Martial Mastery: Feats & Styles

by entrench

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Martial Mastery

Feats & Styles

This short document contains a number of changes to different parts of the game. The goal of these changes are as follows:

  • To increase the mental engagement of those playing martial characters without adding overly complex features or inappropriately increasing multiclass potential.
  • To make more fighting styles viable, such as Two Weapon Fighting and the Tunnel Fighter, and to add fighting styles for modes of combat that are not well supported at the time of this document's writing, like versatile weapons.
  • To level out the progression of martial feats such that all options are viable, while also giving each a unique benefit.

Class Features

The following text is added to Fighter's Extra Attack feature.

Extra Attack

At 11th level, engaging in two-weapon fighting allows you to make two attacks, instead of one.

Combat

The following changes are made to the Other Activity on your Turn section, as well as the Two-Weapon Fighting section.

Other Activity on Your Turn

You can use your action to interact with a second object unless the object is a weapon which you draw and wield as part of an attack. Some items and other kinds of objects always require an action to use, as stated in the item's description.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack at least once with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can make one weapon attack using a light melee weapon that you're holding in another hand as part of the same action. You don't apply your ability modifier to this attack's damage, unless that modifier is negative.

If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw that weapon instead of making a melee attack with it.

Feats

These feats replace the originals found in the Player's Handbook.

Charger

When you take the Dash action and move at least 20 feet towards a creature, you can make one melee weapon attack against that creature as part of the action, adding your proficiency bonus to the damage you deal on a hit. If you end your move after making this attack, you can use your bonus action to attempt to shove the target, pushing the target an extra 5 feet if you succeed.

Close-Quarters Shooter

(replaces Crossbow Expert)

Your extensive practice using ranged weapons in close combat grants you the following benefits:

  • You ignore the loading quality of ranged weapons with which you are proficient.
  • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
  • If you take the Attack action and attack only with a one-handed ranged weapon, you can use your bonus action to make one weapon attack with the same weapon.

Defensive Duelist

When another creature that you can see hits you with a weapon attack while you are wielding only a finesse or versatile weapon, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC (potentially causing the attack to miss), which lasts until the start of your next turn or until a weapon attack hits you. You must be proficient with the weapon you are wielding to gain this benefit.

Flowing Stance

(replaces Polearm Master)

Your technique with versatile weapons allows you to gracefully translate momentum into attacks. You gain the following benefits:

  • When you take the Attack action and attack with only a versatile weapon that you're wielding in two hands, you can make one additional melee attack using the weapon as part of the same action. On a hit, the weapon deals 1 damage of the its normal damage type for this attack. You use the same ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls as a normal attack you make with the weapon.
  • While you are wielding a versatile weapon, when a creature provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you can move up to 5 feet in any direction after the attack, whether you hit or miss.

MARTIAL MASTERY:
FEATS & STYLES

(V2.23)

Grappler

You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

  • When you grapple a creature that doesn't have this feat, your grapple attempt always succeeds if the result of your roll is at least the target's armor class. You must still meet the other requirements for grappling.
  • You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
  • You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you and the creature are both restrained until the grapple ends.

Great Weapon Master

You've learned to leverage the weight of a weapon, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:

  • On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
  • You can heft the brunt of your weapon in a single destructive strike. As an action, you can make one melee weapon attack, with a -3 penalty to the attack roll, using a heavy weapon that you're proficient with. On a hit, roll your damage for the weapon - adding your ability modifier as normal - the same number of times as the amount of attacks you can make with your Attack action. The target takes that amount of damage as well as extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus plus your level. Other modifiers to your damage, i.e. from class features, are applied to the attack once.

Mage Slayer

You have practiced techniques useful in melee combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefits:

  • As an action, you can make one melee weapon attack against a creature or object within your reach. On a hit, one spell affecting the target ends if the spell's level is no higher than your proficiency bonus, and the target takes force damage equal to 2d8 + the spell's level + your proficiency bonus. Once you've made this attack, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
  • When you force a creature to make a saving throw to maintain concentration, it makes the saving throw with disadvantage.
  • When a creature that's within your reach casts a spell that allows it to teleport, you can use your reaction to force the target to succeed on a concentration check, or the spell fails. You can't use this reaction if the creature has taken the Disengage action this turn.

