Fighter

### Variants

Battle Masters, battleragers, Champions, Eldritch Knights, great weapon fighters, guardian fighters, tempest fighters

**Fighter** was a descriptive term for a warrior skilled with a variety of weapons and trained in the arts of war. A skilled fighter defined the front line of any battle, breaking through enemy ranks and holding the line while their allies maneuvered. All fighters were trained to use virtually any armor or weapon the situation required; a fighter could use an axe, a rapier, or a greatsword with roughly equivalent skill. As well as being combat generalists, most fighter also specialized in a particular skillset, such as archery or combat magic.

## Culture

Among the most common adventurers, fighters came from an innumerable set of backgrounds. Some were knights in the service of a quest or elite foot soldiers whilst others were ambitious would-be overlords or hardened mercenaries. What brought fighters together, however, was their common roots as warriors who put themselves in the thick of battle, between their comrades and harm's way; while many fighters could be called disreputable, few, if any, were true cowards.

All fighters drew on a wealth of experience built by others who'd come before them, though some had more formal training than others. Many fighters came to their profession through membership in a militia or army, while others acquired their skills in military academies. Others were more or less self-educated, their skills hardened through hard-earned experience rather than formal instruction. Some fighters were brought to the ways of martial combat by a threat to their home and others were a part of a long family tradition. These diverse backgrounds and motivations meant most fighters did not see themselves as part of a greater brotherhood or fellowship. Instead, fighters perceived their friends and brothers in those with whom they'd faced danger together, distinguishing little by profession.
{{Fq|text=The worst thing a warrior can do is start obeying a mage—any mage—without thinking about, and questioning, every order. 'Tis all too easy to slip into blind obedience, and that has brought war, doom, and hardship to many a land. Magic should not master men; men should hold sway over it. Mark this well: Other men must hold sway over the men who command the magic. Even better, women should control the men who wield magic, for that rule is the most tenacious and sure we know of. Be wise, warriors, and heed—or any reach ye make toward a throne will be short and fumbling indeed.|source=Rindala Shardroon, Sage of Immilmar, *The Book of Stars and Shadows*

## Abilities

Fighters of all varieties were skilled in the use of the most commonly used weapons and armor, making them highly proficient in the ways of battle.

In addition to their proficiency in the use of particular weapons, fighters had a number of other useful combat abilities. Incredibly durable and courageous, fighters were capable of recovering from blows that might kill other warriors, allowing them to sustain themselves for prolonged stretches of combat. Experienced fighters were likewise more resilient to the effects of poisons, spells, or other debilitating effects. Additionally, fighters could push themselves beyond their normal limits every few hours in a burst of energy, allowing them to act and move more quickly. Similarly, experienced fighters were capable of attacking more quickly, up to about four times as quickly as other warriors.

Many fighters worked best fighting alongside others and were trained to protect the flanks of allies. When an enemy attacked a friend or ally of these fighters, the fighter was prepared to leap to the ally's defense and distract the foe, decreasing the effectiveness of their attacks. Fighters were also better able to take advantage of flaws in enemies' defenses than most other warriors.

## Fighter archetypes

While all fighters shared a number of generalized combat skills, the direction their abilities took as they gained more experienced varied considerably. Three of the most common archetypes fighters followed are listed below.

Core Classes
Ardent • Avenger • Barbarian • Bard • Battlemind • Bushi • Cleric • Druid • **Fighter** • Invoker • Monk • Paladin • Psion • Ranger • Rogue • Runepriest • Samurai • Seeker • Shaman • Sorcerer • Spellscarred • Swordmage • Warden • Warlock • Warlord • Wizard

Warriors
Barbarian • Crusader • **Fighter** (Bushi • Eldritch Knight • Slayer) • Hexblade • Ninja • Paladin • Ranger (Hunter • Scout) • Rogue (Thief) • Skald • Warblade • Warlord • Warrior