The New 2025 D&D Banneret Fighter (Subclass Deep Dive)
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Skilled battlefield leaders who can turn ordinary soldiers into victorious heroes, the Banneret Fighter has been inspiring greatness since it first appeared back in 2015’s Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Representing a more tactical and leadership-focused take on the classic DnD 5e Fighter, this subclass is also known as the Purple Dragon Knight, which Wizards of the Coast had most recently updated (and later scrapped) in a February 2025 Unearthed Arcana playtest.
Now, the Banneret Fighter has returned in the new Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn player expansion, with a number of major changes over its predecessor. So is this knightly warrior still in command? Below, we rally the troops and take a closer look at all their new features.
What’s changed in the new 2025 Banneret Fighter?
The table below lists all of the changes to the new Banneret Fighter as detailed in Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn. For ease of reference, we’ve included the level of each feature and whether or not it’s changed from the previous Legacy Banneret Fighter (also known as the Purple Dragon Knight) that was featured back in the 2015 Sword Coast Adventure’s Guide.
| Banneret Fighter Feature | Level | Changed from 2015? | Changes to the 2025 DnD Banneret Fighter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rallying Cry | 3 | Yes | This 2015 feature has been removed from the 2025 Banneret Fighter. It previously allowed you to use your Second Wind feature to target three allied creatures and restore their hit points equal to your fighter level. Notably, the new 2025 feature “Group Recovery” (see below) is based on this and largely functions the same. |
| Group Recovery | 3 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighte |
| Knightly Envoy | 3 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighter. |
| Royal Envoy | 7 | Yes | This 2015 feature has been removed from the 2025 Banneret Fighter. It previously allowed you to gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill (or Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation or Performance, if you were already proficient). It also doubled your proficiency bonus for any Persuasion checks. Notably, the new “Knightly Envoy” feature (see above) is based on this feature and has somewhat similar elements. |
| Team Tactics | 7 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighter. |
| Inspiring Surge | 10 | Yes | This 2015 feature has been removed from the 2025 Banneret Fighter. It previously allowed you to use your Action Surge feature to target one allied creature within 60 feet . That creature could then make one melee or ranged weapon attack with its reaction. Notably, the new 2025 “Rallying Surge” (see below) is based on this previous feature, but now has a smaller 30 foot range, can impact multiple allies and lets allies either move at half speed (without provoking opportunity attacks) or attack. |
| Rallying Surge | 10 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighter. |
| Bulwark | 15 | Yes | This 2015 feature has been removed from the 2025 Banneret Fighter. It previously allowed you extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally within 60 feet of you that also failed its saving throw against the same effect. Notably, this feature has been replaced in 2025 by “Shared Resilience” (see below), which largely functions the same. |
| Shared Resilience | 15 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighter. |
| Inspiring Commander | 18 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2025 Banneret Fighter. |
What are the new Banneret Fighter features?
Bannerets are paragons of valor and leadership who protect the innocent and rally fellow adventurers to the causes of justice and freedom. Many are knights serving in Cormyr , the Silver Marches, Damara, Chessenta or other lands across Faerûn. They wander the realms as knights errant, taking the fight against evil beyond their kingdom’s borders.
A Banneret relies on judgment, bravery and fidelity to the code of chivalry to guide them in defeating evildoers. A lone Banneret is a skilled warrior, but when leading a band of allies one of these warriors can transform even a poorly equipped militia into a ferocious war band.
Level 3: Knightly Envoy
You know how to conduct yourself with grace as a noble ambassador. You gain the following benefits.
Comprehension. You can cast the Comprehend Languages spell but only as a Ritual. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Polyglot. You learn one language from the language tables. When you finish a Long Rest, you can replace a language learned from this benefit with another language you have heard, seen signed or read in the past 24 hours.
Well Spoken. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion or Performance.
Level 3: Group Recovery
When you use your Second Wind to regain Hit Points, you can choose a number of allies within a 30-foot Emanation originating from yourself, up to a number of allies equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of those allies regains Hit Points equal to 1d4 plus your Fighter level. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Level 7: Team Tactics
When you use Group Recovery, each chosen ally has Advantage on D20 Tests until the start of your next turn.
Level 10: Rallying Surge
When you use your Action Surge, you can choose allies within a 30-foot Emanation originating from yourself, up to a number of allies equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of those allies can immediately take a Reaction to use one of the following options:
Attack. The ally makes one attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike.
Move. The ally moves up to half its Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
Level 15: Shared Resilience
When an ally you can see within 60 feet of yourself fails a saving throw, you can take a Reaction to expend a use of your Indomitable feature. The ally can immediately reroll the saving throw with a bonus equal to your Fighter level; the ally must use the new roll.
Level 18: Inspiring Commander
You gain the following benefits.
Bolstered Rally. The area of effect for both Group Recovery and Rallying Surge is now a 60-foot Emanation.
Unshakable Bravery. You have Immunity to the Charmed and Frightened conditions.
Is the new Banneret Fighter worth playing?
The new 2025 Banneret Fighter feels like a significant improvement over its 2015 version, offering more power and versatility. It’s also markedly better than the Purple Dragon Knight playtest from February 2025 (which was focused on players having their own purple dragon hatchling companion and was largely panned by fans). With new proficiencies and the ability to buff allies, the new Banerret also maintains its unique theme (albeit one that doesn’t necessarily feel super connected to the Forgotten Realms). And while narratively the subclass feels a little close to the Paladin, it’s also a solid option that works well with new 2024 DnD Fighter class features. If you’re looking to play a chivalrous and courtly warrior who can lead on the battlefield, then the Banneret Fighter is definitely worth getting knighted for.
You can try the new subclass for yourself by picking up Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
