D&D Fighter 5.5e Guide

Fighter 5.5e Guide Rating Scheme

This guide is a deep dive into the DnD 5.5e Fighter. For a quick overview of other classes, check out our Guide to DnD Classes.

The color code below helps you quickly identify how good an option is for your Fighter. These ratings are guidelines, and sub-optimal choices can still be fun and viable.

• Red: Weak, unlikely to contribute to your build
• Orange: Situationally good, but below average
• Green: A solid choice
• Blue: A great option worth considering
• Sky Blue: One of the best choices for optimization

Fighter Overview

Fighters are the definitive martial class. They boast the highest number of Attacks per round, plenty of Ability Score Improvements, and the most flexible build paths of any Class in D&D.

Playing a 5.5e Fighter

Fighters specialize in sustained damage, battlefield control, tanking, and tactical flexibility:

Party Roles

1. Frontline Bruiser: You’re the first into the fray and the last one standing. High Armor Class and Second Wind make Fighters hard to drop.
2. Damage Dealer: With Extra Attack (up to 4 attacks per Attack action), Action Surge, and Weapon Mastery, Fighters can put out big numbers round after round.
3. Controller: Certain Weapon Mastery properties like Push, Sap, and Slow let Fighters lock down the battlefield—even without magic.

Leveling Up Your 5.5e Fighter

In this section, we’ll walk through your Fighter’s journey, level by level, highlighting key features and optimization tips to make the most of your martial prowess.

Level 1

• Fighting Style: You gain a Fighting Style feat of your choice, giving you early specialization in a particular combat technique. Defense is a strong starting option for extra AC, but styles like Great Weapon Fighting or Archery can set you up for specific builds. You can swap this feat every time you gain a Fighter level, so don’t be afraid to adapt!
• Second Wind: A twice-per-rest Bonus Action heal equal to 1d10 + your Fighter level. Scales naturally and gets more uses at higher levels. Great for staying up just when you need it.
• Weapon Mastery: You can use the mastery properties of three weapons. Each Long Rest, you can swap one of them out. This is what makes Fighters top-tier in 5.5e—we recommend choosing Cleave, Topple, and Push, which let you exert consistent control over the battlefield and output more damage.

Level 2

• Action Surge: This lets the Fighter go nova when they need to down an enemy. You gain an extra Action on your turn (except the Magic action), letting you attack, dash, disengage, or use maneuvers in a pinch. Regained on a Short or Long Rest—twice per rest at level 17.
• Tactical Mind: Failed an ability check? Spend a Second Wind use to add 1d10 to the roll instead of healing. If you still fail, you keep the use. This gives Fighters a real edge on noncombat tasks and makes Second Wind even more versatile.

Level 3

• Fighter Subclass: Choose your Martial Archetype, which defines your unique approach to battle. Whether you’re crit-fishing as a Champion or disrupting foes with a Psi Warrior’s psionics, this subclass will shape your Fighter’s toolkit and identity going forward.

Level 4

• Ability Score Improvement: Take the Ability Score Improvement feat or another one of your choice. Max out your attack stat (Strength or Dexterity) first, then dive into high-value feats like Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, or Sentinel. Check out our Fighter Feats Guide for more options.

Level 5

• Extra Attack: You now make two attacks when you take the Attack action. Combine with Action Surge for four attacks in one turn—devastating when stacked with Weapon Mastery effects or magical weapons.
• Tactical Shift: When you use Second Wind, you can also move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks. This keeps you agile and hard to pin down—especially valuable for frontline builds or repositioning out of trouble.

Level 9

• Indomitable: Reroll a failed saving throw and add your Fighter level to the new roll. This is huge for surviving deadly spell effects. You gain more uses at levels 13 and 17.
• Tactical Master: Once per turn, you can swap a weapon’s Mastery property for Push, Sap, or Slow. This makes you even more adaptable and allows you to fine-tune your control based on the battlefield. Usually, the best use case for this option is to Push a target into a hazard or otherwise strategically reposition them.

Level 11

• Two Extra Attacks: Your Attack action now includes three attacks. No one beats a Fighter’s consistency at this tier, and combining this with Action Surge means you’re rolling in damage and Mastery triggers.

Level 13

• Studied Attacks: If you miss a creature with an attack roll, you gain Advantage on your next attack against it before the end of your next turn. This smooths out your accuracy and helps ensure that your most important attacks land when you need them to.

Level 20

• Three Extra Attacks: Four attacks per Attack action. Enough said. Combine with Action Surge and you become a whirlwind of steel and dominance. You’re now the best raw damage dealer in the game—enjoy it.

Fighter Origins

2024 Player's Handbook Species

Aasimar: Extra damage Resistances and an incredibly powerful boost to your damage when enemies are in close quarters. Plus, some baked-in healing for when you need to gain some Hit Points back. Also a very effective baseline for Dexterity-based ranged Fighters

Dragonborn: Breath Weapon is great since it can be used with multi-attacks and scales with Constitution. Damage resistance bolsters the Fighter’s durability, and flight offers excellent mobility. Darkvision is handy for melee combat in dim environments.

Dwarf: Dwarves are a great choice for melee fighters (just look at Gimli). They get extra Hit Points and a free Resistance to Poison damage and the Poisoned condition. The additional senses bestowed through Darkvision and Stonecunning are cherries on the cake!

Elf: Any Fighter would love access to Misty Step from the High Elf lineage, but remember you only get to cast it once per day unless you go for an Eldritch Knight build and gain access to spell slots. The Wood Elf would also work for some increased mobility.

Gnome: Much better for Dexterity-based Fighters due to the Small size. Gnome Cunning provides useful defenses against control spells. The Rock Gnome’s spells add some out-of-combat tricks.

Goliath: A basic, but worthwhile choice to help boost Fighter's damage per round with Fire's Burn or Hill's Tumble.

Halfling: You can now wield Heavy weapons without Disadvantage as a Small creature in the 2024 rules, so this plus the Halfling's Luck feature makes Fighter a great option.

Human: Humans are ideal for Fighters. Heroic Inspiration keeps you consistent on saving throws and attacks, while the extra skill proficiency allows you to grab Stealth, which the Fighter skill proficiency list lacks. The extra Origin feat lets you pick up Alert, Lucky, Savage Attacker, or Tough early, all of which are incredibly powerful for Fighters to grab early.

Orc: As expected, Orcs make the perfect fighters. Adrenaline Rush adds much-needed mobility, and Relentless Endurance keeps you in the fray longer, especially for tanky or melee-focused builds.

Tiefling: Infernal Tieflings stand out for Eldritch Knight Fighters, providing a strong Resistance to Fire and spells like Hellish Rebuke for counterattacks and Darkness for battlefield control. Fighters who aren't investing in a spellcasting ability (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma) and those without spell slots won't find a ton of use for this race.