Gwou-Shesaa

This is a spin off of the Swordsage subclass created by xJxVx

Created at first as a form of boredom, this style of swordplay eventually evolved into something more. Translated to 'Sword of Many Paths' in the language of the giants, it harbors different techniques to adapt to different situations. Practitioners of this style are one of few, but they train hard to overcome their own weaknesses.

Path of Many

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you learn 3 martial stances of your choice from the list below. In combat, as a bonus action on your turn, you can enter a martial stance, granting you special abilities for as long as you are in that stance. You can exit your current stance or enter a new stance as a bonus action. Your martial stances end if you are incapacitated, knocked prone, or when combat ends. You may only benefit from one stance at a time.

You learn three stances at 3rd level, two more at 7th level, two more at 10th level, two more at 15th level, and two more at 18th level

Earth Stance

You plant your feet firmly on the ground and take a deep breath, readying yourself for an opponent’s attack. While in this stance, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and your speed is reduced by 10 ft. In addition, you can use your action to spend hit dice to recover hit points as if you had completed a short rest.

Fire Stance

You raise your weapon high and lash out with fury, harnessing your forward momentum to force your weapon to hit its mark. While in this stance, you gain a cumulative +2 bonus (to a maximum of +6) to melee weapon attacks and damage rolls each round you stay in it.

Heavy Stance

You prepare to use the weight of your weapons against your enemy’s center of balance, enabling you to push your enemies around. While in this stance, when you hit with a weapon attack, you can force your target to make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by a Strength (Athletics) check of your own. If your check succeeds, your attack knocks the target prone or pushes it 5 feet in a direction of your choice.

Lightning Stance

Moving like a flash of lightning, your body and mind move at unnatural speeds. While in this stance, if you miss an attack against a creature you may use your reaction to reroll that attack. You can do this once per turn. Additionally, as your senses become heightened you are able to notice finer details. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Maelstrom Stance

You raise up on your toes and become more nimble, almost weightless. While in this stance, your speed increases by 10 feet and your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. While in this stance, when you take the Attack action to make any number of melee weapon attacks, you can make two additional melee weapon attacks as part of the same action.

Shadow Stance

You crouch and use shadows, blind spots, and nimble footwork to escape the notice of your enemies. While in this stance, when you move on your turn, you can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Passive Wisdom (Perception) of any creatures in the area. Until your turn ends or you make an attack or cast a spell, you are invisible to creatures whose Passive Wisdom (Perception) scores are lower than the result of your check.

Steel Stance

You steel yourself to incoming blows to protect yourself and your allies. While in this stance, you resist nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. As a reaction, you can intercept an attack that would have hit that ally within 5 feet of you, causing you to take the damage and any additional effects, instead of the ally. You must use this reaction before the damage is rolled.

Thunder Stance

You strike your own weapon, causing it to ring out in a thunderous tone. While in this stance, creatures that are within 10 feet of you must make a CON saving throw or become deafened until the end of your turn. Attacks you make against the deafened creature deal an additional 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

Tree Stance

You root yourself in place, making you speed drop to 0. While in this stance, you cannot be moved forcefully from this spot and enemies that attack you make the attacks at disadvantage. 

Water Stance

You ready your weapon behind your back and prepare to use your enemy’s momentum against them. While in this stance, when a creature would hit you with a melee attack, but before the damage is rolled, you can use your reaction to cause the attack to miss, as long as it wasn’t a critical hit. As part of that reaction, if the attacker is Large or smaller, you can move the attacker to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you.

Wind Stance

You prepare to spring at your enemies. While in this stance, as a reaction, you can leap up to 30 feet toward a hostile creature you can see. You may still trigger an opportunity attack if you leave a creature’s space, but you don’t trigger opportunity attacks along the path you travel. If you land next to a hostile creature you may make a single attack as part of that same reaction.

Ready for Action

By 7th level, your martial stances have become second nature. When you roll initiative, you can immediately enter a stance.

Infinite Paths

By 10th level, you have unlocked the secret to combining martial stances. You can now gain the benefit of two different martial stances at the same time. Both stances have to be a different stance, it cannot be the same stance.

Muscle Memory

Starting at 15th level, changing your stances will no longer cost you a bonus action during your turn but instead can be changed for free at the beginning of your turn. Additionally, you may now change your stance as a reaction to being targeted by an attack or a hostile spell.

Perfected Form

At 18th level, you have mastered your fighting stances. Pick one stance you know. You always gain the benefits of this stance and it doesn’t count against the number of stances you can have active at once. You cannot enter this stance any longer, since you are always in this stance.