Champion (5A)

Starfox's 5th Edition Fan Page

This is a Fighter subclass for 5A

The archetypal Champion focuses on the development of raw physical power honed to deadly perfection. Those who model themselves on this archetype combine rigorous training with physical excellence to deal devastating blows.

This is a good subclass for beginning players as the abilities are simple and straight-forward.

Greyhawk: Champions are most often self-taught, commoners who advanced by skill and merit. Their background is likely to be militia rather than castle, city watch rather than mercenary company. Still, the very pluck and determination that drives a champion earns them respect once they prove themselves.

Source: Player's Handbook

Subclass Abilities

Improved Critical

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Once on each turn when you score a critical hit, you can make an additional attack with the same weapon, against the same or a different foe. If this happens on your turn and you have remaining movement, you can move between these attacks normally.

Remarkable Athlete

Starting at 7th level, you can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check you make that doesn't already use your proficiency bonus.

In addition, when you make a running long jump, the height and distance you can cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Strength modifier.

Finally, opponents with a level or challenge lower than yours cannot make attacks of opportunity against you.

Additional Fighting Style

At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.

Superior Critical

Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

Survivor

At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Editor's Notes

As perhaps the most iconic, newbie-friendly, and easy to use subclass, the champion needs to be decently good, or new players might become alienated. The main improvement is to Improved Critical—not only do you get a better critical range, you also score an additional attack on a critical hit. This goes from a 50% damage boost to a 150% damage boost, and you also have a theoretically infinite chain of critical strikes, quite the significant change. Remarkable athlete got an improvement to the jump part and you now ignore most opportunity attacks—which should allow the champion to get right to the main baddie, which I feel is very champion-like. Finally, Survivor's self-heal has been doubled.