The Fighter

The principal attribute of a fighter is Strength. To become a fighter, a character must have a minimum Strength of 9 and a Constitution of 7 or greater. A good Dexterity rating is also highly desirable.

If a fighter has Strength above 15, he or she adds 10% to experience points awarded by the Dungeon Master.

Also, high Strength gives the fighter a better chance to hit an opponent and causes an increased amount of damage.

Fighters have a ten-sided die (d10) for determination of their hit points per level. The only class of characters which is entitled to [Constitution] bonuses above +2 per hit die is fighters (including the fighter sub-classes paladins and rangers).

No other class of character (save the paladin and ranger subclasses of fighters) is so strong in this regard. Fighters are the strongest of characters in regards to sheer physical strength, and they are the best at hand-to-hand combat.

Exceptional Strength. Fighters with an 18 Strength are entitled to roll percentile dice in order to generate a random number between 01 and 00 (100) to determine Exceptional Strength; Exceptional Strength increases hit probability and damage done when attacking, and it also increases the weight the character is able to carry without penalty for encumbrance, as well as increasing the character’s ability to force open doors and similar portals.

Any sort of armor or weapon is usable by fighters.

Fighters may be of any alignment—Good or Evil, Lawful or Chaotic, or Neutral.

Although fighters do not have magic spells to use, their armor and weapons can compensate.

They have the most advantageous combat table and generally have good saving throw possibilities as well. (1)

Fighters can employ many magical items, including potions; “protection” scrolls; many rings; a few wands; one rod; many other magic items; and all forms of armor, shields and weapons.

Prime Requisite. Strength (16+ adds a 10% experience bonus)
Minimum Ability Scores. Strength (9), Constitution (7)
Hit Dice. d10; Maximum 9d10
Alignment. Any
Player Character Races. Human (U), Dwarf (base 7th), Elf (base 5th), Gnome (base 5th), Half-elf (base 6th), Halfling (base 4th), Half-orc (10th)
Armor. Any
Shield. Any
Initial Weapon Proficiencies. 4*
Non-proficiency Penalty. -2
Added Weapon Proficiencies. 1 per 3 levels above the 1st (4, 7, 10, etc.)
Weapons Allowed. Any
Use of Poison. ? (per DM)

[* The DM may, at their option, allow fighters (not including sub-classes) to opt to learn to use various artillery (siege) engines using a weapon proficiency.]

Multiple Melee Attacks per round (4)

Iterative Attacks. High level fighters and their sub-classes will be able to execute a melee attack more than once per round with the same weapon. See the appropriate Attack Matrix. This ability excludes missile weapons which use their own attack rates.

Time Required. An iterative attack will come 3 segments after the normal attack routine. Weapon speed factor is not considered for any iterative attack. If an iterative attack is taken in any round before a normal attack, the fighter cannot take any further attacks during that round. i.e. The fighter attacks late in the previous round and their iterative attack spills into the current round. In this case, the fighter may choose to cancel the previous round’s iterative attack and attack normally (including any iterative attacks) in the current round. A weapon with a high weapon speed factor could cause this to happen every round.

Number of Melee Attacks per Round. Any odd number of attacks per round (e.g. 3/2 or 5/2) due to iterative attacks will come on each odd numbered round. Thus, a fighter with 3 attacks per 2 rounds will attack twice in the 1st round and once in the 2nd, then twice in the 3rd and so on. An iterative attack is considered a separate “attack routine”.

Whirlwind Attack. When a fighter or sub-class is in melee with creatures with less than a full hit die (HD less than 1d8), the fighter may declare a "whirlwind attack" which allows one melee attack for each level of experience the fighter has (e.g. a 3rd level fighter will get 3 melee attacks). This method of attack supersedes and replaces any normal melee attacks or iterative attacks. This is a melee attack action and cannot be used with missile weapons. This attack action must be declared and announced, and cannot be used when changing an action during the round. More than one attack per opponent is allowed.

Time Required. This “whirlwind” attack adds 3 segments to the standard attack mode and all attacks resolve in the same segment. This attack is considered one attack routine but allows attacking more than one opponent of less than one hit die.

