MARTIAL OPTIONS A FAN-MADE SUPPLEMENT FOR D&D 5TH EDITION

VERSION 1.3

CREDITS
Designer: Kittenhugs
Special Thanks: 4chan.org/tg/’s 5e General
Last updated July 3, 2015.

D&D and related product names are property of Wizards of the Coast.
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
MARTIAL OPTIONS
The 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons is generally
balanced, fun and quick. However, its combat is
considered dead simple by many. This isn’t
necessarily a flaw, but to some it is. This supplement
contains a variety of rule variants to make combat a
bit more interesting, from equipment to changing how
armor and hit points work.
There are already a host of extra options given in
the Dungeon Master’s Guide: flanking, lingering
injuries, cleaving through creatures, climbing on large
creatures, tumbling through hostile spaces, and more.
There are also variant rules presented in Wizards of
the Coast’s Unearthed Arcana releases. Be sure to call
upon them first before considering using this
document.
EQUIPMENT
Though a host of options are available, some players
are not satisfied with the removal of some unique
equipment options from past editions. Consider
offering some of these as loot or for purchase from
exotic sellers. Details statistics can be found in the
Martial Equipment table.
ADVENTURING GEAR
Most extra equipment has special rules, as explained
here.
Arrow, Barbed. This piece of ammunition causes
bleeding wounds. A creature hit with a barbed arrow
or bolt takes 1 point of piercing damage at the
beginning of its turn until it uses its action to pull the
arrow free. Once pulled free of the wound, the
ammunition is destroyed.
Arrow, Smoldering. This piece of ammunition has
a hollow point containing alchemist’s fire and a simple
ignition mechanism. A creature you hit with a
smoldering arrow or bolt takes 1d4 fire damage at the
beginning of its next turn. Once ignited, the
ammunition is destroyed.
Arrow, Smoking. This piece of ammunition lets
out a blast of smoke on contact. A 10 foot radius area
centered on the creature or space you hit is heavily
obscured for one minute, or for one round in heavy
wind. Once ignited, the ammunition is destroyed.
Arrow, Splintering. When you hit a creature with
a splintering arrow or bolt, it explodes into wooden or
bone shards. Each creature within 5 feet of the target
takes 1d4 piercing damage. Once it explodes, the
ammunition is destroyed.
Atlatl. Not a weapon in its own right, the atlatl is
used to throw spears long distances. Javelins and
spears thrown with an atlatl have their normal and
long ranges doubled.
Blade oil. These fine oils are made by skilled
alchemists. Some are said to be made from the spit of
dragons, others from the blood of gods. A given flask
of blade oil is associated with one damage type, based
on the materials used. You can apply blade oil to a
melee weapon or 3 pieces of ammunition as an action.
Every attack made with that weapon or ammunition
before the oil dries deals an extra 1d4 damage of that
specific oil’s damage type. The oil dries after 1 minute.
Smoke pellet. As an action or bonus action, you
can throw a smoke pellet at a point within 10 feet of
you. The smoke pellet then detonates, creating a 10-
foot cube filled with smoke. This area is heavily
obscured until the end of your next turn.
Smokestick. As an action, you can ignite a
smokestick using a torch, tinderbox, or other source
of fire or intense heat. Once ignited, the smokestick is
consumed and a 10-foot cube around it is filled with
smoke, becoming heavily obscured, for one minute. A
moderate or strong wind disperses the smoke in one
round.
Thunderstone. As an action, you can throw a
thunderstone up to 30 feet. When it strikes a hard
surface or is struck hard, it creates a deafening bang.
Creatures within 10 feet of the stone must make a DC
11 Constitution saving throw or be deafened for 1
hour. If a creature deafened in this way casts a spell
with verbal components, it must make a DC 11
Charisma saving throw or fail to cast the spell.
Tindertwig. As an action or bonus action, you can
strike the end of this small, wooden stick on a
flammable object. The object immediately ignites.
SHIELDS
Two new shield types allow defensive characters a few
more options.
Buckler. While wielding a buckler, your Armor
Class increases by 1. You can don or doff a buckler as
though interacting with an object instead of as an
action.
Tower shield. While wielding a tower shield, your
Armor Class increases by 3, but your speed is reduced
by 10 feet and you have disadvantage on Dexterity
(Stealth) checks.
SPECIAL WEAPONS
New weapons with special properties are described
here.
