Martial Arts (5A)

5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

As players around here do not like wearing armor, the following martial arts option is included. As any master will teach you, defense is the basis of offense, for without survival there can be no offense. There are six schools of martial arts defense, each based around different principles, methods, and abilities. They are described here, in order of how esoteric they are, from the most spiritual to the most physical.

At 1st level, a character can decide to be a martial artist. This has no cost, but negates any armor proficiencies the character has. You keep the proficiencies, but do not gain any of the usual benefits. Instead, you gain benefits depending on your martial arts style and what armor proficiencies you have.

Martial Arts Defense

As a general rule, you can only add your Dexterity modifier and one additional attribute modifier to your Armor Class. If you would add several ability scores to your Armor Class, you only get to add the best one. If you would apply the same ability score several times, you cannot. If a style allows you to exchange Dexterity for another attribute when calculate defense, you can still use one other ability score modifier besides the dexterity replacement, but you still cannot add the same ability score modifier twice. This puts a strict limit on the benefits of multiclassing.

Way of the Void

Also know as the weirding way or the path of spirit, the way of the void is a mystic form of defense. Monks practice this style. The practitioner merges his consciousness with the universe and moves in just the right way to deflect or avoid an attack, seemingly without effort. This is an art based on wisdom and insight. It requires the utmost balance and ease of movement, and is thus incompatible with wearing armor or a shield of any kind.

When unarmored and unencumbered, the disciple of the void adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his Armor Class and his Combat Maneuver Defense. He loses these bonuses when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. Classes and archetypes that adhere to the way of the void generally grant greater Armor Class bonuses as you advance in levels.

Practitioners of void generally fight using martial arts strikes or monk weapons. They can use other weapons but may have to give up some abilities to do so.

Only classes that specifically add their Wisdom bonus to AC practice this style, it cannot be picked up with the martial arts option. No armor or shield proficiency changes how this style works.

Way of Life

Also known as the animal style martial arts or fighting panache, this energetic path is based on awe and movement. Some disciples channel the energy of life to fight like an animal does, with constant acrobatic moves and antics. Others develop a kind of aura of invincibility, moving slowly and deliberately trough danger that makes most people cringe. Not quite as demanding as the way of the void, the way of life still demands that you refrain from using armor or shields.

• Light Armor: The disciple of life has an armor class of 12 + her Dexterity bonus.
• Medium Armor: The disciple of life has an Armor Class of 10 + her Dexterity bonus + her Charisma bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor, uses a shield, when she carries a medium or heavy load.
• Heavy Armor: Does not get a further bonus to Armor Class. Instead, when she passes a Wisdom or Charisma save that normally has some effect even on a successful saving throw, the Way of Life master ignores the entire effect.
• Shield: A Way of Life martial artist with Shield proficiency gains a stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.

Way of the Mind

Also known as canny defense or fencing, this style uses trained reflexes and cunning guile for defense, concealing the practitioner in a web of feints and tricks. It is based on an intellectual understanding of the physics of fighting, and often uses a pattern for its attacks and defenses. This pattern can be geometric, working in circles or along an imaginary line, or it can be based on a rhythm such as that of a song or mathematical formula. Practitioners of the way of the mind are also known for their witty repartee during combat. This style allows some armor and bucklers and small shields, but not large or tower shields.

• Light Armor: The disciple of mind can use light armor with normal benefits.
• Medium Armor: The disciple of mind has an Armor Class based on the armor she is wearing (10 for no armor) + her Dexterity bonus + her Intelligence bonus. To gain this bonus, she must wield a melee weapon with the finesse property. She also loses this bonus when she wears medium or heavy armor, uses a shield, and when she carries a medium or heavy load.
• Heavy Armor: The benefit is the same as that of Medium Armor, except that it applies at all times.
• Shield: A Way of Mind martial artist with Shield proficiency gains a stacking +2 bonus to Armor Class, but only when using a single 1-handed melee weapon. They can have something in the other hand, as long as it is not a melee weapon.

Way of the Mind can be used with any weapon, but most styles emphasize the use of light and agile weapons such as the rapier. Their need to always be armed with a melee weapon limits their use of two-handed missile weapons, but thrown weapons and one-handed missile weapons such as throwing weapons, hand crossbows or pistols are popular. At the highest level of mastery this restriction is lessened.

Way of the Body

This is the most earthly of the martial arts defense styles. Gladiators, boxers, and sumotori follow this path. It is based on long and punishing training where the student builds ligaments, muscle, and fat into an armored screen that protects from blows. This often makes them big and heavy, with large calloused hands and lots of scars. Practitioners of this style deflect some blows, and due to their high constitution they can take immense punishment even from the blows they fail to deflect. This is the style of combat barbarians use - tough they do not give up the use of armor.

• Light Armor: The disciple of body has an armor class of 12 + her Dexterity bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor or carries a heavy load.
• Medium Armor: The disciple of body has an Armor Class of 10 + her Dexterity bonus + her Constitution bonus. She loses this bonus when she wears armor or carries a heavy load.
• Heavy Armor: Does not get a further bonus to Armor Class. Instead, when she passes a Strength or Constitution save that normally has some effect even on a successful saving throw, the Way of Body master ignores the effect entirely.
• Shield: A Way of Body martial artist can use shields to normal effect.

Those of the way of the body tend to be big and strong and favor big two-handed weapons. A few sacrifice agility and use shields for a very defensive combat style. Others are cat-like and use finesse weapons.

Way of Force

This is the magician's way of defending himself, with protective force fields or other spell effects. Mage armor is the most common spell of this path but bracers of defense are a viable alternative.

To use this style, you need to have the ability to erect force armor. This means that most practitioners of this style are spellcasters. Not constantly up and possible to dispel, such armor still offers good protection without sacrificing mobility.

• Light Armor: If you already have the ability to cast mage armor, you can now do so as a reaction or bonus action.
• Medium Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• Heavy Armor: As long as you are using force armor, you gain a stacking +2 bonus to Armor Class.
• Shield: If you have the ability to cast the shield spell, that spell becomes a cantrip for you. You must select it as one of your cantrips to gain this advantage, but if you have it as one of your known spells, you can replace it with another spell.

Force warriors use the same weapons as normal warrior—that is any weapon at all. Many combine this with spells for a very volatile style. Some practitioners can create weapons out of force.

Way of Armor

Encasing the body in armor of leather or steel is a defense, and certainly not one to be scoffed at. Some call it the path of strength, as it takes great strength to carry heavy armor without encumbrance. In many places, wearing armor marks you as either a noble, soldier, or outlaw, making its use impractical if you are or pretend to be nobody special. The way of armor is usually the strongest, in terms of pure Armor Class. It is also very magically versatile, there are many enchantments that can be put on armor. Its main weakness is weight and the sound it makes. Way of Armor is what a martial artist calls the regular warrior when he wants to be polite, it is not a martial arts system as recognized by these rules.