Purple Dragon knights are warriors who hail from the kingdom of Cormyr. Pledged to protect the crown, they take the fight against evil beyond their kingdom’s borders. They are tasked with wandering the land as knights errant, relying on their judgment, bravery, and fidelity to the code of chivalry to guide them in defeating evildoers.
A Purple Dragon knight inspires greatness in others by committing brave deeds in battle. The mere presence of a knight in a hamlet is enough to cause some orcs and bandits to seek easier prey. A lone knight is a skilled warrior, but a knight leading a band of allies can transform even the most poorly equipped militia into a ferocious war band.
A knight prefers to lead through deeds, not words. As a knight spearheads an attack, the knight’s actions can awaken reserves of courage and conviction in allies that they never suspected they had.
Restriction: Knighthood
Purple Dragon knights are tied to a specific order of Cormyrean knighthood.
Banneret serves as the generic name for this archetype if you use it in other campaign settings or to model warlords other than Purple Dragon knights.
Rallying Cry
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to inspire your allies to fight on past their injuries.
When you use your Second Wind feature, you can choose up to three creatures within 60 feet of you that are allied with you, that can see or hear you. Each one regains hit points equal to your fighter level plus Charisma modifier.
Royal Envoy
A Purple Dragon knight serves as an envoy of the Cormyrean crown. Knights of high standing are expected to conduct themselves with grace.
At 7th level, you gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, or Performance.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Persuasion. You receive this benefit regardless of the skill proficiency you gain from this feature.
Heroic Shield
At 7th level, as a bonus action you can shield an ally within 5 feet of you. Until the beginning of your next turn, attacks made against this ally while they are within 5 feet of you are made at disadvantage. You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial melee weapon to use Heroic Shield.
Inspiring Surge
Starting at 10th level, when you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose one creature within 60 feet of you that is allied with you. Provided that it can see or hear you, that creature can use its reaction to immediately move up to half their movement speed and then make one melee or ranged weapon attack, adding your Charisma modifier as a bonus to the attack roll (with a minimum bonus of +1).
Starting at 18th level, you can choose two allies within 60 feet of you, rather than one.
Bulwark
Beginning at 15th level, you can bolster your allies mental fortitude in their time of need. When one ally within 60 feet of you that you can see fails an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a Charisma saving throw and you aren’t incapacitated, then as a reaction you can allow them to reroll the failed saving throw against the same effect, with a bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1), and must use the new roll. That creature must be able see or hear you to use this effect.
Bulwark has a number of uses equal to (but separate from) your indomitable feature, and you regain all uses upon completing a long rest.
