Dreadnoughts are masterful artists, and battle is their paint. While these warriors specialize in specific styles of martial combat, weaponry, and techniques, they are unified in their unparalleled skill and dedication to their craft. In the hands of these legendary fighters, a blade becomes more than a weapon, it’s a tool of mass destruction. Becoming a dreadnought is a commitment to ceaseless bloodshed to improve your martial skills beyond any reasonable degree, establishing yourself as one of the greatest fighters of the age.
To advance as a dreadnought, you must meet the following prerequisites:
Fighter Level 20 – A fighter is the only class that advances one’s martial skill to the level required to become a dreadnought, and only the best among fighters has the capacity to learn a dreadnought’s techniques.
Slay an Epic Foe – At the DM’s discretion, you may be required to defeat a mighty opponent of tremendous power. This enemy must be the greatest threat you have ever faced and represent a tremendous achievement in your adventuring career. DMs are encouraged to make this foe a creature of great power that pushes your character to its limits. The creature need not be defeated single-handedly but should always be of considerable challenge.
Epic Trial: Ceaseless Battle – Dreadnoughts live and breathe combat. They are most comfortable on the battlefield, only satisfied when their enemies are slain, and are overjoyed by the sounds of war. To achieve this dedication and affinity for battle, you must live a life of brutal violence that pushes you to your absolute limit. Such an act typically involves spending a year and a day engaging in constant battle in some great conflict. Each day you arise to draw blood from your enemies and do not rest until victory is achieved. You must find a suitable conflict to participate in to complete this trial, such as scoring endless victories as a gladiator in a vicious fighting pit or joining the hosts of heaven in their crusades against the forces of evil. Regardless of what conflict you participate in, you must fight in a way that puts your skills to the test.
As a dreadnought, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per dreadnought level
Hit Points per Level: 1d10 + your Constitution modifier per dreadnought level
Proficiencies
Saving Throws: You gain proficiency in a single saving throw of your choice.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 21st level, and again at 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can’t increase an ability score above 30 using this feature.
Epic Feat
When you reach 21st level, and again at 25th and 29th level, you may select one Epic feat from the Epic feat list detailed in section 3. You may forgo taking an Epic feat to instead increase an ability score of your choice by 4, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 2. You cannot increase an ability score above 30 using this feature.
Epic Fighting Style
Beginning at 21st level, you improve upon the fighting styles you have mastered during your career as a warrior. You lose any Fighting Styles you gained while advancing as a fighter, which are replaced with their corresponding Epic versions.
Archery
You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. Additionally, hostile creatures within 5 feet of you no longer impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +3 bonus to AC and have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +4 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 3 or lower on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon with the two-handed or versatile properties, you instead roll a 4.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose Epic disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield, and if the attack misses its target, you regain the use of your reaction at the end of that turn.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your Strength or Dexterity ability modifier to the damage of your attacks made with your off-hand weapon. Additionally, when you use your bonus action to make an attack with your off-hand weapon, you may attack twice instead of once.
Combat Stances
At 22nd level, you master extraordinary techniques that afford tremendous advantages in battle called combat stances. You learn two combat stances of your choice, which are detailed under the “Combat Stances” section. You learn additional combat stances as you advance as a dreadnought according to the dreadnought class progression table.
Once per round if you are in combat, as a bonus action you may enter a combat stance that you know, gaining the benefits detailed in that combat stance’s description. You cannot benefit from more than a single combat stance at a time. Entering a new combat stance causes you to end any combat stances you currently benefit from. A combat stance lasts until you are no longer in combat or become incapacitated.
Each combat stance has a unique feature called an Epic strike which can only be used as an action while in that combat stance. When you make an Epic strike, you either make a single weapon attack against a creature within range or cast a spell of 1st level or higher with a casting time of an action. Some Epic strikes put further restrictions on how they can be used, as detailed in their descriptions.
When you deal damage using an Epic strike, you multiply all damage dealt by the attack or spell according to the damage multiplier detailed in the description.