Ball and Chain. If you hit a creature no more than
one size larger than you and roll the maximum value
on this weapon’s damage die, the creature is knocked
back 5 feet.
Bola. When you hit a Large or smaller creature
with a bola, it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving
throw or fall prone. A creature hit by a bola has its
speed reduced to 0 until it spends an action to untie
the bola or until the bola takes at least 1 point of
slashing damage, which destroys it. A bola has no
effect on creatures that are formless or that are Huge
or larger.
2
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew

Martial Equipment
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties
Adventuring Gear
Atlatl 2 gp - 1 lb.
Blade oil (flask) 120 gp - 1 lb.
Smoke Pellet 15 gp - -
Smokestick 25 gp - 1/2 lb.
Thunderstone 30 gp - 1 lb.
Tindertwig 1 gp - -
Ammunition
Arrow, Barbed 20 gp - -
Arrow, Smoldering 20 gp - -
Arrow, Smoking 30 gp - -
Arrow, Splintering 20 gp - -
Simple melee weapons
Knuckleduster 2 gp 1d4 bludgeoning 1/2 lb. Concealable, light, special
Martial melee weapons
Ball and chain 20 gp 1d8 bludgeoning 20 lb. Heavy, reach, special, two-handed
Garrote 5 gp 1d4 bludgeoning 1 lb. Finesse, special, two-handed
Gunblade 320 gp 1d6 slashing 7 lb. Special
Kusarigama 20 gp 1d4 slashing/bludgeoning 8 lb. Disarm, special, trip, two-handed
Parrying dagger 5 gp 1d4 piercing 1 lb. Disarm, finesse, light
Spiked chain 20 gp 1d6 piercing 11 lb. Disarm, reach, trip, two-handed
Twin blade 50 gp 1d6 slashing 10 lb. Special, two-handed
War fan 10 gp 1d4 bludgeoning 1 lb. Concealable, disarm, finesse
Martial ranged weapons
Bola 1 sp - 1/4 lb. Finesse, special, thrown (range 10/30)
Boomerang 5 sp 1d4 bludgeoning 1 lb. Finesse, light, special, thrown (range 20/60)
Repeating crossbow 100 gp 1d6 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), special, two-handed
Shields
Buckler 8 gp - 2 lb. AC +1, special
Tower shield 50 gp - 45 lb. AC +3, special

Boomerang. When you throw this weapon and
miss, it returns to your hand. Creatures that are
proficient with javelins are also proficient with
boomerangs.
Garrote. When you attack with this weapon and
hit, you can forgo damage to instead grapple the
target if it is Large or smaller and is not formless.
Until the grapple ends, the target can’t breathe, you
have advantage on attack rolls against it, and you can
only attack it with the garrote or an unarmed strike.
Rogues are proficient with garrotes.
Gunblade. This weapon is both a pistol and a
sword. You can attack with its sword portion or its
pistol portion. The pistol has the same statistics as
the pistol in the DMG.
Knuckleduster. A knuckleduster counts as an
unarmed strike for the purpose of effects that specify
them. Creatures that are proficient with unarmed
strikes are also proficient with knuckledusters.
Kusarigama. An exotic weapon, a sickle attached
to a weight by a long chain. You can attack with either
the sickle (1d4 slashing) or the weight (1d4
bludgeoning, with reach). When one end is wielded in
each hand, they are both treated as light weapons.
Monks are proficient with the kusarigama and can
treat it as a monk weapon.
Parrying dagger. When you wield this weapon and
are targeted by a melee weapon attack, you can use
your reaction to increase your AC by half your
proficiency bonus (rounded down) against that attack.
Rogues are proficient with parrying daggers.
Repeating crossbow. This crossbow has a small
magazine and a quick-reloading lever, allowing it to be
fired more quickly than a standard crossbow. The
magazine holds 5 bolts. After you have used these
bolts, you must use an action to reload it. The
Crossbow Expert feat allows you to reload it or make a
single attack with it as a bonus action.
Twin blade. This weapon is a short staff with
blades on either end. When held in both hands, it
counts as two light melee weapons, one held in each
hand.
War fan. This fan can be concealed as a regular
fan and is not obviously a weapon. Monks are
proficient with the war fan and can treat it as a monk
weapon.

3
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
WEAPON PROPERTIES
Several new weapon properties are shared among
several entries in the Martial Equipment table.
Concealable. When you attempt to hide a
concealable weapon on your person, you have
advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks to do
so. Daggers, darts, and slings have this property.
Disarm. When you attempt to disarm a creature
while wielding this weapon and you are proficient with
it, you can add your proficiency bonus to your
opposed roll or saving throw DC twice. Whips have
this property.
Trip. When you attempt to make a creature fall
prone while wielding this weapon and you are
proficient with it, you can add your proficiency bonus
to your opposed roll or saving throw DC twice. Whips
have this property.
SPECIAL MATERIALS
The following special materials can give certain pieces
of equipment special properties. If given a rarity,
objects made of the materials are considered magic
items for the purpose of rarity.
ADAMANTINE
Melee weapon or ammunition (20), rare
This jet-black metal is unmatched in its strength.
Weapons and ammunition made of adamantine deal
double damage against objects not also made of
adamantine. The roll required for a critical hit with an
adamantine weapon or piece of ammunition is 1 less
than normal. Ammunition made of adamantine never
break. Adamantine weapons and ammunition are
magical. Adamantine armor can be found in the DMG.
COLD IRON
Melee weapon or ammunition (20), uncommon
This dark metal comes from deep within the earth,
forged at low temperatures to preserve its innate
properties. Fey creatures are vulnerable to damage
done by cold iron weapons.
ICE, LIVING
Melee weapon, common
Though it looks as glass, weapons made of living ice
are made of frozen water, forged with magic. Weapons
made of living ice are not magical but deal an extra
1d6 points of cold damage on a successful hit. When a
1 is rolled on an attack roll with a living ice weapon, it
breaks. When left in a cool and humid place, the
weapon reforms after 12 hours.
MASTERWORK
Weapon, common
Not a material in its own right, some nonmagical
weapons are of such fine make that they are much
easier to wield. Attacks with masterwork weapons are
made with a +1 bonus to hit.
OBSIDIAN
Melee weapon or ammunition (20), common
This volcanic glass is prized for its sharpness, but it is
quite fragile. Obsidian weapons, bolts, and arrows
that deal piercing or slashing damage deal 3 extra
point of damage. When a 1 is rolled on an attack roll
with an obsidian weapon, it breaks, becoming
unusable until repaired by a craftsman or via mending
or similar spell. Obsidian ammunition always breaks
once fired.
HIRELINGS
Since the earliest editions of D&D, hired help—
mercenaries, sellswords, even casters and craftsmen—
have been an important part of any adventuring party.
5e’s rules for them are somewhat lackluster, leaving
them to the DM’s discretion. These rules can be used
as guidelines to give players use of their gold for
services and not just goods.
Generally, the daily wages a trained hireling will
ask for is 2 gp. For those hired for combat purposes,
this amount is increased by their CR. For spellcasters
asked to perform out-of-combat services, this is
increased by the level at which they cast spells.
Expensive materials must be provided or simply paid
for, should the materials be readily available to the
hireling.
Below is a list of some more common hirelings:
Chronicler. These musicians and storytellers
record the epics of adventurers. Chroniclers demand a
wage of 4 gp per day, to pay for their expenses and the
added cost of ink and paper.
Fence. These shadier hirelings are paid on a
commission basis. A fence is capable of selling stolen
or risky goods for an adventuring party, but they take
10% of the total return of any goods they sell. For
every 50 gp worth of goods they’re given to sell, a fence
takes 1 day to sell them.
For magic items and extremely rare goods (such as
a dragon’s egg), a fence will search for a buyer for up
to 30 days using the rules for selling magic items in
the DMG on page 129. A fence has a +3 modifier for
its Intelligence (Investigation) checks, or +5 if the fence
has dealt with selling magic items beforehand. A fence
will never sell a magic item for less than half its base
price, but a fence will always sell to a shady dealer.
Fences will demand an up-front payment of 20 gp to
sell a magic item. If they sell the magic item, they’ll
keep 15% of its returned value. If they fail to sell the
magic item within 30 days, they will return it to the
party but keep the 20 gp.
Sellsword. These fighters-for-hire often wield
sword, axe, or bow. They rarely, if ever, use magic. If
knowingly hired for battle, a sellsword will demand a
50% increase in their daily pay unless promised a
share of any reward or loot the party gets during its
escapades. Sellswords of CR 5 or higher will demand
half their expected pay in advance of an adventuring
trip.
