No discussion of this method of healing is complete without a further discussion about what hit points represent. D&D itself recognizes that they are an abstraction, not necessarily representing actual physical injury but a combination of luck, skill, and toughness. No one is going to heal a laceration by shouting at it (I mean, unless you're some kind of bard), so the warlord concept chafed some folks I knew strictly because it was "healing" you by giving commands.
I like the battle master fighter, don't get me wrong, but it is too focused on how awesome the fighter is and not on how awesome their team is as a combined force. The battle master doesn't hit the same warlord notes that I'd like to hear.
There have already been a couple of attempts at converting the warlord to 5E by various people, but I wanted to take a crack at it. It is based on the fighter chassis and makes use of the 4E concept of hit dice as healing surges. Special thanks go to various colleagues and gaming cohorts who helped provide feedback; there's a bunch of you and you know who you are.
Warlord
While they may lack the offensive capabilities of their counterparts in similar classes, the warlord has a strong array of support abilities that improve the overall combat effectiveness of their team. Warlords coordinate battle plans with their allies during adventure downtimes and adjust to circumstances as they arise, but can also serve as the face and voice of their company.
Class Features
As a warlord, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per warlord levelHit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per warlord level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light and medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from among Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows
- (a) a one-handed martial weapon and shield or (b) a two-handed martial weapon
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two javelins
- (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
Level
|
Proficiency Bonus
|
Features
|
1
|
+2
|
Battle Plans
|
2
|
+2
|
Fighting Style, Rally the Wounded (1 hit die)
|
3
|
+2
|
Martial Discipline
|
4
|
+2
|
Ability Score Increase
|
5
|
+3
|
Extra Attack, Rally the Wounded (2 hit dice)
|
6
|
+3
|
Battle Plan
|
7
|
+3
|
Martial Discipline feature
|
8
|
+3
|
Ability Score Increase
|
9
|
+4
|
Alternative Strategy
|
10
|
+4
|
Battle Plan
|
11
|
+4
|
Rally the Wounded (3 hit dice)
|
12
|
+4
|
Ability Score Increase
|
13
|
+5
|
Martial Discipline feature
|
14
|
+5
|
Overcome the Odds
|
15
|
+5
|
Battle Plan
|
16
|
+5
|
Ability Score Increase
|
17
|
+6
|
Rally the Wounded (4 hit dice)
|
18
|
+6
|
Martial Discipline feature
|
19
|
+6
|
Ability Score Increase
|
20
|
+6
|
Dogs of War
|
Battle Plans
You can enact battle plans for you and your allies to enhance your combat effectiveness. After completing a short or long rest, you select one battle plan that you know and maintain its effects until you either abandon the battle plan as a bonus action on your turn or complete a short or long rest. If a battle plan is abandoned, you cannot immediately select a new one unless you possess the Alternative Strategy feature.
For your allies to benefit from the effects of your battle plan, they must be able to see or hear you, you cannot be dead, incapacitated, or unconscious, and they must be able to understand at least one language you speak. If a new ally joins your group, you must spend at least 1 minute going over your current battle plan in order for them to benefit from its effects. You can only grant the effects of your battle plan on up to ten creatures (not including the warlord).
When you gain this feature, you select two battle plans that you know. You learn a new battle plan at 6th, 10th, and 15th level.
Act as One. When rolling for initiative, every ally uses your initiative result to determine when they act in the round. You may add your Charisma modifier to your initiative rolls while this plan is active. When you or an ally perform the Help action in a combat situation, add your Charisma modifier to the result of any die rolls made.
Cavalry Charge. While mounted, you and your allies have advantage on melee attacks made after moving at least half the speed of the mount.
Defensive Hedge. Any ally with one or more allies adjacent to them gains a +1 bonus to AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level.
Flush Out. With this battle plan, the warlord and their allies can make ranged attacks with the intent of moving intended prey out of cover. Make the ranged attack roll as normal. If this attack hits, the target must succeed on a Wisdom save with a DC equal to 8 plus the warlord’s proficiency bonus plus the warlord’s Charisma modifier or be moved five feet in any direction the attacker chooses.
