Fencer

These quick-footed warriors forego the usual heavy armor that most fighters wear, in favor of unfettered movement and flexibility. Fencers have a flair for style and panache, and usually seize victory with a cunningly precise strike that leaves their foes baffled, and shortly thereafter, bleeding.

Some fencers are rumored to be unsavory rakes and scoundrels, while many others are featured in songs and chronicles as heroes with a bold and audacious air. Some of these seedy rumors and heroic retellings might actually refer to the same person!

Weapon Flourish

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, when you make a melee weapon attack with a finesse weapon wielded in one hand, and have nothing in your other hand, you may spend a Panache, roll a d8 and add the result to the attack roll. You may also perform a flourish that confounds or hinders the target. You may decide to spend Panache and declare which flourish you perform after seeing the result of your attack roll, but you must do so before you know whether the attack hits or misses. If this attack hits the target, then apply the effect of the chosen flourish. You have a number of Panache uses equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one), and you regain all spent uses when you finish a short or long rest. You can spend only one Panache per turn. If a flourish requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a successful save, the target becomes immune to all of your flourishes until it finishes a short or long rest. You may choose any of the below flourishes:

Befuddling Routine. You incorporate such complex movements in your attack routine that your opponent is left briefly unsure of its next move. The target of your attack must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn.

Demoralizing Feint. You use your attack to cleverly disguise a feint that leaves your opponent looking foolishly outmatched. The target of your attack has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the start of your next turn.

Disarming Sweep. You use your weapon to make a fast move and disarm your opponent. The target of your attack must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or drop one item of your choice that it is holding. As a reaction, you may choose to either catch the creature’s dropped item in your other hand, or fling it up to 15 feet away.

Audacious Bravado

At 7th level, whenever you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or any Charisma ability check, you may spend Panache, roll a d8 and add its result to your ability check. You may decide to spend Panache after seeing the result of your ability check, but before you know whether it succeeds or fails.

Wall of Steel

At 10th level, when you are wielding a finesse weapon in one hand and have nothing in your other hand, and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you may spend Panache as a reaction to roll a d8 and add its result to your AC against that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss. If the creature’s attack does miss, you may immediately make a melee weapon attack against the creature as part of the reaction. If your attack hits, you don’t add your ability modifier to the damage roll, unless that modifier is negative.

Improved Panache

At 15th level, wenever you spend Panache to use one the features of this archetype, use d10 instead of d8.

Enduring Panache

Finally at 18th level, when you roll initiative and have no Panache remaining, you regain one Panache.

Additionally, wenever you spend Panache to use one the features of this archetype, use d12 instead of d8 or d10.