Warrior (Essentials)

The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions.
-- Miyamoto Musashi

Overview

Playstyle: The warrior is meant to be a rebuilding of the Fighter class, for those who want to enjoy the flexibility of traditional D&D fighting, without the reliance as much on either feat building or dice. This is heavily inspired by the Fighter and Paladin archetypes in the D&D 4E Essentials line, along with the Bladesinger from the Neverwinter Campaign Setting.

Ability Scores: You need Constitution for hit points to survive attacks, and either Strength or Dexterity (if not both!) to wield your weapons effectively.

Warriors gain a +2 class bonus to Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity, as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.

Races: All races have waged war in one way or another... and where there are wars, there are warriors to wage them for their commanders and warlords.

Backgrounds: Here are some backgrounds to get you started with your warrior: Knight, slayer, mercenary, folk hero, bouncer, gladiator, soldier, trooper, archer, sniper.

Icons: The Emperor, the Crusader, and the Orc Lord all welcome warriors, but any icon that needs to get a job done in a straightforward manner, will have a use for these combatants.

Warrior Level Progression

At levels 5 and 8, warriors gain an additional talent that allow them to further expand their capabilities.

Gear

At 1st level, warriors start with the weapon(s) and armor that they were able to take with them. Usually warriors start with 25 gp at hand. The more daring warriors tend to start with 1d6 x 10 gp instead.

Warrior Armor and AC

Type    Base AC Atk Penalty
None      10            –
Light      13           –
Heavy    15           –
Shield    +1            –

Weapons

Warriors use all sorts of weapons and styles, though some may prefer a certain type of weapon or fighting style. Some stances favor sticking to certain combinations (like shield and melee weapon, or bows/crossbows, or dual wielding). A few warriors might opt to not take any weapons at all, relying on the power of their fists to speak for them.

Armor

Warriors ideally use full plate or similar heavy armor to protect them, but those who might be more than confident in their sheer durability can opt out of armor altogether, thanks to the talents that can make it really difficult for enemies to take them down.

Warrior Melee Weapons

One-Handed Two-Handed

Small 1d4 dagger 1d6 club

Light or Simple 1d6 shortsword 1d8 spear

Heavy or Martial 1d8 longsword 1d10 greatsword

Warrior Ranged Weapons

Thrown Crossbow Bow

Small 1d4 dagger 1d4 hand crossbow   –

Light or Simple      1d6 javelin  1d6 light crossbow   1d6 shortbow

Heavy Martial – 1d8 heavy crossbow 1d8 longbow

Warrior Level Progression

Warrior Level	Total Hit Points	Total # Feats	# of Class Talents	# of Stances	Level-up Ability Bonuses	Damage bonus from Ability Score
Level 1 Multiclass	(Avg. of both classes) x 3	As 1st level PC	3 (at least one must be from each class)	2		Ability modifier
Level 1	(8 + CON mod) x 3	1 adventurer	3	2		Ability modifier
Level 2	(8 + CON mod) x 4	2 adventurer	3	2		Ability modifier
Level 3	(8 + CON mod) x 5	3 adventurer	3	2		Ability modifier
Level 4	(8 + CON mod) x 6	4 adventurer	3	2	+1 to 3 abilities	Ability modifier
Level 5	(8 + CON mod) x 8	4 adventurer 1 champion	4	3		2 x ability modifier
Level 6	(8 + CON mod) x 10	4 adventurer 2 champion	4	3		2 x ability modifier
Level 7	(8 + CON mod) x 12	4 adventurer 3 champion	4	3	+1 to 3 abilities	2 x ability modifier
Level 8	(8 + CON mod) x 16	4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic	5	4		3 x ability modifier
Level 9	(8 + CON mod) x 20	4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic	5	4		3 x ability modifier
Level 10	(8 + CON mod) x 24	4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic	5	4	+1 to 3 abilities	3 x ability modifier

Warrior 1st Level Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus	+2 Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity (different from racial bonus)
Initiative	Dex mod + level
Armor Class (heavy armor)	15 + level + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis
Armor Class (heavy armor with shield)	16 + level + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis
Physical Defense	11 + level + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex
Mental Defense	10 + level + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha
Hit Points	(8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)
Recoveries	(probably) 9
Recovery Dice	(1d10 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds	8 points, max 5 in any one background
Icon Relationships	3 points
Adventurer-Tier Talents	3 (see level progression chart)
Adventurer-Tier Feat	1 per level

Warrior Basic Attacks

At-will melee attack

Attack: Strength or Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

At-will ranged attack

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

Warrior Class Features

Warriors have two class features: Power Strike and Extra Tough.

