Fencer (5A)

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Inigo Montoya: You are using Bonetti's Defense against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo Montoya: Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro?
Man in Black: Naturally, but I find that Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro. Don't you?
Inigo Montoya: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa... which I have!

Man in Black and Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride (1987).

Fencers represent the pinnacle of elegant swordplay. They move with unmatched grace, parrying blows and countering attacks with swift thrusts of their blades. They thrive in melee, where their skill with the blade allows them to make sudden attacks against clumsy foes and to cripple opponents with precise thrusts of the blade. Fencers fight using geometry. Judging and controlling distance, viewing the patterns of the battlefield, and finding the right angle is essential in fencing. Fencers mainly move along an imaginary line towards their opponent, but circular patterns are used in some schools.

Class Profile

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per fighter level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per fighter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, rapiers, scimitars, short swords. If firearms are in use, a fencer is proficient with all one-handed firearms.

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Persuasion

Equipment

leather armor

(a) a rapier or (b) a scimitar, or (c) a shortsword

(a) three daggers or (b) a scimitar, or (c) a shortsword

(a) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) 10 daggers

(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Alternatively you can start with 3d4 x 10 gp or 75 gp.

Multiclassing

You must have a Dexterity of 13 to multiclass into or out of this class.

Multiclassing into the class gives you proficiency with simple weapons and the rapier, scimitar, and shortsword.

Fencer multiclassing gives no spellcasting progression, or one-third progression if you have a subclass with spell progression such as the Conjurer or Legate.

Fencer Table

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Precision
1st	+2	Fencing School, Guard	—
2nd	+2	Parry, Precision	1d4
3rd	+2	Fencing school, Subclass feature	1d4
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d4
5th	+3	Extra Attack	1d4
6th	+3	Fencing school	1d6
7th	+3	Subclass feature	1d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
9th	+4	Fencing school	1d6
10th	+4	Aggressive Dodge	1d8
11th	+4	Subclass feature	1d8
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
13th	+5	Fencing school	1d8
14th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
15th	+5	Subclass feature	1d10
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
17th	+6	Fencing school	1d10
18th	+6	Flexible Fencing	1d12
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
20th	+6	Fencing Mastery	1d12

Class Features

As a fighter, you gain the following class features.

1st level: Fencing School

Different fencing masters have developed fencing techniques that can be mastered by fencers as they advance in levels. Each such technique gives the fencer certain abilities. You can choose a fencing school ability at 1st level and again at level 3, 6, 9, 13, and 17. Each time you gain a new level as a fencer, you can exchange one fencing school ability you know with another one. The fencing school abilities to choose from are listed in their own section below.

1st level: Guard

When wearing no armor or light armor and not wielding a shield you add your Intelligence or Charisma bonus (your choice) to your base Armor Class. Using intelligence means you rely on positioning and geometry to defend yourself, while Charisma uses presence and posture.

2nd Level: Parry

You can use a reaction to parry the melee attacks of other creatures. To parry an attack, the fencer makes an attack roll. If this roll is greater than the attack roll of the attacking creature, the parry succeeds and the original attack misses. When you use Parry and the attack misses, you can immediately make a melee attack against the attacker.

2nd Level: Precision

To use this ability, you must wield a a precision weapon. Precision weapons are the club, dagger, rapier, scimitar, and short sword. This also allows you to use the club as if it had the finesse property. Fencing schools can add to your choice of precision weapons.

The club used by fencers is long and light, often a practice sword, but a stick or cane will do in a pinch. The short sword used by fencers has a thin blade and is often called a foil or smallsword, but is identical to the normal short sword in game terms. The fencing version of the scimitar is called a saber.

When you hit with a precision weapon add 1d4 to your damage. This damage is of the same type as the damage the weapon inflicts and increases as you increase in level, see the Fencer table.

3rd Level: Fencer Subclass

Fencer Subclasses

Academic Agent Conjurer Courtier Duelist Engineer Fencing Master Legate Medico Officer Scaramouch Scoundrel Spellheart

At 3rd level you choose a subclass, careers that add abilities outside the normal range of fencer skills. Fencer subclasses generally improve abilities beside fighting, giving utility and a wider scope of abilities. You gain additional abilities from your chosen subclass at level 7, 13, and 15.

5th Level: Extra Attack

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

10th Level: Aggressive Dodge

When taking the Dodge action, you can make a single melee attack.

18th Level: Flexible Fencing

As a bonus action you can learn a Fencing School ability of your choice. You keep this ability for one hour. You can use this ability once, regaining the use at a long or short rest.

20th Level: Fencing Mastery

At 20th level, you can use all fencing school abilities.

