Duelist
A Warrior Archetype of single-blade finesse, with a +1 AC bonus, a parry and riposte, a Named Challenge and a standing reputation.
Identity
Duelists are the court swordsmen of the Warrior class: trained in the salle, oathed to a house, and called out to settle questions of honor the law leaves unsettled. The style is single-weapon and footwork-driven, and a Duelist counters blows instead of trading them. The same training turns up wherever a duel still settles anything, from back-alley knife circles and frontier pistol-and-blade codes to a marble hall.
Features
- L3 Salle Training
You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill if you do not already have it. While wielding a finesse weapon in one hand and no other weapon or shield, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and your weapon damage die is increased by one step (1d6 becomes 1d8, and 1d8 becomes 1d10, to a maximum of 1d10). This stacks with the Dueling Fighting Style if you have it.
- L7 Parry and Riposte
When a creature within reach of your wielded finesse weapon makes a melee attack against you and misses, you can use your reaction to make a single melee attack against that creature with the same weapon. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier per short rest (minimum 1). When an attack roll against you ties your AC, it is a miss.
- L11 Named Challenge
As a bonus action on your turn, you can issue a Named Challenge to one creature you can see within 30 feet who can hear and understand you. The challenge lasts until the end of your next short rest, until the target is reduced to 0 hit points, or until you issue a new Named Challenge. While it lasts, you have advantage on attack rolls against the target with your wielded finesse weapon, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and you take half damage (rounded down) from the target's first attack against you on each of its turns. You can issue a Named Challenge a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
- L15 Court Presence
You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks against any creature that has heard your name, seen you fight, or knows your standing in the Aurelion dueling registries. In any social setting where dueling is an accepted means of resolution, you can call out a single opponent as a bonus action. If the opponent refuses the duel publicly, you have advantage on all Charisma checks against witnesses of the refusal for the next hour.
- L18 Master of the Salle Capstone
Parry and Riposte no longer expends your reaction. You can use it once per round at no cost. When you score a critical hit with a finesse weapon, you can immediately move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks and make one additional attack against any creature within reach at the end of that movement. Once per long rest, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, you instead drop to 1 hit point, gain a free use of Action Surge, and have advantage on all attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
