An Xpert's guide to

Martial Options
 Preamble
For too long the Barbarians, Monks, Fighters, Paladins,
Rogues, and Rangers of Faerun have been hailed as boring or
simple by their spell-slinging counterparts and that ends
today! Well... kinda. This document proposes a number of
actions available to all characters but targeted at classes that
mainly rely on their weapons and attacks, similar to
Grappling or Shoving.
My main goal with these rules is to make combat more
interesting for weapon users without introducing new
mechanics that might bog down the game. Weapon users in
5e feel like they should be doing more. We've all been a
fighter in the situation where we want to help distract the big
monster and keep it off our squishy little wizard pal and how
do we do that? Attack it more. Or when you know there's a
round of attacks coming your way and want to get ready for it
for it, but if you dodge you're kinda wasting a turn... So you
just attack it more. Every situation a fighter encounters in
combat can be resolved by just, well, hitting it more. And
frankly, that's boring. While I don't think this document is a
perfect solution, I do think it's a step in the right direction.
Saving Throws
Some Martial Options require your target to make a saving
throw to resist their effects. The saving throw DC is
calculated as follows:
Martial Options save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus
+ your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)
New Actions
Weapon or
Name Skill Armor Resist
Aim Wisdom Any —
Shield or
Raise Shield Constitution ─
Off-hand
Read Intent Insight Any Deception
Shove Off-
Athletics Any Acrobatics
Balance
Threaten Intimidation Any Insight
Taunt Intimidation Any Insight

Aim
You use the attack action to take aim at a creature you can
see. Your next attack roll against a creature of your choice
before the end of your next turn has advantage and gains a
bonus equal to half of your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier
(your choice, rounded up). If you’re able to make multiple
attacks with the Attack action, this action replaces one of
them.

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 Predict
When you want to read a creature’s next move, you can use
the Attack action to make a special attack, a predict. If you’re
able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this
attack replaces one of them.
The target of your predict must be a creature you can see
within 15 feet of you. You make a Wisdom (Insight) check
contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma
(Deception) check (the target chooses the ability to use).
Creatures that lack a face or head have advantage on their
check. If you succeed, the target must subtract 1d4 from
attack rolls targeting you and you add 1d4 to saving throws
caused by it until the start of your next turn.
Raise Guard
While wielding a shield or off-hand weapon, you can use the
attack action to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your
Constitution modifier. All remaining temporary hit points
disappear at the start of your next turn. If you’re able to make
multiple Attacks with the attack action, this action replaces
one of them.
Shove Effect: Off-balance
When you successfully shove a creature, you may choose to
knock it off balance instead of knocking it prone or pushing
it. If you do, the creature must subtract 1d6 from the next
Strength or Dexterity saving throw it makes before the start
of its turn.
Threaten
When you want to intimidate a creature in an attempt to
scare it off, you can use the Attack action to make a special
attack, a threaten. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with
the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target of your threaten must be within 30 feet of you
and able to hear you. You make a Charisma (Intimidation)
check contested by the target’s Charisma (Intimidation) or
Wisdom (Insight) check (the target chooses the ability to use).
Creatures that are one or more sizes larger than you have
advantage on their check. If you succeed, the target hesitates,
it starts it next turn with half of its movement speed already
spent.
Taunt
When you want to provoke or goad a creature into focusing
on you, you can use the Attack action to make a special
New Condition: Taunted attack, a taunt. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with
the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
A Taunted creature has disadvantage on attack rolls The target of your taunt must be within 30 feet of you and
against creatures that it isn't taunted by. able to hear you. You make a Charisma (Intimidation) check
contested by the target’s Charisma (Intimidation) or Wisdom
Existing Taunts (Insight) check (the target chooses the ability to use).
Under these rules it is recommended that existing Creatures that are one or more sizes larger than you have
taunts such as the Battlemaster's Goading Attack advantage on their check. If you succeed, the target is taunted
or the Compelled Duel spell are considered to give by you until the start of your next turn.
the "Taunted" condition to prevent the stacking of
Taunts from resulting in unavoidable disadvantage.