4
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
Suggested stat blocks for sellswords include:
assassin, bandit captain, berserker, cult fanatic,
gladiator, guard, knight, scout, spy, thug, and
veteran. You can then adjust these using the rules for
monster creation in the DMG.
Spellcaster. Spellcasters come in two flavors as
hirelings: combat companions, and service providers.
In combat, a spellcaster hireling acts as a
sellsword. If you require them to cast a specific spell,
they will do so, but you must provide them with
expensive material components that the spell would
consume.
As a service provider, spellcasters generally charge
on a per-spell basis, using the following formula:
Spell cost = Spell level x (spell level x 10) + expensive
material components
If an expensive material component is not
consumed when casting the spell, instead add only a
tenth of its price to the spell cost.
Spellcasters as service providers usually limit
themselves to three spells per customer, per day.
Spellcasters that can cast spells above 5th level are
rarely service providers, and spellcasters rarely cast
spells that could cause harm to others.
Suggested stat blocks for spellcasters include:
acolyte, archmage, cult fanatic, druid, mage, and
priest. You can then adjust these using the rules for
monster creation in the DMG.
HIRELINGS IN COMBAT
Hirelings are rarely as brave as the adventurers that
hire them. Even with good pay, the harsh nature of
battle can leave them fleeing.
Advancement. When the party’s lowest-level
player character levels up and there would then be no
other party members of a lower level than it, hirelings
that have spent more than a week with the party
advance in skill. The hireling gains one hit die, taking
the average and increasing its maximum hit points by
that amount.
For every two hit dice a hireling gains in this way,
one of its ability scores increases by 1, its CR
increases by one step, and the level at which it casts
spells increases by 1. For every five hit dice gained in
this way, the hireling gains a multiattack of two
weapon attacks, or it gains an extra attack if it already
has the multiattack feature. In place of a multiattack,
the hireling may instead gain or advance other
features at the DM’s discretion, such as increasing an
assassin’s Sneak Attack damage or gaining the
benefits a feat. A hireling’s proficiency bonus is based
on its CR, as given in the Monster Statistics by
Challenge Rating table on page 274 of the DMG.
Experience Points. Hirelings that contribute
meaningfully to an encounter receive an equal share
of the encounter’s XP.
Initiative. Hirelings in combat act on one initiative
count as a group, adding the highest initiative bonus
among them to their initiative roll.
Morale. A number of events may send a hireling
fleeing or surrendering in the face of danger. Refer to
the Morale rules in the DMG on page 273. When a
hireling would flee, it must make a DC 15 Wisdom
saving throw. If the hireling is CR 5 or higher, the DC
decreases to 10. If the hireling is CR 10 or higher, it
will never flee. On a failure, it retreats along the
fastest obvious path and tries to hide, or it
surrenders. A hireling may flee under the following
circumstances:
 The party is ambushed.
 The hireling is reduced to half its hit points or
fewer.
 The hireling finds its attacks ineffective against a
target, such as through resistance, high AC, or
high HP.
 A player character in the party drops to 0 hit
points.
 A player character in the party is otherwise
rendered helpless or unable to fight back.
RULE VARIANTS
ACTIONS IN COMBAT
In the Player’s Handbook, two examples of “special
actions” are given: grappling, and shoving. The
Dungeon Master’s Guide contains other such actions,
such as disarming opponent or tumbling through
hostile spaces. Here are a few other options you can
give your players in the same vein, as well as some
rules expanding existing options.
AIM
When you take the Attack action on your turn and
make a ranged weapon attack against a target that
has cover, you can attempt to aim it precisely. Make a
Wisdom (Insight) check with a DC of 10 + the target’s
current bonus to AC from cover. On a success, you
make the attack and the target loses its bonus to AC
from cover. On a failure, you make the attack at
disadvantage and the target retains its bonus to AC
from cover. You can only aim one attack per turn in
this manner.
FEINT
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you
can make a false strike to catch a creature off-guard
with one of your attacks.
You can’t make a feint with an attack if you would
have disadvantage on the attack. Make a Charisma
(Deception) check contested by the Wisdom (Insight)
check of your attack’s target. If you succeed, your
attack against it is made with advantage. If you fail,
your attack against it is made with disadvantage. Any
creature that has seen you attempt a feint has
advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against your
feints for 24 hours.
