Do you go to the dungeon?

Weapon Maneuvers

To use these, you only need to be proficient with the weapon. Any class can do it. And NPCs can do it so expect a lot of hidden daggers!

Parrying with "defense check" rules

This is for Lock Blades and Disarming Parry.

PC parrying NPC. Make an attack roll but also add the natural die result of your failed defense roll, vs the NPC's AV+10.

(Example: You have defense +3 and roll a two so your defense is five, which misses an incoming AV of 14. To parry, if your longsword attack is +4, roll d20+6 (a fresh d20 plus your attack bonus of +4 plus the two you rolled on your defense) vs 24 (their AV 14, plus ten).

PC being parried by NPC. It's probably easier to have the NPC roll the parry vs the incoming attack you rolled.

Otherwise, add a new d20 to your original result, and compare that sum to the NPC's AV+12.

Crits: It's the original defense/attack that matters for crits. The parry check can prevent a crit, not cause a crit. But as you can see above, it's much harder to parry a crit.

DC for Disarming Parry: Prof+strexterity+8. Or roll strexterity+prof vs their str save value. The person who is holding on to their weapon needs to use strength while the disarmer can choose which of the two abilities they use to disarm.

Swords

Great Scimitar / Greatsword

Arcing Slash. When you attack with a greatsword, you may choose to target two creatures within your reach with a single attack. This attack uses the same attack roll for both targets and costs slashing HP equal to 1d6 plus your Strength modifier to each target.

Grinding Halt. Whenever you must make a Strength saving throw to avoid being moved against your will, you can dig the blade of your greatsword into the ground as a reaction. Roll 2d6 and add the number rolled to the saving throw. If the effect pushing you does not have a saving throw, you move 5 feet fewer.

Longsword

Lock Blades. When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to attempt to lock blades and parry their attack. Make an attack roll with your longsword. You have advantage on this roll if you are wielding your longsword with two hands. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses.

Short Draw. As an attack, you may draw a sheathed one-handed sword and make an attack roll to strike the enemy with its pommel, leaving the target gasping for breath. This attack costs no HP, but the next attack roll made against the target has advantage. You must have at least one hand free to take this action.

Shamshir / Rapier

Main Gauche. While wielding both a rapier and a dagger, you may use a reaction after being attacked to roll a d4 and add the result to your Armor Class until the end of the attacker’s turn.

Lock Blades. When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to make an attack roll with your rapier. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses.

Scimitar

Bloody Cut. When you hit a living creature with a scimitar, you can choose to make a superficial but bloody cut. The attack costs no HP, but the target loses 1d6 slashing HP at the beginning of each of its turns until it makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check as an action to stop the bleeding or until it receives magical healing. A creature can have only one bloody cut at a time.

Short Draw. As an attack, you may draw a sheathed one-handed sword and make an attack roll to strike the enemy with its pommel, leaving the target gasping for breath. This attack costs no HP, but the next attack roll made against the target has advantage. You must have at least one hand free to take this action.

Shortsword

Close Quarters Combat. When you successfully enter or leave close quarters combat (i.e. using the rules to "grapple" a creature or escape a "grapple"), you may make a single attack with a short sword as a bonus action. Additionally, whenever a creature fails to leave close quarters combat with you (i.e. fails to escape a "grapple"), you may make a single attack with a short sword as a reaction.

Short Draw. As an attack, you may draw a sheathed one- handed sword and make an attack roll to strike the enemy with its pommel, leaving the target gasping for breath. This attack costs no HP, but the next attack roll made against the target has advantage. You must have at least one hand free to take this action.

Polearms and Axes

Battleaxe

Crushing Blow. As an action, you can make a single attack roll with your battleaxe against an armored or naturally armored creature within 5 feet of you. If the attack hits, the target’s AC is permanently reduced by 1 until its armor is repaired, but cannot be reduced below 10 + the target’s Dexterity modifier. This attack has no effect on creatures with magical armor, unless your battleaxe is also magical.

Glaive

Disarming Parry. When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to catch their weapon in your glaive’s hook and disarm them. Make an attack roll with your glaive. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses and they must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop their weapon.

Trip. As an attack while you are wielding a glaive, you may sweep your opponent’s legs in an attempt to trip them. Make an attack roll against a Large or smaller creature. If the attack hits, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Halberd

Rebuff. As an attack while you are wielding a halberd, you may use the haft of your weapon to rebuff up to two adjacent creatures. Make a single attack roll against one or two adjacent creatures within 5 feet of you. If the attack hits a target, you push it up to 10 feet away from you.

Trip. As an attack while you are wielding a halberd, you may sweep your opponent’s legs in an attempt to trip them. Make an attack roll against a Large or smaller creature. If the attack hits, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Lance

Charge. If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature before hitting it with a lance attack, the creature must pay an extra 1d12 piercing HP and make a Strength saving throw, or fall prone.

Repel Charge. As an action, you can set your lance against a charge. If a creature moves at least 20 feet straight toward you and attacks you, you may use your reaction to make an attack with your lance. If this attack hits, it is an automatic critical hit and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, it falls prone and falls off its mount if it is mounted.

