Fighter - Base Class

Duncehack Edition

So who are you?

Just some tosser with an over inflated sense of self importance.

Send verbal abuse via Minds.com

What is the Duncehack?

It emerged from a place of frustration. There's quite a number of areas where 5e could be improved but... it's not going to happen for various reasons.

The Duncehack is my attempt to fix these problems I have. Plan is to go through the whole game - all of it - and homebrew it into the game I think is should have been.

Feel free to disagree with me, but ultimately I think there's no harm in putting my thoughts out there, at the very least if even one DM decides to adopt these rules, then my job is done.

No DM Guild? No OGL Release?

I chafe under binding contracts and both of these are exactly that.

The DM Guild gives you more room to mess with established rules, but basically demands that all be under the service of flagship settings.

The SRD on the other hand gives more room for interesting settings but clamps down extremely hard on what established rules you're allowed to use. Their biggest contention is that they don't want someone to sell a sourcebook that removes the need for core books. Translation: they don't want Pathfinder to happen all over again.

More to the point, both assume money will change hands. I don't want money, I just want Wizards to fix their game.

Groundrules

Groundrules for the Duncehack are as follows:

• No Nerfs: the goal is to bring weaker archetypes on the level of the stronger ones.

• Remove Traps: incentives built into classes and archetypes should provide an active payoff, rather than be the suboptimal choice.

• Frontload Agency, Backend Power: Generally speaking, people like having more options to do things, rather than more raw power. As a design rule: things that feel like core class features, or are defining class mechanics, should happen in the first ten levels, sheer numeric increases in power should come after that.

No money changed hands here

This is a passion project. I want to keep it that way.

I also want to avoid legal issues for self-evident reasons.

No UA?

Too much changes between UA and official release.

The fewer corrections I have the do between UA changes, the better.

Obligatory Natural Crit Plug

http://www.naturalcrit.com/

Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Obligatory /tg/ Plug

The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.

I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.

No Images?

Needed to get it under 8mb so I could upload it literally anywhere.

So what in Fighter needs fixing?

Well, I used to labour under the impression that the base class was a well designed bastion of how things should be balanced in 5e.

Oh how wrong I was.

Full essay on the next page, but the main thing is: You're boring and you scale poorly as a class.

What is Broken then?

Someone far smarter than me dug into the numbers and... results were surprising.

Unless the Fighter knows for a fact that they're getting a magic weapon like a flametongue sword in the campaign, multiclassing into literally anything else past a certain point (12th at the latest, 9th at the absolute earliest, but ideally at 11th for the 3rd attack) is superior in every meaningful way. More damage, more utility, more roleplaying features, doesn't matter what you're after.

What if I think this goes too far?

Yeah, I'm trying to raise all player options to 'equally very powerful'. So if all you want is 'raise things to somewhat reasonable', there's smaller scale changes you can do.

• Extra Action Surge at 13th level.
• Indomitable refreshes on short rest.

Class Features

As a Fighter, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d10 per Fighter Level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Consitution Modifier
• Hit Points past 1st: 1d10 (6) + Constitution Modifier

Proficiencies

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• Armour: light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, greatshields
• Weapon: simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: Your choice of two Artisan's Tool, or Vehicle proficiencies of your choice.

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• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
• Skills: Two of: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• tools of a kind you are proficient in

Tool Proficiency

Yeah, rolling Battlemaster into the class means a free tool proficiency needs to pop up somewhere.

Second Wind

You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d12 + your fighter level + your constitution modifier. This feature is usable even if you have a condition that would otherwise deny its use, such as the unconscious condition.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

If you have used this feature, and you are involuntarily struck by a critical hit, you regain usage of this feature.

You gain additional uses of this feature at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th levels.

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. You gain another Fighting Style at 9th level.

Rote Skills

At 1st level, you gain a number of skill specialisations. You have a number equal to 1 + Your Intelligence modifier (minimum 2).

(When gaining a skill specialisation, pick a subject within a skill, e.g. swimming for Athletics, Pickpocketing for Sleight of Hand, or a particular faith for Religion. You gain advantage on skill checks for that particular subject)

Action Surge

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action and bonus action.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 13th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn. You gain a third use at 17th level.