5
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
GOAD
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you
can forgo one of your attacks to goad a hostile
creature into attacking you.
Choose one creature that can hear you and is
within 60 feet of you. Make a Charisma (Persuasion)
check contested by its Wisdom (Insight) check. If you
succeed, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls
against creatures other than you until the end of your
next turn. Once you attempt to goad a creature, it has
advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against your
goads for 24 hours.
LUNGE
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you
can make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to
increase your reach with one attack by 5 feet. If you
fail the check, you make the attack but automatically
miss. You can only attempt a lunge once per turn in
this manner.
MENACE
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you
can forgo one of your attacks to frighten a creature.
Choose a creature within 10 feet of you, and make
a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by its
Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, the target is
frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Once
you attempt to menace a creature, it is has advantage
on Wisdom (Insight) checks against your menaces for
24 hours. Barbarians have advantage on menace
contests while raging.
SUNDER
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you
can use one of your attacks to attempt to damage an
opponent’s equipment.
Choose a weapon or shield that is being wielded or
worn by a creature you can see. Make a weapon
attack against it. A worn or wielded object has an AC
based on the material it’s made of plus its wielder’s
Dexterity modifier. On a hit, the object takes damage
from the attack as normal. A weapon made of a
material with a lower AC than the material of the
target object deals only half damage to the target
object.
When a piece of equipment drops to 0 hit points, it
breaks. A creature wearing a broken shield gains no
bonus to its AC from that shield. A creature wielding a
broken weapon cannot attack with it, except as an
improvised weapon.
Equipment Properties. The following properties
are based on the rules in the DMG on pages 246 and
247.
If a piece of equipment is made of wood, it has 15
AC, is resistant to piercing damage, and vulnerable to
fire damage. If a piece of equipment is made of iron or
steel, it has 19 AC and is resistant to piercing,
bludgeoning, and slashing damage. All equipment is
immune to poison and psychic damage.
Regular weapons should be considered Small,
having 10 hit points, while shields and weapons with
the Heavy property should be considered Medium,
usually 18 hit points.
As a rule, magic equipment is immune to damage
altogether, can only be damaged by other magic
equipment, or has ten times as many hit points.
WRESTLING
You can use a bonus action to make a grapple contest
against a creature you are grappling. If you win the
contest, you can choose to shove the grappled
creature prone or make it restrained until the
beginning of your next turn.
If you are grappling a creature on your turn, you
can use your action to choke it. Make a grapple
contest with the creature. If you win the contest, the
creature can no longer breathe for the duration of the
grapple, and at the beginning of your turn while the
grapple is maintained, the amount of time the
creature can hold its breath decreases by 1 minute.
ANATOMIC COMBAT
While called shots as a specific action can add
optional verisimilitude to combat, adding a system on
top of combat in general can make combat even more
daring and immersive.
When a creature makes a successful melee or
ranged attack, roll a d20. The attack deals damage as
normal, and the attack targets a part of the target’s
body based on the result, as given on the Anatomic
Combat table. If the attack targets a body part that
the target has multiples of, determine which is hit
randomly. If the attacking creature chooses to target a
specific body part as a called shot, the target instead
gains a bonus to its AC against that attack as given on
the Anatomic Combat table, and it takes the
respective effect on a hit.
Creatures that are formless or incorporeal are
generally immune to the effects of anatomic combat,
and creatures without the appropriate body part
ignore the given effect.
Anatomic combat gives the following effects:
Torso. The attack deals normal damage.
Leg. The target’s walking speed is decreased by 10
feet until the end of its next turn. This effect can
instead apply to wings, fins, or other body parts
appropriate to the target’s form of movement. If its
speed drops to 0 in this way, it falls prone.
Anatomic Combat
d20 Body Part AC Bonus
1 – 10 Torso +0
11 – 14 Leg +2
15 – 17 Arm +2
18 Eyes +5
19 Chest +5
20 Vitals +5
6
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew

Arm. Any attack rolls or ability checks made with

the arm are made with disadvantage until the end of Armor as Damage Reduction
the target’s next turn. If this limb is already affected Armor Armor Class (AC) DR Adjustment
by this penalty, the creature cannot use this limb Light Armor
until the end of its next turn, and it immediately drops Padded 11 + Dex modifier -4
whatever it is holding with that appendage. Leather 11 + Dex modifier -3
Eyes. Roll the attack roll again. If it would hit, the Studded leather 12 + Dex modifier -2
target is blinded until the end of its next turn. If the Medium Armor
creature is already blinded in this manner, it is Hide 11 + Dex modifier (max 2) -1
blinded for 1 minute or until it receives magical Chain shirt 11 + Dex modifier (max 2) 0
healing. Scale mail 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) 0
Chest. Roll the attack roll again. If it would hit, the Breastplate 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) +1
target has disadvantage on all ability checks and Half Plate 13 + Dex modifier (max 2) +2
saving throws until the end of its next turn. If the Heavy Armor
creature already suffers from this penalty, the Ring mail 11 +2
creature is incapacitated until the end of its next turn. Chain mail 12 +2
Vitals. This catch-all includes a creature’s gut, Splint 12 +3
head, and other vital points. Roll the attack roll again. Plate 13 +4
If it would hit, the original attack is a critical hit.
While using Anatomic Combat rules, you have single attack. While classic DR can be obtained
access to the following feat option: through the Heavy Armor Master feat, the armor
CALLED SHOT EXPERT system can instead be overhauled to treat armor as
damage reduction. Heavier armors reduce more
You are a master at striking at an opponent’s weak
damage outright, while lighter armors still increase a
points. When you call a shot against a creature’s
creature’s AC, allowing it to dodge more attacks.
anatomy, you gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll.
This rule variant adds a large amount of overhead
Once per turn when you roll on the Anatomic Combat
to combat. Basic addition and subtraction are easy,
table, you can choose to reroll it and takes the second
but they can add up as the number of attacks per
result.
round increase. Luckily, most of the values for this
LIMB HEALTH VARIANT rules variant can be calculated ahead of time with
You can add another level of complexity to combat by ease.
giving a creature’s limbs health. Damage Reduction. A creature’s given damage
Each of a creature’s limbs has hit points equal to reduction, or DR, reduces bludgeoning, slashing, and
the creature’s maximum hit points divided by the piercing damage it receives by the amount of DR it
number of limbs. Damage to a limb through the has. Other types of damage are reduced by half as
anatomic combat rules is dealt to the creature’s hit much. This reduction is applied before resistances.
points and the limb’s hit points. While a limb has less Manufactured Armor. The Armor as Damage
than half its maximum hit points, the creature has Reduction table shows each armor type’s new AC
disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks using value with this variant rule. A creature wearing armor
that limb, and if that limb is used for movement, the it is proficient with gains DR equal to its proficiency
creature’s speed is decreased by 5 feet. When a limb bonus + the DR adjustment of the given armor
falls to 0 hit points, the creature loses use of that limb (minimum 0).
for attacks and ability checks. If the limb is used for Shields and other AC bonuses, as well as other
movement, the creature’s speed decreases by another forms of calculative AC such as Unarmored Defense
5 feet. If a creature’s speed is reduced to 0 in this and mage armor, behave as normal.
manner, it falls prone. Natural Armor. Monsters often have natural armor
A creature may take damage to its limbs through in place of worn armor. A creature with natural armor
means other than attacks, such as through falling, has an AC equal to 10 + its Dexterity modifier, and it
traps, or spells, depending on the specific has DR equal to its normal AC – 10.
circumstances. ARMOR POINTS VARIANT
As an action, a creature can make a DC 10
In place of classic damage reduction, a per-round
Wisdom (Medicine) check to restore hit points to an
resource called armor points can be used to represent
injured limb equal to 1d10 + its Wisdom modifier. This
armor’s ability to absorb damage. Using a per-round
does not restore any of its regular hit points.
pool sacrifices a bit of realism in favor of a system that
When a creature regains hit points, all of its limbs
works more nicely with 5e’s game math.
regain the same amount of hit points.
Armor Points. In place of damage reduction,
ARMOR AS DAMAGE REDUCTION armor provides a variable amount of armor points. A
creature regains its pool of armor points at the
Armor Class is treated as avoiding damage, rather
beginning of its turn. Damage done to a creature is
than decreasing the amount of damage taken from a
first dealt to armor points, and damage past 0 armor

7
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
points is dealt directly to hit points. Critical hits deal
damage directly to hit points.
