The Strategist
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Maneuver Dice | Prepared Maneuvers | Readied Stratagems | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | +2 | 4d6 | 4 | 2 | |
| 4th | +2 | 4d6 | 4 | 2 | |
| 5th | +3 | 6d6 | 6 | 3 | |
| 6th | +3 | 6d8 | 6 | 3 | |
| 7th | +3 | 6d8 | 8 | 3 | |
| 8th | +3 | 6d8 | 8 | 3 | |
| 9th | +4 | 8d8 | 10 | 4 | |
| 10th | +4 | 8d8 | 10 | 4 | |
| 11th | +4 | 8d10 | 12 | 4 | |
| 12th | +4 | 8d10 | 12 | 4 | |
| 13th | +5 | 10d10 | 14 | 5 | |
| 14th | +5 | 10d10 | 14 | 5 | |
| 15th | +5 | 10d10 | 16 | 5 | |
| 16th | +5 | 10d12 | 16 | 5 | |
| 17th | +6 | 12d12 | 18 | 6 | |
| 18th | +6 | 12d12 | 18 | 6 | |
| 19th | +6 | 12d12 | 20 | 6 | |
| 20th | +6 | 12d12 | 20 | 6 |
The Calculations
For the Strategist, their strategic mind is their most valuable asset. Accordingly, their efficacy on the battlefield directly corresponds to their Strategic Capacity, which is calculated as follows:
Strategic Capacity = Intelligence modifier + Wisdom modifier + Proficiency bonus
Many features of the Strategist are dependent your Strategic Capacity.
Further, you gain proficiency with Calligrapher’s Supplies.
You also become proficient in your choice of three of the following skills: History, Investigation, Insight, Perception, Deception.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses any of the chosen skills.
The Art of War
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you increase your ability to utilize maneuvers on the battlefield. You have access to twice the number of maneuver die as a typical fighter, as well as twice the number of known maneuvers. Further, you gain access to additional maneuvers, as indicated at the end of this document. Your maneuver save DC now uses your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier (choose when you select this archetype)
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice)
Attack by Stratagem
Also the 3rd level, you gain access to a Battlefield Codex, in which you can store learned Stratagems. Stratagems are advanced combat strategies that you may utilize to provide party-wide benefits for acting according to certain tactics and constraints.
When you gain this feature, you may learn a number of Stratagems equal to your Strategic Capacity and copy them into to your Battlefield Codex. Whenever you gain a level in Fighter, you may add one additional Stratagem to your Battlefield Codex. You can also copy a stratagem you find by spending 1 hour and 25 gp per prerequisite level.
Of the Stratagems contained within your Battlefield Codex, you may actively study a number of them to include in your battlefield repertoire. Upon taking this feature, you may add a number of Stratagems within your Battlefield Codex equal to your Strategic Capacity into a list of Studied Stratagems. Whenever you take a long rest, you may spend time studying your Battlefield Codex and swap one Studied Stratagem with another.
Studied Stratagems = Strategic Capacity
Each long or short rest, you may briefly review your battle plans and add a number of Studied Stratagems equal to your Proficiency Bonus to your Readied Stratagems. These Readied Stratagems comprise the Stratagems which you may actively employ at any given time.
Readied Stratagems = Proficiency Bonus
A Readied Stratagem may be employed activated at the cost of 1 action.
You may activate a number of Readied Stratagems equal to your Strategic Capacity each long rest.
Stratagem Activations = Strategic Capacity
The Five Heads
Beginning at the 3rd level, when you successfully hit a creature with a weapon attack you may choose to identify their weaknesses before rolling for damage, forgoing dealing the damage from that hit. If you do, until the start of your next turn all attack rolls against that creature have advantage. You may identify the weakness of a number of creatures this way equal to your Strategic Capacity each round.
Weak Points and Strong
Starting at 7th level, if you spend a number of rounds observing a creature, you can learn information about its capabilities compared to your own.
After observing the creature for a number of rounds equal to the Observation Rounds, you may use a bonus action to choose an attribute of that creature to compare to yourself.
Observation Rounds = 10 - Strategic Capacity
The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to the chosen attribute.
- Intelligence score
- Wisdom score
- Charisma score
- Strength score
- Dexterity score
- Constitution score
- Armor Class
- Current hit points
- Total class levels, if any
- Fighter class levels, if any
- Prepared maneuvers, if any
- Prepared strategems, if any
This effect may be repeated any number of times on any number of creatures, but the Observation Rounds must be sustained for each trigger.
You may only trigger this ability on a single creature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus each long rest.