Formation Fighting. While this battle plan is active, allies gain the warlord’s Charisma modifier as a bonus to melee and ranged weapon attack rolls while standing adjacent to other allies.
Girded Stave Stratagem. When you or an affected ally casts a spell while adjacent to a character taking part in your battle plan, melee attacks against the caster suffer disadvantage until the beginning of their next turn.
Outmaneuver. Allies may move up to 5 feet whenever they successfully hit a target in melee. This movement does not count against their speed for the round, and does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Skirmish. When you or affected allies are not adjacent to any creatures at the start of your turn, you gain a 5 foot bonus to your speed. This bonus increases to 10 feet at 11th level.
Tactical Withdrawal. While this plan is active, the warlord and any allies can use Disengage as a bonus action so long as at least one ally is within 10 feet of them at the time they take the action.
Rally the Wounded
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use your action to help get an adjacent injured ally back in the fight. They may immediately expend one hit die plus their Constitution modifier to recover as though they were completing a short rest.
At 5th level, the ally may expend two hit dice and add their Constitution modifier to each. At 11th level, the ally may use three hit dice with Constitution modifier to each, and at 17th level they may use four hit dice with four times the Constitution modifier.
If your ally cannot understand you or you are unable to speak or signal to them in a way they understand (such as the ally being unconscious), this healing is only half as effective; tally the results and cut them in half, rounding down as necessary.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your level plus your Charisma modifier. You regain all uses of this feature after completing a long rest.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
- Defense
- Dueling
- Great Weapon Fighting
- Protection
I tend to house rule it so any class that gets fighting styles can pick any one they want, so that it is not just fighters that get them all. I don't think it's such a key part of the fighter's repertoire to have exclusive access to some styles, and hell, I might want to play an archery-focused paladin one day.
Martial Discipline
At 3rd level, you select a discipline that reflects your attitude in command situations. The discipline you choose grants you features at 7th, 13th, and 18th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Alternative Strategy
Upon reaching 9th level, you can enact the effects of a second battle plan that you know when you use your bonus action to end the effects of your current battle plan. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Overcome the Odds
Beginning at 14th level, the warlord emboldens their comrades in arms with their mere presence. As an action, the warlord may allow any single ally within 30 feet who can see or hear them the opportunity to roll a saving throw to end any impairing effect, such as the charmed or poisoned conditions, or a hold person spell. The ally has advantage on this saving throw. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain all uses upon completing a short or long rest.
Dogs of War
At 20th level, the warlord and their allies become a peerless fighting force. As a bonus action, the warlord can let slip the dogs of war to grant the following bonuses to up to ten allies they can see, provided those allies can see and hear the warlord. These effects last for 1 minute, and once this feature has been used, it cannot be used again until the warlord completes a short or long rest.
- Allies may use their reaction to gain resistance against damage they suffer from a single source, provided they are not already benefiting from resistance to that damage type.
- Allies may use their reaction to move up to half their speed whenever they or an ally receives damage.
- The warlord gains advantage on attack rolls made against targets with at least one ally adjacent to it.
Conqueror
Savage barbarian chieftains may lead through raw power and fear, but the conqueror understands that it is spirit, not brute force, that wins the day. Though they tend towards violence as their first course of action, conquerors realize that superior tactics can overcome even the most powerful enemies.
Unchecked Aggression
Upon selecting this discipline, the warlord is considered proficient and doubles their proficiency bonus when using the Charisma (Intimidation) skill to influence hostile creatures. The warlord also has advantage on attack rolls against surprised opponents.
Coordinated Onslaught
When the warlord selects this discipline at 3rd level, they may use their bonus action to designate an ally to support in battle. This ally gains the warlord’s Charisma modifier as a bonus to damage they deal with melee, ranged, or spell attacks. The ally must be able to see or hear the warlord at the time the attack roll is made in order to benefit from this feature.
The warlord may designate a new ally on their turn with a bonus action. Only one ally may be supported at a time.
