Rerem115
2016-04-25, 07:37 PM
I was talking with some friends about how broken the Swashbuckler was. We started shooting the breeze, trying to find ways to fix it. Eventually, we decided to scrap the base and create a whole new class. The end result can best be described as a fighter-rogue hybrid that places heavy emphasis on dueling the opponent. Any thoughts regarding balance? Is this a viable class? If not, what would you change?
Duelist
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
1
2
Contested Duel, Unarmored Defense
2
2
Fighting Style
3
2
Archetype, Precision
4
2
Ability Score Improvement
5
3
Extra Attack
6
3
Archetype Ability
7
3
Duelist’s Grace
8
3
Ability Score Improvement
9
4
Archetype Ability
10
4
Watchful Fighter
11
4
Extra Attack(2)
12
4
Ability Score Improvement
13
5
Contested Duel improvement
14
5
Unflappable Duelist
15
5
Archetype Ability
16
5
Ability Score Improvement
17
6
Diplomatic Fighter
18
6
Grandmaster
19
6
Ability Score Improvement
20
6
Extra Attack (3)
Duelists are masters of one-on-one combat. They focus on quickly and elegantly dispatching one opponent at a time.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per duelist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Duelist level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Choose a kind of gaming set or musical instrument
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Sleight of Hand, Insight, Persuasion, Performance and Perception
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a martial weapon and two daggers or (b) two martial weapons
(a) a gaming set or (b) a musical instrument
(a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a diplomat's pack
Traveler's clothes
Contested Duel
Using a bonus action, you challenge a creature into a duel. One creature that you can see within 30 feet and can understand at least one language you speak must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8+Proficiency+Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the creature is compelled by your challenge to fight you. For up to a minute, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and is unable to move into a space that is more than 30 feet away from you.
The ability ends if you attack any other creature or if you cast a spell that targets a hostile creature other than the target, or move more than 30 feet away from the target.
Starting at 1st level, you can use this ability 1 time per short rest. At 13th level, this increases to 1+ your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) times per short rest
Unarmored Defense
Starting at first level, when you are wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 10+ your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a 2+ bonus to damage rolls with that weapon
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack.
Mariner
As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Hand-and-a-Half Fighter
Versatile weapons gain +1 to damage while wielded in one hand, and +1 to hit when wielded in two hands. In addition, versatile weapons can be used as though they had the finesse property.
Archetype
Starting at 3rd level, you choose a Duelist Archetype to follow. Choose the Challenger or the Wanderer, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, and 15th levels.
Precision
When you target a foe with Contested Duel, you study their habits in order to accurately strike their weak points. For up to a minute, you add your proficiency modifier to damage rolls made on the target, so long as you have only one adjacent enemy and no adjacent allies, and are able to maintain concentration. (It is your decision to duel the target, so you may apply the damage even if the target makes the save and decides it doesn’t want to duel you.)
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
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 18th level in this class.
Duelist's Grace
You are capable of focusing all your attention on one enemy. When you have only one enemy adjacent to you and no adjacent allies, you gain advantage on all attack rolls and Acrobatics and Athletics checks. You may use your bonus action to disengage from an enemy.
Watchful Fighter
Your focus on the enemy helps you dodge their attacks. Starting at 10th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
Unflappable Duelist
Starting at 14th level, you gain advantage on all saves to resist charm and fear.
Diplomatic Fighter
Your fighting skill inspires people to follow and listen to you. Starting at 17th level, your Charisma score increases by 1, up to a max of 20, and you gain proficiency with any two skills that are influenced by Charisma, or gain expertise in up to two Charisma based skills you are already proficient in.
Grandmaster
You are now considered to be one of the most perilous fighters in the land. Books have been written and songs have been sung of your exploits, and have finally made you into somewhat of a celebrity. Starting at 18th level, while you have only one adjacent enemy and no adjacent allies, you may add one half of your Charisma modifier, rounded down to damage.
Archetypes
At third level, you may choose between two archetypes: the Challenger, and the Wanderer. Each archetype offers bonuses upon joining, and more bonuses at 6th, 9th, and 15th level.
Challenger
Challengers are devoted to the idea of improving their fighting ability, which to them is an art form. They try to overwhelm their enemies with precise, meaningful strikes. They focus on accuracy, defense, and counterattacking their opponent.
Student of Fencing
You have studied the best fighters of history, and you learned some of their techniques. Starting at 3rd level, you gain 4 fencing points. Then number of fencing points increases to 6 at 6th, 8 at 9th, and 10 at 15th level. You can expend your fencing points to perform the following maneuvers, but you cannot expend more than three per round. You may choose three known maneuvers at 3rd level, and 2 more at 6th, 9th, and one more at 15th level. Note that while some of these maneuvers are similar to those of a battle master or share the same name, they vary from those maneuvers in notable ways. You regain all spent fencing points after a short or long rest.
Note: For maneuvers that require a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier unless stated otherwise.
