transtemporal
Explorer
Intro
The Dreadnought is intended as a frontline melee tank that can dish out decent damage, draw attacks from low AC comrades and keep brutes away from your casters. This allows your party to focus on destroying the enemy without having to worry too much about defending.
After some early analysis of encounters and high level monsters, I almost trashed this build to look at something else but after I re-examined the numbers with the below assumptions and given what we know about magic gear in the DMG (confirmed here 18/11/14, thank you Nikosandros), I was a bit more encouraged and decided to give it a go. I've only played it to 4 so far and its hellafun at this level. I'm pretty happy it'll hold up as we level (although I might tweak it as I go along if my extrapolations turn out to be incorrect).
Assumptions
Strengths
Weaknesses
Note that I've only included abilities in the build that have some effect on combat, so I didn't include Student of War for example.
The Dreadnought
Mountain Dwarf Fighter (Battle Master) 20
Armor Class 27 (plate mail+3, shield+3, class+1)
Hit Points 224 (20d10 Hit Die)
Proficiency Bonus +6
Speed 25 ft. (your speed is not reduced by heavy armor)
Size Medium
Initiative+7
Alignment Whatever strikes your fancy
Languages Common, Dwarvish
Ability Scores
Strength 20 (+5); add proficiency bonus to saves
Dexterity 14 (+2); disadvantage on Stealth*
Constitution 16 (+3); add proficiency bonus to saves
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 12 (+1)
Charisma 10
*Only while wearing plate mail.
Attacks
Melee Attack: Warhammer+3 (+14 to hit; 1d8+8 bludgeoning) x4
Skills
Animal Handling, Athletics, Perception, Survival
Tool Proficiencies
Jeweler's Tools, Leatherworker's Tools, Smith's Tools
Equipment
Platemail+3, shield+3, warhammer+3, plus whatever else takes your fancy.
Race - Mountain Dwarf
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light and in darkness as though it were dim light. When you do so, your vision is in black and white.
Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Background- Whatever
Whatever takes your fancy. I took Folk Hero for Animal Handling, survival and leatherworker's tools but it's really a flavor choice. The fighter class already allows you to pick up the two skills you'll end up using the most (Athletics and Perception) and background features aren't designed to give you a hard combat benefit, so go nuts.
Class- Fighter (Battle Master)
Action Surge (2/short rest):On your turn, you can take an additional action.
Battle Master: Superiority Dice (6/shortrest): d12, DC:19, 9 maneuvers
Feat - Alert
You gain level x2 hp, plus 2 per additional level.
Fighting Style – Defense: While you're wearing armor, you gain +1 AC.
Indomitable (3/long rest): When you fail a saving throw, you can make a second roll.
Proficiencies: All armor and shields. Simple and Martial Weapons. Strength, constitution saving throws.
Relentless:If you have no SD when you roll initiative, you gain one SD.
Saving Throws:
Str +11
Dex +2 (+5 with Shieldmaster)
Con +9
Int -1
Wis +1
Cha 0
Second Wind (1/short rest): As a bonus action, you can regain lost hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level.
The Dreadnought is intended as a frontline melee tank that can dish out decent damage, draw attacks from low AC comrades and keep brutes away from your casters. This allows your party to focus on destroying the enemy without having to worry too much about defending.
After some early analysis of encounters and high level monsters, I almost trashed this build to look at something else but after I re-examined the numbers with the below assumptions and given what we know about magic gear in the DMG (confirmed here 18/11/14, thank you Nikosandros), I was a bit more encouraged and decided to give it a go. I've only played it to 4 so far and its hellafun at this level. I'm pretty happy it'll hold up as we level (although I might tweak it as I go along if my extrapolations turn out to be incorrect).
Assumptions
- Your DM allows feats in your game. If your DM disallows feats, you may as well stop reading since the build flat-out won't work without them;
- You will steadily gain magic heavy armor/shield as you advance in level and you will have +3 armor/shield by level 20. If you're playing in a no-magic or very low magic campaign, your AC just won't be viable for a tank past level 12 (or maybe 16 if you can keep up disadvantage on enemies);
- There is at least one party member that uses a weapon and deals big damage (preferably a rogue) that can take advantage of Commanders Strike. Not mandatory but a very nice and easy source of party DPR that you'd be crazy to give up;
- You are the only tank in the party. Two party members with a lot of resources in defense is sub-optimal unless your party is particularly large;
- You like playing team-oriented melee builds. If you'd rather do your own thing or you'd rather hang at the back, this build isn't for you.
Strengths
- Decent one-handed DPR with superiority dice and burst with Action Surge
- Excellent AC (27 @ 20 - probably the only build that I'd advocate taking the “Defense” fighting style on)
- Respectable HP (224 @ 20)
- Excellent Str, Con saving throws, Dex saves not too bad with Indomitable and Shieldmaster
- Excellent Initiative (+7)
- Decent stickiness (Polearm Master with Sentinel is better, but hey)
Weaknesses
- Non-existent Int, Wis, Cha saving thows
- Relatively slow and doesn't have any movement mode options at high levels (Stormborn, Avenging Angel, Dragon's Wings etc) that some classes get.
