Here’s a summary of the changes to the Fighter in PHB24. Mostly this amounts to minor tweaks, clarifications, and implementation of new features.
Core Class
The Persuasion skill is added to the available Fighter skills.
Starting equipment options have been pared down to a choice between Strength- or Dexterity-focused weaponry. As with other classes, the player make choose to take an amount of GP and “buy” their equipment instead.
At 1st level, the Fighter gains three Weapon Mastery in three types (the most of any class).
PHB14 limited the Fighter’s available Fighting Styles to a subset of all available options. In '24 all of the Fighting Styles in the book are now available to select from.
Second Wind, 1st level, is now usable twice (previously once) per Long Rest, and additional uses are gained at 4th and 10th level.
Action Surge, 2nd level, excludes taking the Magic Action following its use.
At 2nd level, the new Tactical Mind feature allows a use of Second Wind to add 1d10 to an ability check. The use is refunded if the task fails.
The 5th level Tactical Shift allows the Fighter to move up to half its Speed without incurring Opportunity Attacks following a use of Second Wind.
Indomitable, at 9th level, now adds a bonus of half the Fighter level to the re-roll it grants.
The new 9th level Tactical Master feature allows the Fighter to, on a per-attack basis, apply the Push, Sap, or Slow properties in place of a weapon’s Weapon Mastery property, provided the Fighter would be able to use the Weapon Mastery property of the weapon being used.
Studied Attacks, 13th level, grants Advantage on the Fighter’s next attack against a target when they have missed against that target.
An Epic Boon is unlocked at 19th level, as with all classes.
Subclass Options
Battle Master
Student of War now also grants an additional proficiency in one of the Fighter skills at 3rd level.
Know Your Enemy, 7th, replaces the old “one minute of interaction outside of combat” to know how ability scores compare. The new version requires a Bonus Action to know a target’s Immunities, Resistances, and Vulnerabilities, if any apply. This is usable once per Long Rest, and a use can be restored by expending one Superiority Die.
Relentless, 15th, now allows a once-per-turn use of 1d8 in place a Superiority Die when using Maneuvers. PHB14 had this restoring a single Superiority Die when rolling Initiative.
Maneuvers
Across all maneuvers, any reference to “weapon attack” now also included Unarmed Strikes, stating these as an “attack roll”. Unless there are other changes to a Maneuver, it is omitted here.
The following Maneuvers are imported unchanged from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything:
- Ambush
- Bait & Switch
- Commanding Presence
- Tactical Assessment
Commander’s Strike removes the use of a Bonus Action from its implementation.
Evasive Footwork is no longer used “when moving”, but when choosing to Disengage as a Bonus Action as part of this Maneuver.
Lunging Attack previously extended the Fighter’s Reach by 5 feet, now it grants Dash as a Bonus Action (as part of the Maneuver) and adds the result of Superiority Die when moving 5 feet in a straight line before attacking a target.
Precision Attack now applies only when an attack has missed, rather than before knowing the outcome of an attack roll.
Rally gets a defined area of effect - 30 feet - and adds half the Fighter level to its effect, rather than the Charisma modifier.
Champion
Remarkable Athlete moves from 7th level to 3rd. It now grants Advantage on Initiative and Athletics rolls, as well as movement (up to half of your Speed) without Opportunity Attacks following a Critical Hit. Previously it granted a boost to jumping and a bonus of half the Proficiency Bonus to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution checks that where a proficiency was missing.
Additional Fighting Style is unlocked at 7th level, rather than 10th.
At 10th level, Heroic Warrior allows the Fighter to claim Heroic Inspiration if they started the turn without it.
Survivor, at 18th level, now also gains an expanded critical range on Death Saving Throws: an 18 or 19 on the die will be treated like a natural 20.
Eldritch Knight
War Bond at 3rd level adds some restrictions that the bond cannot override an existing bond by another Fighter and will fail if the item is attuned to by another.
Improved War Magic at 18th level is effectively inverted from its PHB14 implementation. Rather than granting an attack as a Bonus Action when casting a spell, it now allows the Fighter to cast a single Level 1 or 2 spell in place of two of the attacks from the Attack action.
Psi Warrior
This subclass appears nearly unchanged from its introduction in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.
The only notable change is that the 18th level Telekinetic Master description is re-worded to clarify that the casting of Telekinesis is performed without a spell slot or components.