Flow Master

Adherents to the style of Flow Mastery are unusual by the standards of most other fighters. Foregoing the rigorous training and teachings of more established fighting schools, they instead seek to become one with combat itself—riding the tides of friend and foe, attack and defend, position and reposition—until they have attained that most elusive state of consciousness, where all things become clear, and become one: flow.

Nimble Striker

You gain proficiency with unarmed strikes, and may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier when making unarmed attacks.

Combat Flow

At 3rd level, you have learned how to use your enemy’s own efforts against them. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can choose to enter a defensive stance rather than making an attack. If you have a feature, such as Extra Attack, that would allow you to make additional attacks, you may make any of those additional attacks before entering the defensive stance (entering the stance still replaces your normal attack). While you are in your defensive stance, if a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with an attack, you step around the strike and use the attacker’s own momentum to throw it to the ground. If the attacking creature is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone in an unoccupied space of your choice within 5 feet of you. The DC of the saving throw is equal to 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your Proficiency Bonus.

If an enemy would hit you with a melee attack or a ranged weapon attack, you can execute a tactical block, increasing your AC until your next turn by an amount equal to your Proficiency Bonus. If your tactical block causes the attack to miss, and the attacker is within 5 feet of you, you may throw them.

The quick reflexes and sudden strain of tactical blocks limit how often you can perform them. You can execute a number of tactical blocks equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain all expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.

When you reach 9th level, you can throw creatures of size Large or smaller, and when you reach 13th level, creatures have disadvantage on the saving throw.

Ghost Step

Beginning at 7th level, you have honed your reflexes to the point that you can even move while evading an attack, leaving your enemy guessing at where you went. When you execute a tactical block, if you cause the attack to miss, you can move up to half your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks. If you do, you can’t throw the attacker using Combat Flow.

Flow Acceleration

Starting at 7th level, you can push your senses to their limits, as time seems to slow down to grant you even greater awareness on the battlefield. Whenever you use your Action Surge, you regain one use of your Combat Flow's tactical block.

Additionally, if you use your Action Surge before attacking and take the Attack action with both actions this turn, you may choose to make all attacks this turn with advantage. If you do, you can’t enter a defensive stance this turn.

Counterstrike

At 10th level, you have mastered the art of redirection—now it’s time to work on retaliation. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against that creature.

Additionally, if you cause an attack to miss with a tactical block, and the attacker is within 5 feet of you, you can make one weapon attack against that creature instead of throwing it, and can follow the attack with your Ghost Step feature.

Perfect Deflection

Beginning at 15th level, you have achieved true mastery over counterattacks, and can capitalize on an enemy’s strength and weakness both. If a creature would hit you with a weapon attack, and you are in your defensive stance, you can deflect the force of the blow back at the attacker. The attack now targets the creature that initially attacked you, using the same attack roll. If it hits, the target takes additional damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus plus your Dexterity modifier.

Additionally, if a creature makes a spell attack against you, or you are forced to make a saving throw against a spell that would deal you damage, and you are in your defensive stance, you make make a melee weapon attack roll. If your attack roll is higher than the spell attack roll of the spell’s save DC, you take no damage from that spell.

When you use this feature, you exit your defensive stance.

True Flow

At 18th level, you have learned to harness the flow of combat and your own body’s capabilities, and stand unparalleled in your art.

Whenever you use your Action Surge, you can immediately make one weapon attack against one creature within 5 feet of you.

Whenever you enter your defensive stance, the next attack against you is made with disadvantage.

When you exit your defensive stance after using Perfect Deflection, you may use your reaction to immediately re-enter your defensive stance. If you do, you can’t use Perfect Deflection again until your next turn.