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Fighter

Fighting for honor, greed, loyalty, or simply the thrill of battle, you are an undisputed master of weaponry and combat techniques. You combine your actions through clever combinations of opening moves, finishing strikes, and counterattacks whenever your foes are unwise enough to drop their guard. Whether you are a knight, mercenary, sharpshooter, or blade master, you have honed your martial skills into an art form and Perform devastating critical attacks on your enemies.

Key Ability: Strength or Dexterity
At 1st level, your class gives you an ability bonus to Strength or Dexterity

Hit Points: plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

DURING COMBAT ENCOUNTERS...

You strike with unmatched accuracy and use specialized combat techniques. A melee fighter stands between allies and enemies, attacking foes who try to get past. A ranged fighter delivers precise shots from a distance.

DURING SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS...

You can be an intimidating presence. This can be useful when negotiating with enemies, but is sometimes a liability in more genteel interactions.

WHILE EXPLORING...

You keep up your defenses in preparation for combat, and keep an eye out for hidden threats. You also overcome physical challenges in your way, breaking down doors, lifting obstacles, climbing adeptly, and leaping across pits.

IN DOWNTIME...

You might perform manual labor or craft and repair armaments. If you know techniques you no longer favor, you might train yourself in new ones. If you've established your reputation, you might build an organization or a stronghold of your own.

YOU MIGHT...

  • Know the purpose and quality of every weapon and piece of armor you own.
  • Recognize that the danger of an adventurer's life must be balanced out with great revelry or ambitious works.
  • Have little patience for puzzles or problems that require detailed logic or study.

OTHERS PROBABLY...

  • Find you intimidating until they get to know you - and maybe even after they get to know you.
  • Expect you're all brawn and no brains.
  • Respect your expertise in the art of warfare and value your opinion on the quality of armaments.

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

PERCEPTION

Expert in Perception

SAVING THROWS

  • Expert in Fortitude
  • Expert in Reflex
  • Trained in Will

SKILLS

  • Trained in your choice of Acrobatics or Athletics
  • Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 3 plus your Intelligence modifier

ATTACKS

  • Expert in simple weapons
  • Expert in martial weapons
  • Trained in advanced weapons
  • Expert in unarmed attacks

DEFENSES

  • Trained in all armor
  • Trained in unarmored defense

Class DC

  • Trained in fighter class DC

You gain these features as an . Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features' names.

Ancestry and Backgrounds

In addition to the abilities provided by your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background, as described here.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

Key Terms

You'll see the following key terms in many fighter class features.

Flourish: Actions with this trait are special techniques that require too much exertion for you to perform frequently. You can use only 1 action with the flourish trait per turn.

Open: These maneuvers work only as the first salvo in the attacks you make on your turn. You can use an action with the open trait only if you haven't used an action with the attack or open trait yet this turn.

Press: Actions with this trait allow you to follow up earlier attacks. An action with the press trait can be used only if you are currently affected by a multiple attack penalty.

Some actions with the press trait also grant an effect on a failure. The effects that are added on a failure don't apply on a critical failure. If your press action succeeds, you can choose to apply the failure effect instead. (For example, you may wish to do this when an attack deals no damage due to resistance.) Because a press action requires a multiple attack penalty, you can't use one when it's not your turn, even if you use the Ready activity.

Stance: A stance is a general combat strategy that you enter by using an action with the stance trait, and you remain in for some time. A stance lasts until you get knocked outunconscious, until its requirements (if any) are violated, until the encounter ends, or until you enter a new stance, whichever comes first. After you take an action with the stance trait, you can't take another one for 1 round. You can enter or be in a stance only in encounter mode.