Pike

As it is a polearm, a pike-wielder always has access to the disarming parry and trip maneuvers (see “Glaive”).

Phalanx. If you are adjacent to at least two other allied pike-wielders, your pike attacks have advantage.

Repel Charge. As an action, you can set your pike against a charge. If a creature moves at least 20 feet straight toward you and attacks you, you may use your reaction to make an attack with your pike before the attacker makes its attack roll. If your attack hits, it is an automatic critical hit, and the target has disadvantage on its attack roll.

Quarterstaff

Vault. You can use your quarterstaff to help you leap long distances. You can use an action to double the length of your long jump, allowing you to leap a number of feet up to twice your Strength score (this jump is part of your movement). If you land adjacent to a creature at the end of this jump, you can make a single attack with your quarterstaff as part of this action.

Trident

Pin. As an action, make an attack roll against a Medium creature you are grappling. If the attack hits, you catch one of the target’s limbs between the tines and bury the trident in the ground, restraining the creature until the weapon is dislodged. The target may make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice) at the end of each of their turns to escape.

Disarming Parry. When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to catch their weapon in your trident’s tines and disarm them. Make an attack roll with your trident. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses and they must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop their weapon.

Hammers and Bludgeons

Club

Improvised Clobber. If you are using an improvised weapon that counts as a club, you may choose to strike with such force that your weapon breaks. As an action, make a single club attack. On a hit, this attack is an automatic critical hit and your improvised club breaks.

Blackjack. Make a single attack roll with your club against a humanoid target. If the attack hits, it costs no HP, but the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of its next turn.

Flail

Chain Garrote. While wielding a flail, you may attempt to grapple a creature by looping the chain of your flail around its neck. While grappled in this way, the creature cannot speak, cannot breathe, and has disadvantage on attack rolls against you. If you surprised the creature with this grapple, it cannot hold its breath and immediately begins suffocating. Creatures that you cannot grapple or do not need to breathe are unaffected by this maneuver.

Shield Snare. As an action while wielding a flail, you may make a single attack roll against a target carrying a shield or a similar defensive tool. This attack ignores any bonus to AC granted by the shield and costs normal weapon HP. If the attack hits, the target must also make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, its shield is pulled from its grip and lands at its feet.

Greatclub

Hurling Impact. As an action, you can make a single attack roll with your greatclub against a Medium or smaller target. If the attack hits, it costs normal weapon HP and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is pushed up to 5 feet away from you. On a critical hit, this attack costs 2d8 extra HP and the greatclub breaks.

Ribshatter. Make a single attack roll with your greatclub against a humanoid target. This attack costs normal weapon HP and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is stunned until the beginning of its next turn. If the HP cost was greater than the creature’s maximum hit dice, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Mace and Morningstar

Bruising Blow. As an action, make a single attack roll with your mace or morningstar against a living creature. If the attack hits, it costs normal weapon HP and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target does not add its Dexterity modifier to its AC until the end of your next turn or until it is treated with a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Ribshatter. As an action, make a single attack roll with your mace or morningstar against a humanoid target. This attack costs normal weapon HP and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is stunned until the beginning of its next turn. If the HP cost was greater than the creature’s maximum hit dice, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Maul

Crushing Blow. As an action, you can make a single attack roll with your maul against an armored or naturally armored creature. If the attack hits, the target’s AC is permanently reduced by 1 until its armor is repaired, but it cannot be reduced below 10 + the target’s Dexterity modifier. This attack has no effect on creatures with magical armor unless your maul is also magical.

Hurling Impact. As an action, you can make a single attack roll with your maul against a Medium or smaller target. If the attack hits, it costs normal weapon HP, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is pushed up to 15 feet away from you.

War Pick

Ignoring armor. As an action, you may make a single attack with your war pick that ignores armor, treating the target’s AC as 10 + their Dexterity modifier.

Trip. As an attack while you are wielding a war pick, you may hook your opponent’s leg in an attempt to trip them. Make an attack roll against a Medium or Small creature. If the attack hits, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Warhammer

Bruising Blow. As an action, make a single attack roll with your warhammer against a living creature. If the attack hits, it costs normal weapon HP, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target does not add its Dexterity modifier to its AC until the end of your next turn or until it is treated with a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Sundering Strike. As an attack, make an attack roll with your warhammer against a creature wielding a weapon, unless it’s natural weapons. If the attack hits, the weapon is damaged, and all attacks made with this weapon have disadvantage. Another sundering strike destroys the weapon. This attack has no effect on magical weapons unless your warhammer is also magical.

Whip

Bullwhip. As part of your attack action, make a whip attack against a beast or a creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of its next turn.

Snare. As part of your attack action, you may snap your whip around a creature or its weapon. If you target the weapon, the creature must make a Strength saving throw or drop its weapon at its feet. If you target the creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained. It may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns. You cannot make whip attacks until the restrained condition is ended.

Thrown Weapons

Jambiya / Dagger

These maneuvers can also be used with dagger-like bladed throwing weapons such as shuriken or kunai.

