Fighter (DSC)

Fighter
Ability Requirements:	Strength 11
Prime Requisite: 	Strength
Allowed Races: 	All
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On Athas, the fighter is a trained warrior, a soldier skilled in mass warfare. Every society on Athas maintains an army of fighters to protect itself from attack or to wage wars of plunder and annihilation against its neighbors. Fighters are both the commanders and soldiers in these armies, and at higher levels are experts in both individual and formation combat, leadership, and morale. They can be of any alignment, use magical items, gain weapon proficiencies and specializations, and advance in level according to the rules in the Player's Handbook.
As a fighter increases in experience levels, his reputation as a warrior and leader grows. As word spreads, less experienced warriors who are eager to fight for the same causes seek him out. These followers remain loyal to the fighter for as long as they are not mistreated and there are battles to be fought. A fighter need not have a stronghold to attract these confederates. Followers are always gained in a group of ten individuals, which is called a stand. All ten are of the same race and experience level and have the same equipment. A unit consists of some number (usually 2d10) of identical stands.
Once a fighter reaches 10th level, he attracts his first unit of followers. This first unit always consists of warriors of the same race and background as the fighter (that is, if the fighter is part of a slave tribe, so is his first unit of followers). The first unit consists of 1d10+2 stands (30-120 individuals). Roll 1d2+1 to determine the level of the unit. As the fighter gains each new level beyond the 10th, he attracts another unit of followers. Roll dice to determine the number of stands in the unit and the level of the followers. These subsequent followers may be of very different backgrounds than the fighter himself.
A fighter can't avoid gaining followers. The desperate peoples of Athas constantly look for great commanders, warriors who will lead them. TABLE XIV, below, lists a fighter's followers. These are merely the automatic followers that a fighter gains. In the course of a campaign, a player who wishes to role-play such situations might raise huge armies of former slaves or gain control of an entire thri-kreen tribe for his character.
 Table 14: Fighter's Followers
Fighter'sLevel	StandsAttracted	Stands'Level	Special*
11 	1d10+4 	1d3+1 	5%
12 	1d12 	1d3+2 	10%
13 	1d12+2 	1d4+1 	15%
14 	1d12+4 	1d4+2 	20%
15 	1d20 	1d6+1 	25%
16 	1d20+2 	1d6+2 	30%
17 	1d20+4 	1d8+1 	35%
18 	1d20+6 	1d8+2 	40%
19 	1d20+8 	1d10+1 	45%
20 	1d20+10 	1d10+2 	50%
: * Percentage chance that the unit is of an unusual nature. Examples include kank cavalry, thri-kreen, elves, aarakocra, or human fighter of of exceptional equipment or morale. The DM decides all special characteristics beyond the number of stands and level of followers.
A fighter has the following special benefits:
* A fighter can teach weapon proficiencies when he reaches 3rd level and can train students in the use of any weapon in which he is specialized. The fighter may train a number of students equal to his level in a single “training class.” A training class requires eight hours of study each and every day for one month. At the end of that time, each student must make an Intelligence check. Those who pass gain a bonus proficiency slot in that weapon. A student may only be trained once, regardless of success, with a specific weapon. Students can learn any number of new proficiencies in this manner, even beyond those slots normally allowed for a character of that level.
* A fighter can operate heavy war machines when he reaches 4th level, including bombardment engines (such as ballistae, catapults, and trebuchets), crushing engines (such as rams and bores), and siege towers.
* A fighter can supervise the construction of defenses when he reaches 6th level. These include ditches and pits, fields of stakes, hasty stone and wooden barricades, and even semipermanent stone fortifications.
* A fighter can command large numbers of troops when he reaches 7th level. In role-playing terms, the fighter has mastered the skills and techniques to take charge of 100 soldiers per level. This includes terminology, use of messengers and signals, use of psionic and magical aids to communication, etc.
In all cases where the rules here don't contradict them, the rules governing fighters in the Player's Handbook should be used.