Knight

Fighter Subclass

(Sources: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything)

This is a smash up of the Cavalier, Purple Dragon Knight / Banneret, and Samurai subclasses, replacing all three for use in this setting. The intent is a single subclass that allows many different combinations of abilities to support various Knightly Orders while still allowing some differentiation for individual characters within a certain style of knight. It is as follows:

Knights are members of a subculture of formal martial traditions, often but not always enjoying an elevated social status. Whether born among the nobility, raised in a keep or outpost, or reared in a Knightly Order, a knight has usually received rigorous martial training from a very young age. Many knights are also lords of some fiefdom, or have obligations to a liege or to the Knightly Order they belong to.

Some however wander the world, seeking adventure, to right wrongs, fulfill an oath, honor an obligation, pursue a quest, live up to some valorous ideal, take vengeance, or maybe just attain glory, fame, prestige or the like. Such knights sometimes travel together in small bands, but many singly join with other adventurers and heroes. Depending upon their background, they might serve as an armored bulwark around which less martial allies rally or as a mailed vanguard who leads boldly from the front, but some knights hail from a more courtly origin and favor dueling or even social maneuvering.

Fighter Level

Features

3

Heraldic Achievement	Recognize heraldry, Coat of Arms reroll
Knightly Virtues	Choose one
Knightly Aptitudes	Choose one

7

Knightly Aptitudes	Choose one

10

Knightly Aptitudes	Choose one

15

Knightly Aptitudes	Choose one

18

Knightly Aptitudes	Choose one

Heraldic Achievement

Warriors of noble or aristocratic origins, even the most humble member of the most humble of Knightly Orders is expected to display some form of armorial bearings or equivalent iconography. And morever, even the most threadbare and down on their luck knight should recognize the panoply of the great Orders, Houses, and Knights of the land. At a minimum, basic instruction on the design, display, and study of heraldic concerns is an important part of any knight-in-training's education.

Heraldry: You recognize at a glance all broadly known coats of arms and associated heraldry and recall well known details such as which individuals or organizations each represents. Additionally, you may add your proficiency bonus to Intelligence checks where your knowledge of heraldry is relevant.

Additionally, it is standard practice for a knight to bear a distinctive coat of arms. Generally speaking, knights take great care to cultivate and protect the prestige of whatever coat of arms it is their duty and privilige to bear. Displaying it proudly is not just something that is expected of a knight, it is something that they can draw confidence and inspiration from in the face of adversity.

When you enter this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, work with the DM to describe your coat of arms and its provenance. Legacy knights often inherit a coat of arms derived from their lineage, either directly or with minor personalization. Those knighted and ennobled due to merit either have a coat of arms assigned to them by their leige or are granted the privilege of designing their own, typically with symbology noting the deeds or attributes which contributed to their elevation. Common knights belonging to an order generally bear the same coat of arms as their fellows, though many Knightly Orders allow embellishment to denote significant rank or personal accomplishments.

Coat of Arms: if you fail an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw while bearing your coat of arms upon your signet ring, shield, tabard, clothing, or a banner, you may choose to re-roll the die. Once you have used this ability you cannot use it again until you have completed a long rest.

Knightly Virtues

Knightly Virtues represent ways in which knights differentiate and distinguish themselves. All who enter this Martial Archetype at 3rd level gain a Knightly Virtue. Some Knightly Orders require all of their members to select the same initial Knightly Virtue, representing their particular doctrine and training. If you are a member of such an order you gain that specific Knightly Virtue option now. Otherwise, you gain your choice of one of the following Knightly Virtue options:

Courser: You excel at mounted combat. For many, this is the stereotypical knight, gloriously charging into battle astride a mighty steed or some more esoteric beast, pennants streaming.
You gain proficiency with Animal Handling if you do not already have it. Mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement (rather than half your speed), and you have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you do fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated. Finally, if your mount is the target of a melee attack you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll if you are armed with a melee weapon or a shield and are not incapacitated.

Courtier: You are a knight of the aristocratic sort who excels in the courtly arena, where a sharp mind and a sharper tongue are the weapons of choice.
You gain proficiency with a Charisma skill of your choice, and gain proficiency with Charisma saving throws if you do not already have it. While you are wearing no armor or light armor, are not wielding a shield, and are not encumbered, you may add your Charisma modifier to your armor class and to your initiative rolls.

Dexter: You've been trained to be swift and sure with a blade while lightly armored, ideal for aristocratic dueling and the pursuit of blademastery.
While you are wearing no armor or light armor and are not encumbered, you gain +1 AC and you gain +1 to hit and damage on melee attacks made using a Finesse weapon.

Lancer: You are a master of the fearsome lance, adept in the art of jousting, well versed in the rush of a heavy calvary charge.
You do not have disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a target within 5 feet of you. Also, in your hands a lance deals 2d6 piercing damage (instead of 1d12 piercing damage). Finally, in your hands a broken lance may be used as an improvised weapon that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit and has the thrown trait with a range of 10/15; you are proficient with this weapon.

Pursuant: You excel at seeking out and dominating singular threats upon the battlefield. You challenge foes and dare them to stand and face you or be run down should they cravenly flee.
As a bonus action you may mark a creature within 120 feet who you can see and who can see you. This mark lasts until either you or the marked creature are incapacitated or die, or until you use this ability again (whichever comes first). The marked creature has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn't target you or some other creature that has marked them (if any). You have advantage on the first melee attack roll you make against the marked creature each turn.

