Spirit Commander, 2nd Variant (5e Class)

What's Different?

This class is a rework of the Spirit Commander, Variant. The changes: one new subclass with changes to the existing ones, reworks and grammar checks on most of the subordinates, additions and changes to the Command traits and Combat Commands, removal of spellcasting as my DM/friends don't like summoners with spell casting as it "breaks action economy ".

Spirit Commander

Command armies of ghosts from the rear or from the frontlines of battle.

Leaders and Rulers

Many legendary heroes form bonds with one another that last a lifetime. Some last far longer than that. A Spirit Commander is an individual whose comrades never abandoned them, even after death. They range from inspiring captains or generals, beloved by their men, to kings whose subjects swore an oath that binds them even after death, to powerful beings who have forcibly bound the souls of the dead to their service. At other times, the subordinates may not yet be dead, but merely reside on a different plane, ready for action at a moment's notice. Perhaps the subordinates are sent from a deity to assist the Spirit Commander in their tasks.

Regardless of how their subordinates came to be, a Spirit Commander is a skilled leader, able to employ the skills of both their subordinates and allies to their maximum potential.

Creating a Spirit Commander

A Spirit Commander Calls upon her Spirit Mentor for Protection

Quick Build

You can make a Spirit Commander quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Mystic background. Third, choose a Quarterstaff, 2 Daggers, Shortbow and a Quiver of 20 arrows

Class Features

As a Spirit Commander you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Spirit Commander level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Spirit Commander level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Choose one from Calligrapher's supplies, Cartographer's tools, or Painter's supplies
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) one simple melee weapon or (b) 2 daggers
• (a) one simple weapon and a Gaming Set or (b) one martial weapon you must be proficient with from your race or background
• (a) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a light crossbow and a quiver of 20 crossbow bolts
• leather armor and a dagger

Table: The Spirit Commander

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Commanding Traits
1st	+2	Commanding Trait, Subordinate: Advisor	2
2nd	+2	Combat Commands	2
3rd	+2	Class Archetypes	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2
5th	+3	Subordinate: Combatant	3
6th	+3	Class Archetypes	3
7th	+3	Combat Commands	3
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3
9th	+4	Tactical Assessment	4
10th	+4	Subordinate: Mentor	4
11th	+4	Advanced Commands,Class Archetypes	4
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4
13th	+5	Combat Commands	5
14th	+5	Class Archetypes	5
15th	+5	High Command	5
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5
17th	+6	Advanced Commands	6
18th	+6	Subordinate: Specialist	6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	6
20th	+6	Spirit Ascendant	6

Subordinates

Starting level 1, you have bonded with a spirit Advisor that helps you and guides you in your tasks.

At level 5, you gain the ability to summon spirit warriors to your aid in battle.

At level 10, you gain a Spirit Mentor to guide and protect you in any situation.

At level 18, you can call upon the help of a powerful Specialist Spirit.

You may summon or dismiss one of your Subordinates as an action only one spirit of each type may be summoned at a time. This creates a slight noise, audible to 30 ft.

Summoned followers appear in an empty space within 10 feet of you.

Subordinates cannot be more than 320ft away from you.

You may only have one Subordinate of each type summoned at a time. -*-/9- Subordinates are summoned for 1h before they need to return to being inside your body/soul where they instantly regain the energy to be re-summoned.

If a Subordinate is reduced to 0 hit points, they disappear, and that Subordinate cannot be summoned again until have finished a short or long rest.

Whenever you finish a short or long rest, your Subordinates recover all of their lost hit points.

In combat, your Subordinates share your initiative count but take their turns immediately after yours. They obey your verbal commands (no action required by you).

Spirit Subordinates have Spirit Equipment on them that reflects who they were and how they fought. This equipment is part of their nature and cannot be removed from them.

Subordinates may be given equipment however when they die or you unsummon them the equipment falls to the ground.

Subordinates know every language you know.

You decide upon the appearance of your Subordinates when you gain access to them. This cannot be changed later, regardless of how many times a Subordinate is summoned or dismissed. They may be a humanoid race, or the same race as you (DM's discretion). Regardless of appearance, Subordinates have the stats presented here; do not add any modifiers based on their race or appearance.

