Fighting Maneuvers

Presented here is a variant rule for Fighting Styles, called Fighting Maneuvers. This variant
operates on two premises: that static bonuses from Fighting Styles are boring and contrary to
5th Edition’s design, and the Battlemaster’s Maneuvers should have been a core Fighter feature
from the start.
The following Fighting Style feature that replaces the feature of the same name on the Fighter,
Paladin, and Ranger. This can also apply to 3rd party classes that have the Fighting Style
feature.

The Battlemaster
Suffice to say, with the choice to add maneuvers to the base Fighter, the Battlemaster becomes
redundant and loses its mechanical diversity and niche. When using this supplement, use the
Tactician included in this document instead of the Battlemaster.

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose a number of fighting style
maneuvers based on your class to learn. A Fighter learns four maneuvers at 1st level,
and Ranger and Paladin learn two at 2nd level.
The maneuvers you learn from these fighting styles (detailed in the Maneuvers section below)
are intricate and only one can be performed per turn.Some of your maneuvers require the target
to make a saving throw to resist the maneuvers effects. The saving throw is calculated as:

Maneuver Save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your
choice)

Each time you gain a level in this class, you can choose one maneuver that you know and
replace it with another maneuver of your choice.

Maneuvers

You learn a number of maneuvers when you gain the Fighting Style class feature or Martial
Adept feat. The number of maneuvers you learn is determined by the class you gained the
feature from. You cannot choose the same maneuver twice, even if another feature lets you pick
additional maneuvers.

Arresting Attack

When making an attack with a weapon with the reach property against a creature no more than
one size larger than you, you can choose to arrest the target instead of making a normal
weapon attack. Make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics)
or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you win the contest, you
either knock the target prone or pull it 5 feet closer to you.

Disarming Attack

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks to attempt to
disarm a creature within 5 feet, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding. The
target must make a Strength saving throw.
On a failed save, they drop the object you choose. The object lands at their feet.

Goading Attack

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and attempt to
goad a creature within 5 feet into attacking you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving
throw. On a failed save, the target has
disadvantage on the first attack roll they make before the end of your next turn that doesn’t
include you as a target.

Grab Hold

When you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with a single melee weapon and
nothing in your other hand, you can use your bonus action to attempt to grapple a target that
you hit with an attack this turn.

Menacing Attack

When you hit a creature with a heavy melee weapon attack, instead of dealing weapon damage
you can attempt to frighten the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving
throw. On a failed save, they are frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Parry

While you are not using a shield, you can use your bonus action to ready a parrying maneuver if
you take the Attack action on your turn and do not make attacks using a two-handed weapon.
You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) against
the first melee attack made against you before the start of your next turn.

Patient Strike

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can choose to forgo an attack to prepare for
the movements of one creature of your choice that you can see. Until the start of your next turn,
that creature provokes opportunity attacks
from you if they enter your reach. In addition, you have advantage on opportunity attacks
against that creature.

Power Attack

When you take the Attack action on your turn and make a melee attack with a heavy weapon
against a creature that
has advantage, you can choose to forgo advantage and make a more powerful strike. If you hit,
you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Precision Aim

When you take the Attack action on your turn and make a ranged weapon attack against a
creature with disadvantage, you can choose to ignore disadvantage as you make a
more precise strike. If you hit, you do not add your ability modifier to the damage dealt by this
attack.

Pushing Attack

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack while wielding a shield, you can attempt to
drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, you can push the target up to 5 feet away
from you.

Rally

On your turn, you can use a bonus action to bolster the resolve of one of your companions by
banging on your armor or shield. When you do so, choose a friendly creature within 15 feet that
can see or hear you. That creature gains
temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1) which last until the end of
their next turn.

Rapid Fire

When you make a ranged attack with a weapon and miss, you can use your bonus action to
quickly make another ranged attack against the same target with disadvantage. If you are using
thrown weapons to engage in two-weapon
fighting, this attack has advantage instead.

Riposte

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee
attack with a light weapon against that creature with disadvantage.
Shield Block

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 holding a shield to
perform this maneuver.

Steel Will

When a creature damages you with a non magical weapon while you are wearing armor, you
can use your reaction to reduce bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage by an amount equal
to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Sweeping Attack

When you take the Attack action while wielding a weapon in two hands, you can chose to forgo
an attack to make a special sweeping strike. Choose two creatures within 5 feet of each other
that are both within your reach. Make a single attack roll against both creatures. For each
creature hit,
they take damage equal to the weapon’s damage roll.

Twin Strike

When making an attack, if you have a different light melee weapon which you are proficient with
in each hand, you can attack with both weapons as a single strike. If either weapon has the
finesse property, you can choose to use
your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier for this attack. On a hit, you use both
weapon’s damage die when rolling damage for this attack, but only add your modifier to the
damage once.

Volley

Choose two creatures within 5 feet of each other that you can see within your ranged weapon’s
normal range. You can forgo one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to make a
single volley attack against both creatures. You must have enough ammunition for each target.
Make a
single attack roll against both creatures. For each target, if this attack hits, it takes your
weapon’s normal damage but you do not add your ability modifier to the damage roll.

Feats

Below are changes to feats to accommodate the Fighting Maneuvers system.

Dual Wielder
You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:

• You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
• You can use two-weapon fighting or the twin strike
maneuver even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light.
• The bonus action attack granted by two-weapon
fighting can be made as a twin strike maneuver if you know it. You can use another maneuver
this turn, but cannot use twin strike twice on the same turn.
• You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or
stow only one.

