Diva's Dashing Defenses

by @artofkarthik
by @artofkarthik

Battle eld Commander:

A Martial Archetype for Strategic Fighters
 Introduction

H
ello, my name is Diva Truestrike. I don't have
the habit of talking in circles, so I'll get
straight to the point. It doesn't matter how
good you think you are as an individual. You
may come from a noble background. You may
be positioned for a great future. You may be a
skilled fighter. You may have special abilities
like me. You may have great wealth at your disposal. You may
even have powerful magical artifacts in your possession.

My Background
I was the daughter of the Marquis of Silverymoon. I was
given a position of leadership within the Silver Knights and
was trained from childhood to eventually take over my
mother's position. I was an undefeated champion duelist. I
had the best weapons and armor that money could buy.
None of this was useful when an Ancient Green Dragon
destroyed most of our army and was chewing on my severed
leg while I watched from the ground in agony. The wisdom of
hindsight was thus harshly thrust upon me.

My Lesson
In war, the only thing that matters is how well you work
together with your team. That's it.
Could we have defeated such a powerful threat if we
worked together? Unlikely. However, we would have survived
long enough to better assess our situation, reprioritize our
goals, and redeploy our efforts to a more achievable goal.
Instead, all of my comrades wished to be dragon-slayers
and perished in the attempt. Only I live to tell our tale.
All the epic ballads that describe war as a romantic
adventure were probably written by bards after the fact, from
the relative safety and comfort of their taverns. If these bards
were brought along for the actual fighting, I am fairly certain
that their accounts would be vastly different, if they made it
back at all.

Purpose of this Tome

In this tome, I have attempted to document the strategic
knowledge I have acquired by studying several historical
battles, contrasted with the wisdom I have gained facing the
harsh and often jarring realities of war.
My whole team is dead, and I have nobody to blame but
myself. Sure, I can blame the dragon, but I equate this to any
force of natural disaster. Surely you don't blame the
hurricane for the damage it causes, only your lack of
preparedness.
However, my training as a fighter has not gone in vain as I
have started a journey of rediscovery, embracing the chaos of
the world as a Paladin of Loki. Perhaps in reading my notes,
you will avoid repeating my mistakes, whilst finding your
passion.
-Diva Truestrike, former Tesserarius of the Knights of
Silverymoon-