Note that Spirits do not smell when considering detection by hounds or such.

Commanding Trait

At level 1, You Choose Two Commanding Traits from the following list. These reflect how you and your subordinates operate. When you gain certain Spirit Commander levels, you gain additional Traits of your choice, as shown in the Commanding Traits column of the Spirit Commander table. At any time you may gain a Commanding Trait, you may also exchange one trait for another.

Assassin

Your Advisor loses the Mostly Harmless trait, and adds your proficiency modifier to their Dexterity (Stealth) rolls. If your Advisor hits an enemy with who is unaware of them with an attack, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage of the same type as the attack for each level of your proficiency modifier. For example, if you had a proficiency modifier of +3, the attack would deal an additional 3d6 damage. This bonus may only be used once, and its use is replenished at the end of a short or long rest.

Guard

Your Advisor can now use the Protection and Interception Fighting styles, using your proficiency mod for interception. Additionally your Advisor's AC increase by +6 in the form of a shield and Breastplate.

Arcane Scholar

Your advisor loses the Mostly Harmless trait. Additionally, your advisor can now cast any 2 Cantrips of your choice and knows one 1st level spells and has 1 spell slot that they regain after you finish a short or long rest. This increases to 3 Cantrips and 2 1st level spells for 2 spell slots at level 10.

Delegation

Your Advisor gains the ability to issue any Commands you know. Commands issued by your Advisor can only affect your other Subordinates.

Reserves

Requires Elites

You have additional reserves of troops. You have 3 reserve Elites. Whenever an Elite is reduced to 0 HP, you may use your reaction to summon one of these reserves. As an action, you may replenish your Elites, summoning as many as you like, up to having your maximum.

Champion Style

Requires Champion

The Champion gains access to one fighting style from the fighter's list.

Old Dog New Tricks

Requires Spellcaster

When you long rest you can change one cantrip or spell for the Spellcaster

Presence of the General

Requires General

While the general is summoned, all other Spirit Subordinates within 30ft of the General have +2 to their AC, attack, damage, and checks of any kind.

Spirit Sight

As an action, you can see through your Subordinates' eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the Subordinates has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses.

Death Before Dishonor

Your Subordinates are immune to fear and charm effects. Additionally, if a hostile creature is within 10 ft. of you, they gain advantage on all saving throws.

Night Raid

You and your Subordinates can see in both magical and nonmagical darkness, up to a range of 120 ft.

Spook

Your Subordinates add your proficiency bonus to any stealth and sleight of hand rolls they make. Additionally, summoning or un-summoning your Subordinates is now silent.

Coordination

You may summon and un-summon an additional Subordinate at a time, instead of one.

Expanded Summon

You may now summon your Subordinates up to 320ft away from you to any location you have direct line of sight to.

Extended Reach

Your subordinates have no maximum distance they can be from you, you remove the 320ft limitation.

Spirit Phasing

Your subordinates can become immaterial as a bonus action. In this state they cannot attack or deal any damage or be dealt any non-magical damage, they can also pass through solid matter such as wall & ceilings. It takes them an action to become solid again.

From the Front

You gain proficiency in martial weapons and medium and heavy armor.

Arcane Study

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Wizard spell list. They count as Spirit Comannder spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the Wizard spell list.

Combat Commands

When you reach level 2, your tactical mind allows you to determine how to effectively employ the skills of your allies and Subordinates. Choose 2 Commands from the following list. You gain one additional Command at 7th and 13th level.

Expend Resources

As a reaction to either you or an ally taking damage, you may have one of your Subordinates within 30ft of the ally take all damage.

Protect them

As a reaction to either you or an ally being targeted with an attack if one of your Subordinates is within 30ft of the target or the attacker, the attack gains a disadvantage.

Fire For Effect

As an action, choose an ally who can hear you. Before the beginning of your next turn, if that ally uses a ranged spell, ability, attack, etc. that would cause one or more enemy creatures to make a Dexterity saving throw, choose a number of creatures equal to half your proficiency modifier rounded up, that are making a Dexterity save, those creatures have disadvantage on that saving throw.

Focus Fire

As an action, choose a creature you can see within 120 ft. Until the beginning of your next turn, attack rolls by you and your Subordinates against the designated target have advantage.

