swords

Heroic Path

Warrior

A master of arms trained for every battle

trending_upStarting Skill

+1 Athletics

Granted at character creation.

auto_awesomeKey Talent

Vigilant Stance

Enter a reactive fighting stance; cheaper Dodge and Reactive Strike.

psychologySuggested Attributes

Speed, Strength, Awareness

+1 more

schoolUseful Skills

6 skills

Athletics, Light Weaponry, Heavy Weaponry

auto_awesomeKey Talent

Vigilant Stance

You learn to use stances. You begin with Vigilant Stance, which you can enter as a free action. While in Vigilant Stance, reduce the focus cost of Dodge and Reactive Strike reactions by 1, and enter other known stances as a free action.

Activation:Free action

check_circleLearn to use combat stances
check_circleBegin with Vigilant Stance
check_circleReduce focus cost of Dodge and Reactive Strike by 1 while in stance
check_circleEnter another known stance as a free action while in Vigilant Stance

psychologySuggested Attributes

SpeedStrengthAwarenessWillpower

schoolUseful Skills

AthleticsLight WeaponryHeavy WeaponryIntimidationLeadershipPersuasion

alt_routeMulti-Path Suggestions

LeaderHunter

emoji_eventsSuggested Rewards

ShardbladeShardplateMilitary title

Specialties

Three specialty paths — pick one to define how your warrior works in practice.

Duelist

Single combat, skilled and deliberate

Duelists are specialists in one-on-one combat. They learn stances the way another PC learns spells — each one a self-contained toolkit for a different kind of fight.

Playstyle

Build around Athletics and a weapon expertise. Stance-stacking is your core loop — each new stance is a new decision each fight, and Practiced Kata lets you use them in conversations and endeavors too.

Tier 2 Talents (7)

Practiced Kata

Passive

Prereq: Vigilant Stance

Use stances in conversations and endeavors. Start each scene in Vigilant Stance unless Surprised.

Ironstance

Free action

Prereq: Athletics 2+

Enter Ironstance. Gain an advantage on Insight; make a Reactive Strike when grazed or missed.

Flamestance

Free action

Prereq: Intimidation 1+, Vigilant Stance

Enter Flamestance. Advantage on Intimidation; gain a free action when isolated with one enemy.

Vinestance

Free action

Prereq: Athletics 3+

Enter Vinestance. +1 Physical and Cognitive defense. When hit or grazed in melee, push the attacker and cost them 1d4 focus.

Feinting Strike

2 focus

Prereq: Intimidation 2+, Flamestance

Melee attack vs Cognitive. On hit, target loses an action and focus equal to your Intimidation.

Wit's End

1 focus

Prereq: Intimidation 3+

Move half your speed, then melee attack vs Cognitive of a 0-focus target. Ignores deflect, +4d6 damage, can't graze.

Signature Weapon

Passive

Prereq: Vigilant Stance

Gain a weapon expertise. Expand one weapon expertise's Opportunity range by 1.

Shardbearer

Wielder of living metal and ancient arms

Shardbearers have access to the legendary Shardblades and Shardplate of Roshar. The specialty gives them the training to actually use those weapons effectively.

Playstyle

Only worth taking if you have access to Shardplate or a Shardblade (usually through rewards or campaign circumstance). Pairs with Athletics and Perception. Expect to be a terrifying threat on the battlefield once geared up.

Tier 2 Talents (7)

Stonestance

Free action

Prereq: Vigilant Stance

Enter Stonestance. +1 deflect; enemies within reach must spend extra to attack allies who aren't in Stonestance.

Shard Training

Passive

Prereq: Access to a Shardblade and Shardplate

Gain Shardplate expertise and a Shardblade, Warhammer, or Grandbow expertise. Shardblade Strikes graze additional targets.

Windstance

Free action

Prereq: Perception 1+

Enter Windstance. Advantage on Agility. While reaching multiple enemies, gain an action to Disengage or attack.

Bloodstance

Free action

Prereq: Athletics 2+

Enter Bloodstance. Expand attack and physical-test Opportunity range by 2, but Physical/Cognitive/Spiritual defenses drop 2.

Shattering Blow

2 focus

Prereq: Perception 2+

On a melee hit, deplete 1 charge from the target's armor and push damaged targets 5 feet.

Precise Parry

Reaction

Prereq: Perception 3+

Before being hit in melee, spend 1 focus to turn it into a graze by testing your weapon skill vs the attack.

Meteoric Leap

2 focus

Prereq: Athletics 3+

Leap a quarter of your movement and attack multiple targets with an unarmed strike — doubled damage, knocking weaker targets Prone.