Extra Tough

You start with nine recoveries instead of the usual eight.

Adventurer Feat: Increase your total recoveries by 1.

Power Strike

Once per battle, you can add a WEAPON die to the damage of an attack that hit.

Adventurer Feat: You can now use this an additional time per battle.

Champion Feat: You add an extra WEAPON die to the attack.

Epic Feat: You can now use this an additional time per battle.

Warrior Class Talents

Choose three of the following class talents at level 1. At levels 5 and 8, you can choose one more class talent.

Path of the Defender

Special: You cannot take this if you took the Path of the Slayer
Enemies engaged with you have a -4 penalty to their attack rolls if they do not include anyone who has this talent in their attack; this penalty is not cumulative with anyone who has this talent. Once per round, if an enemy engaged with you attacks an ally who does not have this talent, you can make an opportunity attack.

Adventurer Feat: Add your Strength modifier to miss damage with opportunity attacks. At 5th level, this increases to twice your Strength modifier. At 8th level, this increases to three times your Strength modifier.

Champion Feat: The first time you fail a saving throw in a battle, you can reroll the save and take either result. 

Epic Feat: You can spend an additional recovery when rallying.

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The intent of this talent is to force the enemy to attack you instead of your less beefy allies. Thus, the GM can and probably should rule that any talent or feature that functions similarly to this, like the Paladin's Challenge or the Swordmage's Mark with Sigil, will not overlap with this. This also means that this doesn't give an enemy -12 to attacks just because three warriors ganged up on that single opponent.
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Path of the Slayer

Special: You cannot take this if you took the Path of the Defender

While you are staggered, you gain a bonus to damage rolls with warrior basic attacks equal to your Dexterity modifier. At 5th level, your bonus damage is equal to twice your Dexterity modifier instead. At 8th level, your bonus damage is equal to three times your Dexterity modifier instead.

Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, you can cause each enemy engaged with you to pop free as a quick action.

Champion Feat: Once you used the adventurer feat ability, you can move to engage an enemy as a free action.

Epic Feat: You have resistance 16+ against melee attacks while you are staggered.

Cathedral's Charger

Special: You cannot take this if you took Shadow's Herald
Your Power Strike also does radiant damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Adventurer Feat: Choose one daily or recharge spell of your level or lower from the cleric class. You can cast this spell as if you were a cleric. 

Champion Feat: You can cast the Cleric spell Heal once per battle.

Epic Feat: One battle per day, you can rally to inspire your companions from the brink of defeat (instead of the normal rallying to inspire you to continue to fight on your own). Each time you succeed in rallying, each ally nearby gains hit points equal to half the amount you regained.

Shadow's Herald

Special: You cannot take this if you took Cathedral's Charger
Your Power Strike also does cold and necrotic damage, and deals ongoing cold and necrotic damage equal to the escalation die's current value.

Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can spend a recovery as a free action, but regain no hit points. Instead, roll the recovery dice and gain temporary hit points equal to the result.

Epic Feat:  The first time you fail your death save in a battle, you can choose to become an avatar of the dark gods themselves. If you do, you regain all your hit points, gain resist 12+ against all attacks, all your attacks do half damage on a miss, and you can place yourself in a nearby location you can see as a move action. These benefits last until the end of battle. There is a price to this however: each of your failed death saves carry over until your next level up, or until the GM tells you that you have appeased the dark gods.

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This means that if you used this three times before you reached the next level or appeased the dark gods, they will immediately claim your soul the next time you fail your death save.
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Warrior's Endurance

Your recovery dice are d12s instead of d10s.

Adventurer Feat: The first recovery you spend in a fight is free.

Champion Feat: The first time you fail any save at the end of your turn during battle, you can reroll the save and take either result.

Epic Feat: The first time your hit points are reduced to zero during battle, you can roll a save. If you succeed, you can spend a free recovery as a free action.

Knight's Protection

Twice per battle while you're wielding a shield, when an ally next to you is hit by a natural even attack against AC, you can choose to lose hit points equal to half of that damage, and have your ally take only half of the damage instead. The damage you lose can come from temporary hit points, but isn't affected by damage resistance and other tricks to avoid the damage.

Adventurer Feat: The protection also applies to attacks against PD. 

Champion Feat: You can use it a third time per battle. 

Epic Feat: The ally can be nearby instead of engaged with you.

Eldritch Blade

While wielding swords, you can use Intelligence in place of Strength for melee warrior attack rolls and damage. Additionally, you have the Eldritch Blade background at its full possible bonus of +5, without having to spend your normal background points on it.

Adventurer Feat: Choose one daily or recharge spell of your level or lower from the wizard class. You can cast this spell as if you were a wizard.

Champion Feat: You can now choose an at-will instead.

Epic Feat: You gain an additional wizard spell of your choice that is your level or lower; a total of two from this talent.

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The background can be changed as desired, as it represents your training at using magic alongside your fighting skills. Bladesinger, swordmage, and eldritch knight are example alternatives.
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Weapon Master

Choose one weapon that you own. This is now your signature weapon. While wielding this weapon, your attacks that hit deal extra damage equal to your level. For one battle per day, your attacks with this weapon deal half damage on a miss. If you are unable to use this weapon for any reason, at the end of a daily heal-up (once per level or when the GM allows it), you can change your signature weapon.

Adventurer Feat: You can make the target of your Power Strike pop free from one creature they are engaged with, and they are hampered until the end of your next turn.

Champion Feat: Once per battle while wielding a melee weapon, when you are hit by an attack that targets AC, you can take half damage from that attack instead as a free action.

Epic Feat:  Once per day, you can reroll a recharge roll for a magic weapon power.

Dirty Fighting

Once per battle when you perform a dicey stunt and you don't like the result, you can reroll it and choose either result.

Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you can reroll your relationship dice with a villainous or ambiguous icon.

Champion Feat: On a natural 16+, the target of your Power Strike is also confused until the end of your next turn.

Epic Feat: You gain an additional icon relationship point with an ambiguous or villainous icon.

Fist of the Overworld

Special: You cannot take this if you took Underworld's Grasp
Your unarmed attacks no longer suffer the -2 penalty to hit, and your weapon damage dice for unarmed attacks is d6 per level instead, and are always considered fighting with two weapons while not wielding any weapon or shield in either hand.

Adventurer Feat: You gain +1 to AC while not wielding any weapon or shield in either hand. At 5th level, you gain +2 AC instead. At 8th level, you gain +3 AC instead.

Champion Feat: You deal ongoing damage equal to your Strength modifier to enemies you grab. At 8th level, your ongoing damage equals twice your Strength modifier. Additionally, you can choose to deal fire and radiant damage with your unarmed attacks.

Epic Feat: Once per battle, max out all of your unarmed attack's damage dice when you hit with an attack.

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The epic feat will also max out Power Strike.
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Combat Maneuver

As per Commander talent: Choose a fighter maneuver of your level or lower. You can use it like a fighter. You can also switch it for a different maneuver each time you level up.

Adventurer Feat: You gain the adventurer feat for the maneuver you chose, if any.

Champion Feat: Choose a second fighter maneuver of your level or lower to use.

Epic Feat: You gain the adventurer and champion tier feats, if any, for both your fighter maneuvers.

Underworld's Grasp

Special: You cannot take this if you took Fist of the Overworld
The first time you are staggered in a fight, you gain temporary hit points equal to 10 + your level.

Adventurer Feat: Choose one daily or recharge spell of your level or lower from the necromancer class. You can cast this spell as if you were a necromancer. You can change your chosen spell each time you take a full heal-up.

Champion Feat: You no longer need to eat or sleep, and you can now choose from necromancer at-will spells.

Epic Feat: You no longer age, don't need to breath, and the first time you are reduced to zero hit points in a fight, roll a normal save (11+). On a success, you are at 1 hit point instead, and can spend a recovery as a free action.

Throwing Specialist

Your attacks with small thrown weapons now deal d6 damage per level. Your attacks with light thrown weapons now deal d8 damage per level. In addition, after you make a warrior ranged basic attack with a thrown weapon, you can draw another thrown weapon as a free action instead of a quick action.

Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, when you miss with a warrior ranged basic attack using a thrown weapon, you can make another warrior ranged basic attack as a quick action.

Champion Feat: On a natural 16+ with a ranged basic attack using a thrown weapon, you can reroll the attack against a different enemy that is nearby the target as a free action. That attack does not get to reroll against a different enemy on a natural 16+.

Epic Feat: Once per day, you can take a standard action to make a ranged basic attack against each nearby enemy using a single thrown weapon.

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The Champion Feat essentially lets you bounce your thrown weapon against one enemy if you roll well enough (and only one enemy), while the Epic Feat lets you bounce your thrown weapon against every nearby enemy. and it can stack with the champion feat (for maximum pinball effect), if your GM allows it.
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Stances

You can only have one stance active at any given time, and entering/switching stances is usually a quick action to do so. They stay active until you fall unconscious, until you choose a different stance, or if you choose not to use any stance as a free action. Basic attacks from other classes (if you multiclass) do not benefit from stances unless your GM allows them to.

