Stance-Master

A Tactical Versatility

Most warriors specialise in one fighting style, whereas the Stance-Dancer aims to reap the benefits of all disciplines. They are capable of honing in their focus on one style of combat at a time, shielding themselves and their allies, lashing out with adrenaline-fuelling blows, or pushing foes aside with sweeping strikes.

A Stance-Dancer applies this philosophy to all elements of their discipline. As they train further, a Stance-Dancer becomes able to weave between techniques mid-attack, surprising their foe and unbalancing them when they change tactics. This soon carries over to their choice of weapons, turning a Stance-Dancer into a walking armoury. Finally, they cover their last base and fatal flaw with rigid discipline, honing their focus like a blade upon a whetstone at will, becoming forces to be reckoned with whilst their willpower endures.

Stance Mastery

When you choose this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, your mastery over various fighting forms grants you an incredible versatility in combat.

When you take this feature at 3rd level, you gain an additional passive benefits, called stances. You may only be effected by one stance at a time. You do not gain the benefit of a stance if you are incapacitated or surprised.

You may enter a stance whenever you roll initiative. You may also enter or change your stance as a bonus action. In both cases, a stance lasts until the end of your next turn.

You may enter a stance twice before requiring a short or long rest to enter a stance again. You gain an additional use per short or long rest at 7th, 10th and 15th level.

The stances are as follows:

Defensive Stance. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack whilst in your defensive stance, you may give them disadvantage on their next attack roll if the target of the attack is a creature other than you.

At 10th level, you may give a creature disadvantage on their next two attack rolls, if the target of the attack is a creature other than you.

Berserker Stance. Whilst in your berserker stance, your blood-lust empowers your blows.

Once per turn, if you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may deal an additional 1d6 damage.

At 10th level, the additional damage granted by your berserker stance is increased to 1d8.

Battle Stance. Whilst in your battle stance, your weapon swings cleave your enemies.

Once per turn, if you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may deal damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier to a creature within 5ft of your target.

At 10th level, you may deal damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier to up to two creatures who are within 5ft of your target.

Versatility

At 7th level, your jack-of-all-trades nature has given you a unique perspective on the flow of combat, allowing you to come through with solutions to unique problems at the best of times.

When you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom-based skill check, you may spend a use of this feature to add your proficiency bonus to the check even if you are not proficient in that skill.

If you are proficient in that skill, you may double your proficiency bonus for that skill.

You may use this feature once before requiring a short or long rest to use it again. At 15th level, you may use it twice before requiring a short or long rest to use it again.

Finishing Flourish

At 10th level, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack on your turn, you may substitute the attack's normal damage for a flourish effect. Doing so ends the stance early, and the flourish effect's results differ depending on the stance you were in.

If your stance has an on-hit effect, that effect is substituted for the flourish along with the damage.

If you end a stance in this way, you may not enter a new stance until the start of your next turn.

Some of your flourishes may require a saving throw to resist their effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Flourish save DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + Your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

The flourish attacks are as follows:

Defensive Stance Flourish: Shockwave. You slam or fire your weapon into the ground, creating a shock-wave intended to disorient your foe. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw or become knocked prone and have their speed reduced to 10ft until the start of your next turn.

Berserker Stance Flourish: Bloodlust. You strike a vicious blow intended to fuel your bloodlust. The target creature suffers 1d8 damage of your weapon's damage type, and you may gain an amount of temporary hitpoints equal to your Fighter Level + your Constitution modifier. These temporary hit points fade after a minute.

Battle Stance Flourish: Colossus Smash. You attempt to sunder your opponents armour with a vicious blow. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or have their AC reduced by 3 until the start of your next turn.

Battlehunger

At 15th level, if you roll initiative and have zero stance uses remaining, you may regain one use of your stance feature. You may use this regained use to enter a stance at the start of initiative, as per normal.

Mastery

At 18th level, your stances now last for one minute, instead of until the end of your next turn. You also gain a use of your Versatility feature when you roll initiative.

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Changelog (v. 0.1):

  • Stances are now a short-rest resource.
  • Stances are now renamed.
  • Stances have been redesinged.
  • Stances may now be entered as a bonus action, but only last until the end of your next turn.
  • Fluidity has been replaced with Finishing Flourish, introducing the Flourish mechanic.
  • Weapons-master has been replaced with Battlehunger.
  • Heightened Stance has been replaced with Mastery.
  • Versatility's 18th level upgrade has been moved to Mastery.