Chess Master

Upon Choosing this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to draw on the power of the different chess pieces. Whether it be the simple pawn, the stalwart rook, the unstoppable knight, the holy Bishop, the supportive king, or the commanding queen, the Chess Master is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Bonus proficiencies

3rd Level Chess Master Feature

You gain proficiency with Insight and Perception skill.

Chess Stances

3rd level Chess Master feature

You can use special stances based on the game of chess to enhance your combat abilities. You learn the pawn stance and two stances of your choice, from among the stances described below. When you reach certain levels in this class, you learn additional stances, as shown in the Stances Known table.

Stances Known

The following stances are available to you when you learn a stance. If a stance has a level requirement, you must be at least that level in this class to learn the stance. If a stance requires a saving throw, your Chess Stance save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

In addition, you have a number of stance charges equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The Pawn. This stance emulates the simplicity of the pawn pieces in chess. While in this stance, hostile creatures do not gain advantage on attack rolls against you.

In addition, you may expend a stance charge to use your bonus action, gaining advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

 The Rook. This stance emulates the stalwart defense of the rook pieces in chess. While in this stance, whenever hostile creatures within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes the same type of damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

In addition, you may expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

The Bishop. This stance emulates the holy power of the bishop pieces in chess. While in this stance, Whenever you land an attack against a creature you deal an additional damage die of radiant damage.

In addition, whenever you hit a hostile creature with a melee attack you can expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to restore hit points of yourself or an ally within 30 feet equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

The Knight. This stance emulates the unstoppable mobility of the knight pieces in chess. While in this stance, you ignore difficult terrain and have advantage against the grappled and restrained condition.

In addition, when you successfully land an melee attack against a hostile creature after moving at least 20 feet, you may use expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to force them to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

The King (7th level or higher). This stance emulates the unwavering support of the king piece in chess. While in this stance, all allied creatures within 30 feet of you gain a bonus to their attack and damage rolls equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

In addition, you may expend a charge to use your action to command your allies to attack, all allied creatures within 30 feet of you can use their reaction to make a melee attack against hostile creatures within their melee range.

The Queen (10th level or higher). This stance emulates the commanding presence of the queen piece in chess. While in this stance, all allied creatures within 30 feet have advantage against the charmed and frightened condition.

In addition, you may expend a stance charge to use your action to cast the Command spell on a target. For you, it has a range of 30 feet.

The Bishop

This stance emulates the holy power of the bishop pieces in chess. While in this stance, Whenever you land an attack against a creature you deal an additional damage die of radiant damage.

In addition, whenever you hit a hostile creature with a melee attack you can expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to restore hit points of yourself or an ally within 30 feet equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

The King

This stance emulates the unwavering support of the king piece in chess. While in this stance, all allied creatures within 30 feet of you gain a bonus to their attack and damage rolls equal to half of your proficiency bonus.

In addition, you may expend a charge to use your action to command your allies to attack, all allied creatures within 30 feet of you can use their reaction to make a melee attack against hostile creatures within their melee range.

The Knight

This stance emulates the unstoppable mobility of the knight pieces in chess. While in this stance, you ignore difficult terrain and have advantage against the grappled and restrained condition.

In addition, when you successfully land an melee attack against a hostile creature after moving at least 20 feet, you may use expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to force them to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

The Queen

This stance emulates the commanding presence of the queen piece in chess. While in this stance, all allied creatures within 30 feet have advantage against the charmed and frightened condition.

In addition, You may expend a stance charge to use your action to cast the Command spell on a target. For you, it has a range of 30 feet.

The Rook

This stance emulates the stalwart defense of the rook pieces in chess. While in this stance, whenever hostile creatures within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes the same type of damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

In addition, you may expend a stance charge to use your bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

Advanced Tactics

7th level Chess Master Feature

Starting at 7th level, You gain access to four special moves that require you to be in a specific stance, each move can only be used once per combat. These ''moves' are listed below:

Castling: While you are in one of your stances, you may use your reaction to swap places with an allied creature within 30 feet of you when they are targeted by an attack or harmful spell, becoming the new target.

En Passant: While you are in one of your stances, you may use your bonus action to deal maximum damage with a melee attack.

Promotion: While you are in one of your stances, you may use your reaction to swap to a different stance if you reduce a hostile creatures hit points to 0 as part of an action or by a the effect of a spell or passive feature. This effect works even if you have already changed stances that turn.

Checkmate: While you are in one of your stances, when a hostile creature's movement speed is reduced to 0 by an effect, you may use your reaction to move your movement speed towards the hostile creature and make a melee attack against them as part of the same reaction if they are within range.

Keeping Them in Check

10th level Chess Master feature

Starting at 10th level, you have learned to bolster yourself just by changing into a stance. Whenever you change into a stance you gain an additional effect which will be listed below, however each effect can only be used once per combat.

The Pawn
Whenever you change into the pawn stance you may move up to 10 feet in a direction, during which you are immune to attacks of opportunity.

The Rook
Whenever you change into the rook stance, you gain a bonus to your armor class and saving throws equal to your proficiency bonus until the start of your next turn.

The Bishop
Whenever you change into the bishop stance, all allied creatures with 30 feet of you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus

The Knight
Whenever you change into the knight stance, you gain the benefits of the the disengage action until the end of your turn.

The King
Whenever you change into the king stance, all allies within 30 feet of you gain the benefits of the bless spell until the start of your next turn.

The Queen
Whenever you change into the queen stance, every hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a wisdom saving throw against your chess master save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all frightened by you until the start of your next turn.

The Board

15th level Chess Master Feature

Starting at 15th level, you may use your action to release a wave of energy around you out to 30 feet, all hostile creatures positions within the wave that are hidden or invisible become known to you and your allies, this effect lasts for one minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). You may only use this feature once per long rest.

Grand Master

18th level Chess Master Feature

At 18th level, when you roll for initiative and have no stance charges remaining, you regain 4 charges.