The 15 Best Fighter Feats in D&D 5e [Ranked]

Fighters are the most popular and one of the most straightforward classes in D&D, capable of dealing heaps of damage, tanking hits, or casting spells.

Learning a Fighter’s playstyle and understanding how to play one is much easier than all of the spellcasters and many other martial classes. Many Feats are made available to Fighters because of their versatile, straightforward playstyle.

So you should choose your Feats wisely, picking those that suit your playstyle and what you want your Fighter to do in and out of combat.

Contents

Best Fighter Feats in 5e
Final Thoughts

Best Fighter Feats in 5e

15. Slasher

Description

Gain the following benefits:

Your Dexterity and Strength increase by 1, reaching a maximum of 20.
Once every turn, when you’ve hit a creature with an attack dealing Slashing damage, you can reduce the target’s speed by 10 feet until your next turn starts.
When scoring a critical hit that deals Slashing damage to a targeted creature, you will grievously wound it. Until your next turn starts, the creature will have disadvantage on all its attack rolls.

Explanation

Slasher has some great speed reduction that helps you keep enemies close to you and away from your party members.

While the Feat also has a nice critical hit benefit, if you aren’t focused on playing a crit Fighter, then you should count primarily on the slowing effect it has, but even with only that, Slasher remains a great pick.

14. Durable

Description

You become resilient and hardy, gaining the following effects:

Your Constitution score will increase by 1 to a maximum of 20.
When rolling a Hit Die to regain HP, the minimum number of HP you can regain is equal to twice your Constitution modifier to a minimum of 2.

Explanation

Fighters usually act as Frontline, so you will be taking a lot of damage.

Durable helps keep your party’s healing resources in check and lets you stay healthy throughout the day.

13. Fey Touched

Description

Gain the following benefits:

Increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (maximum of 20)
Learn Misty Step and one 1st-level spell you choose. The 1st-level spell must be Divination or Enchantment, and both spells can be used without expending a spell slot.

Casting a spell this way means you cannot cast it like this again until you’ve finished a long rest.

These spells can also be cast using spell slots of the appropriate level, and these spells use the spellcasting ability increased by the feat.

Explanation

One of the go-to spells that most characters go for after getting Fey Touched is Misty Step, and if you can’t get it from your race, then getting it through Fey Touched is a good option.

The additional 1st-level spell is also great but difficult to pick, but Hex is probably one of the best ones out there.

Note: Eldritch Knights should take Fey Touched. Most other Fighters won’t get too much benefit from it.

12. Martial Adept

Description

Martial training allows special combat maneuvers, gaining benefits:

Learn two maneuvers you choose from the Battle Master (Fighter class) archetype.

Maneuvers you use requiring your target to make a save to resist the maneuver’s effects have the save DC equal 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (choose).

Gain one d6 superiority die (added to any superiority die you already have) and is used to fuel your maneuvers.

A superiority die is expended upon use and regained after you finish a long or short rest.

Explanation

Martial Adept is exceptional for a Battle Master, as it expands on their superiority die and known maneuvers.

It can work on other Fighters, but the dominant contender for it is the Battle Master.

11. Defensive Duelist

Description

Wielding a finesse weapon you have Proficiency with and being hit with a melee attack by another creature means you may use your reaction and add your Proficiency bonus to your total AC for the attack, potentially having the attack miss you.

Note: Your Dexterity must be 13 or higher to gain Defensive Duelist.

Explanation

Defensive Duelist is another great Feat for the Battle Master and other Fighters who use Finesse weapons.

Being able to parry attacks can go a long way to retaining your HP.

10. Gift of the Chromatic Dragon

Description

Manifest powers from chromatic dragons, gaining benefits:

Chromatic Infusion allows you to use a bonus action and touch a martial or simple weapon, infusing it with one of these damage types: Poison, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid.

For a minute, the weapon now deals an extra 1d4 damage on a hit of the infused damage type. After using this bonus action, you can’t do so again until after finishing a long rest.

Reactive Resistance lets you use your reaction to give yourself resistance to whichever damage you took out of the following types: Poison, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid damage.

The reaction can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you’ll regain all uses whenever you finish a long rest.

Explanation

Fighters have an extra action with Action Surge, so Chromatic Infusion works very well with it.

Reactive Resistance is also good, as it’ll protect you from common elemental damage without having to cast a spell.

Gift of the Chromatic Dragon gives you some good buffs without having to expend spell slots.

9. War Caster

Description

Practicing casting spells in combat means you gain the following benefits:

Gain advantage on Constitution saving throws you make to maintain Concentration on a spell when taking damage
You may perform somatic components of spells when you have a shield or weapons in one or both hands.
A hostile creature’s movement, provoking an opportunity attack from you, lets you use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature. The spell must target only the creature and have a casting time of 1 action.

Note: You must have the ability to cast at least one spell to be able to take War Caster.

Explanation

Eldritch Knights who want to go melee need War Caster.