Your LevelClass Features
1Ancestry and background, initial proficiencies, attack of opportunity, fighter feat, shield block
2Fighter feat, skill feat
3Bravery, general feat, skill increase
4Fighter feat, skill feat
5Ability boosts, ancestry feat, fighter weapon mastery, skill increase
6Fighter feat, skill feat
7Battlefield surveyor, general feat, skill increase, weapon specialization
8Fighter feat, skill feat
9Ancestry feat, combat flexibility, juggernaut, skill increase
10Ability boosts, fighter feat, skill feat
11Armor expertise, fighter expertise, general feat, skill increase
12Fighter feat, skill feat
13Ancestry feat, skill increase, weapon legend
14Fighter feat, skill feat
15Ability boosts, evasion, general feat, greater weapon specialization, improved flexibility, skill increase
16Fighter feat, skill feat
17Ancestry feat, armor mastery, skill increase
18Fighter feat, skill feat
19General feat, skill increase, versatile legend
20Ability boosts, fighter feat, skill feat

Fighter Feats

At 1st level and every even-numbered level thereafter, you gain a fighter class feat.

Shield Block

You gain the Shield Block general feat, a reaction that lets you reduce damage with your shield.

Attack of Opportunity

Ever watchful for weaknesses, you can quickly attack foes that leave an opening in their defenses. You gain the Attack of Opportunity reaction.

Attack of Opportunity

Trigger A creature within your reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it's using.

You Lash Out at a foe that leaves an opening. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If your attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, you disrupt that action. This Strike doesn't count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.


Source Core Rulebook pg. 142

Skill FeatsLevel 2

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. Skill feats can be found in Chapter 5 and have the skill trait. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

BraveryLevel 3

Having faced countless foes and the chaos of battle, you have learned how to stand strong in the face of fear and keep on fighting. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to expert. When you roll a success at a Will save against a fear effect, you get a critical success instead. In addition, anytime you gain the frightened condition, reduce its value by 1.

General FeatsLevel 3

At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat. General feats are listed in Chapter 5.

Skill IncreasesLevel 3

At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase either to increase your proficiency rank to trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or to increase your proficiency rank in one skill in which you’re already trained to expert.

At 7th level, you can use skill increases to increase your proficiency rank to master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to increase your proficiency rank to legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.

Ability BoostsLevel 5

At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it’s already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.

Ancestry FeatsLevel 5

In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter. The list of ancestry feats available to you can be found in your ancestry’s entry in Chapter 2.

Fighter Weapon MasteryLevel 5

Hours spent training with your preferred weapons, learning and developing new combat techniques, have made you particularly effective with your weapons of choice. Choose one weapon group. Your proficiency rank increases to master with the simple and martial weapons in that group, and to expert with the advanced weapons in that group. You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons for which you have master proficiency.

Battlefield SurveyorLevel 7

Whether taking stock of an enemy army or simply standing guard, you excel at observing your foes. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master. In addition, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks for initiative, making you faster to react during combat.

Weapon SpecializationLevel 7

You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and to 4 if you’re legendary.

Combat FlexibilityLevel 9

Through your experience in battle, you can prepare your tactics to suit different situations. When you make your daily preparations, you gain one fighter feat of 8th level or lower that you don’t already have. You can use that feat until your next daily preparations. You must meet all of the feat’s other prerequisites.

JuggernautLevel 9

Your body is accustomed to physical hardship and resistant to ailments. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.

Armor ExpertiseLevel 11

You have spent so much time wearing armor that you know how to make the most of its protection. Your proficiency rank for light, medium, and heavy armor, as well as for unarmored defense, increase to expert. You gain the armor specialization effects of medium and heavy armor.

Fighter ExpertiseLevel 11

You’ve practiced your techniques to make them harder to resist. Your proficiency rank for your fighter class DC increases to expert.

Weapon LegendLevel 13

You’ve learned fighting techniques that apply to all armaments, and you’ve developed unparalleled skill with your favorite weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple and martial weapons and unarmed attacks increase to master. Your proficiency rank for advanced weapons increases to expert. You can select one weapon group and increase your proficiency ranks to legendary for all simple and martial weapons in that weapon group, and to master for all advanced weapons in that weapon group.

EvasionLevel 15

You’ve learned to move quickly to avoid explosions, a dragon’s breath, and worse. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Reflex save, you get a critical success instead.

Greater Weapon SpecializationLevel 15

Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.

Improved FlexibilityLevel 15

Your extensive experience gives you even greater ability to adapt to each day’s challenges. When you use combat flexibility, you can gain two fighter feats instead of one. While the first feat must still be 8th level or lower, the second feat can be up to 14th level, and you can use the first feat to meet the prerequisites of the second feat. You must meet all of the feats’ prerequisites.

Armor MasteryLevel 17

Your skill with armor improves, increasing your ability to prevent blows. Your proficiency ranks for light, medium, and heavy armor, as well as for unarmored defense, increase to master.

Versatile LegendLevel 19

You are nigh-unmatched with any weapon. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to legendary, and your proficiency rank for advanced weapons increases to master. Your proficiency rank for your fighter class DC increases to master.

Every level at which you gain a feat, select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.

Name Level Prerequisites Benefit
Combat Assessment 1
Double Slice 1
Everstand Stance 1
Exacting Strike 1
Point-Blank Shot 1
Power Attack 1
Reactive Shield 1
Snagging Strike 1
Sudden Charge 1
Aggressive Block 2
Assisting Shot 2
Brutish Shove 2
Combat Grab 2
Dragging Strike 2
Dueling Parry 2
Intimidating Strike 2
Lunge 2
Rebounding Toss 2
Barreling Charge 4 trained in Athletics
Double Shot 4
Dual-Handed Assault 4
Everstand Strike 4 Everstand Stance
Farabellus Flip 4 trained in Acrobatics and medium armor
Knockdown 4 trained in Athletics
Parting Shot 4
Powerful Shove 4 Aggressive Block or Brutish Shove
Quick Reversal 4
Shielded Stride 4
Swipe 4
Twin Parry 4
Advanced Weapon Training 6
Advantageous Assault 6
Dazing Blow 6
Disarming Stance 6 trained in Athletics
Furious Focus 6 Power Attack
Guardian's Deflection 6
Reflexive Shield 6
Revealing Stab 6
Ricochet Stance (Fighter) 6
Shatter Defenses 6
Shield Warden 6 [Champion] Divine Ally (shield), Tenets Of Good; [Fighter] Shield Block
Triple Shot 6 Double Shot
Blind-Fight 8 master in Perception
Disorienting Opening 8 Attack Of Opportunity
Dueling Riposte 8 Dueling Parry
Felling Strike 8
Impassable Wall Stance 8 Attack Of Opportunity
Incredible Aim 8
Mobile Shot Stance 8
Positioning Assault 8
Quick Shield Block 8 Shield Block, Reactive Shield
Resounding Bravery 8 bravery
Sudden Leap 8
Agile Grace 10
Certain Strike 10
Combat Reflexes 10
Cut from the Air 10
Debilitating Shot 10
Disarming Twist 10 trained in Athletics
Disruptive Stance 10
Fearsome Brute 10
Improved Knockdown 10 Knockdown
Mirror Shield 10
Overpowering Charge 10 Barreling Charge
Twin Riposte 10
Brutal Finish 12
Dueling Dance 12 Dueling Parry
Flinging Shove 12 Aggressive Block or Brutish Shove
Improved Dueling Riposte 12 Dueling Riposte
Incredible Ricochet 12 Incredible Aim
Lunging Stance 12 Attack Of Opportunity, Lunge
Paragon's Guard 12
Spring Attack 12
Desperate Finisher 14
Determination 14
Guiding Finish 14
Guiding Riposte 14 Dueling Riposte
Improved Twin Riposte (Fighter) 14 Twin Riposte
Stance Savant (Fighter) 14
Two-Weapon Flurry 14
Whirlwind Strike 14
Graceful Poise 16 Double Slice
Improved Reflexive Shield 16 Reflexive Shield
Multishot Stance 16 Triple Shot
Overwhelming Blow 16
Twinned Defense 16 Twin Parry
Impossible Volley 18
Savage Critical 18
Smash from the Air 18 Cut From The Air
Boundless Reprisals 20
Reflecting Riposte 20 Dueling Riposte, Mirror Shield, or Twin Riposte
Ultimate Flexibility 20 Improved Flexibility
Weapon Supremacy 20