Reposition

As an action, choose an ally who can hear you. That ally may use their reaction to move up to their move score.

Retreat

As an action, choose an ally who can hear you. That ally may use their reaction to move up to half their move score without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Brace

As an action, until the beginning of your next turn, your Subordinates can make opportunity attacks against creatures that enter their reach.

Class Archetype

At level 3, Choose an Archetype in this class.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Tactical Assessment

At level 9, during your first turn during combat, you may use a bonus action to cause all allies who can hear you to move up to half their movement speed. Allies within 30ft of you when initiative is rolled have a +2 bonus to their initiative at the start of combat and for its duration.

Advanced Commands

At level 11, your Combat Commands that take an action to perform now take a bonus actions instead.

You also choose one Advanced Command from this list at levels 11 and 17.

Stand Fast

As an action, call out to all your subordinates to take defensive positions. All your subordinates within 120ft can move 20ft on their turn and have +2 to their AC. This command lasts for 10 minutes or until you spend an action to perform another Advanced Command.

Finish It Now !

As an action, call out to all your subordinates to take offensive positions. All your subordinates within 120ft have +2 to their attack and damage rolls. This command lasts for 10 minutes or until you spend an action to perform another Advanced Command.

High Command

At level 15, you are always fully aware of the status of all allies within 120 ft. You can always be clearly heard by allies you issue orders to. You no longer need to speak to give Commands or any orders to your Subordinates.

Spirit Ascendant

At level 20, you have Truesight 30ft and can become Ethereal at will as a bonus action. You regain physical form as a bonus action. (You have a max use of this equal to your Wis modifier, to use the ability again you must take a short or long rest)

Subordinates

Subordinate: Advisor

At level 1, your band of loyal followers starts with your Advisor. They take care of whatever business you need them to, from intelligence gathering, to taking care of your weapons and armor, or paperwork.

Advisor

Armor Class: 10 (Clothes of a style you may choose)

Hit Points: 6 + (2 × your Spirit Commander level)

Speed: 30 ft.

STR: 8 DEX: 10 CON: 8

INT: 16 WIS: 12 CHA: 14

Skills: Stealth +4. Additionally, select two other skills. You Advisor Subordinate gains an additional +4 to rolls when using those skills.

Mostly Harmless: The Advisor cannot use the attack action and has no weapon.

Subordinate: Combatant

At level 5, you are able to bring forth Subordinates who are able to fight for you. Choose either the Champion or the Elites. When you level up you may change your choice.

Champion

Armor class: 16 (Scale Mail +2dex)

Hit points: 8 + (3 × your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 18 DEX 18 CON: 14

INT: 8 WIS: 10 CHA: 10

Equipment: The Champion is proficient in all weapons and armor. They use your proficiency modifier for their own. If the Champion is summoned with a one-handed weapon they can also be summoned with a shield.

Extra attack: whenever the Champion takes the attack action they can make an additional weapon attack.

Elites

Armor Class: 13 (Leather Armor +2dex)

Hit Points: 3 + (2 × your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 14 DEX: 14 CON: 12

INT: 8 WIS: 8 CHA: 8

Equipment: Elites are proficient in all armor and weapons. They use half your proficiency modifier rounded down. Each Elite wields spirit weapons of your choosing, if they're summoned with a one-handed weapon they can also be summoned with a shield.

Teamwork: When you summon Elites, 3 of them are summoned. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, any who were reduced to 0 hit points are restored to their full hit points.

Subordinate: Mentor

At level 10, you may summon a Mentor Spirit who buffs you allies and other Subordinates. You choose one Spirit Mentor from the list below. You cannot change this later.

Spellcaster

Armor Class: 12 (Studded Leather)

Hit Points: 4+(3×your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 8 DEX: 10 CON: 12

INT: 16 WIS: 16 CHA: 16

Equipment: The Spellcaster is proficient in light armor and simple weapons. The Spellcaster wields a spirit quarterstaff.

Cantrips : The Spellcaster can cast up to 3 cantrips of your choosing. You choose these cantrips at level 10 and can not change them later.

