Stancebreaker

Across countless battlefields, warriors seek mastery through discipline—rigid forms, time-honored stances, and rote training passed down for generations. But not all believe mastery lies in submission to form. Stancebreakers are those rare fighters who have studied the codices of martial schools not to uphold them, but to surpass them.

To a Stancebreaker, every stance is a tool—powerful, but temporary. They do not anchor themselves in one way of fighting; instead, they flow from one form to the next, breaking the rhythm of their enemies and rewriting the rules of battle as they go. Some call them heretics, others call them innovators—but all respect the terrifying fluidity with which they fight.

Where a traditional warrior might ground themselves in the Iron Guard or charge headlong with a battle cry, a Stancebreaker does both in the span of seconds. Their body becomes the battlefield, their stances a language of combat spoken too quickly for others to follow.

Those who survive encounters with a Stancebreaker often describe the experience not as a duel, but as a storm—shifting winds, changing ground, and the unshakable sense that every move was calculated long before the first blade was drawn.

Combat Stances

Starting at 3rd level, you have learned to master a unique system of combat stances, each representing a different approach to battle. You can enter a stance as a bonus action on your turn. You can change your stance on subsequent turns using another bonus action. A stance lasts until you are incapacitated, switch to another stance, or end it as a free action.

You start with three stances of your choice from the list below. You gain additional stances at 7th, 10th, and 15th level (up to 6 total).

You may only have one stance active at a time.

Stance of the Avalance

Momentum Crash: If you move 10 or more feet in a straight line toward a creature before hitting it with a melee weapon attack, that attack deals an extra 1d8 damage.

Unbalancing Blow: Once per turn when you deal damage with a melee attack, you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure, the target is either: knocked prone, or pushed 10 feet away from you (your choice).

Rolling Advance: If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on your turn, you may move up to 10 feet as a reaction action without provoking opportunity attacks.

Stance of the Iron Reversal

Steel Resolve: When you take damage from a melee attack, you can reduce the damage taken by 1d6 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). This feature can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and all expended uses are regained after a short or long rest.

Ironclad Focus: You gain a special reaction you can take once on every creature's turn, except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack.

Immovable Weight: You can't be knocked prone or moved along the ground against your will.

Stance of the Moonlit Edge

Moonlit Precision: Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage if the target is under half of its hit point maximum.

Critical Grace: You score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 (instead of 20 only). 

Elusive Counterstrike: When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against it. If you hit, the target suffers an extra 1d6 radiant damage from your strike.

Stance of Unyielding Root

Earth's Embrace: When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your Fighter level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Unyielding Endurance: At the start of your turn you can expend one hit die and regain hit points equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Rooted Retaliation: When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to immediately make a melee weapon attack against that creature. On a hit, you deal extra damage equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). If you have temporary hit points, this damage is increased by 1d6.

Stance of Whirlwind

Whirling Strikes: When you take the Attack Action, you can make one additional melee attack as a part of that action. 

Evasive Movement: When you take the Dash action, opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage until the start of your next turn.

Tempest's Step: Your speed increase by 10 feet.

Stance of Wyrmcoil

Draconic Guard: You gain a +1 bonus to ac.

Wyrm’s Fang: The first time a creature hits you with a melee attack on their turn, they take acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage equal to your proficiency bonus (your choice every strike). This damage ignores resistances.

Elemental Retaliation: When you are hit by a creature with a reaction attack, you cause the creature to take 1d6 acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice) as a reaction.

Fluid Motion

At 7th level, your ability to shift you stance becomes seamless. You can change your stance once per turn without using a bonus action, immediately after you:

• Take the Attack action
• Expend a use of Second Wind
• Reduce a creature to 0 hit points

Perfected Form

At 10th level, your mastery over forms increased. You gain a passive benefit depending on the stance you're in. While in that stance, the passive benefit is enhanced.

Avalanche: The damage dealt by Momentum Crash is increased to 2d8.

Wyrmcoil: The AC bonus by Draconic Guard is increased to +2.

Whirlwind: The movement speed increase given by Tempest's Step is increased to 20 feet.

Moonlit Edge: When you score a critical hit against a creature, the next attack roll made against the target before the end of your next turn as advantage from creatures other than yourself.

Iron Reversal: The damage reduction from Steel Resolve is increased to 2d8 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Unyielding Root: The hitpoints regained from Unyielding Endurance is increased by your fighter level.

Dual Form

Starting at 15th level, you may maintain two stances simultaneously. If both stances grant a reaction-based feature, you may only use one per round.

Whenever you switch stance using your Fluid Motion feature, you may switch both stances or just one.

Unified Form

Starting at 18th level, when you switch to a new stance, you gain the following special benefit until the end of your turn:

Avalanche: Your next weapon attack creates a shockwave: all creatures within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Strength modifier) or take 4d8 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save the creature takes half damage and is not knocked prone.

Wyrmcoil: Your body erupts with a draconic aura: Your melee weapon attacks deal an addition 2d6 acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage. In addition each creature of your choice within 25 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Whirlwind: You blur with wind: immediately after making a weapon attack, you can move up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Moonlit Edge: Your next weapon attack this turn is wreathed in silvery moonlight. On a hit, it deals an additional 2d8 radiant damage and illuminates the target in dim light for 1 minute, Any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the affected creature can’t benefit from being invisible.

Iron Reversal: You assume an invincible guard: until the start of your next turn, you cannot be flanked, and if a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may immediately make a melee weapon attack against it without expending a reaction once on every creature's turn, except your turn.

Unyielding Root: Your stance locks you in place: you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Fighter Level, and your speed cannot be reduced or you cannot be moved against your will. In addition until the start of your next turn, when you are struck by a melee attack the creature takes 1d8 piercing damage as sharp, magical thorns erupt from your body in retaliation.