Incapacitating Strike: When attempting to attack a creature, you may spend two fencing points in order to perform an incapacitating strike. If your attack is successful, choose one of the following actions: ear slap (deafen), glinting blade (blind), or foot stomp (movement speed is reduced to zero). The enemy may make a Constitution save to avoid the effects. Status effects from this maneuver last a single round and are only effective if the target is not immune to critical hits and has the appropriate body parts.
Disarm: Instead of taking an Attack action, you may spend 1 fencing point in an attempt to disarm your target. The target must make a Dexterity save. On a failed save, an item of your choice carried by the target lands on a random, unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.
Evasive Footwork: When you move, you can expend one fencing point, gaining +3 to your AC until you stop moving.
Feint: You can spend two fencing points and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on the next roll you make against that creature with your next Attack action
Heartseeker: Before making an attack against your opponent, you may spend two fencing points to aim your blade for the target's most vital area, allowing you to critically strike on an 18-20.
Lunge: You may spend one fencing point to move up to 5' towards an enemy as part of your Attack action.
Parry: When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can spend one fencing point to use your reaction to reduce the damage by the total of 1d6+ your Dexterity modifier.
Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and spend one fencing point to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you may add another damage die to the damage roll.
Defensive Studies
At 6th level, you get Evasion. You can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Dazzling Flourish
Your have attained a level of skill with your weapon that allows you baffle your foes even if you make mistakes. At 9th level, if you take an Attack action and miss any of your attacks, you may regain one fencing point. You may use this ability once per short rest.
Brilliant Riposte
At 15th level, when successfully using the parry or riposte maneuvers, you may immediately make an additional attack against the attacker as a part of your reaction. You can use a fencing point to gain an additional reaction.
Wanderer
Wanderers travel the land in search of worthy opponents. They are hardy, devastating fighters that focus on overpowering their enemies with their speed and devastating attacks.
Agile Warrior
Your travels have honed your agility. Starting at 3rd level, you gain 10 additional feet of movement speed and ignore non-magical difficult terrain. Your experiences also give you proficiency in either Survival or Nature (pick one).
Wanderer’s Fervor
Your passion for battle grants you the strength to hit harder. Starting at 6th level, when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon you are wielding, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
Decisive Charge
You have learned that the safest way to win fights is to end them before they can start. Starting at 9th level, when you roll initiative, you gain a special turn that takes place before other creatures can act. On this turn, you can use your action to Attack and use Contested Duel. If more than one creature in an encounter has a feature that allows them to take a bonus turn when they roll initiative, they all act first in order of initiative, then the regular initiative order begins. If you would normally be surprised at the start of an encounter, you are not surprised but you do not gain this extra turn.
Relentless Assault
Starting at 15th level, you have the ability to ensure that your attacks count. If you miss with an attack during your turn, you can immediately make an additional attack. You can gain up to one additional attack during your turn with this ability. You can use this ability up to 5 times per long rest.
Duelist
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
1
2
Contested Duel, Unarmored Defense
2
2
Fighting Style
3
2
Archetype, Precision
4
2
Ability Score Improvement
5
3
Extra Attack
6
3
Archetype Ability
7
3
Duelist’s Grace
8
3
Ability Score Improvement
9
4
Archetype Ability
10
4
Watchful Fighter
11
4
Extra Attack(2)
12
4
Ability Score Improvement
13
5
Contested Duel improvement
14
5
Unflappable Duelist
15
5
Archetype Ability
16
5
Ability Score Improvement
17
6
Diplomatic Fighter
18
6
Grandmaster
19
6
Ability Score Improvement
20
6
Extra Attack (3)
Duelists are masters of one-on-one combat. They focus on quickly and elegantly dispatching one opponent at a time.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per duelist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Duelist level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Choose a kind of gaming set or musical instrument
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Sleight of Hand, Insight, Persuasion, Performance and Perception
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a martial weapon and two daggers or (b) two martial weapons
(a) a gaming set or (b) a musical instrument
(a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a diplomat's pack
Traveler's clothes
Contested Duel
Using a bonus action, you challenge a creature into a duel. One creature that you can see within 30 feet and can understand at least one language you speak must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8+Proficiency+Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the creature is compelled by your challenge to fight you. For up to a minute, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and is unable to move into a space that is more than 30 feet away from you.
The ability ends if you attack any other creature or if you cast a spell that targets a hostile creature other than the target, or move more than 30 feet away from the target.
Starting at 1st level, you can use this ability 1 time per short rest. At 13th level, this increases to 1+ your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) times per short rest
Unarmored Defense
Starting at first level, when you are wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 10+ your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a 2+ bonus to damage rolls with that weapon
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack.
Mariner
As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Hand-and-a-Half Fighter
Versatile weapons gain +1 to damage while wielded in one hand, and +1 to hit when wielded in two hands. In addition, versatile weapons can be used as though they had the finesse property.
Archetype
Starting at 3rd level, you choose a Duelist Archetype to follow. Choose the Challenger or the Wanderer, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, and 15th levels.
Precision
When you target a foe with Contested Duel, you study their habits in order to accurately strike their weak points. For up to a minute, you add your proficiency modifier to damage rolls made on the target, so long as you have only one adjacent enemy and no adjacent allies, and are able to maintain concentration. (It is your decision to duel the target, so you may apply the damage even if the target makes the save and decides it doesn’t want to duel you.)
