwar; the enemy still grants combat advantage to
Quorwar until the end of Quorwar’s next turn.
Elven Accuracy (free; encounter)
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Sneak Attack
Once per encounter, Quorwar deals +3d6 damage when
he has combat advantage against his target.
Wild Step
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common,
Elven
Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +13
Str 17 (+10) Dex 20 (+12) Wis 19 (+11)
Con 13 (+8) Int 12 (+8) Cha 11 (+7)
Equipment +3 shadowflow leather armor, +3 longsword, +3
intangible longbow, quiver of flaming roar, light bashing
shield (lvl 15), elven boots
55
 CHAMPION OF HONOR
“There is only one way to know which of us is in the right: a
fight to the death. Don’t you want to find out?”
Prerequisite: Fighter class
A champion of honor is a formidable fighter sworn to
enforce justice with his weapons, as cruel and brutal as
that justice might be; he lives a life of violence, tak-
ing part in contests of honor and loyalty and duels to
the last blood. When he is not dueling for his or his
liege lord’s sake, a champion of honor trains to use any
weapon, no matter how commonplace or exotic, to en-
sure he is never unable to give satisfaction under even
the most unusual conditions.
Champion of Honor Path Features
Challenge to the Last Blood (11th level):
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
When you mark a target with your Combat Superior-
ity class feature, you can choose to deal the target a
-4 penalty to any attack roll that do not target you. If
you do, you will be marked by the target until the end
of your next turn.
Champion’s Action (11th level): When you
spend an action point, instead of taking an extra action
you can reroll a melee attack roll or damage roll.
Justiciar’s Phlegm (16th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action or to gain the
benefits of a Champion’s Action, you also gain a +2
bonus to AC until the end of the encounter.
Champion of Honor Exploits
p Here Waits Thy Doom Champion of Honor Attack 11
You hit your enemy with a grievous blow that leaves its sur-
vival doubtful.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes a
-2 penalty to Will defense until the end of your next turn.
r Armed Trap Champion of Honor Utility 12
With a skilled move, you use your weapons to entrap the en-
emy that hurt you.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Requirement: You must be wielding a shield or a melee
weapon, but not an improvised melee weapon.
Trigger: You take damage from a melee attack
Effect: Reduce taken damage by half your level, and the
enemy who damaged you is restrained until the start of
your next turn.
56
r Executioner’s Blow Champion of Honor Attack 20
With a swift and brutal blow of your weapon, you maim your
enemy.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
ongoing 5 damage (save ends).
Gorngrin Bullbreaker,
Champion of Honor
Occupation: Gorngrin has survived countless bat-
tles that have hardened him in body and spirit. Before
finally pledging his loyalty to the Goldenspear Thane,
the dwarf traveled the world far and wide, defending
the interests of many lords and wealthy individuals,
always clearing them of their charges in trial by combat;
Gorngrin has gained many bitter enemies who would
have liked a different verdict.
Physical Description: Gorngrin is a threatening
figure, and he does nothing to mitigate this impression.
His straight brown hair and the short tangled beard
enhance his stern appearance and his brooding eyes
exude a grim aura. His chest and arms are crisscrossed
with the scars of many duels.
Attributes and Skills: Gorngrin is mighty, cun-
ning, and, when the situation calls for it, merciless.
Values and Motivations: Gorngrin’s heart is im-
pervious to almost anything. Although he is as fond of
riches as any dwarf, his eyes glitter only when he spots
a new foe to defeat.
Behavior: Gorngrin always looks uninterested,
unless someone wishes to hire his services or to chal-
lenge him.
Useful Knowledge: Gorngrin knows every law
and custom concerning duels and trials in his home-
land, and is always careful to educate himself about
those of any foreign venue he might visit.
Mannerisms: The dwarf gnashes his teeth when
he laughs, turning even this simple reaction in an un-
nerving grimace.
Origins: Gorngrin has selected the specialist’s
origin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). Gorngrin is
specialized in the greataxe. Once per day, he can reroll
an attack roll he has just made with his greataxe. He
must use the second result, even if lower.
 Gorngrin Bullbreaker Level 20 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, dwarf fighter XP 2,800
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +13; low-light vision
HP 181; Bloodied 90
AC 35; Fortitude 34, Reflex 28, Will 30
Saving Throws +5 against poison effects
Speed 5
m +4 Terror Greataxe (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 1d12 + 13 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Reaping Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 1d12 + 13 damage. Miss: 5 damage.
M Here Waits Thy Doom (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
+25 vs. AC; 3d12 + 13 damage, and the target takes a -2
penalty to Will defense until the end of Gorngrin’s next turn.
M Exorcism of Steel (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+25 vs. Reflex; 2d12 + 13 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
Francesco Graziani
M Executioner’s Blow (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+27 vs. AC; 4d12 + 13 damage, and the target takes
ongoing 5 damage (save ends).
Armed Trap (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a shield or a melee weapon; Gorngrin takes
damage from a melee attack; Gorngrin reduces taken
damage by 10, and the enemy that dealt the damage is
restrained until the end of Gorngrin’s next turn.
Iron Warrior (minor; daily) ✦ Healing, Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Stand Your Ground
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Dwarven
Skills Endurance +22, Intimidate +15
Str 21 (+15) Dex 13 (+11) Wis 16 (+13)
Con 21 (+15) Int 12 (+11) Cha 11 (+10)
Equipment +4 dwarven scale armor, +4 terror greataxe,
ironskin belt (lvl 15)
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
57
 DRAGONBORN MYRMIDON
“My breath strikes like lightning and can consume you like
a fire. My scales are as hard as any armor. I was born to
fight, it is my destiny!”
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, fighter class
Dragonborn myrmidons decided to dedicate their lives
to battle, honing their bodies, minds and spirits to excel
in hand-to-hand combat. When their draconic herit-
age awakens, they become unequalled killing machines
and can combine breath and steel to lay waste to their
enemies.
Dragonborn Myrmidon Path Fea-
tures
Melee Breath (11th level): When you make an
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
attack with your Dragon Breath racial power, you add
half your level to the damage roll.
Threatening Action (11th level): When you
spend an action point to make an attack that hits, that
attack deals extra damage equal to your Charisma
modifier, and you can push the target 1 square. If you
intimidated the target in the encounter, you can push it
a number of squares equal to your Charisma modifier.
Ancestral Fury (16th level): When bloodied, you
gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against fear effects
and to Fortitude and Will defense.
Dragonborn Myrmidon Exploits
p Wyrm’s Tail Dragonborn Myrmidon 11
You unleash a might tail sweep as strong as a dragon’s tail,
pushing your enemy back.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target 2 squares.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a maul or a warhammer, the
target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
p Frightful Presence Dragonborn Myrmidon Utility 12
Your enemies fear you and keep away from you.
Encounter ✦ Fear
Standard Action Close burst 5
Target: Each enemy in burst
Effect: The target is pushed 1 square and takes a -2 penalty
to attack rolls (save ends).
58
r Jormungand’s Assault Dragonborn Myrmidon Attack 20
You charge a foe and pummel it with a flurry of blows, just like
a raging dragon.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Special: You must charge as part of this attack.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target 1 square, and shift into the space that the target
vacated. Make a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Strength -2 vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
dazed until the end of your next turn, and you push the
target 1 square and shift into the space that the target
vacated. Make a tertiary attack against the same target.
Tertiary Attack: Strength -4 vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
knocked prone.
Trakosar Garkr,
Dragonborn Myrmidon
Occupation: Trakosar’s home town, standing on
the banks of a vast swamp, was attacked and razed to
the ground by the black dragon Ssyrmix and his hordes
of lizardmen. Those grim days left an indelible mark on
the dragonborn’s soul, and now Trakosar only wishes to
kill the monsters and liberate his ancestors’ city. Under
the tutelage of the legendary warlord Dunsaurus,
Trakosar has become a formidable warrior who has put
aside any thought of joy and now lives only for revenge.
Physical Description: Trakosar is an awesome
sight. His reddish scales are thicker on the chest
and shoulders, and the crown of pointed quills
growing around his neck gives him an authoritative
and regal aura.
Attributes and Skills: Trakosar is wise and strong.
Although he is not very agile or swift, few can compete
with him in a melee.
Values and Motivations: Trakosar is determined
to defeat his clan’s nemesis. Although this quest might
cost his life, he is willing to forfeit it, as he knows the
memory of his deeds would live on for ages as the
height of honor.
 Behavior: This fighter acts solemnly and honor-
ably with anyone, especially those whom he considers
his rivals; he saves his most bitter criticisms for himself.
Useful Knowledge: Outside a fighter’s ordinary
skills, Trakosar has very little useful knowledge, except
perhaps a good knowledge of draconic physiology and
tactics.
Mannerisms: Trakosar speaks with a grim voice.
When he is worried, he lets out a long, tense hiss.
Origins: Trakosar has selected the specialist’s
origin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). Trakosar is
specialized in the falchion. Once per day, he can reroll
an attack he has just made with the falchion. He must
use the second result, even if lower.
Dragonborn Fury (only when bloodied)
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
C Dragon Breath (minor; encounter) ✦ Fire
Close blast 3; +28 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 11 fire damage.
Alignment Lawful Good Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Endurance +19, Intimidate +17 (+19 in combat)
Str 23 (+16) Dex 11 (+10) Wis 14 (+12)
Con 19 (+14) Int 12 (+11) Cha 15 (+12)
Equipment +4 flamedrinker plate armor, +4 dragonslayer
falchion

Trakosar Garkr Level 20 Fighter

Medium natural humanoid, dragonborn fighter XP 2,400
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +12
HP 179; Bloodied 89
AC 36; Fortitude 35, Reflex 28, Will 29

Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path

Saving Throws +5 against fear effects
Speed 5
m +4 Dragonslayer Falchion (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+26 vs. AC; 2d4 + 14 damage.
M Reaping Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+26 vs. AC; 2d4 + 14 damage. Miss: 6 damage.
M Exacting Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+32 vs. AC; 4d4 + 14 damage.
M Wyrm’s Tail (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+26 vs. AC; 4d4 + 14 damage, and the target is pushed 2
squares and dazed until the end of Trakosar’s next turn.
M Jormungand’s Assault (standard; part of a charge; daily)
✦ Martial, Weapon
+26 vs. AC; 2d4 + 14 damage, and Trakosar pushes the
target 1 square and shifts into the space that the target
vacated, and makes a secondary attack against the same
target. Secondary Attack: +24 vs. AC; 4d4 +14 damage, the
target is dazed until the end of Trakosar’s next turn, and
Trakosar pushes the target 1 square and shifts into the
space that the target vacated, and makes a tertiary attack
against the same target. Tertiary Attack: +22 vs. AC; 6d4 +
14 damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Frightful Presence (standard; encounter) ✦ Fear
Close burst 5; the target is pushed 1 square back and
takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).
Iron Warrior (minor; daily) ✦ Healing, Martial
Trakosar regains 2d6 + 4 hit points. See the
D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Claudio Casini

59
 ELADRIN BLADE
“My enemies’ armor cannot shield them from my magic, and
their spells shatter like glass under my dancing blades!”
Prerequisites: Eladrin, fighter class, Arcane Initiate feat
Eladrin blades are extraordinary fighters; they com-
bine their skill with blades and spears with a specific
knowledge of battle teleportation. Their foes are often
overwhelmed by a fierce flurry of unexpected blows
and deadly spells.
Eladrin Blade Path Features
Assault Action (11th level): When you spend an
action point to take an extra action, you can teleport 3
squares, but you must end your movement in a square
adjacent to an enemy.
Keen Implement (11th level): You can use any
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
longsword or spear as if it were the implement you
selected to cast your wizard or eladrin blade spells.
Cutting Eclipse (16th level): When you vacate a
square by teleporting, enemies adjacent to that square
take damage equal to your Intelligence modifier and
are dazed until the end of your next turn.
Eladrin Blade Spells
p Surging Spear Eladrin Blade Attack 11
When you point your weapon at the enemy, you unleash a
shockwave that hurts them and knocks them down.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement, Strength
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier force damage, and the tar-
get is knocked prone.
Special: If you selected the Eladrin Soldier feat, you can add
your +2 feat bonus to the damage roll.
r Unstoppable Alloy Eladrin Blade Utility 12
You infuse your sword or spear with eldritch power. Now, no
enemy will be able to resist your weapon.
Daily ✦ Arcane
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your attacks with a
longsword or a spear ignore the enemies’ resistances.
60
r Dancing Cusps Eladrin Blade Attack 20
You assault your enemy with a storm of blows, performing an
elaborate martial dance. Once you have worn them down, you
teleport to elude any retaliation and take a defensive posture.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 1
Primary Target: Each enemy in burst that you can see
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: Until the start of your next turn, adjacent enemies may
be subject to a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: An enemy adjacent to you who at-
tempts to move.
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Effect: If you have made at least one secondary attack, at
the start of your next turn you can teleport a number of
squares equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).
Gilriel Baranruin,
Eladrin Blade
Occupation: Gilriel leads the Wildshadows, a
band of eladrin rebels fighting against the tyranny of
the evil fomorian king Tanfann. The despot overrun
Gilriel’s home town, Ravenwood, usurping the rightful
ruler’s throne and imprisoning him in the bowels of the
earth. Gilriel was part of a family working to overthrow
Tanfann, and when their conspiracy was revealed, the
fomorian’s wrath forced Gilriel and his brothers to go
underground.
Physical Description: Gilriel is tall and lean. His
blonde hair and his dark eyebrows frame two blank
green eyes. His voice is barely a whisper, but it is as cut-
ting as a sword’s edge.
Attributes and Skills: Gilriel is a formidable
fighter; strong, agile and swift. He only lacks a little
sympathy. His heart has grown so hard that he often
appears cold and uncaring.
Values and Motivations: Gilriel is not an evil per-
son: He does not inflict pain without reason; he is too
stern, though, and he often shows little respect for the
needs of others. He thinks only one race can rightfully
rule the faerie land, and he fiercely hates all fomorians,
cyclopses and their minions.
 Behavior: Aloof but never arrogant, Gilriel looks
elusive even in a conversation or in a calm moment.
Useful Knowledge: Gilriel is knowledgeable
about fey secrets and magic.
Mannerisms: This eladrin often turns his back to
those he deems unworthy of his attention, although he
makes sure that this scorning gesture will not expose
him to unnecessary dangers. During the night, when
none can hear him mourning, he sings a dirge for the
loved ones that fell in battle against the tyrant.
Origins: Gilriel has selected the outlaw’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). He adds Perception
and Stealth to his class skills list, and he gains a +1
bonus to Perception and Stealth checks.
Gilriel Baranruin Level 18 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, eladrin fighter XP 1,400
Initiative +14 Senses Perception +16; low-light vision
HP 158; Bloodied 79
AC 36; Fortitude 31, Reflex 32, Will 27
Saving Throws +5 against charm effects, slow and immobilize
attempts
Speed 6
m +4 Duelist’s Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+23 vs. AC; 1d8 + 11 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+23 vs. AC; 1d8 + 11 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
C Surging Spear (minor; encounter) ✦ Arcane, Force,
Implement
Close Blast 3; +21 vs. Reflex; 3d6 + 13 force damage, and
Gilriel knocks the target prone.
Claudio Casini
C Vorpal Tornado (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
Close Burst 1; +23 vs. AC; 1d8 + 11 damage. See the D&D
4E Player’s Handbook.
M Fatal Hesitation (immediate reaction; daily) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
A creature delays its action; the creature delaying its
action; +25 vs. AC; 2d8 + 11 damage, and the target loses
its next standard action. Miss: Half damage.
Unstoppable Alloy (minor; encounter) ✦ Arcane
Until the end of the encounter, Gilriel’s attacks made with
a longsword or a spear ignore enemy resistance.
Unyielding Warrior Spirit (immediate interrupt; encounter)
✦ Martial
Gilriel is hit by an attack that deals force, necrotic, or
psychic damage; Gilriel gains resist force, necrotic, or
psychic 12 until the end of his next turn. The type of
damage is the same of the attack that hit him. If the attack
inflicts a condition of dazed, dominated, immobilized,
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
restrained, slowed, stunned or weakened that a saving
throw can end, Gilriel automatically succeed on those
saving throws at the first opportunity.
Fey Step (Movement; encounter) ✦ Teleportation
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Elven
Skills Arcana +20, Stealth +24
Str 17 (+12) Dex 21 (+14) Wis 12 (+10)
Con 14 (+11) Int 19 (+13) Cha 11 (+9)
Equipment +4 elven feyleather battle armor, +4 lightning
longsword, elven cloak +4, deflecting light shield (lvl 12),
bralani swordsman boots (lvl 13)
Rituals Animal Messenger, Commune with Nature, Enchant
Magic Item, Eye of Alarm
61
 FUSILIER
“The thunder is followed by roaring flames and scorching
lead. No enemy can withstand such power!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, proficiency with muskets
Fusiliers are a unit’s elite gunners. They can quickly
draw and reload their muskets, using them to shoot
distant enemies with deadly barrages, but they can also
cut down enemies in close combat, thanks to the bayo-
nets they have mounted on their weapons.
Fusilier’s Path Features
Fusilier’s Action (11th level): You can spend an
action point to reroll an attack roll or a damage roll
with the musket, using the best result, instead of taking
an extra action.
Musket Expertise (11th level): You can switch
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
a musket’s mode as a free action instead of a minor
action. In addition, when making a ranged attack with
a musket against an adjacent target, you do not provoke
opportunity attacks.
Piercing Accuracy (16th level): When you score
a critical hit with a musket, you deal extra ongoing
damage equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1;
save ends).
Fusilier Exploits
p Pierce and Shoot Fusilier Attack 11
First you hit an enemy with your bayonet, then fire upon it at
point-blank range.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a musket.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (bayonet). Make a
secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Dexterity +2 against Fortitude
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (musket).
p Cloud of Powder Fusilier Utility 12
After firing a shot, your musket exudes a cloud of smoke that
conceals you.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
No Action Personal
Special: You can only use this power after you made a ranged
attack with the musket.
Requirement: You must be wielding a musket.
Effect: You and all creatures adjacent to you gain conceal-
ment until the start of your next turn.
62
r Artillery Salvo Fusilier Attack 20
“Duck!”
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a musket.
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex, three attacks
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is
knocked prone.
Etiel Pyrard
Occupation: Etiel is a young and promising
cadet in the Silver Falcon Academy (an organization
introduced in Chapter 6: Organizations). The son of a
humble craftsman, he made the most of his experience
as a gunsmith and earned himself a place in the ranks
of this prestigious military corps. He distinguished
himself in a campaign against a kobold horde, then he
returned to defend his city from the battlements and
obtained the prestigious task of training new cadets.
Physical Description: Etiel is in perfect shape. His
golden locks and his neat beard frame two dark green
eyes. Etiel always wears his officer’s black and ochre over
his brigantine and a fusilier’s plumed helmet.
Attributes and Skills: Etiel has excellent aim, and
he is also resilient and insightful.
Values and Motivations: Etiel has earned both
his men and his superiors’ trust. He would never sway
from his main objective: defending the city and repel
the attacks of the hated kobolds.
Behavior: This young fusilier, an open-minded
and cheerful person, is always ready to talk–except
when he is on duty.
Useful Knowledge: Not only is Etiel a good fusi-
lier, but as a member of the Silver Falcon Academy, he
has access to the most exclusive military and aristo-
cratic circles.
Mannerisms: Etiel keeps his equipment in top-
notch condition, especially his musket; he thinks taking
care of his weapon is another way of expressing his
dedication to the army.
Origins: Etiel has selected the armorer’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). If he has adequate
tools and material, he can forge weapons and suits of
armor.
 Etiel Pyrard Level 15 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human fighter XP 1,200
Initiative +12 Senses Perception +10
HP 134; Bloodied 67
AC 32; Fortitude 28, Reflex 28, Will 26
Speed 6
m Bayonet set on the +3 Thunderburst Musket (standard;
at-will) ✦ Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 8 damage.
r +3 Thunderburst Musket (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+18 vs. AC (+21 within 7 squares); 2d6 + 10 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 8 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Flashing Steel (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a light blade; +19 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 8 damage.
M Pierce and Shoot (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
Requires a musket; +17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 8 damage. Etiel
makes a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: +20 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 10 damage.
R Smite the Reckless (immediate interrupt; encounter) ✦
Martial, Weapon
Alberto Bontempi
A creature charges Etiel; the creature charging Etiel; +18
vs. Fortitude; 4d6 + 10 damage, and after the attack the
target is slowed until the start of Etiel’s next turn. If the
target ends its movement in a space where it can attack
Etiel, it takes a -2 penalty to its charge’s attack roll.
R Deforming Impact (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+18 vs. AC; 4d6 + 10 damage, and the target takes a -2
penalty to AC until the end of the encounter. Miss: Half
damage.
Cloud of Powder (no action; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a musket; Etiel must have just made a ranged
attack with his musket; Etiel and all adjacent creatures
gain concealment until the start of Etiel’s next turn.
Encumbering Defense (minor; daily) ✦ Martial, Stance
Requires a two-handed weapon; Etiel gains a +3 power
bonus to AC and to Reflex defense.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Athletics +15, Heal +15, Streetwise +12
Str 17 (+10) Dex 20 (+12) Wis 16 (+10)
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Con 14 (+9) Int 12 (+8) Cha 11 (+7)
Equipment +3 brigantine*, +3 thunderburst musket, bracers of
the perfect shot (lvl 13), gloves of piercing (lvl 3)
*New armor described in Chapter 5: a Fighter’s Tools.
63
 INFALLIBLE THROWER
“You hear the thunder after you see the lightning. My axe is
the same way–first you see its gleam, then you die!”
Prerequisite: Fighter class
An infallible thrower is a fighter specialized in heavy
thrown weapons. Thrown hammers and axes are like
lightning in his hands; his assault is relentless and ac-
curate. His rain of steel stuns, dazes and outright slays
the enemy in the blink of an eye.
Infallible Thrower Path Features
Experienced Thrower (11th level): When you
make a ranged attack with a heavy thrown weapon,
both your normal range and your long range increase
by a number of squares equal to your Strength modi-
fier (minimum 1).
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Thrower’s Action (11th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action, you also add half
your level to the damage dealt with any ranged attack
you make in that turn with a heavy thrown weapon.
Versatile Defense (11th level): You gain a +1
bonus to AC when wielding a heavy thrown weapon in
your off-hand.
Ringing Impact (16th level): If you’re wielding
a heavy thrown weapon and make a ranged attack, you
score a critical hit with on a roll of 19-20.
Infallible Thrower Exploits
p Bouncing Strike Infallible Thrower Attack 11
The weapon you throw traces a wide arc and hits a second
target.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a heavy thrown blade.
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack.
Secondary Target: Another creature within 5 squares of the
primary target
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
p Deceptive Trajectory Infallible Thrower Utility 12
You know how to move to hinder your enemy’s targeting.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are hit by a ranged attack.
Effect: You do not take any damage from the attack that just
hit you.
64
r Cry of the Titan Infallible Thrower Attack 20
Your thrown weapon falls upon the enemy like a titan’s maul.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a heavy thrown weapon.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
knocked prone.
Weapon: If you attack with an axe, you gain a bonus to
your damage roll equal to your Constitution modifier.
Weapon: If you attack with a thrown hammer, your tar-
get is stunned until the end of your next turn.
Draatha Koraxir,
Infallible Thrower
Occupation: Draatha is a young and mighty
dragonborn. She grew up among the outlaws who
killed her kin. They posed as her benefactors and
turned her into a skilled fighter specialized in heavy
thrown weapons. The simpleminded dragonborn was
deceived and her skills were exploited for a long time;
when an adventuring party finally defeated the band
of outlaws and showed her that she has been duped,
Draatha thought the only way to make amends for
her sins was forfeiting her life. The heroes’ timely
intervention stopped her at the last moment, and
they offered her a place in their party. Draatha gladly
accepted their offer, and since then she has cared only
about protecting her new family.
Physical Description: Draatha is a squat dragon-
born with thin ochre scales and eyes as black as opals.
Her head is round and surrounded by a crown of quills
vaguely reminiscent of wild, unkempt hair.
Attributes and Skills: Draatha is strong and
stout, but she is also swift and forceful; unfortunately,
she is not very bright, and her education leaves a lot to
be desired.
Values and Motivations: Realizing her former
companions had duped her for a long time, Draatha
has pledged her loyalty to the adventurers who opened
her eyes.
Behavior: Despite longing for acceptance,
Draatha often acts improperly and gives in to excess.
Useful Knowledge: Draatha does not have any
specific useful knowledge.
Mannerisms: Draatha smiles cheerfully when she
is happy, especially when someone acts friendly toward
her. When she is angry, though, her face becomes a
frightful mask and the quills around her neck grow
threateningly high.
 Origins: Draatha has selected the outlaw’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). She adds Perception
and Stealth to her class skills list, and she gains a +1
bonus to Perception and Stealth checks.
Draatha Koraxir Level 11 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, female dragonborn fighter XP 600
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +7
HP 105; Bloodied 52
AC 29; Fortitude 27, Reflex 23, Will 22
Speed 5
r +2 Lightning Axe (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 10 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 10 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
R Bouncing Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a heavy thrown weapon; range 5/10; +17 vs. AC;
2d6 + 10 damage and Draatha makes a secondary attack
against a target within 5 squares from the primary target.
that hit Draatha. Sustain Minor: If Draatha was hit by an
attack that dealt ongoing acid or poison damage, Draatha
benefits of her resistance for another round.
Dragonborn Fury (only when bloodied)
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
C Dragon Breath (minor; encounter) ✦ Poison
Close blast 3; +21 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 8 poison damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Athletics +15, Endurance +13
Str 21 (+10) Dex 14 (+7) Wis 13 (+6)
Con 17 (+8) Int 11 (+5) Cha 14 (+7)
Equipment +2 black iron scale armor, +2 lightning axe, +2
resounding throwing hammer, bracers of the perfect shot (lvl 3)

Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path

Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 10 damage.
M Troll’s Double Claws (standard; sustain standard; encounter)
✦ Healing, Martial, Weapon
Requires two melee weapons; +17 vs. AC, two attacks
against one creature; 1d6 + 10 damage, and Draatha gains
regeneration 3 until the end of her next turn. Sustain
Standard: Draatha attacks again. She cannot sustain this
power for more than 3 times or if she does not hit the
target with both weapons.
R Roaring Hammer’s Slam (standard; daily) ✦ Martial,
Thunder, Weapon
Requires a hammer or a mace; range 5/10; +17 vs. AC, 2d6
+ 10 thunder damage, and the target is deafened until
Draatha’s next turn. Draatha makes a secondary attack
against each creature adjacent to the primary target.
Secondary Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 10 thunder
damage, and the target is deafened until the end of
Draatha’s next turn.
Fortunate Deflection (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦ Martial
Melee weapon; an ally adjacent to Draatha is hit by a
melee attack; Draatha makes a melee attack roll,
and the ally can use that attack’s result
instead of its AC against the enemy
attack.
Resist Toxic Fumes (immediate interrupt;
sustain minor; daily) ✦ Martial
Draatha is hit by an attack that deals
acid or poison damage; Draatha gains
resist acid 13 or resist poison 13 until
the end of her next turn. The type of
damage is the same type of the attack
Simone Delladio