Savage Attacker

You attack with especially violent fervor, gaining these benefits:

  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you make a weapon attack using a melee weapon, before making the attack roll, you can choose to make the roll with advantage. You can do this twice, and your expended uses are replenished when you finish a short or long rest. If you later take this feat again, you gain two additional uses.

Sharpshooter

You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:

  • Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
  • Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover. While you are elevated 10 feet or higher above a creature, your ranged weapon attacks against it ignore three-quarters cover.
  • Before you make a ranged weapon attack using a weapon that you are proficient with, you can take a -3 penalty to the attack roll. On a hit, instead of rolling the weapon's damage dice, you can deal the maximum amount of damage for that weapon, and add your proficiency bonus to the damage you deal.

Shield Master

You use shields not just for protection but also for offense. You gain the following benefits while you are wielding a shield:

  • When a creature misses you with a melee attack while you're wielding a shield, you can use your reaction to make one melee weapon attack against the creature that attacked you. On a hit, the attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier, and if the target is your size or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your choice between your Strength or your Dexterity modifier) or be knocked prone.
  • If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that includes you as a target.
  • When an effect allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw - interposing your shield between yourself and the effect's source.

Two-Weapon Master

(replaces Dual Wielder)

You master fighting with two weapons. You gain these benefits:

  • Your movement speed increases by 5 feet. You lose this benefit while you wield a weapon in two hands or wield a shield.
  • If you have a feature that allows you to make more than one attack when you take the Attack action, you can make the same number of attacks when you engage in two-weapon fighting.
  • When you make an opportunity attack while wielding two one-handed melee weapons, you can make one additional attack with the weapon you're holding in another hand as part of the same reaction.
MARTIAL MASTERY:
FEATS & STYLES

(V2.23)

Weapon Arts

(alternative or addition to Crusher, Piercer & Slasher)

You develop combinations of fighting techniques that utilize your weapons. You gain the following benefits:

  • Once on each of your turns, when you successfully shove a creature while wielding a melee weapon, the creature takes damage equal to your weapon's damage die plus your Strength modifier.
  • When you hit with a melee weapon attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, you gain one of the following benefits based on the attack's damage type:
    Bludgeoning. You deal extra bludgeoning damage equal to your proficiency bonus if the target is covered with plated armor, such as breastplate or hard scales.
    Piercing. You deal extra piercing damage equal to your proficiency bonus if the target is covered with flexible armor, such as chain mail or thick skin.
    Slashing. You deal extra slashing damage equal to your proficiency bonus if the target is unarmored and lacks natural armor.

Weapons Training

(replaces Weapon Master)

You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with simple weapons. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency with martial weapons.

Fighting Styles

Detailed here are modifications and additions to currently existing fighting styles, as well as new options for the feature.

Dual Wielding: You can engage in two-weapon fighting even if the weapons you're wielding aren't light. Also, while you're wielding two one-handed melee weapons, you can use a d8 in place of each weapon's damage die.

Pugilism: Your unarmed strikes use a d4 for damage while you have at least one free hand, or a d6 if you have at least two hands free. When you take the Attack action while you have two hands free, you can use your bonus action to either make one unarmed strike or make a shove attack.

Switch Fighting: While you are wielding a versatile weapon and no other weapons, you can add your Dexterity modifier (maximum of +1) to your attack and damage rolls using that weapon.

Throwing: You have a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of attacks you make using thrown weapons, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attacks using thrown weapons.

Tunnel Fighting: While you are within 5 feet of at least two sources of three-quarters or full cover, you have a +1 bonus to your AC, your melee weapon attacks deal 1d4 extra damage of the weapon's type, and you make opportunity attacks with advantage.

Fighter

You can choose one of the following options when you choose a Fighting Style:

  • Archery
  • Defense
  • Dual Wielding
  • Dueling
  • Great Weapon Fighting
  • Protection
  • Pugilism
  • Switch Fighting
  • Throwing
  • Tunnel Fighting

Paladin

You can choose one of the following options when you choose a Fighting Style:

  • Defense
  • Dueling
  • Great Weapon Fighting
  • Protection
  • Pugilism
  • Switch Fighting
  • Throwing

Ranger

You can choose one of the following options when you choose a Fighting Style:

  • Archery
  • Defense
  • Dual Wielding
  • Dueling
  • Pugilism
  • Switch Fighting
  • Throwing
  • Tunnel Fighting
Optional Fighting Styles

This style is intended for Fighters and Rangers in games that don't allow feats, or for games with an emphasis on gun-play.

Slinging: Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you.