You start with two stances at level 1, and gain an additional stance at level 5 and level 8 (see Warrior chart).

Adventurer Feat: You can enter/switch stances as a free action once per round during your turn. 

Champion Feat: You gain an additional stance. 

Epic Feat: For one battle a day, you can have two stances active.

Duelist's Dance

Until the stance ends, your warrior basic melee attacks deal extra damage against enemies that are not engaged by any of your allies equal to your Dexterity modifier. At 5th level, you deal extra damage equal to twice your Dexterity modifier. At 8th level, you deal extra damage equal to three times your Dexterity modifier.

Adventurer Feat: You gain a bonus to disengage attempts equal to your Dexterity modifier while in this stance.

Champion Feat: You can disengage as a quick action while in this stance.

Epic Feat: Whenever an enemy makes a natural odd attack against you while in this stance, you can make an opportunity attack against them. If this attack hits, it deals half damage instead.

Defensive Formation

Until the stance ends, you have a +1 to AC while wielding a shield. If you are next to an ally who is also in this stance, you each gain a +1 to AC (maximum +2).

Adventurer Feat: The bonus also applies to PD. 

Champion Feat: For one battle a day, you have a bonus to AC equal to half of the escalation die's value (rounded down), while wielding a shield in this stance.

Epic Feat: While wielding a shield in this stance, you gain a +1 bonus to warrior basic attack rolls.

Shadow Port Hustle

Until the stance ends, each time you hit an enemy with a warrior basic attack, you can attempt to disengage or move to a nearby position as a free action.

Adventurer Feat: You deal extra damage to the target you hit equal to the number of allies engaged with it.

Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can pop free instead of disengage.

Epic Feat: When the Escalation Die reaches 4+, on a natural 16+ you can remove yourself from play as a move action. At the start of your next turn, return anywhere nearby that you could have moved to normally during your turn.

Relentless Charge

Until the stance ends, you gain a +2 to melee basic attack rolls against enemies you were not engaged with at the start of your turn.

Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can make each enemy engaged with you pop free as a free action.

Epic Feat: Each time you roll a natural 16+ hit with a melee attack while in this stance, you can spend a quick action to move towards an enemy you were not engaged with at the start of your turn. If you succeed in engaging with them, you can make a basic melee attack against them as a free action.

Whirling Dervish

Until this stance ends, each time you hit with a melee attack while wielding two melee weapons, one enemy engaged with you (other than the enemy you hit) takes damage equal to your level.

Champion Feat: Each time you roll a natural even hit while wielding two melee weapons in this stance, you can spend a quick action to make a basic attack. If the attack hits, it deals half its normal damage.

Epic Feat: For one battle per day, you can deal the damage to 1d3+1 enemies engaged with you other than the enemy you hit) instead of just one.

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The champion feat's quick action attack can be a basic ranged attack, if you're wielding something like a dagger as your melee weapon.
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Strike the Anvil

Until this stance ends, each time you hit with a warrior basic attack, you may choose to cause that enemy to pop free from you or one ally they are engaged with as a free action.

Champion Feat: If the attack roll is a natural 16+, the target is also dazed until the end of your next turn.

Battle Rage

Until the stance ends, you deal extra damage with your warrior basic attacks equal to your level (regardless if the attacks hit or miss).

Champion Feat: For one battle a day, add your level to the damage again (so you deal twice your level in extra damage when you hit, and three times your level in damage when you miss).

Epic Feat: Each time you roll a natural even hit while in this stance, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level.

Steady Hand

Until the stance ends, whenever you miss with a warrior basic attack, your next warrior basic attack against the target before the end of your next turn gains a +2 attack bonus.

Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can increase the bonus to +4 as a quick action.

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The stance isn't intended to grant a round-long bonus for a single miss.
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Sniper's Mark

Until the stance ends, your warrior basic ranged attacks deal extra damage against enemies that are not engaged by any of your allies equal to your Dexterity modifier. At 5th level, you deal extra damage equal to twice your Dexterity modifier. At 8th level, you deal extra damage equal to three times your Dexterity modifier.

Champion Feat: On a natural 16+ ranged attack, the target is also stuck until the end of your next turn.

Epic Feat: Once per day, you can cause the target to be stunned as a free action, instead of stuck.

Slippery Foot

Until the stance ends, once per round after an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you can attempt to disengage as a free action.

Adventurer Feat: When the escalation die is 3+, you can pop free instead.

Champion Feat: Whenever you roll a natural 16+ hit with your basic warrior attacks while in this stance, you take half damage from opportunity attacks until the start of your next turn.

Credits

Credits to Martin Killman, Tim Baker, and Dick McGee for providing their insight on the class!