65
 KNIGHT ERRANT
“I am honor and wisdom and measure–or at least, I am the
bold lance defending all three!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, Mounted Combat feat,
proficiency with the lance
A knight errant is an itinerant, equestrian warrior. He
does not fight for a liege lord, still less for coin. No, the
knight errant fights for his own ideals of chivalry and
heroism. In some lands he is a quixotic figure sneered
at by cynical lords and played to advantage by grasping
merchants, in others an idol swooned over by winsome
maidens and looked up to by eager lads.
Knight Errant Path Features
Expert Jouster (11th level): When you are on
your mount, you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws to
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
avoid being knocked prone (see Mounted Combat in
the D&D 4E Dungeon Master’s Guide). In addition, you
also gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with your lance.
Knight’s Action (11th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action, if you use that
action to make a mounted attack, both you and your
mount can make an attack.
Virtue of the Bold (16th level): You gain a +2 bo-
nus to saving throws against charm and fear effects.
Knight Errant Exploits
p Hippogriff’s Mark Knight Errant Attack 11
Your attack is as sudden and deadly as the hippogriff’s claw
emblazoned on many a heraldic symbol.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
marked and dazed until the end of your next turn.
p Equestrian Boldness Knight Errant Utility 12
With a swift tug at the reins and the spurs, you dodge a dan-
gerous blow aimed at you or your mount.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Requirement: You must fight on a mount.
Trigger: An enemy’s attack targets your or your mount’s AC or
Reflex defense.
Effect: Make an Athletics check with a +5 power bonus. You
can use the check’s result instead of the defense targeted
by the enemy.
66
r Joust of Fate Knight Errant Attack 20
As you lower your helmet’s visor and charge your foe, you send
it feeling with one blow and trample everything that stands on
your path.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must fight on a mount and make a charge
as part of your attack.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a lance, the target is stunned
until the end of your next turn.
Effect: Each creature located on a square you pass through
is knocked prone if its size is the same as your mount’s or
only differs by one category (larger or smaller).
Sir Galan Celthor,
Knight Errant
Occupation: Galan is a knight errant who dedi-
cated his life to protect the helpless common folk of a
kingdom constantly besieged by orcish aggression. His
family was cursed by a cruel tattooed hexer (see The
Quintessential Wizard) who used his dark arts to ensure
that all male descendants would rapidly grow old.
Physical Description: Although Galan maintains
his body’s athleticism and as much of his youth as he
can, some telling signs reveal he is rapidly and un-
naturally aging. His shaven face frames two blue and
mournful eyes; his black hair shows stripes of gray and
has been long neglected because of his harsh life on
the road. Beneath his old plate armor, Galan wears a
padded jacket that has seen better days, emblazoned
with his family’s symbol: a charger breaking her chains.
Fenaul, Galan’s beautiful mount, is a war horse (see the
D&D 4E Monster Manual).
Attributes and Skills: Galan is wise and patient,
and he has learned to endure even the harshest condi-
tions.
Values and Motivations: This man is a strong
believer in the ideals of chivalry, and he would be ready
to die to show others and himself the true meaning
of courage. He is always ready to stand for the weak
and downtrodden; still, he longs for a way to break the
curse plaguing him and his kin.
Behavior: Galan is valorous and courteous. He
always speaks gallantly, especially if he is speaking to
a woman. He almost always distrusts spellcasters, as
he considers them treacherous and egotistical, if not
downright diabolical.
Useful Knowledge: Galan is a skilled rider and
his life as a knight errant gives him unequalled knowl-
edge of the region he has chosen to protect.
 Mannerisms: Galan often raises his helmet’s sallet
to stare enemies in the eyes. When he does not have to
play the role of gallant warrior, he often hunches, as if
he felt weak.
Origins: Galan has selected the noble’s origin (see
Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). He adds Diplomacy and
History to his class skills and he gains a +1 bonus to
Diplomacy and History checks.
Sir Galan Celthor Level 16 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human fighter XP 1,400
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +10
HP 143; Bloodied 71
AC 35; Fortitude 33, Reflex 29, Will 29
Saving Throws +2 against charm and fear effects
Speed 5 (8 when mounting Fenaul)
m +3 Lance (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+23 vs. AC; 1d8 + 12 damage.
M Mounted Rush Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+24 vs. AC; 1d8 + 11 damage.
M Tide of Iron (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a shield; +22 vs. AC; 1d8 + 12 damage. See the
D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Hippogriff’s Mark (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Maichol Quinto
+23 vs. AC; 2d8 + 12 damage, and the target is marked and
dazed until the end of Galan’s next turn.
M Talon of the Roc (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+23 vs. AC; 3d8 + 12 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Dragon’s Fangs (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+23 vs. AC, two attacks against one creature or one attack
against each creature; 3d8 + 12 damage. Miss: Half damage.
Equestrian Boldness (immediate interrupt; encounter) ✦
Martial
Requires a mount; an enemy makes an attack against
Galan’s or Fenaul’s AC or Reflex; Galan makes an Athletics
check with a +5 power bonus. He can use the check’s
result instead of the attacked defense’s rating.
Interposing Shield (immediate interrupt; encounter) ✦
Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Good Languages Common, Giant
Skills Athletics +14 (+16 when mounting Fenaul),
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Diplomacy +17, History +14
Str 20 (+13) Dex 12 (+9) Wis 15 (+10)
Con 15 (+10) Int 11 (+8) Cha 17 (+11)
Equipment +3 martial prowess plate armor, +3 lance, lone rider
heavy shield (lvl 14)
67
 LORD OF CHAINS
“A spiked chain is as devious as a snake, and it answers my
commands as if I were a snake charmer.Taste its fangs and
kneel before me!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, proficiency with spiked
chains
Lords of Chains are master of one of the most exotic
weapons in the world. They spin their spiked chains as
if they were natural extensions of their arms, and can
use the chains to trace elaborate defensive arabesques
and deadly attacks.
Lord of Chains Path Features
Whipping Action (11th level): When you wield
a spiked chain and spend an action point to take an
extra action, you also gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls,
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
damage rolls, AC, and Reflex defense until the start of
your next turn.
Whipping Defense (11th level): When you wield
a spiked chain, you and your adjacent allies gain a +1
bonus to AC and Reflex defense.
Spiked Chain Opportunity (16th level): When
you wield a spiked chain, you can make opportunity
attacks against all enemies within the weapon’s reach.
Lord of Chains Exploits
p Scorpion’s Harpoon Lord of Chains Attack 11
You swing your spiked chain and then lash out suddenly. The
chain strikes like a scorpion’s sting and pulls the prey to you.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you pull the
target 1 square and knock it prone.
r Steel Pattern Lord of Chains Utility 12
As you swing your spiked chain over your head, you generate
a slashing and bludgeoning barrier that repels anyone who
dares to attack you.
Daily ✦ Martial
Minor Action Personal
Requirement: You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Effect: You gain cover until the end of your next turn.
Sustain Minor: You sustain the power, but you take a -2
penalty to attack rolls and your speed is reduced by 1
square for as long as you sustain it.
68
r Iron Maiden Lord of Chains Attack 20
Your chain’s spikes fall on your enemy like rain, tearing its flesh
and entrapping it. The more he struggles, the more the spikes
pierce his flesh.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
ongoing 5 damage and is slowed (save ends both).
Special: When the target succeeds on its saving throw, it
takes damage equal to 1[W] + your Strength modifier.
Blasphaor Xalivem,
Lord of Chains
Occupation: Blasphaor had to learn to fight from
the day that he was born. He was captured along with
four brothers by an evil warlord who used them as
shock troops in many demanding and gruesome cam-
paigns. In spite of war’s many horrors and the other
mercenaries’ abuses, Blasphaor survived and learned to
use his spiked chain with deadly skill. He left the mer-
cenary unit he used to serve in and joined an adven-
turing party, looking for fortune and wealth. He lived
happily for a while with his new companions, but one
dark day, after a heated discussion, Blasphaor betrayed
them and ran away after killing a few of them. Now the
lord of chains fears the survivors’ revenge and hides in
a great city’s slums, working as a bounty hunter.
Physical Description: Blasphaor is a massive
tiefling. One of his frontal horns is broken, and his red
eyes flash with a crimson light when he is angered. He
keeps his long and wispy beard braided.
Attributes and Skills: Blasphaor is brawny and
muscular, but he is also cunning and elusive.
Values and Motivations: This tiefling believes
that only the strongest survive, and he always acts on
his basest instincts.
Behavior: Threatening and bullying, especially
with the weak, Blasphaor does not hesitate to resort to
violence. Sometimes, he lashes out for no reason at all,
or at least none anyone else can understand.
Useful Knowledge: This tiefling knows the
metropolis’ underworld very well, as he often scours
the shadiest parts of the city looking for his prey; his
devious nature has also encouraged him to learn how to
use poisons.
 Mannerisms: Blasphaor always pats his spiked
chain’s rings; when he feels threatened; he puffs out his
chest and raises his voice.
Origins: Blasphaor has selected the mercenary’s
origin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). He gains a +1
bonus to all initiative checks and saving throws against
fear effects.

Blasphaor Xalivem Level 17 Soldier

Medium natural humanoid, tiefling fighter XP 1,600
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +10; low-light vision
HP 154; Bloodied 77
AC 32; Fortitude 32, Reflex 27, Will 27
Saving Throws +1 against fear effects
Resistance 13 Fire
Speed 5
m +3 Lifedrinker Spiked Chain (standard; at-will) ✦
Weapon
+23 vs. AC (+24 against a bloodied target); 2d4 + 12
damage.

Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path

M Merciless Wound (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a flail, light blade, or pick; +23 vs. AC (+24 against
a bloodied target); 2d4 + 7 damage, and the target takes
ongoing 1 damage.
M Scorpion’s Harpoon (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Reliable, Weapon
Requires spiked chain; +23 vs. Reflex (+24 against a
bloodied target); 4d4 + 12 damage, and the target is
pulled 1 square and knocked prone.
C Vorpal Tornado (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
Close Burst 1; +23 vs. AC (+24 against a bloodied target);
2d4 + 12 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Fatal Defensive Flaw (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+23 vs. AC, three attacks against one creature (+24 against
a bloodied target); 2d4 + 12 damage, and the target takes
a -2 stacking penalty to AC and Reflex defense for each
attack that hits until the end of Blasphaor’s next turn.
Surprise Step (immediate reaction; encounter) ✦ Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Steel Pattern (minor; sustain minor; encounter) ✦ Martial
Requires a spiked chain; Blasphaor gains cover until the
end of his next turn. Sustain Minor: Blasphaor sustains the
power, but he takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and his
speed is reduced by 1 square for as long as he sustains it.
Infernal Wrath (minor; encounter)
Blasphaor deals 1 extra damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages Common, Abyssal
Skills Intimidate +14, Streetwise +14
Str 20 (+13) Dex 13 (+9) Wis 14 (+10)
Con 18 (+12) Int 14 (+10) Cha 13 (+9)
Andrea Vivaldo

Equipment +3 trollskin scale armor, +3 lifedrinking spiked chain

69
 PILGRIM FIGHTER
“Faith is the most powerful weapon… especially when
combined with a sword!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, Initiate of the Faith feat
Pilgrim fighters take up arms to convert infidels or to
smite them, enhancing the fervor of their faith with
armor and weapons. Pilgrim fighters are not concerned
with setting an example to the faithful, like paladins
do, nor do they inspire hosts of crusaders as clerics.
They are the common soldiers and faithful knights of a
crusading army.
Pilgrim Fighter Path Features
Battle Relic (11th level): You gain a +1 bonus to
attack rolls with the weapon you selected for the Relic
Bearer ability.
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Relic Bearer (11th level): Choose a melee
weapon. You can use that weapon as if it were a holy
symbol when you cast your prayers.
Rightful Aegis (11th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action, you also gain a
bonus to AC and Will defense equal to your Wisdom
modifier until the start of your next turn.
Pious Bulwark (16th level): Once per day, you
can use the divine fortune or turn undead cleric power.
Pilgrim Fighter Prayers
p Burden of Faith Pilgrim Fighter Attack 11
You whisper an orison against your foe; it soon realizes it will
not easily elude your faith’s tenets.
Encounter ✦ Divine, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: 3d10 + Wisdom modifier damage, and the target is
marked until the end of your next turn.
r Aegis of Sacrifice Pilgrim Fighter Utility 12
Through great sacrifices you can gain equally significant
benefits.
Daily ✦ Divine
Minor Action Ranged 5
Target: You or one ally
Effect: Spend a healing surge as a free action; you do not re-
gain any hit points, but you or one ally gains a +5 power
bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.
70
r Divine Tribunal of Arms Pilgrim Fighter Attack 20
You invoke your deity’s judgment against your enemies and
the miracle of healing for you and your allies.
Daily ✦ Divine, Healing, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: You and each ally within 5 squares from you regain hit
points as if you had spent a healing surge.
Katrien of Firekeep,
Pilgrim Fighter
Occupation: Katrien is a fighter who has dedicat-
ed her life to the cause of good. She grew up in a region
ruled by a decadent theocracy, and she is convinced
the gods have chosen her to find the crown of mar-
tyrdom, a long-lost relic; the reason for this belief is a
circlet-shaped birth mark she has on her breast, right
above the heart. When a Steel Prophet (the member of
a brotherhood described in Chapter 6: Organizations)
approached her, impressed with her moral strength and
virtue, Katrien joined their cause, believing the organi-
zation shared her desire to find the holy relic. In spite
of her personal charisma, this fighter does not care
about temporal power, nor does she intend to gather
followers to found her own holy order.
Physical Description: Katrien is a small but
beautiful woman. Her long black hair is covered with
an elegant helmet and her dark eyes shine with dedica-
tion and feeling. She wears the many relics she found
during her adventures: a phylactery hangs from her
neck, a saint’s cameo has been set on her shield and she
keeps a necklace of prayer beads wrapped tight around
her sword’s hilt.
Attributes and Skills: Katrien is very attractive,
but her extraordinary stubbornness has gotten her into
trouble more than once.
Values and Motivations: This fighter sincerely
supports those who oppose evil in all its forms and is
looking for a trusted adventuring party willing to assist
her in her god-given holy quest.
Behavior: Katrien has a commanding temper,
sometimes to the point of being tyrannical. She be-
lieves she is always acting for the best, but she would
surely feel ashamed and hurt if someone remarked on
her lack of faith in others.

Useful Knowledge: Although she is not a cleric,
Katrien has extensive knowledge of the customs, mys-
teries, and tenets of many religious cults.
Mannerisms: Katrien often looks to the sky, as if
she were looking for the answer to a question she dares
not ask. Her soul burns with holy fervor each time she
thinks she is making progress on her lifelong quest.
Origins: Katrien has selected the predestined’s
origin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). Once per day,
she can reroll a saving throw she has just failed.
Emiliano Petrozzi
Katrien of Firekeep Level 13 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, female human fighter XP 800
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +10
HP 117; Bloodied 58
AC 29; Fortitude 28, Reflex 25, Will 26
Speed 5
m +3 Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 10 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 10 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Tide of Iron (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a shield; +19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 10 damage. See the
D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
R Burden of Faith (standard; encounter) ✦ Divine,
Implement
Range 5; +16 vs. AC; 3d10 + 9 damage, and the target is
marked until the end of Katrien’s next turn.
M Chains of Sorrow (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Weapon
+19 vs. AC; 3d8 + 10 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
C Shift the Battlefield (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Close Burst 1; +19 vs. AC; 2d8 + 10 damage. See the D&D
4E Player’s Handbook.
Aegis of Sacrifice (minor; encounter) ✦ Divine
Range 5; Katrien or one ally; Katrien takes 13 damage. The
target gains a +5 power bonus to all defenses until the end
of Katrien’s next turn.
Resist Tortured Senses (immediate interruption; daily) ✦
Martial
Katrien gains resist radiant or thunder 11 until the start
of her next turn. The type of damage is the same of the
attack that hit her. If the attack inflicts a blinded, dazed,
deafened, or stunned condition that a save can end,
Katrien automatically succeeds on her first save against
that condition.
Alignment Good Languages Common, Dwarven
Skills Endurance +12, Heal +15, Religion +12
Str 19 (+10) Dex 11 (+6) Wis 19 (+10)
Con 13 (+7) Int 12 (+7) Cha 14 (+8)
Equipment +2 heroic chainmail, +3 longsword, helm of heroes
(lvl 10), heavy shield of defiance (lvl 8)
71
 TUNNEL DEFENDER
“I have stopped a giant! Do you think goblins have any
chance of passing me?”
Prerequisites: Dwarf, fighter class
Tunnel defenders are the ultimate dwarven fighters.
They have been trained to fight in cramped spaces.
They know how to control the battlefield and push
their enemies into elaborate traps from which they will
find no escape. These fighters’ defenses are as impass-
able as stone, and their mettle is as strong as steel.
Tunnel Defender Path Features
Shield Expert (11th level): You gain a +1 bonus
to AC when you wield a heavy shield.
Tunnel Defender’s Action (11th level): When
you spend an action point to take an extra action, you
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your
next turn.
Ultimate Bulwark (16th level): When you are
subject to forced movement (push, pull, or slide), sub-
tract your Constitution modifier from the number of
squares you have to move. This benefit’s effect does not
stack with the Stand Your Ground racial trait.
Tunnel Defender Exploits
p Crushing Impact Tunnel Defender Attack 11
You deal your foe such a devastating blow that not even its
armor can withstand your power.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
a penalty to AC equal to your Strength modifier until the
end of your next turn.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a hammer, the target is dazed
until the end of your next turn.
r March of Ruin Tunnel Defender Utility 12
You relentlessly gain ground and drive the enemy before you.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Move Action Personal
Effect: Shift to an adjacent square. If the square you shift to
is occupied by a creature, you can push that creature 1
square. The pushed creature takes a -2 penalty to all attack
rolls and damage rolls until the end of your next turn.
72
r Bulette’s Burrowing Tunnel Defender Attack 20
You relentlessly pummel your foes’ legs until you force them to
the ground.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst that you can see
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. You knock the target
prone and it is slowed (save ends).
Agnek Soulstone,
Tunnel Defender
Occupation: Agnek fought hard to become a
tunnel defender, although her parents would have
preferred it if she took holy orders. Since the day the
Elfrender goblin clan killed her betrothed and laid
siege to her clan’s fortress, Agnek felt the urge to wield
a shield and a warhammer.
Physical Description: Agnek could be an aston-
ishingly beautiful dwarf, if only she cared more about
her appearance. Her brown hair fall down her back in
orderly braids. She has an iron gaze and her voice is
stern, but she often grows melancholy when she thinks
of her lost love.
Attributes and Skills: Agnek is an irreprehensible
and altruistic soul. Still, these merits fade away as soon
as she faces her sworn enemies, the goblins, leaving her
cold and savage.
Values and Motivations: This dwarf has chosen
the tunnel defender’s path because she still cannot
accept that her companion is gone; thus, she tries to fill
the void in her heart by protecting others’ loved ones.
Behavior: Agnek constantly strives not to show
any sign of femininity, but the sweet and caring person
she used to be sometimes betrays her.
Useful Knowledge: This dwarf knows her clan’s
fortress and its defenses like the back of her hand.
Recently, she was also forced to learn about the goblins’
customs and military strategies to better fight her
sworn enemies.
Mannerisms: Agnek is a gruff dwarf. When she
learns to care about someone, though, she becomes
very protective of her new friends, even mothering –or
smothering– them.
Origins: Agnek has selected the recruit’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). She adds Insight and
Perception to her class skills list, and she gains a +1
bonus to Insight and Perception checks.
 Agnek Stonesoul Level 11 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, female dwarf fighter XP 600
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +14; low-light vision
HP 109; Bloodied 54
AC 30; Fortitude 27, Reflex 23, Will 23
Saving Throws +5 against poison effects
Speed 5
m +2 Resounding Warhammer (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+15 vs. AC; 1d10 + 8 damage.
M Sure Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d10 + 8 damage.
M Crushing Impact (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+15 vs. AC; 2d10 + 8 damage, and the target takes a -3
penalty to AC and is dazed until the end of Agnek’s next turn.
M Iron Bulwark (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+15 vs. AC; 2d10 + 8 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
Alberto Bontempi
M Victorious Surge (standard; daily) ✦ Healing, Martial,
Reliable, Weapon
+15 vs. AC; 3d10 + 8 damage, and Agnek regains 27 hit
points. See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Stalwart Guard (minor; daily) ✦ Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Unbreakable (immediate reaction; encounter) ✦ Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Stand Your Ground
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Lawful Good Languages Common, Dwarven
Skills Insight +14
Str 17 (+8) Dex 13 (+6) Wis 16 (+8)
Con 21 (+10) Int 11 (+5) Cha 12 (+6)
Equipment +2 mountain plate armor, +2 resounding
warhammer, dwarven helmet (lvl 9), thundering vengeance
heavy shield (lvl 7)
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
73
 ULTIMATE DUELIST
“A duel is like a dance to win the heart of the one you love.
Step by step, follow the rhythm and you will triumph; one
bad step, and you will lose. Only–substitute life for love.”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, proficiency with rapier
Ultimate duelists are the most graceful fencers ever,
and they often fight to show off their superior skills
with the blade. Swords swirl in their hands as if they
were performing magic tricks, but at the right moment,
they can strike blows as deadly as those of the most
brutal fighter.
Ultimate Duelist Path Features
Combat Sense (11th level): You do not grant
combat advantage to your enemies during a surprise
round and you gain a +2 bonus to initiative checks.
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Duelist’s Action (11th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action, you can shift a
number of squares equal to your Dexterity modifier
before or after taking the extra action.
Lightning Reaction (16th level): When you
spend an action point to take an extra action, you also
gain a +2 bonus to Reflex defense and your speed
increases by 2 until the end of the encounter.
Ultimate Duelist Exploits
p Weapon Key Ultimate Duelist Attack 11
You perform an extraordinary fencing move that leaves your
enemy breathless and then entraps it.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex, two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage per attack. If one
attack hits, the target is dazed (save ends). If both
attacks hit the same targets, it is dazed (save ends) and
restrained until the start of your next turn.
p Cobra’s Hypnotic Feint Ultimate Duelist Utility 12
You dodge an incoming blow with inhuman swiftness and
escape your target’s grasp, leaving it astonished.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You are immobilized, restrained, or slowed
Effect: End the above conditions that afflict you and gain a
+2 power bonus to AC and Reflex defense until the end
of your next turn.
74
r Straight to the Heart Ultimate Duelist Attack 20
Your weapon pierces the enemy’s flesh and touches its heart.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target takes
a penalty to Fortitude defense equal to your Dexterity
modifier until the end of the encounter.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a rapier, the target takes
ongoing 5 damage (save ends).
Camwaith,
Ultimate Duelist
Occupation: Camwaith studied under one of
the greatest fencing masters of all time. This half-elf
is rumored to have gained permission to study at her
master’s feet when she impressed him during a fight.
Although other more malicious rumors say that she
obtained his help through seduction, Camwaith unde-
niably remains an extraordinary duelist, blessed with
an unequalled technique.
Physical Description: Camwaith has a lean, agile
body, whose curves are outlined by the tight leather
armor she wears. Her honey hair is cut short and gives
her a roguish air.
Attributes and Skills: Camwaith is skillful and
curious. Thanks to constant practice, she is always in
peak physical condition.
Values and Motivations: Camwaith likes dueling
to constantly push herself beyond her limits. She has
no particular moral imperatives, and she often goes
adventuring just to have the opportunity to travel.
Behavior: Camwaith likes to pretend she is weak
and helpless, a deception quickly abandoned once her
rapier is in hand.
Useful Knowledge: Camwaith knows many
adventurers, including famous fencers and weapon
masters.
Mannerisms: This half-elf likes to mock her foes
in combat to make them lose their tempers and lower
their guards.
Origins: Camwaith has selected the wanderer’s
origin (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). She knows
an additional language (Goblin), she adds Nature to
her class skills list, and she gains a +1 bonus to Nature
checks.
 Camwaith Level 13 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, female half-elf fighter XP 800
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +7; low-light vision
HP 120; Bloodied 60
AC 28; Fortitude 26, Reflex 25, Will 22
Speed 7
m +3 Duelist’s Rapier (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+18 vs. AC; 1d8 + 9 damage.
M Flashing Steel (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a light blade; +19 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 9 damage.
M Riposte Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a light blade; +19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 10 damage. See
the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Storm of Blows (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+18 vs. AC; 1d8 + 13 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Weapon Key (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a light blade; +18 vs. Reflex, two attacks; 1d8 +
9 damage per attack; if an attack hits, the target is dazed

Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path

(save ends); if both attacks hit the same target, it is dazed
(save ends) and restrained until the end of Camwaith’s
next turn.
C Thicket of Blade (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Reliable,
Weapon
Close Burst 1; +18 vs. AC; 3d8 + 9 damage. See the D&D 4E
Player’s Handbook.
Cobra’s Hypnotic Feint (immediate interrupt; encounter) ✦
Marziale
Camwaith is immobilized, restrained or slowed; Camwaith
ends these conditions and gains a +2 power bonus to AC
and to Reflex defense until the end of her next turn.
Last Ditch Evasion (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦ Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Dwarven,
Elven, Goblin
Skills Athletics +14, Nature +13
Str 17 (+9) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 12 (+7)
Con 16 (+9) Int 13 (+7) Cha 13 (+7)
Equipment +3 sylvan leather armor, +3 duelist’s rapier, sheath
of the weapon champion (lvl 9), bracers of defense (lvl 7),
boots of striding
Emiliano Petrozzi

75
 WARRIOR AVATAR
“Now you will know the true source of my strength!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, Pact Initiate feat
A warrior avatar lets a powerful supernatural entity
pervade her body. This arcane union produces extraor-
dinary martial skills. Whether the force behind her arm
is the fickle power of the faerie land, a cruel devil, or
an unfathomable entity from beyond the night sky, it
guides and enhances the warrior avatar.
Warrior Avatar Path Features
Avatar’s Action (11th level): When you spend
an action point to take an extra action, if you use this
action to make an attack with your avatar’s weapon and
the attack hits, you deal extra ongoing damage equal to
your Charisma modifier (save ends).
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Avatar’s Weapon (11th level): Selects a melee
weapon. You can use this weapon as if it were the
implement you chose to cast your warlock or warrior
avatar spells.
Pact Embodiment (16th level): You become the
embodiment of the pact you made with your unearthly
entity.
Fey Pact: When you score a critical hit with your
avatar’s weapon, you become invisible to the target
until the end of your next turn.
Infernal Pact: When you are bloodied and you score
a critical hit with your avatar’s weapon, you gain tem-
porary hit points equal to half the damage you dealt.
Star Pact: Once per day, you can reroll an attack
roll, damage roll, skill check, ability check, or saving
throw of your choice, using the best result.
Warrior Avatar Spells
p Weaken Spirit Warrior Avatar Attack 11
As you clench your fist, you can almost grasp your enemy’s
soul and feel its defenses fading.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 1d10 + Constitution modifier damage, and the target
gains vulnerability 5 to all attacks until the end of your
next turn.
76
r Guardian Entity’s Spite Warrior Avatar Utility 12
Your guardian entity smites those who dare to hurt you, and
your pact allows you to shrug the pain off.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Healing
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: You take damage from a melee attack
Effect: The enemy that hit you takes ongoing 5 damage and is
dazed (save ends both). You can spend a healing surge and
add your Charisma modifier to the hit points you regain.
r Rend Spirit Warrior Avatar Attack 20
You thrust your blade in the enemy’s body, but your magic
ensures that you will hurt its soul as well.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Constitution or Charisma vs. Will
Hit: The attack’s type of damage depends on the pact
you made. Fey Pact: 1d10 + Charisma modifier psychic
damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls
until the end of your next turn. Infernal Pact: 1d10 +
Constitution modifier necrotic damage, and you gain
temporary hit points equal to twice your Constitution
modifier. Star Pact: 1d10 + Constitution modifier cold
damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).
Special: At 20th level, choose between Charisma or
Constitution to determine which ability will regulate this
power. Once you have chosen, you cannot change your
choice later.
Miss: Half damage, and no secondary attack.
Nymotalia,
Warrior Avatar
Occupation: Nymotalia was raised by a cruel
warlock to become the champion of an orc tribe. The
warlock found the tiefling when she was still a toddler
and he considered her a sign of benevolence from the
otherworldly entities he worshipped. Nymotalia grew
up as a prisoner and had to endure countless vexa-
tions from the warlock, who wanted to make a merci-
less fighter out of her, and who also initiated her to the
arcane mysteries of his infernal pact. At last unable to
tolerate this mistreatment, Nymotalia killed her tutor
and claimed command of the tribe. Now she leads the
orcs in their raids against frontier settlements.
Physical Description: Nymotalia is a tall, muscu-
lar figure. Her eyes are as black as ink, just like her hair.
Her body is covered with tribal tattoos and piercing,
but in battle she wears a grim suit of chainmail that
covers most of them.
 Attributes and Skills: Nymotalia is headstrong
and stubborn. She will not be denied anything.
Values and Motivations: This tiefling only cares
about her own benefit. Above all else, she wishes to
know the truth about her origins.
Behavior: Nymotalia is commanding and crude. She
does not care what others might think of her, and she is
willing to sacrifice anyone in order to achieve victory.
Useful Knowledge: Not only is Nymotalia a
formidable fighter, but she is also knowledgeable about
demons and other extraplanar creatures born of the
depths of hell.
Mannerisms: When she inflicts pain and suffering
on another creature, Nymotalia grins with inhuman glee.
Origins: Nymotalia has selected the slave’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). She gains a +2 bonus
to Endurance and Streetwise checks.
Emiliano Petrozzi
Nymotalia Level 18 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, tiefling fighter XP 2,000
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +10; low-light vision
HP 158; Bloodied 79
AC 33; Fortitude 33, Reflex 27, Will 31
Resist 14 Fire
Speed 5
m +3 Berserker Greatsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+24 vs. AC (+25 against a bloodied target); 1d10 + 12
damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+24 vs. AC (+25 against a bloodied target); 1d10 + 12
damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Brutal Domino (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+24 vs. Fortitude (+25 against a bloodied target); 2d10
+ 12, and Nymotalia pushes the target 1 square and
knocks it prone. If the target ends its movement in a space
occupied by a creature, the creature is dazed until the end
of Nymotalia’s next turn.
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
R Weaken Spirit (standard; encounter) ✦ Arcane, Implement
Ranged 10; +21 vs. Will (+22 against a bloodied target);
1d10 + 9 damage, and the target gains vulnerability 5 to
all attacks until the end of Nymotalia’s next turn.
M A Thousand Sparks (standard; daily) ✦ Lightning,
Martial, Weapon
Requires an axe, hammer, heavy blade, or mace; +24 vs.
AC (+25 against a bloodied target); 4d10 + 12 lightning
damage, and each creature within close burst 1 from
the primary target takes 5 lightning damage. Miss: Half
damage, and each creature within close burst 1 from the
primary target takes 5 lightning damage.
Guardian Entity’s Spite (immediate reaction; daily) ✦
Arcane, Healing
Nymotalia takes damage from a melee attack; the creature
who hit Nymotalia takes ongoing 5 damage and is dazed
(save ends both). Nymotalia can spend a healing surge
and add 5 to the hit points she regains.
Prepare to Assault (minor; daily) ✦ Martial
Nymotalia spends a healing surge; she does not regain any
hit points, but she gains 2d6 + 5 temporary hit points and
resist 2 to all damage until the end of the encounter.
Infernal Wrath (minor; encounter)
Nymotalia deals 5 extra damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Abyssal
Skills Arcana +15, Intimidate +19
Str 21 (+14) Dex 12 (+10) Wis 13 (+10)
Con 14 (+11) Int 13 (+10) Cha 21 (+14)
Equipment +4 magic-hungry chainmail, +3 berserker
greatsword, belt of vigor (lvl 12)
Rituals Magic Circle, Phantom Steed, View Location
77
 WHIRLWIND DERVISH
“Exotic, savage and dangerous, with a leap I can dance
among my enemies.Watch closely, if you can, and you will
see them fall one by one!”
Prerequisites: Fighter class, Weapon Focus (falchion)
or Weapon Focus (scimitar) feat
Dervishes are exotic, focused, and keen fighters; they
have perfected a formidable combat technique that
allows them to face more enemies at once. Swift and
deadly, they can protect their companions with a wall
of swirling blades or blind and slow their enemies
down with lightning-fast and accurate blows from their
curved blades.
Whirlwind Dervish Path Features
Dervish’s Action (11th level): When you spend
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
an action point to take an extra action, if you use that
action to make an attack with a scimitar or a falchion
and the attack hits, you can immediately make a basic
melee attack against an adjacent enemy as a free action.
Martial Dance (11th level): When an enemy adja-
cent to you attacks your Reflex defense, that enemy takes
damage equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1).
Keen Crescent (16th level): You can score a criti-
cal hit with a scimitar or a falchion on a roll of 18-20.
Whirlwind Dervish Exploits
p Blinding Blow of Sand Whirlwind Dervish Attack 11
Your glancing blow wounds an enemy and blinds another with
your weapon’s flashing steel.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon, Reliable
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a falchion or a scimitar.
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. Make a secondary
attack.
Secondary Target: One creature within 5 squares of the
primary target that you can see
Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs. Will
Hit: The target is blinded until the end of your next turn.
78
r Rattlesnake’s Deception Whirlwind Dervish Utility 12
Like a rattlesnake, you distract a foe with your feints, then
strike where it is most vulnerable.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: An adjacent enemy targets you with an attack
Effect: You switch place with the enemy that triggered this
power. In addition, that enemy grants you combat ad-
vantage until the end of your next turn.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a falchion or a scimitar, that
enemy cannot shift until the end of your next turn.
r Desert’s Spinning Vortex Whirlwind Dervish Attack 20
With lightning speed, you dodge your enemies’ blow and at-
tack them, cutting their flesh and blinding their eyes as if you
were a sandstorm.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 1
Requirement: You must be wielding a falchion or a scimitar.
Target: Each enemy in burst that you can see
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the
target 1 square.
Effect: If you hit at least one enemy, you gain a +2 power
bonus to AC and to Reflex defense until the end of your
next turn. If you miss all enemies, the targets are blinded
(save ends).
Lamya, Whirlwind Dervish
Occupation: Lamya was born and raised in a
halfling nomad camp, on the edges of a vast desert
plain. She was trained to dance and fight even as a
child, and she soon became an extraordinary athlete.
Like many of her ancestors, she felt the urge to leave
the lands she grew in to explore the unknown; she
visited a human metropolis built among the sands and
she took the identity of an acrobatic dancer, swinging
between artistic performances and exciting adventures
among dunes and town alleys.
Physical Description: Lamya is graceful and
well-built. Her dark skin is made even more beautiful
by glittering piercings and henna tattoos that highlight
her large and exotic blue eyes.
 Attributes and Skills: Lamya is swift and athletic.
In addition, she is insightful and has a fiery temper.
Values and Motivations: This fighter zealously
follows her people’s religious traditions; other than those
strictures, she only dutifully observes the discipline re-
quired to maintain herself in dancing –and fighting– trim.
Behavior: Lamya is quiet and discreet. When she
is upset, a rare occurrence, she lets her scimitar do the
talking for her.
Useful Knowledge: Lamya is a skilled acrobat,
and she knows the artistic world of the city where she
works very well.
Mannerisms: Lamya prays with a thin, musical
voice, facing the rising or the setting sun.
Origins: Lamya has selected the wanderer’s origin
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). She knows an addi-
tional language (Elven) and she adds Nature to her class
skill list, and she gains a +1 bonus to Nature checks.
Simone Delladio
Lamya Level 12 Soldier
Small natural humanoid, female halfling fighter XP 700
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +8
HP 109; Bloodied 54
AC 28; Fortitude 27, Reflex 25, Will 23
Saving Throws +5 against fear effects
Speed 6
m +2 Flaming Scimitar (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d8 + 9 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Reaping Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d8 + 9 damage. Miss: 4 damage.
M Sudden Surge (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 2d8 + 9 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Blinding Blow of Sand (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial,
Weapon
Requires scimitar or falchion; +17 vs. AC; 2d8 + 9 damage.
Lamya makes a secondary attack against another target.
Chapter 3: A Fighter's Path
Secondary Attack: A creature within 5 squares of the
primary target that Lamya can see; +15 vs. Will; the target
is blinded until the end of Lamya’s next turn.
C Thicket of Blades (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Reliable,
Weapon
Close Burst 1; +17 vs. AC; 3d8 + 9 damage. See the D&D 4E
Player’s Handbook.
Last Ditch Evasion (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦ Martial
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Rattlesnake’s Deception (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦
Martial, Weapon
An adjacent enemy targets Lamya with an attack; Lamya
switches place with the enemy that triggered this power.
In addition, that enemy grants combat advantage to
Lamya until the end of Lamya’s next turn; if Lamya wields
a scimitar or a falchion, that enemy cannot shift until the
end of Lamya’s next turn.
Nimble Reaction
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Second Chance
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Elven,
Primordial
Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +14
Str 19 (+10) Dex 19 (+10) Wis 14 (+8)
Con 13 (+7) Int 12 (+7) Cha 13 (+7)
Equipment +2 barkskin armor, +2 flaming scimitar, acrobat
boots
79
 A Fighter's Feat CHAPTER 4