Supplemental Training
When you reach 22nd level, and again at 24th, 26th, 28th, and 30th level, you can continue training other elements of your body and mind in the background while you advance your other Epic abilities. You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If you are using the 5th Edition feats variant, you can instead select a non-Epic feat.
Tireless Warrior
At 24th level, you can use your Action Surge fighter class feature three times before a rest, but only once per turn. Additionally, when you roll initiative and have no uses of your Action Surge fighter class feature available, you regain one use.
Epic Martial Archetype
At 26th level, the powerful new techniques you’ve developed as a dreadnought allow you to improve upon your martial archetype. You gain the following features according to the martial archetype you selected when you were advancing as a fighter.
Battle Master
You can unleash a dizzying number of maneuvers by pushing yourself to your limit. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Action Surge feature to regain all of your expended superiority dice.
Peerless Veteran
At 28th level, your vast combat experience allows you to change your techniques with remarkable efficiency. When you enter or change a combat stance, you may do so at no action cost instead of as a bonus action. You may still only change or enter a stance once per round on each of your turns.
Legendary Champion
At 30th level, you have no equal on the field of battle, unleashing mighty attacks or unrelenting power. When you take the Attack action you may make a single Epic strike as a part of that action. When you use your action to make only an Epic strike, you may make two Epic strikes instead of one as a part of that action.
Combat stances are deadly fighting techniques that only a dreadnought has the skills to perform.
Aegis Stance
You masterfully defend yourself against incoming attacks, using your armor to its full advantage. While you are in this stance, wearing armor, and wielding a shield, you gain a +5 bonus to your Armor Class and creatures cannot have advantage or Epic advantage on attacks against you.
Epic Strike: Shining Lance
You lash out with a single blow of unparalleled precision, making a single weapon attack or casting a spell that makes a spell attack. Attacks made using this Epic strike automatically hit and deal radiant damage instead of their normal damage type (if any).
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled.
Brawling Stance
Your skills in grappling are legendary. While you are in this stance, you may attempt a grapple as a bonus action and have Epic advantage on ability checks to grapple a creature or maintain a grapple on a creature. Additionally, your speed is no longer reduced when moving a grappled creature.
Epic Strike: Crushing Grip
You tighten your grip upon a creature you are grappling, crushing it to death with your strength. Instead of making a weapon attack as a part of this Epic strike, you instead attempt a Strength (Athletics) ability check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) ability check (the target chooses which ability to use). On a success, you automatically hit the target with an unarmed strike attack and until the grapple ends, the target is restrained.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is quadrupled.
Defensive Stance
You are the shield that guards your allies from harm, able to withstand devastating blows with ease. While you are in this stance and wearing armor, you are resistant to all damage except psychic damage.
Epic Strike: Counterstrike
You ready a blow of catastrophic power to intercept your enemy’s attacks, readying a single weapon attack or a spell that deals damage. When a creature you can see makes a successful attack, you may use your readied Epic strike to move up to twice your speed toward that creature. If you end this movement and the attacking creature is within range of your weapon attack or spell, you may make your readied attack or cast your readied spell against that creature. The damage of the creature’s attack is reduced by the damage it takes from your attack or spell.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is tripled.
Juggernaut Stance
You know how to best maximize your own durability in combat. While you are in this stance, you may add your Constitution modifier to your weapon attack and damage rolls instead of Strength or Dexterity modifiers and you cast spells without the need for somatic or material components. Additionally, if you have no uses of your Second Wind feature at the end of your turn, you regain one use.
Epic Strike: Unstoppable Blow
You let loose a mighty war cry and make a single weapon attack or cast a spell. If a non-Epic spell or effect would prevent you from taking this action, the spell or effect ends, and you must immediately make the Epic strike. If an Epic spell or effect with a save DC would prevent you from making an Epic strike, you may attempt a Constitution saving throw against the spell or effect’s DC to become immune to the spell or effect until the end of your turn. If the effect is suppressed because you succeeded on this saving throw, you may immediately make the Epic strike.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled.
Razorwind Stance
You can wield two weapons at the same time effortlessly, butchering your foes with vicious flurries of attacks. While you are in this stance and engage in two-weapon fighting, attacks made with your off-hand weapon are made at Epic advantage.
