D&D 5E Homebrew: Advanced Fighting Styles

[Undrave]

I’ve been mulling over this concept for a while now, Advanced Fighting Styles (or Secret Fighting Styles?) that are linked to skills (and also interact more with weapon properties). Either you need proficiency in a skill to gain them or you learn that skill as part of the training for that style, haven’t quite decided yet. I’m not sure where to slot this idea: as a subclass feature or as an alternate rule or a bonus?

Here’s what I got so far:

Cunning Raven
Skill: Persuasion
When you inflict damage to a creature with a weapon attack, you may attempt to distract that creature. As a bonus action, make a Charisma (Persuasion) Check opposed by the target's passive Insight, and if you succeed the next attack against the creature by someone other than you is made with Advantage. Your target must be able to hear you and speak at least one language for you to be able to attempt this.

Dancing Mantis
Skill: Performance
If you inflict slashing damage to a creature, that creature cannot make Opportunity Attacks against you until the end of the turn.

Dazzling Unicorn
Skill: Arcana
Once per turn, while you are holding a weapon and have a free hand, you can spend a bonus action to enchant your weapon until the end of your next turn, or until you drop the weapon. While enchanted, your weapon inflicts magical Radiant damage. Starting at level 11, add your Intelligence modifier to the damage dealt by your enchanted weapon.

Hunting Eagle
Skill: Perception
Once per turn, when making an attack with a ranged weapon while you do not have advantage or disadvantage, you can choose to attack with disadvantage. If that attack hits, it is considered a critical hit.

Patient Turtle
Skill: Insight
If you did not move this turn, you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action, then, if you do, your speed becomes 0 until the end of the turn. If you use the Second Wind class feature, you also gain the benefit of the Dodge action.

Prowling Wolf
Skill: Nature
When attacking with a simple weapon, you gain a +2 to the attack roll if an ally is within 5 feet of the target.

Rushing Rhino
Skill: Athletics
You can attempt to shove creatures 2 sizes larger than you rather than just 1.

Steadfast Bear
Skill: Intimidate
You have advantage on all saving throws against the Frightened condition. You add your Strength modifier to any ability check that uses your proficiency in the Intimidate skill.

Stinging Scorpion
Skill: Medecine
When you inflict piercing damage with a weapon attack you can reduce the damage by any amount you desire down to 1 point of damage; and if you do, the target’s speed is reduced by 5 feet for every 2 points of damage you sacrificed until the end of their next turn. This ability has no effect on Construct, Elemental, Ooze or Plant monsters.

Striking Cobra
Skill: Sleight of hand
You have advantage on attacks made using a Light weapon you drew as part of your Attack action. You can apply poison to a Light weapon as a bonus action.

Tumbling Monkey
Skill: Acrobatic
Once per turn, when you inflict damage to a creature using a weapon with the reach property, or a quarterstaff held in two hands, you can move 5 feet as a free action. This movement does not count toward your maximum movement speed for the turn. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Unstoppable Boar
Skill: Survival
Whenever you take damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.

Feel free to suggest concepts that could work for the missing skills: Animal Handling, Deception, History, Investigation, Religion, Stealth.

 

[Undrave]

Animal Handling is really challenging… How about this:

Vaulting Destrier
Skill: Animal Handling
Your weapon attacks inflict an additional d6 damage if you have the high ground (such as attacking from the back of a mount). Mounting or dismounting only costs you 5 feet of movement.

And one for History based on the idea of analyzing the enemy's movement.

Ambushing Tiger
Skill: History
When you roll for initiative, roll two dice. For the first round of combat, you act on the lowest of the two result, and then on the highest of the results for the rest of the combat. You have advantage on the first attack you make against any enemy that acted before you during the first round of combat.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I like it, I would change the arcane one to doing force instead of radiant and make a religus one that did radiant...

 

[Undrave]

I like it, I would change the arcane one to doing force instead of radiant and make a religus one that did radiant...

Oh that makes sense!

I'd probably have to change the name though Force isn't really dazzling.

But I dunno if I'd want the Religion and Arcane styles to just essentially be repaints of each other...

 

[RealAlHazred]

I would remove opposed rolls and go with passive abilities; i.e., for Cunning Raven, say "make a Charisma (Persuasion) Check opposed by the target's passive Insight". Cuts down on rolls at the table.

I like the idea. They feel like the kind of thing you should be able to unlock by circumstance, like needing to go to the top of a mountain or journey into a sewer lair deep beneath a city to learn.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Oh that makes sense!

I'd probably have to change the name though Force isn't really dazzling.

But I dunno if I'd want the Religion and Arcane styles to just essentially be repaints of each other...

1) force can totally shimmer and shine.
2) I agree it was very slapdash... I would want a unholy necrotic too... or to do something different

 

[Undrave]

I would remove opposed rolls and go with passive abilities; i.e., for Cunning Raven, say "make a Charisma (Persuasion) Check opposed by the target's passive Insight". Cuts down on rolls at the table.

I like the idea. They feel like the kind of thing you should be able to unlock by circumstance, like needing to go to the top of a mountain or journey into a sewer lair deep beneath a city to learn.

Oh that's not a bad idea actually! I think I'll edit it for that! Also I now realize Cunning Raven wasn't in alphabetical order...

1) force can totally shimmer and shine.
2) I agree it was very slapdash... I would want a unholy necrotic too... or to do something different

I was thinking I might go for something other than Force for the Arcane one, something that's just slightly less universally good? Maybe fire or Lightning?

 

[Undrave]

1) force can totally shimmer and shine.
2) I agree it was very slapdash... I would want a unholy necrotic too... or to do something different

Okay, how about I make the Arcane one:

Blasting Thunderbird
Skill: Arcana
Once per turn, while you are holding a weapon and have a free hand, you can spend a bonus action to enchant your weapon until the end of your next turn, or until you drop the weapon. While enchanted, your weapon inflicts magical Lightning damage. Starting at level 11, add your Intelligence modifier to the damage dealt by your enchanted weapon.

And then, for Religion, I go with:

Purifying Unicorn
Skill: Religion
Whenever you regain hit points, or fail a Saving Throw, you gain a bonus d6 applied to your next Saving Throw. This effect remains until used or until you finish a short or long rest.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Okay, how about I make the Arcane one:

Blasting Thunderbird
Skill: Arcana
Once per turn, while you are holding a weapon and have a free hand, you can spend a bonus action to enchant your weapon until the end of your next turn, or until you drop the weapon. While enchanted, your weapon inflicts magical Lightning damage. Starting at level 11, add your Intelligence modifier to the damage dealt by your enchanted weapon.

And then, for Religion, I go with:

Purifying Unicorn
Skill: Religion
Whenever you regain hit points, or fail a Saving Throw, you gain a bonus d6 applied to your next Saving Throw. This effect remains until used or until you finish a short or long rest.

i like it

 

[Quartz]

I’ve been mulling over this concept for a while now,

Sorry but that's a whole heap of No for many reasons. Principally because you're stealing / obviating class features (e.g. the Paladin who doesn't get to add radiant damage to a normal attack until level 11) or fighting styles (Prowling Wolf) or violating KISS or - like in particular your last two - are hugely powerful and must-takes unless limited (e.g. requiring reactions or bonus actions).

And

Dancing Mantis
Skill: Performance
If you inflict slashing damage to a creature,

Why just slashing damage?

Hunting Eagle

This needs to be better written. Do you mean take the Attack action? And roll once with Disadvantage? It's ridiculously wimpy anyway unless you are a Diviner and can substitute a good roll for the Disadvantaged roll.