R iglen’s armor had saved his life, but now it was nothing but a mangled mess of steel. Arrows still hung
from the rings of his chainmail, the handiwork of kobold minions in the service of Syphodol, the dragon-
born warlock at Jarek’s command. If he hadn’t fitted the armor to his exacting standards, if he hadn’t
known how to shield himself against the worst of the volley–well, he would not have had to worry about Syphodol.
Vanquishing the kobold host had been a demanding task, supported as they were by the dragonborn’s dark sorcery.
Unfortunately, though the minions were routed, their master remained.
“Die, you fool!” Syphodol swore, shouting his curse over the bolts of purplish lightning arcing from his clawed
fingers. Riglen’s muscles screamed in agony as the dark energy wracked his body. He crumpled to the stone floor,
twitched, rose–but only to his hands and knees, before his burning nerves stole his strength away.
“Did you really think I would allow you to approach me?” The dragonborn’s mocking laughter hissed across the
gap between them. “You are a very sturdy ape,” he allowed, “but I’ll see your flesh curdle long before you could
profane my scales with your crude touch. And then, I’ll do the same to the rest of your primitive little band. My
master will be well pleased to hear of your deaths, though I can’t see why he should trouble himself.”
Still clinging to his shield, Riglen tried to crawl up the stair leading to the dais where Syphodol stood, to reach the
sword he had lost during the earlier melee.
“Looking for this?” the warlock pointed at the weapon and hissed another laugh. “I’m almost impressed, ape.”
He kicked the blade away from Riglen’s desperately outstretched fingers. “Almost.”
Riglen was too exhausted to even look up at the fanged grin he knew would be splitting the dragonborn’s muzzle. He
could barely breathe. His muscles ached. The armor that had spared him from kobold arrows only seemed to worsen
the agony of their master’s lightning.
He was almost beaten.
But as Syphodol said–almost.
The dragonborn languidly stretched out his weirdly-engraved wand. He waited until Riglen’s fixed his gaze on the
purplish glow before, with an arcane shout, unleashing a final, killing bolt.
This time Riglen was ready; he had endured each blast, slowly gaining ground on his enemy, to risk all in one last,
desperate move.
With surging rage, he raised his shield; the room flashed purple and white and the walls trembled, shaken by echoing
thunder.
The purplish lightning struck the shield, sparked–rebounded.
Crackling hideously, the blue-white arc of lightning took the warlock full in the chest. The blast hurled him back
against the dais, hissing in shock and pain. He thrashed against the bloodied stone table, cursing and gasping.
By the time Syphodol’s twitching stopped, Riglen had retrieved his sword and pressed its point to Syphodol’s throat.
“I’m almost impressed, lizard,” Riglen said. His bolt-blackened lips split into a broad grin. “Almost.”

80
Roberto Pitturru
 Feats
If a fighter’s powers are what make him an unequalled
combatant, his feats are the assets that distinguish
him from other members of his class. Most fighter
feats grant a bonus to damage rolls, or increase de-
fenses or saving throws, but certain feats also allow a
fighter to execute unique and extraordinary moves,
especially if he wields a specific weapon or wears a
particular type of armor.
The following feats, with a few exceptions, are
specifically designed with the fighter in mind and allow
members of this class to exploit their weapons and
equipment as never before. When a fighter acquires
these feats, he will be able to withstand the heaviest
blows, survive the hottest flames and even turn damage
back against his enemies.
Heroic Tier Feats
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
Any feat in the following section is available to a char-
acter of any level who meets the prerequisites. Heroic
tier feats are the only feats you can take if you are 10th
level or lower.
Brutal Brawl [Fighter]
Prerequisite: Fighter
Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls
and damage rolls when you make an unarmed attack.
Increase bonus to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 21st level.
Combat Runner [Halfling]
Prerequisites: Halfling, trained in Athletics
Benefit: You do not grant combat advantage when
running, and you only take a -2 penalty instead of a -5
penalty to attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
Crippling Shot
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with a bow
or a crossbow, the target is slowed until the start of
your next turn.
Defensive Shooter [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Defensive Mobility
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to AC against
opportunity attacks provoked by the ranged attacks you
make when adjacent to an enemy.
82
Dragonborn Contest
[Dragonborn, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, fighter, Combat Chal-
lenge class feature
Benefit: When marking a target of higher level
than yours, you gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls and
damage rolls against that target as long as the mark
remains.
Dwarven Vigor [Dwarf]
Prerequisite: Dwarf
Benefit: You gain dwarven vigor as daily power.
Dwarven Vigor Feat Power
You summon every bit of dwarven stamina, enduring even the
most intense heat and frost.
Daily ✦ Martial
Standard Action Personal
Effect: You gain resist cold or resist fire equal to 5 + half your
level until the end of the encounter.
Entangling Flail
Prerequisite: Str 15, Dex 15
Benefit: When you score a critical hit against a foe
with a flail, that foe is slowed until the end of your next
turn.
Entrapping Shield [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Light)
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with a melee
attack, your target is restrained until the start of your
next turn.
Special: You must have a light shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.
Hardened Plate
Prerequisite: Training with plate armor
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to AC when you
are attacked with axes, heavy blades, light blades, or
polearms in melee.
Special: You must wear a plate armor to benefit
from this feat.
Impervious Chain
Prerequisite: Training with chainmail armor
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to AC when you
are attacked with hammers, maces, staffs, or unarmed
attacks in a melee.
Special: You must wear chainmail to benefit from
this feat.
HEROIC TIER FEATS
Name Prerequisites Benefit
Brutal Brawl Fighter +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls
with unarmed attacks
Combat Runner Halfling, trained in Athletics When running, you do not grant combat
advantage and the penalty to your attack
rolls is reduced
Crippling Shot Dex 15 Your enemy is slowed if you score a critical hit
with a bow or crossbow
Defensive Shooter Fighter, Defensive Mobility +3 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks
provoked by the use of a ranged weapon
Dragonborn Contest Dragonborn, fighter, Combat Challenge +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls
class feature against marked enemies of higher level
Dwarven Vigor Dwarf Gain dwarven vigor as daily power
Entangling Flail Str 15, Dex 15 Your enemy is slowed if you score a critical hit
with a flail
Entrapping Shield Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Light) If you score a critical hit in a melee attack,
your foe is restrained
Hardened Plate Training with plate armor +2 bonus to AC against some melee weapon

Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat

groups
Impervious Chain Training with chainmail +2 bonus to AC against some melee weapon
groups
Indomitable Courage – +2 bonus to saves against charm and fear
effects
Insightful Counterattack Wis 13, half-elf Add Wis modifier when you make
opportunity attacks
Isolating Shield Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Heavy) Gain resist fire and resist cold with heavy
shields
Pierce Armor Fighter +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls
against a foe wearing heavy armor
Point-Blank Shooter Dex 13, proficient with dueling pistols or Add your Dex modifier to the maximum
muskets range that grants you the benefits of the
point-blank property
Refractory Shield Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Heavy) Gain resist acid and resist lightning with
heavy shield
Rest in Armor Trained in Endurance, trained with armor You can rest while in your armor
(any)
Ritual Warrior Wis 15, fighter, Combat Superiority class Allows you to master and perform martial
feature rituals
Shield Proficiency Str 13, Dex 13, Shield Proficiency (Light) Proficiency with bucklers
(Buckler)
Shield Proficiency Str 17, Shield Proficiency (Heavy) Proficiency with tower shields
(Tower)
Steady Hand Str 15 +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls
made with weapons with the heavy thrown
property
Tight Grab Str 15 +3 bonus to Strength checks to grab a
creature
Tight Scale Training with scale armor +2 bonus to AC against some melee weapon
groups

83
 Indomitable Courage
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to saves against
charm and fear effects.
Insightful Counterattack [Half-Elf]
Prerequisites: Wis 13, half-elf
Benefit: When making an opportunity at-
tack against a foe that attacked you since the end of
your last turn, you add your Wisdom modifier to the
Strength modifier of the attack roll.
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
Isolating Shield [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Heavy)
Benefit: When using a total defense action, you
also gain resist fire and resist cold equal to twice your
shield bonus.
Special: You must have a heavy shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.

Alberto Bontempi

A fighter resting in his armor is always ready for battle.

84
Pierce Armor [Fighter]
Prerequisite: Fighter
Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to attack and
damage rolls when you attack an enemy wearing a
heavy armor.
Point-Blank Shooter
Prerequisites: Dex 13, proficient with dueling
pistol or musket
Benefit: You add your Dexterity modifier to the
maximum square range that allows you to benefit from
a firearm’s point-blank property.
Refractory Shield [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Shield Proficiency (Heavy)
Benefit: When using a total defense action, you
also gain resist acid and resist lightning equal to twice
your shield bonus.
Special: You must have a heavy shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.
Rest in Armor
Prerequisites: Training in Endurance, training
with armor (any)
Benefit: You can take an extended rest wearing an
armor you have been trained with, and you do not take
any negative condition for that (see Resting in Armor
in Chapter 5: A Fighter’s Tools).
Ritual Warrior [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Wis 15, fighter, Combat Superiority
class feature
Benefit: You can master and perform martial ritu-
als of your level or lower.
See Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power for more infor-
mation about acquiring, mastering, and performing
martial rituals.
Shield Proficiency (Buckler)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 13, Shield Proficiency
(Light)
Benefit: You gain proficiency with bucklers.
Shield Proficiency (Tower)
Prerequisites: Str 17, Shield Proficiency (Heavy)
Benefit: You gain proficiency with tower shields.
Steady Hand
Prerequisite: Str 15
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack and
damage rolls when you make a ranged attack using a
weapon with the heavy thrown property, if you did not
move since the end of your last turn.
Tight Grab
Prerequisite: Str 15
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to Strength
checks made to grab a creature.
Tight Scale
Prerequisite: Training with scale armor
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to AC when you
are attacked with flails, picks, or spears in a melee.
Special: You must wear a scale armor to benefit
from this feat.
Paragon Tier Feats
Any feat in the following section is available to a charac-
ter of 11th level or higher who meets the prerequisites.
Active Offense [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Wis 15, fighter
Benefit: You can spend an action point to regain
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
an encounter attack power you have already used,
instead of taking an extra action.
Active Utility [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Wis 15, fighter
Benefit: You can spend an action point to regain
an encounter utility power you have already used,
instead of taking an extra action.
Blade Guard
Prerequisites: Str 15, Dex 17
Benefit: If one of your melee attacks with a light
blade or a heavy blade misses and that attack would
usually deal no damage in case of a miss, you gain a +2
feat bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.
Bralani Fencing [Eladrin]
Prerequisites: Eladrin, fey step racial power
Benefit: When you use your fey step power, you
gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls made with a longsword
or with any spear until the end of your next turn.
Cautious Outflanking
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus to AC against oppor-
tunity attacks provoked by your move actions.
Chain Impact
Prerequisites: Con 15, Impervious Chain
Benefit: When you are hit by a melee attack dealt
with hammers, maces, staves, or unarmed attacks, you
can spend a healing surge as an immediate reaction.
You do not regain any hit points, but the foe that at-
tacked you is weakened until the end of your next turn.
Special: You must wear chainmail to benefit from
this feat.
85
 PARAGON TIER FEATS
Name Prerequisites Benefit
Active Offense Wis 15, fighter Spend an action point to regain an en-
counter attack power
Active Utility Wis 15, fighter Spend an action point to regain an en-
counter utility power
Blade Guard Str 15, Dex 17 +2 bonus to AC in case you miss an attack
Bralani Fencing Eladrin, fey step racial power Use the fey step power to gain a +2 bonus to
attack rolls with longswords and spears
Cautious Outflanking Dex 15 +3 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks
provoked by movement
Chain Impact Con 15, Impervious Chain Spend a healing surge to weaken a foe that
hit you
Deflecting Shield Dex 15, fighter, Refractory Shield When you take acid or lightning damage,
you deal acid or lightning damage to a foe
within 3 squares
Diabolical Surge Tiefling, fighter, infernal wrath racial power Deal extra damage when using infernal
wrath
Elusive Shield Fighter, Shield Specialization Gain cover against ranged attacks and da-
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat

mage reduction against missed area or close

attacks
Fiery Burst Proficient with dueling pistols or muskets Score a critical hit with a dueling pistol or a
musket to deal fire damage in close blast 3
Grappling Mobility Str 19, Improved Grab +2 bonus to attack rolls to pull a grabbed
target, and you do not provoke opportunity
attacks
Light Shield Focus Shield Specialization +2 bonus to Reflex defense against a single
foe’s attacks
Plate Backlash Str 17, Hardened Plate Spend a healing surge to daze a foe that hit
you
Quick Firearm Reload Dex 17, proficient with dueling pistols or Reduce the time required to reload your
muskets firearms
Recovering Surge Fighter Spend a healing surge to make a saving
throw
Ringing Impact Str 15, Con 17 Score a critical hit with a hammer or a mace
to deal a -2 penalty to your foe’s defenses
Side by Side – +1 bonus to AC and Reflex defense when you
are adjacent to an ally
Sliding Shaft Str 15, Wis 15 You can flank enemies within reach when
using a polearm
Stuck Among Scales Dex 15, Tight Scale Spend a healing surge to immobilize a foe
that hit you
Swift Executioner Dex 15 Deal a coup de grace as move action
Tearing Axes Str 17, Con 13 Score a critical hit with an axe to deal on-
going extra damage

86
 Deflecting Shield [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 15, fighter, Refractory Shield
Benefit: When you take damage from an attack that
has the acid or lightning keyword, you can deal damage
of the same type equal to your Dexterity modifier, up to
the amount you have taken, to a target within 3 squares
other than the enemy that made the attack.
Special: You must have a heavy shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.
Diabolical Surge [Tiefling, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Tiefling, fighter, infernal wrath racial
power
Benefit: When you use your infernal wrath power,
if your attack is a melee attack that hits and deals
damage, you deal extra damage equal to your Strength
modifier, instead of your Charisma modifier.
Elusive Shield [Fighter]
Fiery Burst
Prerequisite: Proficiency with dueling pistols or
muskets
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with a pistol
or a musket, you deal 1d6 fire damage to all creatures
within close blast 3.
Grappling Mobility
Prerequisites: Str 19, Improved Grab
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Strength
attacks made to pull a grabbed target. In addition, if
you leave a square adjacent to an enemy as you pull a
grabbed target, the enemy cannot make an opportunity
attack against you.
Light Shield Focus
Prerequisite: Shield Specialization
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Reflex defense
against the attacks of a single foe of your choice.

Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat

Prerequisites: Fighter, Shield Specialization Special: You must have a light shield equipped to
Benefit: You gain the benefit of cover against benefit from this feat.
ranged attacks made from a range of 5 or more squares.
In addition, when an area or close attack against AC or
Reflex defense misses you but would deal damage in
case of a miss, you can subtract your shield bonus from
the damage you take.
Special: You must have a heavy shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.
Roberto Pitturru

Not even flames can penetrate a skillfully wielded shield.

87
 Plate Backlash
Prerequisites: Str 17, Hardened Plate
Benefit: When you are hit by a melee attack dealt
with axes, heavy blades, light blades, or polearms, you
can spend a healing surge as an immediate reaction.
You do not regain any hit points, but the foe that at-
tacked you is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Special: You must wear plate armor to benefit
from this feat.
Quick Firearm Reload
Prerequisites: Dex 17, proficiency with dueling
pistols or muskets
Benefit: You can reload a dueling pistol as a free
action instead of a minor action, and you can reload
a musket as a minor action, instead of a standard action.
Recovering Surge [Fighter]
Prerequisite: Fighter
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
Benefit: Once per turn, you can spend a heal-
ing surge to reroll a saving throw you have just failed
against one of the following conditions that affect you
and that a save can end: blinded, dazed, deafened, help-
less, slowed, weakened.
Ringing Impact
Prerequisites: Str 15, Con 17
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with a
hammer or a mace, the target takes a -2 penalty to all
defenses until the start of your next turn.
Side by Side
Benefit: When you are adjacent to an ally, you gain
a +1 feat bonus to AC and to Reflex defense.
Sliding Shaft
Prerequisites: Str 15, Wis 15
Benefit: When you wield a polearm, you can flank all
enemies within reach, instead of only adjacent enemies.
Stuck Among Scales
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Tight Scale
Benefit: When you are hit by a melee attack dealt
with flails, picks, or spears, you can spend a healing
surge as an immediate reaction. You do not regain any
hit points, but the foe that attacked you is immobilized
until the end of your next turn.
Special: You must wear a scale armor to benefit
from this feat.
Swift Executioner
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Benefit: You can deal a coup de grace with a minor
action instead of a standard action, and you deal 1d10
extra damage.
88
Tearing Axes
Prerequisites: Str 17, Con 13
Benefit: When you score a critical hit with any
type of axe, you also deal ongoing damage equal to
your Strength modifier (save ends).
Epic Tier Feats
Any feat in the following section is available to a charac-
ter of 21st level or higher who meets the prerequisites.
Active Offense Mastery [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Wis 17, fighter, Active Offense
Benefit: You can spend an action point to regain a
daily attack power, instead of taking an extra action.
Active Utility Mastery [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Wis 17, fighter, Active Utility
Benefit: You can spend an action point to regain a
daily utility power, instead of taking an extra action.
Additional Martial Action [Fighter]
Prerequisite: Fighter
Benefit: You start with two action points instead
of one, but you can only use the second action point
to take an extra action that must be an attack with the
weapon keyword.
Special: After taking an extended rest, you lose
any action point you did not use, but start with two
new action points.
Battle-Hardened [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Con 17, fighter, Improved Second
Wind
Benefit: You can use second wind twice per
encounter.
Chain Mastery
Prerequisite: Impervious Chain
Benefit: You can spend an action point as im-
mediate reaction to reduce damage taken from a melee
attack made with hammers, maces, staves, or unarmed
attacks; you reduce an amount of damage equal to your
chainmail’s bonus, instead of taking an extra action.
Special: You must wear chainmail to benefit from
this feat.
Firearm Mastery
Prerequisites: Str 17, Dex 21, proficient with
dueling pistols or muskets
Benefit: When you make a ranged attack with a
pistol or a musket, you score a critical hit with a natural
roll of 19 or 20.
EPIC TIER FEATS
Name Prerequisites Benefit
Active Offense Mastery Wis 17, fighter, Active Offense Spend an action point to regain a daily attack
power
Active Utility Mastery Wis 17, fighter, Active Utility Spend an action point to regain a daily utility
power
Additional Martial Action Fighter Gain an additional action point to use as an
attack
Battle-Hardened Con 17, fighter, Improved Second Wind Use second wind twice per encounter
Chain Mastery Impervious Chain Spend an action point to reduce damage
from some weapon groups
Firearm Mastery Str 17, Dex 21, proficient with dueling Score a critical hit with a natural roll of 19
pistols or muskets or 20 when making a ranged attack with a
duelling pistol or a musket
Grappling Mastery Str 21, Con 17,Grapple Mobility Score a critical hit with a natural roll of 19 or
20 when making a melee unarmed attack
Mighty Grasp Str 21, Con 17 Wield a two-handed weapon with one hand
and take a penalty
Mighty Superiority Str 21, Wis 17, fighter, Combat Superiority If you hit a moving enemy with an opportu-

Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat

class feature nity attack, the enemy can only take minor
actions
Mirroring Shield Str 19, fighter, Deflecting Shield Spend an action point to deal damage to a
foe when you take acid or lightning damage
Plate Mastery Hardened Plate Spend an action point to reduce damage
from some weapon groups
Recovery Mastery Fighter, Recovering Surge Spend a healing surge to make a saving
throw with a +2 bonus
Scale Mastery Tight Scale Spend an action point to reduce damage
from some weapon groups
Shield Mastery (Heavy) Str 19, Elusive Shield Spend an action point to ignore damage
from a melee attack
Shield Mastery (Light) Dex 17, Light Shield Focus You do not grant combat advantage when
prone or restrained

Grappling Mastery Mirroring Shield [Fighter]

Prerequisites: Str 21, Con 17, Grappling Mobility
Benefit: When you make a melee unarmed attack,
you score a critical hit on a natural roll of 19 or 20.
Mighty Grasp
Prerequisites: Str 21, Con 17
Benefit: You can attack with a two-handed weapon
while holding it with only one hand. When you do so,
you take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.
Prerequisites: Str 19, fighter, Deflecting Shield
Benefit: When you take damage from an attack
with the acid or lightning keyword, you can spend an
action point as an immediate reaction; instead of taking
an extra action, you deal damage of the same type equal
to half the damage you have taken to a target within 3
squares from you that you can see.
Special: You must have a heavy shield equipped to
benefit from this feat.

Mighty Superiority [Fighter] Plate Mastery

Prerequisites: Str 21, Wis 17, fighter, Combat
Superiority class feature
Benefit: When you hit an enemy with an opportu-
nity attack and the enemy must end his movement, if
it was its movement that provoked the opportunity at-
tack, the enemy will only be able to take minor actions
until the end of your next turn.
Prerequisite: Hardened Plate
Benefit: You can spend an action point as an im-
mediate reaction to reduce damage taken from a melee
attack made with axes, heavy blades, light blades, or
polearms; you reduce an amount of damage equal to
your armor bonus, instead of taking an extra action.
Special: You must wear plate armor to benefit
from this feat.

89
 Recovery Mastery [Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Recovering Surge
Benefit: When you spend a healing surge,
you can immediately make a saving throw with
a +2 feat bonus against a condition affecting
you and that a save can end.

Scale Mastery
Prerequisite: Tight Scale
Benefit: You can spend an action point as an
immediate reaction to reduce damage taken from
a melee attack made with flails, picks, or spears;
you reduce an amount of damage equal to your
armor bonus, instead of taking an extra action.
Special: You must wear scale armor to
benefit from this feat.

Shield Mastery (Light)

Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat

Prerequisites: Dex 17, Light Shield

Focus
Benefit: You do not grant combat advantage
when you are prone or restrained.
Special: You must have a light shield
equipped to benefit from this feat.

Shield Mastery (Heavy)

Prerequisites: Str 19, Elusive Shield
Benefit: When you are hit by a melee at-
tack, you can spend an action point as an imme-
diate reaction to ignore damage from the attack
that just hit you, instead of taking an extra action.
However, you are dazed and cannot benefit from
your shield until the end of your next turn.
A fighter cannot be easily outflanked; those who dare to Special: You must have a heavy shield
try will soon regret their audacity.
equipped to benefit from this feat.

MULTICLASS FEATS
Name Prerequisites Benefit
Dweomer Int 15, fighter, Arcane Initiate Spend an action point to use AC instead of Will
Shielding defense
Mobile Guardian Int 15, fighter, Student of Battle +1 bonus to an ally’s AC and Reflex defense
Strategy when you move it
Revealing Gleam Fighter, Combat Challenge class feature, Mark your target by dealing radiant damage
Astral Fire, Initiate of the Faith
Stealthy Exploit Dex 15, fighter, Sneak of Shadows +2 bonus to damage rolls when making an
Elisa Ferrotto

opportunity attack against a moving target

Umbral Charge Fighter, Pact Initiate, Powerful Charge Spend a healing surge to gain concealment
during a charge

90
 MULTICLASS FEATS
The multiclass feats described in the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook allow a character to acquire class features and
powers from another class. The ones featured in The
Quintessential Fighter, except a few cases, are designed
for those fighters who wish to enhance their mastery of
power sources other than martial.
Dweomer Shielding Revealing Gleam [Multiclass Fighter]
[Multiclass Fighter]
Prerequisites: Int 15, fighter, Arcane Initiate
Benefit: When you are targeted by an attack against
your Will defense, you can spend a healing surge as an
immediate reaction; you do not regain any hit points, but
you use your AC instead of your Will defense.
Special: You must have a
shield equipped to benefit
from this feat.
Alberto Bontempi
Mobile Guardian Strategy
[Multiclass Fighter]
Prerequisites: Int 15, fighter, Student of Battle
Benefit: When using a power that allows a char-
acter to move, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and to your
Reflex defense until the end of your next turn,
Prerequisites: Fighter, Combat Challenge class
feature, Astral Fire, Initiate of the Faith
Benefit: When you deal radiant damage to a foe,
you mark that foe and you can ignore penalties from
concealment when attacking it until the end of your
next turn.
Stealthy Exploit [Multiclass Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 15, fighter, Sneak of Shadows
Benefit: When making an opportunity attack against
a moving target, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls.
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
Umbral Charge [Multiclass Fighter]
Prerequisites: Fighter, Pact Initiate, Powerful
Charge
Benefit: When charging, you can use a healing surge
as a free action; you do not regain any hit points, but you
gain concealment until the end of your next turn.
A fighter cannot be easily outflanked;
those who dare to try will soon regret
their audacity.
91
 COMBAT STYLES
Exploits allow you to dispatch an enemy that might
resist a simple attack, feats can help you score a hit, but
only the mastery of a combat style will help you for the
entire length of a fight. Combat styles are a new feature
introduced in this book and consist of elaborate tech-
niques (in game terms, a specific combination of feats,
skills, and powers) that can only be learned by those
fighters willing to coordinate all their martial knowl-
edge into one of the world’s greatest fighting styles.
Obviously, there are many different styles (the GM can
freely come up with others of his own creation), each
granting a different set of benefits.
Only a character that has chosen the fighter class
can learn a combat style; the character automatically
gains its benefits as soon as he masters the entire set of
skills, feats, and powers required by the combat style.
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
You can only master one combat style at a time, but
you can replace an old combat style you already knew
with another through the retraining option, which
allows you to switch feats, skills, and powers (see the
D&D 4E Player’s Handbook).
This system grants a character a considerable
advantage over another character of the same level, but
the restrictions it places on the selection of feats, skills
and powers –along with the minimum level a character
must attain before acquiring certain benefits– ensures
that the game remains balanced. In addition, almost all
privileges grant situational benefits (like most feats do),
which ensures that all characters will be involved in a
fight, as they are stimulated to use their best techniques
without giving into frustration: A fighter mastering a
combat style obtains relevant advantages only in very
specific situations.
HOW TO READ COMBAT
STYLES
The combat styles a fighter can acquire are described
below in the following format. An asterisk (*) refers to
a feat or power introduced in this book.
Feats: The feats you must have to master the
combat style.
Skills: The skills you must be trained in to master
the combat style.
Powers: The list of powers you must have to mas-
ter a combat style, sorted by level.
Benefits: The advantages you will gain once you
have mastered a combat style.
92
Overwhelming Wave
Technique
This combat school teaches their disciples a series of
martial lessons and techniques that allow them to physi-
cally overwhelm their enemies, tossing them around on
the battlefield and forcing them into the most disadvan-
tageous positions. Masters of this combat style move
their enemies around like leaves in the wind, then swiftly
break their resistance and finish them off.
Feats: Powerful Charge, Shield Push.
Skills: Athletics.
Powers: tide of iron, spinning sweep, come and get it,
shift the battlefield, brutal domino*.
Benefits: When charging, you get a +4 bonus to
damage rolls and a +4 bonus to bull rush attempts. In
addition, each time one of your powers pulls, pushes, or
slides a target, the target’s forced movement increases
by 1 square.
RELENTLESS MARAUDER
TECHNIQUE
These fighters, often seen as madmen by more careful
and moderate combatants, relish the bloodiest melees.
Veritable raging berserkers, they love the destruction
they cause on the battlefield: The more enemies they
dispatch, the greater the glory they win for themselves
and their reckless combat style.
Feats: Blood Thirst, Combat Reflexes.
Skills: Endurance.
Powers: cleave, battle hubris*, sweeping blow, rain of
steel, come and get it, shift the battlefield, giant’s wake.
Benefits: When you first become bloodied in an
encounter, all enemies within your weapon’s reach are
marked.
SCHOOL OF THE
IMPENETRABLE GUARD
Fighters who choose this elaborate martial discipline
train to remain focused during the entire fight so they
may anticipate any assault and deflect any blow. They
believe the key to victory is the ability to avoid grievous
wounds while wearing down and debilitating the enemy.
Feats: Alertness, Defensive Mobility, Shield Spe-
cialization.
Skills: Athletics.
Powers: covering attack, no opening, defensive training
or my weapon, my armor*, iron bulwark, stalwart guard.
Benefits: When taking a total defense action, you
gain a +4 bonus to defenses, instead of +2. In addition,
when you take the aid another action, your ally gains
a +4 bonus instead of a +2 bonus to all her defenses
against the next attack.
SCHOOL OF THE RAGING
FURY
This combat style is very effective and yet very simple
to learn. Its disciples need only to understand a basic
principle: all attacks must be powerful and devastating.
Strength is celebrated as the first quality a fighter must
have, eclipsing strategies and defensive techniques, as
there is no other way to beat an enemy than crushing it
under a flurry of blows.
Feats: Potent Challenge, Power Attack.
Skills: Athletics.
Powers: brute strike, crushing blow, dizzying blow or
crack the shell, reckless strike or lay waste to the enemy*.
Benefits: When you make a melee attack and take
a -2 penalty to the attack roll because of your Power
Attack feat, you gain an additional +1 bonus to dam-
age rolls.
SECRET THAUMATURGY
TECHNIQUE
Those who can master this technique often become
stuff of legends and tales. They are described as im-
mortal fighters that none can defeat. Masters of the se-
cret thaumaturgy technique know many extraordinary
secrets and can endure virtually any wound.
Feats: Durable, Improved Second Wind, Toughness.
Skills: Endurance, Heal.
Powers: unstoppable or boundless endurance, un-
breakable, victorious surge.
Benefits: When using a power that has a posi-
tive effect on your hit points (restoring lost hit points,
granting temporary hit points, and so on) and whose
effect depends your Constitution modifier, your Con-
stitution modifier is counted twice. In addition, when
making a saving throw against death, you get one step
closer to death only with a result of 9 or less, instead of
a result of 10 or less.
STYLE OF THE INVISIBLE
WIND
Followers of this sophisticated discipline learn a com-
bination of extremely swift and graceful attacks and
parries without renouncing to the sturdy protection of
heavy armor. Thanks to constant training in dodging,
feinting, and outflanking maneuvers, they can easily
avoid blows that would cut down any other combatant.
Feats: Cautious Outflanking*, Defensive Mobility,
Uncanny Dodge.
Skills: Acrobatics.
Powers: passing attack, sudden surge, wyvern’s out-
flanking*, into the fray or last ditch evasion.
Benefits: When you shift, you can shift 1 extra
square. In addition, if you move a number of squares
equal or lower than your Dexterity modifier, you do
not provoke opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent
to the squares you pass through (you still provoke op-
portunity attacks from non-adjacent enemies with the
threatening reach ability).
STYLE OF THE IRON ARCHER
This style’s masters do not neglect their defender role;
they cultivate their stamina and melee skills just like
any other fighter. Nonetheless, they train as skilled
marksmen with bows or crossbows. In a way, they are
even more skilled than rangers, as they do not fire to
confound or weaken many foes, but focus on fewer
targets in order to dispatch them with well-aimed,
mighty shots.
Feats: Far Shot, Weapon Focus (any bow or cross-
bow)
Skills: Perception.
Powers: surging arrow*, dazing blow*, archer’s heavy
volley*, shooter’s barricade*, target enemy ranks*, unending
bolts of hope*.
Benefits: As a minor action, you may aim at any
Chapter 4: A Fighter's Feat
target you can see. The next time you attack that target
with a ranged weapon for which you have the Weapon
Focus feat, you gain a bonus to damage equal to your
Strength modifier. This bonus lasts until expended or
until the start of your next turn.
STYLE OF THE UNERRING
BLADE
These fighters are convinced that the sword is
the ultimate weapon, the only one allowing a duelist
to truly shine and to reach the peak of accuracy and
finesse. Balance and grace are the foundations of this
school’s training, the keys that unlock its disciples’ vic-
tory over other, cruder combatants.
Feats: Weapon Focus (heavy blade or light blade),
Blade Opportunist, Heavy Blade Opportunity or Light
Blade Opportunity.
Skills: Thievery.
Powers: readied thrust*, sure strike, spinning sweep,
precise strike, crack the shell, storm of blows.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus from your Fighter
Weapon Talent feature instead of a +1 bonus.
93
 A FIGHTER’S TOOLS Chapter 5

