I feel like this is one that isn't used enough. Through sheer willpower, a high level non-magical fighter, should be able to break conditions, exhaustion, and spells that target them.
It's something I'm leaning pretty heavily on in my current project (GEAS). Conditions can really suck, and it seems glaringly obvious to me that a battle-hardened warrior can end many of those through willpower.
For example, all warriors get the following (for context, every time you get an XP point, you can buy a trait that is in your circle or lower. Think of circles at tiers of play):
Warrior Traits
Armor Proficiency: Light, medium, and heavy armor.
Core Die: d10
Starting Skills: Choose any two ability subcategories.
Weapon Proficiency: All weapons.
Action Points: You begin with a pool of 6 AP.
Starting Traits:
Hold the Line: You can make one opportunity attack for each creature triggering it this round by spending 5 vigor. This does not count as using your response.
Martial Expert: You may use Combination Maneuvers as described in the Martial Maneuvers section.
Winded: While in the winded status, you recover twice the vitality you normally would when a spell, ability, or effect causes you to recover vitality.
Stances: For 4 AP, you adopt a stance that lasts until combat ends or you choose to spend 4 AP to change the stance.
- Defensive Stance: +1 DEF PD and +1 DR while stance is active.
- Offensive Stance: +1 CD to BDP bonus with weapons or natural attacks while stance is active.
- Tactical Stance: +2 AP while this stance is active.
Weapon Training: Gain +1 PD when attacking with weapons or natural attacks.
Circle 1 Traits:
Vitality: Increase your vitality by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Vigor: Increase your vigor by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Action Point: Increase your maximum AP pool by 2.
Circle 2 Traits:
Vitality: Increase your vitality by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Vigor: Increase your vigor by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Ability: Increase one of your abilities by 1.
Battle Fortitude: Recover an additional 2 CD BDP of vitality after completing a rest (up to your maximum).
Circle 3 Traits:
Vitality: Increase your vitality by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Vigor: Increase your vigor by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Cannon Fodder. Any opponent you hit with an attack that has a MC of 1M or less is brought to zero vitality, regardless of damage. Attacks against these creatures have the AP cost reduced to 1.
Weapon Training: Gain +1 PD bonus when attacking with weapons or natural attacks.
Action Point: Increase your maximum AP pool by 2.
Circle 4 Traits:
Vitality: Increase your vitality by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Vigor: Increase your vigor by +1 CD. You may select this up to three times in this Circle.
Ability: Increase one of your abilities by 1.
Weapon Mastery: Gain a +2 CD bonus to your WDP when attacking unarmed or with weapons.
Cannon Fodder. Any opponent you hit with an attack that has a MC of 1H or less is brought to zero vitality, regardless of damage. Attacks against these creatures have the AP cost reduced to 1.
And the Mercenary Specialty (subclass of warrior):
Circle 1 Traits
Weapon Specialization: You are able to utilize the Weapon Traits feature from weapons.
Shield Mastery: Add your shield DEF as a PD bonus to your ability check Challenge Rolls to resist area-of-effect spells/attacks. I.e., if your shield has a DEF rating of +2 PD, you add 2 PD to your Challenge Rolls when called to resist an area of effect attack, such as a dragon’s breath or flame explosion spell.
Training: Gain a +1 PD bonus to any ability skill check.
Sniper: Gain a +1 CD bonus to your BDP when attacking with ranged weapons.
Suck It Up: Use a response action (2 AP) to recover 2 CD of vigor. You may use this once per breather.
Circle 2 Traits
Protection: As a response (1 AP) to an ally within 5 feet of you being attacked, spend 3 vigor and add your DEF PD bonus from your shield to that ally’s DEF PD until the start of your next turn.
Armor Mastery: Gain a +1 bonus to your DEF PD when wearing armor.
Precise Strike: As a response (1 AP) to a successful attack of yours landing, spend up to 1 CD vigor to inflict an extra amount of damage equaling the amount of vigor spent.
Riposte: As a response (1 AP) to getting melee attacked, spend 5 vigor to make one melee attack at the creature that successfully hit you.
Suck It Up II: Amount recovered increases to 2 CD + 2 CD.
Circle 3 Traits
Back In The Fight: As a response (3 AP), spend 5 vigor and end one negative status affecting you.
Sacrifice: As a response (1 AP) to an ally within 5 feet being attacked, spend 5 vigor and step in the way of an attack targeting that ally. Move that attack to yourself.
Training: Gain an additional +1 PD bonus to any ability skill check.
Combat Mastery: Gain a +2 PD bonus when attempting a Martial maneuver or resisting a Martial maneuver.
Robust: If at the start of your turn you are in the winded status and do not have any desperation points, grant yourself a desperation point.
Circle 4 Traits
Long Reach: The reach of your weapons increases by 5 feet. If it is ranged, add 50% distance.
Whirlwind: Spend 6 AP to either attack every creature within 5 feet of you with a chosen melee weaopn, or attack each creature in a 5-foot radius for ranged attacks provided you have enough ammunition to do so.
Precision Strike: As a response (1 AP) to a successful attack of yours landing, spend 5 vigor to bypass any resistances or immunities the creature might have to your attack until the start of its next turn.
Imposing: Creatures are considered one size smaller when you use a trait or maneuver or item that is size limited. I.e., if you could grapple a large-sized or smaller creature previously, you can now grapple huge-sized or smaller creatures.
Immovable: You cannot be moved or pushed against your will. if you do not move during your turn, you gain a +2 DR bonus until the start of your next turn.
Epic Traits
Armor Master: You can wear armor comfortably, without any drawbacks from weight or encumbrance or extended wear. You also gain immunity to non-magical attacks.
Arms Master: You can apply the special traits from weapons on any successful attack roll, not just ones that have multiple successes.
Blurring Attacks: Spend 10 vigor. The AP cost of your weapons is reduced by 1 (minimum 1) until the end of your turn.
Staying Power: You may spend 5 XP to choose this trait multiple times. Each time you choose this trait, you gain 2 CD of vigor and vitality.
