Duelist

Armed with a buckler and a rapier, a lord set in leather experiments with the weight of his blade before a bout. He jabs at the air with unrivaled precision and grace, his feet dancing underneath him in and out of the reach of his imaginary opponent. He considers this simply part of the life of a noble as he steps onto the dueling strip, setting himself into a guarding stance as he stares his opponent down with a grin.

Two scimitars glint in the torchlight as they swing about, blocking blow after blow from a nefarious creature of the dark. Her slashes in retaliation only leaving scathing marks on the monster’s hide, but this is a battle of endurance rather than force. With every passing moment, the enemy grows tired, and the lapse in defense is all the woman needs. She pulls back her sword for one mighty blow, plunging it deep into the monster’s heart to finish its existence.

With a growl, the half-orc pulls out his greataxe, his eyes sharp like daggers pointed towards his opposing contender. The roar of the crowd shakes the ground as the opponent swings to connect with the half-orc. It finds only the shaft of an axe catching it, a surprisingly reflexive gladiator staring him down with a crazed smile. The strike in return is almost instinctual, and the watchers above them gaze at the two testing their mettle.

These are all fighters of a peculiar sort, ones focused on battling one foe at a time with practiced timing and dexterity. They are duelists, trained in the various types of fighting styles to combat their opponents. Duelists may not be able to take a hit to their heavy armor like a fighter or strike with unparalleled strength like a barbarian, but they make up for it with the ability to swiftly move around their opponent and parry strikes with their blade that their armor otherwise could not. They outlast their opponent, making precise cuts and punctures when the foe drops their defense for just a moment.

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 + your Constitution modifier

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

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields, bucklers

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons, swordbreakers

Saving Throws: Dexterity and Charisma

Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Perception, Performance, and Sleight of Hand.

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

(a) a rapier or (b) any martial weapon

(a) a swordbreaker or (b) a shield or (c) a buckler

(a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Dueling Challenge
You find opportunity in focus and strike down your enemies one at a time. You can declare a dueling challenge to one target within 60 feet as a bonus action. For one minute, you can use your reaction when the target of your dueling challenge makes an attack against you to try to parry. Make a Wisdom (Insight) check. Your AC is treated as the result against that attack. You can decide to use this ability after the creature rolls, but before it is determined whether they hit or miss. If the attack now misses, it is called a parry. You and your target additionally have disadvantage on all attack rolls against any creature other than each other.

The dueling challenge ends if you willingly harm another creature other than your dueling challenge target.

Once you have challenged the number of times shown for your duelist level of the Challenges column of the Duelist table, you must finish a long rest before you can challenge again.

If you declare a dueling challenge against a different target, the previous dueling challenge immediately ends. You can end a dueling challenge at any point during your turn.

Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC

Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Mariner
As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Tunnel Fighter
As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.

Two Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Stable Breathing
           At 2nd level, you slow your heart rate and focus in on the excitement of combat. As a bonus action, you increase your AC by 2 and regain hit points equal to the same amount at the beginning of each of your turns. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain the use of this ability after a short or long rest.

The bonus AC and hit points regained increases to 3 at level 11.

Duelist Technique
At 3rd level, you determine what your preferred dueling technique is, and decide to hone your skills in that ability. You focus on a Technique of your choice: Fleche (Arrow), Prise De Fer (Taking the Blade), or Riposte (Answer). These choices are detailed at the end of the class. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

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

Insightful Expertise
At 6th level, choose one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either your chosen skill or Wisdom (Insight). If you already add double your proficiency bonus to Wisdom (Insight), choose another skill proficiency.

Feint
At 7th level, you finely hone your ability to deceive your foes in combat. As a bonus action, you can attempt a feint on an enemy within 5 feet. You roll a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by their Wisdom (Insight). If you meet or succeed their check, the next attack roll on that target is made with advantage. Your check is made with advantage if it is against the target of your dueling challenge.

Tenacious Dueling
At 10th level, you can maintain and switch focus on a duel against multiple opponents. As a bonus action, you can switch the target of your duel to another creature within 60 feet.

