Sellsword

The sellsword is a combat-focused class designed to excel in melee versatility. Sellswords use their knowledge of martial stances to give themselves an adaptable advantage in a fight, and help them survive long enough to devastating damage with their well-placed critical strikes. Whether learned via a capable instructor or hard and bloody experience, sellswords are exceptional in a melee and in duels, but as most tend to lack personal means of dealing with ranged or magical support, clever and long-lived sellswords are encouraged to use cunning and planning to mitigate an opponents advantages and leave them helpless before you. After all, whether he is a bounty hunter, a bodyguard, monster hunter, or any other variety of mercenary, any sellsword worth his salt will agree that giving away one's advantage is a sure way to either fail the contract, or lose one's life. Thus, outside of combat, many sellswords develop keen senses for trickery and deceit, or perhaps turn their attentions more toward beguiling potential customers and terrifying potential opponents. Of course, there are those who simply sneer at such distractions, and instead further hone the capabilities of the body.

Martial Stances

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you may switch between four different martial stances at the end of your turn. Each of these stances grants its own bonuses or abilities, and some of them give penalties in addition to their advantages. If you are surprised, you are not able to drop into a stance until your turn has passed. You gain no benefits from a stance if you have the incapacitated, paralyzed, prone, restrained, or stunned conditions.

Ox - While in the Ox stance, you are in a prime position to counter-attack. If you are attacked in melee on your turn, you may use your reaction to make an attack on your attacker, and if the attack is successful you will impose disadvantage on your opponent's attack. You may make this attack anytime between an opponent attacking you and your opponent's damage being rolled.

Plow - While in the Plow stance, you are always ready to defend yourself. You gain +2 to your AC, and on being attacked may use one of your next turn's attacks to attempt to parry a melee attack away, adding a 1d4 to your AC for that attack only. You may do this as many times as you have attacks in one turn, but every parry attempt made will cost one of your next turn's attacks, and using all of your attacks before the start of your turn will cost you your action for that turn.

Fool - While in the Fool stance, you are prepared to intercept incoming attacks and exploit any opportunity to attack. You gain +1 to your AC, and when using your reaction for an opportunity attack, you may use your next turn's attacks to make additional opportunity attacks so long as each opportunity is distinct. (i.e. you may attack multiple enemies if multiple enemies trigger an opportunity attack, or attack one enemy multiple times if and only if they trigger an opportunity attack more than once)

Roof - While in the roof stance, you are prepared to unleash devastating attacks, albeit at the cost of some vulnerability. You take -2 to your AC, but all attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage.

Senses of Fortune

Sellswords are rarely able to rely solely upon their martial prowess for a successful career, and very few grew up intending to become mercenaries in the first place. You may choose two additional skill or tool proficiencies, and gain half proficiency in Persuasion and Initiative.

Additionally, while within a village, town, or city, you have a good sense for whether or not your violent talents may be needed, and if so, where to look to find potential clients.

Devastating Critical

Starting at 7th level, your precision with weaponry is greater than most others, and your chance to critical strike grows to encompass both 19's and 20's.

In addition, once per long rest, on landing a critical hit, you may choose to make it a devastating strike, tripling the number of dice rolled, instead of doubling it as normal.

Versatile Scrapper

At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.

Additionally, you may grapple while wielding two-handed weapons, and your martial prowess grants you advantage on any grapple or shove check while you have a weapon in your hand.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Superior Critical

Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.

Hobble and Hinder

At 18th level, you have learned how and where to strike to bring your opponents quickly to their knees. Once on your turn, you may use one of your attack actions to target a specific body part, potentially hobbling your opponent in any number of ways. For all of the following attacks, the DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Eyes - You target your opponent's eyes, forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1d4 turns, halved on making the save.

Knee - You target your opponent's knee, forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone.

Hand - You target your opponent's hand, forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw or drop their weapon. Opponents who are two-handing their weapon get advantage on the save.

Hamstring - You target your opponent's hamstring, forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw or have their movement speed cut in half for 1d4 turns, halved on making the save.