Manufactured Armor. Armor provides AC as in
the Armor as Damage Reduction table. In place of
damage reduction, armor gives a creature armor
points based on the armor type. Light armor provides
2 times the wearer’s proficiency bonus, medium armor
3 times, and heavy armor 4 times. This amount is
then adjusted by the specific armor type’s DR
Adjustment, as given in the Armor as Damage
Reduction table. For example, a level 1 character in
chain mail will have 10 armor points (2 x 4 + 2).
Natural Armor. A creature with natural armor has
an AC equal to 10 + its Dexterity modifier, and armor
points equal to its proficiency bonus plus its normal
AC – 10, then doubled if it is Small or Medium, tripled
if it is Large, quadrupled if it is Huge, or quintupled it
if is Gargantuan. You can calculate a creature’s
proficiency bonus using the Monster Statistics by
Challenge Rating Table on page 274 of the Dungeon
Master’s Guide.
CLASSES
This section contains adjustments to existing classes.
DRUID
Wild Shape. If you are reduced to 0 hit points
while in your wild shape form, you gain a level of
exhaustion.
FIGHTER
Weapon Bond. You can use your bonded weapon
as a spellcasting focus, ignoring inexpensive material
components for spells you cast. You can also perform
somatic components for your spells with the hand you
wield it in.
MONK
Disciple of the Elements. At 3rd level, you learn
three Elemental Disciplines besides Elemental
Attunement instead of one.
At 11th level, choose one Elemental Discipline you
know that costs 2 ki points or fewer to use. You can
now perform that Elemental Discipline by expending 2
fewer ki points, to a minimum of 0.
At 17th level, choose one Elemental Discipline that
costs 4 ki points or fewer to use. You can now perform
that Elemental Discipline by expending 3 fewer ki
points, to a minimum of 1.
RANGER
Ranger’s Companion. Your beast companion has
hit points equal to six times your ranger level. Your
proficiency bonus is added to the saving throw DC of
any abilities your beast has, such as poison. After you
command your beast companion to attack a creature,
it will take the Attack action and target that creature
on subsequent turns until you tell it to move away
from the target or use your action to command it to
attack another target.
Exceptional Training. Your beast companion’s
attacks become magical.
CRITICAL HITS
Instead of the normal effects of a critical, wherein the
attacker rolls all damage dice of the attack twice, the
attacker takes the maximum value of all the attack’s
damage dice.
EXPLODING CRITICAL VARIANT
Under this variant, damage rolls on a critical hit
“explode.” Whenever the maximum value is rolled on a
damage die during a critical hit, that die is rolled
again and the result added to the total damage. You
can continue to roll and add dice as long as the
maximum value is rolled.
FEATS
This section describes additional feats and changes to
existing feats.
DEFENSIVE DUELIST
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain
proficiency with shields if you do not already have it.
GRAPPLER
The last line of this feat is, by the rules as written,
useless. Although the official errata moves this line
entirely, instead replace it with the following:
 You can attempt to grapple a creature of Huge size
or smaller.
INSPIRING LEADER
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain the
following:
 If a creature has temporary hit points from this
effect, it can sacrifice its remaining temporary hit
points to gain advantage on a single attack roll,
ability check, or saving throw.
MARTIAL ADEPT
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain the
following:
 If you already have superiority dice, choose one
maneuver that you know. You can now use this
maneuver without expending superiority dice,
though any superiority dice you would roll for a
maneuver used in this way instead count as a
result of 1.
MONKEY GRIP
Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher
Your sure grip and stance allow you to wield heavier
weapons more easily. You gain the following benefits:
 You can wield two-handed melee weapons in one
hand. While doing so, the damage die for the
weapon is decreased by one step: 2d6/1d12,
1d10, 1d8, 1d6, 1d4, to a minimum of 1.
 If you are a Small creature, you no longer have
disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons.
8
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
SAVAGE ATTACKER
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain the
following:
 If you critically hit with a melee weapon, treat rolls
of the weapon’s damage dice, including the extra
rolls, as their maximum values. This effect does
not apply to damage dice from class features,
spells, or other sources not inherent to the
weapon itself.
THROWN WEAPON MASTER
Prerequisite: Proficiency with at least one thrown
weapon
You have mastered throwing weapons. You gain the
following benefits:
 Attacking at long range doesn’t impose
disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls
with thrown weapons.
