Every tactician follows a doctrine—a philosophy of war honed through hard-won experience, brutal campaigns, and brilliant victories. Your doctrine determines how you lead, fight, and adapt under pressure. Some bark commands from the rear. Others charge headlong into chaos. A few slip through shadows, striking where the enemy least expects.
Your doctrine grants you a unique set of features at 1st level and shapes your role on the battlefield. It also determines which battle art you begin with. Choose the doctrine that reflects your path through war—and how you plan to win it.
“We win before the fight begins.”
You fight dirty, fight smart, and fight on your terms. Whether you're ambushing supply lines, dismantling morale, or striking from the shadows, you exploit weakness rather than clash head-on. You gain the following features:
You gain a battle art of your choice from the art of Strategy, Subterfuge, or Whispers.
Description You mark a foe you can see with a signal so your allies know that they are the weak link. The mark is under the effect of the following features whenever your Focus meets or exceeds the thresholds listed below. The mark ends when the target is defeated, the encounter ends, or you use this ability again.
↳ Weakest Link (3+ Focus) The mark is Weakened. Whenever the mark makes a power roll, an ally of your choice gains an edge on their next power roll against the mark before the end of their next turn.
↳ False Orders (6+ Focus) Your sabotage disrupts the mark's plans. Once per round, when the mark attempts to take their turn, you can choose a different foe that hasn't taken a turn yet. It becomes their turn instead.
↳ One Step Ahead (9+ Focus) You and your unit use evasive maneuvers to slip in and out of the fight. When the mark ends their turn adjacent to you or one of your allies, you can signal them to move up to half their speed without triggering reactions as a free action. This effect has the order trait.
↳ 12 Focus feature (12+ Focus) Description
“Where I point, we strike.”
You are a natural leader—your voice cuts through the roar of battle, and your presence rallies others to glory. You gain the following features:
You gain a battle art of your choice from the art of Strategy, Valor, or Whispers.
You gain a special item called a commander's banner, which you can use to lead your allies. Your banner can be attached to a weapon or shield you are holding or held in one hand attached to a simple pole. As long as your banner is visible as described above, you gain a Commander's Aura with an emanation in meters equal to your Reason score.
Alternatively, you can place your banner at a point on the ground. While the banner isn't destroyed or stolen, your commander's aura emanates from its location.
You gain the following features when your Focus meets or exceeds the listed thresholds below.
↳ Inspiring Orders (3+ Focus) Ally's within your aura you target with an order ability can spend a Recovery as part of that order. This feature is also triggered if the cost of order ability made you go below the required threshold of this feature.
↳ Squad Allegiance (6+ Focus) Your and each ally's stability within your aura increases by 2. When an ally within your aura takes damage, you can choose to halve it (no action required). You then take damage equal to the amount they took.
↳ Invigorating Banner (9+ Focus) Whenever you or an ally start their turn within the aura, they gain Guard equal to your Reason.
↳ Unit Supremacy (12+ Focus) Damage that you or an ally within your aura deals does additional damage equal to your Reason score.
Trigger An ally makes a 2d10's test or is forced to pass a gate.
Description Your insight turns hesitation into resolve. The triggering ally can use your Reason score in place of the roll’s governing attribute or for the purposes of overcoming a gate. You can choose to do so before or after the roll occurs, but not after the outcome is determined.
Once a creature benefits from General's Gaze, they cannot do so again until they gain Inspiration or finish a Rest.
“Pick on someone your own size!”
You lead from the front, pressing the attack and shielding your allies from harm. Whether you charge headfirst into the clash of blades or hold the line as a bulwark against chaos, your presence drives the battle forward. You gain the following features:
You gain a battle art of your choice from the art of Brutality, Strategy, or Valor.
Two goblins and a prayer don't cut it. A third foe must be adjacent to you before you can be Flanked.
Description You mark a foe, challenging them to pick on someone their own size. The mark is under the effect of the following features whenever your Focus meets or exceeds the thresholds listed below. The mark ends when the target is defeated, the encounter ends, or you use this ability again.
↳ Undeniable (3+ Focus) The mark is Taunted by you, and whenever the mark damages a creature other than yourself, you can use your reaction to make a melee Strike against them.
↳ Gravitas (6+ focus) The mark treats any movement away from you as difficult terrain.
↳ Overwhelm (9+ focus) Your allies gain an edge on power rolls against the mark.
↳ Echoed Challenge (12+ focus) Any foe within 2 meters of the mark is also marked by this ability.