Combat Superiority

At 2nd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice.

Manoeuvers. You learn two manoeuvers of your choice. Many manoeuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one manoeuver per attack unless otherwise stated. No more than two manoeuvres may be applied to a single attack by any means.

You learn an additional manoeuver of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th levels. Each time you gain a new Fighter level, you can also replace one manoeuver you know with a different one.

Manoeuvre Versatility. You can replace one manoeuvre you know with a different manoeuvre whenever you finish a long rest. This change reflects your physical and mental preparation for the day ahead.

Superiority Dice. You have two superiority dice, which are d4s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another superiority die at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th levels.

The die also improves at those levels, at becoming a d6 at 5th, a d8 at 9th, a d10 at 13th and a d12 at 17th levels.

Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the manoeuver's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows

Manoeuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

(Manoeuvres are listed at the end of this document)

Second Wind

lagged behind other martial's first level a bit. Should be much stronger in the early game now.

Fighting Style Reworks

I've got reworked versions of them as well, but I put them in a new document because the changes are huge and the rationale explaining the changes take forever to explain. Also, other classes are affected.

You can find the changes here

When we get to champion, I'll be replacing that feature with something else to compensate for extra fighting style being base.

Rote Skills/Skill Specialisations

To give Fighter some limited skill monkeying.

If you want to know what the rules I've got in mind for character creation: Characters gain a number of specialisations equal to their proficiency modifier.

Action Surge

The extra surge is to striaghten out the post 11th level fall-off. The bonus action thing is mostly so that Two-Weapon fighting isn't punished on action surge turns.

Combat Manoeuvres

Fighter early game is strong. That's my rationale for why they get 4 superiority dice at d8 at 9th, even though that's what Battlemasters get that at 3rd.

Yes starting at d4 is to blunt multiclass dipping too. As it stands if you dip fighter, you're dipping Battlemaster anyway. If you're getting the benefits of something like Samurai and the benefits of Battlemaster, then something has to give.

Know Your Enemy

At 2nd level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:

• Strength score
• Dexterity score
• Constitution score
• Armour Class
• Current hit points
• Total class levels (if any)
• Fighter class levels (if any)

Martial Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype from the list available that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, and 18th level.

The list is: Arcane Archer, Banneret, Battlemaster, Cavalier, Champion, Eldritch Knight, Samurai

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th levels you gain +2 to one ability score, or +1 to two ability scores. You cannot raise an ability score above 20 this way.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.

Combat Mastery

Beginning at 5th level, when you make a weapon attack, 1s are no longer automisses for you (n.b. this does not add to your attack roll, just prevents 1s from missing if such a roll would still beat the target's AC).

If your game contains critical failure rules, you can no longer make a critical failure on a weapon attack roll.

Indomitable

Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

You can use this feature twice between rests starting at 13th level and three times between rests starting at 17th level.

Relentless

Starting at 11th level, when you roll initiative and have no superiority dice remaining, you regain 1 superiority die.

Breach

At 15th level, when you roll the maximum number on a weapon damage die, you may roll it again and add it to the total damage.

Know Your Enemy

Fighters don't get enough Roleplay utility. Given their niche is 'I'm here because of my skill', it makes sense that all fighters, not just one archetype, would be able to size people up.

Wait, Battlemaster is still listed in the Archetypes?

I'll get to that in part 2, but yes. Yes it is. The deal here is that Battlemasters is that they're better at using superority dice than other fighters.

Combat Mastery

99% of the time this feature will never come up. That 1% of the time however...

Essentially it was brought to my attention that Fighters have a static 5% (1/20) chance per attack to automiss. Barbarians using Reckless have a 0.25% (1/400) chance per attack to automiss.

Yes this is also to futureproof myself on crit failure rules I plan to write.

Indomitable on Short Rest?

Let me introduce you to another reason why multiclassing out of Fighter is a good idea.

Zealot Barbarians, at 6th level get this feature:

"Fanatical Focus

Starting at 6th level, the divine power that fuels your rage can protect you. If you fail a saving throw while you're raging, you can reroll it, and you must use the new roll. You can use this ability only once per rage."

