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With the goal of hitting, and hitting hard, the champion fighter is an excellent choice for someone new toDungeons & Dragons.Though they do not have a spectacular amount of options, just like any fighter, they are customizable through feats, fighting style, and weapon choice.
Related:Dungeons & Dragons: Every Martial Melee Weapon, Ranked
Champions are deadly warriors, and they have the skill and ability to hit where it hurts the most. They are the prototypical fighters and are simple to play, so you do not need to know the intricacies of Dungeons & Dragons and can learn while playing and getting acclimated to the game.
Champion Features Overview
There isn’t too much that goes into being a champion, and the highlight of this class isthe ability to score more critical hits.However, the features for your championwill improve upon that in various ways.
Level 3
Improved Critical
You can now landa critical hit on a 19 roll, on top of the usual 20 roll.
Level 7
Remarkable Athlete
On all Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution checks, you mayadd half your proficiency bonus to the roll, if you aren’t already proficient.
Level 15
Superior Critical
You can now landa critical hit on an 18 roll, on top of the 19 and 20 rolls.
Level 18
Survivor
You regain hit points equal to five plus your Constitution modifier every roundwhile you are under half your health.
These features combine to make the champion fightera durable, flexible fighter, as they excel at staying in the fight and turning the tide when the opportunity arises. Still, outside critical hits, the champion fighter is not flashy,and while there’s nothing wrong with that, if you do want something else, choosing the right fighting style can help.
The superior technique fighting stylegives you one maneuver from the battle master archetype,such astrip attackor feinting attack, which in turn gives you more mileage with the rest of your abilities.
Trip attack helps you toknock your target prone, hindering their movement, and giving attackersanadvantage on attack rolls against the target.Then, feinting attackallows you to trade a bonus action for advantage and more damage,which is likely to translate into more criticals.
Other maneuvers, such as disarming attack or distracting strike, are flavorful options that can add a lot to your champion, butthey just don’t inherently synergize with the archetype.However,fighting styles such as great weapon fighting or interception are other good choicesthat cement your champion’s status as a controlling force in battle.
Best Ability Scores For A Champion
A champion fighter relies highly on their martial prowess and inflicts the most damage in melee combat. Therefore,you will want a high score in Strength.
You should prioritize physical stats andkeep all mental stats low, except for Wisdom.Wisdom saving throws are among the most common in the game, and for you to get incapacitated in any way would be very bad for your party.
15
13
8
12
Best Species For A Champion
As a frontline warrior,any species that bolsters damage or survivability is a good option.When creating a champion fighter, consider the following species options:
Dwarf (Hill)
The hill dwarf, with its+2 bonus to Constitution and +1additional hit point per level, is very sturdy. If you want to be a tank champion, this is a strong choice.
Dwarf (Mountain)
The mountain dwarf excels at a fighting roll because of its+2 to Constitution and Strength,two key ability scores for the champion fighter.
Githyanki
Misty-step is a fantastic teleporting spell that very few fighters can have.It can get you out of rough situations with extreme ease, so getting it for free is a steal.
Githzerai
Being charmed or frightened is a terrible position for a fighter to be in, but the githzeraihavean advantage on saving throws against both.Shieldis also a very helpful spell for a fighter to have.
Goliath
The goliaths have a grantedproficiency in Athletics, making grappling easier.That, along with Stone’s Endurance (which reduces up to 1d12 damage), combine to make the goliath an excellent and imposing frontline combatant.
Half-Orc
The half-orc may be the best option here, assavage attacksgive an extra die of damage on each critical hit.As a champion fighter, you will be getting a lot of opportunities to use this feature.
Human (Variant)
The variant human’s main feature is a free first-level feat.Feats are always powerful and are often much more useful than anything else a species has to offer.
Best Feats For A Champion
Your champion is what you make out of it, and as fighters,champions have access to more feats than most classes, something you will want to take advantage of. Though the champion is a simple archetype,there are ways to give yourself more options and versatility.
Still, if you do want a truly simple character, some feats can keep that simplicity while making you all the more powerful.
Great Weapon Master
For when you want big numbers, great weapon masterdealsan extra ten damageand allows you to make anextra attack upon a critical hit.This comes at the price of -5 to hit, but is certainly worth it. This feat is a common staple of every character who wields such weapons.
Lucky
Lucky is a simple feat,you can reroll three d20s per day at any time,but only before the result of your roll is announced. This is very helpful when it comes to sneaking in another critical hiton one of your attacks. However, lucky is not only for yourself, andyou can reroll your party members die, or an enemy attack rollto bail your team out of any unfortunate situation.
Martial Adept
If the thought of combat maneuvers interests you, the martial adept feat gives youtwo that you can use and a superiority die.This stacks with the superior technique fighting style, if you choose it, which is an excellent choice if you want more versatility and options in battle.
Crusher
Crusher increases your strength,allows you to shove targets with an attack,and gives anadvantage on attacks against a creature you critically hit.It turns out to be a pretty good package if you’re using a bludgeoning weapon.
Piercer
Piercer increases your damage potential, asyou get a bonus to strength, can reroll damage die, and get extra damage upon a critical hit.It is an excellent feat to increase your damage output with piercing weapons.
Slasher
Slasher sees yourstrength increase, allows you to minimize the mobility of enemies, and disables them with your critical hits.It is an effective method of controlling your foes.
Best Starting Equipment For A Champion
As a fighter, your champion hasmany options for what sort of weaponry and armor they would like to use.
The first option you have to make when choosing starting equipment is if you would ratherchain mailor leather armor and archery equipment.As your champion will often be in the heat of the battle, and without a high Dexterity to make up the armor class,chain mail is a better option.
Then, your champion fighterwill be at its best when wielding a great weapon, as the damage and applicable feats are too good to pass up. Therefore, a shield is unnecessary, andyou should choose two martial weapons instead.
If your champion has a passable Dexterity,opt for the crossbow over the hand axes, as they are a better option at range, and you do not have to worry about losing them.
Lastly,theexplorer’s pack and the dungeoneer’s pack are almost identical.The only slight difference is the dungeoneer’s pack has a small edge while exploring underground and the explorer’s pack while above ground.
Choose between these options based on where you think most of your adventuring time will be spent.