Spells : The Spellcaster knows three 1st level spells, two 2nd level spells, one 3rd level spell and has 4 1st level, 3 2nd,2 3rd spell slots that they recover whenever you finish a long rest. There are no limitations on the choice of spells apart from spell level, they can be of any school, of any class spell list. You must choose these spells when you gain access to the Spellcaster, they can not be changed later.

General

Armor Class: 16 (Chain Mail)

Hit Points: 8+(4×your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 16 DEX: 16 CON: 16

INT: 10 WIS: 8 CHA: 12

Equipment: The General is proficient in all armor and weapons. They use your proficiency modifier for their own.

Extra attack: whenever the General takes the attack action they can make an additional weapon attack.

Commander : The general can use any of your Commands or Advanced Commands, if the general uses an Advanced Command and you have one active it replaces the one you have active.

Subordinate: Specialist

At level 18, you gain access to your most powerful Subordinates. You choose one Spirit Specialist from the list below. You cannot change this later.

The Shadow

Armor Class: 17 (Studded Leather +5dex)

Hit Points: 10+(4×your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 16 DEX: 20 CON: 16

INT: 12 WIS: 14 CHA: 14

Equipment: The Shadow is proficient in light armor and all weapons. They use your proficiency modifier for their own. No more that 3 magical items can be attuned to the Shadow Spirit. The shadow wields 2 spirit daggers, one in each hand unless given an attuned weapon to replace them.

Expertise : The shadow has +12 to Stealth checks and makes no sound when it moves.

Sneak Attack : Once per turn, when the Shadow has advantage on an attack roll, they deal bonus damage equal to 4d6. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. The Shadow doesn't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and the Shadow doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Spells : The Shadow knows 1 Bard Cantrip of your choice, can cast Invisibility on itself at will, and can cast Misty Step, Darkness and Silence up to 3 times per short or long rest each.

Double Attack: The Shadow can attack twice, instead of once, when they take the Attack action during your turn.

The Light

Armor Class: 18 (Full Plate)

Hit Points: 20+(5×your Spirit Commander level)

STR: 20 DEX: 16 CON: 20

INT: 10 WIS: 10 CHA: 16

Equipment: The Light is proficient in all armor and weapons. They use your proficiency modifier for their own. No more that 3 magical items can be attuned to the Light Spirit. The light wields a greatsword while on foot and a lance and shield while mounted, unless either of these was replaced by an attuned weapon.

Mighty Steed : The Light appears riding a Barded Spirit War Horse, wielding their spirit lance and shield while astride their mount.

Spells : The Light knows 1 Cleric Cantrip of your choice, can cast Lesser Restoration at will, and can cast Daylight up to 3 times per short or long rest.

Double Attack: The Light can attack twice, instead of once, when they take the Attack action during your turn.

Class Archetypes

The Front Commander

Organized Combat

At level 3, you gain 1 additional Commanding Trait.

Bread for War

At level 3, your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Spirit Commander Level.

Extra Attack

At level 6, whenever you take the attack action you can make an additional weapon attack.

Tag Team

At level 6, You have advantage to your attack rolls that target an enemy if a Subordinate Combatants (Elite or Champion) is within 5ft of the target, addationally your Subordinate Combatants (Elite or Champion) can use their reaction to cause disadvantage to an melee attack that targets you.

Cohesion

At level 14, Your Subordinate Mentor and Specialist gain the befits of Tag team.

The Spirit Friend

Doubly Advised

At level 3, You may have 2 Advisor spirits summoned at the same time. Any Commanding Trait about your Advisor you might have only affects one of the 2, Commanding Trait can be taken again to affect both, this counts towards your maximum.

Spiritual Call Out

At level 6 your Advisor spirits can use the help action with a range of 60ft.

Friend of the Not Quite Departed

At level 6, You have +2 to your AC as long as you have a Subordinate within 30ft of you.

Phase Alignment

At level 14, All your Subordinate Spirits gain resistance to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage.

The Lord Commander

Command Mastery

At 3 you gain two additional Combat Commands.

The Right Soldiers for the Job

At 6 When you finish a short or long rest you may switch which Subordinate: Combatant you chose.

Advisors Of Different Kin

At 14 When you finish a short or long rest you may switch which Subordinate: Mentor you chose.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Spirit Commander class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13 or more

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Spirit Commander class, you gain the following proficiencies:

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