The Battle Masters of Dungeons & Dragons spend their lives training to become the ultimate Fighters and strategists on the battlefield. Their varied skillsets grant them access to unique battle maneuvers and the tools required to assess enemies and situations to ensure the soldiers or party they lead into combat emerge victorious.
Battle Masters have access to the Superiority Dice feature, which allows them to add extra damage to successful attacks, feint attacks, distract enemies or even maneuver their allies into more advantageous positions on the field. A Battle Master's build is essential to guaranteeing they are more than just the tools they use in battle, which means carefully considering important details during character creation and when leveling up.
Battle Master Build Summary
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Ability Scores (in order of importance) |
Constitution, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma |
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Race |
Leonin, Genasi, Hobgoblin |
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Feats |
Alert, Savage Attacker, Sentinel, Weapon Master |
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Maneuvers |
Bait and Switch, Commander's Strike, Disarming Attacks |
Constitution Is a Battle Master's Core Stat
In terms of the six core stats, Constitution is key for this build. Battle Masters often serve as the party's tank, presenting themselves first in combat situations. That means they are going to take lots of damage, and to withstand that and keep barreling through, they'll need to bulk up their CON stat. CON factors heavily into the character's hit point pool, strengthening the bonuses they add to their HP each time they level up.
After Constitution, Battle Masters will want to either max out their Strength or Dexterity based on what type of build their going for. Those reliant on STR benefit from the Athletics skill boost, plus the contribution to their attack rolls, damage, and abilities like grappling, climbing and carrying. Battle Masters relying on DEX gain access to helpful skills like Stealth, Acrobatics and Sleight of Hand, all of which contribute to tactical advantages enemies won't see coming.
Other benefits of the DEX-based Battle Master are the armor class and initiative bonus boosts, which could potentially put them closer to the top of the initiative round. Having the opportunity to make the first move is a major advantage for Battle Masters -- especially when the rest of the party relies on them to dole out major damage fast.
Best Races for Battle Masters
Since Constitution is the primary stat for the Battle Master, players looking to optimize will want to pick a race that starts out with +2 CON. These races are Leonin, Genasi, Hobgoblins, Lizardfolk, Warforged and Loxodon. Leonin also gain an additional +1 to STR, making them ideal candidates.
For STR-based Battle Masters, Goliath, Orc and Half-Orcs all gain +2 STR and +1 CON. As for DEX-based Battle Masters, Goblins or the Shader-kai Elf variant gain +2 DEX and +1 CON, making them ideal. Human variants are also an excellent choice either way because they they can choose which ability scores they want to increase.
Best Feats for the Battle Master
When considering useful feats for a Battle Master, it's important to consider whether the Fighter will be STR or DEX-based, as there are plenty of feats that work well for one build, but might not enhance the other. However, Alert is one example that will work for either type of build. It adds a +5 bonus to Initiative, helping the Battle Master get closer to the top of the round to attack first, and so long as they are conscious, they can't be surprised by the enemy. Enemies (like Rogues with Sneak Attack) can't get advantage on their attacks against the Battle Master simply because they can't see the enemy.
Savage Attacker works well for either build because it allows the player to reroll melee attack damage and keep the higher total between the two rolls. Sentinel is another one that will benefit both builds, as it allows the Battle Master to take attacks of opportunity even when enemies choose to disengage before moving away. It also allows for a melee attack reaction when an enemy attacks an ally within five feet. Finally, Weapon Master is excellent for either because the player gains either +1 STR or DEX and gains proficiency with four simple of martial weapons of their choice -- and having more weapon options is never a bad thing.
Best Maneuvers for the Battle Master
Battle Masters have a variety of maneuvers to choose from at levels three, seven, 10 and 15, but not all maneuvers are created equal. Bait and Switch is a great maneuver for swapping places with a willing and conscious ally who's about to come face to face with a foe they can't take on. Commander's Strike allows the Battle Master to forego one of their own attacks and use a bonus action to direct an ally to take an attack instead as a reaction. The ally can add the Fighter's superiority die to their damage roll.
Disarming Attack is a great way to force an enemy to drop an item of the Battle Master's choice, while Distracting Strike gives allies an opening to gain advantage on the next attack against the target. Tactical Assessment allows the Battle Master to expend a hit die and add the roll total to any Intelligence checks involving Investigation and History or Wisdom-based Insight checks.
Rallying grants temporary HP to an ally equal to the roll of a superiority die plus the Battle Master's Charisma modifier, which could literally save an ally's life in combat. They may also pick up the Pushing Attack, which allows them to use one of their superiority dice to make an attack against a creature large or smaller. On a successful attack, they must succeed on a STR saving throw or be pushed back 15 feet.