K ail lifted the blackened drapes covering the entrance of Helmbreaker’s Forge, ignoring the pungent scent
of iron and the hot steam rising from the melting pots.
Gorgan cautiously stepped in, followed by Riglen and Ashgara.
“This is a weaponsmith?,” the dwarf asked dubiously.
“The best one,” Riglen said. “I’ve heard Talthor forged the Kings of Dodeas’ war scepter, and that the fire of his
forge shaped the armor of the seven Hammergap Marshals.”
“A colorful legend,” Kail remarked as he joined his companion. The dragonborn’s skilled eye, though, could
not help but examine the masterpieces displayed in the forge. Helms, breastplates, spears, and shields lined the
wall like a still and silent army of hoplites. The leather had still the scent of tanning, and the burnished steel
glittered in darkness.
“Are you sure this man will help us?” Gorgan muttered. “Jarek’s minions are hot on our heels!”
“Believe me, if there is someone who knows about Mamya’s sword, it is Talthor,” the gladiator replied, suppressing
a groan at this new complaint.
A voice echoed from the armory’s shadows, louder than an hammer clanging on the anvil. “Can I help you? Are
you looking for weapons? Armor?”
Riglen immediately recognized the smith from the descriptions he’d heard.
“Wherever I go, I hear your name spoken in awe,” he began, lifting one weapon after another from their racks to
examine them; he soon realized they were perfectly balanced and that their alloy was unusually strong.
“Your words make me proud,” the smith said.
Riglen ran his gaze from axes to flails, crossbows to spears, stopping at a heavy claymore with a dark, glittering
blade. He had never seen such a weapon.
“Incredible!” he said. “A glassteel weapon.” Carefully, reverently, he pulled the blade down and felt its heft. Even
still, it felt like it was meant to dance in his hands. “There are no such weapons in the Twin Lands,” he said. “It
must have cost you a fortune”.
“You can say that again. A merchant from Sailorspur retired after my purchase, but it was worth it. That man’s
obsidian mines are very rich.”
Riglen did not like the answer and nodded nervously; then, suddenly, he spun and cut off the man’s head. His
companions, except the warlord, stood aghast, unable to react. “Hold still, you two!” Kail crowed hastily. “There
are no glassteel merchants in Sailorspur,” he added, granting the fighter an admiring nod. “Only dragonborn know
how to mine it from the volcanoes and how to make weapons out of it. They call them dragonbones.”
“So, what happened to Talthor?” asked the dwarf, still coping with his astonishment.
“Kidnapped, maybe killed, who knows,” Kail answered. The answer came from the false weaponsmith’s corpse
itself, which stirred like a pond’s ripples until it bared its original appearance: a repulsive gray-skinned humanoid
with milky eyes.
“Doppelganger,” growled Ashgara. “It’s a trap! Jarek’s men must be close!”

94
Andrea Sorrentino
 ADVENTURING GEAR
More than any other character, a fighter should
never use poor equipment, nor should he run out of
gadgets and useful tools in combat. Besides, unless
the party includes an arcane caster, he should always
have a few items that deal different type of damage
close at hand, such as alchemical treatments.
The mundane items listed below are some of the
most useful gear a combatant can bring to a battle,
from armor harness to weapon catches. Their utility
can be invaluable in a duel.
Armor Harness: A harness cannot be used
without an armor of any kind, as they are explicitly
designed to enhance an armor’s performance.
Kidney Belt: These thin metal sheets are added
to plate armor to protect the loins and prevent a
treacherous strike from hitting a vital spot. When
you are flanked while wearing this harness, you gain
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
resist 1 against all attacks from the creatures flank-
ing you.
Leather Padding: These stripes of soft leather are
added to a scale or plate armor’s junctions to reduce
the noise made by the gnashing steel. When you add
leather padding to your armor, you ignore Stealth
penalties imposed by the armor.
ADVENTURING GEAR
Item Price Weight
Armor Harness
Kidney Belt 8 gp 1-1/2 lb.
Leather Padding 15 gp 1/2 lb.
Linen Gambison 25 gp 1-1/2 lb.
Metal Rivets 40 gp 1 lb.
Studded Leather Balteus 5 gp 1 lb.
Armor and Shield Alchemical Treatments
Adamantine 150 gp 1/2 lb.
Comfortable 40 gp 1/2 lb.
Reflecting 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Resilient 100 gp 1/2 lb.
Umbral 80 gp 1/2 lb.
Melee Weapon Alchemical Treatments
Acid 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Cold 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Fire 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Lightning 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Necrotic 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Poison 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Radiant 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Mount Harness
Bit and Headpiece 5 gp 6 lb.
Military Saddle 15 gp 15 lb.
Traveling Saddle 7 gp 10 lb.
Weapon Safety Catch 5 gp 1/2 lb.
96
Linen Gambison: This shirt is worn beneath chain-
mail. It is usually made from linen or wool, and has a
padding of the same material or of horse hair and it
can reduce impact damage. When you wear a gambison
beneath your chainmail, you gain a +1 item bonus to
AC when you are attacked by hammers, maces, staves,
or unarmed attacks.
Metal Rivets: These steel clasps lock the sheets of a
plate armor together, increasing its protection against
slashing weapons. When you wear riveted armor, you
gain a +1 item bonus to AC when you are attacked by
axes, heavy blades, or light blades.
Studded Leather Balteus: These two leather stripes
are tied to heavy armor to protect the wearer’s hips, al-
lowing part of the armor’s weight to rest on them. They
reduce the armor’s effective weight by one third for the
purposes of encumbrance.
Armor and Shield Alchemical Treatments: You
can use these alchemical mixtures to coat your armor
or shield so that they will gain unique and unexpected
abilities. Coating a shield or an armor with a dose of
alchemical treatment requires a standard action that
provokes opportunity attacks. The coating lasts for 5
minutes or until the end of the encounter.
Adamantine: When you coat your armor with this
oil, you gain a +1 alchemical bonus to AC. If you use
the oil to coat your shield, you gain a +1 alchemical
bonus to AC and Reflex defense. These bonuses stack.
Comfortable: When you coat your armor with this
oil, you ignore the armor’s penalties to Strength- and
Constitution-based skill checks.
Reflecting: When you coat your armor or shield
with this oil, you gain resist lightning 5. If you coat
additional items with this oil (such as your armor and
your shield), you do not gain greater resistance.
Resilient: When you coat your armor or shield
with this oil, you gain resist fire 5. If you coat addi-
tional items with this oil (such as your armor and your
shield), you do not gain greater resistance.
Umbral: When you coat your armor or shield
with this oil, you ignore the armor’s penalty to Stealth
checks.
Melee Weapon Alchemical Treatments: These
alchemical substances are simple mixtures available in
any large settlement’s markets. When you coat the edge
of your melee weapon with them, you deal 1d8 extra
damage of a specific type (acid, cold, lightning, necrotic,
poison, psychic, or radiant). An application lasts until
the end of your next turn. Coating a melee weapon
with an alchemical treatment requires a minor action
that provokes opportunity attacks.
 Mount Harness: This equipment protects a
mount against certain harmful effects and enhances a
rider’s athletic skills.
Bit and Headpiece: The bit grants the rider a solid
grip on the reins, while the headpiece shields the
mount from bright lights and sudden noises. A mount
wearing bit and headpiece gains a +2 item bonus to
saving throws against fear and to end the following
conditions: blinded, dazed, deafened.
Military Saddle: A military saddle has been
specifically designed for mounted combatants and
it includes belts, buckles, reinforced stirrups and a
leather harness. A character on a mount with this sad-
dle gains a +2 item bonus to saving throws to avoid
being dismounted.
Traveling Saddle: This saddle spreads a rider’s
weight equally over the mount’s whole back and
softens the prolonged irritation of a long journey. In
addition, its particular shape lets air circulate between
ARMOR AND SHIELDS
A fighter’s fortitude means nothing without adequate
equipment. His toughness will fail if he cannot rely
upon trusted armor and shield. A fighter needs a reli-
able suit of armor, with a good compromise between
defense, flexibility and encumbrance.
Three new suits of armor and two new shields
featuring different qualities and characteristics are
described below.
ARMOR TYPES
Brigantine: A brigantine armor covers the chest
and sometimes the groin. It is made by pieces of hard-
ened leather pinned on a linen or hide layer. It is lighter
than a hide armor and it is favored by those who value
speed over comfort.
Chain Shirt: A chain shirt is a comfortable shirt
made with small metal rings; it usually protects your

Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools

the saddle and the beast’s back, allowing for a bet-
ter transpiration. A four-legged beast with a traveling
saddle can carry 50% extra weight instead of the usual
25% extra weight.
Weapon Safety Catch: The catch can be a
leather string (if you need to secure the weapon to
light armor) or a small steel chain (for heavy armor).
Although it does not prevent you from being dis-
armed, the catch keeps your weapon from falling too
far from your position, or worse, into your enemy’s
hands. Picking up a weapon protected with a weapon
safety catch is a free action.
chest and belly, but sometimes it can cover even your
thighs. Your arms and shoulders are not protected, but
the encumbrance is limited. A chain shirt’s brass and
iron rings are smaller and lighter than those of chain-
mail; this armor provides a good level of protection
without hindering your movements.
Field Plate: This armor covers virtually your en-
tire body with a set of precisely fitted steel plates, usu-
ally worn on linen or woolen clothes and bound with
stripes and buckles. In those points where such a rigid
armor would be a hindrance, such as behind your knee,
protection is ensured by steel mail made of jointed
rings. Field plate armor also includes a helmet, mittens,
gorget, front plate, cuisses, and greaves; these expensive
suits of armor are usually tailored for a specific wearer.

ARMOR AND SHIELDS

Armor Minimum
Leather Armor (Light) Bonus Enhancement Bonus Check Speed Price (gp) Weight
Brigantine +4 — -1 — 35 20 lb.
Armor Minimum
Chainmail (Heavy) Bonus Enhancement Bonus Check Speed Price (gp) Weight
Shirt +5 — — -1 40 30 lb.
Armor Minimum
Plate Armor (Heavy) Bonus Enhancement Bonus Check Speed Price (gp) Weight
Field Plate +10 — -2 -2 120 60 lb.
Shield Minimum
Shields Bonus Enhancement Bonus Check Speed Price (gp) Weight
Buckler +1 — — — 5 3 lb.
Tower Shield +2 — -3 — 15 20 lb.

97
 Toni Cittadini

A master smith’s forge is filled with weapons,

suits of armor and extraordinary items.
 RESTING IN ARMOR
This optional rule is meant to infuse greater realism
in your games. The GM and the players can freely
choose whether to use it or not, without significantly
altering game balance and mechanics.
Donning armor always requires at least 5 min-
utes (see the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook). As such,
a character cannot always afford to rest without
protection. When you take an extended rest in your
armor you grow weary, your movements are hin-
dered and your attacks are weaker. You are slowed
and weakened, and you also take a penalty to initia-
tive checks and to Reflex defense equal to the skill
check penalty imposed by the armor, until you take
an extended rest without wearing your armor.
You cannot rest wielding a shield, except for a
buckler.
SHIELD TYPES
Buckler: This small shield is tied to a combat-
ant’s arm, so that he can keep his hands free. In this
way, the shield’s bearer can use a versatile two-handed
weapon and maintain his shield bonus to AC and Re-
flexes, although you will only benefit from this bonus
against one enemy of your choice. At the start of your
turn, you can use a free action to choose the enemy
you will be using your shield bonus against, until the
start of your next turn.
Tower Shield: This rectangular shield is huge
and can cover its wielder for his entire height. When
wielding a tower shield, you can use a minor action
to gain cover against ranged attacks until the start of
your next turn.
WEAPONS
Sometimes, nothing is more effective than a weapon.
This is particularly true for fighters, sworn to protect
their companions and to cut down as many enemies
as possible; simply wielding a weapon might not be
enough to make a martial hero out of a fighter, but it is
certainly a prerequisite!
The new weapons described below feature extraor-
dinary properties and can be useful in many moments
of crisis.
NEW WEAPONS
Arbalest: Designed to increase its bolt’s impact, this
assault crossbow includes a pedal to reload. It can pierce
even the thickest armor and deal excruciating wounds.
Basket Sword: The basket sword is one of the
most elaborate and elegant heavy blades. It is similar
to a longsword, but it has a cage hilt and a reinforced
guard to make it capable of withstanding enemy blows
and shielding the wielder’s hand.
Dueling Pistol: A one-handed firearm, the dueling
pistol is handier than a musket, but also less powerful
and reliable. It is especially sought after by duelists,
nobles, and all those who wish to impress their foes.
Flamberge: A mighty two-handed greatsword
with a wavy blade; it is not as accurate as most melee
weapons, but it can deal massive damage.
Incendiary Shell: A small, compact package of
leather and cloth filled with a gunpowder charge. It
can be easily thrown after lighting the fuse, but only an
experienced artillerist will know how to get out of the
way of the resulting explosion.
Kilij: A mix between a scimitar and a thick machete,
the kilij is often wielded by savage fighters to cut a path
through the woods or to deal short but powerful swings.
Knight’s Mace: A knight’s mace is lighter than
that of a foot soldier and it has an elongated shape,
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
almost like a club. A weight under the hilt keeps the
weapon balanced. If used in a charge, it maximizes the
mount’s speed and momentum.
Lance: This lance’s structure is sturdy and
resilient, as it must endure the blows and impacts of
mounted combat. If used in a charge, it becomes a
much more effective weapon.
Musket: This long gun, made from wood and
metal, is the result of human and dwarven ingenuity.
Although it is not very precise or reliable, especially at
a long range, the power of the projectiles it shoots can
pierce even the sturdiest armor and shield.
Musket Bayonet: A light blade that can be
attached to a musket’s barrel, the bayonet allows a
shooter to engage foes in a melee.
Poleaxe: A poleaxe is similar to a halberd, but it
is heavier and it requires specific training to wield cor-
Firearms in your campaign
Including firearms in your campaign can be enjoyable,
but you should be careful. First, do not forget that the
adventurers inhabit a fantasy world filled with fantas-
tic creatures, magic swords, and sinister curses. There
is nothing mysterious in a blazing gun, and fighting
from the second line armed with a rifle may seem un-
heroic. Some GMs, on the other hand, like to introduce
a few historical features in their games, and others use
a mix of different genres, merging magic with technol-
ogy. If you like renaissance, gothic, steampunk, or gas-
light fantasy settings, the firearms introduced in The
Quintessential Fighter will be invaluable to you. If your
campaign is a more traditional sword and sorcery or
high fantasy, you can ignore the pistols and muskets
presented here or use them in unusual, unpredictable
ways, perhaps as the signature weapon of a unique
NPC or the products of a monster race.
99
 rectly. The weapon’s edge and weight ensure that each
wound it deals bleeds profusely.
Raven’s Beak: A long-hafted pick that combines
different functions and allows the wielder to aim for
the unprotected joints in an opponent’s armor.
Recurve Bow: Made by the elves for their ex-
plorers, this handy composite bow has become popu-
lar among archers of all races. Its small size and unu-
sual shape make it particularly effective when hunting
in the wilderness. Although it is easy to handle, it has
heavy pulls that increase its range and accuracy.
Repeating Crossbow: Thanks to a small side pul-
ley called a jack, this crossbow is much easier to reload;
in addition, its bolts have a range greater than those
of a regular crossbow. Using the jack, though, is not
simple and requires a certain amount of strength along
with a little familiarity.
Spear-Mace: A simple weapon often used by
goblin raiders, the spear-mace combines the reach of
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
Spiked Gauntlet: This studded gauntlet, very
popular among gladiators and other brutal combat-
ants, is made from leather and steel and increases the
effectiveness of an unarmed attack.
Sword Gauntlet: Also known as a gladiator’s claw,
this weapon is actually a short sword affixed to a rein-
forced gauntlet. It can be used to deal violent thrusts,
but it also prevents the wielder from using that hand
for any other action.
WEAPON GROUPS
Firearms: Firearms are a relatively recent develop-
ment. Dwarves and humans are the undisputed masters
of these elaborate devices’ creation. Crude devices still
prone to malfunctions, firearms require special training
to be used efficiently. In the hands of an experienced
fighter, however, they can be deadly. This category
includes dueling pistols, incendiary shells, and muskets,
which can also be used as two-handed melee weapons

a polearm with the effectiveness of the most brutal if equipped with a bayonet.
bludgeoning weapons.

MELEE WEAPONS
SIMPLE MELEE WEAPONS
One-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Kilij +2 1d6 – 12 gp 4 lb. Light blade Off-hand, tearing 1
Knight’s Mace +2 1d6 – 5 gp 4 lb. Mace Equestrian
Spiked Gauntlet +2 * – 5 gp 1 lb. Unarmed Off-hand
Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Musket Bayonet† +2 1d6 – 5 gp 2 lb. Light blade –
Spear-Mace +2 2d6 – 10 gp 10 lb. Mace, polearm Reach
*This weapon increases the damage die of the unarmed attack by one category.
†This weapon can only be used as part of a musket (see below).

MILITARY MELEE WEAPON

One-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Basket Sword +3 1d8 – 25 gp 4 lb. Heavy blade Parrying

Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Flamberge +2 2d6 – 40 gp 10 lb. Heavy blade Tearing 2

SUPERIOR MELEE WEAPONS

One-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Lance +2 1d8 – 25 gp 12 lb. Spear Equestrian
Sword Gauntlet +3 1d6 – 20 gp 4 lb. Light blade High crit, off-hand, parrying

Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Poleaxe +2 2d6 – 30 gp 14 lb. Polearm, axe Reach, tearing 2
Raven’s Beak +3 2d4 – 30 gp 10 lb. Polearm, pick High crit, reach

100
 A wielder can switch from ranged weapon to melee
weapon or the other way around with a minor action. Mag-
ic firearms do exist, although they are extremely rare. Magic
muskets do not extend their properties to their bayonets, if
they have them. On the other hand, a magic bayonet (part
of the spears group) can be affixed to a mundane musket.
Weapon Properties
The new weapon properties introduced in The Quintes-
sential Fighter are described below.
Equestrian: A weapon with this property is
particularly balanced and can be particularly deadly if
used on a mount. When mounted and making an attack
with an equestrian weapon, you can add your mount’s
Strength modifier to the damage roll instead of yours.
Parrying: A parrying weapon’s structure is par-
ticularly apt at absorbing a blow’s impact. It could have
a reinforced guard, an ogive to block an enemy blade, or
simply be made of a metal alloy stronger than normal.
When wielding a parrying weapon, you can use a minor
action to gain a +1 item bonus to AC until the start of
your next turn.
Piercing: A piercing weapon focuses a blow’s
impact into a precise point, penetrating both armor and
flesh with little effort. The first time you score a critical
hit in an encounter, the target takes the usual damage
and also suffers a penalty to AC equal to the weapon’s
piercing rating (save ends). This penalty does not stack
with those dealt by other critical hits scored by pierc-
ing weapons against the same target.
Point-Blank: When you make a ranged attack with
a point-blank weapon against an opponent within 2
squares, you gain a +3 competence bonus to attack rolls.
Tearing: A tearing weapon is designed to tear an
enemy’s flesh or to leave shards and fragments in the
wounds. Each time you score a critical hit with a tear-
ing weapon, the target suffers ongoing damage equal to
the specified rating (save ends).

Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools

IMPROVISED MELEE WEAPONS
One-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Mug* n/a 1d4 – – 1 lb. None –
Lantern n/a 1d6 – – 2 lb. None –
Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Barrel (empty) n/a 1d10 – – 10 lb. None –
Barrel (full) n/a 1d12 – – 40 lb. None –
Chair* n/a 1d8 – – 6 lb. None –
Table n/a 2d4 – – 20 lb. None –
*These improvised weapons become unusable as soon as they deal maximum damage with an attack, or at the end
of the encounter.

RANGED WEAPONS
MILITARY RANGED WEAPONS
Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Recurve Bow +3 1d8 20/35 40 gp 3 lb. Bow Free reload, small

SUPERIOR RANGED WEAPONS

One-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Dueling Pistol n/a 1d10 10/20 100 gp 2 lb. Firearm High crit, piercing 1, point-blank
Incendiary Shell n/a 1d8* 6/12 80 gp 1 lb. Firearm Tearing 2

Two-Handed
Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Arbalest +2 1d10 15/30 45 gp 7 lb. Crossbow High crit, minor reload
Musket n/a 2d6 20/30 150 gp 8 lb. Firearm High crit, point-blank, piercing 2,
standard reload
Repeating Crossbow +2 1d8 20/35 40 gp 4 lb. Crossbow Free reload
*This weapon deals fire damage in area burst 1 within range. A missed attack never deals any damage.

101
 MAGIC ITEMS
Invaluable bulwarks, undreamed wealth, and often a
good reason to go adventuring: Magic items are all
this and more. Shields that can repel a dragon’s flames,
indestructible blades and suits of armor forged with
arcane energies are a fighter’s most prized possessions,
although magic trinkets, belts, rings, and protective
amulets can be just as valuable.
ARMOR
Not only does magic armor shield a fighter from enemy
blows, it can also grant its wearer unique and extraor-
dinary powers such as magic resistance or the ability to
endure unfavorable conditions. Some magic armor can
even fend off death itself!
MAGIC ARMOR
Lvl Name Price (gp) Categories
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
3 Sentinel +1 640 Chain
8 Sentinel +2 3,400 Chain
12 Savage +3 13,000 Hide, Scale
13 Magic-Hungry +3 17,000 Any
13 Mobility +3 17,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
13 Sentinel +3 17,000 Chain
13 Tunnel Defender +3 17,000 Plate
15 Martial Prowess +3 25,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
17 Savage +4 65,000 Hide, Scale
18 Magic-Hungry +4 85,000 Any
18 Mobility +4 85,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
18 Sentinel +4 85,000 Chain
18 Tunnel Defender +4 85,000 Plate
19 Ghaele +4 105,000 Chain
20 Martial Prowess +4 125,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
22 Savage +5 325,000 Hide, Scale
23 Magic-Hungry +5 425,000 Any
23 Mobility +5 425,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
23 Sentinel +5 425,000 Chain
23 Tunnel Defender +5 425,000 Plate
24 Ghaele +5 525,000 Chain
25 Immortal Warrior +5 625,000 Plate
25 Martial Prowess +5 625,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
27 Savage +6 1,625,000 Hide, Scale
28 Magic-Hungry +6 2,125,000 Any
28 Mobility +6 2,125,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
28 Sentinel +6 2,125,000 Chain
28 Tunnel Defender +6 2,125,000 Plate
29 Ghaele +6 2,625,000 Mail
30 Immortal Warrior +6 3,125,000 Plate
30 Martial Prowess +6 3,125,000 Chain, Plate, Scale
102
Armor of the Immortal Warrior Level 25+
Many tales of heroes invincible against mortal weapons be-
gan when they donned this armor.
Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Armor: Plate
Enhancement: AC
Property: When you are dying, you must fail four saving
throws before dying, instead of three.
Power (Daily ✦ Healing): Minor Action. Gain regeneration
5 and a +2 power bonus to saving throws against death
until the end of the encounter.
Level 30: Regeneration 10, and +4 power bonus.
Ghaele Armor Level 19+
This armor was enchanted by ghaele wizards. Now it brims with
eldritch power. Its silver rings enclose the fury of winter itself.
Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Armor: Chain
Enhancement: AC
Property: Resist fire 10.
Level 24 or 29: Resist fire 15.
This armor does not inflict any penalty to checks or speed.
Power (Daily ✦ Teleportation): Move Action. Teleport 5
squares. All enemies adjacent to the square you vacated
take 1d8 cold damage.
Level 24 or 29: 2d8 cold damage, and any creature injured
by this power is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Magic-Hungry Armor Level 13+
This armor is decorated with glyphs and runes that depict the
annihilation of arcane magic.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Armor: Any
Enhancement: AC
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain a +2 power bonus to
Fortitude and Reflex defense against attacks with the
arcane keyword until the end of the encounter.
Level 23 or 28: +4 power bonus.
Martial Prowess Armor Level 15+
This battle armor allows you to perform exalted deeds without
hesitation.
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Armor: Chain, plate, scale
Enhancement: AC
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. You can use this power
when you are dazed, helpless, or weakened. Spend
a healing surge to immediately make a saving throw
against one condition affecting you.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain a +2 power bonus to the
next melee attack roll you make in this turn.
 Mobility Armor Level 13+
This heavy armor was enchanted to be as comfortably worn as
a suit of light armor. It allows its wearer to move swiftly.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Armor: Chain, plate, scale
Enhancement: AC
Property: This armor does not apply any penalty to checks or
speed.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Gain an extra move action that
you can use in a following turn of the same encounter.

Savage Armor Level 12+

When you are seriously wounded, this armor allows you to
react with savage fury to enemy attacks.
Lvl 12 +3 13,000 gp Lvl 22 +5 325,000 gp
Lvl 17 +4 65,000 gp Lvl 27 +6 1,625,000 gp
Armor: Hide, scale
Enhancement: AC
Property: When bloodied, you gain a bonus to Fortitude

Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools

defense equal to the armor’s enhancement bonus.
Power (Encounter): Immediate Reaction. When hit by a me-
lee attack that makes you bloodied, you can immediately
make a melee basic attack (with a bonus to the attack
roll and damage roll equal to the armor’s enhancement
bonus) against the enemy that bloodied you.

Sentinel Armor Level 3+

This armor was enchanted to enhance your senses and make
your sight sharper.
Lvl 3 +1 680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Armor: Chain
Enhancement: AC
Property: Grants an item bonus to Perception equal to the
armor’s enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain lowlight vision until the
end of the encounter or for 5 minutes.
Tunnel Defender’s Armor Level 13+
The quintessential plate armor, made by dwarven armorers for
their most stalwart guardians.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Armor: Plate
Enhancement: AC
Property: Grants an item bonus to Athletics equal to the
armor’s enhancement bonus.
Power (Encounter): Minor action. Take a penalty to skill
checks and speed equal to the armor’s enhancement
bonus, but in turn gain the same bonus to AC, Fortitude,
and Will defense until the end of your next turn. If your
speed drops to 0 when using this power, you cannot take
Toni Cittadini
The armor of the immortal warrior is a
treasure sought by all fighters.
WEAPONS
Magic weapons allow a fighter to deal massive dam-
age, to devastate foes with flames and lightning, or to
parry the most insidious blows and penetrate enemy
defenses.
Cleaving Weapon Level 4+
When you wield this weapon, you can make a flurry of attacks
and hurt two enemies at once.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Power (Encounter): Minor Action. You can use this power
when one of your attacks hits a foe; a target different from
the one you hit and adjacent to you takes 5 damage.
Level 14 or 19: 10 damage.

any move action until the end of your next turn. Level 24 or 29: 15 damage.

103
 Colossus Weapon Level 8+
This imposing two-handed weapon grants you strength and
vigor as soon as you hold it.
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Weapon: Any two-handed melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: Grants an item bonus to your healing surge value
equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Wield the weapon as if it were a
one-handed melee weapon until the end of the encounter.