DIVA'S DASHING DEFENSES

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Martial Archetype
Battlefield Commander:
Students of the school of battlefield command understand
that war is not won by skilled individuals, but by coordinated
teams. Communication, coordination and cooperation are
key factors to their suceess.
Through their extensive study of history, strategy, war and
group dynamics, battlefield commanders are able to forge the
individuals on their team into a unified and unbeatable battle
unit.
Strategist
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn
special battlefield commands that can be triggered to affect
your conscious allies using your action, bonus action or
reaction depending on the specific command.
Commands. You learn two commands of your choice at
3rd level. You learn one additional command at 7th, 10th and
15th level. Each time you learn new commands, you can also
replace one command you know with a different one.
Commands are expended when you use them. You regain
all of your expended commands when you finish a short or
long rest.
Saving Throws. The save DC for your commands is 8 +
your charisma modifier + your proficiency modifier.
Decanus
At 3rd level, you can add your charisma modifier to your
Initiative score. You also gain proficiency in History and
Intimidation.
Optio
At 7th level, any allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on
saving throws against being frightened.
Centurion
At 10th level, your allies have advantage on an attack roll
against a creature if you are within 10 feet of the creature
and are not incapacitated.
Prefect
At 15th level, as a bonus action, you can grant one ally within
10 feet of you advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks and
saving throws for 1 round. You can’t use this feature again
until you finish a long rest.
Tribune
At 18th level, your leadership inspires those around you. If
you are reduced to 0 hit points, your allies can use their
reactions to make an attack of opportunity.
Commands
Battle orders. At the beginning of combat, you may issue a
command to swap the initiative scores of two allies.
Alternatively, as an action, you may issue a command to set
one ally's initiative equal yours, going after your turn.
Taunt. As a bonus action, you can taunt a creature within
30 feet of you into attacking only you. The target must
succeed an Insight check against your save DC or have
disadvantage when attacking creatures other than you until
beginning of your next turn.
Defensive Formation. As a bonus action, you can issue a
command to impose disadvantage on attack rolls against all
allies who are within 10 feet of you until the beginning of
your next turn.
Offensive Formation. As a bonus action, you can issue a
command to grant all allies within 10 feet of you an
additional 1d6 damage die until the beginning of your next
turn.
Rallying Cry. When an ally you can see is reduced to 0 hit
points but not killed outright, you may use your reaction to
issue a command that allows them to drop to 1 hit point
instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long
rest.
Retaliate When an enemy hits an ally you can see with an
attack, you may use your reaction to issue a command
enabling that ally to make a weapon attack against that
enemy.
Defend. When a creature you can see attacks an ally within
30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to issue a command
and impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
Offensive Strike When an ally makes an attack roll within
30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to grant that ally the
ability to reroll the attack. You make this choice after you see
the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or
misses.
Critical Strike. When an ally you can see would hit with a
roll of 19 within 30 feet of you, you can expend your reaction
to issue a command and make that hit a critical hit.
Philosophy of Warfare
"The first ideal of warfare is when the weapon is one with the
hand. In this state, your weapon becomes a perfect instrument of
death.
The second ideal of warfare is when the weapon is one with the
heart. In this state, any object - even a blade of grass, can used as
a deadly weapon.
The third and ultimate ideal of warfare is when the weapon is
neither one with the hand nor the heart. In this state, you discard
war, violence and killing, embrace all around you, and work
towards building a peaceful society."
DIVA'S DASHING DEFENSES
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 Storyhooks & Quest Seeds
Introducing Diva Truestrike as an NPC in your campaign
Adventurers are likely to randomly run into Diva Truestrike while they are going about their business. You can roll on the following
table in order to determine under what circumstance they meet her.
D6 Scenario Development
1 Campfire Diva Truestrike is in the middle of cooking and eating a quail she has hunted when the adventurers encounter
Tales her campfire along a caravan trail. She invites them to join her and offers to share what little food she has. At
that exact moment, a group of 5 Bandits decide to raid the camp. Diva, without bothering to get up from her
meal, shouts out battle commands to assist the adventurers in their fight against the bandits.
2 Cloudy A Cloud Giant descends from the sky and attacks the adventurers when they are traveling through the
Skies wilderness, hoping to take all of their magical items. Diva Truestrike, who has been following the trail of
destruction caused by this Cloud Giant, swoops in riding a Hippogriff to aid the adventurers.
3 Catch Adventurers who pass by a farm on their travels encounter Diva Truestrike helping an old farmer with his
that harvest. She is investigating a series of carrot thefts and enlists the aid of the adventurers to find the
Rabbit perpetrator. What she doesn't realize is that the thief is actually a Quickling who has recently escaped the
Feywild and has discovered that carrots are delicious.
4 Tinker, Adventurers find Diva Truestrike limping along a caravan trail, looking for someone who can repair her
Tailor, damaged metal leg. She recently fended off an attack from two Assassins and is keeping watch for suspicious
Soldier, characters. The Assassins are hiding out in the guise of tailors in a nearby town, having disposed of the original
Spy owners of the tailor shop.
5 Attack Diva Truestrike is on the trail of a Hill Giant who has stolen a cow from a nearby farm and is looking to retrieve
on Hill the traumatised bovine when she encounters the Adventurers. The Hill Giant is intent on cooking the cow for
Giant dinner, so they don't have a lot of time to find her!
6 Ghost in The ghost of a slain Silver Knight (Wraith) has risen from the dead, reclaimed his armor and is walking the
the Shell world of the living once again. Diva Truestrike is following his trail of destruction, hoping to put the knight to
rest.

Philosophy of Leadership
One's philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is
expressed in the choices one makes.
Leadership is solving problems. The day your team stops
bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped
leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can
help or have concluded that you do not care. Either case is a
failure of leadership.
The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in
moments of comfort, but where they stand in moments of
challenge and controversy.
Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.
When you become a leader, success is all about growing
others.
Leaders aren't born, they are made just like anything else,
through hard work. And that's the price we will have to pay to
achieve any goal.
Management is about arranging and reporting. Leadership is
Philosophy of Perseverence
about nurturing and enhancing.
There is a lesson in everything. There is a lesson in each
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. But it is also
experience. Every failure is a stepping stone to success. Every
what it takes to sit down and listen.
difficulty or disappointment is a trial of your faith. Every
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
unpleasant incident or temptation is a test of your inner strength.

DIVA'S DASHING DEFENSES

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Campfire Tales
"It's very kind of you folks to share your campfire and your supper
with me," said Diva Truestrike as she sat back and munched on
bit of roast quail. "It's been a long day."
"It's no trouble at all," said a large eladrin druid, waving their
hand. A few fireflies flitted out of their staff.
"Is that a metal leg you're wearing?" asked a pale skinned
human-looking girl with thick bushy blue hair. She adjusted a pair
of bug-like goggles and took out a set of tools from her belt, "It
seems to be leaking oil over there, would you mind if I took a
look?"
"It's poor etiquette to ask someone a question like that," said
an Eladrin girl with bright red curly hair. "Didn't you go to
finishing school?"
"In the mountain kingdoms, a metal leg is a fair topic of
conversation," said a stout mountain dwarf wearing battle armor.
"For a dwarf it is a source of great pride to show off one's battle
scars."
"So does that mean you're still working on acquiring your
scars?" asked a blue-skinned tiefling with long curved horns. "Or
are you hiding yours behind all that armor?"
"Not external lie all scars, flawless skins hide deeper marr," said
a human bard, taking out his flute. "As high above rise sun and
stars, the worst wounds delve deeper far."
"ALRIGHT, EMPTY YOUR PURSES AND NOBODY GETS
HURT," shouted a gruff voice from the edge of the clearing. Five
masked bandits stepped out of the shadows, wielding clubs and
crossbows.
"ON YOUR FEET," commanded Diva, still seated. She gently
removed the last of the quail meat from the bone with her fingers
and nibbled on it.
The mountain dwarf jolted upright and held up his shield. The
group scrambled to their feet and stood in a circle around the
campfire.
"Hold attack tinkerer," Diva said calmly, licking her fingers
clean. "Bard, aim for the leader!"
Startled by the instruction, the human bard fired the crossbow
he had been readying. The bolt sunk deep into the bandit leader's
knee and he collapsed to the ground screaming.
"Time for that smoke bomb tinkerer," said Diva, leaning back
and crossing her leg. "Druid, summon a swarm of insects."
The tinkerer hurled a small metal sphere at the bandits. It
cracked open and thick obscuring white smoke spewed out.
Simultaneously, a swarm of insects emerged from the druid's
staff and began biting the bandits through the smoke cover.
"Incoming," warned Diva, and the dwarf spun around just in
time to deflect a crossbow bolt that was heading for the blue
tiefling.
"Tiefling, other Eladrin, target your cold spells on the smoke
cloud," said Diva, as she unfastened her metal leg and set it aside.
The blue-skinned tiefling and the bright red bushy-haired
eladrin stepped forward and a freezing gust of wind blew out
from their hands. The smoke cloud scattered outwards and five
frozen bandit bodies fell over.
"All's well that ends well," said Diva. She lay back and closed
her eyes as the group stared at her in confusion, "Good night."
DIVA'S DASHING DEFENSES
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 Roleplaying Guide
Diva Truestrike Background: Soldier - Officer
Half-Elf, Lawful Neutral, Paladin of Loki Personality Trait: I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get
the images of violence out of my mind.
Armor Class 19 (plate armor) Ideal: Greater Good. Our duty is to lay down our lives in
Hit Points 116(14d10 + 28) defense of others. (Good)
Speed 30ft. walk Bond: Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
Flaw: The monstrous enemy I faced in battle still leaves me
quivering with fear.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1)

Skills Str +9, Con +7

Saving Throws Athletics +9, History +6, Insight +5,
Perception +5, Religion +6, Survival +5
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elvish,
Giant
Challenge 8 (3900 XP)

Fey Ancestry. Advantage on charmed saves and

immune to sleep magic.
Second Wind. Regain 1d10+11 hp (one per
short/long rest).
Action Surge. Take an extra action (once per long
rest).
Tesserarius. Add Charisma modifier to Initiative.
Allies within 5ft. gain advantage on attacking an
enemy. Allies with 10ft. have advantage on saving
throws against being frightened.
Divine Smite. When you hit with melee weapon
attack, you can expend a 1st level spell slot to deal
extra 2d8 radiant damage. Additional d8 on fiend or
undead.
Spellcasting. Diva Truestrike is a 3rd level Paladin of
Loki. Spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks.
She has the following Paladin spells prepared:
1st level (3 slots): bless, command, detect evil and
good
Battlefield Commands (4/long rest). battle orders,
offensive formation, terminal strike, retaliate,
rallying cry (save DC 14)

Actions
Multiattack. Three greatsword attacks.
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit,
reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d6 + 6)
Lay on Hands. Healing pool of 15 HPs. With it she
can heal a creature or expend 5 points to cure
disease or neutralize poison (recharges on long
rest).
Divine Sense. Within 60 ft., detect presense of
undead, celestial, or fiend. Also detect consecrated
or desecrated object or place (use twice/long rest).
Channel Divinity: Turn the Unholy. Each undead or
fiend within 30 ft. must make a DC 14 WIS save or
be turned for 1 min. (lasts 1 minute).

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 Credits & Legal Stuff
Concept and Writing by https://twitter.com/artofkarthik/
You can find more works from this author here - https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?
author=Art%20of%20Karthik&affiliate_id=1612493
Document designed with https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com
Character concept inspired by the Silver Marches Campaign Guide, Storm King's Thunder and Tyranny of Dragons D&D
storyline campaigns
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This work may contain some material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with
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All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by @artofkarthik and published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
Philosophy of Focus
Concentrate all your efforts on the task at hand. The sun's rays do
not burn until brought to focus.

Philosophy of Education
To blame others for one's own misfortunes is a sign of want of
education.
To blame oneself shows that one's education has begun.
To blame neither oneself nor others is a sign that one's
education is complete.

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