MARTIAL MASTERY:
FEATS & STYLES

(V2.23)

Damage Per Round Calculations

The tables below detail the average damage output for each style of fighting, so you can compare the fully realized damage output with these changes vs. the PHB options. With the changes outlined in MMFS, everyone's bonus action is freed up from dual wielding, so some classes make up the difference in damage output by casting spells like Divine Favor, Hex or Hunter's Mark. Also, assume the following:

  • All attack-related base class features that can be used at will (such as Reckless Attack, Sneak Attack, etc.) are applied.
  • Barbarian takes the Totem Warrior path, Fighter takes the Eldritch Knight archetype, Monk takes the Way of the Kensei, Ranger takes the Horizon Walker archetype, Paladin takes the Oath of Vengeance, and Rogue takes the Arcane Trickster archetype. Warlock takes the Hexblade patron, and also assumes you have the Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, and Lifedrinker invocations.
  • Fighting styles apply where relevant. Bless, Divine Favor, Hunter's Mark, and Shadow of Moil are used. Barbarians use Rage and Totemic Attunement: Tiger. Fighters use Shadow Blade at 2nd level for TWF, and Blind Fighting/Fog Cloud for other styles. Monks use Martial Arts, Sharpen the Blade, and Deft Strike on crit. Paladins smite at their median spell level (3 at level 20) on crit. Rangers use Planar Warrior and Distant Strike (meaning: this is 2nd round damage against 3 targets). Warlocks use Eldritch Smite on a crit - if a crit happens - but only once per turn, unlike paladins.
  • Two-weapon fighting uses d6 weapons (or d8 weapons where possible), great weapon fighting uses 2d6 weapons, GWM+PAM (and just PAM) uses d10 weapons, archery uses a longbow (or CBE hand crossbow where possible), and versatile uses a d8(d10) weapon.

The overall goal of these tables is to provide easily achievable examples of good damage versus a reasonable AC for the level. Any table cell that is crossed out is irrelevant because the mechanics of this document do not have any meaningful interaction with that style of play.


AnyDice damage calculations: Level 20

PHB - Without Feats - Level 20 - Maximum Weapon Attack Ability Score - vs AC 19
Fighting Style Barbarian Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Warlock (Blade)
Any Melee 33.98 56.06¹
Archery 35.10 31.55 41.40 41.92 34.35
Great Weapon 55.74 44.85 33.87 41.35 39.39
Two-Weapon 44.88 43.90 37.40 35.85 45.34 35.75

¹ Thanks, SCAGtrips. Rogue uses Green-Flame/Booming Blade here.

PHB - With Feats - Level 20 - Maximum Weapon Attack Ability Score - vs AC 19
Fighting Style Barbarian Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Warlock (Blade)
Great Weapon 70.33 60.49 35.88 42.60 47.66
Polearm 52.84 45.83 44.22 39.35 48.90
PAM + GWM 62.97¹ 66.28 47.20 43.91 60.17
Sharpshooter 51.68 38.11 46.40 37.99 41.72
SS + CBE 60.91 48.26 50.90 50.17 57.55
Two-Weapon 48.86 44.60 39.50 38.65 47.29 38.74

¹ This is the only example where Barbarian doesn't use Totemic Attunement: Tiger's bonus action; otherwise, PAM would do nothing.

MMFS - Without Feats - Level 20 - Maximum Weapon Attack Ability Score - vs AC 19
Fighting Style Barbarian Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Warlock (Blade)
Any Melee
Pugilism 28.50 40.65 42.15
Versatile 39.00 33.15 43.10
Two-Weapon 53.27 44.50 37.83 37.40 41.70 45.34 35.75
MMFS - With Feats - Level 20 - Maximum Weapon Attack Ability Score - vs AC 19
Fighting Style Barbarian Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Warlock (Blade)
Great Weapon 67.93 59.17 39.74 48.81 52.76
Sharpshooter 53.34 36.74 46.76 43.00 43.80
SS + CQS 60.32 46.28 50.73 53.79 58.79
Versatile 64.09 44.26 41.18 47.48 51.80 47.29
Two-Weapon 61.67 50.80 41.68 47.70 47.30 45.34 39.16
Questions? Feedback?

Thank you for taking the time to review and enjoy this homebrew. Find me on reddit: /u/devikyn for comments and improvements!

The art used is located here: Shining Resonance for PS3

MARTIAL MASTERY:
FEATS & STYLES

(V2.23)