Two-weapon Fighting. If a fighter is using two-weapons, the fighter may choose to attack with either weapon for any of the attacks. The fighter also does not add the +2 segment delay for fighting with two weapons when striking with a whirlwind attack (i.e. the whirlwind attack's +3 segment delay supersedes the two-weapon fighting delay).

Mixed Groups. If fighting a mixed group, this special attack mode does not allow any attacks against the higher hit die opponents and makes the fighter more vulnerable to attacks by higher hit die opponents. If a whirlwind attack is declared and a higher hit die opponent is or comes within melee range, they will be granted an immediate attack as if attacking the fighter's rear or rear flank (+2 to-hit, and no Dexterity modifiers or shield benefits to armor class). In certain situations, the fighter may not know there are higher hit die opponents present. The fact that there are, should become quickly apparent once the whirlwind attack form is declared...

(See Combat, Melee.)

Freehold

When a fighter attains 9th level (Lord), he or she may opt to establish a freehold. This is done by building some type of castle and clearing the area in a radius of 20 to 50 miles around the stronghold, making it free from all sorts of hostile creatures. Whenever such a freehold is established and cleared, the fighter will:

Automatically attract a body of men-at-arms led by an above average fighter. These men will serve as mercenaries so long as the fighter maintains his or her freehold and pays the men-at-arms; and,
Collect a monthly revenue of 7 silver pieces for each and every inhabitant of the freehold due to trade, tariffs, and taxes.

Zero-Level

The bulk of the people met on an adventure in an inhabited area—whether city, town, village, or along the roads through the countryside, will be average folk, with no profession as adventurers know it, and no special abilities for clericism, magic, thievery, or even fighting. They are simply typical, normal people. These folk are considered “zero-level” persons and use the fighter attack matrix and saving throws. The bulk of men-at-arms, guards and/or militia are zero-level. Note that only humans or halflings that have no class level are considered zero-level. Other races without class levels are considered differently. See Non-Player Characters.

1. Special Note Regarding Fighters’ Progression: The table is designed to allow fighters to advance by 5% per level of experience attained, rather than 10% every 2 levels, if the DM believes that such will be helpful in their particular campaign. If the DM opts for a per level advancement in combat ability, simply use the table but give a +1 “to hit” bonus to fighters who attain the second level of experience shown in each group of 2 levels, i.e. 1-2, 3-4, etc. The DM may, of course, elect not to allow per level combat advancement. [DMG 74.2]
2. Polyhedron #8, Dispel Confusion: Q: “How do you combine a fighter’s multiple attacks per round with a weapon that gets more than one attack per round?” A: You don’t! Only missile weapons have multiple attacks, and the “Attacks per Round” table (PH pg. 25) says “With any thrusting or striking weapon” - not missile weapons. Note that the rule at the bottom of the same page, referring to the “one attack per level” rule for fighting creatures with less than one Hit Die, replaces the 3/2 or 2/1 attack rule; they do not combine to give 1½ or 2 attacks per level. Special cases may arise if the relative speed factors allow a weapon to be used more than the given rate (DMG pg. 66); again, this multiple-strike rule supersedes the others.
3. Dragon #137, Sage Advice: Q: “What happens when a fighter who is normally allowed multiple attacks in a round fights creatures with less than 1 HD?” A: When fighting creatures with less than 1 HD, a fighter attacks a number of times per round equal to his level, his ability to make multiple attacks in other situations not withstanding. Note that if there are more powerful creatures fighting alongside these weaker creatures, the fighter may opt to attack the more powerful creatures at his normal rate, but he may not make extra attacks against weaker creatures in the same round.

4. Original Text

Multiple Attacks per Round. Fighters able to strike more than once during a round (with any thrusting or striking weapon) will attack once before opponents not able to do so, regardless of initiative, but if fighter and fighter melee, initiative tells. (2)

Additional Note Regarding Fighter Number of Attacks Per Round. This excludes melee combat with monsters of less than one hit die (d8) and non-exceptional (0-level) humans and semi-humans, i.e. all creatures with less than one eight-sided hit die. All of these creatures entitle a fighter to attack once for each of his or her experience levels. (3)

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