The D&D 2024 Fighter is a full martial class. Weapon Mastery changes how your weapons behave, Second Wind helps in and out of combat, and Action Surge remains the class's sharpest burst tool. The big early choice is simple: build around Strength for armor and heavy weapons, or Dexterity for ranged attacks, Finesse weapons, and initiative.
Choose your weapons with purpose. A Fighter can change one Weapon Mastery choice after a Long Rest, so the class rewards a small working set of weapons rather than loyalty to a single favorite.
Fighter basics
| Trait | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hit Point Die | d10 per Fighter level. |
| Primary ability | Strength or Dexterity. |
| Saving throw proficiencies | Strength and Constitution. |
| Armor training | Light, Medium, and Heavy armor, plus Shields. |
| Weapon proficiency | Simple and Martial weapons. |
| Skills | Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, Perception, or Survival. |
Strength is the natural choice for a Heavy armor character using weapons such as a greatsword, maul, or polearm. Dexterity fits a longbow, rapier, or two-weapon build. Constitution matters for every Fighter, but it should not take priority over the ability score used for your attacks.
Ability scores follow your job
| Ability | When it matters | Build consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Melee attacks with most non-Finesse weapons and a Heavy armor weapon plan | Make it your main score for a great weapon, shield, or polearm Fighter. |
| Dexterity | Ranged attacks, Finesse weapons, initiative, and lighter armor | Make it your main score for an archer, rapier user, or two-weapon Fighter. |
| Constitution | Hit Points and Constitution saving throws | Improve it after your attack ability is reliable, especially if you expect to hold the front line. |
| Intelligence | Eldritch Knight spells, Psi Warrior features, and Arcane Archer shot uses and save DCs | Do not leave it as a flavor score for one of those archetypes. |
| Charisma | Banneret ally recovery and social features | It is a useful secondary score for a Banneret, not a default Fighter requirement. |
Your level-1 tools
Fighting Style gives you one Fighting Style feat. The rules let you replace that feat whenever you gain a Fighter level, so it is reasonable to change direction if the weapon plan stops fitting the campaign.
| Feature | Best use | Rules consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting Style ● | Defining your usual weapon and armor plan | You gain one Fighting Style feat at level 1 and can replace it when you gain a Fighter level. |
| Second Wind ● | Staying in a fight or rescuing a failed ability check | It heals 1d10 + Fighter level as a Bonus Action. You begin with two uses and recover one on a Short Rest. |
| Weapon Mastery ● | Giving your weapon attacks a job beyond damage | Choose three Simple or Martial weapon kinds at level 1. After a Long Rest, change one choice. |
Hot Take: The best Weapon Mastery plan is usually a backup weapon, not a universal "best" property. A Fighter who can switch from a weapon that helps against one durable target to one that controls a crowded battlefield has more useful turns than a character chasing a single damage routine.
For property and weapon details, use the D&D 2024 Weapon Mastery guide. The key restriction is easy to miss: a Long Rest lets you change one mastered weapon choice, not your whole list.
The Fighter's level progression
| Level | Feature | Why it changes play |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Action Surge and Tactical Mind | Action Surge grants one additional action on your turn, except the Magic action. Tactical Mind can turn a failed ability check into a success by spending Second Wind. |
| 3 | Fighter subclass | Choose one of the core subclasses below; the approved expansion options are covered after them. |
| 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, and 16 | Ability Score Improvement feat | Fighters get six opportunities to improve an ability score or take a feat, so each choice can reinforce the weapon plan rather than patching an unrelated weakness. |
| 5 | Extra Attack and Tactical Shift | You attack twice with the Attack action. When you activate Second Wind with a Bonus Action, Tactical Shift lets you move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks. |
| 9 | Tactical Master and Indomitable | Tactical Master can replace a mastered weapon property with Push, Sap, or Slow for an attack. Indomitable rerolls a failed save with a bonus equal to your Fighter level. |
| 11 | Two Extra Attacks | You make three attacks when you take the Attack action. |
| 13 | Studied Attacks | Missing a creature gives you Advantage on your next attack against it before the end of your next turn. |
| 17 | Action Surge improvement | You have two Action Surge uses between rests, although only one can be used on a turn. |
| 20 | Three Extra Attacks | You make four attacks when you take the Attack action. |
Weapon Mastery choices increase to four at level 5, five at level 9, and six at level 17. Second Wind reaches three uses at level 5 and four at level 9. Indomitable gains additional uses at levels 13 and 17.
Build Your D&D 2024 Character
The D&D 2024 character builder is live - build a Beastkin, a Kobold, or whatever your table is missing, free, right now.
Start BuildingChoose a core Fighter subclass
The 2024 Player's Handbook has four Fighter subclasses. Each creates a different play style and resource load.
