Fencer

The Fencer is a versatile fighter, capable of switching between offensive and defensive stances with their swordplay. Strong and fast, with good defense, fencers make good combatants in various situations.

Stance Change

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to enter certain stances and become more versatile. You may use a bonus action on your turn to enter one of these stances and gain its benefit as long as you are in that stance. You may only be in one stance at a time; if you enter a new stance while already in one, you no longer gain the benefits of the original stance. If you fall prone, unconscious, are restrained, or leave combat for more than a minute, you leave the stance you are in. This Fencer Table shows your Damage Bonus, Speed Bonus, and how many uses of your technique you have as your Fighter level increases.

Level	Damage Bonus	Speed Bonus	Technique Uses
3	1	10 ft	0
7	2	15 ft	4
10	2	20 ft	5
15	3	25 ft	6
18	3	30 ft	8

Blazing Wolf: When you make a melee weapon attack, you may add your Fencer Damage Bonus to the weapon's damage roll.

Stalwart Aurochs: The damage you take from attacks or spells you can see is reduced by a number equal to your Fencer Damage Bonus.

Soaring Falcon: You gain a bonus to your movement speed equal to your Fencer Speed Bonus. Opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage.

Fencer Techniques

At 7th level, you learn three techniques to take advantage of your stances. If you take the attack action, you can replace any number of those attacks with one of these fencer techniques.

Wolf Fang: If you are in the Wolf stance, make a melee weapon attack. You then enter the Aurochs stance.

Goring Aurochs: If you are in the Aurochs stance, make a melee weapon attack. If it hits, you may add your Fencer Damage Bonus to the weapon's damage roll. You then enter the Wolf stance.

Falcon Claw: Once per turn, if you are in the Falcon stance, make 2 melee weapon attacks. You then leave the Falcon stance.

You can use a fencer technique a number of times equal to the number shown in the Fencer table for your level. You regain all uses of these techniques upon completing a short or long rest.

Insightful Instinct

At 10th level, your experience reading your opponent’s moves allows you to read people in social situations as well. You have more experience telling if people are lying, and are more able to know what they want. You gain a bonus to your Insight checks equal to your Charisma modifier, and gain a bonus to your Persuasion checks equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Fencer Extension

Starting at 15th level, your experience with the stances allows you to extend your abilities beyond your normal capabilities.

Wolf Pounce: If you take the attack action and end it in the Wolf stance, you may use a bonus action to attempt to shove a creature you hit prone.

Aurochs Stampede: If you are in the Aurochs stance and are hit with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to make a melee attack against the creature.

Falcon Flight: If you are in the Falcon stance and take the disengage action, you gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed until the end of your turn or until you leave the Falcon stance.

Stance Mastery

At 18th level, you attain mastery of one of the three stances. Choose one of the three stances. When you roll Initiative, you may immediately enter that stance. You also gain a bonus to that stance.

Eye of the Wolf: When you roll Initiative, you may enter Wolf stance. When you start your turn in Wolf stance, you gain advantage on the first attack roll you make on your turn.

Horns of the Aurochs: When you roll Initiative, you may enter Aurochs stance. When in Aurochs stance, if an ally of yours within 5 ft of you is damaged by a melee attack from a hostile creature, you may choose to make the attacking creature take piercing damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

Talons of the Falcon: When you roll Initiative, you may enter Falcon stance. You gain advantage on Initiative rolls, Falcon Claw no longer has a once-per turn limit, and using Falcon Claw allows you to enter Wolf or Aurochs stance instead of leaving your stance.

Eye of the Wolf

When you roll Initiative, you may enter Wolf stance. When you start your turn in Wolf stance, you gain advantage on the first attack roll you make on your turn.

Horns of the Aurochs

When you roll Initiative, you may enter Aurochs stance. When in Aurochs stance, if an ally of yours within 5 ft of you is damaged by a melee attack from a hostile creature, you may choose to make the attacking creature take piercing damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

Talons of the Falcon

When you roll Initiative, you may enter Falcon stance. You gain advantage on Initiative rolls, Falcon Claw no longer has a once-per turn limit, and using Falcon Claw allows you to enter Wolf or Aurochs stance instead of leaving your stance.