Martial Adept

You’ve completed a rigorous martial training to gain the

following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• Choose a single maneuver from the list of optional features available to the Fighter. You can’t
take the same maneuver option more than once, even if you get to choose again. If a maneuver
you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the target
throw DC equals:

8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Fighter

Below is the only change to the base fighter class that accompanies the Fighting Maneuvers.
This change gives the Fighter an edge over other martials, not just in knowing maneuvers but in
uniquely applying them.

Action Surge

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your
turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus
action. In addition, on a turn when you use this feature, you can perform two maneuvers instead
of one.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

The Champion, Revised

Champion Maneuvers
Below are two additional maneuvers that a Champion learns upon reaching 3rd level

Exploit. When a creature that you can see within 5 feet of you is grappled or knocked prone, you
can use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against that creature.

Gang Tactics. After a friendly creature that you can see or hear hits a creature that is within 5
feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attempt to shove or
grapple that creature.

Improved Critical
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit
on a roll of 19 or 20.

Remarkable Athlete

Starting at 7th level, when you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check that you are
proficient in, you can choose to add double your proficiency bonus to that check.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. You
regain the use of this feature early when you use your Action Surge feature.

Exceptional Fighting Style

At 10th level, your maneuvers become deadly in their own right. Whenever a creature fails a
saving throw to resist the effects of one of your maneuvers, or you make a successful
attack roll against a creature as part of a maneuver, you can choose to deal damage to a single
target of that maneuver equal to 1d4 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your
choice). The type of this damage is a type that a weapon you’re wielding could deal, or
bludgeoning if you are wielding no weapons.

Superior Critical

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

Survivor

At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience

in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution
modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you
have 0 hit points.
Additionally, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and don’t die outright, you are immediately
stabilized.
Tactician

Those who emulate the archetypal tactician employ a studied knowledge of combat and
battlefield leadership. To a tactician, combat is an academic field, sometimes including the
subjects beyond battle such as weaponsmithing or calligraphy. A tactician focuses on the
psychological state of their allies and uses that to help support and command them to victory.

Tactician Maneuvers

Below are two additional maneuvers that a Tactician learns upon reaching 3rd level.

Commander’s Strike. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your
attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike.
When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can
immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack.

Battlefield Mobility. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your
attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to reposition themselves.
When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can
immediately use its reaction to move.

Invigorating Superiority

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to direct and encourage your allies to
victory. When you use your Second Wind feature, you can choose to instead heal a number of
allied creatures (up to your Charisma modifier,
minimum of one) that can see and hear you. They regain hit points equal to 1d6 + half your
fighter level. Once you use your Second Wind feature this way, you must complete a long rest
before you can do so again.

Student of War

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

Know Your Enemy

Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature
outside of combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your
own. The DM tells you if the
creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of
your choice:

• Strength score
• Dexterity score
• Constitution score
• Armor Class
• Current hit points
• Total class levels (if any)
• Fighter class levels (if any)

Harden Resolve

At 10th level, your inspiring presence on the battlefield helps your companions push past any
malady and return to the fray. When you use your action surge, you can choose one friendly
creature that can see or hear you. That creature can immediately end one condition affecting it.

Combat Lesson

Starting at 15th level, you can guide your allies as you instruct them to higher peaks of
efficiency. When you use a maneuver that targets a friendly creature, you can choose to also
use the Help action. Only the target of your maneuver can benefit from his action.

Display of Tactics

Starting at 18th level, when you use a maneuver that targets a friendly creature, you can choose
to instruct them in a maneuver you know. The target can use that maneuver once, and loses the
ability to use it at the end of their next turn.

Other Official Archetypes

Arcane Archer

Below are two additional maneuvers that an Arcane Archer learns upon reaching 3rd level.

Grounding Strike. When you take the Attack action on your turn and make a ranged attack, you
can choose to deal no damage and instead attempt to force a flying creature to the ground. On
hit, the target must make a Strength saving
throw. On a failed save, their flying speed becomes 0 until the end of their next turn. On a
successful save, their flying speed is instead halved until the end of their next turn. In
either case, at the start of their next turn they immediately descend 60 feet safely towards the
ground.

Hidden Strike. When making a ranged attack against a creature that cannot see you, you can
imbue your attack with a small amount of illusion magic to disguise your location. You do not
give away your location with this attack.
Cavalier

Below are two additional maneuvers that a Cavalier learns upon reaching 3rd level.

Call to Arms. While not mounted, as a bonus action you can whistle or otherwise call to a mount
you’re sufficiently familiar with or have mounted for at least an hour in the
last 24 hours. You make an audible noise that if the creature can hear, it can immediately use its
reaction to move towards you at double its speed.

Pursuit. When a creature marked by you uses their movement to move to a space 15 feet away
from you or more, you can use your reaction at the end of their movement to move up to your
movement speed closer to them.

Eldritch Knight

Below are two additional maneuvers that an Eldritch Knight learns upon reaching 3rd level.
Arcane Blade. After casting a spell of 1st-level or higher, you can use your reaction to reclaim
lingering magic and enchant your blade. Your next weapon attack before the end of your next
turn is magical and deals an additional 1d8 force damage.

Expel Magic. While concentrating on a spell of 1st-level or higher, you use your bonus action to
release that energy, ending the concentration early and dealing force damage to creatures of
your choice within 10 feet of you. This damage
equals 1d6 per level of the spell slot spent on the spell when it was cast.

Samurai

Below are two additional maneuvers that a Samurai learns upon reaching 3rd level.

Dancing Blade. When you take the Attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack
roll against a creature, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to attempt a disorienting and
elaborate strike. If that attack hits, the
target cannot take any reactions until the end of its next turn.

Debonair Death. When you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points and doesn’t kill you
outright, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack against the creature
that reduced you to 0 hit points.