The Xanatos Gambit
At 10th level, you master the art of battlefield engineering, becoming an expert at turning any situation to your advantage.
Whenever you enter combat, you may select a number of creatures you can see up to your Strategic Capacity to mark as Pawns.
While you are in combat, you may expend an action to select a new creature as a Pawn. If this results in you having more Pawns than your Strategic Capacity, you must unmark one of your marked Pawns.
Whenever you select a Pawn, choose whether they are an Ally or Enemy Pawn. This decision is fixed for the duration of the combat for that creature.
Whenever an Allied Pawn successfully lands an attack on an Enemy Pawn, you gain 1 Advantage point.
Whenever an Allied Pawn successfully kills an Enemy Pawn, you gain 3 Advantage points.
Whenever an Enemy Pawn successfully hits an Allied Pawn, you gain 1 Opportunity point
Whenever an Enemy Pawn successfully kills an Allied Pawn, you gain 3 Opportunity points.
These Advantage and Opportunity Points allow you to utilize special abilities to dictate the flow of battle. Additional attacks granted by these abilities do not grant any additional Advantage or Opportunity points.
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According to Plan. Whenever an Allied Pawn makes an attack roll or ability check, you may expend 1 Opportunity Point to give them advantage on that roll.
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Contingency. Whenever an Allied Pawn makes a saving throw, you may expend 1 Advantage point to get them advantage on the saving throw.
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Subtle Sabotage. Whenever an Enemy Pawn makes an attack roll or ability check, you may expend 1 Advantage Point to give them disadvantage on that roll.
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Momentary Lapse. Whenever an Enemy Pawn makes a saving throw, you may expend 1 Opportunity point to give them disadvantage on the saving throw.
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Deceptive Weakness. Whenever an Allied Pawn is attacked by an Enemy Pawn, you may expend 3 Opportunity Points to allow another Allied Pawn to make a free attack against that creature before they resolve the attack. If the Allied Pawn’s attack hits the Enemy Pawn, the Enemy Pawn’s attack is considered a miss, regardless of the roll.
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Coordinated Assault. Whenever an Enemy Pawn is attacked by a creature, you may expend 3 Advantage Points to allow an Allied Pawn to make a free attack on that creature. If any of the Allied Pawns’ attacks hit the Enemy Pawn, the Enemy Pawn’s attack is considered a miss, regardless of the roll.
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Planned Retribution. Whenever an Allied Pawn is hit by an attack from an Enemy Pawn, you may expend 5 Opportunity Points to allow all other Allied Pawns to make a free attack against that Enemy Pawn.
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Flawless Execution. Whenvever an Enemy Pawn is hit by an attack from an Allied Pawn, you may expend 5 Advantage Points to allow all Allied Pawns to make a free attack against that Enemy Pawn.
After combat has concluded, all marked creatures are unmarked and all Advantage Points and Opportunity Points are reset.
Ingenuity of Mind
Beginning at 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no maneuver dice remaining, you may immediately prepare 1 strategem.
:
In addition, when you roll initiative and have no stratagems remaining, you may immediately regain 3 maneuver dice.
Strategist Maneuvers
2nd Degree
Borrowed Knife
When you are targeted with an attack, you may expend a maneuver die to attempt to redirect this attack to a different target. Select another creature in range of the attack which is immediately adjacent to yourself. If the attack roll from the attacking creature, plus a roll of your maneuver die, would successfully hit this new target, it hits the new target instead. Otherwise, the maneuver fails and the attack will resolve targeting you.
Identify Weakness
When you attack a creature, you may expend a maneuver die to attempt to identify their weaknesses. You may add the expended maneuver die to your attack roll. If it hits, the DM will inform you of a number of damage resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of that creature, up to your Strategic Capacity.
3rd Degree
Tactician’s Eye
When you employ a Strategem, you may expend a maneuver die to size up your enemies. You may select a number of creatures you can see up to your Strategic Capacity, and the DM will tell you whether they are above or below half of their hit points. You may then select a number of these creatures equal to a roll of your maneuver die. For each selected creature, you may grant advantage on all rolls targeting that creature until the end of the turn.
4th Degree
Nested Strategy
When you employ a Stratagem, you may expend a maneuver die to employ an additional Stratagem as a free action.
5th Degree
The Nine Situations
Legendary Maneuver (3/day)
When you or a creature you can see attacks a creature, you may expend a superiority die to give a number of creatures you can see up to your Strategic Capacity advantage on all rolls until your next turn. In addition, all attacks made by the chosen creatures may add your Strategic Capacity to their attack and damage rolls.