Be As Water

Water Always Finds a Way...

 

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

"Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

Bruce Lee

 

Throughout the ages masters of combat have looked to the natural world for inspiration. From the animal styles of monastic tradition to the determined grit of those who devote their lives in defense of the Dwarven halls they call home - the wise know to consider even the smallest detail, lest it prove their undoing.

When a fighter chooses to Be As Water, they learn to adopt a balanced technique that uses both weapon and shield to flow between offensive and defensive styles reacting to situations with flexibility as each dictates. They take the time to study opponents, exposing their weaknesses for exploitation.

Adherents to this tradition may be from aquatic or amphibious races, for whom water forms the very basis of their civilization and traditions; they may hail from fishing villages or cultures that otherwise rely upon bodies of water for food and trade goods; or, they might come from an area that embraces an elemental philosophy toward life and the universe.

Fill The Vessel

To be as water, is to be without fixed shape or form but able to fill the shape of any vessel. This adaptability extends beyond combat, to all areas of experience.

Upon taking this archetype at 3rd level, at the end of a short or long rest you may focus your mind in readiness for the tasks you believe to lay ahead. This focus grants a single additional skill or tool proficiency. This proficiency lasts untill you take take a short or long rest, at the end of which you may refocus your mind in readiness for the tasks you believe lay ahead.

River's Flow

In combat, you can direct your efforts entirely to avoiding damage. You use your experience with a shield to cause blows that might otherwise strike true to flow round you instead.

Also at 3rd level, while fighting with a shield equipped, when you take the dodge action, untill the start of your next turn, you can add your proficiency bonus to your AC in addition to the normal effects granted by the action.

Water Cracks Stone

With patience, drips of water work their way through the cracks in the rock, to carve valleys from mountains. You know to bide your time, waiting to reveal a chink in the armor of your opponent that you may unleash an attack that is especially brutal and effective.

At 7th level, during combat, choose one enemy target within 30 feet of you, that you can see. You may not attack this target. Instead, you may make an Insight (WIS) check (DC 15) during your move, regardless of if you actually physically move or not. If you choose to move, the check always incurs a disadvantage; as usual your DM may determine that other factors (e.g. poor visibility or previous familiarity) may also contribute a positive or negative influence.

A successful check reveals the target's weakness to you. This lasts for one minute, until the creature dies/loses consciousness, or untill you use this ability on another target. Only one target can have their weakness revealed to you at any time.

When attacking a target who has had their weakness revealed to you, you may add your proficiency bonus to damage done with melee weapons held in one hand.

Overflowing Vessel

At 10th level your ability to Fill the Vessel improves. When you focus your mind at the end of a short or long rest, instead of granting an additional skill or tool proficiency you may choose to augment a skill in which you are already proficient, granting yourself expertise in that skill untill you finish a short or long rest.

Tsunami Strike

Like the ocean depths, you can release a torrent of destructive energy against all who stand in your path.

At 10th level, you can use your action to make a melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target. You roll damage once, performing one additional point of damage for each enemy targeted. The damage is applied to every enemy successfully struck by the attack.

Any enemy within 5 feet that is still alive at the end of this attack may use their reaction, if available, to take an opportunity attack against you with advantage.

Steadfast Vessel

With patient practice your adaptability has become second nature.

At 15th level you choose one skill or tool proficiency. You may focus your mind on this proficiency as a bonus action. Doing so grants you proficiency if untrained or expertise if it is a skill in which you are already proficient. Changing your augmentation in this way lasts untill you finish a short or long rest.

After using this ability you must finish a long rest before using it again

River's Course

The flow of your river is now as the rapids - bashing aside those who seek to tame you.

At 18th level, after taking the dodge action, while you have a shield equipped, untill the start of your next turn, should a blow find its way past your defenses, you may use a reaction to turn aside some of the damage with your shield.

Using this reaction, you may subtract 1d6 + your CON modifier (minimum 0) from a single targeted attack.