Dragon Might Weapon Level 13+

This dark and glittering weapon was obtained from the bone
of a great dragon, and as you wield it, your enemies cower and
bleed; in addition, it looks as if it could pierce any armor.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools

Weapon: Axe, hammer, heavy blade, mace

Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: Ongoing 5 damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty
to attack rolls (save ends both).
Level 23 or 28: Ongoing 10 damage.
Power (Daily): Free Action. You can use this power when
you score a critical hit against a target. The critical hit
becomes a normal hit, but the target takes a penalty to
AC equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus until the
end of the encounter.
First Blood Weapon Level 13+
When this weapon spills blood for the first time, the cut can
hardly heal.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Weapon: Axe, heavy blade, spear
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus, or +1d8 damage per plus
against enemies of higher level than yours.
Property: When you use this weapon strike for the first time
against a target that has not yet hit you in the encounter,
the target suffers ongoing damage equal to the weapon’s
enhancement bonus (save ends).
A weapon with an ominous look…
and a noble purpose.
Psychic Torment Weapon Level 13+
Each blow you deal with this weapon overwhelms your en-
emy’s mind with visions of death and omens of strife.
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Weapon: Flail, mace
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: When you hit a target that grants you combat
advantage, you deal extra psychic damage equal to your
Charisma modifier.
Power (Daily): Free Action. You can use this power when
you hit a target with this weapon. Roll 1d6; 1-2: the
target is blinded (save ends); 3-4 the target is deafened
(save ends); 5-6 the target is dazed (save ends).

Intangible Weapon Level 8+ Quicksilver Weapon Level 3+

This weapon’s point is blurred and blinking and it can easily When you wield this weapon, you can move as quickly as lightning.
pierce any armor or shield. Lvl 3 +1 680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Weapon: Heavy blade, light blade
Weapon: Heavy blade, light blade, spear Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: You can draw your weapon as part of the action
Marina Costa

Critical: + Dexterity modifier per plus

Power (Daily): Free Action. When making an attack with this used to make an attack with it.
weapon against the target’s AC, you can make it against Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain a +2 bonus to Reflex de-
the target’s Reflex defense. fense until the end of the encounter.

104
MAGIC WEAPONS
Lvl Name Price (gp) Category
3 Quicksilver +1 680 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
4 Cleaving +1 840 Any melee
4 Resolute +1 840 Any melee
4 Shifting +1 840 Any melee
8 Colossus +2 3,400 Any two-handed
melee
8 Intangible +2 3,400 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade, Spear
8 Quicksilver +2 3,400 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
8 Trollbane +2 3,400 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
9 Cleaving +2 4,200 Any melee
9 Resolute +2 4,200 Any melee
9 Shifting +2 4,200 Any melee
13 Colossus +3 17,000 Any two-handed melee
13 Dragon Might +3 17,000 Axe, Hammer,
Heavy Blade, Mace
13 First Blood +3 17,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
13 Intangible +3 17,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade, Spear
13 Psychic Torment +3 17,000 Flail, Mace
13 Quicksilver +3 17,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
13 Trollbane +3 17,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
14 Cleaving +3 21,000 Any melee
14 Resolute +3 21,000 Any melee
14 Shifting +3 21,000 Any melee
18 Colossus +4 85,000 Any two-handed
melee
18 Dragon Might +4 85,000 Axe, Hammer,
Heavy Blade, Mace
18 First Blood +4 85,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
18 Intangible +4 85,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade, Spear
18 Psychic Torment +4 85,000 Flail, Mace
Resolute Weapon Level 4+
When you wield this weapon, you become nearly impossible to
overcome or bend to another’s will.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Fortitude and Will defenses.
Level 14 or 19: +2 item bonus.
Level 24 o 29: +3 item bonus.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Immediately make a saving throw
to end one of the following conditions: blinded, dazed,
deafened, dominated, helpless, stunned, weakened.
Lvl Name Price (gp) Category
18 Quicksilver +4 85,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
18 Trollbane +4 85,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
19 Cleaving +4 105,000 Any melee
19 Resolute +4 105,000 Any melee
19 Shifting +4 105,000 Any melee
23 Colossus +5 425,000 Any two-handed
melee
23 Dragon Might +5 425,000 Axe, Hammer,
Heavy Blade, Mace
23 First Blood +5 425,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
23 Intangible +5 425,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade, Spear
23 Psychic Torment +5 425,000 Flail, Mace
23 Quicksilver +5 425,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
23 Trollbane +5 425,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
24 Cleaving +5 525,000 Any melee
24 Resolute +5 525,000 Any melee
24 Shifting +5 525,000 Any melee
28 Colossus +6 2,125,000 Any two-handed
melee
28 Dragon Might +6 2,125,000 Axe, Hammer,
Heavy Blade, Mace
28 First Blood +6 2,125,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
28 Intangible +6 2,125,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade,
Spear
28 Psychic Torment +6 2,125,000 Flail, Mace
28 Quicksilver +6 2,125,000 Heavy Blade,
Light Blade
28 Trollbane +6 2,125,000 Axe, Heavy Blade,
Spear
29 Cleaving +6 2,625,000 Any melee
29 Resolute +6 2,625,000 Any melee
29 Shifting +6 2,625,000 Any melee
Shifting Weapon Level 4+
Upon your command, this wondrous melee weapon turns into
a ranged weapon.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Power (Encounter ✦ Polymorph): Minor Action. The weapon
turns into any ranged weapon of the same category
(simple, military, or superior). This effect lasts until the end
of the encounter, or until you end it with a minor action.
105
 Trollbane Weapon Level 8+
Trolls flee from this weapon, as it negates their regeneration
ability.
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Weapon: Axe, heavy blade, spear
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus, or +1d12 damage per plus
against trolls.
Property: Trolls cannot regenerate wounds dealt by this
weapon. If your attack with this weapon drops a troll to 0
hit points or less, the troll is dead.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. The next attack you make with
this weapon against a troll during this turn gains a +5
power bonus to the attack roll and automatically ignore
any resistance the troll might have.
ARMS SLOT ITEMS
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
Enchanted bracers and shields are usually meant to
protect a character. A few of these items also grant the
bearer some type of damage resistance, while others
improve her athletic skills and her combat spirit.
ARMS SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
6 Last blood bracers (heroic tier) 1,800
6 Vampire’s thirst shield (heroic tier) 1,800
7 Thundering vengeance shield (heroic tier) 2,600
13 Martial utility bracers (paragon tier) 17,000
14 Lone rider shield 21,000
16 Last blood bracers (paragon tier) 45,000
16 Vampire’s thirst shield (paragon tier) 45,000
17 Thundering vengeance shield (paragon tier) 65,000
23 Martial utility bracers (epic tier) 425,000
26 Last blood bracers (epic tier) 1,125,000
26 Vampire’s thirst shield (epic tier) 1,125,000
27 Thundering vengeance shield (epic tier) 1,625,000
Last Blood Bracers Level 6+
When you wear these studded leather bands, you feel you can
cunningly exploit any opponent’s weakness.
Lvl 6 1,800 gp Lvl 26 1,125,000 gp
Lvl 16 45,000 gp
Item Slot: Arms
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to melee attack rolls you
make against an enemy you have marked.
Lvl 16: +2 item bonus.
Lvl 26: +3 item bonus.
106
Lone Rider Shield Level 14
This decorated shield can be your best companion when there
is no ally nearby.
Item Slot: Arms 21,000 gp
Shield: Any
Property: Gain a +2 item bonus to saving throws when there
are no allies within 5 squares from you.
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when
you are hit by a melee attack and no ally is within 5
squares of you. Damage dealt by the attack is reduced
by 15.
Martial Utility Bracers Level 13+
These leather bracers are reinforced with metal bands and
carved with elegant martial symbols.
Lvl 13 17,000 gp Lvl 23 425,000 gp
Item Slot: Arms
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Regain an encounter utility
power with the martial keyword you have already used.
Lvl 23: Regain an encounter or daily utility power with
the martial keyword you have already used.
Thundering Vengeance Shield Level 7+
An enemy that strikes this shield is deafened or even stunned.
Lvl 7 2,600 gp Lvl 27 1,625,000 gp
Lvl 17 65,000 gp
Item Slot: Arms
Shield: Heavy
Property: Resist thunder 5.
Level 17: Resist thunder 10.
Level 27: Resist thunder 15.
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. A melee attack misses
you; the enemy that made the attack is deafened and
dazed (save ends both).
Lvl 17 or 27: The enemy is deafened and stunned (save
ends both).
Vampire’s Thirst Shield Level 6+
This ominous tear-shaped shield grants gruesome benefits
when it drinks its bearer’s blood.
Lvl 6 1,800 gp Lvl 26 1,125,000 gp
Lvl 16 45,000 gp
Item Slot: Arms
Shield: Heavy
Property: When bloodied, you gain a +1 item bonus to AC
and to Reflex defense.
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. A melee attack misses
you; the enemy that made the attack takes 1d8 necrotic
damage. You gain temporary hit points equal to the
damage the enemy takes.
Lvl 16: 2d8 necrotic damage, and you gain the same
amount of temporary hit points.
Lvl 26: 3d8 necrotic damage, and you gain the same
amount of temporary hit points.
 FEET SLOT ITEMS
The feet slot items described below increase a charac-
ter’s mobility or provide powers that allow him to move
effectively and to help his allies.
FEET SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
13 Bralani swordsman boots 17,000
16 Last stand leggings (pair) 45,000
Bralani Swordsman Boots Level 13
With these eladrin-crafted boots, a teleporting fighter be-
comes virtually impossible to catch.
Item Slot: Feet 17,000 gp
Property: When teleporting, you gain a +1 item bonus to AC
and to Reflex defense until the end of your next turn.
Last Stand Leggings (pair) Level 16
The wearer of these leggings can save an ally in danger at the
last minute.
Steel Calling Gloves Level 5
With a simple gesture, these gloves’ wearer can call a distant
weapon and shield to him.
Item Slot: Hands 1,000 gp
Power (Encounter): Minor Action. Pick up a two-handed
weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a one-handed
weapon and a shield located within 5 squares of you; the
items fly into your free hands. You cannot use this power
to grab a weapon or shield someone else is wielding.
HEAD SLOT ITEMS
Magic helmets introduced in The Quintessential Fighter
increase combat perception, awareness and the unique
abilities of some races.
HEAD SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
6 Hellish crest (heroic tier) 1,800
9 Dwarven helmet 4,200
11 Ancestral breath helmet (paragon tier) 9,000

Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools

Item Slot: Feet 45,000 gp
16 Hellish crest (paragon tier) 45,000
Power (Daily ✦ Teleportation): Immediate Interrupt. An
21 Ancestral breath helmet (epic tier) 225,000
ally wearing the last stand leggings and located within 10
squares from you is hit by a melee attack. Spend a heal- Ancestral Breath Helmet Level 11+
ing surge to teleport into the willing ally’s square; the ally This sculpted helmet is shaped like a dragon’s head, its jaws
will teleport in the square you left vacant. You are hit by open in a deadly snarl.
the attack in place of the ally. Lvl 11 9,000 gp Lvl 21 225,000 gp
You must have line of sight to the ally’s space. Item Slot: Head
Special: Last stand leggings are only useful in pairs attuned Property: If you are a dragonborn, gain a +2 item bonus to
to each other. It is possible to create even more pairs of attack rolls made with your dragon breath racial power and
leggings attuned to the first pair (the base price increases deal 1d6 extra damage of the same type of damage.
by 50% per each additional pair). Lvl 21: Score a critical hit with your dragon breath racial
power with a natural roll of 19-20.
HANDs SLOT ITEMS
The gloves described below enhance a character’s
offensive prowess or allow him to be always ready for
battle.
HANDS SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
5 Steel calling gloves 1,000
13 Gloves of martial boldness 17,000

Gloves of Martial Boldness Level 13

These studded leather gloves can magically move the wearer’s
hands to improve his attacks.
Item Slot: Hands 17,000 gp
Power (Daily): Free Action. You immediately gain an action
point, which you must spend before the end of the next
turn to gain an extra action. You must use this action to
make an attack with the weapon keyword.

This exotic steel helmet makes a

Toni Cittadini

dragonborn’s breath even deadlier.

107
 Dwarven Helmet Level 9
This sturdy helmet shields the wearer from attacks made
by larger creatures and negates the harmful effects of toxic
substances.
Item Slot: Head 4,200 gp
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Fortitude and Will
defenses against attacks made by Large or greater
enemies.
Power (Daily): Minor action. Immediately make a saving
throw against ongoing poison damage.
Hellish Crest Level 6+
This dark steel circlet seems designed to protect a tiefling’s
horns.
Lvl 6 1,800 gp Lvl 16 45,000 gp
Item Slot: Head
Property: Gain a +2 item bonus to Intimidate checks.
If you are a tiefling, you gain a +2 item bonus to damage
rolls against bloodied foes.
Lvl 16: +4 item bonus to Intimidate checks and to damage
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
rolls against bloodied foes.
NECK SLOT ITEMS
Neck slot items increase a character’s defenses, allow
him to quickly recover from unfavorable conditions, or
to surprise foes with unusual attacks.
NECK SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
8 Minotaur’s collar +2 3,400
9 Acrobatic swordsman cape +2 4,200
13 Minotaur’s collar +3 17,000
14 Acrobatic swordsman cape +3 21,000
15 Disarming veil +3 25,000
18 Minotaur’s collar +4 85,000
19 Acrobatic swordsman cape +4 105,000
20 Disarming veil +4 125,000
23 Minotaur’s collar +5 425,000
24 Acrobatic swordsman cape +5 525,000
25 Disarming veil +5 625,000
28 Minotaur’s collar +6 2,125,000
29 Acrobatic swordsman cape +6 2,625,000
30 Disarming veil +6 3,125,000
108
Acrobatic Swordsman Cape Level 9+
This lavish and colorful cloak enhances your acrobatics and
makes your most elaborate movements seem simplicity itself.
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Enhancement: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Acrobatics checks.
Lvl 14 or 19: +2 item bonus.
Lvl 24 or 29: +3 item bonus.
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. When you are immobi-
lized, restrained, or slowed, you immediately end one of
these conditions.
Disarming Veil Level 15+
This cloak’s large folds entangle the enemy and disarm it.
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Enchantment: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Power (Encounter): Standard Action. Make a basic melee
attack against an adjacent target’s Reflex defense with a
bonus to the attack roll equal to the veil’s enhancement
bonus. If you hit, the target drops the weapon it wields,
which falls to the ground at its feet.
Minotaur’s Collar Level 8+
This crude bronze amulet depicts a raging bull. The ground
shakes under its bearer’s steps.
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Enchantment: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Power (Encounter): No Action. Use this power when you hit
a target while charging. In addition, you push the target
1 square and knock it prone if your size is the same or
within one category.
Lvl 13 or 18: Push the target 2 squares.
Lvl 23 or 28: Push the target 3 squares.
WAIST SLOT ITEMS
Magic belts enhance a character’s stamina and his abil-
ity to withstand exhaustion and physical challenges.
WAIST SLOT ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
2 Fearless man-at-arms belt (heroic tier) 520
9 Martial balance belt 4,200
12 Energy boldness belt 13,000
12 Fearless man-at-arms belt (paragon tier) 13,000
22 Fearless man-at-arms belt (epic tier) 325,000
Energy Boldness Belt Level 12
When you wear this belt, each wound you deal your foe be-
comes an opportunity for you to recover.
Item Slot: Waist 13,000 gp
Property: +2 item bonus to Endurance checks.
Power (Encounter): Free Action. Use this power when you
score a critical hit against a foe of your same level or
higher. You can spend a healing surge as a free action and
add your Constitution modifier to the healing surge value.
Fearless Man-at-Arms Belt Level 2+
This magic belt bolsters your soul against fear and allows you
to keep your enemies at bay.
Lvl 2 520 gp Lvl 22 325,000 gp
Lvl 12 13,000 gp
Item Slot: Waist
Property: +1 item bonus to saving throws against fear.
Lvl 12: +2 item bonus
Lvl 22: +3 item bonus.
Power (Daily ✦ Fear): Free Action. Use this power when you
hit with a melee attack. The target moves away from you
a number of squares equal to your Charisma modifier
(minimum 1). The fleeing target avoids unsafe squares
and difficult terrain if it can. This movement provokes
opportunity attacks.
Martial Balance Belt Level 9
A comfortable belt that makes the bearer swift and elusive,
protecting him from unexpected assaults.
Item Slot: Waist 4,200 gp
Property: When running, you do not grant combat
advantage.
Power (Daily): Free Action. You can immediately shift 2
squares.
WONDROUS ITEMS
Wondrous items produce unique and unusual effects.
They are prized by characters of any class.
WOUNDROUS ITEMS
Lvl Name Price (gp)
5 Whetstone of adamantine edge 1,000
7 Case of deafening noise 2,600
7 Quiver of flaming roar 2,600
9 Sheath of the champion 4,200
Case of Deafening Noise Level 7
This case for crossbow bolts is made of hide and brass. Upon
command, one of the projectiles can explode in a peal of
thunder.
Wondrous Item 2,600 gp
Power (Daily ✦ Thunder): Minor Action. The next basic
ranged attack you make with a crossbow before the end
of your turn becomes a burst 1 centered on the original
target. Use your normal attack bonus for the attack, but
Chapter 5: A Fighter's Tools
make the attack against the target’s Fortitude defense.
Instead of normal damage, each target you hit takes 5
thunder damage and is deafened (save ends).
Quiver of Flaming Roar Level 7
This red quiver is decorated with magic runes containing fiery
power. An arrow drawn from the quiver can suddenly turn into
an explosive sphere.
Wondrous Item 2,600 gp
Power (Daily ✦ Fire): Minor Action. The next basic ranged
attack you make with a bow before the end of your turn
becomes a burst 1 centered on the original target. Use
your normal attack bonus for the attack, but make the
attack against the target’s Reflex defense. Instead of nor-
mal damage, each target you hit takes 10 fire damage.
Sheath of the Champion Level 9
A sword kept in this sturdy sheath becomes an extraordinary
weapon when it strikes true.
Wondrous Item 4,200 gp
Power (Daily): Minor Action. The damage die of a critical hit
dealt by the weapon increases by one category.
Special: Only a light blade or a heavy blade can be sheathed
in a sheath of the champion. This power counts as a daily
power of the weapon kept in the sheath. If the weapon’s
daily power has already been used, the sheath of the
champion does not work.
Whetstone of Adamantine Edge Level 5
A magic tool designed to make blades as sharp as razors.
Wondrous Item 1,000 gp
Power (Encounter): Minor Action. The next melee basic
attack you make with an axe, heavy blade, or light blade
before the end of the encounter deals 1d8 extra damage.
109
 Organizations CHAPTER 6

E
vening fell on Edresk’s roofs and streets. Riglen and his companions had spent the better part of three
days trekking down the road that bisected the baron’s lands. All of them spoke heartily of putting the
dangers of the fight against the dragonborn warlock called Syphodol behind them.
Sheran had insisted on visiting Edresk. The rogue had heard the new baron offered a substantial reward to adven-
turers who helped put out the fires of rebellion plaguing his land. The baron, Sheran suggested, might repay them
with a detachment of soldier to assist in the war against Jarek. Riglen had approved the idea with a shrug and a
muttered assent, but he had to admit a few days behind town walls sounded fine to him. Eating a meal worthy of the
name and sleeping in an actual bed were luxuries he had not known for too many weeks.
The meeting with the baron, a pleasant man with a good head on his shoulders, had proven less boring than the
fighter expected. His companions had handled most of the bargain, although Riglen felt the need to step in when it
was time to define their reward; with a few words, he had convinced the baron to agree to a much more interesting
offer than the simple bounty of coins Sheran asked for. Satisfied, the fighter had stepped back again, musing how he
would spend his share, while the rest of his companions kept asking questions about endless and superfluous details of
their mission.
If their first day in Edresk had been pleasant, though, the night was an entirely different matter.
After a dinner in a noisy and colorful central tavern, Riglen headed for the lodgings they’d rented, where his com-
panions were most likely already asleep. The twisted and narrow alleys of the town were a veritable maze, arrayed in
a chaotic and unpredictable layout.
Suddenly, Riglen glimpsed two shadows sneaking past him on the right. When he snapped his gaze forward, two
more cloaked figures stood before him.
“Come, stranger, give us a good reason not to kill you here and now,” the largest said, his voice coarse and stinking
of cheap ale. The torches at the alley’s corners hinted at the aggressors’ rough faces and glinted off plate armor worn
beneath their cloaks.
Riglen instinctively brought one hand to the hilt of his sword and the other to his pouch. He was not about to consent
to a robbery now, not when things were finally looking up.
“Your purse’s money is dripping with blood, stranger,” one of the cloaked man said, his eye on the pouch. “It
comes from the people’s sacrifices, and it will not be spent in the brothels of distant lands by an adventurer with no
honor who sold his services to the usurper.”
“What do you know about honor, dog?” the fighter snapped. But the words felt heavy in his mouth when he parsed
his assailant’s words. As he frowned, the other men pressed him with more questions.
“Now you will tell us why the baron hired you and your companions, and speak the truth. He asked you to investi-
gate the Graywood affair, didn’t he? You had to examine what was left of the caravans and the guards, is that not
so? Is there a diviner in your party?”
Riglen moved his hand away from the pouch as he realized the true reason for the ambush. “You know more than
my friends and I could ever find out about that assault, don’t you? Now put your swords away, before I do it for
you, and tell me why you’re calling the baron an usurper. I usually don’t mind where my money comes from, but a
resume of service to murderers and tyrants doesn’t sit well with either my stomach or my usual employers’.”

