The DnD Echo Knight is the perfect subclass for players who wish they could be in two places at once. Gone are the days when your 5e Fighter needed to dash across the battlefield to meet their next foe; the Echo Knight 5e subclass deploys a ghostly version of yourself, perfectly positioned so you can swing at a far-away enemy. With the powers of literal teleportation at your fingertips, combat will never be the same again.
Here you’ll find everything you need to build a DnD Fighter with the Echo Knight subclass. Whether you’re a martial newbie or a long-time lover of combat-heavy DnD classes, you’ll find something helpful here – from recommended DnD races to core DnD character build info.
Echo Knight 5e features
Here’s every subclass feature you’ll get as a DnD Echo Knight:
Manifest Echo
Level: Three
As a bonus action, you can create an echo of yourself in an unoccupied space you see within 15 feet. This echo looks like you, only translucent and grey. It has an armor class of 14 plus your proficiency bonus, and it uses your bonus for any saving throws.
While it’s immune to all conditions, your echo only has one hit point. It’ll naturally dissipate when it takes damage, but you can also choose to dismiss it as a bonus action or by creating a new echo. You could also become incapacitated, but that’s not the most convenient way to tell an echo to get lost.
You can command an echo to move up to 30ft on your turn without spending an action. Spend a bonus action and 15ft of movement, and you can swap places with an echo at any distance. Your echo can trigger attacks of opportunity, and any attack you spend an action on can originate from the echo’s space instead of yours. Basically, you can use your supernatural gifts for some sweet battlefield control.
Unleash Incarnation
Level: Three
With this feature, you can use your echo to make an additional attack on your turn. You’ll take your attack action as normal, but your additional attack will come from the echo’s location. Unleash Incarnation can be used a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, replenishing on a long rest.
Echo Avatar
Level: Seven
Spend an action, and you can see and hear through your echo for up to ten minutes. Sure, you’re deafened and blinded for the duration, but your echo can be up to 1,000 feet away – not a bad way to get some spy work done.
Shadow Martyr
Level: Ten
This feature gives your echo some defense powers too. If you spend a reaction before an attack roll, your echo can teleport to an unoccupied space five feet from the attack’s target. The attack is then made against your echo instead as it dives heroically in front of your friend. Shadow Martyr is a once-per-rest deal, so be sure to use it wisely.
Reclaim Potential
Level: 15
Any time your echoes are destroyed because of damage, you can gain temporary hit points (equal to 2d6 plus your Constitution modifier). This can only be used if you don’t already have any temporary hit points, so no stacking here. You can also only use the feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier before you’ll need to long rest.
Legion of One
Level: 18
As a bonus action, you can create two echoes instead of one with Manifest Echo. When you roll initiative, you also regain one use of the Unleash Incarnation feature if you have none left.
Tips for building a DnD Echo Knight
Let’s talk DnD stats first. Like all Fighters, the first choice you’ll need to make is whether you want to lean into a Strength or Dexterity build. Flavour-wise, we think Dex makes the most sense for an agile, teleporting Fighter, but Strength can be just as important for feats of Athletics and securing the very best DnD armor.
You could focus on buffing both, but beware spreading your points too thin, as you also need to prioritise your Constitution. This stat should always be considered by Fighters as it’s the one that makes you tough to take down. However, the Echo Knight also has features with links to their Con modifier. A higher modifier means more uses of your special powers.
Generally, Echo Knight players will want to choose the same DnD races as any other Fighter. In the Player’s Handbook, that’s a DnD Dwarf, Half-Orc, or a Dragonborn 5e for a Strength build – or a DnD Elf for a Dexterity build. Or you could go for a DnD Human, which is flexible enough to work with both.
If you’re looking for more fantastical races, there are heaps of options with combat prowess. You could storm your foes with the DnD Goliath or the DnD Bugbear, or even pick up a flying race like the Aarakocra for even more agility. The stats of these rarer races are almost completely customizable, so be sure to pick one with features that complement your subclass.
The feats your Fighter will benefit most from will be highly dependent on what DnD weapons, stats, or even races you’re prioritising. To help narrow your choices down a bit, we recommend choosing 5e feats that buff an ability score and grant you some extra combat benefits. We’re talking feats like Athlete (which buffs Str or Dex and makes you more generally agile) or Durable (which boosts Con and makes your HP regeneration more potent).
There are some feats that are worth taking even without a stat boost, though. Alert gives you an initiative bonus, stops you from being surprised, and stops unseen creatures from getting an advantage over you. There’s also Sentinel, which makes your opportunity attacks more frequent and much more powerful.
Ready to go with your Echo Knight? Here’s some of the best DnD campaigns and DnD one shots you could play them in. And if you want to keep up with all the latest from D&D, keep a close eye on the DnD release schedule.