When your turn begins, if your marked target is visible to you and they are not within your reach, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action but you must use all of the movement gained to move closer to your marked target, and if it is possible for you to move close enough for them to be within your reach you must do so.

Sinister: You are a knight, but a pragmatic one. Counter to the popular ideal, you reject all notions of honorable combat and exploit every advantage you possibly can.
Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d6 damage to one creature you hit with a melee attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another non-incapacitated enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is combinable with Sneak Attack if using a finesse weapon.

Valiant: You are a glorious knight who inspires others with your bravery and deeds and rallies allies to greater accomplishments.
When you use your Second Wind feature, you can choose a number of allied creatures up to to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1), who are within 30 feet and can see and hear you. Each one regains hit points equal to your fighter level.

Vincere: You are a martial paragon trained to use any weapon, adapt to any situation, and overcome any obstacle. Tactically savvy, and able to pivot into unforseen circumstances, you always have a chance to emerge victorious no matter the odds.
You gain an additional Fighting Style of your choice from those available to fighters or to rogues. Additionally, as a bonus action during your turn you can swap one of your Fighting Styles for a Fighting Style you do not already have from those available to fighters or rogues. Once you have used this feature you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.

Knightly Aptitudes

When you enter this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, and again when your reach the 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels in this class, you may either choose an additional Knightly Virtue you do not already have, or you may choose a Knightly Aptitude from the following options that you do not already have and meet the prerequisites for:

Knightly Aptitude	Prerequisites	Benefit
Broad Competence	-	You gain proficiency with a skill of your choice. You also learn an additional language of your choice, and gain a tool proficiency of your choice.
Cunning Combatant	Courtier or Sinister	Choose Charisma or Intelligence; you may add the chosen attribute's modifier to the damage modifier of the first successful melee weapon attack you make each turn.
Dexterous Deflection	Courtier or Dexter	If you are wielding a melee weapon or a shield and either you or an allied creature within your reach is hit by a melee, ranged, or ranged spell attack made by an attacker that you can see, as a reaction you may add your proficiency bonus to the target's AC against that attack.
Felling Charge	Courser or Pursuant	If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before attacking a standing creature and you hit it with the attack, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or be knocked back 10 feet and become prone. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
Focused Strike	Lancer or Pursuant Extra Attack feature	If you take the Attack action on your turn you can forgo additional attacks from the Extra Attack feature to gain advantage on a single attack roll. If you do, that single attack will score a critical on a roll of 18-20; this improves to score a critical on a roll of 16-20 if you have reached 11th level in this class, and to score a critical on a roll of 14-20 if you have reached 20th level in this class.
Goading Distraction	Courtier or Pursuant	As a bonus action you may mock or taunt a creature within 30 feet who can see or hear you; that creature must make a Intelligence saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If the target fails their save, until the end of its next turn that creature cannot voluntarily move further away from you, and they suffer disadvantage on the next saving throw, ability check, or attack roll they make. Creatures with Intelligence less than 4 are not affected by this ability.
Grim Bulwark	-	When your turn begins, if you are not incapacitated and your current hit points are less than half of your maximum hit points, you may gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus plus your Constitution bonus (minimum 1).
Impactful Critical	Lancer or Sinister	When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack on a creature, you may add a bonus equal to half your fighter level (rounded down) to the damage modifier of that attack.
Inspirational Indomitability	Indomitable feature	When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you can choose a number of allied creatures up to to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1), who are within 30 feet, can see and hear you, and also failed their saving throw against the same effect. Each of those creatures can also decide to reroll their saving throw, but must use the new roll if they do.
Line Holder	-	While you are wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield, and are not incapacitated or prone, you gain advantage on any saving throw you make to resist an attack, spell, or ability that will knock you prone if you fail the saving throw.
Motivating Encouragement	Courtier or Valiant	If an ally within 30 feet of you misses an attack, as a reaction you may allow them to reroll the attack but they must use the new roll. You and the ally must be able to see and hear each other.
Move By	Courser or Lancer	During your turn, if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
Persistent Determination	Valiant or Vincere	While you are conscious, if you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points but does not cause instant death, you can choose to remain conscious while at 0 hit points. While you remain conscious at 0 hit points, taking damage causes death saving throw failures as normal, and three death saving throw failures can still kill you. If you still have 0 hit points at the end of your next turn after using this feature, you fall unconscious. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Rapid Strike	Dexter or Valiant	You learn to trade accuracy for swift strikes. If you take the Attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll against one of the targets, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack against that target, as part of the same action. You can do so no more than once per turn.
Rousing Attack	Courser or Valiant	When you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose a number of allied creatures up to to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1), who are within 30 feet, can see and hear you, and are not incapacitated. Those creatures can use their reaction, in an order of your choosing, to make one melee or ranged weapon attack.
Ruthless Opportunist	Sinister or Vincere	When an enemy creature that you can see moves into or out of the reach or the short range of a weapon you are weilding, you can make a weapon attack against them as a reaction.
Seize Initiatve	Dexter or Vincere	You gain advantage on your initiative rolls.
Stalwart Defender	-	While you are wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield and are not incapacitated and are not prone, friendly creatures within your reach gain +1 AC against attacks that originate from a source that you are closer to than they are.
Stirring Advance	Courser or Lancer	When you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose a number of allied creatures up to to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1), who are within 30 feet, can see and hear you, and are not incapacitated. Those creatures can use their reaction, in an order of your choosing, to take a Dash action without provoking opportunity attacks.
Uncanny Dodge	Dexter or Sinister	When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.
Vigilant Sentinel	Pursuant or Vincere	Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.