Stick and move. Be where they don’t expect and strike from where you have leverage. Use the whole weapon. Know where your allies are. Protect them and provide them openings. It’s not about wearing the heaviest armor and using the most devastating weapon. It’s about outthinking and outlasing those that do. It’s about working as a team and maximizing everyone’s effectiveness. These are the rules for combat that I have lived by. These are the rules of combat that I will die by.
When you are born of poor means, you make do with what you have. Sometimes, that works out for you, such as being forced to train with the old and damaged polearms of the village guard instead of a traditional sword and shield. It means improvising combat tactics instead of studying under a renowned warrior. It means wearing what is available to you instead of what you can afford to give to the smith. It means being able to surprise the enemy. I will never pretend to be anything that I am not. I will never forget the people who put me on this path and ensured my ability to excel. I will pass that confidence on to those that choose to travel with me and place their lives in my hands. No less was done for me, so I can do no less for them.
But while I will never forget where I came from, it is not where I am going. I outgrew the quiet village a long time ago. Maybe I’ll return there some day when my hands can no longer grip my weapon and my body too broken to move with the alacrity that combat demands. Most likely I will not live to see it again – it is often said that those that live by the blade die by the blade. This does not frighten me. But I will do everything in my power to defy death and laugh in its face until that time comes. Call me friend and companion and my arm is yours. Call me enemy… and run. Or prepare yourself for the grave.
Vidar was born when I decided to create a “non-traditional” fighter in 5e. So often one thinks of a warrior in heavy armor and a sword (or axe – I’m not forgetting all you dwarves) and shield that other combinations get overlooked. I also wanted to create someone that could make the most out of the Polearm Master feat and the idea for this particular Battle Master started to form in my head. He’s ideally suited to take the Sentinel feat at his first opportunity. There are also plenty of combat maneuvers that fit into his motif including Evasive Footwork, Parry, Sweeping Attack, and Pushing Attack and he could easily spend all 20 character levels in Fighter. However, his passion for inspiring excellence in others uniquely suits him for multiclassing into the College of Valor Bard.
Ben Erickson
