5e: Fighter Archetype, The War Sage

Traditionally, Intelligence-based heroes of Dungeons & Dragons have been spellcasters. While describing the Inquisitive in a recent preview video for Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Jeremy Crawford mentioned that it is a chance to give players the option of an intellectual hero that isn't tied to magic.

The archetype I want to show you today is my attempt to offer another Intelligence-based nonmagical class, this time for Fighters. I'm also personally of the opinion that fighters are a little dull in play (they are effective but typically offering a lack of choices. This is true even for the Battle Master as the maneuver/superiority dice system offers only a limited amount of flexibility a few times per short rest. The techniques used by the War Sage are recharge-based, so they allow for the possibility of greater usage. They can also be strung together into sequences during the same turn for interesting combos, although doing so will burn through the War Sage's available techniques rapidly.

Do let me know what you think, either in the comments or by reaching out on twitter!

The War Sage

Precision Attacks

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3^rd level, you add your Intelligence bonus to you Strength or Dexterity bonus when rolling attacks and damage, to a maximum combined bonus of +5.

If your ability bonus from your Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence becomes +6 or higher, you use that bonus instead for all attacks and damage rolls to which that ability score applies.

Techniques

Also at 3^rd level, you learn three techniques, all of which must be leading, ensuing, reaction, or special techniques.

You learn two additional leading, ensuing, reaction, or special techniques at 7th and 10th level. At both 15th and 18th level, you learn two of any kind of technique, including finishing techniques.  Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one technique you know with a different one.

Types of Technique

Most techniques are either leading techniques, ensuing techniques, or finishing techniques. All such techniques replace one of your attacks during your turn’s attack action. If you spend your attack action exclusively to use a leading technique (you cannot use any other techniques or make any attacks), you can also spend a bonus action to use an ensuing technique.

With consecutive successful techniques, you can string together a sequence of lethal maneuvers, starting with a leading technique, potentially following up with an ensuing technique and ending with a finishing technique.

A few techniques are reactions and are labelled as such, while other special techniques use either no action or occupy your full turn, preventing you from taking any action or moving.

Some of your techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Technique save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Technique Sequences

During an attack action, you can replace one or more of your attacks with a technique you know. Multiple techniques can be used directly following each other and against the same target to build up a sequence.

The first time you use a technique in a sequence, you must select a leading technique. A leading technique can either be followed by an attack or an ensuing technique.

You can only use an ensuing technique immediately following a successful leading technique, and only if the ensuing technique is made against the same target. An ensuing technique can either be followed by an attack or a finishing technique.

Similarly, you can only use a finishing technique immediately following a successful ensuing technique, and only if the finishing technique is against the same target. A finishing technique completes the sequence.

Using and Recovering Techniques

Once you have used a technique it is temporarily expended, and you cannot use it again until you recharge it.

When one or more of your techniques are expended, you roll a d6 at the beginning of your next turn. On a roll of 6, you regain your choice of one of your spent techniques. If you fail to regain a technique, the required roll on each subsequent turn is 1 lower than the last (5 or higher on the second turn, 4 or higher on the third, and so on).

Know Your Enemy

Starting at 7^th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:

• Strength score.
• Dexterity score.
• Constitution score.
• Armor Class.
• Current hit points.
• Total class levels (if any).
• Fighter class levels (if any).

Exploit Vulnerability

At 10^th level, if you roll a critical hit against an enemy whom has failed a saving throw against one of your leading abilities in the same turn, you double your Intelligence bonus when resolving the attack’s damage.

Lethal Insights

At 18^th level, you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature which you have observed using Know Your Enemy.

Techniques

The techniques are in alphabetical order.

Assess (Leading)

You size up a target of your choice to find an exploitable weakness. Your target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the next attack you make against them ignores resistance to your weapon’s damage type.

Beat (Leading)

You attack your opponent’s weapon to knock it aside. You have advantage on the next attack you make this turn against the same target. In addition, your target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on the first attack it makes before the end of its next turn.

Block (Reaction)

After you are hit by a melee attack, you may spend your reaction and roll 1d4 and add it to your AC against the triggering attack.

Bloody Eye (Ensuing)

You make a weapon attack. If it hits, it deals half damage and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target is blinded until the end of your next turn.

Break Free (Ensuing)

You make an attack and then disengage up to half your movement speed.

Charge (Leading)

You may move up to ten feet towards a hostile creature. You have advantage on the next attack you make this turn against that target.

Compound Feint (Ensuing)

You follow your leading technique with another feint. Your target must make a Wisom saving throw. On a failed save, you may add 1d4 to attack rolls you make against the target between now and the end of your next turn. Additionally, if you immediately follow the compound feint with an attack, you deal 2d6 extra damage if it hits.

Crowd Control (Special)

As your complete turn, you can make as many melee attacks against adjacent hostile creatures as you are normally allowed during your attack action. In addition, any adjacent hostile creatures against which you do not make at least one attack roll must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes damage of your weapon’s type equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Deadly Arc (Finishing)

You make a melee weapon attack, and up to two hostile creatures other than the target that are within your reach must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, each secondary target takes damage of your weapon’s type equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Dogged Pursuit (Reaction)

After an adjacent hostile creature disengages and ends their movement, you may spend your reaction and pursue them up to a maximum distance equal to your movement speed.

Draw Ire (Ensuing)

You make a weapon attack. If it hits, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, if target takes any hostile actions on its next turn (such as attacks, spells, and powers), they must be directed against you or include you in their area of effect.

While the target is focused on you, your allies have advantage on attack rolls against them. However, all the effects of Draw Ire end the moment any of your allies successfully hits the target.

Fearsome Blow (Finishing)

You make a weapon attack. If it hits, double your ability bonus to damage and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save the target is shaken, as described below, for a number of turns equal to your Intelligence modifier minus their Wisdom bonus (if any).

While the target is shaken, if they move 5 feet or more or take the dash or disengage action on their turn, they have disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks made during the same turn.

Feint (Leading)

You have advantage on the next attack you make this turn against the same target. In addition, your target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, if you immediately follow your feint with an attack or a technique that deals damage, you deal 1d6 extra damage if it hits.

Misdirect (Ensuing)

You may make an attack with advantage. If it hits, the damage of the attack is halved.

Patinando (Ensuing)

You may move up to five feet then make a weapon attack.

Penetrate (Ensuing)

You make a weapon attack. If the attack hits, you deal a number of additional d4s in damage equal to your Proficiency bonus.

Pommel Smash (Ensuing)

You make a weapon attack. If it hits, it deals half damage and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is dazed and suffers disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn.

Riposte (Special)

After you successfully use your block technique, you make a melee weapon attack against the creature you blocked.

Strike Arm (Finishing)

You make a melee weapon attack. If it hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target reduces the damage of its unarmed and weapon attacks by your Proficiency bonus for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. The target may repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect early.

Strike Leg (Finishing)

You make a melee weapon attack. If it hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target has its movement and swim speeds halved for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. The target may repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect early.

Threaten (Leading)

You use your deadly skill to intimidate an opponent into making a mistake then exploit that window. You have advantage on the next attack you make this turn against the same target. In addition, your target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, if you immediately follow Threaten by making an attack against a target or using a technique against them that involves an attack roll, you may add 1d4 to the attack roll.

Weeping Wound (Finishing)

You make a melee weapon attack. If it hits, the target must make Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the attack breaks flesh and the target begins to bleed. At the beginning of each of their subsequent turns, the target suffers untyped damage equal to your Proficiency bonus for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier.