Elemental Flux

Rogues who master elemental combat learn to channel the forces of nature and magic through specialized fighting stances. Rather than relying solely on blades or spells, they weave elemental power into their movements, attacks, and techniques, shifting between stances to create openings and devastating combinations.

Each stance embodies a different elemental force, granting unique abilities and ways to manipulate the battlefield. Whether channeling the relentless power of lightning, the resilience of earth, the fluidity of water, or stranger forces, no two elemental rogues need fight the same way.

As their mastery grows, these rogues learn to seamlessly substitute spells for weapon attacks and transition between elemental forces in the middle of combat. At the height of their training, they can chain multiple stances together into a perfect cycle, turning elemental magic, movement, and precise strikes into one continuous fighting style.

Level 3: Cunning Forms

• Like Water. You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity saving throws. In addition, you can take the Dodge action as part of the Attack action.
• Drowned Edge. When you enter Flow Stance, you can use a bonus action to cast Drowned Edge, infusing your weapons with water until you leave this stance. Your weapon attacks apply the Wet condition on hit. When one of these attacks misses, the space targeted by the attack becomes a 5ft wet ground surface.
• Wet. A Wet creature is vulnerable to Cold and Lightning damage and resistant to Fire damage.
• Undertow Strike. When you deal Sneak Attack damage while in Flow Stance, the Sneak Attack damage becomes Cold damage. The creature's speed is halved, and it takes a −2 penalty to Dexterity saving throws until the end of your next turn.
• Switching from Tempest Stance: Rainfall
  • When you switch from Tempest Stance to Flow Stance, rain falls in a 10-foot-radius area centered on you. Creatures of your choice within the area become Wet, and the ground within the area becomes a wet ground surface. A creature made Wet by Rainfall also becomes Exposed.
  • Exposed. An Exposed creature is eligible for your Sneak Attack even if you don't have Advantage or an ally within 5 feet of it. When you deal Sneak Attack damage to an Exposed creature, Exposed is consumed.

• Buried Step. Your AC increases by 2, and you gain a burrow speed equal to your walking speed.
• Faultline. When you deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature, that creature can't take Reactions until the start of your next turn and has Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before then. If the creature is concentrating on a spell, it has Disadvantage on the Constitution saving throw it makes to maintain concentration as a result of taking your Sneak Attack damage.
• Transmuted Touch. When you enter Stone Stance, you can use a bonus action to cast Transmuted Touch, causing your weapons to transmute the flesh of your enemies into fragile rock. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack while Transmuted Touch is active, you can apply the Fractured condition to that creature.
• Fractured. A Fractured creature's physical defenses have been compromised. The creature has Disadvantage on saving throws against your spells. Whenever a Fractured creature takes damage from one of your spells, it takes additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. This additional damage can be dealt only once per spell.
• Switching from Flow Stance: Frost
  • When you switch from Flow Stance to Stone Stance, all Wet creatures and wet ground surfaces becomes covered by a thin layer of ice. When a Frosted creature is hit by one of your attacks or spells, it takes additional damage equal to your Sneak Attack damage. The Frosted condition is then consumed. Frosted Ground count as difficult terrain, creatures walking on frosted ground must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or fall prone ending their turn.

• Flash Step. Your speed increases by 10 feet, and you can use Cunning Action without expending a Bonus Action.
• Static. When you enter Tempest Stance, you can use a bonus action to cast your Tempest spell, imbuing your weapons with lightning until you leave this stance. Your weapon attacks apply the Shocked condition to creatures they hit.
• Shocked. The next time a Shocked creature takes damage from one of your attacks or spells, that instance of damage ignores the creature's damage resistances. The Shocked condition is then consumed.
• Arc. When you deal Sneak Attack damage while in Tempest Stance, the Sneak Attack damage becomes Lightning damage. The lightning then chains to the closest creature within range of the original target, dealing Lightning damage to that creature.
• Switching from Stone Stance: Shatter
  • When you switch from Stone Stance to Tempest Stance, you gain access to the spell Shatter, you can call down a bolt of lightning upon one Fractured creature you can see. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC taking lightning damage to your Sneak Attack damage on fail, half damage on success. This spell consumes the Fractured condition on the target. Once Shatter is cast, one use of your sneak attack for your current turn is taken.

Level 3: Spellcasting

Spellbook

You gain a spellbook containing the spells you know. Your spellbook follows the rules of the Wizard's Spellbook feature, except as otherwise noted by this subclass. You use the Wizard spell list when learning spells through this feature.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you learn your elemental magic through study and practice. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. You also use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell Slots

You use the third-caster spell slot progression shown for your class to determine the number of spell slots you have available. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Preparing Spells

You prepare the spells available to you through your spell book after finishing a Long Rest. The number of spells you can prepare is equal to your Wisdom modifier + 1/3 your Rogue level (rounded down), minimum of one spell.

You can change your prepared spells whenever you finish a Long Rest.

Level 9: Arcane Substitution

At 9th level, you have learned to weave your elemental magic directly into your weapon techniques.

When you take the Attack action on your turn and make an attack with a weapon that has the Nick property, you can replace one attack granted by that action with a spell attack. 

You also gain more elemental reactions when you switch stances:

From Stone Stance to Flow Stance: Erosion: Creatures Fractured by you began to erode. Upon a failed Constitution save against your spell save DC, the target suffers 1 point of exhaustion, and the Fractured condition is consumed.

From Tempest Stance to Stone Stance: Grounding: Shocked and Electrified creatures and surfaces become grounded. Shocked or Electrified creatures must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become Stunned until the start of your next turn. The Shocked or Electrified condition is then consumed. 

From Flow Stance to Tempest Stance: Electrified: Wet creatures and wet ground surfaces become Electrified. An electrified creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become paralyzed until the start of your next turn. The Wet condition is then consumed.

Level 13: Perfect Switch

At 13th level, you have mastered the seamless transition between your elemental stances.

When you enter a stance, its stance spell no longer requires a Bonus Action.

In addition, whenever you make a spell attack associated with the element of one of your stances, you automatically switch to that stance. This switch requires no action and doesn't prevent you from switching stances again on the same turn. 

Level 17: Perfect Cycle

At 17th level, you have mastered the complete cycle of your elemental stances.

When you enter all three of your stances during the same turn, you complete a Perfect Cycle. Upon completing the cycle, you regain the ability to use Sneak Attack, even if you have already used it this turn.

Immediately upon entering your third stance, you can make one additional weapon attack. If the attack hits, it deals your Sneak Attack damage.