At 6th, Barbarians get 4 rages per long rest. So a 6th level Zealot can reroll 4 saves per long rest, while a 9th level Fighter can only reroll 1. Granted, the Barbarian one is conditional on rage, but how often do you roll saves outside of combat? The answer for Barbarian: When they use their Danger Sense feature instead.

At the very least, Indomitable on a Short Rest means your fighter can take more risks with the exploration pillar of the game, because burning an indomitable on accidently triggering a trap isn't going to screw them over on crucial saves come the next encounter.

Relentless at 11th?

I keep coming back to the post 11th drop off. It's that much of a big deal with Fighter.

Breach?

The idea is to smooth out the 11-19 dip.

Manoeuvres

Manoeuvres are broken up into categories: Command, Tactical, Assault, Defensive and Utility.

Command

Command Manoeuvres give aid to your allies, conferring benefits and coordination ono the battlefield.

Command Manoeuvres have no special rules or benefits compared to other categories, save whatever your allies can offer. Better use of these manoeuvres requires an understanding of your allies' capabilities.

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• Commander's Strike. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. When this manoeuvre is paired with an Assault Manoeuvre, the creature benefitting from the Commander's Strike also gains the benefits of that paired Assault Manoeuvre. If the paired manoeuvre requires a melee attack, then the creature benefitting from the Commander's Strike may only benefit from any from the extra damage provided by the added superiority dice if they are also making a melee attack.
• Distracting Strike. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. Until the beginning of your next turn, another creature may choose to leverage this distraction, gaining advantage on their next weapon attack on it. That attack adds your superiority die to the damage.
• Manoeuvering Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack. If they use their reaction for this movement, you also do not provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.
• Rally. On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma modifier. If the creature has a frighten or charm condition on them when they gain these temporary HP, they may make spend their reaction to immediately make another saving throw to break the condition. You can use this feature so long as you can either speak or gesture clearly; a condition has to remove your ability to do both to prevent you from using this feature.

Changes

No special rules needed, other rules injected elsewhere in the Duncehack should be more than abusable for these manoeuvres.

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• Commander's Strike. Removed bonus action requirement. Clarified that it can be paired properly with the Assault Manoeuvres. Yes, you can donate 2 superiority dice to the crit-fishing Barbarian's damage. You're welcome.
• Distracting Strike. Rewrote it so it's less reliant on perfect initiative order to actually use.
• Manoeuvring Attack. Gave full movement as part of the reaction of Manoeuvring attack. Manoeuvring attack is there for extracting friendlies out of a bad situation and half movement isn't enough to allow it to happen.
• Rally. The added line about suffering conditions in Rally isn't a buff so much as a clarification in my honest opinion (at least, when I DM). So if you've had you're restrained, you can still use your bonus action to get it off unless you're gagged too. The rest, about rerolling frighten or charm conditions however, yes, straight up a buff.

Rationale

Commander's Strike was always theoretically strong because of it's ability to allow crit fishing party members more chance to do so, but the issue with white-room theorycrafting is that it doesn't take into account that trip attack increases the average damage of everyone in the party (at least, until that creature's initiative step). The cost of bonus action, weapon attack and party member reaction to make it work was steep.

Distracting Strike was done just to make the damn thing usable.

Manoeuvreing Attack To make it easier to save the wizard from a bad time.

Rally on paper is really strong, as it's a Temporary HP version of healing word, that scales up to d12 instead of being stuck on a d4. Thing is, Temporary HP. You can't use it to bring someone back from 0hp (i.e. unconscious), which is one of the most important uses of healing word. The argument that it does come back on a short rest does hold up I'll admit, but there's a few other short-rest healing features in the game already (Life Cleric Channel Divinity for one) that eclipse Rally in terms of usefulness. A situational benefit to disrupt two of the most common conditions seems like an okay way of bridging this.

Tactical

Tactical Manoeuvres affect opponents directly, having a component that forces a saving roll from the opponent.

If the attack hits, can spend your reaction and an additional superiority die on any Tactical Manoeuvre to increase your save DC by an amount equal to the amount shown on that Superiority die. This second superiority die is not added to the damage.