3
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are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
 New Attack Types
Name Weapon Effect
Any Two-
Charge Knock prone
handed
Cleave Any Slashing Damage two targets on kill Keen Attack
Any Target's speed reduced by Before you make an attack with a finesse weapon as part of
Cripple
Bludgeoning 5ft. the attack action, you may declare it to be a keen attack. You
may add half of your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier (your
Keen
Any Finesse
Add half of INT/WIS mod to- choice, rounded up) to the attack roll. You don't add your
Attack hit ability modifier to the damage of this attack, unless that
Pierce Any Piercing Ignores temporary defenses modifier is negative.
Step Any Light Move 5ft. before/after attack Pierce
Wallop Any Heavy
Disadv. to hit, reroll a
damage die
Before you make a melee weapon attack that deals piercing
damage as part of the attack action, you may declare it to be a
Whip Pull Whip Pull target 5ft. pierce attack. This attack ignores AC bonuses from effects
that last less than 1 hour and any temporary hit points the
target might have. You don't add your ability modifier to the
damage of this attack, unless that modifier is negative.
Charge Step
If you moved at least 20 feet in a straight line before making Before you make an attack with a light weapon as part of the
an attack with a two-handed weapon, you may declare it to be attack action, you may declare it to be a step attack.
a charge attack. On a hit, a target of your your size or smaller Immediately before or after the attack you may move 5ft. You
must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack,
don't add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack, unless that modifier is negative.
unless that modifier is negative.
Wallop
Cleave Before you make an attack with a heavy weapon as part of the
Before you make a melee weapon attack that deals slashing attack action, you may declare it to be a wallop attack. You
damage as part of the attack action, you may declare it to be a suffer a -2 penalty on the attack roll. If the attack hits, you can
cleave attack. You don't add your ability modifier to the reroll one of the attack's damage dice, and you must use the
damage of this attack, unless that modifier is negative. If this new roll. You can't make a Wallop attack if you already have
attack reduces the target to 0 hit points you can target disadvantage on the attack roll.
another creature within reach and, if the original attack roll
would hit it, apply any remaining damage to it. Whip Pull
Before you make a melee attack with a whip as part of the
Cripple attack action, you may declare it to be a whip pull. Instead of
Before you make a melee weapon attack that deals making an attack roll, the target must make a Strength saving
bludgeoning damage as part of the attack action, you may throw. On a failure, the target takes the damage of the attack
declare it to be a cripple attack. If the attack hits, the target's and if they are your size or smaller, they are pulled 5 feet
speed is reduced by 5ft until the start of your next turn. You towards you. You don't add your ability modifier to the
don't add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack, damage of this attack, unless that modifier is negative.
unless that modifier is negative.

4
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are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
 New Feats
Name Feature Improvement Ability Score
Insightful Duelist Read Intent ─
Raucous Taunt ─
Scary Scare ─
Versatile Attacker New Attack Types STR or DEX

Insightful Duelist
You are an expert at predicting your enemies next move
before they make it, you gain the following benefits:
You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already
proficient in Insight your proficiency bonus is doubled for
any Insight ability checks.
When you successfully predict a creature, you can choose
to mark them. A creature marked in this way remains
under the effects of your predict until you end your turn
more than 15 feet away from them or you mark another
creature in this way.
Raucous
You have mastered being the center of attention in any
combat, you gain the following benefits:
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are
already proficient in Intimidation your proficiency bonus
is doubled for any Intimidation ability checks.
When you successfully taunt a creature you can choose to
gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma
modifier.
Scary
You have mastered striking fear into the hearts of your
enemies, you gain the following benefits:
Creatures that you threaten have disadvantage on attacks
against you until the start of your next turn
When you successfully threaten a creature, it takes
psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier
(minimum of 1). If damage from this effect would reduce a
creature to 0 hit points, it drops to 1 hit point instead.
Versatile Attacker
Prerequisite: Proficiency with a martial weapon
You have mastered the art of attacking in a multitude of ways,
you gain the following benefits:
Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of
20.
You may add your ability modifier to the damage of your
Charge, Cleave, Cripple, Keen, Pierce, Step, and Whip
Pull attacks.

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
 Martial Options
Become the master of martial combat you were
meant to be with this optional set of rules
designed to introduce versatility and skillful
combat to Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

Version Info
This is Version 3.0 of the Martial Options
ruleset, created by Xpertranger

Art Credits
Front Cover: Invasion by ManiakS
Page 2: Break Time by Hyunjoong.
Page 3: Egmund by Anton Nazarenko
Page 4: Scholae Palatinae by PFPictor
Page 5: Lucien by chibi-oneechan
Back Cover: Elder Scrolls Online: Mentor of the Watch by
DiegoGisbertLlorens

More of my homebrew can be found on my

GMBinder profile.

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
 
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