2020 Geek-A-Long: Fighter

D&D Beyond, which is the official online character builder for fifth edition (5e), shows that Fighter is the most popular class. I believe it; badass with weapons is a popular trope and fun to play. Who doesn’t love crashing into a horde of enemies, wearing your full plate armor and shield? Fighters take hits and deliver them. But in 5e, they have something that makes them even better. They have Action Surge.

In 3rd edition, your characters had to be built with your prestige class in mind. Prestige classes were cooler than normal classes but had requirements. Almost always, it was simply easier to take two levels in fighter to meet the requirements. It was a little silly how often I had characters with two levels of Fighter, five of their actual class, and then the prestige class. But in 5e, it seems like people who love to maximize their characters also love the level two Fighter ability Action Surge. Action Surge lets you take a second action. It sounds simple, but it lets characters get away with casting two spells in one turn or high level fighters can take six attacks in turn one of combat. Some people also think that it gives you an extra bonus action. *It doesn’t, but they may argue that point with you until you give in. 

Now, I love fighters. Being the tank, taking hits, and using your special abilities to confound and frustrate your opponents appeals to me. It’s a lot of fun, and to be honest, a generic human fighter named Jean Eric is a great character for new players. You get enough to do that you feel needed, but not so much that you have to dig through pages of spells in order to harm that four-hit-point kobold. So raise your sword to the Fighter, simultaneously the simplest and most strategic class in Dungeons & Dragons. 

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Fighter pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Megan-Anne

*This may be based on a real life occurrence where the player got his way and then spent the next ten minutes agreeing with another player how it was correct. I’m not salty. Not at all.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.