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
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 18th level in this class.
Duelist's Grace
You are capable of focusing all your attention on one enemy. When you have only one enemy adjacent to you and no adjacent allies, you gain advantage on all attack rolls and Acrobatics and Athletics checks. You may use your bonus action to disengage from an enemy.
Watchful Fighter
Your focus on the enemy helps you dodge their attacks. Starting at 10th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
Unflappable Duelist
Starting at 14th level, you gain advantage on all saves to resist charm and fear.
Diplomatic Fighter
Your fighting skill inspires people to follow and listen to you. Starting at 17th level, your Charisma score increases by 1, up to a max of 20, and you gain proficiency with any two skills that are influenced by Charisma, or gain expertise in up to two Charisma based skills you are already proficient in.
Grandmaster
You are now considered to be one of the most perilous fighters in the land. Books have been written and songs have been sung of your exploits, and have finally made you into somewhat of a celebrity. Starting at 18th level, while you have only one adjacent enemy and no adjacent allies, you may add one half of your Charisma modifier, rounded down to damage.
Archetypes
At third level, you may choose between two archetypes: the Challenger, and the Wanderer. Each archetype offers bonuses upon joining, and more bonuses at 6th, 9th, and 15th level.
Challenger
Challengers are devoted to the idea of improving their fighting ability, which to them is an art form. They try to overwhelm their enemies with precise, meaningful strikes. They focus on accuracy, defense, and counterattacking their opponent.
Student of Fencing
You have studied the best fighters of history, and you learned some of their techniques. Starting at 3rd level, you gain 4 fencing points. Then number of fencing points increases to 6 at 6th, 8 at 9th, and 10 at 15th level. You can expend your fencing points to perform the following maneuvers, but you cannot expend more than three per round. You may choose three known maneuvers at 3rd level, and 2 more at 6th, 9th, and one more at 15th level. Note that while some of these maneuvers are similar to those of a battle master or share the same name, they vary from those maneuvers in notable ways. You regain all spent fencing points after a short or long rest.
Note: For maneuvers that require a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier unless stated otherwise.
Incapacitating Strike: When attempting to attack a creature, you may spend two fencing points in order to perform an incapacitating strike. If your attack is successful, choose one of the following actions: ear slap (deafen), glinting blade (blind), or foot stomp (movement speed is reduced to zero). The enemy may make a Constitution save to avoid the effects. Status effects from this maneuver last a single round and are only effective if the target is not immune to critical hits and has the appropriate body parts.
Disarm: Instead of taking an Attack action, you may spend 1 fencing point in an attempt to disarm your target. The target must make a Dexterity save. On a failed save, an item of your choice carried by the target lands on a random, unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.
Evasive Footwork: When you move, you can expend one fencing point, gaining +3 to your AC until you stop moving.
Feint: You can spend two fencing points and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on the next roll you make against that creature with your next Attack action
Heartseeker: Before making an attack against your opponent, you may spend two fencing points to aim your blade for the target's most vital area, allowing you to critically strike on an 18-20.
Lunge: You may spend one fencing point to move up to 5' towards an enemy as part of your Attack action.
Parry: When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can spend one fencing point to use your reaction to reduce the damage by the total of 1d6+ your Dexterity modifier.
Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and spend one fencing point to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you may add another damage die to the damage roll.
Defensive Studies
At 6th level, you get Evasion. You can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Dazzling Flourish
Your have attained a level of skill with your weapon that allows you baffle your foes even if you make mistakes. At 9th level, if you take an Attack action and miss any of your attacks, you may regain one fencing point. You may use this ability once per short rest.
Brilliant Riposte
At 15th level, when successfully using the parry or riposte maneuvers, you may immediately make an additional attack against the attacker as a part of your reaction. You can use a fencing point to gain an additional reaction.
Wanderer
Wanderers travel the land in search of worthy opponents. They are hardy, devastating fighters that focus on overpowering their enemies with their speed and devastating attacks.
Agile Warrior
Your travels have honed your agility. Starting at 3rd level, you gain 10 additional feet of movement speed and ignore non-magical difficult terrain. Your experiences also give you proficiency in either Survival or Nature (pick one).
Wanderer’s Fervor
Your passion for battle grants you the strength to hit harder. Starting at 6th level, when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon you are wielding, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
Decisive Charge
You have learned that the safest way to win fights is to end them before they can start. Starting at 9th level, when you roll initiative, you gain a special turn that takes place before other creatures can act. On this turn, you can use your action to Attack and use Contested Duel. If more than one creature in an encounter has a feature that allows them to take a bonus turn when they roll initiative, they all act first in order of initiative, then the regular initiative order begins. If you would normally be surprised at the start of an encounter, you are not surprised but you do not gain this extra turn.
Relentless Assault
Starting at 15th level, you have the ability to ensure that your attacks count. If you miss with an attack during your turn, you can immediately make an additional attack. You can gain up to one additional attack during your turn with this ability. You can use this ability up to 5 times per long rest.