Epic Strike: Hail of Steel
You unleash a withering series of blows that dice your foes to ribbons, making a single weapon attack with your main-hand and off-hand weapons. If both attacks hit the same target and you are not incapacitated, you may immediately make this Epic strike again against the same target (no action required). You cannot make this Epic strike more than five times in a single turn.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is not multiplied.
Sentinel Stance
With perfect poise and patience, you strike foes when they least expect it. While you are in this stance and use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity, you may instead take the Attack action or make an Epic strike.
Epic Strike: Incision of a Thousand Diamonds
You strike in a way to open a perfect window for your allies, allowing them to join you in the assault. You make a single weapon attack or cast a spell that affects one or more enemy creatures. Each of your allies within 5 feet of the attacked or affected targets may use their reaction to make a single weapon attack against those targets.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled.
Skirmishing Stance
You can move about the battlefield with extreme ease, avoiding your foes to find the perfect position to attack. While you are in this stance, your movement speed is doubled, you are unaffected by difficult terrain, and non-Epic spells and magical effects cannot reduce your speed.
Epic Strike: One Step Ahead
You strike your foe while preparing for its next move, preventing its escape. You make a single weapon attack or cast a spell that affects a single enemy creature. If the target of that attack or spell ends its turn in a space different than the one it occupied when you made this Epic strike, you may use your reaction to move up to your speed toward the target and make this epic strike again.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled.
Sniper Stance
Aiming with godlike precision, you can deliver lethal attacks at extreme ranges. While you are in this stance, if you do not leave your space on your turn and take no actions other than your action, your successful ranged weapon and spell attacks taken that turn deal damage as though they had scored a critical hit.
Epic Strike: Find the Center
You fire a ranged attack that deals extreme damage to those it hits. You make a single ranged weapon attack or cast a spell that makes a ranged spell attack. The range for attacks or spells made with this Epic strike is quadrupled. After making this attack, you cannot willingly move from your space or take actions until the start of your next turn.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is quadrupled.
Steelbreaker Stance
Your attacks and spells sunder enemy armor, crushing their defenses with relentless power. While you are in this stance, if a creature has resistance to damage dealt by you, it instead does not have resistance. If a creature would be immune to damage dealt by you from your attacks or spells, it instead takes half damage from your attacks and spells.
Epic Strike: Overwhelming Assault
You open a hole in your enemy’s defenses, making it vulnerable to you and your allies. You make a single melee weapon attack or cast a spell that makes a melee spell attack.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled. If the attack exceeds the target’s AC by 5 or more, the damage multiplication increases by a factor of one for every interval of 5 it exceeds the target’s AC (tripled becomes quadrupled, quadrupled becomes quintupled, etc.).
Surging Stance
You can transfer the power of your movement into your attacks, darting about the battlefield to deliver punishing hits. While you are in this stance, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line and immediately make a melee weapon or spell attack at the end of that movement, you have a +5 bonus to that attack roll.
Epic Strike: Meteoric Blow
You strike a target with such force as to knock it flying into obstacles and terrain. You make a single weapon attack roll or cast a spell that makes a melee spell attack. On a successful hit, the target must attempt a Strength (Athletics) ability check contested by your Strength (Athletics) ability check. If the target fails, it is pushed up to 100 feet in a straight line away from you and knocked prone. On a critical hit, the target is pushed an additional 100 feet.
Damage Multiplier: Damage dealt by this Epic strike is doubled.
Warmage Stance
Your magic charges your weapon with arcane energy which can cleave through even the heartiest foes. While you are in this stance you may add either your Strength or Dexterity modifier to your spell save DC and spell attack rolls, in addition to its normal modifiers.
Epic Strike: Arcane Evisceration
Your martial abilities empower your magic well beyond its normal limits. Make a single weapon attack or cast a spell that makes a spell attack. On a successful hit, the next non-cantrip spell you cast before the end of your next turn is treated as though you had expended an 8th-level spell slot to cast it, regardless of what level spell slot you used to cast the spell.