Dueler (5e Class)

Duelist

The martial path is chosen by one for plenty of reasons. Some take upon the sword training as a means to perfect themself, both physically and spiritually, through the mastery of an art form. Others, take upon arms after hearing the call of duty, in order to protect their lands and their families from an invader army. And some find the blade a tool of work, a dangerous but quick way to make gold. But there are those who look at the art of fighting trough a more basic lens. For these individuals, fight is the the means to an end, but the end in and of itself.

Duelists pursue the method of the sword for the enjoyment of the battle, the thrill of risking their lives in a spectacular display of swordsmanship. They wander through the world seeking for opponents that can give them a worthy challenge, that can satiate their seemingly endless thirst for combat. Some see duelists as bloodthirsty savages, who hop into the fray at the slightest possibility of conflict, but this is not a fair analysis of a Duelists's behavior. A duelist don't enjoy the fight just to relieve aggression, nor they look at fighting as a mere opportunity of enacting cruelty. No. They see beauty in the precision of movements between two skilled opponents, whose exchange of strokes seems almost like a dance; they find purpose in preparing for the next battle; they find kinship through meeting opponents, rivals and sometimes forming unlikely bonds and even friendships with them.

They fight for the same reason one dances at a ball, or drink in an inn with friends and acquaintances. There's something into putting their lives at risk that makes them truly feel alive, truly feel like their lives have meaning, and that they have freedom to face death on their own terms. They find fulfillment in fighting, and although this may lead them to behave recklessly, is not uncommon that a selfless duelist will enact acts of heroism by challenge those who most are afraid to even dare cross paths with.

Creating a Duelist

When creating a duelist, ask yourself the following question: why do you choose to learn the path of the sword and engage in duels? Some duelists are confrontational since their earliest memories, and learning how to channel their innate passion with proper training was just the logical step. Others, however, found passion for combat trough the opposite road, sometimes being forced into combats and coming out victorious instill on them the passion for the combat.

Another important question for duelers is, do you put our combat skills at service of some goal or purpose? Although duelists don't really need a purpose other than face the next opponent, they are not devoid of desires, passions and ideals besides fighting. Some of them have some opponent or rival, far to powerful to be defeated yet, but whose rivalry drives their training and progress in the art of fighting. Others fight for some ideal, loved ones, their adventuring group or simply for boredom. Make sure to define a long term goal or at least a lasting motive for you to go in adventures as a duelist.

Quick Build

You can build a duelist quickly by following these suggestions: Strenght or Dexterity should be your highest score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Soldier or the Hermit background. Third, choose as your starting equipment the leather armor, a rapier, a shield, a light crossbow and 20 bolts and an explorer's pack.

Class Features

As a duelist you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per duelist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per duelist level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Sleight of Hand

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) chain shirt or (b) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Table: The duelist

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Duel Challenge
2nd	+2	Perseverance
3rd	+2	Dueling Trick, Dueling Style
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Fighting Style
6th	+3	Dueling Style Feature
7th	+3	Dueling Trick (2), Expert Challenge
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Movement Finesse
10th	+4	Dueling Style Feature
11th	+4	Dueling Trick (3)
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Last Resolve
14th	+5	Dueling Style Feature
15th	+5	Advanced Maneuvers
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Duelist's Frenzy
18th	+6	Dueling Style Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Master Duelist

Duel Challenge

Starting at 1st level, your most basic technique is to challenge and focusing all of your focus in one creature, making sure that only one of you leaves standing.

You can challenge a creature you can see within 60 feet to a duel, using your bonus action. A challenge lasts until you or the creature are reduced to 0 hit points or if you make a rest.

While the creature is challenged, you can roll your duelist die (a d6) and add to the result of your Attack and damage rolls against the challenged creature, contested Strength and Dexterity checks against the challenged creature and saving throws to resist effects from that creature, while substractring from the save DC of your features against that creature.

However, you reduce your dueling die from the result of any attack, damage roll or saving throw you make against a creature other than your challenged creature.

Perseverance

At 2nd level, the excitement of a duel won't let you go out easily.

Whenever you are under half your maximum number of hit points, you regain 2 hit point at the start of each of your turns while you are in a Duel Challenge. This increases to 6 hit points at 11th level.

Dueling Trick

Starting at 3rd level, you learn a special trick which you can use to give you an edge in duels. You learn an additional trick at 7th level and 11th level, and you can't choose the same trick more than once.

Sharpened Strikes

Your weapon attacks against a challenged creature score critical hits on a roll of 19 or 20.

Ambidexterity

You can use your bonus action on your turn to take the Use an Object action or to make an attack with a light weapon.

First Strike

You can move additional 10 feet on your turn. This additional movement can only be towards the challenged creature, and for this distance it doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

In addition, you gain a bonus of +1 to your Dexterity saving throws against effects from the challenged creature.

Adrenaline Burst

You can use your bonus action to enhance your abilities and reflexes, for 1 minute. When you do so, you can add your Dueling Die to any ability check, attack roll or saving throw you make.

The bonus ends early if your hit points becomes 0 or you are incapacitated. Once you use this surge, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Quick Shooter

You can reload a weapon that has the ammunition property even without a free hand. In addition, you ignore the loading property of ranged weapons.

Thrusting Strikes

As a bonus action, you can ignore the supernatural defenses of your enemies. Until the start of your next turn, your attacks ignore resistances and immunity to nonmagical damage.

You can only use this ability once per long rest.

Celerity

When you challenge a creature and is within 60 feet of the creature, your movement speed increases by 15 feet.

Challenge Surge

When you attack a challenged creature, you can make an attack, cast a spell or use a feature that requires an action, using your bonus action, if targets yourself or the challenged creature. You have as many use of this ability equal to your proficiency, and you regain uses the next time you roll initiative roll initiative.

Defensive Duelist

As long you have a challenge creature, you gain +2 to your AC.

Deadlier Attacks

When you hit a challenged creature with an attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to your damage rolls.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Expert Challenger

Starting at 7th level, you reveel to your allies and friends part of your experiens in lethal combats, while getting better at not letting your rivals escape.

At the end of a short rest, you can teach creatures up to your Wisdom modifier one of the next effect, gaining them until the end of a short rest:

-You gain proficiency in athletices or acrobatics. If you are proficient in both, you gain proficiency in any other skill.

-If you make a attack roll or force a saving throw that does damage and has lethal intend; you can max the damage of one dice. You can do this as many times your proficiency bonus.

-You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

Also, whenever you challenge a creature, you can deside if the if the challenge is greater or not. A creature that is in a greater challenge gains 1d8 and add it to the result of your attack and damage rolls against you, contested Strength and Dexterity checks against you and saving throws to resist effects from yourself, but your challenge die becomes a d8. In addition, whenever a challenged creature attempts to teleport while within range, you can use your reaction; foil their attempt. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until two long rest.

Movement Finesse

At 9th level, you are a Master at synchronizing your body and your weapons at the same time. You base speed increases by 10 and you can add your challenge die to your Dexterity saving throws. Also, when you roll iniciative, you can roll with advantage; challenge one creature that is at 60 feet.

Last Resolve

At 13th level, you will try keep going even if it means your tearing your body apart.

If you are reduce to 0 hit points while a challenge creature still has hit points; you can take an action and move half your movement before falling, but then you will take one fail death saving throw.

Advanced Maneuvers

At 15th level, you are a dueling master. Whenever a challenged creature causes damage to you, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage to half.

Alternatively, whenever you miss an attack against the challenged creature, you can use your reaction to reroll that attack, with advantage.

Duelist's Frenzy

When you reach the 17th level, you know how to keep your momemtum all the times.

Whenever you reduce a challenged creature to 0 hit points, you can challenge another creature in range. You can then move 30 feet towards that creature and make an weapon attack.

Master Duelist

At 20th level, you have an almost perfect style of combat, where the opponent needs luck on it's side to win.

Whenever the challenged creature makes an attack against you, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, the attack misses.

Archetypes

Frenetic Duelist

Frenetic Duelists are warriors who quickly deplete their energy reserves to ensure a swift battle and quick victory. These warriors burn brighter and faster than any other combatant in a duel, putting everything they have behind each blow, as a candle lighten from both sides. Although this is a dangerous style of dueling, since it can't hold a battle for a long time, it can be a very powerful way of fighting against especially powerful opponents.

Victory Frenzy

Starting at 1st level,

Whenever you reduce a challenged creature to 0 hit points, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Duelist Die + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. These temporary hit points last until you finish a short or a long rest. Alternatively, you can choose to regain 1 hit die, instead of gaining temporary hit points. You can't have more hit die than your maximum.

Surge Techniques

At level 3rd, 6th, and 9th, you learn how to deplete your reserves of energy to gain an extra edge during combat. You gain special surge techniques that are fueled by your hit dice. Of these techniques, you can prepare a certain amount equal to your Wisdom modifier + your Proficiency modifier. You can change the techniques that you know at the end of a short or long rest.

Tiger Fang (3rd level). A thrust that uses your movement and makes it deathly. If you move at least half of your movement speed in a straight line in that turn; you can spend one hit die to make your next melee weapon attack deal extra damage equal to half the number of squares you move through in a straight line against that creature and the hit die you expend.

Bloody Rush (3rd level). Adrenaline is the name of the game. As a bonus action, you can spend one hit die to double your movement speed until the end of your turn. In addition, your attacks made until the end of this turn deals additional damage equal to your proficiency.

Bearish Defence (3rd level). Now you are as sturdy and scary that a great beast. As a reaction when you would be hit by a melee attack roll, until the end of your next turn your AC increase equal to your Wisdom modifier (Minimum of one), causing the attack to miss you. Also, as long that you have the increase AC and haven't take damage, you have advantage on Intimidation checks.

Wild Twin (3rd level). You attack without much technique and more brute force. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend a hit die to make another attack against the same creature. If you haven’t spent a hit die in a technique (other than this one); you have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Whirlwind (6th level). Rotary slash that will hurt anyone and anything to close. As and action, you can forget one of your attacks and spend two hit dice to make a spinning attack, quick and fast to cover everything and everyone around you. Make one melee weapon attack roll against the AC of all creatures within your weapon's range. On a hit, you roll your weapon's normal damage and add two rolls of your Hit dice to the damage of the attack. You make this attack at advantage if you haven't moved during this turn, but your speed becomes 0 after using it.

Untamed Riot (6th level). Synchronize your attacks in a fast X for a deeper wound. When you take the attack action, you can forget one of your attacks and spend two hit dice to make a cross attack. Make two melee attacks against one creature. If you have a weapon in each hand, both attacks use the same attack roll and add one roll of your hit dice to their damage. You can’t use this technique more than once at turn.

Barbaric Yawp (6th level). A war cry strong enough to disorient any opponent. When you take the attack action, you can forget one of your attacks and spend two hit dice. In a cone of 15 feet, any creatures inside that cone have to make a Constitution saving throw against your DC (DC equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Contitution modifier). On a fail save, they are stunned until the start of your next turn. If a creature fail the saving throw, you throw two hit dice, then you gain temporary hit points equal to the total. If the challenge creature makes the saving throw, they subtract a 1d4 to their saving throw. After using this technique, your damage rolls are half until the start of the next turn.

Swiftness (6th level). Mixing technique with your adrenaline can make you unstoppable. As a bonus action, you can spend two hit dice to make the adrenaline go through your body and make you more deathly. For one minute, your speed is doubled, you gain a +2 bonus to AC, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you gain an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use an Object action. or use a technique. When the duration ends, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as a wave of lethargy sweeps over you,

Feral Revolution (9th level). You go all out with this high risk, high reward move. If you are 5 feet from the challenged creature, you can use one action and spend three hit dice. Make four melee attacks against the challenge creature. If an attack hits, the next attacks of the technique do more damage equal to your proficiency modifier. If an attack misses, the next attacks of the technique do less damage equal to your proficiency modifier. The fourth attack of the technique adds a hit dice to the damage roll for each attack that hit of the technique. You can’t use this technique more than once at turn.

Iron Swan (9th level). The elegant can be deathly in the right hands. When you take the attack action, you can forget one of your attacks. Give yourself a -5 to the attack roll of this special attack you are making. If the attack hits, you spend three hit dice and roll all of them. For 1 minute, one of the creature’s physical stat scores (Strenght, Desterity or Constitution) of your choice is replaced by the lowest roll of those hit dice. At the end of the turn, the creature can make a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw (their choice) against your DC (DC equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength/Dexterity modifier). Also, you add to your damage roll the other two hit dice you roll.

Falcon’s Fury (9th level).You can't be stop, event if they want to. As a bonus and spending three hit dice, a gale starts coming out of your body and makes you faster and more unpredictable than ever. For one minute, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks, your high jump and long jump distance is double, your melee weapon attacks gain damage equal to one fifth of the feet you move that turn, and you can take the Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns. For the duration, you may also move through another creature´s space, treating it as difficult terrain. Each time you move through a creature's space for the first time during your turn, that creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.

Solemnity (9th level). You can't fall at the first challenge you face. Your determination and adrenaline is putting you one step ahead in exchange of your stamina in the long run. If you fail a saving throw, you can spend three hit dice and choose to succeed instead.

Frenetic Vendetta

At 6th level, you won't let your opponent to damage you without any retribution, using their attacks agains you as an opportunity to counterattack.

Whenever you take damage from an attack and it comes from a creature that you have challenge, you can make an attack against your attacker, if it is within range of a weapon that you are holding. You can use this feature equal to your Wisdom modifier (Minimum of one) and recover all uses at the end of a short or long rest. In addition, at the end of a short rest, you can choose a number (Maximum your proficiency); you recover that amount of hit dice, but then suffer as many d10 of necrotic damage equal of the hit dice you regain.

Vigorous Warrior

Starting at 10th level, you can now recover faster when you are given the time to do so.

You regain all your hit die when you finish a long rest, instead of only half. Also, at the end of a short rest, if you have less that half of your maximum hit points, your regain 2d10 hit points.

Relentless Duelist

Beginning at 14th level, the amount of scars that you have experiment during your career have make your body able to move even if it shouldn't.

When you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this feature twice, you can't use it again until the end of a long rest.

Greater Frenzy

When you reach the 18th level, your adrenaline, determination and technique have evolve to the point that you are the strongest when you are close to pass out.

If you are at half your maximum hit points or lower, you can take one additional action your turn. After using this action, you can't use it until the end of your next turn.

Focused Challenger

Focused Challengers are duelists who are experts at fighting a single opponent in a sword-fight. From all archetypes, focused challengers are the ones who truly embrace the duels, the art and skill involved into defeating another warrior on a one to one combat. They are able to carefully read their target moves, predict their attacks and pinpoint their weaknesses, such as unbalance on their stances, gaps on their armor or any lack of timing in their defenses.

Precise Strike

Starting at 1st level, whenever you roll a 1 on a weapon attack, you can reroll the die. You must use the new roll. You can use this reroll a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

In addition, you gain proficiency in Charisma (Intimidation) checks. If you are already proficient with Intimidation checks, you double your proficiency bonus for all Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Assassin Mark

Starting at 5th level, your become hyper focused on your duels. Your dueling die becomes a d6, increasing to a d8 at 10th level, a d10 at 14th level and a d12 at 18th level.

In addition, whenever you roll the minimum or maximum number on the Dueling Die, you can spend one use of your Precise Strike to reroll that die.

Unerring Accuracy

Starting at 6th level, whenever you fail an attack roll, you can choose to roll a 20 instead. Once you use this feature equal to your equal to your Dexterity modifier, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Final Blows

Starting at 10th level, whenever you make an attack roll against a challenged creature that have less than half its maximum number of hit points, you can give yourself advantage on the attack roll against that creature. If the result of this attack is lower than 8 + your proficiency bonus, you can choose that number instead.

You can use this feature three times, regaining the ability to do so after finishing a long rest, unless you spend one use of your Precise Strike to do so again.

Honed Strikes

At 14th level, you can use your Precise Strike and Unerring Accuracy to reroll results of 1, 2 and 3, instead of only 1 on the die.

Execution

Starting at 18th level, whenever a challenged creature is under half its maximum of hit points, you can make one additional attack as part of the Attack action against that creature.

Arcane Duelist

Arcane duelists are, as the name imply, duelists who enhance their martial abilities with arcane magic. These duelists have often innate, but dormant, arcane prowess, that only awaken later in their lives. These powers will often manifest in a moment of tension or danger, surprising both duelist and their foes. For that reason, despite lack of proper guidance in the control over their powers, the arcane duelists slowly gain more control over their magic, and learn how to use their spells to gain an edge in combat against their enemies.

Arcane Duelist Spellcasting

Duelist Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	2	2	—	—	—
4th	2	2	3	—	—	—
5th	2	3	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	3	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	11	4	3	3	1
20th	3	12	4	3	3	1

Arcane Knowledge

When your chose this style at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill, if you don't already have it.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you learn how to use spells in battle.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the arcane duelist spell list. You learn an additional arcane duelist cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Path of the Arcane duelist Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. you regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know compelled duel and two 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Path of the Arcane duelist spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells he know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the arcane duelist spells, since you awaken this power later in life. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to his spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a arcane duelist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Favored Spell

Starting at 6th level, choose a 1st-level spell from the sorcerer's list that has a duration of instantaneous and the casting time of an action. You can cast the chosen spell at will, without spending spell slots.

At 10th level, you can choose a 2nd level to be used with this feature, following the same restrictions. You can choose a third spell of 2nd-level or lower at 14th level and another at 18th level.

In addition, you can choose to lose the ability to cast one of your favored spells to regain a spell slot of your choice. If you do so, you can't cast the favored spell at will until you finish a long rest.

Arcane Parry

Starting at 10th level, whenever a challenged creature cast a spell, you can use your reaction to cast counterspell without spending a spell slot. Once you use this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

In addition, you learn another method of counterspelling. If a creature cast a spell or cantrip you know, you can cast the same spell as a reaction, generating the same effects as a counterspell cast at 3rd-level.

Magical Barrage

At 14th level, you can forgo one of your Attacks made as part of the Attack action to cast a Favored Spell, or if you use a Favored Spell to gain the ability to cast another spell.

Arcane Recovery

Starting at 18th level, whenever you reduce a challenged creature to 0 hit points, you regain a spell slot of 2nd-level or lower. In addition, after scoring a critical hit with a spell attack against a challenged creature, you regain a spell slot of 1st level.

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