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• Disarming Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet. This counts as a disarm action for features that modify disarm rules.
• Goading Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
• Menacing Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
• Pushing Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet in any direction you choose. This counts as a shove action for features that modify shove rules.
• Trip Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target down. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone. This counts as a shove action for features that modify shove rules.
• Restraining Strike. Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action to grapple the target (see chapter 9 in the Player’s Handbook for rules on grappling). Add the superiority die to your Strength (Athletics) check. The target is also restrained while grappled in this way.

Tactical

The ability to spend a second superiority die to ramp the save DC was a hard call, as fighters can already go full SAD on the DC of a manoeuvre (as they're based on your Str, Dex, of if you're using my Battlemaster, Int - player's choice).

But in saying that, Superiority dice are a steep opportunity cost for any non-battlemaster - as they only get 6 per short rest by 20th and I honestly don't foresee it actually used all that often.

Well, unless we're talking about Menacing attack.

I don't think this is a problem though, they are spending opportunity costs that would otherwise be spent on damage for it, so there is a meaningful tradeoff worth considering for the player. Also, the reaction cost is there as both a flavour 'I'm going all in' thing, and a mechanical tradeoff that failure is going to leave you open.

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• Disarming Attack. 'This counts as a disarm action for features that modify disarm rules.' This means that rules that would improve your chances to disarm also benefit this attack.
• Trip Attack. 'This counts as a shove action for features that modify shove rules'. This means that things like the slam rule in my Combat Options writeup modifies this attack.
• Pushing Attack. 'This counts as a shove action for features that modify shove rules' So, with the understanding that my Combat Options writeup has a rule where pushing people into walls can potentially do damage (To put it another way, you can potentially do weapon damage + up to 3d4 bludgeoning if you've set it up right). Pair this with the slam rule from that same writeup (where you gain an extra 5ft of shove with a heavy weapon), and it improves even further.
• Restraining Strike. I didn't make any changes here, I just wanted to point out that my changes to base rules for grappling meant I didn't have to.

The others don't really need further changes, as the Tactical Special rule is more than enough love for Menacing and Trip, already two of the best manoeuvres on the list

Assault

Assault Manoeuvres are no-frills combat options designed to unload damage, or increase your chances of such.

Assault Manoeuvres may be paired with another Non-Assault manoeuvre. No more than two Manoeuvres may be attached to a weapon attack this way. If both would add superiority dice to the damage, then both dice are spent and applied (or wasted if you miss) to the attack's damage roll. If any of the manoeuvres would add an affect (such as the frightened condition on the Menacing Attack Manoeuvre), then it is also applied to the weapon attack in this way.

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• Feinting Attack. You can expend one superiority die on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. Until you successfully hit the creature, or your turn ends, you weapon attacks against that creature are made at advantage. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. If your turn ends without successfully hitting the creature, the superiority die is still spent.
• Lunging Attack. When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. Until you make the attack, you may also spend a bonus action to take the dash action directly towards a creature (This movement still provokes opportunity attacks however). If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
• Precision Attack. When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
• Sweeping Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die. If the initial creature would be reduced to 0 during this attack, any remainder is passed onto the second creature. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.
• Riposte. When a creature attacks you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. If the attack missed, or you reduced the damage to 0 by another feature or ability, you can use this manoeuvre without spending a reaction.
• Ambush. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can expend one superiority die and add the die to the roll. You can add the supriority die to the roll before, or after the d20 roll, but before the results are determined. So long as you spend a superiority die on the Dexterity (Stealth) check, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action. As long as you were hidden, or if the target is surprised, when you make a weapon attack, you can spend a superiority die to add to both the attack and the damage rolls.
• Brace. When an enemy you can see moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to expend one superiority die and make one weapon attack against that creature. If the attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll. Whether or not the attack hits, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to the result of the Superiority die against the next attack roll against you.
• Snipe As a bonus action, you can expend one superiority die and make a ranged weapon attack. You can draw a thrown weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.

Assault

The Assault special rule shouldgo a long way to helping these manoeuvres, as they all effectively let you double up with other manoeuvres now. Lunge + Menacing immediately springs to mind, as does Sweeping + Trip.

