Fencer

An elf in immaculate velvet attire slides nimbly past the plummeting greataxe of an orc. He smirks, drawing his rapier before the orc can even blink, and proceeds to shred the orc with a barrage of neat jabs. His victory incisive, the elf dusts himself off and sheathes his blade.

A toned half-orc locks eyes with an overconfident sorceress. Assuming a heavy, galumphing foe, the sorceress casts a fireball spell. A swirling orb erupts from her palms and hurtles towards the half-orc. She flips over the fireball, diving towards the spellcaster in mid-air. Stunned, the sorceress gulps before she is knocked to the ground. The fireball explodes behind the half-orc, as she winds up for the final swing of her katana.

A dashing pirate captain swings into the heart of a brutal raid against a nobleman’s ship. She roars orders to her crew as she manoeuvres across the deck, parrying sabres and eluding muskets from all angles. The clamour of combat soon subsides into murmurs and all eyes turn to the quarter deck – the pirate captain and the nobleman have begun to cross swords, ready to duel to the death.

All of these heroes are fencers, a class I have designed to fill the role of an (almost) strictly melee Dexterity-based class. More flamboyant and sleek battlers who have Charisma as a prominent ability score naturally lend themselves towards interesting combat encounters, as well as flavourful interactions outside of combat. Their having limited ranged options is balanced by a wealth of melee options in manoeuvres; their relatively small hit die for a frontline combatant is balanced by a proficiency in Dexterity saving throws and a multitude of useful defensive class features. With its additional bonus actions and the *Cross* and *Whirlwind Attack* manoeuvres, two-weapon fighting with this class is a viable option.

## Creating a Fencer

When creating your fencer, consider why your character chooses to fight in such a disciplined and beautiful manor. Are you of noble blood, trained rigorously in line with the traditions of your family? Are you the opposite – an underdog striving to elevate yourself beyond your common birth? Have events within your life made fencing skills necessary for survival? Or do you simply seek a mastery of yourself through mastery of fine sword arts?

## Quick Build

You can make a fencer quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score. Your next-highest score should be Constitution – or Charisma if you plan to adopt the Battle Witch or Dashing Swordsman archetype. Second, chose a background that grants you proficiency in Dexterity or Charisma skills.

# Class Features

As a fencer, you gain the following class features.

### Hit Points

* **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per fencer level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per fencer level after 1st

### Proficiencies

* **Armor:** Light armour, medium armour, shields
* **Weapons:** Simple weapons, longswords, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords, whips
* **Tools:** One gaming set of your choice
* **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma
* **Skills:** Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, or Stealth

### Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) a martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) two light weapons
* (a) five darts or (b) any simple weapon
* (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
* Leather armour and a gaming set of your choice

## Fencing

Beginning at 1st level, you can use special manoeuvers that are fuelled by special dice called superiority dice.

### Manoeuvers

You learn three special manoeuvres. You can use only one manoeuvre per attack. You can only incorporate manoeuvres into ranged weapon attacks if you are throwing a weapon. You learn two additional manoeuvres of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new manoeuvres, you can also replace one manoeuvre you know with a different one.

### Superiority Dice

You start with four superiority dice, which are d8s, and you expend one whenever you use a manoeuvre. You regain them all when you finish a short or long rest.

You gain another superiority die at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. When you reach 9th level, your superiority dice turn into d10. When you reach level 17, your dice turn into d12.

### Saving Throws

Some of your manoeuvres require your target to make a saving throw to resist the manoeuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

**Manoeuvre save DC:** 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Charisma modifier (your choice).
## Fighting Style

At 1st level, 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.

* **Duelling** 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.

* **Great Weapon Fighting** When you are wielding a melee weapon in two hands, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with that weapon. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

* **Guarding** While you are wielding a melee weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws.

* **Protection** When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use a reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wearing a shield.

* **Throwing** You gain a +2 bonus to ranged attack rolls you make with thrown weapons. Whenever you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can draw the weapon as part of the attack.

* **Two-Weapon Fighting** When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

## Fencing Flourish

At 2nd level, you choose a style of combat to incorporate your fencing talents into.

* Battle Witch
* Dashing Swordsman
* Gladiator

It grants you a feature a 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.

## Finesse

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength for the attacks and damage rolls of any weapon that isn’t heavy. Also, wielding a melee weapon grants a +1 bonus to your AC.

## 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.

## Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

## Deft Swordplay

Beginning at 11th level, you can use an additional bonus action or reaction. Features gained from other classes cannot be utilised to use additional bonus actions or reactions. You cannot use the same bonus action or reaction again until the start of your next turn, and multiple reactions cannot be taken in response to the same trigger.

At 20th level, you can use another additional bonus action or reaction.

## Pristine Guard

Beginning at 13th level, if you have all of your hit points remaining, you have advantage on all saving throws you have proficiency in, and attacks made against you have disadvantage.

## Resolute Blde

Beginning at 15th level, whenever you roll for initiative and have zero superiority dice, you get 2 superiority dice back.

### Manoeuvres

The manoeuvres are presented in alphabetical order.

* **Backflip.** When another creature damages you with an attack, you can use a reaction to make a Dexterity check and expend one superiority die, adding it to the check. If your total roll is higher than the triggering attack roll, you take no damage and move 5 feet backwards.

* **Breather.** On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to regain hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Constitution modifier.

* **Commander's Strike.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature that can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

* **Cross Attack.** When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn and you are wielding two one-handed weapons, you can expend a superiority die to strike with both weapons. If your attack misses, you can make a second melee weapon attack with another weapon, this time with advantage on the attack roll. You add the superiority die to the damage roll of the first attack that hits.

* **Disarming Attack.** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet and cannot be picked up until the end of its next turn.

* **Distant Attack.** When you make a ranged weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to strike a distant target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll and triple the range of your weapon for that attack.

* **Distracting Strike.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.

* **Evasive Footwork.** When you move, you can expend one superiority die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.

* **Feinting Attack.** You can expend one superiority die 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 your next attack roll against that creature. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

* **Glancing Blow.** On your turn, if you miss a weapon attack (that hasn’t received a -5 penalty from the Great Weapon Master or Sharpshooter feats), you can use a reaction and expend one superiority die to strike from another angle. You make an identical attack against the same target, adding the superiority die to the roll.

* **Goading Attack.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

* **Gutsy Recovery.** On your turn, you can expend one superiority die to end the effects of one spell on yourself, or cure yourself of the Frightened, Paralysed, or Poisoned condition.

* **Halting Strike.** When you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to halt the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target cannot use its bonus action, movement, or reaction until the end of its next turn.

* **Hurling Attack.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack and you are wielding a heavy weapon, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to send the target flying. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can knock the target prone or push the target up to 15 feet away from you (your choice).

* **Lunging Attack.** When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. The attack can affect all creatures in a line the length of your weapon’s reach, and you use the same attack and damage rolls for each.

* **Manoeuvring Attack.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to manoeuvre one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature that can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.

* **Menacing Attack.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

* **Parry.** When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier.

* **Piercing Attack.** When you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to pierce the defences of the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and ignore any resistances or immunities the target has until the start of your next turn.

* **Precision Attack.** When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this manoeuvre before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.

* **Quick-Draw.** Before initiative has been rolled, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to preemptively strike a target. You make a weapon attack against the target, imposing the superiority die roll as a penalty to its initiative roll.

* **Rally.** On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature that can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma modifier.

* **Riposte.** When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

* **Sealing Strike.** If a creature within 5 feet of you succeeds on a saving throw, you can use a reaction and expend one superiority die to attempt to hinder it. You make a weapon attack against the target, imposing the superiority die as a penalty to its saving throw, which it must make again.

* **Speed Burst.** On your turn, you can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action to move at a great speed. You take the Dash action, and are able to move along vertical surfaces or across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.

* **Sweeping Attack.** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die on top of the normal weapon damage. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

* **Whirlwind Attack.** When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn and you are wielding two one-handed weapons, you can expend a superiority die to spin viciously with both weapons. This attack can affect all creatures within 5 feet of you, and you use the same attack and damage rolls for each.

* **Wrestling Attack.** When you hit a creature with a weapon attack and you are wielding a heavy weapon, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to wrestle the target using your weapon. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw to avoid becoming restrained by you until the start of your next turn.

# Fencing Flourishes

Different fencers choose different approaches to perfecting their fencing prowess. The fencing flourish you choose to emulate reflects your approach.

## Battle Witch

The archetypal Battle Witch combines a natural aptitude for fencing with natural magical abilities similar to those of sorcerers. They focus on honing magical powers in line with two of the eight schools of magic: enchantment and evocation. Enchantment spells grants the Battle Witch a magical application of their charismatic personality, and evocation spells deal damage to many foes at once, expanding the fencer’s limited ranged options. Despite the name of this subclass, it is not exclusive to female characters.

### Spellcasting

When you reach 2nd level, you augment your fencing prowess with the ability to cast spells.

**Cantrips.** You start with 3 cantrips from the sorcerer spell list. At 10th level you gain a 4th cantrip known.
**Spell Slots.** The Battle Witch Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
**Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher.** You know three 1st level sorcerer spells of your choice; two must come from the enchantment or evocation spell schools. The third spell can be from any Sorcerer school of magic.
The Spells Known column of the Battle Witch Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an enchantment or evocation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 2rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level.
**Spellcasting Ability.** Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
**Spell save DC:** 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
**Spell attack modifier:** your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
### Bewitched Blade

Beginning at 2nd level, you can bewitch a weapon over the course of a 1 hour short rest. Once enchanted, this bewitched weapon can pass through any inorganic matter on the Material Plane – ignoring the benefits creatures gain from shields or cover. You can bewitch up to two weapons at once.

### Spell Fencing

Beginning at 6th level, when use your action to cast a cantrip you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack.

### Arcane Trickery

Beginning at 10th level, when an attacker that you can see misses a spell attack against you or you succeed on your first saving throw to avoid the effects of an attacker’s spell (and the casting time of that spell is an action, a bonus action, or a reaction) you can use a reaction to reflect the spell, immediately casting it on its original caster.

If the spell has an area of effect, its effects must be centred on its original caster. The reflected spell is cast at the level it was originally cast. Knowledge of the spell, spell slots, or components are not required to reflect a spell.

### Phantom Spell

Beginning at 14th level, spells cast or reflected by you (and their effects) can pass through any inorganic matter on the Material Plane – ignoring the benefits creatures gain from shields or cover.

### Greater Spell Fencing

Beginning at 18th level, when use your action to cast a spell you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack.

## Dashing Swordsman

The archetypical Dashing Swordsman applies their charming personality and flair for the dramatic directly to their swordplay. This class derives its name, and much of its inspiration, from the prestige class invented by Rich Burlew for his *D&D webcomic Order of the Stick*. Despite the name of this subclass, it is not exclusive to male characters.

### Dramatic Entrance

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.

Also beginning at 2nd level, you can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls – or any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution checks made to hazardously enter a scene of battle–equal to your Charisma modifier.

### Sweep me off my feet

Beginning at 2nd level, you can lift any willing creature of your size or smaller, regardless of their weight. Carrying a creature of your size or smaller does not incur a movement penalty.

### Retorting Wit

Beginning at 6th level, you can make a Charisma (Performance) skill check in place of a Wisdom saving throw. You must finish a short rest to use this feature again.

### Horde Fighter

Beginning at 10th level, you can use a bonus action to take the Dodge action, which is effective against a number of creatures equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of 1). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a short rest.

### Nimble Manoeuvre

Beginning at 14th level, when you use a manoeuvre that augments a weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to expend another superiority die and augment it with a second. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

### Flamboyant Manoeuvre

Beginning at 18th level, you can gain a bonus to one superiority die roll equal to your Charisma modifier, once each round.

## Gladiator

While most fencers have carefully refined their combat techniques through study and training, the archetypical gladiator has achieved their fighting prowess through a lifetime in the area, becoming more a traditionally brutal and tough melee combatant.

### Armoury

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency with heavy armour and all martial weapons.

### Endurance

At 2nd level, your hit point maximum increases by 2. It increases by 1 whenever you gain another level in this class.

### Arena Warrior

Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with thrown weapons. A net can be thrown without limiting you to only one attack, so long as prior or subsequent attacks are made using one-handed weapons.

### Additional Fighting Style

At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature; the Archery style: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons; or the Defence style: While you are wearing armour, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

### Extra Attack (x2)

Beginning at 14th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### Champion's Strike

Beginning at 18th level, if you have all of your hit points remaining, you have advantage on attack rolls whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

# Multiclassing

The Multiclassing prerequisite for the fencer class is having a Dexterity or Charisma score of 13 or higher. Multiclassing into the fencer class provides you proficiency in light and medium armour, shields, simple weapons, rapiers and shortswords, and one skill from the class's skill list.