In combat, well-trained groups can often function better than the sum of their parts. With careful planning and regular training, adventuring groups are able to coordinate in a way that makes them more effective. What follows is a set of optional rules for adventuring parties who may want to train and fight this way.
Most adventuring parties function perfectly fine together, but becoming a team allows them to coordinate better in combat and to gain advantages from training. When a party decides to form a team, they fill out a special Team Character Sheet. From then on, the team as a whole functions as a character itself, gaining XP, levels, and abilities.
All teams need members. When your party first forms a team, those in your party form the team's original members. These members train and fight together helping the team gain XP. They are also the only ones who benefit from the team's abilities. If NPCs or other characters join the party, they aren't necessarily a member of the team, but may become so after training.
Team leaders aren’t necessary in all teams, but some tactics require one. Also, teams with more than 5 people require a leader for any tactics to work effectively.
Just like players, teams also have experience point totals that allow them to level up. Once this XP total is high enough (100 XP), the team gains a new level. Team experience points are gained in primarily two ways, combat and training.
After each fight, the team typically gains 1 XP. The GM may instead award up to 3 XP for fights where the team does an exemplary job of coordination and support. A team can also devote time to drilling together, usually during downtime. Teams can drill up to two weeks at a time, adding 2 XP per week trained. In training or combat, no more than one person can be missing or the team cannot earn XP. During training time, the party members must devote their time exclusively to drilling and cannot engage in adventuring, crafting items, research, or other distracting pursuits.
Starting at level 2, each team may choose a team tactic to add to their team’s repertoire. Each level after the 2nd, the team may add another tactic.
Characters don’t immediately become a member of a team just because they are travelling and fighting with the party. It takes regular training before the person can be considered a functioning member of the team. New characters or NPCs must train or fight with the team for 50 XP worth of time before they are considered team members and can get access to team abilities.
When spellcasters on your team stand adjacent to one another, they receive a +2 circumstance bonus on spell attacks made to overcome spell resistance. When casting a spell previously cast by one of your adjancent members, this bonus increases to +4.
Prerequisites: Team Level 3
Allies may charge an opponent as a reaction when one of their allies makes a charge. The target must be within movement range and you must be able to follow all of the normal charge rules.
Any team member adjacent to another gains a +1 AC bonus. At team level 3, you gain a +1 AC bonus for each adjacent ally.
Team members gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all combat maneuver checks when standing adjacent to another team member. This bonus increases to +4 when attempting to break free from a grapple.
Team members that are adjacent to one another that are required to make a Dex saving throw against a spell or effect may take the result of their die or their ally’s die roll (using your own modifiers). If you take your ally's result, you are knocked prone (or staggered on your next turn, if you are already prone or cannot be knocked prone).
Prerequisites: Team Level 3
You may move freely through spaces adjacent to an ally without taking an attack of opportunity.
You gain favor on attack rolls against any foe that currently threatens a member of the team. Whenever an ally is rendered helpless or killed within 30 feet of you, you gain advantage on attack rolls for 1 minute or until the foe responsible is rendered helpless or killed, whichever comes first.
Prerequisites: Team Leader with Cha 15
As long as your leader holds a team f lag or emblem, members of the team within 30 feet who can see the flag (including the leader) gain favor on attack rolls, and on saving throws against fear and charm effects. You also gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls. The leader must hold the flag in one hand in order to grant this bonus. If the standard is taken by the enemy or destroyed, this becomes a -1 penalty, affecting all creatures that the bonus previously affected for 1 hour (or until you reclaim the lost flag).
As a bonus action, your team leader can designate a preferential target for the entire team. When anyone attacks the designated target they may roll their attack rolls with favor. This desingation lasts for 1 round.
After rolling initiative, two players on the same team may choose to swap initiative rolls.
Whenever you are adjacent to a team member who can act in the surprise round, then you may act in the surprise round.
Prerequisites: Team Level 3
Whenever you and a teammake flank the same creature, you both make your attacks at +2 (circumstance).
When you are adjacent to a team member, the first time you melee attack an opponent, you can spend a reaction to take a 5-foot step that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, even if you have otherwise moved this round.
Whenever you are adjacent to a team member, you receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attacks of opportunity against creatures that you both threaten.
Prerequisites: Team Level 3
Whenever you and a team member are threatening the same the creature, once per round, you may each deal an additional 1d6 points of precision damage with each successful melee attack. This bonus damage does not stack with other sources of precision damage, such as sneak attack. This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
Prerequisites: Team Level 2
As a full-round action, one team meber may make a single attack against a target. If the attack hits and deals damage to the target, all allies ignore up to 5 points of weapon resistance against the same target for 1 round.
Prerequisites: Team Level 3
When a team member rolls a critical hit against an opponent that you also threaten, you can make an attack of opportunity against that opponent.
When you are adjacent to a team member, you gain a +1 bonus on saving throws. At team level 3, you get a +1 bonus per adjacent member.
Whenever you are adjacent to a team member, you receive advantage on concentration checks.
Whenever you are adjacent to a team member, you can move into your ally's square as part of normal movement. At the same time, your ally moves into your previous space as a reaction. Both you and your ally must be willing and able to move to take advantage of this feat. Your ally does not provoke an attack of opportunity from this movement, but you provoke as normal. This movement does not count against your ally's movement on his next turn.
Whenever a foe who is threated by a team member provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on your attack roll for each teammate who threatens him, including yourself.
Whenever you attempt a trip combat maneuver against an enemy threatened by a team member, you roll at advantage.
When you're simultaneously subject to the same enchantment effect as another team member, you both roll at advantage.