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• Feinting Attack. Removed the bonus action requirement, allowed advantage until you successfully hit (or until turn ends). You're already burning a superiority die with no guarantee of a return on investment, so...
• Lunging Attack. Gave it aggressive. The lunge on its own is... well, niche.
• Sweeping Attack. Remainder damage is passed onto the second creature. Didn't want to just double up the damage, too much damage for too little a cost.
• Riposte. Can use even if enemy hits. May use without reaction if enemy misses. Reasoning is: you're spending superiority die and reaction on the chance of landing an attack on a conditional trigger that you wait on. I was debating, umming and erring and going back and forth for ages about whether or not it's better to have a condition that removes the superiority die cost or the reaction cost, given that it is a 2/3rds increase in damage over other uses of superiority dice. In saying that however, it is an increase that lacks a rider. Went with the condition that removes reaction as a buff to sword and board users as well as Cavaliers who want to use it. I've erred on the side of not allowing superiority refunds in the end simply because I can see... issues that way.
• Ambush. Added the second half with the 'supriority die to both attack and damage roll', to give some more payoff to actually trying to hide, and added the part where 'so long as you spend a superiority die, you can hide as bonus action' to make you better at being a budget Rogue.
• Brace. Added the AC part so that the manoeuvre actually lives up to its name.

Defensive

Defensive Manoeuvres are exactly what they sound like - Manoeuvres focused on reducing incoming harm rather than outgoing damage.

Defensive Manoeuvres aren't applied to attacks, meaning that they can be used without interfering with any other manoeuvres.

You can spend any number of superiority dice, so long as you have that many dice remaining, to further increase the benefits of a defensive manoeuvre.

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• Evasive Footwork. When you move, you can expend one superiority die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC until the end of your turn. Creatures you attack during this time cannot make attacks of opportunity against you. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may regain this AC bonus against a single weapon attack against you (i.e. you cannot regain the AC again against an incoming attack until you spend another superiority die on this manoeuvre).
• Parry. When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier. You may use this manoeuvre without the usage of a superiority die by spending your reaction, instead reducing the damage by number equal to your Dexterity modifier.
• Bait and Switch When you’re within 5 feet of an ally on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and switch places with that ally, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the superiority die. Until the start of your next turn, the ally gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled. You also gain Temporary HP equal to the number rolled + Your Constitution Modifier.

Utility

Utility Manoeuvres are focued more on out-of-combat utility.

Utility Manoeuvres can always add a d4 for its relevent checks instead of spending a Superiority die.

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• Silver Tongue. When you make a Charisma (Deception) check or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can expend one superiority die, and add the superiority die to the ability check. You can add the supriority die to the roll before, or after the d20 roll, but before the results are determined.
• Studious Eye. When you make a Wisdom (Insight) check or an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can expend one superiority die, and add the superiority die to the ability check. You can add the supriority die to the roll before, or after the d20 roll, but before the results are determined.

Defensive

The ability to pump Defensive manoeuvres is the biggest deal here, a solid parry can completely eliminate the damage of an opponent, but at the cost of most of your superiority pool.

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• Evasive Footwork. Added the one-attack AC on Evasive Footwork, added the part where you no longer trigger opportunity attacks on dudes you hit. You shouldn't really be planning for failure, and spending a manoeuvre slot on a 'disengage, but not as good' feature seems a bit of a waste with what else is on offer.
• Parry. Removed reaction requirement when spending superiority die. You can use this feature without a superiority die (naturally not gaining damage reduction from it) by spending a reaction instead. Should make this far more appealing as a fighter dual wielding rapiers now has a reliable defensive reaction.
• Bait and Switch. Added the Temp. HP thing to make it less of a risk on the fighter to play hero of the day. Ran through several iterations, but the Temp. HP thing is the one that is less abusable overall.

Utility

My singular change is like a hugely limited guidance cantrip but without the obviousness of you praying to yourself every minute!

Added the 'You can add the supriority die to the roll before, or after the d20 roll, but before the results are determined' because I felt that needed to be specified.