Pinning Point. When you make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a dagger, you may attempt to pin a Large or smaller creature to a wall or surface by catching their clothing with the knife’s point. This maneuver can be used against creatures without clothing at the GM’s discretion. Make an attack roll; if the attack hits, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target’s speed is reduced to zero until the dagger is removed. The target can make another Strength saving throw as an action on its turn.

Concealed Blade. Instead of making a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide yourself, you may make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check—contested by an active or passive Wisdom (Perception) check—to conceal your dagger. As an action, you may make a weapon attack with a concealed dagger against a creature that has not yet acted in combat. This attack has advantage.

Handaxe

Pinning Edge. When you make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a hand axe, you may attempt to pin a Large or smaller creature to a wall or surface by catching their clothing with the axe’s edge. This maneuver can be used against creatures without clothing at the GM’s discretion. Make an attack roll; if the attack hits, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target’s speed is reduced to zero until the axe is removed. The target can make another Strength saving throw as an action on its turn.

Javelin

Fearsome Accuracy. As an attack, you may throw your javelin at a creature at the very limit of your range. Make an attack roll against a creature exactly 120 feet away. If the attack hits, the creature must pay the normal HP cost and make a Wisdom saving throw, or become frightened of you for 1 minute.

Trip. As a melee weapon attack while you are wielding a javelin, you may sweep your opponent’s legs in an attempt to trip them. Make an attack roll against a Large or smaller creature. If the attack hits, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Light Hammer

Dazing Blow. As an action, you may make a single ranged weapon attack with a light hammer. If the attack hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

Sunder Joints. When you make a melee weapon attack against a creature in medium or heavy armor with a light hammer, you may choose to damage the joints of their armor instead of hurting the creature. If the attack hits, the creature’s movement is reduced by 10 feet until the end of their next turn. This reduction is not cumulative. The creature can’t pay HP to avoid this.

Net

Nets have the unique property, Ensnaring, described below.

Ensnaring: A Large or smaller creature hit by a net is restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. The net has AC 10 and 5 HP and is immune to piecing and bludgeoning damage.

Blinding Binds. Instead of restraining your foe, you may instead wrap the thick cords of your net around a single creature’s head. A Large or smaller creature hit by a net when you use this maneuver is blinded but is not restrained, until the net is removed.

Wing-Wrapping Net. Instead of restraining a flying creature, you may entangle its wings in your net. A Huge or smaller winged creature hit by a net when you use this maneuver has its fly speed reduced to 0 (but is not restrained) until the net is removed.

Ranged Weapons

Blowgun

A blowgun has no specific maneuvers to use in combat, but a character with proficiency with a poisoner’s kit (50 gp) can spend a short rest creating one of the following simple poisons if they have components. Applying a poison to a blowgun dart is a bonus action, and each vial of poison has 10 uses before it must be created again. A poison’s effects are in addition to the 1 piercing HP a blow dart costs.

Deathtoad Toxin. A creature hit by a dart coated with this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the attack costs an additional 2d6 poison HP.

Chuul Ichor. A creature hit by a dart coated with this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is paralyzed until the beginning of its next turn.

Svirfneblin Wooziness Tonic. A creature hit by a dart coated with this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Heavy Crossbow and Light Crossbow

Shrapnel Shot. As an action, make a single attack with your crossbow against an unattended object. The attack costs double HP to the target. If the object is destroyed, it explodes into a cloud of shrapnel. Choose one of the following options:

  • Creatures within 5 feet of the object must make a Dexterity saving throw, paying 1d6 piercing if they can’t.
  • A creature adjacent to the object must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded until the beginning of your next turn.

Patient Shot. You carefully align your crossbow’s sights over your target. As an action in a turn that you have not moved, you may make a single crossbow attack with advantage.

Hand Crossbow

Concealed Sidearm. Instead of making a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide yourself, you may make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check—contested by an active or passive Wisdom (Perception) check—to conceal your hand crossbow. As an action, you may make a weapon attack with a concealed crossbow against a creature that has not yet acted in combat. This attack has advantage.

Longbow and Shortbow

Pinning Shot. When you make an attack with a bow, you may attempt to pin a Large or smaller creature to a wall or surface by catching their clothing with the arrow’s point. This maneuver can be used against creatures without clothing at the GM’s discretion. Make an attack roll; if the attack hits, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the arrow is removed. The target can make another Strength saving throw as an action on its turn.

Distracting Shot. As an action, make a single attack with your bow. You intentionally miss your target but give an ally the chance to attack while it is distracted. The next attack roll against the target has advantage.

Trick Shot. As an action, make a single stylish bow attack with disadvantage. If the lower roll would also hit the target, you automatically score a critical hit.

Sling

Underdog Strike. As an action, you may make a single ranged weapon attack with your sling against a creature at least 1 size category larger than you. This attack costs normal weapon HP, and an extra 1d4 bludgeoning HP per size category difference.

Headcrack. As an action, you may make a single ranged weapon attack with your sling. If the attack hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of its next turn.

(Licence & Legalese)