Created first by a few friends in the army just passing time, this manner of swordplay soon evolved into a more serious iteration later on. Loosely translated to 'Sword of Many Paths' in the language of the giants, it harbors different techniques to adapt to different situations as a way to overcome the problems in swordplay that focus to much on "offense" or "defense". This style focuses on a number of different stances that imitate different elements and the practitioner tries to embody it.

Path of Many

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you learn 3 martial stances of your choice from the list below. In combat, as a bonus action on your turn, you can enter a martial stance, granting you special abilities for as long as you are in that stance. You can exit your current stance or enter a new stance as a bonus action. Your martial stances end if you are incapacitated, knocked prone, or when combat ends. You may only benefit from one stance at a time.

If one of the stances require an enemy to make a save, the DC is equal to 8 + proficiency bonus + strength.

You learn three stances at 3rd level, two more at 7th level, two more at 10th level, two more at 15th level, and two more at 18th level.

Earth Stance

You plant your feet firmly on the ground and take a deep breath, readying yourself for an opponent’s attack. While in this stance, you add your proficiency bonus to your AC and your speed is reduced by half. While in this stance, you recover health at the beggining of each of your turns. Roll one of your hit die and regain that much HP, this does not expend your hit die. 

Fire Stance

You raise your weapon high and lash out with fury, harnessing your forward momentum to force your weapon to hit its mark. While in this stance, you gain a cumulative +2 bonus (up to a maximum of +10) to melee weapon attacks and damage rolls each round you stay in it. Additionally, if you crit while the bonus is at +10, you add an additonal damage die. 

Heavy Stance

You prepare to use the weight of your weapons against your enemy's center of balance, allowing you to create opportunities for yourself and your allies. While in this stance, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Strength (Athletics) check versus your Fighter DC. If they fail, you choose to either knock the target prone or push the target 10 feet away from you in a direction of your choice. 

Lightning Stance

Moving like a flash of lightning, your body and mind move at unnatural speeds. While in this stance, your senses become heightened and you are able to notice finder details. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19-20. Additionally, if you miss an attack against a creature you may use your reaction to reroll that attack. You can do this once per turn. 

Maelstrom Stance

You bounce agiley on your toes, becoming almost weightless. While in this stance, your speed increases by 10 feet and your movement does not provoke attacks of oppotunity. When you take the attack action you make an additional two attacks as part as that action.

Shadow Stance

You crouch and try to hide your presence from others as best you can by using the shadows and terrain around you. When you change to this stance, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check agaisnt the Passive Wisdom (Perception) of any hostile creatures within 30 feet. Until you leave this stance or change to another stance, or until you make an attack or cast a spell, your are considered invisible (not by magical means) to creatures whose Passive Wisdom (Perception) scores were lower than the result of your check.

Steel Stance

You steel your resolve to protect yourself and your allies from incoming danger. While in this stance, you gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Additionally, as a reaction, you can intercept an attack that would have hit an ally within 5 feet of you, causing you to take the damage and any additional effects instead of the ally. You must use this reaction before the damage is revealed. 

Thunder Stance

You strike your own weapon hard, causing it to ring out in a thunderous tone. While in this stance, creatures that were within 10 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw versus your Fighter DC or become deafened until the end of your turn. Attacks you make against the deafened creature deal an additional 2d6 thunder damage. Each time you enter this stance consecutively, the range of the effect increases by 10 feet, up to a max of 60 feet. 

Tree Stance

You root yourself in place as if you were a mighty oak. While in this stance, your speed becomes 0. You cannot be forcefully moved from where you are standing by non-magical means and you have advantage on saving thows versus magical effects that would move you. Additionally, attacks made against you while in this stance are made with disadvantage. 

Water Stance

You ready your weapon behind your back and prepare to use your enemy’s momentum against them. While in this stance, when a creature would hit you with a melee attack, but before the damage is rolled, you can use your reaction to cause the attack to miss, as long as it wasn’t a critical hit. As part of that reaction, if the creature is wielding a weapon you can attempt to disarm them. The enemy must make a strength saving throw versus your fighter DC or become disarmed. If the enemy does not have a weapon then you may choose to move them to another unoccupied space within 5 feet of you instead. 

Wind Stance

Agile, quick, and graceful like the wind, you prepare to spring at your enemies. As a reaction, you can leap up to your movement speed toward a hostile creature you can see. You still trigger an attack of opportunity if you leave an enemy's space, but do not trigger them along the path you travel. If you land next to a hostile creature you may make a single attack as part of that same reaction. 

Ready for Action

By 7th level, your martial stances have become second nature. When you roll initiative, you can immediately enter a stance.

Infinite Paths

By 10th level, you have unlocked the secret to combining martial stances. You can now choose to use two different stances at the same time when you enter a stance. 

Muscle Memory

Starting at 15th level, changing your stances no longer uses your bonus, instead it can be changed for free at the beginning of your turn. Additionally, you may now change your stance as a reaction to being targeted by an attack or a hostile spell.

Perfected Form

When you reach 18th level, choose one of the stances that you know. You have practiced this stance to the point of perfection. While in combat, you always have this stance activated and it doesn't count against the number of stances you can have active at one time. You lose the ability to choose this stance to change to during combat, as you are considered to be in this stance at all times.