The Haunted Fighter

Many warriors are haunted by the suffering they have seen, but only a rare few can call the soul of the dead back to their sides to aid them in battle.

The haunted fighter—and spectral companion—excel at defending allies in battle. The spectral companion absorbs punishment for the fighter’s allies, while the fighter tethers the companion to the Material Plane.

Spectral Companion

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain a spectral companion that is bound to your soul. Your companion accompanies you on adventures and guards you and your allies. Any creature that can become undead can be a spectral companion, but its spirit manifests as a Medium-sized creature if it is normally larger. This spirit is incorporeal and visible to the naked eye. It speaks the languages it knew in life and may or may not retain knowledge it had while living. It has a number of hit points equal to 5 × your fighter level and uses your Armor Class and saving throw values.

Your spectral companion takes full damage from single-target weapon and spell attacks and from effects that deal radiant or force damage.

It takes no damage from spells and effects that target multiple creatures, unless it is guarding a creature damaged by such an effect (see below). It automatically succeeds on all saving throws. The companion can occupy your space, or the space of any of your allies. It cannot make attacks until you gain the Companion’s Strike feature at 7th level.

Your spectral companion must remain within 30 feet of you, and has a Speed of 30 feet.

As a bonus action, you may command your spectral companion to guard one creature other than yourself within 30 feet of you. It returns to you automatically if you are more than 30 feet away from it for any reason, and automatically goes with you if you shift away from the Material Plane. A guarded creature reduces all damage taken by 3, other than radiant or force damage. Regardless of the damage type, the spectral companion takes an equal amount of damage. At 7th level, your spectral companion grants a guarded ally resistance to all damage, other than radiant or force damage, instead of reducing damage by 3.

If your spectral companion falls to 0 hit points, it is dispersed. A dispersed companion disappears from existence and is effectively dead. As part of a short or long rest, your spectral companion returns to full hit points, even if dispersed. You may also spend an action to spend a Hit Die and restore hit points equal to twice the result plus your Constitution modifier to your injured spectral companion.

Companion’s Strike

Starting at 7th level, your spectral companion can lash out at opponents, allowing you to join in opportunity attacks outside your own reach. When an enemy provokes an opportunity attack from the creature that your spectral companion guards, you may spend your reaction for the companion to attack as well. Its attack bonus is equal to your Strength or Dexterity bonus + your proficiency bonus. On a hit, it deals 1d10 necrotic damage and regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt. At 15th level, this damage increases to 2d10.

Manifestation

Starting at 10th level, you may allow your spectral companion to manifest completely for a short time.

As an action, you conjure a ghost in a space within 30 feet of you with hit points equal to your five times your fighter level. It disappears when it falls to 0 hit points, moves more than 30 feet away from you, you lose Concentration, or the one-minute duration of the conjuration expires. The ghost is friendly to you and your allies. Roll initiative for the ghost separately. As an action, you may give it a simple verbal command (such as “possess a specific enemy” or “always attack the nearest enemy”). If you give it no commands, or has completed the last command you gave, it uses the Help action to grant advantage to one of your attack rolls. If it uses its Possession action, that effect immediately ends if the duration of the conjuration expires. Damage that the ghost takes does not transfer to your spectral companion, but as long as the ghost is present, your spectral companion cannot guard an ally, use Companion’s Strike, or be affected in any way.

Starting at 18th level, the ghost that you conjure has hit points equal to five times your fighter level.

Shared Nature. Starting at 15th level, you can briefly become spectral as well. As an action or bonus action, you become invisible, gain a fly speed of 30 feet, and gain resistance to all damage except radiant and force damage until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you may not do so again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spectral Legion. Starting at 18th level, your spectral companion calls forth a legion of others like it to guard you and all of your allies. As an action, you and all allies within 30 feet that are not guarded by your spectral companion reduce damage by 6 from all sources except radiant or force damage. This lasts for one minute. Once you use this feature, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest.