Fighter: Weapon Master

by Dalas

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Fighter Archetype:
   Weapon Master

Every fighter is proficient with weaponry, but only a select few truly master their craft. Thus called Weapon Masters, such a warrior smoothly switches weapons and styles to take advantage of a changing battlefield.

When these masters are not traveling in search of new techniques, they are often found competing against their peers, serving as trainers for a guild, or chronicling their hard-earned knowledge to aid the next generation of masters.

Weapon Master Features
Fighter Level Feature(s)
3rd Style Swap, Weapon Masteries
7th Arcane Arsenal, Additional Masteries
10th Specialization
15th Improved Specialization
18th Unerring

(Optional Rule) Firearm Proficiency:

If your Dungeon Master uses the rules on firearms in the Dungeon Master's Guide and your weapon master has been exposed to the operation of such weapons, your weapon master is proficient with them.

Style Swap:

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to shift your stance during battle.

Whenever you roll initiative, you can replace a fighting style you know with another style available to fighters, as long as you are not surprised. You may also use this feature as a bonus action on each of your turns.

In addition, you may draw or stow one additional weapon on each of your turns, and you may use your bonus action to don or doff a shield.

Weapon Masteries:

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn a number of powerful 'masteries': special strikes that make the most of a weapon's unique size, shape, and function. You know the following weapon masteries:

  • Hurl: When you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can triple the weapon's normal range. If this attack hits, a Large or smaller target is knocked prone.
        If this weapon is a net, you ignore the net's restriction on the number of attacks you may make with your action.

  • Point-blank Shot: When you make a ranged weapon attack with a crossbow or firearm, you can strike with exceptional power against a creature within 10ft. If this attack hits, it is a critical hit, and you can choose to push the target up to 10ft horizontally away from you.


    Being within 5ft of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on this attack roll.

  • Quick-draw: During any creature's turn, you can instantly draw a weapon or don a shield. If you draw a weapon, you gain advantage on your first attack roll with it before the end of the turn. If this weapon has the ammunition property, you do not need a free hand to load it this turn.
        You may not use this mastery to draw a weapon with the heavy or two-handed property.

  • Spike: When you make a melee attack with a glaive, halberd, lance, or pike, you can attempt to spike the target creature with your weapon, provided it is more than 5ft away from you. If this attack hits, a Large or smaller target becomes restrained until it uses an action to free itself.
        This effect also ends if either you or your target move at least 5ft, if you make another attack with the weapon, or if you stop holding the weapon.

  • Guard: When a creature you can see hits an ally within 5ft of you with an attack, you may use your reaction to guard that ally. For the duration of this effect, your ally's AC can't be lower than yours, possibly causing the triggering attack to miss.
        This effect ends at the start of your next turn, or if your ally moves further than 5ft from you.

You cannot use a weapon mastery if you have willingly dropped a weapon since the start of your previous turn, as the clumsy display interferes with your technique.

You can use each of your weapon masteries once, and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Arcane Arsenal:

Starting at 7th level, weapons you wield count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

In addition, you can use an action to reproduce the effects of the Identify spell, targeting any weapon you can see. You also learn if the weapon is cursed, but not the curse's nature.

Additional Weapon masteries

Starting at 7th level, you learn the following additional weapon masteries:

  • Lacerate: When you engage in two-weapon fighting and use your bonus action to make a weapon attack, you may make one additional attack with the same weapon. After this attack hits, the target is lacerated until the end of your next turn.
        While lacerated, each time the target takes damage from an attack or spell, the attack or spell deals an additional 1d4 damage of the same type.

  • Riposte: When a creature you can see attacks a target within 5ft of you (including you), you may use your reaction to grant that target a +3 bonus to their AC against the attack, possibly causing it to miss. Hit or miss, you can also attempt one weapon attack against the triggering creature.

  • Sunder: When you make a melee attack with a greataxe, greatsword, or maul, you can strike with exceptional power. If this attack hits, the target is sundered until the end of your next turn.
        The next time you or an ally of yours hits the sundered creature with an attack, the creature has vulnerability to all of that attack's damage, and then this effect ends.

  • Suppress: When you make a ranged attack with a shortbow, longbow, or sling, you can forego the attack to instead suppress creatures in an area. Target a 5ft radius sphere entirely within your weapon's normal range, and expend 10 pieces of ammunition. Until the start of your next turn, creatures within the sphere have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws, and the area is considered difficult terrain.
        You do not need a free hand to load a sling when using this mastery.

Specialization:

Starting at 10th level, you can apply special preparation to certain masteries, increasing their number of uses.

Each time you finish a long rest, select three weapon masteries to specialize in. You may use each of these masteries two additional times before finishing your next long rest. You cannot specialize multiple times in the same mastery simultaneously.

In addition, you may draw or stow one additional weapon on each of your turns.

Improved Specialization:

Starting at 15th level, specialization becomes second-nature. You may use each of your masteries twice (instead of once) before finishing a long rest.

In addition, you may draw or stow one additional weapon on each of your turns.

Unerring:

You don't miss.
    Starting at 18th level, whenever you make a weapon attack roll, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

New Feat: Martial Specialization
    You learn the five 3rd-level weapon masteries from the fighter class's Weapon Master archetype.
    Each time you finish a long rest, select three weapon masteries you know to specialize in. You may use each specialized mastery two times before finishing your next long rest (in addition to any uses you may have from another source).
    You cannot use a weapon mastery if you have willingly dropped a weapon since the start of your previous turn, as the clumsy display interferes with your technique.
 

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