Precision
At 11th level, every attack you land strikes vital areas with pinpoint accuracy. Your attacks with melee weapons deal an extra 1d6 of damage, using the same damage type as the weapon used.

This damage is increased to 1d8 at 14th level and 1d10 at 18th level.

Vicious Duel
At 15th level, your ferocity in one-on-one combat is unmatched by even the greatest of warriors. Once per turn when you hit a target of your dueling challenge with a melee attack, you may add half your duelist level (rounded down) as damage.

Master Duelist
At 20th level, your precise senses allow you to react to attacks from any angle. The first feature you received from your Duelist Technique can be used against creatures other than the target of your dueling challenge an unlimited number of times.

= Duelist Techniques =

Fleche
Meaning “Arrow,” Fleche techniques are focused on being out of your opponent’s range and striking them down swiftly.

Lunge
You use your precision to your advantage, extending your reach as far as it can go. When you choose this technique at 3rd level, you treat all weapons you’re proficient in as if they had the reach property, but only against targets of your dueling challenge. Additionally, you add your proficiency bonus to damage when using your lunge ability.

Remise
At 9th level, you learn how to make the most of your lunges, striking more times than you’re normally able to. When you make an attack action, you can use a bonus action to strike two additional times. These attacks do not add your ability modifier to damage.

Long Strikes
At 13th level, practicing of your signature technique has let you do it more naturally in the middle of combat. You are able to treat your weapon as if it had the reach property on your turn an amount of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) on enemies other than the target of your dueling challenge. You regain all of your uses after a short or long rest. You do not have to have a dueling challenge active to use Long Strikes. Additionally, if you use your lunge ability on a target of your dueling challenge, you may add your Wisdom modifier (minimum 0) to the damage of each attack.

Reprise
At 17th level, you’re able to recover from mistakes and strike back immediately. Once per turn, when you miss with an attack, you can immediately make another attack.

Prise De Fer
You train your reactions to not only dodge attacks, but to catch them as well.

Bind
Parrying becomes not only a defensive manuever but an offensive one. When you choose this technique at 3rd level, whenever you parry an attack with your dueling challenge feature, allies (including yourself) gain advantage on attacking the creature until the end of your next turn.

En Garde
Your ability to predict attacks becomes second nature. At 9th level, when you take the attack action, you are able forgo one of your attacks to gain the benefits of the dodge action, but only against the target of your first attack.

Acute Awareness
At 13th level, your senses on the battlefield sharpen, making you incredibly difficult to hit, able to parry attacks you’re not even entirely focused on. You’re able to roll Wisdom (Insight) to attempt to parry an amount of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) on enemies other than the target of your dueling challenge. You regain all of your uses after a short or long rest. You do not have to have a dueling challenge active to use Acute Awareness. Additionally, if you roll lower than a 10 on your Wisdom (Insight) check to parry an attack by a target of your dueling challenge, treat your roll as a 10.

Steady Hand
At 17th level, your focus extends beyond instinct. When you use Stable Breathing, you also add the bonus to your Wisdom (Insight) checks and your first damage roll each turn.

Riposte
Though you can also make gaps in an opponent’s defense, you prefer waiting for them to make one themselves.

Counter
Finding openings in your opponent’s defense is what you wait for every moment. When you choose this technique at 3rd level, whenever a target of your dueling challenge misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an attack against the target.

Swift Footwork
At 9th level, the momentary lapses of defense in your opponents let you reposition yourself. When an enemy misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to immediately move half your movement. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Pasatta Sotto
At 13th level, your ability to dodge out of the way of attacks to retaliate becomes paramount to your engagement style. You’re able to use your Counter ability an amount of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) on enemies other than the target of your dueling challenge. You regain all of your uses after a short or long rest. You do not have to have a dueling challenge active to use Pasatta Sotto. Additionally, now when you Counter a target of your dueling challenge, you make the attack at advantage.

Second Intention
At 17th level, your expertise in predicting an opponent’s movement becomes unparalleled. When a creature attempts to hit you with an opportunity attack, you can choose to give them disadvantage on the attack roll. If they miss, you can immediately use your action to automatically hit them. This attack counts as a critical hit.