There are many melee spells or short-ranged spells that will work so much better than opportunity attacks that it would be a tragedy to not take War Caster.

Having advantage on Constitution saves meant for Concentration also provides a lot of value, and combining it with proficiency in Constitution is very powerful.

8. Skill Expert

Description

You may increase one of your ability scores by 1, but only to a maximum of 20, and you’ll gain proficiency with one skill you choose.

Then, you may choose one skill you have proficiency with, gaining expertise with that skill and doubling any ability checks made with it.

The chosen skill must be one that isn’t currently benefiting from a feature (like Expertise), which can double your proficiency bonus.

Explanation

You can increase Strength and get expertise in Athletics, which will aid in grapples or shoves.

The additional proficiency with one skill is also fantastic to bring another skill into your build or increase the efficiency of a current one.

Skill Expert is the perfect Feat for a more skill-focused Fighter.

7. Heavy Armor Master

Description

Gain the following benefits:

Increase Strength by 1 (maximum of 20).
Whilst wearing heavy armor, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks is reduced by 3.

Note: You must have proficiency with heavy armor to pick Heavy Armor Master.

Explanation

Melee Fighters who don’t want a shield should consider taking Heavy Armor Master, as the reduced damage from non-magical attacks basically makes up for the AC of the shield.

Note: Just watch out for magical attacks. They’ll hurt!

6. Crossbow Expert

Description

Extensive practice with the crossbow grants you the following benefits:

Ignore the loading quality of crossbows in which you are proficient.
If you’re within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you don’t get disadvantage on ranged attacks.
Using the Attack action and attacking with a one-handed weapon allows you to use your Bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you’re holding.

Explanation

Crossbows work really well with Fighters, and with Crossbow Expert, they can be used in melee range.

Taking a crossbow as a Fighter and combining it with Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter can make for a deadly strategy.

5. Gunner

Description

You have a keen eye and a quick hand with firearms, granting you benefits:

Increase Dexterity by 1 (maximum of 20).
Gain Proficiency with firearms.
Ignore firearm’s loading property.
If you’re within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you don’t get disadvantage on ranged attacks.

Explanation

Gunner uses the abundance of attacks the Fighter has to its advantage.

Using a firearm in combination with Gunner has the potential for some pretty big numbers, and when things like Action Surge are added to it, things get a bit out of hand.

4. Sharpshooter

Description

You’ve mastered ranged weapons, hitting shots others find impossible and gaining the following benefits:

Attacking from long range doesn’t impose disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls.
Ranged weapon attacks will ignore half and three-quarters cover.
Before making an attack using a ranged weapon you’re proficient in, choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, add +10 to the damage of the attack.

Explanation

You can’t have a ranged build without Sharpshooter, or you can. It just won’t be as effective.

If combined with Archery Style, you can somewhat reduce the -5, gaining a spectacular damage increase with a good chance to also hit your targets.

3. Polearm Master

Description

Gain the following benefits:

Taking the Attack action and attacking with only a spear, glaive, halberd, or quarterstaff allows you to use a Bonus action and perform a melee attack with the opposite end of your weapon.

Attacking this way uses the same modifier as the primary attack. Your weapon’s damage die for this attack is d4, dealing Bludgeoning damage.

While wielding a spear, glaive, halberd, or quarterstaff, other creatures will provoke an opportunity attack from you when entering the reach you have with that respective weapon.

Explanation

Defenders do well with Polearm Master, as it gives them more ways to handle opportunity attacks.

Many Fighters tend to combine it with Sentinel to abuse your reach.

2. Great Weapon Master

Description

Gain the following benefits:

When it’s your turn, and you score a critical hit while using a melee weapon or reduce a creature’s HP to 0 with a melee weapon, you may make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
Before making a melee attack using a melee weapon you have proficiency in, you can decide to take a -5 penalty to its attack roll. If the attack were to hit, you would add +10 to the damage of the attack.

Explanation

Fighters who want to deal a ton of damage with two-handed weapons need Great Weapon Master.

When combined with Polearm Master, the extra melee weapon attack can still be used by hitting a crit and spending a Bonus action.

1. Sentinel

Description

Hitting a Creature using an opportunity attack forces their speed to become 0 for the rest of their turn, and creatures provoke your opportunity attacks even if they take their Disengage action.

Whenever a creature attacks a target other than you (and the target doesn’t already have this feat), you may use a reaction and proceed to perform a melee weapon attack against the creature that’s attacking.

Explanation

Fighters need to keep enemies away from their backline, and the best way to do that is with Sentinel.

Combined with Polearm Master, you will continuously trap enemies with opportunity attacks, which lets your backline do their job.

Final Thoughts

Similar to Bards, Fighters have the problem of having too many options because of their versatility.

Therefore, when choosing Feats for your Fighter, I suggest considering your role in the party and deciding which Feat will work best in that circumstance.

There are many other ways to choose Feats, such as depending on what you want as a character, but the choice is solely up to the player in the end.

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