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 as a line along which both opponents move, but circular geometric patterns are used sin 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 fencing school ability, you can also exchange a 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 Proficiency Bonus to your base armor class.
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
When you hit with a fencing 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.
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 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.
3rd Level: Fencer Subclass
At 3rd level you choose a subclass, careers that add abilities outside the normal range of fencer skills. 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.
Acuity
The Ghisliero or concentric school views the battlefield as a series of concentric circles around the fencer. It focuses on situation awareness and combating many opponents simultaneously. See Frederico Ghisliero @ Wikipedia.
Add +3 to your AC when you are not wearing armor.
Armored
This is a school taught in the military, that incorporates more armor and basic fighting drill. Military fencers usually put more emphasis on Strength than Dexterity. Often combined with Armsmaster, but if you do so you might try the fighter class instead.
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.
Armsmaster
This school claims to be universal, a combat technique applicable to all melee weapons. Many armsmasters focus on Strength over Dexterity. See Emanuelle Grazzi @ Wikipedia. Often combined with Armored, but if you do so you might try the fighter class instead.
All melee weapons are precision weapons to you.
Audacity
Academic fencing is both a fighting style and a sport popular at universities. Such students often have facial scars that they show off with pride as a demonstration of bravery. The school focuses on facing peril unflinchingly. See academic fencing @ Wikipedia.
You are immune to the Frightened condition.
Canne
Sticks and kicks have been used since time immemorial and 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. See Savate@Wikipedia.
You can use Precision with the mace and with unarmed attacks and both gain the finesse property in your hands. You gain proficiency with unarmed attacks, and do 1d4 bludgeoning damage with them.
Capers
You love acrobatic tricks like wide jumps, swinging on ropes and chandeliers, and fighting in the rigging of a ship. See Jack Sparrow @ Wikipedia, but also a host of other swashbuckling books and films.
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
A school focused on mounted fencing. See George Patton @ Wikipedia.
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.
En Garde
This school has an easy and relaxed style, using a one-handed weapon to attack and parry while keeping one hand free for tricks, feints, and flourishes. The free hand is often used to hold a cloak, hat, or other accessory that is further used to distract the opponent, but a hand crossbow, pistol, or another melee weapon can be used in the off hand. See Camillio Agrippa and Bolongese Swordsmanship @ Wikipedia.
When not wielding a shield and armed with a melee weapon you can use Precision with, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. You can use your other hand freely.
Fleche
In many ways the "standard" fencing school, Capo Ferro focuses on attack speed and devastating thrusts. See Ridolfo Capo Ferro @ Wikipedia.
Your fencing attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 to 20. During your turn, your reach increases by 5 feet.
Footwork
A school stressing being alert to positioning and terrain, to be able to lunge and retreat safely. The fencing master Rocco Bonetti is credited with teaching this style, but the attribution is uncertain.
You ignore difficult ground when in combat. You are still affected by difficult terrain when traveling.
Main Gauche
Focusing on two-weapon fighting, the Marozzo school offers great rewards to the dedicated student. See Achille Marozzo @ Wikipedia.
- You can use two-weapon fighting even when one of the melee weapons you are wielding isn't light.
- You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
- When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Riposte
This school encourages the opponent to attack recklessly, which is then immediately punished with a deft riposte. See France Dacine @ Wikipedia.
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.
Rodear
A school based on evasion, positioning, and always keeping your options open. The Destreza school views the battle as a round stage as opposed to the more linear approach of most styles. As a result, Destreza fencers move sideways more than back and forward and need more space to excel. See Destreza @ Wikipedia.
To use Rondear, you must first move at least 5 feet. This uses your normal Speed and can trigger attacks of opportunity. After moving you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action. This does not allow you to use Aggressive Dodge.
Staff
A precursor to modern fencing, staff fighting style developed among civilian free men. See Quarterstaff @ Wikipedia.
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. See Rodeleros and also Swashbuckler @ Wikipedia.
You gain proficiency with shields and can use the Guard ability when wielding a shield.
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.
Many 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.