Overwhelm
Upon reaching 7th level, the warlord may use their bonus action to mark a single foe that they can see. If the target is reduced to zero hit points, the warlord and all allies within 30 feet of the target gain temporary hit points equal to one half the warlord’s level plus the warlord’s Charisma modifier.
The warlord may use their bonus action to mark a different target on any turn, and can only have one mark active at a time.
Grounding the Dragon
At 13th level, the warlord can enact a cunning strategy to immobilize opponents. When an ally strikes a creature that the warlord can see or hear, the warlord may use their reaction to make a single melee or ranged weapon attack against the same creature. If this attack hits, the creature is restrained until the beginning of the warlord’s next turn.
Unstoppable Horde
When the warlord achieves 18th level, the thrill of battle invigorates their warband at the onset of each engagement. When the warlord rolls initiative, they and up to ten allies who can see or hear the warlord may expend up to three of their hit dice, adding their Constitution modifier to each, and regain hit points equal to the result.
Factotum
The axiom that no plan survives contact with the enemy rings true for the factotum. Some warlords that follow this discipline are begrudgingly forced into their military roles, or have a disrespect for conventional schools of thought as they relate to tactics. Through force of personality and no small degree of improvisation, they chaotically direct their warbands to victory.
Auxiliary Tactics
Upon selecting this archetype at 3rd level, the warlord may use their action to grant the benefits of a second battle plan they know to allies until the beginning of their next turn. Once this feature is used, it cannot be used again until the warlord completes a short rest.
Seize the Initiative
After reaching 7th level, the warlord learns to spur their allies into a rapid onslaught against surprised or unready opponents. On any combat round in which the opponents are surprised, or if an opponent has yet to act during the encounter, the warlord and up to ten allies gain advantage on melee or ranged attack rolls against the target. The warlord’s allies must be able to see or hear the warlord to benefit from this feature.
To the Hells with the Plan!
At 13th level, the warlord may apply one of the following effects to up to ten allies for 1 minute after they abandon a battle plan, in addition to the effects of any new plan adopted by use of the Alternative Strategy class feature. Once the effect is chosen, it cannot be changed.
- The warlord and allies gain advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
- The warlord and allies regain hit points equal to the warlord’s Charisma modifier when they reduce an enemy to zero hit points.
- The warlord and allies ignore the effects of difficult terrain.
- The warlord and allies double their movement speed on any turn in which they take the Disengage action.
Master Strategist
When the warlord achieves 18th level, they may select two battle plans to activate after completing a short rest. The effects of both plans remain in effect until the warlord abandons one (or both) with a bonus action or when they select new battle plans after completing a short rest.
This feature can apply the effects of To the Hells with the Plan for each plan abandoned. The same effect cannot be applied twice.
Stalwart
These warlords focus on defensive strategies and aiding their cohorts in overcoming injuries. Training allows them to wear heavier armor to protect them as they weave between the front lines and position their allies for maximum effectiveness. The greatest stalwarts can inspire their troops to remain standing long after lesser forces would yield to injury and exhaustion.
Armor Training
When you select this discipline at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor.
Take Heart
Also starting at 3rd level, Whenever you use your Rally the Wounded feature on an ally with only half or fewer hit points remaining, you add your Charisma modifier to each hit die expended to calculate how many hit points you restore.
Rousing Speech
At 7th level, the warlord can restore vigor to their allies during a short rest. They restore a number of lost hit points to themselves and up to ten allies equal to their warlord level plus their Charisma modifier, without the need to expend hit dice. The warlord cannot use this feature again until they complete a long rest.
Repositioning Strike
Upon reaching 13th level, the warlord may use their bonus action after successfully striking a target with a melee or ranged attack to move a single ally that can see or hear the warlord up to half of the ally’s speed.
Last Stand
When the warlord achieves 18th level, they may inspire injured allies who can see or hear them to make their final stand. The warlord and up to ten allies gain temporary hit points equal to twice the warlord’s level, plus the warlord’s Charisma modifier. Once the warlord uses this feature, they cannot use it again until they complete a long rest.
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