- Has a respectable HP cushion but doesn't have resistance to damage and doesn't have any significant self-healing. Carry some healing potions.
Note that I've only included abilities in the build that have some effect on combat, so I didn't include Student of War for example.
The Dreadnought
Mountain Dwarf Fighter (Battle Master) 20
Armor Class 27 (plate mail+3, shield+3, class+1)
Hit Points 224 (20d10 Hit Die)
Proficiency Bonus +6
Speed 25 ft. (your speed is not reduced by heavy armor)
Size Medium
Initiative+7
Alignment Whatever strikes your fancy
Languages Common, Dwarvish
Ability Scores
Strength 20 (+5); add proficiency bonus to saves
Dexterity 14 (+2); disadvantage on Stealth*
Constitution 16 (+3); add proficiency bonus to saves
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 12 (+1)
Charisma 10
*Only while wearing plate mail.
Attacks
Melee Attack: Warhammer+3 (+14 to hit; 1d8+8 bludgeoning) x4
Skills
Animal Handling, Athletics, Perception, Survival
Tool Proficiencies
Jeweler's Tools, Leatherworker's Tools, Smith's Tools
Equipment
Platemail+3, shield+3, warhammer+3, plus whatever else takes your fancy.
Race - Mountain Dwarf
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light and in darkness as though it were dim light. When you do so, your vision is in black and white.
Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Background- Whatever
Whatever takes your fancy. I took Folk Hero for Animal Handling, survival and leatherworker's tools but it's really a flavor choice. The fighter class already allows you to pick up the two skills you'll end up using the most (Athletics and Perception) and background features aren't designed to give you a hard combat benefit, so go nuts.
Class- Fighter (Battle Master)
Action Surge (2/short rest):On your turn, you can take an additional action.
Battle Master: Superiority Dice (6/shortrest): d12, DC:19, 9 maneuvers
- Maneuver - Commander's Strike: When you take the attack action, you can forgo one of your attacks, spend a bonus action and spend one SD. One ally who can see or hear you can make one weapon attack as a reaction and add the SD to its damage.
- Maneuver - Disarming Attack: On a successful weapon attack, target makes a str save or drops one item its holding at its feet. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
- Maneuver - Evasive Footwork: When you move, you spend one SD and add the result to your AC until you stop moving.
- Maneuver - Goading Attack: On a successful weapon attack, target makes a wis save or takes disadvantage to attack anyone but you until end of your next turn. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
- Maneuver - Maneuvering Attack: On a successful weapon attack, one ally can move half its speed as a reaction without provoking AoO from your target. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
- Maneuver - Menacing Attack: On a successful weapon attack, target makes a wis save or is frightened of you until end of your next turn. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
- Maneuver – Parry: When a creature damages you with a melee attack, you use your reaction and reduce the damage by one SD plus your dex bonus.
- Maneuver - Pushing Attack: On a successful weapon attack, a large or smaller size target makes a str save or is pushed 15 feet away from you. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
- Maneuver - Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can make a melee attack against it as a reaction. Spend one SD, add to attack dmg.
Feat - Alert
- You gain +5 to initiative;
- You can't be surprised while conscious;
- Other creatures don't gain advantage against you when hidden.
- You gain 3 luck points/long rest;
- After you've rolled an attack, ability check or saving throw but before the DM announces success or failure, you can spend one luck point, roll another d20 and choose either result;
- After an attack has been made against you but before the DM announces success or failure, you can spend one luck point, roll another d20 and choose whether the attack uses your roll or the DMs.
- Creatures within 5 feet provoke AoO even when they use Disengage;
- When a creature within 5 feet makes an attack against anyone but you (and they don't have this feat) you can make a melee attack as a reaction;
- When you hit a creature with an AoO, the creatures speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
- You can add your shield bonus to dex saves or other harmful effects that target only you;
- When you make a dex save against a spell that does half dmg on a successful save, you can use your reaction to take 0 dmg instead;
- When you take the attack action, you can use your bonus action to shove a creature 5 feet with your shield.
You gain level x2 hp, plus 2 per additional level.
Fighting Style – Defense: While you're wearing armor, you gain +1 AC.
Indomitable (3/long rest): When you fail a saving throw, you can make a second roll.
Proficiencies: All armor and shields. Simple and Martial Weapons. Strength, constitution saving throws.
Relentless:If you have no SD when you roll initiative, you gain one SD.
Saving Throws:
Str +11
Dex +2 (+5 with Shieldmaster)
Con +9
Int -1
Wis +1
Cha 0
Second Wind (1/short rest): As a bonus action, you can regain lost hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level.
Last edited:
