Combat Styles: Expanded and combined Fighting Styles and Weapon Masteries

[Greenfaun]

Hi all, I did a thing! It started about a year ago as a reaction to Playtest 6, specifically wanting to revise Monks in a completely different way. I came up with some different unarmed fighting styles to act like Weapon Masteries, but for unarmed strikes, and to differentiate different types of monks.. This was interesting, but I couldn’t really make it work, and then I sort of began thinking that all the fighting styles could work this way, giving each character a small module of a few benefits and maneuvers that could make them seem to have their own distinct fighting style. This seemed like a potentially fun idea, but it would also be a lot of work, so I put it down for a few months. Well, a few weeks ago I picked it back up, and I think I’ve got a first draft I can show people.

Basically, the idea is Combat Styles as a version of Fighting Styles, still representing something like a Martial Art or similar intensive training, based on a type of weapon, a type of unarmed combat, or a tactical theme. Each Combat Style has several features (currently several have too many, but I want feedback before cutting) that absorbs concepts from the Weapon Masteries in the playtests, as well as other maneuver-like systems like the battlemaster or a5e or 4e.
I want this to exist as a middle ground between “I’ll play a fighter it’s super simple and I’ll just make the same attack roll every round” and “We’re using this martial maneuvers system from the internet, now fighters aren’t boring anymore but my DM and I both have to get familiar with 97 new maneuvers and my turns will all take as long as the Wizard’s to resolve.” Basically more like how in 4e every class got at least a couple of At-will or passive powers that defined the basic playstyle of the class, so you start with a few choices but it doesn’t balloon out to more and more choices and bog you down.
I envision a player building a character and choosing a character trait for narrative or thematic reasons (including “because it’s cool”) and then finding a combat style that’s close to it. Like if you’re making a dwarf with a big axe you probably want the Chopper or Greataxe Wielder style, and if you want a Barbarian who recklessly runs in and starts hitting people very hard, but isn’t too attached to a particular kind of weapon you probably want the Charger style. This way you start with a concept for either what you fight with or how you fight right out of the gate, but all the features are selected together in a modular chunk and you don’t have to make any more decisions on character creation. Then, later, in combat you have a short list of options but can still make tactical decisions for the situation you’re in.
There are currently three types of Styles. Weapon Styles are focused on a particular type of weapon or a larger category of weapons that have a lot in common, Tactical Styles are based on a general concept of the role you play in a battle, like charging forward, defending your allies, or focusing on one opponent in a duel. Finally, Unarmed styles are the result of many rewrites of the changes I wanted to make to Monks. Each one enhances your ability to fight unarmed but with a different tactical focus, like punching, wrestling, etc. .

Design Goals:
* Cool, mechanically reasonable options for every archetype that comes from narrative/fantasy. I.E. Drizzt, Conan, and Boromir could all be made with this system and feel badass.
*At-will powers, no new resources to track. Trade-offs or costs to be paid within the features themselves, but definitely no “maneuver slots” or “Effort Points” or whatever. There are plenty of those already.
*Lots more for Martial types to do with their Bonus Actions and tactical movement
*I don’t believe that truly objective balance exists in TTRPGs, but they should still feel more balanced than the original options.
*Each fighting style should stand on its own, but also have synergy possibilities for characters (mostly Fighters) who will accumulate several over the course of leveling up their characters
*Modular to keep its scope well defined, different enough from the base game to have a reason to exist. Also different enough from one of the “battlemaster maneuvers for everyone” homebrews to have a reason to exist.

Feedback I’m looking for:
*First Impressions
*Legibility and comprehensibility
*Evaluation based on my goals
*What to cut: Some combat styles are currently a bit bloated with features, and arguably the list of styles is too long. At this point I have left in most of what I came up with, but I think it could be more concise.
*Build ideas, whether because you like them, or you want an idea to work better, or because you’ve found some broken interaction to be fixed

[Greenfaun]

How to use this homebrew:

These Combat Styles are all level 1 feats. To use them, DON’T use the original PHB Fighting Styles, the Weapon Masteries from the 2023/2024 playtests, and these feats: Charger, Dual Wielder, Grappler, Great Weapon Master, Gunner, Polearm Master, Shield Master
I haven’t done it yet but the following feats will also need attention, since there is some overlap with the fighting style feats: Crossbow Expert, Mounted Combatant, Sentinel, Tavern Brawler.
I’ll also need to figure out the Battlemaster subclass, since this does step on its toes a bit. I think Superiority dice and maneuvers that can always be used with any weapon/style are still relevant, but it’s definitely a question.

Fighters get a Fighting Style feat at 1st, a second at 2nd, and a third at 5th level. They can choose from any Fighting Style.
Barbarians get a Fighting Style at 1st, and another at 7th. Their list is: Charger, Chopper, Fustigator, Great Weapon Wielder, Living Weapon, Polearm Wielder, Slayer, Swordfighter, Thrower, Two Weapon Wielder, Wrestler
Monks get one of the Unarmed Fighting Styles as part of their Martial Arts package at 1st level, and another at 7th level from this list: Duellist, Fistfighter, Flagellator, Kickboxer, Living Weapon, Skirmisher, Slayer, Subtle Counterstriker, Swordfighter, Thrower, Two Weapon Wielder, Versatile Wielder, Wrestler
Paladin list: Charger, Defender, Duellist, Fustigator, Great Weapon Wielder, Polearm Wielder, Protector, Swordfighter, Versatile Wielder,
Ranger list: Ambusher, Archer, Chopper, Living Weapon, Skirmisher, Slayer, Swordfighter, Two Weapon Wielder, Versatile Wielder
Battlesmith Artificers, Swords Bards, Swashbuckler Rogues and Pact of the Blade warlocks should also probably get a style? These are also more questionable or would require more tweaking of other features.

