Real Fighting Styles
Design Goals
It is my fundamental philosophy in gaming that fun, and the correct execution of the fantasy it is meant to embody, is always preferable to simple mathematical bonuses. Yes, Extra Attack (3) is about a 33% damage boost, it’s huge, but it is also incredibly boring. I would almost prefer the second use of Action Surge to be their capstone feature, because that is massively more fun than just making more attacks. There are many other features guilty of this, but I have always believed the worst offender of this are the Fighting Styles, only a few of which are anything other than just flat mathematical bonuses.
Below are a new list of Fighting Style options, designed to completely replace all of the existing choices with far more interesting ones. I did not set out to make these more powerful intentionally—though I think they are and find that change well deserved—but most importantly they are features that will actually shape the way that your character fights, instead of just giving flat buffs to a certain family of weapons. Any feedback with that in mind is welcome, especially in terms of internal balance.
As far as class restrictions, I am not especially interested in that concept in general, but I have supplied a Fighting Style generally “for” each class. Additionally, I allow Rogues, Barbarians, and Monks to gain a Fighting Style, and I’ve provided ones for those as well. You can allow these Fighting Styles for any class, or restrict them to only the one noted.
I have noted for the basic Fighting Styles which one is meant to replace it, though these are not really one-to-one adaptations by any means.
Fighting Style Options
Cleaving
Replaces: Great Weapon Fighting
You are a specialist in handling heavy weapons and hewing through armies of enemies around you. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a Heavy melee weapon, you can immediately make an attack against another creature within 5 feet of the target, as part of the same action.
- Note: There is no limit to the number of extra attacks you can make here, except positioning and reach.
Counter Fire
Replaces: none
When a creature you can see makes a ranged attack against you, you can use your reaction to make one ranged attack against that creature.
- Credit: Coleus_the_Black in comments on first draft
Defensive
Replaces: Defense
You are a master of defense. As a reaction when you are hit by an attack, you can cause that attack to be rerolled, and the attacker must keep the new result. If the attack then misses, you can immediately make one melee weapon attack as part of the same reaction.
Dueling
Replaces: Dueling
You are an expert at fighting in single combat. You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature when you are within 5 feet of the target, and no other creature is within 5 feet of you or the target.
Guardian
Replaces: Protection / Interception
You are an expert at protecting your allies. When an allied creature you can see is the target for an attack or other ability, you can use your reaction to move up to half your speed directly toward that creature. If you move within 5 feet of the creature, you become the target of that ability instead, throwing yourself in front of the blow.
Hyper Aggressive
Replaces: none
You are an expert at running down your enemies. As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed, directly toward the closest enemy.
Overwatch
Replaces: none
When a creature you can see provokes an attack of opportunity from an allied creature, you can use your reaction to make one ranged attack against the provoking creature.
- Credit: Coleus_the_Black in comments on first draft
Reckless
Replaces: none
Class: Barbarian
You can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls until the end of the turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
Shadow
Replaces: none
Class: Rogue
When you attack a creature from hiding, you do not reveal your position if the target was reduced to zero hit points.
Skirmisher
Replaces: none
You are difficult to pin down during a fight. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction when an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
- Note: this is drawn from the 2017 UA Scout Rogue
Sniper
Replaces: Archery
If you do not move on your turn, your ranged attacks score a critical hit on an unmodified result of 18, 19, or 20.
Superior Technique
Replaces: Superior Technique
Class: Fighter
You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
- Note: unchanged. I don’t love this, but it fits Fighter okay as a unique Fighting Style, so I retained it.
Two Weapon Fighting
Replaces: Two Weapon Fighting
You are a specialist in dual wielding. If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make one attack with a Light melee weapon in your off hand.
Additionally, you can draw or stow two weapons as part of the same action, instead of only one at a time.
- Note: The intention with this feature is that only characters with this Fighting Style are able to use two weapon fighting to make an extra attack, though it is also buffed in a few marginal ways. There's probably a fundamental problem with this one, though, that I'm not sure how to resolve.
Tunnel Fighter
Replaces: Tunnel Fighter
You excel at defending narrow passages, doorways, and other tight spaces. As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.
- Note: This one is unchanged. It was always very cool. I simply don't respect anyone who would try to abuse this with dumb Polearm Master + Sentinel builds, which is the only solution that's really possible.