Interception Mastery

Interception Mastery represents the development of an advanced defensive fighting technique that combines a character's proficiency with Interception, two-weapon fighting, and the Dual Wielder feat.

Rather than simply defending himself or absorbing an attack on behalf of an ally, the character uses his dual-wielding technique to protect companions, disrupt attackers, and create opportunities to retaliate.

Interception Mastery is an automatic homebrew feature granted once a character meets all three prerequisites. It does not require an additional feat selection.

I. Prerequisites

The Character must possess all three of the following:

1. Interception Fighting Style

2. Two-Weapon Fighting Style

3. Dual Wielder Feat

Once all three prerequisites are acquired, the character automatically gains Interception Mastery.

II. Interception Mastery: Protective Stance

Activation: Bonus Action
Duration: Until the start of Character's next turn.

The character enters a Protective Stance, allowing him to use Interception twice before the stance expires.

• Both Interception uses become available when the stance is activated.

• Each use protects against one separate attack.

• Interception does not consume the character's Reaction while he is in Protective Stance.

• Unused Interception uses expire when the stance ends.

• Both uses refresh when the character activates Protective Stance again.

A. Interception

When a creature the character can see hits another creature within 5 feet of them with an attack roll, they may expend one use of Interception.

They rolls 1d10 + Proficiency Bonus and reduces the damage the protected creature would take by that amount, to a minimum of zero.

B. Protective Disruption

If the character completely negates the attack's damage through Interception, the attacker has Disadvantage on its next attack roll against the creature the character protected before the end of the attacker's next turn.

This penalty applies only to the next attack against that protected creature, not to every attack the attacker makes.

III. Counterstrike

When the character completely negates an attack's damage through Interception, they may choose to make a Counterstrike against the original attacker.

Counterstrike requirements:

• Counterstrike cannot occur on Natural 20 Attack roll.  

• Counterstrike requires the character's Reaction.

• The attacker must be within the character's melee weapon reach.

• The Character makes one melee weapon attack using a weapon he is wielding.

• The attack uses normal weapon attack and damage rules, including their Strength modifier.

• If the attack qualifies for Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack damage may be applied according to the normal Rogue rules.

• The character may expend a Superiority Die and apply an eligible Battle Master maneuver, provided its requirements are met.

• Counterstrike is limited by the character's normal Reaction availability. It does not grant additional Reactions.

Counterstrike is optional. The character may choose to protect their ally without retaliating.

A Counterstrike is one weapon attack, not a complete Attack action. Extra Attack, Nick, and Dual Wielder do not grant additional attacks as part of the Counterstrike.

IV. Critical Counterstrike

If a natural 20 is rolled on the Counterstrike attack roll, they may add one additional Superiority Die to the attack's damage without expending one of his remaining Superiority Dice.

Normal critical-hit damage rules apply.

The natural 20 must occur on the Counterstrike attack roll, not on the original attack that triggered Interception.

If the character does not have Superiority Dice, this additional benefit is unavailable.

V. Overextension

The character's ability to intervene defensively twice during one Protective Stance comes at a cost.

If the character expends both available Interception uses before their stance expires, they become Overextended.

On their next turn, they make one fewer weapon attack than they would otherwise be entitled to make.

This reduction applies to his total weapon attacks on that turn, including attacks gained through:

• Extra Attack

• Nick weapon mastery

• Dual Wielder

The character chooses which attack to forgo. The penalty does not remove his Action, Bonus Action, movement, or Reaction.

The penalty applies only to their next turn.

VI. Intended Combat Role

Interception Mastery is designed to develop a character into a mobile bodyguard who protects the party rather than simply concentrating on his own defense.

The feature rewards:

• Positioning themself near companions who may be targeted.

• Timing defensive interventions against incoming attacks.

• Completely negating damage to disrupt an attacker's ability to target the same ally.

• Retaliating against attackers when an opportunity presents itself.

• Managing his defensive resources so that they do not compromise their offensive capability on their next turn.

The intent is to make the character a more effective protector without eliminating the tradeoff between offensive and defensive combat.