Uhlan (Class)

A Seeq's swing of a club is met by a Dragonborn's quarterstaff. Before she could realize, her club was swiftly pulled out of her hand, as the Dragonborn twisted his quarterstaff, she was left defenseless. Out of options, the Seeq throws a punch at the reptilian, only for her fist to be thrown aside by the blunt staff which was soon to neutralize her with a swift blow to the head.

With a sudden boom, a heavily armored Bravachi soldier falls flat against the ground. Despite his general well-constituted technique, a single error on his behalf would lead to his downfall. Knowing there was no recovery from such a mistake, he laid in silence as the enemy who knocked him to the ground prepared to sever his head with a single blow from a Halberd.

As a Indoori steps to the side of an attacker's blade, he sees a golden opportunity. Unwilling to pass up the offer, he jumps into the air before throwing his Pike at his attacker. The Pike pierced through it's target as if it weren't even there, pinning the dwarf into the ground.

The single defining factor which brings these three Uhlan together is their approach to combat, oriented primarily around reacting to their enemy's attacks. They tend to use polearm weapons such as Halberds, Pikes, or Quarterstaffs (among others) to ensure they stay a safe distance from their attackers. Most Uhlan will opt for lighter armors for the sake of mobility at the cost of some protection, though not all will be found in non-metal armors.

## Defense Is The Best Offense

Uhlan fight using polearms, and are very selective in their attacks. Uhlan rarely strike first, and specialize in the ability to punish the mistakes of those they are fighting. This allows them to hit their enemies with hard, heavy attacks, while rarely getting hurt themselves. Uhlan are very agile and dexterous, and they use these capabilities to do things such as disarming their opponents, or potentially tripping them to the ground. The average Uhlan is very spatially aware, which is a necessary trait in order to properly dodge attacks and retaliate accordingly.

## Protective Occupation

Though Uhlan are not the most common type of warrior, they are far from rare and often can be found among various defensive positions. Their innate ability to punish attacks and control combat from a safe distance makes them excellent bodyguards. As a result, they tend to serve nobles, politicians, or otherwise wealthy or elite figures. Uhlan also often can be found serving as soldiers for various militaries, where they often are assigned mounts. This tends to be a place where they learn their unique fighting style, though some will be taught by family, friends, tribe members, or even teach themselves. While it isn't common that non-military Uhlan are seen far outside of cities, it isn't an unheard of occurrence.

## Creating an Uhlan

When building your Uhlan, the first things you should consider are your past and source of training. In order to take up such a form of combat, Uhlan must be agile, dexterous, athletic, and quick on both a physical and mental level. Were you trained in the military, or have you just adopted your fighting styles over time with experience? Have you been a bodyguard for a notable figure in the past? Do you still have connections with anyone you have served or been employed by? Are you disliked by a person you've protected in the past? Why did you stop? Perhaps they began doing things you didn't approve of and you refused to continue serving them. Maybe they're after you because you learned their secrets, or perhaps you could've turned on a person you once protected. Potentially, none of these things could apply to you, and you may just be an individual who has a particular way you prefer to approach combat.

## Quick Build

You can make a Uhlan quickly by following these suggestions: Prioritize either Dexterity or Strength as your highest ability score, depending on what weapons you prefer to use. After those scores should be Constitution. The others should be ordered to reflect your character's personality and history. The recommended backgrounds for a Uhlan are Noble or Soldier.

## Class Features

As an Uhlan, you gain the following class features:

### Hit Points

**Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Uhlan level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Uhlan level after 1st

### Proficiencies

**Armor :** Light Armor, Medium Armor

**Weapons:** Quarterstaff, Glaive, Halberd, Lance, Pike

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity

**Skills:** Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Animal Handling, Insight, Perception

### Equipment

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

• (a) Hide Armor or (b) Studded Leather

• (a) a martial weapon

• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

## Obverse Combat

Uhlan fight with polearm weapons in a uniquely agile way. When attacking with a Quarterstaff, Glaive, Halberd, Lance, or Pike, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls. In addition, Uhlan focus mostly on retaliation and countering their foe's attacks while in combat. If you use a reaction to attack a creature, any damage resistances or immunities the target has are ignored.

## Strategic Timing

Timing is critical for Uhlan. When you roll initiative, you may choose to add or subtract 5 from your roll. Additionally, you can use your action in combat to force initiative to be re-rolled. If you do, you can still add or subtract 5 from your roll. You may not re-roll initiative with this ability more than once in a day.

## Opportunist

Whenever you successfully attack a target using a reaction, you gain 1 Opportunity Die. An Opportunity Die is equal to 1d6. At 12th Level, these dice become equivalent to 1d12. You cannot have more than 3 Opportunity Dice at one time. You can expend these dice to activate certain abilities that call for them. When making an Opportunity attack, you may expend Opportunity Dice (2 Maximum) to add damage to the attack equal to 1d6 per Expended die.

## Evasive Footwork

As a warrior who is a master of exploiting the flaws of others, you are aware of your own. If you are targeted by a creature as an opportunity attack, you may expend opportunity dice (2 Maximum) and increase your AC by the roll total while the creature is rolling to determine if the attack hits.

## Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 3rd level, and again at 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 18th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

## Lapsing Sweep

When you are attacking with a weapon, you may expend Opportunity Dice (2 maximum) to attempt to trip a target with your weapon. You add the Opportunity Dice total 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 knock the target prone. If you use a reaction for this attack and you did not attack on your previous action, this saving throw is unnecessary, and the target is knocked prone. If you expend 2 Opportunity Dice, you can target all creatures within reach of you, even during a reaction.

## Taunting

You may use your action to taunt any creature that can see or hear you. If you do, this target must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw. If the target fails, they are forced to attack you on their next turn. If they cannot attack you on their next turn, the creature is no longer taunted. If the target succeeds at the saving throw, the target is not taunted, and does not have to attack you on their next turn.

## Countermeasure

**At the end of your turn:** If you didn't use your action to attack this turn, you take advantage on any damage rolls regarding the next attack you make at the cost of a reaction.

## Subjugation

When you are attacking with a weapon, you may expend Opportunity Dice (2 maximum) to attempt to disarm a target with your weapon, knocking an object of your choice out of the target's hands. You add the Opportunity Dice total 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. If you use a reaction for this attack and you did not attack on your previous action, this saving throw is unnecessary, and the object you choose is dropped. If you expend 2 Opportunity Dice, you can target two separate objects at once. Dropped objects land at the feet of whoever dropped them.

## Execution Angle

When using your action to attack a creature who is prone, your attack does additional damage equal to 1d6 per Uhlan Level. If you were the one who knocked the creature prone, your attack does additional damage equal to 1d12 per Uhlan Level.

## Valued Patience

You can choose to forfeit your action. If you do, you gain advantage on any Opportunity Die rolls until your next turn. You cannot move on your turn after you activate this ability. If you have already moved this turn, you cannot use this ability until your next turn.

## Observant Impulse

Your combat style is heavily reliant on watching your surroundings intently. As your action, you can expend 1 Opportunity Die. When you do, you can select a number of creatures you can see equal to that roll. These creatures have their resistances, immunities, and weaknesses revealed to you. In addition, you are proficient in the Perception skill, and your Passive Perception is increased by 5. If you are already proficient in the Perception skill, your proficiency modifier for this skill is doubled.

## Punishment

If a creature attempts to attack you and the attack misses, you may use your reaction to attack the target. If you do, and this attack hits successfully, you may add damage to the damage roll equal to 1d6 per Uhlan Level.

## Sequence Return

If you choose to expend one or more Opportunity Dice while attacking a creature on your reaction, you may follow-up with a new attack, adding damage equal to the previous Opportunity Dice roll to your damage roll. This follow-up attack cannot expend any Opportunity Dice. At 19th Level: When you follow-up a reaction attack with another reaction attack, you can expend one or more Opportunity Dice. If you do, you may follow-up with a new attack, adding damage equal to the Opportunity Dice roll total to your damage roll.

## Skewer

As your Action, you can choose to expend 3 Opportunity Dice. If you do, target one creature within reach to attack. If the attack succeeds, this target is impaled. Add to your damage roll 1d12 per Uhlan Level. During this attack, the target's resistances are ignored. If a target who is immune to piercing damage is targeted by *Skewer*, they only take half damage instead of none. If a target who is weak to piercing damage is targeted by *Skewer*, the additional damage is tripled. If there is a creature 5ft. or less behind the target of this attack, it takes damage equal to this additional damage, unless it succeeds a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. You cannot make a reaction until your next turn if you use this ability.

## Perforation Drive

After successfully attacking a creature with a melee weapon, you can choose to expend 3 Opportunity Dice. If you do, you can toss your weapon at a creature within 20ft. Unless it succeeds a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, this creature is hit by the attack. This attack should be considered a *Skewer* attack.

## Habitual Counters

You have truly mastered the art of exploiting your opponent's errors in combat. When rolling Opportunity Dice, you always roll a 12. In addition, all attacks which call for expending Opportunity Dice take one less; Effects expending 1 now expend 0, effects expending 2 now expend 1, and effects expending 3 now expend 2. When expending 0 Opportunity Dice, a die is still rolled, but is not discarded.