New Conditions
These rules use the following new conditions, I don’t take credit for them, they have been passed around as house rules but these are my version::

Confused: A confused creature automatically suffers the Distracted Condition as long as it is Confused. In addition, it cannot cast spells or concentrate on spells and automatically fails Perception checks.

Dazed: A Dazed creature can only do one of the following on its turn: Move, use an Action, or
use a Bonus Action. Dazed creatures cannot take reactions and cannot maintain concentration on spells unless they use their one action to take the Use Magic action, spending it maintaining the concentration.

Distracted: A Distracted creature cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on Perception checks or a -5 penalty to its passive Perception.

[Greenfaun]

Combat Styles

Ambusher
Style: Tactical style. You must be proficient in the Stealth skill to learn this style.

Passive:
Ambuscade: Out of combat, at the DM’s discretion you may create a hidden trap or hiding spot, perhaps involving the use of special tools or possibly just with natural materials that are at hand. When you do so, the DC to notice or find the trap or hiding spot is equal to 12+your (Wisdom or Intelligence) bonus+ your proficiency bonus.
Guerilla Attack: When you are Prone, your ranged attack rolls do not have Disadvantage.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Blinding Strike: If this attack hits, it does half damage but causes your target to suffer the Blinded condition until and unless they spend an Action clearing their eyes, or receive any magical healing or restoration. Creatures without eyes or who have other senses that act like sight may be immune to this attack at the DM’s discretion.
Trap Triggering Tap: You may use your weapon attack to deliberately trigger a trap and use it against your enemies. You must be aware of the trap’s location and function, and it must be within reach/range of your weapon attack. If the trap would affect you, you automatically succeed in your saving throw. If the trap would affect your enemies, you may replace the trap’s normal attack bonus or save DC with your attack bonus or save DC for combat style features, but remember that any changes affect all creatures subject to the trap, including allies.
Vicious Attack: If this attack hits, it does +1d4 damage.

Bonus Actions:
Prepare to Strike: You take a moment to ready a devastating attack against a target who either is not currently in combat with you or cannot currently see you. Your next attack against that target has Advantage and when rolling damage, roll each die twice and keep the higher result.

Reactions:
Pick Your Moment: When you make an attack roll as part of a reaction, whether you are using a delayed action to attack, or making an opportunity attack, add a +2 bonus to your attack roll.

Archer
Style: Weapon Style. You must be proficient with bows or crossbows to learn this style. You must be wielding a bow or crossbow to use any of the features of this style.

Passive:
Elbow Room: At the beginning of your turn, if you have not been the target of a melee attack since your last turn ended and no hostile creatures are adjacent to you, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with bows and crossbows during this turn.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Arcing Shot: You shoot an arrow or bolt at a high angle, so it flies up and then arcs back down at your target, gaining improved range and a different angle of attack at the expense of accuracy. When using this shot, you do not need line of sight to your target as long as you know its location. You target a 5-ft space of ground with this attack, not a creature. The target number for this attack is 15 within normal range, 18 within maximum range, or 20 out to double the weapon’s usual maximum range. If this attack misses, roll a d8 to see which adjacent square the arrow falls in instead. Any creature within the square it falls into then gets a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the arrow, with Advantage if they have a shield or any other way of gaining cover against an attack from above.
Distracting Shot: If this attack hits, it causes the Distracted condition.
Point Blank Shot: you can shoot a bow or crossbow as a melee weapon attack instead of a ranged weapon attack.
Slowing Shot: You may shoot at the body parts a creature needs to move. If your attack hits, it reduces the speed of your target by 10 ft until it (or any other creature) uses an action to pull out the arrow. (The speed reduction from this special attack does not stack with itself or with Slowing Strike from other styles)

Bonus Actions:
Careful Aim: you may spend a bonus action taking aim at a particular foe you can see. You gain advantage on the next ranged weapon attack you make against that target before the end of your turn, and when rolling damage for that attack roll each die twice and take the highest result.

Reactions:
None.

Charger
Style: Tactical Style. You must be proficient with Athletics to learn this style.

Passive:
Cavalry Charger: If you are riding a mount, you may use its movement speed as if it were your own for all interactions with the features of this Combat Style.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Charger’s Strike: When you use the Ramming Speed bonus action, you may make this attack. Add 1d6 damage to your damage roll if it hits.
Bull Rush: You may make an improved version of the shove option when you make an unarmed strike. When you successfully shove a creature away from yourself, you may follow after it and continue to push it ahead of you as you move. While pushing a creature in front of you, your movement cost may change depending on its size relative to you (or your mount). If the creature is smaller, your speed does not change. If the creature is your size you use up 10 ft of movement to go 5 ft. If the creature is larger, you use up 15 ft of movement to move 5 ft.
You only need to successfully shove the creature at the first contact, then you may move the creature as far as you have movement for. Ramming Speed gives you advantage on the Athletics check to shove.
Toppling Strike: You may make a melee attack that does half damage but causes your target to become prone if it hits, as long as the target is no more than one size category larger than you.

Bonus Actions:
Gather Momentum: Whenever you use a melee weapon attack to make an enemy Dead, Unconscious, Incapacitated or Prone, you can immediately move up to half your speed as a Bonus action.
Ramming Speed: When you (or your mount) move at least 20 ft in a straight line, you may use your bonus action to immediately gain Advantage on the next melee attack you make using Strength this turn. You lose this benefit if you change direction or take any action other than attacking, but if you can make more than one attack with your attack action you can move another 10 ft to gain the benefit again before your turn ends.

Reactions:
None.


Chopper

Style: Weapon Style. You must be proficient with axes, picks, or sickles to learn this style. You must be wielding an axe, pick, sickle or a polearm that does slashing damage to use the features of this style.
Passive:
None.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Armor Rending Strike: This strike damages a target’s armor, whether worn or natural. Roll your attack normally but if you succeed, you do no damage, but instead reduce the target’s armor class by 2. This effect does not stack on its target. The target’s armor is returned to normal after a short or long rest. Your DM may rule that certain creatures, like Elementals and Constructs, have a body that is the same hardness throughout, and so this attack instead deals normal damage and has no effect on their AC.
Vicious Strike: If this strike hits, it does 1d4 extra damage.
Wide Swing: You may attack two targets within reach with one swing. Roll a separate attack against each target. If both attacks hit, the second target struck takes half damage.

Bonus Actions:
Backswing: You take a moment to swing your weapon back in order to swing with both force and accuracy. You have advantage on your next melee attack and if the attack hits, roll any damage dice twice and keep the highest result for each.
Cleave: If you make an attack that reduces its target’s hit points to zero, you may immediately use a bonus action to make another attack with the same weapon against another target within reach.
Reactions:
None.

Defender
Style: Weapon Style. You must be proficient with shields to learn this style. You must be wielding a shield to use any of the features of this style.

Passive:
Master of Deflection:
While you are wielding a Shield, the AC bonus from your shield becomes +3 instead of +2.

Actions:
Hunker Down: Using your shield as cover, you may take a more effective version of the Dodge action. All attacks that target you have disadvantage as usual, and you also gain a +2 bonus to your AC and you gain advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution Saving Throws (instead of only Dexterity) until the beginning of your next turn.

Attacks:
Addling Strike: You may make a melee weapon attack, and cause your target to have disadvantage on their next attack if it hits.

Bonus Actions:
Shield Bash: You may make a melee attack with a shield you are wielding as a bonus action, dealing 1d4+Str Bludgeoning Damage. Instead of doing damage, you may also choose to Shove your target with your shield, following the normal rules for an Unarmed Strike to shove an enemy backwards or prone, and gain a +2 bonus to your roll. .

Reactions:
Deflect Damage: If a weapon attack hits you while you are wielding a shield, you may use your Reaction to reduce the damage you take by an amount equal to your strength bonus plus your proficiency bonus.



Duellist
Style:
Tactical Style. You must be proficient in the Insight skill to learn this Style.

Passive:
Combat Insight: You have Advantage on all combat-related uses of the Insight skill, such as detecting a strategic ruse or judging whether a creature is willing to attack you.

Actions:
Formal Challenge: You know the proper etiquette and tradition for challenging another member of your culture to a duel, but those skills can be generalized to antagonize other creatures into fighting you as well. You make a challenge to a particular creature, who must make a Wisdom Saving Throw or have no other choice than to attack you. Creatures who do not speak a language in common with you have advantage on the save. This has no effect on creatures who are controlled by others or who are mindless.

Attacks:
Disarming Attack: You may make a weapon attack against an item held in an opponent’s hand. Instead of an attack roll, force your target to make a Dexterity saving throw. If it fails, it drops the targeted item on the ground in its space.
Distracting Strike: You may make a weapon attack that causes your opponent to be Distracted until the beginning of your next turn on a hit.
Feinting Strike: Make this attack with Disadvantage. Whether it hits or misses, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against the same target.

Bonus Actions:

Dueling Stance: As a Bonus Action, you may focus your attention in combat on a single foe. You cause all that creature’s attacks against you to have Disadvantage. However, all other attack rolls against you by any other creature have Advantage. The benefit and penalty of this stance both last until you choose to end it on your turn (no action required) or your target is dead, incapacitated, or no longer visible to you.
Press The Attack: After making a successful melee attack against an adjacent enemy that is the same size as you or smaller, you may immediately use a bonus action to push or slide your target 5 ft back or sideways and step into the space your target previously occupied. Roll your next attack against that enemy with Advantage.

Reactions:
Riposte: When you are focusing on one creature with your Dueling Stance and that creature misses you with a melee attack, you may immediately make an opportunity attack against it with your Reaction.


Fistfighter

Style: Unarmed Style. You may only use the features of this style while wearing light armor or no armor, and not wielding a shield.
Passive:
Improved Unarmed Strike: You are accustomed to fighting without weapons. You are particularly proficient with punching, but you may make Unarmed Strikes with your hands, feet, elbows or knees and thus do not need a free hand to make an unarmed strike. Additionally, your unarmed strikes do 1d6 + Str damage. Your fists count as Light Finesse weapons for you. Your hands must be empty to count as fists, but you can wear fist weapons such as brass knuckles, cesti or gauntlets and still use this style’s features.
One-Two Punch: When making the extra attack of the Light Weapon property with your fist, you add your strength bonus to the damage.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Addling Strike: If this punch hits, your target makes their next attack roll with Disadvantage.
Haymaker: You commit your bodyweight to one huge punch, but risk leaving yourself open to counterattack. If you hit, you do 1d6 extra damage. If you miss, the next melee attack targeting you has Advantage.
Stick and Move: You make one unarmed strike and immediately move 5 ft as part of your Attack. This movement is in addition to your normal movement and does not trigger Attacks of Opportunity.
Two-Fisted Strike: When only using your fists to attack, you may quickly attack one target with two unarmed strikes. If both punches hit, the damage from the second punch is halved. You can’t use the Bonus Action attack from the Light weapon property in the same turn as this strike.


Bonus Actions:
Bob and Weave: You enter into a combat stance that lets you avoid attacks with subtle, unpredictable motion without moving far enough to lose ground to your foes. Whenever you take this bonus action, add +2 to your AC and Dexterity Saving throws until the beginning of your next turn.

Reactions:
None.

Flagellator

Style: Weapon style. You must be proficient in whips, chains, or cord weapons to learn this style. You must be wielding a whip, chain, or cord weapon to use the features of this style. For the sake of brevity, the word “whip” will be used in the text of the features, but they still apply to other cord or chain weapons.
Passive:
None.

Actions:
Swingline: You can throw one end of your whip over a feature of the environment like a branch, outcrop, or beam, and swing yourself from it. Swinging functions like flying in most respects, you are safe from ground-based hazards and unaffected by difficult terrain. You may traverse a maximum distance equal to double your reach with your whip as part of this action, and your destination must be within reach of your whip from your chosen attachment point. You may also use this action to lower yourself vertically by your whip, allowing you to safely ignore a fall up to your Reach distance. Once attached, you may also climb the whip like a rope.
Attacks:

Distracting Stroke: If this attack hits, your target is Distracted until the beginning of their next turn.
Entangling Stroke: This attack deals no damage but instead allows you to initiate a Grapple at any distance out to the maximum Reach of your whip. You may use your Strength or Dexterity for your roll. An entangled creature can roll to escape the grapple normally, or attempt to cut your whip if they have a weapon that does slashing damage.
Toppling Stroke: If this attack hits, it does half damage but your target falls prone.
Vicious Stroke: This attack deals 1d4 extra damage if it hits.
Bonus Actions:
Yank: If you have attached yourself to a creature no more than one size larger than you with Entangling Stroke, you may use a bonus action to force that creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature is either pulled ten feet closer to you or becomes prone (your choice). If you have entangled a creature more than one size larger than you, you may instead swing from the creature as if using the Swingline action above, although many creatures will find this annoying.
Reactions:
None.

Fustigator
Style: Weapon style. You must be proficient with clubs, hammers, maces, or staffs to learn this Combat Style. You must be wielding a club, hammer, mace, or staff to use the features of this style.

Passive:
Can’t Stop the Beat: Whenever you use one of the attacks from this style against an adjacent creature you can see and it misses, you still do bludgeoning damage to the target equal to your Proficiency bonus.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Addling Strike: If this attack hits, your target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Concussing Strike: If it hits, this attack deals half damage but your target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, your target is Dazed until the beginning of your next turn. On a success, your target is Distracted until the beginning of its next turn.
Pushing Strike: If this attack hits and your target is your size or smaller, the attack does half damage but the target is pushed 10 ft away from you. Larger targets take full damage.


Bonus Actions:
Rebound: After successfully hitting an enemy, you may immediately make another attack with the same weapon against a different enemy within reach. If it hits, the damage for this second attack is halved.
Reactions:
None.

[Greenfaun]

Great Weapon Wielder
Style: Weapon Style. You must be proficient with at least one Heavy Two-handed weapon to learn this style. You must be wielding a weapon with the Heavy property in both hands to use the features of the Great Weapon Fighting Style.
Passive:
Actions:
Attacks:
Blitz: You may target any creature your size or smaller with this attack. You fling yourself forward, adding your momentum to your weapon but risking losing your balance if you fail. If your attack roll hits, your damage is halved and your target is knocked backwards 5 feet and you immediately advance 5 ft into the space it occupied. Neither movement uses up the creature’s normal movement or provokes an Opportunity Attack. If you fail, you fall Prone in your own space.
Demolishing Strike: This attack does double damage to constructs, unattended inanimate objects, vehicles and structures. See the Damaging Inanimate Objects section of this document.
Power Attack: When you make this attack you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll and instead add double your proficiency bonus to your damage roll.

Bonus Actions:
Cleave: If you make an attack that reduces its target’s hit points to zero, you may immediately use a bonus action to make another attack with the same weapon against another target within reach.
Crushing Blow: After hitting an enemy with an attack, you may immediately use this bonus action to press the advantage, leaning forward into the attack to grind your foe into the dirt. Make an opposed Athletics check, if you win then you deal additional weapon damage equal to 1d6+Str bonus and your target becomes Prone.

Reactions:
None.

Kickboxer
Unarmed Style
Style: You are trained to fight with your feet, both by kicking and by using acrobatic footwork and dynamic movement to move adroitly through combat. You must use unarmed strikes with your feet to use the features of this style. You must be wearing Light or No armor and not wielding a shield to use the features of this style. Several features use your Speed, temporarily reducing your Speed for the round by a cost in feet. You cannot use these features if you do not have the associated distance remaining in the movement you could use on your turn.

Passive:
Improved Unarmed Strike: You are accustomed to fighting without weapons. You are particularly proficient with kicking, but you may make Unarmed Strikes with your hands, feet, elbows or knees and thus do not need a free hand to make an unarmed strike. Additionally, your unarmed strikes do 1d6 + Str damage. Your feet count as melee weapons with the finesse trait. You can wear special boots with spikes or blades to change your kicks’ damage type and still use this style’s features.
Kippup: When you are prone, you can use 5 feet of movement to stand up instead of half your movement.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Flying Kick: You hurl yourself foot-first through the air to kick your foe. You may leap up to 10 ft towards your target as a part of this attack. Your movement is through the air, so it ignores difficult terrain and does not cause opportunity attacks, and it does not count towards your movement for the round. You must attack with a kick when you reach your target. If the kick attack is successful you land on your feet automatically. However, if the attack misses you must make a DC 15 Acrobatics check to land on your feet. If you fail, you take 1d6 falling damage and become Prone.
Kick-off: You may make a kick that pushes your target away from you. Make a kick attack, and sacrifice 20 ft of movement. If it hits, you also push your target 10 ft away if your target is your size or smaller.
Roundhouse Kick: You may add force to your kick by spinning around before you land the kick. Sacrifice 20 ft of your movement for the round and make an unarmed strike. If it hits, add +1d6 damage to the damage roll.
Sweep Kick: You may kick the legs out from under a creature- or possibly more than one. You may make one kick attack that does half damage but causes the target to become prone if it hits, if it is your size or smaller. You may continue the movement and target one additional creature within reach by sacrificing 10 ft of movement, if you have the movement remaining. You do no damage to the second target, you only knock it prone if the second attack succeeds.

Bonus Actions:
Swift kick: When you make the attack action on your turn, you may also spend 20 ft of movement to make one kick attack as a bonus action.
Reactions:
None.

Living Weapon (Natural Weapons)
Style: Unarmed Style. You must have a Natural Weapon or a means of gaining a Natural Weapon on a regular basis (such as shapeshifting magic) to learn this style. You must be wearing Light or No armor and not wielding a shield to use this fighting Style, and must attack with your Natural Weapon to use the features of this Style.
Passive:
Body Armory: You may treat your Natural Weaponry as melee weapons for all class features, feats, and other rule interactions. How you may use your natural weaponry depends on what type you have. Each of the following possibilities adds weapon properties to your natural attack and unlocks one special attack feature below. If you have multiple types of Natural Weaponry you may use all features that you qualify for.
A: If your Natural Weapon uses your hands, such as Arm Blades or Claws, they deal 1d6+Str damage and have the Light and Finesse properties. Your special attack is Shred.
B:If your Natural Weapon does not use your hands and does Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing Damage, such as Bite, Hooves, Horns, or Tail, it does 1d8+Str damage and has a special version of the Versatile property. If you are not wielding a shield or weapon in either hand, your Natural Weapon does 1d10+Str damage instead. Your special attack is Maul.
C: If your Natural Weapon does an unusual damage type, such as Acid, Poison, or any other non-physical damage type, your damage roll does not change but the Natural weapon does count as a Melee or Ranged Weapon with the Finesse property, as appropriate. If your Natural Weapon forces a saving throw, you may use the Save DC for Fighting Style features if you wish. Your special attack is Lingering Pain.


Actions:
Attacks:
A: Shred: You may attack with both Light Natural Weapons as a single attack. Make an attack roll with each weapon, and if both attacks hit, the second attack’s damage is halved. You cannot use the Bonus Action attack from the Light Weapon property the same round that you use this attack.
B: Maul: If you have advantage on your attack roll, or if the target is Grappled by you or you are Grappled by the target (including similar abilities like entangle, engulf, or swallow whole) then you may make this attack and add 1d6 to your damage roll if you hit.
C: Lingering Pain: If this attack hits, the toxin or energy of your attack lingers and does more damage a few seconds later. After you determine the damage of your initial attack, your target takes additional damage equal to half the damage the initial attack caused at the beginning of your next turn. This lingering damage is of the same type.
Pounce: You may target a creature who is not adjacent to you and leap up to 10 ft to a space adjacent to that creature’s space and make a natural weapon attack. If your attack hits, your target also must succeed at a Dexterity saving throw or become Prone. If it misses, you become Prone and cannot use any more movement this turn. The movement of your leap does not count against your normal movement for the round or trigger Opportunity attacks.
Snaring Strike: You may make a melee natural weapon attack to both damage and grab your target. If you hit with this attack, you also initiate a grapple as part of the same attack.


Bonus Actions:
Instinctive Strike: You lash out with your Natural Weapon with instinct alone, sacrificing the skill from your training for the sheer speed of an automatic action. Make one Natural Weapon attack as a bonus action but do not add your Proficiency bonus to the attack roll.
Reactions:
Bite back: If you are successfully hit with a melee attack or shoved, grappled, or similar abilities based on physical contact (entangling vines, engulfed by an ooze, etc) you may use your Reaction to make one opportunity attack with your Natural Weapon against your attacker.
Musketeer
Style: You must be proficient in Firearms to take this combat style (If your campaign’s world even has firearms; check with your DM). You must be wielding a firearm to use the features of this style.
Passive:
None.

Actions:
Lock and Load: When you use an action to reload your firearm, there is no danger of Misfire until you reload it again.

Attacks:
All-Powder Shot: You load and fire several packets of gunpowder with no actual ammunition, producing a loud, bright explosion that leaves a huge amount of smoke behind. Choose one space within 10 feet of you. Any creature in that space must make a Dexterity Save to avoid being Blinded and a Constitution Save to avoid being Deafened. Both conditions last until the end of your next turn. Furthermore the target space and all adjacent spaces are filled with obscuring smoke until the end of your next turn (Environmental conditions, such as wind, may change the duration of the smoke at the DM’s discretion.)
Disarming Shot: You fire at a weapon or other object wielded by a creature within range. That creature must make a Dexterity save or drop the object.
Point Blank Shot: You may fire a shot at a creature within 10 ft of you as a Melee Weapon attack instead of a Ranged Weapon Attack.
Bonus Actions:
Shooting Stance: You may plant your feet and brace yourself in a good firing position as a bonus action. Until you move (or are moved) from your spot, you have a +2 bonus on Attack rolls with firearms.
Reactions:
Itchy Trigger Finger: When you suffer the Surprised condition and are already wielding a gun, you may use your reaction to fire, making an attack roll against whatever surprised you with disadvantage. This overrides the normal rules for the Surprised condition.

Polearm Wielder
Style: You must be proficient with any polearms to learn this combat style. You must be wielding a Polearm to use the features of this style.

Passive:
None.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Bulwark’s Strike: If you have not yet moved this turn, you may make this attack and add +1d6 to your damage roll. Your speed immediately drops to 0 until the beginning of your next turn.
Pushing Strike: If this attack hits and your target is your size or smaller, the attack does half damage but the target is pushed 10 ft away from you. Larger targets may choose to take full damage or be moved back and take half.
Toppling Strike: You may make an attack that does half damage but causes your target to become prone if it hits, as long as the target is no more than one size category larger than you.

Bonus Actions:
Haft Strike: After making the Attack action using a Polearm, you may immediately use your bonus action to spin your weapon and make an additional attack with the haft. You may only target an adjacent creature, even if your weapon normally has Reach. This attack does 1d6+Str Bludgeoning damage.
On Guard: You take your polearm out of attack position and hold it up to parry incoming attacks, bracing an end against the ground to buttress your own strength. Until the beginning of your next turn, you cannot make Opportunity Attacks but you gain +2 to your AC and Strength Saving Throws. This bonus doesn't stack with the bonus from a shield or the Shield spell.

Reactions:
Tactical Opportunist: When making an Opportunity Attack, you may use your Pushing Strike or Toppling Strike features instead of a normal attack.
Protector
Style:This is a Tactical Style. You must be proficient with Perception to learn this style.
Passive:
Vigilance: You have advantage on Insight and Perception checks to notice dangerous creatures, signs of hostile intent, or any actual attacks or other aggressive actions. If you suffer the Surprised condition, you may still use the Intercept Attack and Sacrificial Swap reactions while you are Surprised.
Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Disarming Attack: You may make a weapon attack against an item held in an opponent’s hand. Instead of an attack roll, force your target to make a Dexterity saving throw. If it fails, it drops the targeted item on the ground in its space.
Pushing Attack: If this attack hits and your target is your size or smaller, the attack does half damage but the target is pushed 10 ft away from you. Larger targets may choose to take full damage or be moved back and take half.

Bonus Actions:
Cover Ally: You may select one adjacent allied creature to protect. Your Armor Class takes a -2 penalty while you are covering your ally. While your ally is under your protection, attack rolls against that creature have disadvantage, and for any effects requiring Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution Saving throws, you and your protectee both roll the saving throw, each with your own relevant bonuses, and if either save succeeds then the protectee is considered to succeed. This benefit lasts until the beginning of your next turn or ends sooner if one of the following occurs:
*You and your protectee are no longer adjacent
*You are Incapacitated, Restrained, or unable to see your protectee
*You choose to end the protection.
While protecting your ally, you can coordinate your movement so that you and your protected ally move in unison on your turn. The distance you can travel together is equal to the movement of whichever of you is slower, if your movement speeds are not the same. Your ally cannot use any of their movement on their next turn after moving in unison.

Reactions:
Intercept attack: When a creature adjacent to you makes an attack that doesn’t target you, you may make an Attack of Opportunity against it. You may use the Disarming Attack or Pushing Attack features on this Attack. Your attack resolves before the attack you are intercepting, so if you make the attack impossible (because the attacker is disarmed or too far away to reach, for instance) then it automatically fails.

Sacrificial Swap: When an adjacent ally is targeted by an attack made by an attacker that you can see, you can use your Reaction to swap places with your ally so that you become the target of the attack before it is resolved. Switching places does not use up any movement or trigger Opportunity Attacks for you or your protectee.

Skirmisher
Style: Tactical Style. You must be proficient in Acrobatics to learn this Combat Style. You must not be wielding a Heavy weapon or wearing Heavy armor to use the features of this style.

Passive:
Free-Runner: You have Advantage on Acrobatics Checks to vault over obstacles, slide through tight spaces, and other evasive maneuvers during your movement on your turn. In addition, you can stand up from Prone with only 5 ft of movement instead of half your Speed.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Shifting Attack: You lunge when you attack, moving and wielding your weapon in a single unified movement. When you make this attack, you also move 5 ft as part of the attack. This movement does not count against your movement for the round or provoke opportunity attacks, however you must be capable of moving normally to use this feature. For the purposes of Reach or Range, you may consider the attack to have originated in either space you move through as you attack.
Strafing Attack: You move around to find the perfect angle of attack. To qualify to use this feature, you must first pick a target and travel through at least 3 different 5x5 spaces that you could attack that target from. When you attack your chosen target, add +2 to the attack roll.

Bonus Actions:
Evasive Maneuvers: If you have moved at least 10 ft on your turn, you may use the Disengage action as a Bonus Action.
Coming Through: As a bonus action, you may move through a space occupied by an enemy, treating it like Difficult Terrain. You must have enough movement to finish your movement in an open space. This feature does not prevent Opportunity Attacks.

Reactions:
Breakfall: If you are falling, you may use your reaction to roll a DC 15 Acrobatics Check to take only half the falling damage, and roll up to half your Speed in any direction after you impact. You still end up Prone.
Roll With It: When you are hit with an attack, you may immediately drop prone and reduce the damage it causes by a number of hit points equal to your Dexterity Bonus plus your Proficiency bonus.

Slayer
Style: Tactical Style. You must be proficient in Athletics or Acrobatics to learn this style. When fighting monsters, it pays to learn how to attack creatures much larger than yourself and survive.
Passive:
Too Close For Comfort: You may move into the space of a hostile creature that is larger than you, treating the space it occupies as difficult terrain. You may remain in the larger creatures’ space and use the larger creature to have Partial Cover against attacks by all other creatures.
Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Distracting Strike: If this attack hits, your target is also Distracted until the beginning of your next turn.
Piton Weapon: If you are within a creature’s space and have a weapon that does Slashing or Piercing damage, you may use this strike to drive the weapon into the creature and use it as a handhold to help hang on to the creature. If this attack hits, you deal half damage but the weapon is stuck in place and you have advantage on all checks and saves to ride or cling to the creature (see Climb Aboard, below) until you or the creature use an action to pry the weapon free. You cannot make other attacks with a weapon that is being used in this way.
Strike the Underbelly: If you attack a creature from within its own space, you may use this strike to add +1d6 to the damage roll.

Bonus Actions:

Climb Aboard: You may roll Athletics or Acrobatics to cling onto a creature that is larger than you, opposed by the creature’s roll of Athletics or Acrobatics. This is in some ways like a Grapple, but you are carried along wherever the creature goes instead of reducing its movement to zero, as if the creature is your (unwilling) steed. The creature may use its action to try to shake you off, with another opposed check, or attack you as normal.

Reactions:
Flea’s Defense: If a creature successfully attacks you while you are in its own space with it, you may use your reaction to dodge behind another part of the creature’s body, forcing the attack to miss unless the creature is willing to attack itself too. The creature must beat you in an opposed check of its Acrobatics or Athletics against your Acrobatics or Athletics. If you win the opposed check, your attacker may choose to miss with the attack, or willingly hit itself with the attack, dealing half damage to itself and half to you. If the attacker wins the opposed check, you take all the damage.
Subtle Counterstriker (needs better name?)
This style describes one of many different traditions of unarmed fighting based on acrobatic, deceptive movement, swift, improvised reactions, and using your opponent’s strength against them. Sometimes referred to as a soft style, this type of fighting requires physical and mental flexibility.
Unarmed Style: You must be wearing light or no armor and not wielding a shield to use the features of this style.
Passive:
Improved Unarmed Strike: You are accustomed to fighting without weapons. You may make Unarmed Strikes with your hands, feet, elbows or knees and thus do not need a free hand to make an unarmed strike. Additionally, your unarmed strikes do 1d6 + Str damage. You may use Strength or Dexterity for the contested rolls to resolve a Grapple or Shove attack.
Kippup: When you are prone, you can use 5 feet of movement to stand up instead of half your movement.

Actions:
Bait the Trap: You may seem to leave yourself open to attack, but actually you are preparing to seize the advantage once you are attacked. When you take this action, you take the Dodge action with an additional benefit: Choose one creature you can see. If that creature attacks you before your next turn, you add your Proficiency Bonus to your AC against that enemy’s attacks. Additionally, after it attacks you, any Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, or Skill checks you make involving that creature have advantage until the end of your next turn.
Attacks:
Addling Strike: If this unarmed strike hits, you also cause your target to have disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Help Your Enemy Come To Rest On The Ground: You are particularly adept at using an unarmed strike to Shove your target prone, using a dizzying twist to disorient your foe as they fall. If you successfully knock a creature prone with this unarmed strike, the creature must also succeed at a Wisdom saving throw or be Confused until the end of their next turn.
Unbalancing Strike: If this unarmed strike hits, your target is knocked off balance. Until the beginning of your next turn, your target has disadvantage on saving throws.

Bonus Actions:
Circle Step: When you make a melee attack against an adjacent creature your size or smaller, you may immediately use a bonus action to force your opponent to switch places with you. This movement doesn’t use up any movement from either creature or provoke attacks of opportunity. You gain Advantage on your next attack roll against that enemy.
Flow Like Water: You use your bonus action to prepare yourself for swift, reflexive reactions. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may take one additional Reaction.

Reactions:
Defensive Shift: When you are the target of an attack or other hostile action, before you find out if it hits, you may use your Reaction to move 5 ft before the attack is resolved. If this puts you out of range of the attack, or in a location with total cover against the effect, then you are not affected by the attack, and your enemy’s attack is wasted. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.
Exploit Opening: When an adjacent creature you can see attacks you and misses or attacks any target other than you, you may make an Opportunity Attack against that creature. If you choose to make an unarmed strike (shove) to knock the creature prone, you have Advantage on your roll.
Roll With It: When you are hit with an attack, you may immediately drop prone and reduce the damage it causes by a number of hit points equal to your Dexterity Bonus plus your Proficiency bonus.

Swordfighter
Weapon Style: You must be proficient with swords to learn this style. You must be wielding a sword or dagger to use the features of this style.
Passive:
None.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Draw Cut: You may make one attack that deals slashing damage and add 1d4 to the damage roll.
Precise Thrust: You may make one attack that deals Piercing damage and add +2 to the attack roll.
Vexing Strike: If this strike hits, you gain advantage on your next attack roll against the same target.
Wide Swing: You may attack two targets within reach with one swing. Roll a separate attack against each target. If both attacks hit, the second target struck takes half damage. This attack must do Slashing damage.

Bonus Actions:
Point in Line: You choose one target you can see and keep your sword pointed directly at them. You may use the Precise Thrust attack as an Opportunity Attack against that creature, and you may make an Opportunity Attack against that creature whenever it moves to any space within reach of your blade.

Reactions:
None.

Thrower
Weapon Style: You must be proficient with at least one type of Thrown weapon or Slings to learn this style. You must be using a Thrown Weapon or a Sling to use the features of this style.

Passive:
Practiced Hurler: When using Light Thrown Weapons, you may always draw them from an accessible spot on your person as part of the attack, and you may treat any thrown weapon with the Light property as if it also has the Finesse property. You may also treat your thrown weapon or loaded sling as a Melee weapon without penalty.
Run-up: When you move at least 10 ft straight towards your target immediately before making a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll and the throw gains +10 to its short range and +20 to its maximum range.

Actions:
Fusillade: When you use this action, you throw a handful of bullets, darts, daggers, or similar missiles in an arc, sacrificing range and accuracy for creating a cloud of missiles. You must be wielding Light thrown weapons or a sling. Make an attack roll against each creature in a 15-ft cone originating in your space, and any who are struck take half the damage of one normal attack with that thrown weapon. If you are tracking ammunition in your game, this action uses up as many weapons or sling bullets as the number of targets you hit, or 5, whichever is greater.

Attacks:
Addling Throw: If this attack hits, your target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Distracting Throw: If this attack hits, your target is distracted until the beginning of its next turn.
Toppling Throw: If this attack hits, it deals half damage but your target becomes Prone.

Bonus Actions:
Ricochet: After missing an attack with your thrown weapon, you may use a bonus action to have that missile bounce away from its first target and hit another within 15 feet of the first target. Roll a new attack, and deal normal weapon damage to the second target if it hits.

Reactions:
None.


Two-Weapon Wielder
Weapon Style You must be wielding two weapons with the Light property to use any of the features of the Two-Weapon fighting style
Passive:
Symmetry: When you make the extra attack of the Light weapon property, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the extra attack.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Double strike: As a single attack, you may pick one target and make an attack roll with each weapon against that target. If both attacks hit, the second attack does half damage. If you use this attack, you may not use the Bonus Action attack from the Light weapon property in the same round.
Twin Strike: As a single attack, you may choose two targets within reach and make one attack against each of them, one with each of your weapons. Because of your split attention, you may not add your Proficiency Bonus to the attack roll of one of the attacks (your choice.) If you use this attack, you may not use the Bonus Action Attack from the Light weapon property on the same round.
Balanced Strike: When attacking a creature with your weapons, you use one of your weapons defensively and make an attack with the other. Choose one of your weapons to make an attack with and the target creature has disadvantage on its next attack roll that targets you.

Bonus Actions:
Double Jeopardy: As a bonus action, you take an aggressive stance with both of your weapons at the ready. Until the beginning of your next turn, if you make an Opportunity Attack, you may make two attack rolls to attack with both of your weapons in the same Reaction.
Crossed Guard: As a bonus action, you take a defensive stance with your two weapons. The next melee attack made against you has disadvantage, and if that attack (only that attack) misses you, you may make an opportunity attack against the attacker with one of your weapons.
Reaction:


Versatile Wielder

Weapon Style: You must be proficient with any weapon with the Versatile property to learn this style. For all the features of this style, you must be wielding a weapon with the Versatile property in both hands unless the particular feature says otherwise.
Passive:
Two-handed Adroitness: When you are not wearing medium or heavy armor or wielding a shield and are using both hands to wield a weapon that has the Versatile property, that weapon has the Finesse property for you and you gain +2 to attack rolls with that weapon.

Actions:
None.

Attacks:
Lunging Strike: When you use this attack, increase your Reach by 5 ft.
Refined Strike: If this attack hits, add your Proficiency bonus to the damage roll.
Versatile Maneuver: When you use this attack against a creature your size or smaller, it deals half damage on a hit but you may force your target to move to any other unoccupied space adjacent to you. If your target is larger than you, you may move to another unoccupied space adjacent to your target that is no more than 10 ft away from where you started this attack. In either case, the movement does not cause opportunity attacks.

Bonus Actions:
Redemption Attack: When you attack with a Versatile Weapon in both hands and miss, you may immediately use a bonus action to attack again with the same weapon, but wielding it one-handed.

Reactions:
Versatile Defense: When you are the target of a physical attack you can see, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack before you know whether it succeeds.
Wrestler
Unarmed Style: You may not use the features of this style if you are wearing Medium or Heavy armor or Wielding a Shield
Passive:
Improved Unarmed Strike: You are accustomed to fighting without weapons. You are particularly proficient with Grappling, but you may make Unarmed Strikes with your hands, feet, elbows or knees and thus do not need a free hand to make an unarmed strike. Additionally, your unarmed strikes do 1d6 + Str damage.
Trained In the Ring: You have a +2 bonus on all Grapple checks against Humanoid creatures of Small or Medium size. At your DM’s discretion, you may also apply this bonus against creatures of other types that have a humanoid body plan, like constructs or undead that closely resemble humanoids. Additionally, when you are Prone your Unarmed Strike attack rolls do not have Disadvantage and you may stand up using only 5 feet of movement instead of half your speed.

Actions:
Pin Down: When you are Grappling a creature, you may use an action to make another Grapple check against the same creature to pin it to the ground. If you succeed, the creature becomes Prone and Restrained in addition to Grappled. You have Disadvantage on this check unless you are also Prone (you may voluntarily become Prone as a part of this action). The Restrained condition ends on your target whenever the Grappled condition ends, but they must spend movement to stand up from being Prone as usual.

Attacks:
Tackle: You hurl yourself into a creature in an attempt to bring it to the ground. You may target an adjacent creature and make a grapple check. If you succeed, you enter the creature’s space and you and the creature both become Prone and your target is Grappled. If you fail you drop Prone in your own space.
Throw: You may hurl a creature you have grappled away from you, ending the Grapple but forcing them to make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 falling damage and landing prone in a space of your choice within 10 feet of you. Creatures that succeed on the saving throw take no damage and are not prone, although you still decide the space they end up in. Before being thrown, creatures may use their reaction to attempt to Grapple you back, preventing the involuntary movement if they succeed.
Bash: If you are grappling a creature, you may make an unarmed strike roll to move it up to 5 ft and knock it against a nearby wall, floor, or other obstacle to do bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + Str. At your DM’s discretion, you may Bash your target into a spell effect, trap, or hazard within reach and cause your target to take whatever damage that causes instead. If you are grappling two creatures, you may slam them together, dealing the damage to both of them.

Bonus Actions:
Choke: You may choke a creature you are grappling as a bonus action. You can only use this feature against creatures who have a neck, need to breathe, and are no more than one size larger than you. If you succeed, your target cannot breathe or speak until the Grapple is ended. This means the creature cannot perform the verbal components of spellcasting or use a breath weapon, and at the beginning of your target’s next turn, they begin to suffocate until they can breathe again..

Reactions:
None.