110
Alberto Bontempi
 FIGHTERS AND MARTIAL ORGANIZATIONS
Heroic fighters are the champions of epic poetry and
song, the protagonists of noble odes and tales, admired
and cheered by all who have heard of their deeds. It is
any surprise, then, that the greatest fighters attract many
followers, ready and willing to serve under their banners,
or that a group of nostalgic warriors decides to renew the
memory of an illustrious fighter of a past age by form-
ing a company in his honor? In the end, most battles are
won by deploying mighty armies, and is not an army an
organized group of fighters? To many fighters, joining a
martial organization is a natural choice, and such organi-
zations are vital for characters hailing from this class.
It would not be proper to assume that any army
can automatically be considered a proper martial
organization. The latter, at least in the sense this book
means it, is something more than a simple congregation
of soldiers. A martial organization is a group marked by
Chapter 6: Organizations
a strong cohesive spirit, an organization whose mem-
bers share the same ideals and pursue the same goals.
It is are much like a political faction: it has a strong
sense of camaraderie and identity and longs to fulfill a
goal common to its membership.
Whether they gather to begin a campaign of
conquest, to defend themselves from an outer threat, to
protect their interests, or simply to gain more political
power and influence, a martial organization’s members
can attain considerable benefits and privileges. They
can demand better payment for their services, acquire
superior weapons, rule over vast territories as a true
lord would, and even conquer and rule a kingdom.
Of course, martial organizations can embrace very
different values; their members are at least as varied as
they are. Stern and inflexible law enforcers, affiliated
to longstanding martial academies and determined
to ensure civilized laws are respected throughout the
community and to see all crimes punished; orders of
knights errant willing to protect the weak and defend
the most remote outposts; mercenary companies with-
out scruples, ready to sell their swords to the highest
bidder and caring only about wealth and personal in-
terest; sadistic warriors who enjoy the fear and destruc-
tion they spread with their dark deeds. With so many
different goals, it is no surprise that certain organiza-
tions prefer to act in the light of day and let their fame
spread in the world, while others keep their existence a
secret and promote their plans from the shadows.
Hierarchies
Being militaristic organizations, these groups of fight-
ers often mimic the command chain of an army, with
the foot soldier at the bottom and the general at the
top. This hierarchy, except in a few rare cases, defines
both a member’s position within the organization and
his powers and duties.
112
A few military brotherhoods follow a different
ranking system, however. Their members might have
equal position and standing, enjoying the same rights
and shouldering the same burdens. Others might
entrust a council of veterans to lead them, taking into
account only tacit distinctions involving age and expe-
rience on the battlefield. Still others might break their
ranks into specialized divisions or cells, with either no
central leadership or one commander appointed to
direct a council of his fellows.
Most martial organizations’ needs make democratic
models unpractical. Unlike an academy of magic or a
priesthood, a mercenary company cannot afford to dis-
cuss its decisions in committee. It needs to act swiftly
and efficiently as soon as an emergency arises. Dec-
larations, invasions, surprise attacks, and retaliations
require swift, decisive action. As such, the pyramidal
structure is the most common, especially if the organi-
zation is very large or is tasked with the defense of a
strategic outpost or a vast territory.
Duties and opportunities
A professional fighter’s needs are simple, but often
expensive: well-kept and sturdy armor, effective weap-
ons, decent meals and lodging, in some cases a trusty
steed. Many martial organizations grant their members
all these amenities, along with goods and services at
a reduced cost–perhaps reduced to nothing. Their
barracks, training grounds and smithies become even
more valuable if they set up shop in remote or uncivi-
lized places; the organization’s base becomes a safe
refuge to use between adventures, perhaps a bastion of
civilization itself. Circumstances and budget permit-
ting, an organization can even grant magical healing
to its members and provide useful magic items to its
highest-ranking officials.
The greatest benefits a fighter gains from a mar-
tial organization’s membership have nothing to do
with wealth and money, though. A faction provides a
character with protection and guidance, giving him
faithful allies and powerful masters he can rely upon.
For example, if the GM requires that a character needs
specific training before mastering a martial ritual (see
Chapter 2: A Fighter’s Power), acquiring a combat style
(see Chapter 4: A Fighter’s Feat), or selecting a certain
paragon path, one of the organization’s veterans can
provide the necessary instruction.
In addition, a character affiliated with a martial
organization can count on his network to link him-
self and his companions to potential employers. The
organization is a natural place for patrons to start when
they seek adventurers and mercenaries, and any job, in
the hands of a skilled GM, can become the launching
point for an exciting adventure.
 What the martial organization asks in exchange for
these benefits is very simple: undisputed loyalty and
monetary contributions. The latter can be gathered in
many different forms, from fees paid on a regular basis
to a percentage of the member’s take from mercenary or
adventuring work. Still, no fighter should ever forget that
the most valuable thing he can contribute is his pres-
ence on the battlefield in times of war, and no member
of a martial organization remains in good standing if he
denies his fellows the strength of his arm!
Rank in an organization
As described above, martial organization often employ
a hierarchical structure like an army’s. According to this
system, lower-ranking fighters are subject to the author-
ity of an officer, who in turn answers to higher-ranking
officers. Control is tighter at the bottom ranks and more
relaxed at the top, with the organization’s leaders giving
more trust to commanders who have proven their judg-
ment and fighting skill by rising through the ranks.
Martial organizations usually promote on the basis
of mighty deeds, cunning tactics, or political maneu-
vering. A mercenary company only a few steps removed
from its days as a band of raiding savages elevates the
bravest and most powerful warriors in its ranks. An
order of knights in a decadent merchant-princedom
raises up those members whose skill with cloak and
dagger matches their skill with sword and lance. Most
martial organizations fall somewhere in the happy mid-
dle, granting leadership positions to officers who prove
adept at every aspect of warfare.
Characters and Organizations
To a character, membership in a martial organi-
zation can be an opportunity to both expand his
personal story, adding depth to his personally
and motivations, and to take part in many excit-
ing adventures. From the mission he undergoes to
find a member that will vouch for him before the
organization’s leadership, to the tests he faces to
obtain –or keep– a place in the organization, there
are many opportunities that can turn membership
in a martial organization into a powerful adventure
hook that the GM can use to motivate the players.
If a character obtains a position of leadership in
the organization, he can outline its objectives and
direct it against the party’s enemies.
As such, becoming a member in a martial or-
ganization is a choice both players and GM should
approach with care. First, a character’s nature and
objectives should be similar to or at least com-
patible with those of the organization. Second,
everyone should know in advance that the more a
character invests in the organization, the more he
MARTIAL ORGANIZATIONS
IN THE WORLD
A martial organization is either a private army or a
detachment from a regional or national one. Like any
armed force, its influence depends on the equipment,
morale, skill, and numbers of its members, on the
talent of its great captains, and on the territory and
fortified positions it either holds or can take control of
on short notice.
Almost by definition, a private military force
must either be strong enough to seize the throne of
whatever region it operates out of, or on very good
terms with the present rulers. Those martial organiza-
tions that get on the bad side of their king or em-
peror rarely survive; when they do, their commander
usually becomes the next ruler or the power behind
the throne! The vast majority of martial organizations
are in good standing with their regional governments,
however, serving as veteran mercenaries when the
Chapter 6: Organizations
country goes to war or defending the countryside
from monstrous incursions.
The exceptions to this rule are martial organiza-
tions that operate in the shadows. Conspiracies can
only go so far with subterfuge and sorcery; if they
have any hope of one day taking power, they required
an armed force, and often that means forming an
army in secret. Fighters who pledge themselves to
revolutionary zealots, scheming usurpers and other
enemies of the existing regime can hope to one day
tread jeweled thrones beneath their feet–but for now,
they must live as fugitives.
will become involved in its management; when he
is not adventuring, most of his time and resources
will have to be dedicated to the organization.
This might not be a problem, and indeed usually
it is not. Most fighters are proud to be part of storied
companies of like-minded warriors and embrace their
missions with fervor. If this does not describe a charac-
ter, he should think twice about joining the organiza-
tion or –if he already has– find a quick way to put his
membership behind him. Of course, not all martial
organizations will prove accepting of a member’s early
retirement. On the other hand, other organizations
require only minimal membership dues and impose
even fewer rules and duties. These could be good fits
for an undecided or reckless character.
Alternatively, if a GM wants to exploit the adven-
ture hooks a martial organization can provide in a
campaign while keeping his players free from its au-
thority, he can use the organizations described below
as NPC-only factions, interacting with the party only as
allies or antagonists.
113
 Allies and antagonists
Martial organizations usually find their best friends
seated on thrones and in the halls of parliaments. A
ruler requires force to back up his decrees and to either
intimidate the populace or infuse them with confi-
dence. Often, he will find it easier to trust the loyalty
of a well-paid or ideologically motivated organization
rather than his own subordinates or vassals.
Merchants, too, value martial organizations, both as
customer and employee. A blacksmith obviously loves
having a mercenary company encamped within purchas-
ing distance, but so, too, do seamstresses and grocers
and members of almost every profession–provided the
martial organization’s members are well-disciplined or
well-meaning, anyway. Caravan masters and merchant-
man captains prize the assistance of capable fighters, too,
because without powerful defenders their shipments
would never pass through the wilderness intact.
Unfortunately, for every powerful ally a martial
Chapter 6: Organizations
organization boasts, it usually faces at least a half-dozen
enemies! Rival mercenary companies or politically
opposed factions provide the most obvious opposition.
These are the foes a fighter prefers. They offer a stand-
up fight, and knocking them down proves the victor’s
martial prowess in the most direct way. Sadly, such
rivals are the least of most organizations’ worries.
If the organization’s members are charged with
keeping the peace, every miscreant from two-bit thugs
to thieves’ guildmasters will want them out of the way–
preferably permanently. Combating foes who strike
from the shadows falls outside the typical fighter’s
purview, so these enemies often cause trouble dispro-
portionate to their actual power.
A martial organization may cross more esoteric
groups, such as wizards’ colleges and local cults, quite
without realizing it. Few fighters understand the rituals
and rites of mystics and academics, and many are in-
clined to say the wrong word in an environment where
words, not deeds, are the source of one’s reputation. Of
course, in as many cases, a martial organization actively
attacks a cult or college; from royal decrees to religious
fanaticism, the reasons for such an assault are as varied
as the organizations capable of launching one.
Even an organization that deftly navigates the
muddy waters of politics, religion, magic, and law is not
free of foes, though. Civilized enemies are just the tip of
the iceberg; beyond the city walls, beyond the cultured
and well-guarded fields, beyond the busy causeways
and canals, lies an entire wilderness teeming with mon-
sters and savages, hordes and horrors.
Hidden secrets
Many organizations hide at least one great secret; mar-
tial organizations are no exception.
114
Behind every warring group lies a story of al-
liances, conflicts, truces, and vendettas. After all, if
a combatant needs to join with others like him to
increase their strength or gain protection, powerful foes
must threaten him. Dealing with such threats some-
times requires more than force of arms: It also requires
discretion. How would people react if they knew that
the country won the last war by bankrupting the
treasury to contract a mercenary company’s services, or
that victory came from a series of murders perpetrated
by a team of spies and commandos? The mercenaries,
spies, and commandos involved, to say nothing of their
employers, would rather not know the answer!
Sometimes, a martial organization’s secrets do not
concern their members’ actions, but rather the objec-
tives they pursue or the story behind their founding.
An honored knightly order may answer to a power-
hungry noble with plans to usurp the throne; a sect
of fanatic fighters could be the true power behind a
fencing school, and use the younger recruits to fill
their ranks with the most promising swordsmen; an
esteemed militia guarding farmlands against raiders
could have been a band of outlaws and brigands just a
few years before.
READING ORGANIZATIONS
The next section features a few martial organizations
that can easily be included in any campaign. The GM
can use the following information to encourage inter-
ested characters to join an organization they like, or to
create an adventure revolving around an organization’s
plans. Each organization also includes a statistics block
detailing its main game traits.
Lore: Information a character can gather about
the organization, its goals, its secrets and other relevant
details. Each entry requires a specific knowledge check
(such as Arcana, History, Religion) at the specified DC.
Organization: The organization’s general profile:
its declared goals, the allies it can rely upon and its
main opponents, its available resources, the influence it
exerts over local or foreign powers, and its constitution.
Leader: The organization’s leader or leaders.
Headquarters: The place or places where the
organization’s power is gathered.
Hierarchy: The organization’s structure and
ranks, its rules, and the behavior it demands from its
members.
Members: An organization’s typical members,
from its lowliest minions to its best special agents.
Symbol: The emblem the organization uses as a
mark of distinction among its members and the rest of
the world (or only among its members), usually sym-
bolic of its nature and purpose.
Adventure Hooks: A few suggestions for involving
the organization and its members in your adventures.
 BROTHERHOOD OF BLOOD LIONS
These brave gladiators show such a fierce and proud
loyalty to their organization and to their companions
that they give new meaning to the word “brother-
hood.” Each fighter is expected to respect, assist and
protect his companions in any circumstance, save one:
When two Blood Lions must fight in an arena, they
must do so to the last blood, without showing com-
passion or regret. Like wild animals, they know only
the strongest survive.
Brotherhood of Blood
Lions Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Arcana DC 15: Brotherhood members are ru-
mored to attend a mysterious and savage initiation rite
when they join the organization,
in order to establish an everlasting
blood bond with the other Lions.
Although sages are rather skeptical
about this rumor, all Blood Lions
believe that the ritual can make
them virtually immortal, and
that after the ritual, a combat-
ant will only fall by the hand of
a brother.
Dungeoneering DC 20:
A few gladiatorial arenas
feature hidden levels beneath
their battlements, and the
awesome battleground where
Brotherhood fighters cross
arms is one of these places. It
is no secret that an arena often
features a hidden level where
the rarest and most danger-
ous beasts are kept: It is the
same level that hosts the traps, the
elevators and the devices that allow
the organizers to alter the battleground.
But very few know that there are two more
underground levels, where Blood Lions are rumored
to gather and perform eerie rituals.
Dungeoneering DC 35: The Blood Lions arena
hides an unthinkable secret: Deep beneath the dun-
geons, more than 120 feet underground, lies a room
that leads to the sidereal areas of the elemental may-
hem. Constant connection with those planes of exist-
ence has generated a planar seepage, and now the entire
Roberto Pitturru
area around the rift is surrounded by corrosive geysers
and everlasting flames.
Organization
The Brotherhood of Blood Lions is commonly known
as a famous and close-knit group of gladiators who win
all contests they attend and draw huge crowds when-
ever they appear.
The groups’ athletes and combatants are very pow-
erful indeed, and they have been trained to overcome
the most difficult challenge: contests against a team
of rival gladiators, duels to the death, or fights against
bloodthirsty monsters. Blood Lions always offer a
spectacular performance and almost always prevail over
their foes. They attribute their successes to their con-
stant training, but rumor and hearsay speak of a secret
pact they enter into to enhance their strength.
Still, there is another secret behind the Brother-
hood’s origins: Today’s gladiators are only the latest in
Chapter 6: Organizations
a circle of invincible combatants who used to meet
at an extraplanar crossroads a thousand
years ago (the crossroads now lies
deep beneath the Blood Li-
ons arena) to meet in battle
and prove their valor.
Leader: The gladia-
tors are led by Paikros,
a dragonborn of great
experience and at the
peak of his strength.
His brothers venerate
him like a demigod, and
often invoke his name,
hoping to gain strength
and inspiration from his
example. Paikros does not
let his privileged status in-
terfere with his duties and
treats his men with respect
and loyalty. None has ever seen
him lose his temper… except
against foes who try to defeat him
with dirty tricks. His wrath is usu-
ally the last thing an enemy sees.
Headquarters: The underground halls of the
arena where the Lions fight include their quarters, the
armories and the natural grottos where the fighters
can relax in pools of warm water and enjoy pleasant
massages. More restricted (and guarded) areas host the
Brotherhood rites and lead to the rift that opens on the
elemental mayhem.
Hierarchy: In the Brotherhood of Blood Lions, all
members are equal: The word and life of any member
has exactly the same value. After a particularly hard
fight, those who have distinguished themselves in battle
115
 can enjoy a few temporary privileges as a form of hom-
age to the valor they have demonstrated, but this status
lasts only until the next match, the next victory.
Members: The Brotherhood is very selective when
it comes to accepting new members, although it ig-
nores racial or social factors: Anyone can join, provided
they show extraordinary strength and stamina.
Symbol: A gladiator with a lion’s head.
Adventure Hooks: A character’s affiliation with
the Brotherhood of Blood Lions can provide the GM
with many adventure hooks revolving around gladiato-
rial games, or about shadier clandestine fight and slave
rings. In any case, involved PCs will have plenty of op-
portunities to test their mettle and survival skills.
✦ A brawny tiefling called Recluse, en experi-
enced dagger-wielding fighter, has just joined
the gladiatorial circuit and has already earned
himself a name. Although he rarely attends train-
ing sessions and when he does he never displays
Chapter 6: Organizations
any special skill, when he enters the arena he is
incredibly lucky and his savagery has earned him
the public’s favor. The most experienced brokers
are convinced that something is not right, and are
willing to pay a handsome reward to those who
will reveal his secret.
✦ In the last few weeks, the beasts held beneath the
arena have been acting strangely. The keepers say
the animals and monsters do not eat, stay awake all
night, and refuse to leave their cages. Organizers
and handlers do not know what to do, and the day
CRIMSON DUSK COMMANDOS
Some battles cannot be fought by a regular army, but
can be won with a swift and fierce assault that strikes
the enemy without warning and leaves it no escape.
The Crimson Dusk Commandos, a secretive guild of
elite warriors, is convinced that this is the best way to
fight. Their members are specialized in raids and retali-
ations. They pledge their services to anyone who can
afford their price, ready to steal military plans, recover
a magical treasure, or kidnap a valuable hostage.
Crimson Dusk
Commandos knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
History DC 20: Apparently, the Crimson Dusk are
comprised of outcasts from all races. They were found-
ed by a dragonborn subjugated by a cruel red dragon.
After many years spent in the service of that monster
as his lieutenant, the dragonborn fighter was able to rid
himself of his master, but not of the grim reputation he
116
Blood Lions draw their martial superiority from their
experience and from the reputation they have grown
in many years of combat, vanquishing their enemies
with skill and pride. The following feat is a heroic tier
feat that can be selected by a character of any level
who has joined the Brotherhood of Blood Lions.
Blood and Honor [Fighter]
Prerequisite: Fighter
Benefit: When you make an attack of opportuni-
ty, the bonus granted by the combat superiority class
feature is equal to your Wisdom or Charisma modifier,
whichever is higher.
Special: You must be a member in good standing
of the Brotherhood of Blood Lions.
of the next games grows closer. What is the reason
for the beasts’ disconcerting behavior? Can it be a
sign of greater trouble to come?
✦ Madigan, the old arena trainer, is slowly dying.
His greatest wish is to see the Belt of Triumph, the
trophy meant for the greatest arena champions, one
last time. Madigan won the belt in his youth, but it
is no longer in the arena halls. It was lost nine years
ago in the foul Trekks Bog along with a fugitive
gladiator. Is there a hero among Madigan’s young
disciples willing to risk his life to fulfill his old
master’s last wish?
had earned as the dragon’s executor. Unable to forgive
himself for the atrocities he had committed, he aban-
doned any hope of returning to his kin and embraced
forever the fate of the cynical and efficient mercenary,
gathering a band of ardent followers around him.
Streetwise DC 20: The Crimson Dusk Comman-
dos always move in teams of five to seven members and
strike out of nowhere, making the most of their sur-
prise attacks. They usually keep away from the largest
concentrations of the enemy, preferring to isolate and
wear their foes down with guerrilla tactics. When they
are forced to fight greater numbers of enemies, they
coordinate their actions in two or three different teams
and try to exploit any advantage they might gain from
the terrain or from the enemy’s need to reorganize.
Arcana DC 30: Darzuul, a malevolent dark elf
with a distinguished place in the organization, has a
wondrous armor that allows him to blend in the shad-
ows and disappear from his enemies’ eyes. The armor
is rumored to be a gift from a cruel and beautiful outer
 entity with female features; nobody knows what the lake, where once stood the temple of a dark elf deity.
dark elf gave in change for the armor, but the purple Just below the murky lake lies a huge hall sustained
tattoo scarring his face looks very much like the seal of by rows of high pillars, which can only be reached
a demon’s pact. through a narrow and twisted tunnel. The Comman-
dos’ leaders met there to make their decisions and
Organization plan future attacks.
This circle of fighters play a dangerous game. They Hierarchy: The Commandos are comprised of
are a power-hungry group and are many different strike teams, each one includ-
willing to do anything to gain ing about a half-dozen members,
more influence. They have trained to work together to make
many enemies, both among their missions go as swiftly and
the targets of their missions smoothly as possible. Outside
and the patrons they have their team members, the
betrayed when they got Commandos only know
a better offer. Still, the the superior they take
organization seems to orders from. This cell
know how far they structure contributes
can push themselves, to the organization’s
and that they have to secrecy and keeps

Chapter 6: Organizations
maintain a sem- internecine feuds to a
blance of respect- minimum.
ability to keep get- Members: Mem-
ting jobs from the bers of every race
most powerful and and background fill
wealthy patrons. the Commandos’ ranks.
Leader: The or- Fighters are the backbone
ganization is led by two of the group, but each team
partners, a dark elf, Darzuul, always includes a character who
and a young human, Caineth. works as a leader or as a support
They rarely agree on anything, and they combatant, providing the team with
have had many fierce debates about the best small doses of divine or arcane pow-
course of action to follow and the best jobs to accept. ers. Humans, half-elves, tieflings, and dragonborn are
The former is a leader with a magnetic personality and equally common in the ranks of the Crimson Dusk,
a forked tongue, while the latter is a grim executioner which include even a few eladrin and halflings.
who kills without remorse or hesitation. Symbol: A wolf with blood-red moon behind it.
Headquarters: The Commandos’ refuge and seat Adventure Hooks: Although they are not an
of power is a network of caves around an underground actual criminal syndicate, the Crimson Dusk Com-

The following power describes a well hidden secret,
jealously kept by the organization’s master and
passed on to the most promising Commandos. It
saved the lives of many Commandos and it let many
others succeed when their mission seemed irre-
deemably compromised.
Seek and Destroy Fighter Attack 17
An experienced Crimson Dusk Commando has completed
many espionage missions and knows how to infiltrate an
enemy camp. He can feel when an ambush is near and he
can strike his foes before they come out of hiding.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Roberto Pitturru
Effect: Make a Perception roll with a +5 power bonus
against the target’s Stealth. If you succeed, you know
that one or more creature are located within burst (de-
pending on how many creatures have failed the oppo-
sed check), and you know the generic direction of their
location. If you win the check by 10 or more, you know
the precise location of a concealed creature that failed
the opposed check; you may move towards the target as
a free action and then make a melee attack against that
target, ignoring the usual penalties due to cover and
concealment. If you win more than one check by 10 or
more, you will have to select only one target to attack.

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Standard Action Close burst 10 Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier.
Target: Each concealed creature in burst

117
 mandos are undeniably a group without scruples and
willing to sink to whatever lows seem useful. This
sets them apart from most martial organizations
and allows the GM to involve the shadiest and most
elusive characters, either as affiliates of this disrepu-
table organization or as its opponents.
✦ Beneath the Scale Peaks, the followers of the
Share’th Cult (a brotherhood of sadistic dwarves
worshipping a dark insect-like god) are perform-
ing a ritual that will hopefully summon their
patron in the world. Agents of the Crimson Dusk
have been hired to steal the book that contains
the ritual, along with all components required
to celebrate it. Of course, the Commandos are
not interested in the common good: The dark
elf who hired the Commandos has paid them an
exorbitant fee.
✦ The characters are visiting the holdings of the
Jerra’tys merchant house, where an important
Chapter 6: Organizations

member of the family invited them to recover a

load of goods that had been stolen from a convoy
some days ago. What seemed a simple mission
quickly turns into a desperate struggle for survival
as the mansion is assaulted by a team of deadly and
efficient warriors who intend to kill the characters’
patron and kidnap the house’s scion. Obviously, the
Jerra’tys are the target of something deadlier than a
simple theft…
✦ Tomorrow’s battle plans are kept in General Commandos in action.
Haidoos’ tent. The battle is going to be bloody, and
it will almost certainly be decided by how the de- vance and have formulated a plan to steal the rest
fenders’ deploy to withstand the assault. The mayor of the city’s wealth, the Crimson Dusk only needs
was so desperate that he allowed the Commandos to send a few agents to raid the mayor’s treasury
into the city’s treasury and offered to pay them and tell old Haidoos that he can move the camp
whatever they asked to retrieve the battle plans and and leave with his army of cutthroats: The old siege
reveal their contents. Now that they have their ad- trick has worked once again.

IRON ADDER COMPANY

This militia patrols from border to border in the
kingdom of Elesia, taking part in skirmishes and field
battles with little or no rest between one fight and
another. Rough, self-equipped in patchwork gear, and
without royal cachet, they are often mistaken for simple
mercenaries or even bandits. This may once have been
true, but today these fighters are patriots, not soldiers
of fortune; even the most heroic mercenary would
think twice about an unending battle against hobgob-
lins, ogres, and worse.
Iron Adder Company
knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Nature DC 20: Wilderness travelers have learned
to spot a place where the Iron Adders have camped:
A row of holes in the ground dug at regular intervals
mark the places where their watching turrets stood,
while a few logs cut down and carved in the center
were used as troughs for their horses. In addition,
the Adders use small yellow and red strings tied to a
Claudio Casini

118
 branch to mark the spot where they have set a trap to
defend their camp.
History DC 20: The Iron Adder Company is
most known for their victory at Willowcreek, where
they fought a fierce battle against the hobgoblins of the
western lands. The battle’s outcome was crucial, as it
finally set the land free from the evil humanoids’ rule,
and it also marked the first time the Kingdom entrust-
ed the Company with the task of protecting its borders.
History DC 30: The Company takes its name
from the woman who was believed to be the army’s
second in command many years ago. It is rumored that
the Iron Adder was the founder’s lover, and that she
took over the company’s command when she poi-
soned her companion and his trusted lieuten-
ants. This merciless betrayal was followed by
many years of gruesome campaigns and a
reign of terror, which ended when the
exasperated soldiers rebelled against
their cruel leader and executed her.
Organization
The Iron Adder Company is made of
hard and resolute men, used to the
rigors of military life. These soldiers
relentlessly patrol the King’s lands,
and are always looking for signs of
monstrous incursion, usually by
raiding bands of ogres. From time
to time, a few Iron Adder soldiers are
called upon to reinforce the Queen’s
regular troops. Although their bri-
gades have always proven themselves
faithful, well trained and decisive,
their lack of discipline –along with the
exorbitant price of their services– have
generated an ill reputation. Company
members, though, do not care too much
about their reputation. They live far from
major towns and settlements, and they are
content with the rough pleasures that a military
life can give. They care only for the honor and respect
they show each other.
Leader: In spite of their fame and reputation –and
of their great strength and pride– the Iron Adders have
never shown any excessive ambition. Indeed, they have
always shown loyalty to the crown and support for the
populace. It is also for this reason that the undisputed
commander of these soldiers has remained the same for
more than fourteen years: Greog Wolm (human fighter
17), a veteran with a booming voice and a short brown
beard that covers his many scars. Greog is loved by
Roberto Pitturru
his men, who have complete trust in his judgment and
would gladly give their lives to follow his orders. This
blind trust is balanced by the raucous revelries with
which the Company celebrates its victories, a tradition
that Greog intends to maintain–a decision that makes
him even more popular with his men.
Headquarters: The Iron Adder Company has no
headquarters, though there are a few spots in the wil-
derness where company members tend to return when
they need to make camp. They build small temporary
shacks, tents, barracks, and pens for their horses, but
they tend to keep away from the main roads. They usu-
ally favor narrow valleys or light woods, easier to watch
and defend.
Hierarchy: The Iron Adder Company
follows a traditional military ranking
system. Greog, the high commander, is
assisted and counseled by two captains,
who in turn command a number of
Chapter 6: Organizations
officers and field aids. These officers
must ensure that orders are obeyed
and that soldiers keep their places
in battle. Discipline is very stern
during military operations, but
becomes very lax in the respites
between.
Members: Anyone who knows
how to wield a blade and has noth-
ing to lose, except maybe his own
life, is welcome to join the Company.
Iron Adders have no qualms about
accepting strangers, half-bloods, and
fugitives among their ranks, and if
they have denied admittance to a few
criminals, they did it only to avoid
drawing undue attention from the
authorities. The army is mostly com-
prised of humans, but dwarves are not
unusual, along with a few elves, half-elves,
and dragonborn. Most members are fight-
ers, of course, although other combatants such as
rangers and rogues are not too rare.
Symbol: An adder circling a spear’s shaft with
its coils.
Adventure Hooks: This fighting brigade is the
perfect organization for those characters who wish
to escape their past and to begin a new life. The
Company does not provide many luxuries, but it can
certainly offer protection from the authorities’ wrath
or from personal enemies. In turn, the Company
requires some skill with the blade and loyalty to the
other members.
119
 ✦ After the last battle at Ghertenwort Wood, the
Company captured an ogre called Ohrev. The
brute is as dumb as he is strong, and during the
interrogation he revealed many details about the
whereabouts of his fellows. The Iron Adders are
eager to launch an assault that will wipe the ogres
out once and for all, but little they do know that
Ohrev is the dupe of a clever foe who arranged
his capture to lead the soldiers of fortune into a
deadly trap.
✦ An important Iron Adder camp located at the
mouth of the Tirhin River has suddenly run out of
water. The explorers sent to investigate the situa-
tion learned that the Sparrow Brigade has settled
upstream and has built a dam. Greog’s councilors
Qwelenar Bladeleaf, Iron Adder ace
Occupation: The Iron Adder Company ac-
Chapter 6: Organizations
cepts many jobs that others would decline. Even
amongst its hardened soldiers, however, Qwelenar
is considered reckless to the point of insanity. When
a battle seems lost even before it begins or a task
seems hopeless, the half-elf resorts to his unequalled
skills and snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ogres have learned to fear Qwelenar’s name and his
poisoned spear, and he now leads the Iron Adder’s
scouting unit in battle and reconnaissance. Many of
his companions owe him their lives, and in time he
has become the company’s paragon and living sym-
bol: cunning, efficient, and opportunist.
Physical Description: Qwelenar is lean and
athletic; his dark hair, short and glittering, and his
narrow green eyes seem to highlight his elusive and
proud nature.
Attributes and Skills: Qwelenar is resilient, and
he can rely on a battle-trained mind and lightning
reflexes.
Values and Motivations: Qwelenar is cunning
and down-to-earth. He believes close emotional
ties to be a weakness and avoids lasting or serious
friendships.
Behavior: The half-elf swings from a talkative and
sarcastic mood to long minutes of silence, in which he
seems to carefully analyze those around him. He only
feels at ease among the other Iron Adders.
Useful Knowledge: Qwelenar knows the merce-
nary underworld very well. He also knows how to use
poisons, and this knowledge has earned him many
victories. One prick from his spear is often enough to
end a fight.
Mannerisms: Qwelenar remains cold and con-
trolled even in the heat of battle. When he answers a
question, he always looks his interlocutor in the eyes,
even if he is lying.
120
are sharply divided as to their response. Some
would like to parlay and find a peaceful solution
with their rivals, while others want to attack and
settle the score once and for all.
✦ Traffic along the Money Road has dwindled in
recent days, almost certainly because of the many
ambushes and raids that have plagued the trade
convoys that used to follow that road. What com-
mander Wolm cannot accept is that his men have
been blamed for these crimes. Although he does
not like it, the mercenary leader has ordered his
men to find the real bandits and to put an end to
the assaults before the King decides to listen to
the angry populace and turns the Company into a
scapegoat.
Origins: Qwelenar has selected the mercenary’s
origins (see Chapter 1: A Fighter’ Role). He gains a +1 bonus
to initiative checks and to saving throws against fear.
Qwelenar Bladeleaf Level 8 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, half-elf fighter XP 350
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +6; low-light vision
HP 78; Bloodied 39
AC 25; Fortitude 23, Reflex 19, Will 19
Saving Throws +1 against fear effects
Speed 5
m +2 Intangible Long Spear (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+14 vs. AC; 1d10 + 8 damage.
M Cleave (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+14 vs. AC; 1d10 + 8 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Lay Waste to the Enemy (standard; encounter) ✦ Mar-
tial, Weapon
+14 vs. Fortitude; 2d10 + 8 damage, and the target can
regain the hit points lost because of this attack only with
an extended rest, and not with powers, abilities, or actions
(such as a healing surge or regeneration).
M Viper’s Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+14 vs. AC; 1d10 + 8 damage. See the D&D 4E Player’s
Handbook.
M Rain of Steel (minor; daily) ✦ Martial, Stance, Weapon
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Encumbering Defense (minor; daily) ✦ Martial, Stance,
Weapon
Requires a two-handed weapon; Qwelenar gains a +3
power bonus to AC and to Reflex defense.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common,
Elven, Goblin
Skills Athletics +13, Heal +11
Str 18 (+8) Dex 15 (+6) Wis 14 (+6)
Con 14 (+6) Int 11 (+4) Cha 12 (+5)
Equipment +2 razor scale armor, +2 intangible long spear,
melee weapon alchemical treatment (poison)
 KEEPERS OF THE STONE THRONE
A dwarven fortress-city is an impregnable bulwark
carved in the depths of the mountains and built with
huge marble and granite blocks. And yet, when even
these stronghold’s walls are breached by besiegers and
war is about to come to the very heart of a dwarven set-
tlement, the Keepers of the Stone Throne stand fast as
the last line of defense against the invaders and the last
hope of the hapless population. These untiring, honora-
ble warriors are ready to stop and repel any invader with
their unyielding endurance. They are tasked with guard-
ing a clan’s most important buildings and chambers.
Keepers of the Stone
Throne knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Arcana DC 15: Many Keepers of the Stone
Throne have an enchanted iron belt, a powerful magic
item that increases their prowess and keeps their heart
and mind steady.
History DC 20: According to an old dwarven
lullaby, a Keeper of the Stone Throne can feel when
his hour draws near during a battle.
In that moment, the keeper
can call upon his ancestors’
merciful assistance, and the
be ready for anything and
fight to his last breath. This is
what happened to the dwarven
hero Taum Fredrigg, who let
his soul go only after he van-
quished two fire titans.
Dungeon DC 25: The
mansion where the Keepers
gather is not just a home or an
imposing stronghold. The build-
ing is an awe-inspiring mausoleum
dedicated to all those dwarven ances-
tors who spilled their blood to defend
their people. Glyphs, friezes, and ancient
weapons on display tell a millennia-long
story and hide many traps set to kill trespass-
ers, including spinning blades, walls of darts,
and gouts of flame.
Organization
Time and again, the clan was on the verge of extinction at
the hands of savage invaders or hordes of monstrous crea-
tures spawned in the deepest reaches of the underworld.
Roberto Pitturru
Every time, any hope of saving what the dwarves held
most dear rested with the Keepers of the Stone Throne,
and with good reason. These fighters are the pride of
dwarven culture and they are held in such esteem that
their opinion is respected even on subjects that have noth-
ing to do with war and defense. In some communities,
they also act as counselors, and they stand by the elders’
side when they need to make an important decision.
Leader: There is no acknowledged leader among
the Keepers: Their duty is so clear that a proper knowl-
edge of history and tradition is enough to tell each
fighter what to do and how to behave. The only official
authority the Keepers have to obey to is the clan chief’s
rule, the same as any other dwarf.
Headquarters: The Keepers of the Stone Throne
gather in a huge mansion carved in the mountain’s
heart, inside a natural cavern that the dwarves have
expanded and pierced with a hundred shaft, allowing
light and air to freely circulate. The square before the
mansion is decorated with dozens of commemorative
statues representing the heroic defenders of the Stone
Chapter 6: Organizations
Throne who fell in past battles.
Hierarchy: There are no leaders and subordinates
among the Keepers: Each one has his own duties,
and, at least during a battle, obeys the will of his
esteemed companions without argument. Outside
combat, different points of views and
debates are easily settled with a
majority vote or by accepting
the judgment of senior soldiers.
Members: The organiza-
tion only accepts dwarves into
its numbers, as they are the
only creatures deemed worthy
of defending a dwarven com-
munity’s highest ideals… and
its greatest riches.
Symbol: A throne carved on
the top of a mountain.
Adventure Hooks: The
Keepers of the Stone Throne are a
traditionalist and stolid group, whose
members rarely leave their home clan
to travel the world, explore distant lands
and experience exciting adventures. On
the other hand, they are the perfect choice
for a story revolving around sieges and under-
ground wars, where one key strategy or suicidal
final stand can determine an entire people’s fate.
✦ After a centuries-old feud, the Drammek clan’s rivals
have sent signals of peace and asked permission
to send a delegation of diplomats. In public, King
Tordenbaum has announced a great celebration to
mark this historic event. In private, however, he fears
betrayal. A pious dwarf, the king fears his notably
godless rivals –for so he has often denounced them–
will strike at the clan’s priesthood. At his instruction,
121
 the Keepers of the Stone Throne will watch over the
clan’s “guests” and protect the clerics from any threat.
✦ The Keepers of the Stone Throne have suffered
a serious setback after a recent wave of giants’ at-
tacks. Most of their best fighters perished during
the fighting or are too injured to take up arms once
more. It is vital that the breached defenses be re-
stored as soon as possible, before the next assault is
launched; thus, for the first time, the Keepers will
seek help among adventurers from other races.
✦ The inner halls of the forge, where the clan keeps
its most prized treasures, have been breached. Un-
known intruders were able to reach the settlement’s
heart undisturbed and to steal relics and priceless
artifacts without leaving a trace of their passage.
The shame of this theft falls on the shoulders of
the Keepers, who are sworn to protect these most
sacred halls. The Keepers must track down the
thieves at any cost (even if it means accepting the
Chapter 6: Organizations
help of spellcasters and bounty hunters) and wash
away their guilt with blood.
ORDER OF STEEL PROPHETS
According to legend, Spirit Weapons, wondrous arti-
facts with a will of their own, were forged in ancient
times for fighters as yet unborn who would wield
them to fulfill their destiny and to decide their
Kingdom’s fate. A few noble knights,
sworn to fight for the greater good,
have dedicated their entire
lives to protecting this great
prophecy and ensuring it
comes to pass. They call
themselves the Order
of Steel Prophets, and
today, this circle of hon-
orable fighters seeks
the Spirit Weapons
and the chosen ones
destined to wield
them.
Order
of Steel
Prophets
knowledge
A character knows the follow-
ing information with a successful skill
check.
Arcana DC 15: Spirit Weapons are magic items
forged in ancient times to assist the scions of certain
noble houses in combat.
122
A Keeper of the Stone Throne’s belt is part of a magic
item collection explicitly meant for the organiza-
tion’s members, intended to enhance their physi-
cal prowess and stamina. Those dwarven fighters
who have the privilege of wearing one seem able
to withstand any assault and their legendary vigor
seems unending.
Keeper of the Stone Throne’s Belt Level 15
This belt is made of sturdy iron plates set with gems of
different colors. It can enhance the wearer’s Athletics and
Endurance skills, and it can be activated to shrug off an
enemy and the harmful conditions it has inflicted.
Item Slot: Belt 25,000 gp
Property: Gain a +2 item bonus to Athletics and Endurance
checks.
Power (Daily): Free Action. You can use this power when
you score a melee attack. The target is knocked prone,
and you can make a saving throw against an effect
inflicted by that enemy and that a save can end.
Arcana DC 25: The most ancient magic tomes
say that the Spirit Weapons were forged no less
than three thousand years ago, a date confirmed by
the items’ style and ornamentation. Some sages
speculate that the entire set includes
eight weapons, and that each weapon
draws its power from the soul
of a glorious combatant of the
distant past, magically bound
to the blade.
History DC 35: At
one time, the Order of
Steel Prophets teth-
ered on the verge of
oblivion. Seven
centuries ago, Sir
Falhed Garen, one
of its most esteemed
members and discoverer
of a Spirit Weapon, gave
in to temptation and seized
the weapon, convincing
himself he was a chosen one;
that act led to a schism in the
organization and the result-
ing feud decimated its members.
The internecine struggle ended with the death
Roberto Pitturru
of the heretic Garen, but the weapon he had claimed
was lost once again.
 Organization
Although the Steel Prophets are constantly tempted to
think otherwise, they know that the chosen ones will not
come from their ranks and that no member of the Order
can ever hope to wield a Spirit Weapon. Their task is
far more noble and demanding, and only their tireless
search ensures their prophecy can continue to provide a
glimmer of hope in a world of darkness and greed.
Leader: There is no official leader among the Steel
Prophets, but the most respected and esteemed mem-
ber of the Order is with no doubt Lord Vedereth. This
old fighter may not be as strong as he was in youth, but
his willpower is boundless and few can stand unbowed
before his palatable aura of authority.
Headquarters: The Order gathers in the Halls of
Omens, where rumors and evidence that might lead to
an artifact or chosen one are discussed and analyzed.
These somber marble halls, watched by silent com-
memorative statues, are protected by mystical traps
that can probe a visitor’s heart and inflict excruciating
pain upon intruders and impostors.
Hierarchy: The true Steel Prophets are noble
knights who acknowledge their companions as equals
in dignity and honor. A host of lesser warriors obeys
their commands and serves the Order even without
being aware of their plans, trusting in the truth and
wisdom of their inner circle.
Members: The organization is almost entirely
made of human fighters. Dragonborn and dwarves,
honorable races worthy of respect, are also welcome
and held in high esteem. Paladins, warlords, and cler-
Maichol Quinto
The Steel Prophets gather.
The Order’s grand design depends not only on
strength of arms, but also on the information the
Prophets can gather from the people. There are
always brave and honest men willing to aid the
Prophets in their quests, but there are also many
evil and unholy villains ready to waylay the knights.
The following power can be very useful when a Steel
Prophet is looking for important information.
Steel Tribunal Fighter Attack 25
In the presence of an Order’s member, the tongues of the
wicked grow silent and their hearts stir in the chests, wrack-
ing them with pain whenever they try to hide the truth.
Daily ✦ Martial, Necrotic, Radiant, Weapon
Immediate Reaction Ranged 10
Trigger: A creature wins a Bluff check against you
Target: The creature that won the check
Effect: You realize you have been deceived, and the effects
of the successful Bluff check do not apply. Make an attack
Chapter 6: Organizations
against the target.
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 3d8 + Charisma modifier necrotic and radiant damage.
ics might technically become Steel Prophets, but in
the inner circle’s long history, this has only happened
a few rare times.
Symbol: A book surrounded by a circle of swords.
Adventure Hooks: No organization rivals the
Order of Steel Prophets when it comes to adventures
revolving around knightly quests, noble ideals and deep
123
 mysticism. Any member or even servant of the Order
could be ordered to take part in a perilous quest. A few
examples are offered below.
✦ The Sword of Drannith, possibly the most power-
ful Spirit Weapon of all, has been located in the
deepest level of the Krewell Dungeon. The brav-
est knights will have to make their way through
the mausoleum’s deadly illusions and bring it
back to the Halls of Omens, steeling themselves
against the gruesome fate that reclaimed all those
who tried before.
✦ A very special child is born in the village of Still-
water. It is said that the newborn’s eyes are silvery
and that he spoke his first words on the very day
he was born. The Masters of the Circle believe
QUICKSILVER BLADES
Chapter 6: Organizations
Hailing from the wondrous halls of the Opalescent
Tower, the Quicksilver Blades are a congregation of
ineffable swordsmen shrouded in mystery. They have
spent uncountable years refining their unique combat
style and they know how to infuse their weapons with
the power of magic. When the forces of darkness are
stirring or when a kingdom’s fate is at stake, these war-
riors interrupt their studies and march into battle.
Quicksilver Blades
knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Arcana DC 15: Quicksilver Blades are the subject
of many contradictory legends, but at least one thing
is certain: Most of them are eladrin, and they all know
how to wield magic and blades with equal skill. Their
combat style combines quick arcane formulas with
swift and graceful fencing, and the dizzying result can
confound and overwhelm any foe.
Arcana DC 25: The Opalescent Tower, the
Quicksilver Blades’ home, laboratory, and sanctum, is
a slender building that seems barely tangible and yet
is virtually indestructible. Unless their residents wish
otherwise, only the most powerful divinations can
reveal its location, and whoever leaves the tower after a
visit soon forgets what he saw during his stay.
Arcana DC 35: The Opalescent Tower lies in an
extra-dimensional fold, suspended between the world
and the faerie land. The tower’s highest room contains
astral maps, celestial calendars, and arcane patterns de-
tailing the stars’ cycles and the tower’s path, regulated
by those cycles. These writings are strictly protected by
elaborate activation riddles and warding glyphs.
124
that the child is a Chosen One and they want to
take care of him before the world’s many evils can
corrupt his special spirit, leading him astray. They
must carefully choose the heroes who will watch
over the baby, especially because the mother, an
eladrin prophet, might not agree with the Mas-
ters’ decision.
✦ The Master of the Circle suspects that Sir Falhed
Garen might still be alive, or that his soul might
still haunt the world. Whatever form the heretic
has taken, he surely still strives to desecrate the
Spirit Weapons. The place where he met his fate
must be thoroughly examined to find any trace
that might lead to him and to put an end to his evil
plans once and for all.
Organization
The Quicksilver Blades are a host of warriors whose
souls are pure and incorruptible, locked in eternal com-
bat against the forces of darkness. Their members live
outside the rest of the world, at least until the Opales-
cent Tower’s magical observatories show the image of
a looming danger requiring the eladrin swordsmen’s
intervention. Devils, liches, hag covens, and dark priests
alike have all learned to fear the Quicksilver Blades’
venomous and deadly bite.
Leader: The organization is led by Captain Cae-
luem Breiarthis, an eladrin more than two hundred and
The quicksilver oil is an unguent obtained by a slow
refinement process of silver and platinum, along with
the obvious use of magic. The resulting substance is a
thick and heavy balm that seems to evaporate shortly
after it has coated solid metals; for some reasons, it
seems able to poison any creature’s blood.
Quicksilver Oil Level 7
This thick serum looks like molten lead and shines with a
silvery gleam under the moonlight. When it is used to coat a
weapon’s blade, it poisons the wound, clouding the enemy’s
body and mind.
Wondrous Item 100 gp
Power (Consumable): Standard Action. Use this sub-
stance to coat a slashing or piercing weapon (an axe,
heavy blade, light blade, pick, or spear). Each target hit
by a weapon coated in quicksilver oil is poisoned by the
substance and takes a -1 penalty to Fortitude, Reflex,
and Will defenses (save ends). This effect lasts until
the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes, but ends as
soon as the weapon is exposed to sunlight.
 fifty years old who oversees all activities in the Opal- Symbol: A tower standing over a whirlpool.
escent Tower. This impressive swordsman, silent and Adventure Hooks: Such an isolated and mysteri-
stern, relies on his mate Telvisia’s council; she may not ous organization, inspired by a warrior’s soul and yet
be as skilled as him with a blade, but she is an unsur- willing to explore the depths of magic, can be a source
passed mistress of the divining arts. of adventure at any level, from local
Headquarters: The Opalescent adventures designed for heroic
Tower is a building fashioned tier characters to interplanar
entirely from colored crystal adventures meant for epic tier
and glass. Anyone approach- characters.
ing the tower from outside ✦ Those who wish to
could see what happens join the Quicksilver Blades
within its walls, if it weren’t must pass a simple admis-
for the bright light that the sion test: to enter the Il-
tower radiates for more draskar Wood and get out
than 300 feet around. alive with a handful of
Those who have been so Iron Thorns, the deadly
lucky as to visit the tower briars growing only in
once have never been able that wood and crucial
to find it again, and it is to produce quicksilver