Fencing School Abilities

These are the abilities taught by fighting schools and available to fencers. Some of these, like Sword Catcher, are based around variant weapons that allow special maneuvers. These are ignored here, a swordcatcher is just a normal dagger in game terms.

Acuity

Add +3 to your Armor Class when you are not wearing armor.

Armsmaster

All melee weapons are precision weapons to you.

Audacity

You are immune to the Frightened condition.

Bind

Prerequisite: Fencer level 2.

When you use Parry to make a melee weapon attack while wielding two melee weapons, and use a weapon that has the light property to make this attack, you gain advantage on the attack roll.

Canne

All fencers use blunt practice swords, but Canne develops both to their full potential. The mace used in Canne is a walking stick such as can be carried as a support or fashion statement in almost any circumstance.

• You can use Precision with the mace and it gains the finesse property in your hands.
• You gain proficiency with unarmed attacks, they gain the finesse property, can use Precision, and do 1d4 bludgeoning damage.

Capers

You can use a bonus action to take the Disengage action. When you do so, you can move through the space of enemies. Occupied spaces still count as difficult ground to you. The DM may allow you to ignore such difficult ground if you describe an interesting stunt, but may call for Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to succeed at particularly daring maneuvers.

Cavalry

You gain the Mounted Combatant feat:

You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
• You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
• If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.

Case of Swords

An aggressive style of two-weapon fighting. Works with Famous Cross.

• You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light.
• When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Cloak

You can wield a cloak, hat, net, or similar soft obstruction in one hand for defense and to snare attacks. This counts as a weapon for Fencing School maneuvers that depend on weapons but cannot be used to attack. When you or an ally adjacent to you is attacked, you can use a reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack. The object used will be torn and won't serve it original purpose, but it can continue to be used in combat.

Cuirassier

You gain proficiency in light, medium, and heavy armor and with shields. This does not change what armor you can use with the Guard ability.

Duelist's Line

Prerequisite: En Garde.

When using En Garde and only using one melee weapon to attack, the bonus to Armor Class increases to +2. This prevents the use of Case of Swords and Famous Cross, but you can wield a one-handed ranged weapon or a throwing dagger in the free hand.

En Garde

When not wielding a shield and armed with a melee weapon that lacks the versatile and two-handed properties you can use Precision with, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. This does not work on weapons that have a special rule that gives them either of these properties under special circumstances, like the lance.

Famous Cross

A defensive style of two-weapon fighting. Works with Case of Swords.

• You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
• You can use two-weapon fighting as long as one of the weapons you are wielding is light, even when the other melee weapon you are wielding isn't.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.

Fleche

When not wielding a shield and attacking with a single melee weapon that lacks the versatile and two-handed properties your melee attacks score a critical hit on a die roll of 19 to 20 and your reach increases by 5 feet on your turn only.

Footwork

You ignore difficult ground when in combat. You are still affected by difficult terrain when traveling.

Montante

You gain proficiency with the greatsword and a greatsword gains the finesse and reach properties in your hands. You can use Precision with a greatsword.

Precision Shot

Treat crossbows and firearms as Precision weapons.

Riposte

After you use a reaction to either make an opportunity attack or to use the Parry ability, until the start of your next turn you can continue to perform opportunity attacks and use the Parry ability until you have used them a total number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

Sidestep

To use Sidestep, you use a bonus action to Dodge and must then move at least 5 feet. This uses your normal Speed and can trigger attacks of opportunity. You can't use Aggressive Dodge this turn.

Staff Flourish

You can use the quarterstaff as a precision weapon and it gains the finesse quality in your hands.

Swashbuckler

Swashbuckling is the sound made when you carry a sword and buckler shield together and they clash, making a cocky metallic sound. This has inspired an entire genre of stories about fencers and adventurers of all kinds, but here it is used for a fencer with a shield.

You gain proficiency with shields and can use the Guard ability when wielding a shield.

Sword Catcher

When you use Parry with a weapon with the light property and the attack misses, instead of doing a counterattack, you can use that weapon to grapple the opponent. You do not need a free hand to do this, but if you attack with or drop the light weapon you parried with or use this ability again, the grapple ends. As long as the opponent is grappled this way, they may only do one attack on their turn.

Designer's Notes

The fencer has a role similar to the fighter, but does not break the rule that only the fighter can have more than two attacks. A lot of the abilities are there to work around this.

Fencer subclasses are not so much about fighting, fencers have school abilities for this. Instead they are about engaging with the world, often social abilities. This means that the subclasses are less important than those of many other classes, and more of the fighting ability is in the base class.

See Also

• Fencer class for Pathfinder 1