Fighter: Stance Master

Fighting Stances

3rd level Stance Master feature

Inspiration from natural sources has taught you new ways to engage in combat. At the start of each of your turns in combat, you can choose to enter one of the following stances. You gain certain benefits depending on the stance you are currently in: 

Wolf

• You have advantage on attacks against creatures while an ally that isn’t incapacitated is within 5 feet of it. 

• The number needed to score a critical hit with melee weapon attacks you make is reduced by 1. 

Tortoise

• You gain a +1 bonus to your AC. 

• You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone or moved against your will. 

Hawk

• Your movement is increased by 10 feet. 

• You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action. 

Snake

• You can move through a hostile creature’s space even if it is not at least 2 sizes larger or smaller than you. 

• When you take the Dodge action, you can make a melee weapon attack as part of the same action. 

Wild Combat

3rd level Stance Master feature

You have learned to incorporate animalistic techniques into your combat arsenal. You can use one of the following techniques respective to the stance you are currently in: 

Wolf (Rending Bite): 

Once per turn, when you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can reduce the target's AC by your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) until the end of your next turn. 

Tortoise (Vigilant Shell): 

As an action, you can give yourself and creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you half cover until the end of your next turn.  

Hawk (Slashing Talon): 

As an action, you can move up to your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks. If you end your movement within 5 feet of another creature, you can make a melee weapon attack against it as part of this action. 

Snake (Twisting Fang): 

As a bonus action, you can lengthen your limbs by twisting them in curious ways. Your reach is increased by 5 feet until the end of your turn. 

Animal Awareness

7th level Stance Master feature

Your intense training allows you to react in ways reminiscent of your animal inspirations. You gain the following features while in the associated stance:

Wolf

• When a creature within 5 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the target. On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone (Save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)). 

Tortoise

• When a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to add a bonus to your AC equal to your proficiency bonus until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack.

Hawk

• When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to move up to your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks. 

Snake

• When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against it. On a hit, the creature has disadvantage on the next attack it makes until the end of your next turn.  

Flowing Forms

10th level Stance Master feature

Muscle memory has ingrained animalistic training into your body, allowing for greater flexibility on the field of battle. 

You can use any of the Animal Awareness features, regardless of your stance. If you do, you can choose to change your stance to the one matching the reaction used. 

Stance Expertise

15th level Stance Master feature

Your understanding of your animalistic inspirations has deepened, enhancing your stances. Your stances gain additional benefits. 

Wolf

• When you miss with a melee weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to make another attack against the same creature with the same weapon.  

Tortoise

• The bonus to your AC is increased to +2. Additionally, when you use the Vigilant Shell feature the range is increased to 10 feet. 

Hawk 

• Your movement is increased by an additional 10 feet. Additionally, you have advantage on Dexterity checks and saving throws. 

Snake

• You have advantage on opportunity attacks. Additionally, you gain an extra reaction which you can only use to make opportunity attacks. 

Stance Mastery

18th level Stance Master feature

Your mastery of all forms has granted you abilities above that of any other practitioner of martial arts. 

Wolf

• When you take the attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll against one of the targets, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack against that target, as part of the same action. You can do so no more than once per turn.

Tortoise 

• When you make a Strength or Constitution saving throw, you can use your AC in place of the roll. 

Hawk

• You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. At the end of your turn, you fall if still aloft unless you can stop the fall.  

Snake

• Once per turn when a creature makes an attack against you with disadvantage, you can turn the attack into a miss automatically.