Battle Master
Battle Master is for players who want a menu of tactical responses. At level 3, you learn three maneuvers and gain four d8 Superiority Dice, which return after a Short or Long Rest. Many maneuvers add damage, but their more interesting jobs include repositioning an ally, protecting someone, making an enemy drop an item, or changing an attack roll.
Your maneuver save DC uses your choice of Strength or Dexterity modifier. That makes Battle Master workable for either main attack ability. Choose it when you enjoy deciding which maneuver fits the moment and want a resource that comes back during the adventuring day.
Champion
Champion is the lowest-tracking choice. It expands weapon and Unarmed Strike critical hits to 19-20 at level 3, gives Advantage on Initiative and Athletics checks, and lets you move after a critical hit without provoking Opportunity Attacks. Later features add another Fighting Style, Heroic Inspiration at the start of combat turns when you do not already have it, an 18-20 critical range, and recovery when Bloodied.
Choose Champion when you want dependable passive benefits, athletic strength, and few new buttons. It does not require a separate resource pool to stay useful.
Eldritch Knight
Eldritch Knight adds Wizard spellcasting and uses Intelligence for those spells. Its prepared spells come from the Wizard spell list; they are not restricted to two schools. The subclass also bonds weapons, gains more cantrips, and changes the Attack action over time: at level 7, War Magic can replace one attack with an action Wizard cantrip, and at level 18 it can replace two attacks with an action level 1 or 2 Wizard spell.
The subclass works best when you are ready to invest in Intelligence and manage spells alongside weapons. At level 10, a weapon hit can impose Disadvantage on a target's next saving throw against one of your spells, which rewards planning the order of your attacks and spells.
Psi Warrior
Psi Warrior uses Intelligence and Psionic Energy Dice for a defensive reaction, extra Force damage on one weapon hit each turn, and telekinetic movement. The dice return one at a time on a Short Rest and all at a Long Rest. Later features add short bursts of flight, a push-or-prone option after Psionic Strike, Psychic resistance, protective cover for allies, and a special Telekinesis use.
Choose Psi Warrior for a martial character who wants to prevent damage, move allies or objects, and create space on the field. Intelligence has real mechanical work here, so do not treat it as a flavor-only score.
Approved expansion archetypes
Two approved expansions add Fighter subclasses beyond the 2024 Player's Handbook. They use the revised class chassis, but their campaign tone differs: Arcane Archer leans into magical marksmanship, while Banneret is built to lead allies. Use the Arcana Unleashed guide or Heroes of Faerun guide when the campaign is deciding whether either source belongs at the table.
| Archetype | Source and role | Why you might choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Archer ● | Arcana Unleashed; magical ranged specialist | Arcane Shot makes ammunition carry control, scouting, and damage effects. |
| Banneret ● | Heroes of Faerun; martial leader | Group Recovery and Rallying Surge make the Fighter's existing resources help nearby allies. |
Arcane Archer
Arcane Archer is for a ranged Fighter who wants magical ammunition without becoming a spellcaster. At level 3, Arcane Archer Lore grants Arcana and Nature proficiency, while Arcane Shot starts with two options. A shot can be applied once per turn to a hit with any weapon that has the Ammunition property, so the subclass is not confined to a specific bow.
Arcane Shot uses are based on Intelligence modifier, with a minimum of one, and return on a Short or Long Rest. The saving throw DC also uses Intelligence, so a Dexterity archer who ignores Intelligence will get less from its control effects. Choose it for a ranged control and utility theme, not as a substitute for an Eldritch Knight's broader spellcasting.
Banneret
Banneret is a Fighter who spends its existing class resources to rally the group. At level 3, Knightly Envoy brings ritual Comprehend Languages, a flexible language, and a social skill proficiency. Group Recovery lets a Second Wind also restore a modest amount of Hit Points to nearby allies, with the number of allies tied to Charisma.
At later levels, Group Recovery gives allies a short window of Advantage, Action Surge can trigger an ally attack or movement, and Indomitable can rescue an ally's failed saving throw. Banneret asks the Fighter to value Charisma and ally positioning, so it is at its best in a party that can stay within its rally range rather than in a lone-duelist build.
Class Feats
Fighters receive more Ability Score Improvement feats than most classes, so their feat choices shape the build. Start with Best Feats for Fighter, then decide whether an ability-score increase or a feat better supports your weapon plan.
In a party, a Fighter can hold a front line, deliver ranged pressure, protect allies through positioning, or control space with weapon properties and subclass features. State the job you want before choosing a Fighting Style and weapon set. That makes later feat and Mastery decisions easier to evaluate.
Related D&D 2024 guides
Return to the D&D 2024 class guide hub to compare every class. Fighters also pair naturally with the Barbarian guide, Paladin guide, Ranger guide, and Rogue guide when you are deciding how a martial party will divide its jobs.
