Way of the Drunken Master (Maneuver Variant) V.2.

The Way of the Drunken Master teaches its students to move with the jerky, unpredictable movements of a drunkard. A drunken master sways, tottering on unsteady feet, to present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats.

A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don’t already have it. Your martial arts technique mixes combat training with the precision of a dancer and the antics of a jester. You also gain proficiency with brewer’s supplies if you don’t already have it.

In addition, you are proficient in improvised weapons allowing you to fight with whatever is around you, whether that be a chair table, bottle of ale, etc. Improvised weapons are considered monk weapons for you.

Drunken Technique

At 3rd level, you have learned to become a master of illusive combat. You gain the following benefits.

You learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn. 

Additionally, you learn Drunken Footing maneuvers that are fueled by Drunken Footing die.

Drunken Footing Maneuvers. You learn two maneuvers of your choice, which are detailed under “Maneuvers” below. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack

You learn two additional maneuver of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.

Drunken Footing Dice. You have four Drunken Footing dice, which are equivalent to your Martial Arts die. A Drunken Footing die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Drunken Footing dice when you finish a short or long rest.

You gain another Drunken Footing die at 6th level and one more at 17th level.

Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

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Also, being knocked prone has less of an adverse affect on you.  You gain the following benefits.

Hard to Pin Down.  When you’re prone, your enemies don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you and you don't gain disadvantage on attack rolls.

Leap to Your Feet.  You can stand up from prone by spending 5 ft. of movement, rather than half your speed.

 

Drunken Footing Maneuvers

The maneuvers are presented in alphabetical order.

Brewmaster

When you make a Brewer's Kit or Alchemist's Supplies check, you can expend one Drunken Footing die and add the die to the roll.

Coiled Snake

Prerequisite: 6th level

When a creature you can see moves into the reach you have with the monk weapon you’re wielding, you can use your reaction to expend one Drunken Footing die and make one attack against the creature. If the attack hits, add the Drunken Footing die to the weapon’s damage roll. You can spend 1 ki point to make another attack without the added damage if another creature enters your reach before the start of your next turn.

Deceptive Lean

Prerequisite: 6th level

When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet.  If you hit, you add the Drunken Footing die to the attack's damage roll.  You can spend 1 ki point to cause the target to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you gain advantage for this attack

Drunkard's Numbness

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

Drunken Distraction

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the Drunken Footing die to the attack’s damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who 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.

Drunken Haze

Prerequisite: 6th level

When you’re within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one Drunken Footing die and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn’t incapacitated This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.  You can spend 1 ki point to perform this maneuver when a creature within 5 feet of you is target by an attack.  Roll the Drunken Footing die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled. This maneuver cannot be used along with the benefit from the Master of Deceit feature

Drunken Stagger

Prerequisite: 6th level 

When you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding. You add the Drunken Footing 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.  You can spend 1 ki point to knock the item 10 feet away in a direction of your choice

Evasive Footwork

When you move as part of your turn, you can expend one Drunken Footing die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.  This maneuver cannot be used along with the benefit from the Master of Deceit feature

Feinting Blow

Whenever you spend a ki point for Drunken Technique and make a weapon attack against a creature as part of the bonus action, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to add it to the attack roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.

Grazing Strike

 If you miss a creature with a melee weapon attack as part of the Drunken Technique feature, you can expend a Drunken Footing dice and deal damage to that creature equal to the roll.  This damage is the same type dealt by the weapon, and the damage can’t be increased in any way.  

Infuriating Dodge

You've learned to taunt your enemies as part of your ridiculous dodging. When you take the Attack action with a melee weapon and then spend a ki point for Patient Defense, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to goad the target into attacking you. You add the Drunken Footing 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 start of your next turn.

Intoxicated Collapse

Prerequisite: 6th level

When you hit a creature within 5 feet of you with a weapon attack as part of the Tipsy Sway feature, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening as you fall into the creature. You add the Drunken Footing 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.

Momentary Grace

Prerequisite: 11th level

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to take half damage on a successful Dexterity Saving Throw, you can spend 1 ki point and expend one Drunken Footing die to add the result to the saving throw turning a potential failure into a success.

Pushing Retort

Whenever you are hit by an attack within 5 feet of you, you can expend a Drunken Footing die to attempt to drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.

Swaying Breeze

Prerequisite: 6th level

When you use Redirect Attack feature of Tipsy Sway, you can expend one Drunken Footing die to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature. If you or the redirected attack hit, you add the Drunken Footing die to each attack's damage roll.

Sweeping Tumble

Whenever you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can roll one Drunken Footing 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 Drunken Footing die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

Tripping Strike

Whenever you make a melee weapon attack against a creature no more than one size larger than you, you can spend one Drunken Footing die to attempt to knock the target prone. If you hit, add the Drunken Footing die to the damage roll and the creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, they become prone.  If you are prone, then the target makes the saving throw at disadvantage.

Tipsy Sway

Starting at 6th level, you have practiced years to become an expert in being seen as a drunken fool moving in sudden, swaying movements, making it difficult to land an attack.  You gain the following benefits.

Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack (including special melee attacks like shove and grapple), you can spend your reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you. You can spend 2 ki points to redirect it back at the attacker. 

Master of Deceit.  Whenever you spend a ki point for Drunken Technique, you can make a Charisma Performance check contested by the Wisdom Insight check of all creatures within 30 feet of you that can see you. Against those that failed the contested check, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your proficiency bonus until the start of your next turn.  Alternatively, you gain advantage on Charisma Deception checks for 1 minute against those who failed the contested check.  You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus (a minimum of twice).  You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

 

Drunkard’s Luck

Starting at 11th level, you always seem to get a lucky bounce at the right moment. When you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can spend 4 ki points to automatically succeed you can this after a roll but before the dm tells you the effect.

You also gain advantage on dexterity throws made against spell effects and traps as long as you are not incapacitated. 

 In addition, due to the illusive movement of the Drunken Master style, you can spend two ki points cast Freedom of Movement on yourself for 1 hour.

Intoxicated Frenzy

At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks).

You also gain the ability to cast the haste spell on yourself. As an action, you can spend 3 ki points and you gain its benefits for 1 minute. When you use this feature, you gain one level of exhaustion. Only by finishing a long rest can you remove a level of exhaustion gained in this way.