Soldier

Disciplined, durable, formation-ready

Soldiers are the specialty for party-oriented combat. Formation drills, defensive positioning, and the kind of steady durability that keeps the line from breaking.

Playstyle

Focus on Discipline and Athletics. You are the anchor — the one who Braces, covers allies, and doesn't fall over. Formation Drills share your defensive boon with nearby allies.

Tier 2 Talents (6)

Cautious Advance

1 action

Prereq: Discipline 1+

Move up to half your movement, ignoring difficult terrain, then Brace or Gain Advantage.

Combat Training

Passive

Prereq: Vigilant Stance

Gain a weapon, armor, and Military Life expertise. Once per round, graze without spending focus.

Defensive Position

Passive

Prereq: Athletics 2+

Brace adds two disadvantages to attacks against you, and allies can Brace behind your shield.

Formation Drills

Passive

Prereq: Discipline 2+

Allies within 10 feet who Brace gain the benefits of your Defensive Position.

Devastating Blow

1 action

Prereq: Athletics 3+

Melee weapon attack vs Physical, rolling an extra 2d8 damage.

Wary

Passive

Prereq: Discipline 3+

You can't be Surprised while you have focus. Involuntary focus loss is reduced by your Discipline.

Overview

Warriors solve problems with martial competence. Vigilant Stance is the key talent, and it's the gateway to the rest of the stance system — the heart of Warrior play. While in a stance, Dodge and Reactive Strike are cheaper, and you can swap between stances as free actions.

Every specialty adds more stances or specialty-specific combat talents. A Warrior's sheet becomes a toolbox: different stances for different engagements, swapped on the fly.

Role in the party

A Warrior is the party's fighter in the old-school sense — consistent damage, consistent durability, no ramp-up, no setup required. You do not need a particular scene type or companion piece for your path to work. You are a threat in any fight the GM puts in front of you.

Outside combat the Warrior is the party's muscle for intimidation, dueling, and military contexts. Many Warrior builds also pick up Leadership or Persuasion for noble/officer roleplay.

Playing a Warrior

Learn your stances deliberately. Each stance changes how you fight. The pattern is: enter the right stance at the start of the round, swap freely as the fight changes.
Pick a specialty around role. Duelist for single-target skill expression. Shardbearer only when you will actually have access to Shards. Soldier for party-oriented durability.
Lean on reactions. Vigilant Stance's discount on Dodge and Reactive Strike is a throughput multiplier. A Warrior with enough focus to react every round is tough to pin down.
Multi-path for reach. Leader adds Decisive Command and a party-support layer. Hunter adds Seek Quarry for improved single-target focus.

Specialties in depth

Duelist

Duelists have the deepest stance tree. Ironstance makes you a melee counter-attacker. Flamestance rewards isolation with extra actions. Vinestance turns getting hit into a punishing effect. Practiced Kata lets you use stances outside combat — an often-overlooked utility.

Wit's End is a finisher: when an enemy is out of focus, you can close distance and dump enormous damage. Pairs naturally with Feinting Strike, which is one of the best focus-dumping talents in the path.

Shardbearer

Shardbearer only pays off if your campaign is handing out Shards, or if a reward arc is pointed in that direction. Until then, most of the talents are locked behind prerequisites like access to a Shardblade and Shardplate. When you do get there: Shard Training unlocks the cleave mechanic on Shardblade Strikes, Stonestance makes you a protective bulwark, Meteoric Leap delivers a cinematic multi-target strike.

Pick this specialty if the GM has indicated Shards will enter play. Don't pick it hopefully.

Soldier

Soldiers are built for teamwork. Defensive Position turns Brace into a strong defensive action, and Formation Drills shares that benefit with nearby allies — a rare team-wide defensive boost. Wary is one of the best durability talents in the game: immune to Surprise with focus, reduced involuntary focus loss.

A Soldier is the specialty for players who want to be the unbudgeable wall. If the GM likes skirmish-heavy multi-enemy encounters, Soldier's party-protection talents over-deliver.

Iconic archetypes

The Alethi Duelist — classic Shardbearer-in-waiting. Strength and Willpower, Heavy Weaponry, eventually Shards.
The Bridge Runner — a Soldier built for brutal survival, Athletics and Discipline forward.
The Warpair Partner — a listener Warrior in warform, fighting alongside a bonded partner. Duelist talents complement the close coordination.

Explore Other Paths

Agent

Envoy

Hunter

Leader

Scholar