said that the tower con-
tinually moves from the
world to the faerie land
and vice versa.
Hierarchy: The
Quicksilver Blades are
a distinguished military
organization whose hierarchy
regulates both their military
operations and their daily life.
Outside their duties, though, the
Blades interact with each other like
master and disciple; each member chooses a mentor
that will lead him along his path to perfection. In turn,
he will act as a mentor to a younger apprentice.
Members: The organization only accepts eladrin
and elves among its ranks, although an exception for a
half-elf can be made from time to time. All members
are fighters who sooner or later have to acquire the
Arcane Initiate feat; only a few instructors are true
wizards, whose task is to teach arcane arts and conduct
magical research.
Chapter 6: Organizations
oil.
✦ Little Selquerel,
Caeluem and Telvisia’s
daughter, is missing.
The eladrin has suc-
cumbed to grief, and
without his lucid guid-
ance, the Quicksilver
Blades are in turmoil. The
heroes must find out if the dark
creepers are behind this kidnap-
ping, as some tend to believe, and
bring the child back home before the organization
is left defenseless for too long.
✦ The Opalescent Tower has begun drifting between
the world and the faerie land unpredictably and
out of control. The Blades’ masters are very wor-
ried and fear that this unusual event might be a
sign of great planar upheavals. The most skilled
and experienced blades must leave to explore the
planar paths to find out what is going on and put
things back in order.

SILVER FALCON ACADEMY

The Silver Falcon Academy training grounds are the
place where Elesia’s future elite military is shaped. Those
who show a penchant for strategy and command roles
advance to become Crown Officers, and might one day
lead the feared Sovereign Armies. True combatants, nat-
ural warriors, and undisputed masters of the battlefield,
on the other hand, can dream of a glorious career on the
Roberto Pitturru
Silver Falcon Academy
Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
History DC 15: Recruits trained at the Silver Fal-
con Academy are shaped into Elesia’s best soldiers, and

their commanders boast an impressive series of victo-

front lines and long to become part of the legendary elite ries going back centuries. Many people believe that the
corps known as Her Majesty’s Immortal Guard.

125
 Academy’s men-at-arms have never been routed and
do not know the shame of defeat.
History DC 20: The Academy’s top ranks are
currently in the middle of an intense debate about the
best course of action they should follow when dealing
with other states. Crown Officers insist on keeping a
diplomatic channel open to find a peaceful solution,
but the Immortal Guard’s captain does not intend
to endure more skirmishes launched
by foreign “irregulars” against his
border garrisons. The true reason
for this conflict, though, lies
in the recent past, when
the captain launched an
attack against the higher
Officers’ better judgment,
undermining their au-
thority and putting the
entire kingdom’s peace
Chapter 6: Organizations
at risk.
History DC 25: The
Silver Falcon Academy
was founded four centu-
ries ago, and the organization’s
name comes from the heraldic
symbol of the first noble who
led it. Along with the traditional
troops of regular soldiers, the ranks of
the organization include two elite corps:
the Crown Officers and the Immortal Guard, both
founded at the academy’s birth, when the Academy’s
original commander gave his two sons command over
the two elite corps.
Organization
The Silver Falcon Academy is more than a simple
training center. It owes its status as an actual organi-
zation to the political and management autonomy it
enjoys: Not even the royal house interferes with its
activities, making it quite unlike the other military
training centers of the region.
Of course, even the Silver Falcon Academy must
bow to the sovereign’s will, and it owes her their al-
legiance. Still, the school’s commanders are in charge
when it comes to the nation’s defense and the national
army’s deployment, and the King fully relies on their
experience for any military decision.
Leader: The Academy’s leadership is entrusted to
three experienced veterans. Two of them, Sir Ronighar
Graym (dragonborn fighter 18) and Lord Ameleph
the Trustworthy (human warlord 23), are the Crown
Peer and command the Officer corps; the third, Sir
Jerem Highmet (human fighter 21), is the command-
ing captain of Her Majesty’s Immortal Guard. These
three wise combatants are equals, although tradition
126
demands the Immortal Guard’s leader respect the two
Peers’ decisions.
Headquarters: The Academy Mansion is the
organization’s headquarters. At the center of its many
buildings, training grounds, barracks, refectories, store-
houses, and stables stands the square tower, informally
called “The Falcon’s Nest” by members, which hosts
the main war rooms and the Crown Of-
ficers’ quarters. The Immortal Guard
also keeps a few units inside
the Mansion, although
most of its men are
assigned to the
Queen’s Court or to
the borderlands’ garrisons.
Hierarchy: The
Academy employs
an elaborate ranking
system. While the cadets
and regular troops fol-
low the usual military ranking
system and both obey the Crown
Officers, the Immortal Guard has
a separate hierarchy that grants
no special power to their members,
but does place them outside the authority
of other commanding officers. The command-
ing captain of the Immortal Guard is the only one
allowed to give orders to both his men and the other
academy soldiers, but he must in turn respect the
directives of the two Peers commanding the Officers
corps.
Members: The great majority of Academy mem-
bers are humans, who of course advance as fighters;
those who show a keen sense of strategy and diplomacy
advance as warlords. A few dragonborn, dwarves, and
half-elves fill up the Academy’s ranks.
Symbol: A falcon holding a crown.
Adventure Hooks: The Silver Falcon Acad-
emy is the perfect organization for those who wish
to serve the King or Queen (or another legitimate
ruler in control of a region’s armed forces). Of course,
the stern discipline and rigid hierarchy all Academy
members must follow is most suited to lawful good
characters; chaotic evil characters are bound to have a
hard life. In addition, remember that a cadet or even
full member will only be able to go adventuring when
his superiors grant him leave. To solve this problem,
the GM might come up with a few adventures in
which one or more PCs enlisted in the Academy are
ordered to follow the other heroes as bodyguards, or
perhaps to watch over their actions to allay –or con-
Roberto Pitturru
firm– suspicion.
✦ Crown Officers have made themselves clear: the
Grim Tower assault will be launched the day after
 tomorrow, at daybreak. Before then, the party of
heroes that left a few days ago under sergeant
Moorclam’s guide must return to the camp with
the Banner of Life, the only magic item that can
negate the Grim Tower’s necrotic effects. Rumor
places the banner among Virk Mausoleum’s relics.
✦ Something strange is going on in the Academy
halls: The maps of some territories have been
found out of their place in the archives, supply
orders have been delayed and many field aids have
been locked for days in their quarters, afflicted by
an unusual and virulent flu, they say. The Officers
have already conducted a thorough inspection
and have declared that no form of laxity or insub-
ordination will be tolerated. Others, more para-
noid, are convinced there is a hidden plot behind
these events. They fear an outside threat might
soon make its move against the Academy.
✦ Being assigned to a borderland garrison is a grue-
some, thankless, and dangerous task, especially if
the garrison is more than fifteen miles from the
SWORDS OF VENGEANCE
After the King of Tyrtham was murdered and his lawful
heir imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon, the kingdom fell
under the rule of a despot and the people were forced
to endure his tyrannical whims. The coup was made
possible by the army’s support, but not all soldiers have
welcomed the usurper’s rise to power. The Swords of
Vengeance are a secret society founded by those soldiers
and officers who stayed loyal to the royal family and
fight to put the rightful heir back on the throne. These
fighters pretend to obey the new ruler’s orders by day
and dutifully fulfill their roles in the army; by night, they
gather to plot and find a way to bring down the usurper
and bring peace and freedom back in their land.
Swords of Vengeance
knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
History DC 15: The Swords of Vengeance are
revolutionaries. At times, they seem to have been wiped
out, but always they return to launch an ambush or an
assassination attempt to kill the Governor.
History DC 20: The Governor is a tyrant who
oppresses his people and grows rich by stealing from
the poor, although he maintains a façade of generosity.
He is responsible for the death of the rightful ruler, and
the Swords of Vengeance fight to restore the son of the
murdered king to the throne.
History DC 25: The Swords of Vengeance’s noble
ends are not always pursued with honorable and rightful
A member of the Immortal Guard is an elite halber-
dier, ready to give his life for the safety of the royal
house. The following feat is a paragon tier feat that
can be selected by a character of level 11 or higher
who fulfills the listed prerequisites and is part of the
Immortal Guard.
Silver Falcon Immortal Guard
Prerequisites: Str 15, Con 13, Wis 13
Benefit: The halberd becomes a high crit weapon for you.
In addition, when wielding a halberd, you grant a +1 feat bonus
the AC of an adjacent ally of your choice.
Special: You must be a member of the Silver Falcon
Immortal Guard.
nearest village, hobgoblins control the main roads,
and the only well in the keep has been poisoned. A
small team must brave the enemy lines and reach
Chapter 6: Organizations
the eastern woods, to ask the elven clerics who live
there for help.
deeds. Many innocent soldiers have died by the rebels’
hands, though they were only guilty of being press-
ganged in the Governor’s army. The population, stirred
up by the organization’s members, has often started
uprisings that were pacified in blood. And at least two
of the Swords’ attempts on the Governor’s life failed
because of their poor planning. Whatever the future
has in store for the kingdom, historians will not be too
forgiving of the Swords of Vengeance.
Organization
The Swords of Vengeance are a small minority in the
ranks of the army, and it is for this reason that their
members are forced to keep their goals secret and to act
underground. This forces the organization to pursue
slow and elaborate planes, with incomplete and fleeting
exchanges of information that lead to reckless assaults.
Most of the Swords’ operations consist of ambushes and
acts of sabotage, although they also exploit any opportu-
nity to foster discontent and spread the seed of rebellion.
Leader: The Swords of Vengeance are led by the
Council of Three Swords. The three Council members
are Urmanthor Graymane, a middle-aged human with
silver hair and a commanding voice; Trevor Riorgan, an
insolent half-elf whose courage borders on madness;
and Lord Syrian Veranthias, a good-hearted aristocrat
who is now growing old. The three have different mo-
tives and attitudes, but they always try to find a mutu-
ally acceptable compromise, swinging between heated
debates and a mutual esteem.
127
 Headquarters: The Swords of Vengeance have
no proper headquarters. They live in every mili-
tary group close to the Governor. Their most secret
meetings, exclusive to the organization’s leaders, are
usually held in abandoned storehouses or barns far
from prying eyes.
Hierarchy: The Swords of Venge-
ance are divided into four different
levels; the first is the Council of
Three Swords. The Council has
the control of the Command-
ing Swords, who give orders
to the Fearless Swords, who
in turn direct the activi-
ties of the lowest-ranking
members, the People’s
Swords. Each member
only knows a few others,
and none of their superi-
Chapter 6: Organizations
ors: Orders and informa-
tion are passed on with
hidden and encrypted mes-
sages or with a word of mouth
chain in which the original
sender cannot be detected.
Members: Anyone who can aid
the organization’s cause is welcome. As most
members come from the army, fighters are the back-
bone of the organization.
Symbol: A gauntlet holding a broken sword.
Adventure Hooks: The Swords of Vengeance
can easily be included in campaigns focused on
politics and intrigue, allowing the GM to set many
different situations in an environment filled with
suspicion and ambiguity. Indeed, it is easy to brand
all those who fight the Governor as outlaws, at least
until the players learn he is a usurper who rules with
an iron fist.
✦ On the day of market, the First Tax Collec-
tor has been killed in the middle of Drapes
Square. The murderer left a large dagger in
the victim’s back, and the lily-shaped hilt is
128
a telling sign: This execution was planned by
the Swords of Vengeance. Even before sunset,
every corner of the city was filled with noti-
fications of bounties granted to anyone who
turns in the killer or the incident’s instigators.
Will the heroes join the hunt or do they have
something to hide as well?
✦ Captain Ljundberg is in charge
of security procedures in Laurel
Palace, and he expresses grave
concern that the upcoming
grand ball go smoothly.
Still, he knows some infil-
trator might hide among
his soldiers, so he hires
the adventuring party
as independent security
who can keep their eyes
on guests and guards alike.
During the ball, there
will be an accident–just as
Ljundberg planned. The
captain, an unsuspected
member of the Sword of
Vengeance, will order his soldiers to
assassinate the Governor’s senior officials
and then pin the blame on the heroes, who
will of course be slain “trying to escape” before
they can spill the plot.
✦ Taxes have been lowered, fees have been reduced,
and the cruelest criminals have been prosecuted
and executed… and yet the people still grow
poorer and poorer and fear for their lives. The
reason for this apparent contradiction is in the
fact that actually it is only the richest merchants,
mightiest land owners, and wiliest conmen who
benefit from these measures, while the humble
and the petty criminals become scapegoats for
the “good” government. Soon a revolution will
restore justice in the capital city, but only if a
party of brave adventurers leads the rebels’ first
line of attack. Roberto Pitturru
 Sheriff Baldonn Seviuos,
undercover agent for the Swords of Vengeance
Occupation: In order to keep his family safe from
harm, Baldonn swore loyalty to the usurper, silently
vowing to himself that he would one day break this foul
bond. When an agent from the Swords of Vengeance ap-
proached Baldonn, he found the support he was looking
for to fight the false ruler from within his own army. If
necessary, Baldonn will take up arms to defend his ideals.
Physical Description: Baldonn is a tall, gaunt man.
His deep dark eyes and his goatee give him an aura of
stern authority. He always wears his Sheriff’s uniform at
court and likes to play the part of the tyrannical torturer.
When he acts in the name of the Swords of Vengeance,
though, he hides his armor beneath simple black clothes
and lets his true, benevolent nature come forth.
Attributes and Skills: Baldonn is cunning and
prudent, but he is also a healthy and brawny man. He
is an experienced rider and has a good knowledge of
the local laws.
Values and Motivations: Baldonn is tired of
serving the usurper. He knows, however, that his role
is crucial to the Swords of Vengeance’s aims and that
his cover is almost perfect. He never does anything
rash lest he compromise the rebellion’s success.
Behavior: When he plays the role of Sheriff, Bald-
onn is cold and merciless. He fears the day when, after
so much time spent in the usurper’s service, he will
actually become the monster he pretends to be.
Useful Knowledge: Baldonn is an experienced
falconer, and he knows how to handle many animals,
including the mounts of the royal stable. He also
knows the stables hide a secret passage that leads
directly into the castle.
Mannerisms: Baldonn often pats his beard when
he is nervous or doubtful. If he is on a mission for
the Swords of Vengeance, he keeps such unconscious
gestures at bay and acts with more prudence.
Origins: Baldonn has chosen the outlaw’s origins
(see Chapter 1: A Fighter’s Role). He adds Perception
and Stealth to his class abilities and gains a +1 bonus
to Perception and Stealth checks.
Baldonn Seviuos Level 14 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human fighter XP 1.000
Initiative +8 Senses Perception +17
HP 126; Bloodied 63
AC 32; Fortitude 31, Reflex 26, Will 27
Speed 5
m +3 Resolute Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+22 vs. AC; 1d8 + 12 damage.
M Sure Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+24 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage.
M Tide of Iron (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requires a shield; +22 vs. AC; 1d8 + 12 damage. See the
D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Brutal Domino (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
+22 vs. AC; 2d8 + 12 damage, and Baldonn pushes the
target 1 square and knocks it prone. If the target ends its
Chapter 6: Organizations
movement in a space occupied by a creature, the creature
is dazed until the end of Baldonn’s next turn.
M Come and Get it (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
M Victorious Surge (standard; daily) ✦ Healing, Martial,
Reliable, Weapon
+22 vs. AC; 3d8 + 12 damage, and Baldonn regains 31 hit
points. See the D&D 4E Player’s Handbook.
Resist Tortured Senses (immediate interrupt; daily) ✦
Martial
Baldonn is hit by an attack that deals radiant or
thunder damage; Baldonn gains resist radiant 12 or
resist thunder 12 until the start of his next turn. The
type of damage is the same of the attack that hit
Baldonn. If the attack inflicts a condition of blinded,
dazed, deafened, or stunned that a save can end,
Baldonn automatically succeeds on that save at his first
opportunity.
Alignment Good Languages Common, Dwarven
Skills Intimidate +13, Stealth +14
Str 22 (+13) Dex 13 (+8) Wis 18 (+11)
Con 14 (+9) Int 11 (+7) Cha 12 (+8)
Equipment +3 hydra scale armor, warding heavy shield (lvl 14),
+3 resolute longsword
129
 A Fighter's Arena Chapter 7

H
e had fought for many years in the arena. He knew its sand’s bitter scent, a combination of sweat,
iron, and blood so pungent that many gladiators were dazzled by it.
He was of the Blood Lions, the gladiators’ brotherhood, and he was used to the crowd’s roaring
encouragement, to the thunderous and deafening applause of hundreds of spectators. He had killed beasts and
monsters, he had broken other champions, he had won grueling competitions, and yet none of this could have
prepared him for the Elemental Vortex Pit.
Riglen’s gaze swept across the shifting, alien horizon of the planar arena. He was mesmerized by the chunks of
eyes and the bubbles of lava spinning in the dark void beyond the unending marble colonnade. It was as if the very
building blocks of the universe had been scrambled by some insane entity, twisting and binding them to shifting and
unnatural rules. Waterfalls and flickering flames danced around each other, raising walls of scorching steam; chunks
of ice as hard as stone rose from the ground, forming clusters of sharp blades with no discernible pattern or warning,
sometimes near molten pools of boiling magma.
Seilen the wizard had tried to explain that place’s origins as a rift in the planes, a twisted corner of hell where archons
and devils fought to settle their eternal disputes. But those words had only confused Riglen more.
The arena’s crude tiers were filled with a raucous crowd of alien beings. Although their cries echoed in languages no
human tongue could form, the fighter knew they eagerly anticipated his imminent fall.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Sheran mocked him as she tried to pick her manacles’ locks. “Men or devils, they’re are all
looking forward to see your blood spilled for their amusement.”
Riglen smiled. “It’s the arena’s law, baby,” he answered sardonically, “and I bow to it. But I don’t expect you to
understand, as you do not bow to any law.”
The others followed Kail’s suggestion and kept close and alert. But their attention was caught by a nearby
geyser that sprang hissing from the ground. As the ground spew smoldering stones, huge creatures made of flames
appeared; their eyes and their hair were of black smoke.
“Make a circle around me!” cried Gorgan the dwarf, calling his deity’s blessing upon his companions.
A few feet from them, a frozen pool crackled as if the ice were about to break. Then the water solidified and took the
shape of a translucent titan.
“At least I know why they call it the Elemental Vortex Pit,” the fighter said.
When the elementals appeared, the crowd stirred and cheered even louder, eager for the upcoming fight.
Their noise became a deafening wave that submerged even the weak muddy battleground.
Sheran was right, after all, though not in the way she’d meant her mockery; the inhuman chants of bloodlust and
expectation could be as inspiring as the cheers of a human crowd, and as intoxicating.
“Here’s the true heart of this arena,” Riglen shouted. He let adrenaline rush over him like a flood. With one twist
of his muscles, he snapped the ensorcelled chains binding him to the arena floor–but made no move to abandon the
position they had held him to.
Instead, raising his arms and head to the strange stands, he threw back his head and roared, “I will be your
champion!”

130
Alberto
AndreaBontempi
Longhi
 BATTLE ARENAS
An arena is a huge stage and the fighter is its main
player. Hosts of gladiators and teams of athletes vie
for supremacy on these sun-scorched sands, compet-
ing to win freedom or riches, to survive or just to en-
tertain a cheering crowd. In these circuses, the sand is
drenched in blood and the underground armories and
chambers echo with the smiths’ busy hammers and
the muffled cries of combatants undergoing gruesome
training; even after a contest, the crowd’s cheers seem
to linger over the tiers.
An arena might be intended as a tribute to valor,
built by visionary artists to celebrate military might, or
a disreputable fighting pit holding clandestine brawls,
but it always attracts fighters like moths to a fire: even
outside the battleground itself, deals –both proper and
illicit– are cut, and a combatant’s –or even an entire
kingdom’s– fate is decided.
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Heroes in the arena
Gladiators might be war prisoners, criminals or free
combatants looking for notoriety, but they are often
hailed as heroes. Their fame rises and fades with the
people’s fanatic thirst for blood and their decadent
craving for entertainment. Gladiatorial games are huge-
ly popular; even in countries where they are officially
banned, underground bloodsport leagues draw crowds
too large to hide–but large enough to pay for bribes.
A gladiator’s training might be even more com-
plete than what most military academies offer. Arena
champions accustom themselves to unusual weapons
and keep their bodies at peak efficiency with exhaust-
ing daily training. In more civilized and modern cul-
tures, arena duels have become actual sports, regulated
by meticulous and precise rules. It is no surprise, then,
that even these beacons of light have grown huge train-
ing centers where the best combatants are forged.
DARKDOOM CHASM, HEROIC TIER ARENA
In the depths of the underworld, thousands of feet
beneath a desolate region of steep hills and life-
less badlands, lies a huge chasm. The cave’s irregular
shape seems the work of a titanic sculptor, and some
unknown species of subterranean creatures may have
actually had a part in its creation, along with erosive
phenomena and telluric shocks.
Whatever its origins, the cave lies at the center of
a vast network of warrens and shafts, but its true claim
to fame is that the dwellers in the surrounding under-
world dedicated this place to an arena where feuds can
132
Of course, in a fantasy world populated by
thousands of fearsome and wondrous creatures, it is
unavoidable that these creatures are used in gladiatorial
battles as well. Generally, a particularly hideous beast is
unleashed against an entire squad of doomed soldiers;
sometimes, though, one or more intelligent creatures
are trained to fight alongside humanoid warriors, or
even to lead them into battle.
In such a context, none can ever believe he will
stay on the top forever: Sooner or later, a more power-
ful fighter will enter the arena. This is the first and
most important lesson a gladiator should learn: The
crowd is a merciless judge, and will only grant mercy
to those who have ensured their entertainment. In this
deadly game, a brave fight does not just mean victory,
it is the minimum requirement for survival.
Arenas as adventuring
sites
The roar of an arena crowd is a siren call for many ad-
venturers; the site of gladiatorial games can also be the
backdrop for exciting missions. Cutting deals beneath
the stands (or investigating those who do), winning
an important prize (or stealing it out from under the
winner’s nose), slaving in the fighting pits (or escaping
from them)–a coliseum can be the heart of a campaign
or an entertaining set piece.
The following section features three unique bat-
tlefields, fit for heroic, paragon, and epic tier heroes
respectively. Each entry begins with an overview and
includes detailed descriptions of the battleground,
knowledge, challenges, encounter groups, and adven-
ture hooks.
A GM can use these entries as-written, or take
inspiration from them to create his own unique coli-
seum.
be settled and anger can be freely unleashed. The cave
has obtained an ominous name, Darkdoom Chasm,
and it has hosted countless duels to the death. In its
dark halls, the underground creatures’ legendary evil
is not kept at bay; indeed, it is freely unleashed under
the raving eyes of a cheering crowd looking for cruel
excitement.
Beneath the arena, dozens, maybe hundreds of
carrion crawlers feast upon the results of the butchery,
grown huge and fat on a steady diet of the dead.

Battleground
This cold, grim battlefield is bathed in shadow: Dim
lights and distant gleaming can be seen at the cave’s
edge, which is covered with glowing mushrooms that
barely outline the arena’s border (the entire area is con-
sidered to be in dim light). Dirt, debris, and the bodies
of fallen gladiators litter the ground, and a combatant
can easily trip over them or fall into one of the many
holes and cracks dotting the floor. The entire battle-
ground is difficult terrain, except the spaces below.
Toni Cittadini
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Darkdoom Chasm
Area Features
Tunnel: A square occupied by a hole is an entrance
to the twisted network of tunnels running beneath the
battleground. These are challenging terrain, so a char-
acter passing through them must succeed on a DC 22
Athletics check or be knocked prone. Failure does not
deal damage, but the prone character attracts a carrion
crawler that arrives in 1d2 rounds to feast on him.
Necrospores: The stone dais in the center of the
arena is covered with pitch-black fungi that feed on the
necrotic energies infusing the ground. The fungi’s foul
spores can even affect living beings.
133
 Necrospore Level 5 Obstacle
Hazard XP 200
When someone disturbs these tall black fungi, they release a
cloud of deadly spores. If the spores infect an open wound, the
victim’s flesh rots quickly.
Hazard: A necrospore patch fills the stone dais’s squares in
the center of the arena (which are difficult terrain). When
triggered, it releases a cloud of necrospores.
Perception
No check is necessary to notice the fungi.
Additional Skill: Dungeoneering
DC 20: The character identifies the fungus as a necrospore
patch.
Trigger
When a creature enters a square of necrospores, or kicks
or pokes at it from an adjacent square, or attacks it in any
way, the fungus releases a cloud of spores. A bloodied
character in the initial burst or that begins its turn in a
necrospore cloud is attacked by the poison.
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Attack
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Bloodied creature in burst
Attack: +8 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + 2 necrotic damage and ongoing 5 necrotic
damage (save ends).
Effect: The cloud provides concealment for creatures inside
it. The cloud persists until the end of the encounter or for
5 minutes. Once a patch of necrospores creates a cloud, it
can’t create another for 24 hours.
Countermeasures
✦ A character can move into a square of necrospores without
triggering the cloud by making a DC 26 Dungeoneering
check. The character’s move must end in the necrospore
patch’s square.
Darkdoom Chasm
Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Nature DC 15: The glowing fungi that grow on
the arena walls cast unnatural light over it. Some say
that the fungi growing in the chasm find the necrotic
scent that permeates the arena pleasant.
Dungeoneering DC 20: The warrens beneath
the battleground are haunted by uncountable car-
rion crawlers, although they were not carved by these
creatures. Rumors say that the warrens were created
by a race of intelligent creatures that then let the first
monsters loose. If so, this experiment was successful
beyond all expectation, as the creatures have quickly
bred. Even a few huge specimens are rumored to haunt
the galleries.
134
Champions and Challenges
Although the Gloom Flames Team cannot count on
much offensive power, it includes a few dark creepers in
its ranks, and they are obviously the favorites of their
kin who throng the nearby caves. This fighting group
uses a bat’s black wing as a symbol.
The Night Dragons Team does not have a char-
ismatic leader, but it has developed very effective
flanking techniques to distract and pummel its foes.
Although the beast they have trained to fight is not an
actual dragon, the fighters that fight alongside it claim
it is, to induce fear in their foes and gain their support-
ers’ favor. This faction’s symbol is a dragon’s head fitted
with an iron collar and chains.
The savage ettin known as Drukskar is a recent
addition to the Chasm’s roster, but after a few vicious
victories against longstanding gladiators, he has risen
to become a favorite of the crowd. He fights alongside
the Underground Legion, a team of grimlocks; these
creatures are not too strong, but they come in great
numbers and can easily be replaced. The Underground
Legion’s symbol is a crude spiked club.
Crawler Rider’s Test
Slimy, tentacled monstrosities crawl beneath the ground.
Restless and excited, they stir and stalk the fighters, waiting
for the right moment to assail and devour them.
This skill challenge requires the PCs to succeed at a
test of courage and balance, while the arena monsters
do their best to hinder them. Taming a carrion crawler
in front of the crowd ensures a night of celebration and
an extraordinary amount of respect.
Setup: To win the challenge, the PCs must root
out a carrion crawler, forcing it out of its warren. Then
they must ride the monster and make a complete lap of
the arena’s outer ring as a team of galeb duhrs throws
boulders against them to dismount them.
Level: Equal to the level of the party.
Complexity: 4 (requires 10 successes before 3
failures).
Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Endurance, Percep-
tion, Thievery.
Acrobatics (moderate DCs): With a leap, you
straddle a carrion crawler’s back; if you are already
riding the monster, you can keep your balance and
dodge the boulders the galeb duhrs are throwing to
you. A failure counts toward the completion of this
challenge.
Thievery (difficult DCs): You fiercely cling to the
carrion crawler’s tentacles, avoiding its poisonous
tendrils. The use of this skill does not count as a suc-
cess or failure toward the completion of this challenge.
Instead, a success gained with this check provides a
+2 bonus to the next Acrobatics check made as part
of this challenge.
Perception (difficult DCs): You feel the ground
trembling beneath your feet and you know when
a carrion crawler is about to emerge from a tun-
nel. The use of this skill does not count as a success
or failure toward the completion of this challenge.
Instead, a success gained with this check provides a
+2 bonus to the next Acrobatics check made as part
of this challenge.
Endurance (moderate DCs): You must make an
Endurance check each turn to resist accidental contact
with the carrion crawler’s paralyzing tentacles, or to
withstand the galeb duhrs’ fierce blows. This check
becomes mandatory after you have succeeded on at
least one Acrobatics check. A failure counts toward the
completion of this challenge and removes one of your
remaining healing surges.
Success: The PCs complete their lap riding a car-
rion crawler, and the challenge is won.
Failure: The PCs stir the warren dwellers and
attract a few particularly savage specimens. This initi-
ates a combat encounter with a number of carrion
crawlers equal to the number of PCs; whatever the
outcome of this encounter, the challenge is lost.
Encounter groups
All the underworld creatures featured in the D&D 4E
Monster Manual make for ideal foes in the Darkdoom
Chasm. The teams below are regulars in the arena,
however. Each team includes additional members, but
the groups below are the usual active rosters.
BLOODFEAST HALL, PARAGON TIER ARENA
Undead creatures have potential eternity in front of
them, a concept that might become unbearable to
many intelligent creatures and lead them to madness.
Vampires, wights, liches, and ghosts, to name just a few,
have entire centuries or even millennia to increase their
power, but they are also driven by the desire to extin-
guish life, and their evil often leads to blind hate.
Bloodfeast Hall is the answer to these cruel
instincts, and it is also the place where the lords of
darkness satiate their souls’ hunger and break the mo-
notony of an agonizing immortal existence. In a lavish,
baroque arena of decadent opulence, the most powerful
undead perform necromantic rituals and hold masked
balls to lure unaware mortals to their doom, then sit
Gloom Flame Team
Level 4 Encounter (XP 925)
✦ 3 dark creepers (level 4 skirmisher)
✦ 2 shadowhunter bats (level 3 lurker)
✦ 1 fire beetle (level 1 brute)
Night Dragon Team
Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,425)
✦ 1 rage drake (level 5 brute)
✦ 2 galeb duhr earthbreakers (level 8 artillery)
✦ 3 cavern chokers (level 4 lurker)
Underground Legion Team
Level 10 Encounter (XP 2,550)
✦ Drukskar, ettin marauder (level 10 elite soldier)
✦ 1 grimlock berserker (level 13 brute)
✦ 3 grimlock minions (level 14 minion)
Adventure Hooks
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
✦ The adventurers have been enslaved by an under-
ground race, and if they want to see the light of
the day again, they will have to fight in Darkdoom
Chasm’s storied arena to win their freedom.
✦ A savage ettin has brought death to a peaceful
village. After pursuing the monster for weeks in
the depths of the underworld, the characters learn
that the monster is Drukskar, a celebrated cham-
pion of the Chasm, and the only way they can face
it is to challenge it in the arena.
✦ During a grueling journey through the under-
world, the adventurers come to a chasm whose
bottom is lost in darkness. The creatures that con-
trol the surrounding caverns will only grant safe
passage to those who pass the crawler rider’s test.
and watch duels of unimaginable violence that usually
culminate in the loser’s being devoured body and soul
by his “patrons.” After each combat, the hall’s elegant
marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and golden candela-
bra are drenched in blood.
Battleground
The Hall’s marble floor is finely crafted and meticulously
kept clean. Moving around the room is not a problem
and no obstacles hinder movement. Crystal chandeliers
and candelabra hanging from the ceiling and the walls are
filled with hundreds of candles that the fearsome undead
lords can magically turn on and off at will, plunging the
chamber into utter darkness at a moment’s notice.
135
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Area Features
Ravenous Scythes: The only relevant feature in the
room is a hideous blade contraption that can suddenly
pop out of a hidden compartment in the ceiling.
Ravenous Scythes Level 7 Obstacle
Trap XP 300
A bizarre contraption of sharp scythes springs from of a hidden
compartment and starts spinning around the room. The blood
sprayed from the victims’ severed veins turns the walls red.
Trap: The ravenous scythes contraption springs out of a
hidden compartment and starts spinning like a top,
and moving unpredictably in a different direction and
attacking every round.
Perception
✦ DC 23: The character spots the triggering pressure plates
along the wall.
✦ DC 28: The character spots the hidden control panel.
Initiative +7 Speed 4
136
Bloodfeast Hall
Trigger
When a character moves into a trigger square, the
ravenous scythes contraption emerges and attacks.
Attack
Standard Action Close burst 1
Targets: Creatures in burst
Attack: +12 vs. AC
Hit: 3d8+5 damage
Countermeasures
✦ A character can engage in a skill challenge to deactivate
the control panel. DC 23 Thievery. Complexity 2 (6
successes before 3 failures). Success disables the trap.
Failure causes the ravenous scythes to act twice in the
round (roll a second initiative for the trap).
✦ A character can attack the ravenous scythes contraption
Toni Cittadini
(AC 18, other defenses 15; hp 77; resist 5 all) or the
control panel (AC 16, other defenses 13; hp 49; resist 5
all). Destroying either disables the entire trap.
Andrea Sorrentino

Bloodfeast Hall is a place of dread and slaughter.

 Bloodfeast Hall
Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Religion DC 20: The scythe trap hidden in the
hall is a torture device specifically designed to increase
the vampires’ pleasure as they feed on their victims. The
contraption was designed to cut wounds without killing
immediately so that the undead might grow excited as
they see their victims bleed to death. When their hunger
becomes unbearable, the vampires finally give in to their
darkest urges and assail the weakened, hapless victims.
Arcana DC 25: Local sages think the hall was
corrupted since the day its former master, an ancient
nobleman, traded his loved ones’ lives for immortality,
becoming a vampire lord. The unholy ritual that sealed
this chilling deal took place in what is today Bloodfeast
Hall, a nexus of necromantic forces that the keenest
spellcasters can sense even before they enter its decep-
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
tive, deadly halls.
Champions and Challenges
The Bloodied Lilies team is comprised of the Hall’s
vampires. They live a life of decadence and forbidden
pleasures, mingling with the common citizens and
luring them in the Hall with the promise of feasts and
revelries, competing with each other to attract more
and more victims. Their symbol is a bouquet of lilies
sprayed with blood.
The Fatal Obsession team is a group of aberrant
creatures from a distant plane, summoned to the arena
a few months ago by an unholy priest who celebrated
a forbidden ritual. Since then, the creatures have been
hiding in the darkest corners of the mansion, assail-
ing hapless victims who carelessly wander its halls and
corridors. This team’s symbol is a pair of fanged jaws
containing a second set of smaller jaws.
The Soul Renders are insane devourers that
gathered under a common banner to spread death
and destruction more efficiently. Until recently, they
vied for control of Bloodfeast Hall with the vampires
who haunt it, but they seem to have abandoned this
competition now, enjoying the style and ready supply
of victims the present masters lend to the arena. This
team’s symbol is a web of dark lightning.
Pendulum of Doom
The vampires’ prisoners are bound in chains and hung upside
down as sacrificial victims at a grim feast. A deadly con-
traption of spinning blades is unleashed in the room, scarring
the characters and stimulating the undead’s hunger.
138
This skill challenge is a deadly torture conceived by
Bloodfeast Hall’s vampires to slowly cut fresh wounds
on their victims, to better tantalize their own hunger
before feeding on the prisoners. Escaping this torture is
almost impossible, but those who survive might gain a
chance to elude their torturers.
Setup: To set you free before the vampires assail
you, you must get rid of the chains binding your ankles,
picking their locks as you swing upside down.
Level: Equal to the level of the party.
Complexity: 4 (requires 10 successes before 3
failures).
Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance,
Thievery.
Acrobatics (moderate DCs): You try to set yourself
free from the chains binding your wrists and ankles.
The use of this skill does not count as a success or
failure toward the completion of this challenge. Instead,
a success or failure with this check provides a +2 bonus
or a -2 penalty to the next Thievery check made as part
of this challenge.
Athletics (moderate DCs): Twisting and spinning,
you try to reach the chains binding your ankles. This
check is mandatory; once you succeed, you cannot
make another one as part of this challenge. Failure
counts toward the completion of this challenge.
Thievery (difficult DCs): You can only escape your
bindings by picking your chains’ locks. This test is
mandatory and it only becomes available once you have
succeeded on your Athletics check. A failure counts
toward the completion of this challenge.
Endurance (moderate CDs): You must succeed on an
Endurance check to resist the cuts from the spinning
blades conception wandering in the room. A failure
deals you 2d6 damage and counts toward the comple-
tion of this challenge.
Success: Each PC who succeeded on at least a
Thievery check is free of her chains and drops to the
floor, where he will be able to defend herself against the
vampires.
Failure: The PCs cannot escape their bindings in
time, and a ravenous horde of vampires feasts on their
flesh.
Encounter Groups
Bloodfeast Hall is the ideal battleground for encoun-
ters involving undead creatures and other wicked
immortal entities. The following encounters can be
used as actual gladiatorial teams (eerie and unusual as
they might be), or a simple groups of allied monsters
taking advantage of the arena’s victims.
Bloodied Lilies Team
Level 12 Encounter (XP 5,300)
✦ 2 vampire lords (level 11 elite lurker)
✦ 6 vampire spawn bloodhunters (level 10 minion)
✦ 1 worg (level 9 brute)
Fatal Obsession Team
Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,000)
✦ 1 gibbering abomination (level 18 controller)
✦ 2 foulspawn hulks (level 12 brute)
✦ 1 foulspawn seer (level 11 artillery leader)
Soul Renders Team
Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,200)
✦ 4 abyssal ghoul hungerers (level 18 minion)
✦ 2 abyssal ghouls (level 16 skirmisher)
✦ 2 slaughter wights (level 18 brute)
✦ 1 battle wight commander (level 12 soldier leader)
ELEMENTAL VORTEX PIT, PARAGON TIER ARENA
In the darkest depths of hell there is a place where
even primordial chaos must abide by its own alien
rules. Magma streams and frozen pools clash as
huge basalt pillars soar to roiling skies of ash. In
this unique arena, archon gladiators and demon
hordes fight an eternal contest; sometimes a few
unfortunate mortals are forced to join the fight to
win their freedom back, and to them, an unexpected
geyser or a sudden cold blast can be as deadly as
the monsters they are meant to face. Sages call this
barren waste the Elemental Vortex Pit, in reference
to the unusual mix of elemental forces that per-
vades and engulfs everything.
The Pit is the ultimate neutral ground, chosen to
settle even the fiercest feuds among extraplanar pow-
ers. The arena is a mind-boggling sight: the seemingly
endless stands made from ancient solidified lava are
crowded with screaming and hungry creatures from
the farthest corners of the multiverse. Some say that
the Pit was shaped by a powerful efreet vizier who
wanted to use it to increase his own influence. Others
consider it just a planar oddity, where even opposed
elements are allowed to coexist.
Adventure Hooks
✦ the adventurers have been invited to an exclusive
masked ball where they can meet many important
nobles and obtain important and lucrative jobs.
The evening is going to be very different from a
gala, though…
✦ Nobody seems able to stop the vicious murders
haunting the noble district’s boulevards, and the
elusive murderer is never caught. Rumors speak
of hideously disfigured victims and bloodied
footprints leading to the city’s most wealthy and
magnificent mansions.
✦ The noble house that owned Bloodfeast Hall has
been extinct for almost seventy years, and yet
ominous lights and sounds can be seen and heard
in the mansion. The mystery surrounding this
building can only be solved by a team of adventur-
ers willing to explore it down to the last room.
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Battleground
The Elemental Vortex Pit is a plain of black mud and
molten rock, crisscrossed by lava streams and dotted
with frozen pools. The ground is littered with vitrified
skeletons and broken weapons, and huge cracked pillars
rise towards the sky like teeth. These ruins provide
adequate cover to a fighter who knows how to move
around the battleground.
Area Features
Ice: A square partially or entirely occupied by ice
is considered challenging terrain. Characters moving
through partial ice squares must succeed on a DC 23
Acrobatics check or be slowed until the end of their
next turn. Characters moving through full ice squares
must succeed on a DC 27 Acrobatics check or be
knocked prone.
Geyser: The scorching geyser hazard is described
below.
Magma: A square partially occupied by lava is
challenging terrain. To safely move through these
squares, a character must succeed on a DC 27 Athletics
check, or take 3d6 + 8 fire damage. A square entirely
occupied by lava is hindering terrain. Characters mov-
ing through these squares or starting their turn on
them take 4d12 fire damage plus ongoing 8 fire damage
(save ends).
139
 Scorching Geyser Level 8 Blaster
Hazard XP 350
A column of hot water and scorching steam suddenly springs
out of the ground.
Hazard: The geyser becomes active when triggered.
Thereafter, it attacks every round on its initiative.
Perception
✦ DC 28: The character detects the geyser before moving
within 6 squares of it.
Additional Skill: Nature
✦ DC 24: The character recognizes the danger of the geyser
before moving within 6 squares of it.
Initiative +3
Trigger
The geyser rolls initiative when one or more characters move
within 6 squares of it.
Attack
Standard Action Close burst 3
Targets: Creatures in burst
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Attack: +11 vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8+3 fire damage and followup.
Followup: +10 vs. Fortitude.
Hit: 5 fire damage and dazed (save ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Countermeasure
✦ A character in the burst can minimize the damage of
the geyser with a DC 28 Acrobatics check made as an
immediate interrupt before the geyser’s attack. With a
successful check, the character takes half damage if the
geyser hits and no damage if it misses.
Elemental Vortex Pit
Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Arcana DC 30: The Elemental Vortex Pit lies
in the depths of hell. Fire and ice clash alongside the
gladiators, producing unique and dangerous phenom-
ena. Archons and demons use the Pit as a battleground
to settle their disputes and to put an end to at least a
few of their eternal conflicts. Still, the rules of this pla-
nar arena are easy to twist, and many gladiatorial duels
often degenerate into clashes between small armies.
Streetwise DC 35: The Elemental Vortex Pit is
ruled by the efreet vizier Djaztar. This creature was
able to improve his station through the Pit and is now
an influential Infernal power. In addition to the arena
activities, Djaztar has started a profitable slave trade;
prisoners are trained in the arena and then sold as
mercenary soldiers to archons and demons.
Champions and Challenges
Krimmghen Flamewhip, captain of the Crimson
Scourge team, is a despotic azer feared by his own
gladiators for his sheer cruelty. In spite of their leader’s
personal skills, the Crimson Scourge remains one of
the arena’s less effective teams and can count on very
140
few capable members. The Crimson Scourge’s symbol
is a purple demon whose tail ends in a forked whip.
Val’ax the Blue Titan leads the Arctic Mauls team.
Though the team is hindered by its low number of mem-
bers, those it has are all well trained and equipped. Its
strongest point is the presence of flying monsters among
its ranks, which include the fearsome rimefire griffons.
The Arctic Mauls’ symbol is a bear’s head sculpted in ice.
The most experienced team is the Shining Sultans,
led by the efreet Jagar. A deal made with the arena’s vi-
zier has allowed them to enlist a mercenary brigade of
fire giants. The Shining Sultans’ symbol is the chopped
head of a human king encircled in a blood red sun.
Elemental Maelstrom Run
Passing through an elemental whirlpool is no easy task.
Razor-sharp ice shards and flickering tongues of flame swirl
in the air, where it is not engulfed by geysers and tornadoes.
This skill challenge is a typical athletic test for gladia-
tors in the Elemental Vortex Pit. The runners must fol-
low one of the many paths running around the arena’s
basaltic walls, either on foot or on a mount.
Setup: To succeed, PCs must move swiftly and
avoid the maelstrom’s dangers, and cross the finish line
before the other runners.
Level: Equal to the level of the party.
Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3
failures).
Primary Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Perception.
Athletics (moderate DCs): You run fast and dodge
the maelstrom’s hazards. A failure counts toward the
completion of this challenge.
Perception (difficult DCs): You spot a passage in the
maelstrom, a quiet eye in the storm that might allow
you to pass safely. The use of this skill does not count
as a success or failure toward the completion of this
challenge. Instead, a success or failure with this check
provides a +2 bonus or a -2 penalty to the next Athlet-
ics check made as part of this challenge.
Endurance (moderate DCs): You must make an En-
durance check each turn to resist exposure to extreme
cold and heat. A failure counts toward the completion
of this challenge and removes one of your remaining
healing surges.
Success: The PCs cross the finish line before the
other runners and win the challenge.
Failure: The PCs succumb to the maelstrom’s haz-
ards and are beaten to the finish line, losing the contest.
Encounter Groups
In addition to the encounter groups featured in the
D&D 4E Monster Manual that include archons, elemen-
tals and demons, PCs can face the following gladiatori-
al teams in the Elemental Vortex Pit. The groups below
represent the rosters each team typically sends into the
arena, although others are possible.

Crimson Scourge Team
Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,200)
✦ Krimmghen Flamewhip, azer beastlord (level 17
soldier)
✦ 1 firebred hell hound (level 17 brute)
✦ 1 azer foot soldier (level 14 soldier)
✦ 2 magma striders (level 10 skirmisher)
Arctic Maul Team
Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,200)
✦ 1 rimefire griffon (level 20 skirmisher)
✦ Val’ax, ice archon rimehammer (level 19 soldier)
✦ 3 cyclops impalers (level 14 artillery)
Toni Cittadini
Shining Sultan Team
Level 20 Encounter (XP 14,150)
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Elemental Vortex Pit
✦ Jagar, efreet fireblade (level 22 soldier)
✦ 1 phoenix (level 19 elite brute)
✦ 2 fire giant forgecallers (level 18 artillery)
✦ 3 azer warriors (level 17 minion)
Adventure Hooks
✦ The adventurers are hired by a powerful devil’s
servant to sabotage the upcoming contest between
archons and demons, in order to launch a full-scale
war between those races.
✦ The PCs must free a friend, relative, or ally caught by
vizier Djaztar’s slavers and forced to fight in the arena.
✦ The characters pass through a planar rift or fail
a travel ritual and find themselves in the middle
of the Elemental Vortex Pit just as an important
match is about to start.
141
 ASTRAL PEAKS OF CHAMPIONS, EPIC TIER ARENA
Even gods have battles to fight, and when they do,
the universe’s very foundations tremble. Undisputed
rule over a corner of the cosmos, the alteration of a
timeline, the fate of hundreds of races or of a part
of the universe: In a divine contest, the stakes can
be almost unimaginably high. Fortunately, in most
cases, the gods need not to resort to full-scale battles.
They usually pursue their objectives in a less drastic
and irresponsible fashion, since, as immortal beings,
they can afford to plan for the long term. The most
common way for deities to settle their differences is
through mortal or immortal champions–beings of the
material plane, angels, even abominations.
The Astral Peaks of Champions are the ideal set-
ting for these battles-by-proxy. Here, the staunchest
followers of the gods fight to secure a stronger posi-
tion for their masters or their ideals. Other mighty
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
beings sometimes arrive in this dimension and face
fearsome foes in order to gain a deity’s favor and
counsel, or to complete their own personal path to
immortality.
Battleground
The Astral Peaks of Champions are islands floating
in the void, gathered in an archipelago of breathtak-
ing beauty. These islands are surrounded by a thin
atmosphere: Whoever falls beyond the arena’s edge is
instantly incinerated.
Area Features
Ballista: This siege machine stands on one of
the floating islands and gladiators can use it to deal a
devastating blow to their foes. Activating the ballista
requires 3 rounds of loading, followed by a ranged
attack with a 10/20 range that deals 6d8 damage and
pushes the target 1d4 squares.
Teleport Plates: When a character stands on these
glowing disks, she is instantly moved to another plate
in the arena. The teleportation is random: The GM
rolls a die to determine the character’s destination. Af-
ter each teleportation, a plate remains inactive for 1d4
rounds, then it starts glowing again and it works again
as described above.
From time to time, a teleport plate might be
malfunctioning and it might trigger a trap instead of
teleporting the character (in which case, use the game
statistics below).
142
Electrified Teleport Plate Level 14 Obstacle
Trap XP 1,000
As you step on the teleport plate, the base releases a lightning
bolt that engulfs you.
Trap: At the start of each round, the GM secretly rolls 1d4 to
randomly determine which square occupied by a teleport
plate will contain an electrified plate instead. When the
trap is triggered, it attacks.
Perception
✦ DC 28: The character can discern if the square contains an
electrified plate instead of a teleport plate.
Additional Skill: Arcana
✦ DC 22: The character’s knowledge provides a +2 bonus to
Thievery checks to disable a plate.
Trigger
When a creature enters or begins its turn in an electrified
plate’s square, the trap attacks that creature.
Attack
Opportunity Action Melee 1
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d10 + 6 lightning damage, and the target is surprised
(save ends). On a critical hit, the target is stunned (save
ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Countermeasures
✦ An adjacent character can disable a tile with a DC 28
Thievery check. If the trap is disabled, the teleport plate
works normally in that round.
Astral Peaks of
Champions Knowledge
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
Religion DC 25: The Astral Peaks of Champions
are a demiplane hidden in a fold of the dimension
where deities dwell, protected by a barrier that can only
be bypassed with their consent.
Religion DC 30: At the dawn of history, the
gods created the Astral Peaks of Champions to
decide how to claim dominion over mortals’ souls,
sending their mightiest emissaries to fight in a con-
test there. Later, the Peaks became a battleground for
fights of a different nature, unbeknownst even to the
deities themselves.
Religion DC 35: The Victorious Banner is an ar-
tifact infused with divine power that can instantly heal
the bearer and revive all his allies.

Champions and Challenges
Creddax and Hariant are two unequalled mar-
tial fighters. The former can count on boundless
strength and ruthlessness, and the latter on infinite
relentlessness and stamina; together, they can make
even their staunchest enemies falter. The team’s
symbol is a pair of crossed greatswords, one of steel
and one of ice.
Oblivion is an unsettling creature, older than
even it can remember, an entity obsessed with sin-
ister plans and flashes of utter madness. Convinced
it can bend time itself to its will, Oblivion uses the
arena to please its bloated, sadistic ego, and to test
Toni Cittadini
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
Astral Peaks of Champions
the valor of its potential followers. Other monstrosi-
ties, including a few powerful undead, fill the ranks
of the team under Oblivion’s command. The symbol
of their team, Everlasting Torment, is a black sun
with crumbling edges.
The Ancient Ones’ Heralds are creatures driven
by the deities’ primeval breath, and are both the
arena’s champions and its keepers. On very rare oc-
casions, when one of them is destroyed, the demi-
plane’s lords replace it with a new being identical to
the one lost. Their symbol is an eye with a lightning
bolt in place of the iris.
143
 Hold the Victorious Banner
A glorious and magnificent banner towers over the highest
platform in the arena: the fighter that can hold it and raise
it above his head will truly be blessed with the gods’ favor.
This skill challenge is the ultimate test an aspiring
divine champion can take to gain his celestial patron’s
favor: the first one to raise the victorious banner will be
infused with divine glory before of all creatures.
Setup: To win the challenge, the PCs must move
from one island to another using the teleport plates, as
cosmic winds blow around them.
Level: Equal to the level of the party.
Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3
failures).
Primary Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Perception,
Religion.
Athletics (moderate DCs): You jump from one plat-
form to another, trying to land on your feet. A failure
Chapter 7: A Fighter's Arena
means you arrive on the desired platform, but you cling
to the edge to avoid falling or lose your balance because
of the momentous jump. A failure provides a -2 penalty
to the next Athletics check and counts toward the com-
pletion of this challenge.
Perception (difficult DCs): You sense magical fluc-
tuations around one of the teleport plates, allowing
you to sense where it will teleport you. A failure counts
toward the completion of this challenge.
Religion (moderate DCs): You pray your patron deity
for guidance in order to reach the challenge’s end. This
option only becomes available after you have gained
6 successes and it can only be used once during the
challenge.
Endurance (moderate DCs): You must make an
Endurance check each turn to resist the demiplane’s
astral currents, crawling with crackling bolts and sear-
ing lightning. A failure counts toward the completion
of this challenge and consumes one of your remaining
healing surges.
Success: The PCs are the first to reach the banner
and raise it to the sky, winning the contest.
Failure: The PCs succumb to the Astral Peaks’
hazards and lose the contest.
144
Encounter Groups
None can say what shape a divine champion will
take, as deities are nearly omnipotent beings that can
generate and command almost any creature with a
thought. Still, a few teams have distinguished them-
selves for their valor or their savagery, and they are
described below.
Angelic Swords Team
Level 22 Encounter (XP 21,100)
✦ Creddax, marut concordant (level 22 elite controller)
✦ 2 marut blademasters (level 21 soldier)
✦ Hariant, angel of vengeance (level 19 elite brute)
✦ 2 angel of valor legionnaires (level 21 minion)
Everlasting Torment Team
Level 26 Encounter (XP 47,300)
✦ Oblivion, phane (level 26 elite controller)
✦ 3 blood fiends (level 23 soldier)
✦ 2 dread wraiths (level 25 lurker)
Ancient Ones’ Emissaries Team
Level 29 Encounter 29 (XP 78,000)
✦ 2 godforged colossi (level 29 elite brute)
✦ 1 thunderblast cyclone (level 26 elite artillery)
Adventure Hooks
✦ The adventurers want to destroy a sinister
abomination that threatens all of space and time:
Oblivion, the commander of the Everlasting Tor-
ment team.
✦ The PCs are tracking down an obscure demigod,
and the only one who knows its location is the di-
vine creature’s father. He will only reveal his son’s
location to those who can defeat his champions.
✦ The adventurers must return to their world after
being stranded in another dimension, but only
those who win the Victorious Banner challenge
will be allowed to travel that far.
 MGP 5205
A battle is the heart of every adventure, and the fighter is the lord
of battle. Let the casters weave their spells, let the priests say their
prayers, for only the fighter can withstand the dreadful assaults of
his enemies and claim victory over them. If you want your character
to stand at the forefront of battle, implacable, indomitable, The
Quintessential Fighter is the book for you.
Within this book you will find a new origins system to create your
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magic items that will help you build a matchless arsenal.
This book also contains information on martial organizations that
can liven up your campaigns and fantastic arenas in which to enact
epic battles.

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