 When you make a ranged weapon attack with a
thrown weapon, you can use your bonus action to
make a ranged weapon attack with another
thrown weapon.
 You can draw or pick up a thrown weapon as part
of an attack with that weapon, even if you’ve
already interacted with an object that turn.
TOUGH
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain the
following:
 When you make a saving throw, you can give
yourself advantage on it. Once you use this
feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a
long rest.
WEAPON MASTER
Along with the feat’s normal benefits, you gain the
following:
 You gain a Fighting style as from the Fighter class
feature.
MARTIAL DICE
In the D&D Next playtest, many of the martial
characters relied on a resource called “martial damage
dice.” While 5e’s basic math makes a return to the
system unwise, bringing Martial Dice back as a non-
magical utility resource can reduce the system’s utility
disparity between casters and martials.
Using your combined levels, you gain a number of
Martial Dice based on the Martial Dice by Level table.
Each level in Rogue, Barbarian, Monk, and Fighter
counts as 1 level. Each level in Paladin and Ranger
counts as half of a level. If you have chosen the Pact of
the Blade, War Domain, Circle of the Moon, College of
Valor, or Favored Soul class option, each level in that
option’s respective class counts as one third of a level.
Levels in other classes do not count for the purpose of
gaining Martial Dice.
You can expend Martial Dice for a variety of effects.
You regain all expended Martial Dice after a long rest.
Characters with familiars or animal companions, such
as through find familiar or the Beast Master class
option, can grant their familiar or animal companion
the effect instead of themselves.
The saving throw DC for Martial Dice uses is equal
to 7 + twice your proficiency bonus.
Augury. You can only expend Martial Dice in this
manner if you have proficiency in Religion. You can
expend two Martial Dice to cast augury with a casting
time of 10 minutes. You can instead expend four
Martial Dice to cast divination with a casting time of
30 minutes. You must provide material components
for these spells.
Blindsight. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Perception or
Investigation As a bonus action, expend two Martial
Dice. Roll one Martial Die. You can see hidden and
invisible creatures within 10 feet of you for a number
of rounds equal to the result.
Counterspell. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Arcana. When
you see a creature within 60 feet of you cast a spell,
you can expend three Martial Dice as a reaction. Make
an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC of 15 + the
spell’s level. On a success, the creature’s spell fails
and has no effect.
Charm. You can only expend Martial Dice in this
manner if you have proficiency in Deception,
Performance, or Persuasion. As an action, expend one
or more Martial Dice and choose one non-hostile
creature within 60 feet of you that can see and hear
you and shares a language with you. The target must
make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, roll the
Martial Dice and add them together. The creature is
charmed by you for a number of minutes equal to the
result. If you have proficiency in Deception, they will
believe anything you say for the duration, so long as
what you say is immediately believable. If you expend
at least two Martial Dice in this way, you can
influence the creature directly by giving them a
command, which they will carry out so long as it
seems reasonable and will not cause harm to it or its
allies.
Cloud. As an action, you can expend one or more
Martial Dice to sweep up an obscuring cloud. Roll one
Martial Die. The area within a 10 foot radius of you
becomes heavily obscured for a number of rounds
equal to the result. For each extra Martial Die you
expend, the area increases in size by another 10 feet.
Cure Wounds. You can only expend Martial Dice
in this way if you have proficiency in Medicine. As an
Martial Dice by Level
Level Martial Dice
1st – 2nd 1d6
3rd – 4th 2d6
5th – 6th 3d6
7th – 8th 4d6
9th – 10th 5d6
11th – 20th 6d6
9
 Martial Options – D&D 5th Edition Homebrew
action, expend one Martial Die and choose a creature
that you can touch. That creature regains hit points
equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier.
Disarm. When you attempt to disarm a creature,
you can expend one Martial Die to gain advantage on
your opposed check or increase your saving throw DC
for the attempt by 5. If you successfully disarm a
creature after expending a Martial Die in this manner,
you can immediately kick the object they dropped up
to 30 feet away.
Fear. You can only expend Martial Dice in this
manner if you have proficiency in Intimidation. As an
action, expend two Martial Dice and choose a creature
within 60 feet that can see and hear you. That target
must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, roll
the Martial Dice and add them together. The target is
frightened of you for a number of rounds equal to the
result. At the end of its turn, the frightened creature
can make another saving throw to end the effect early.
Feather Fall. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Acrobatics or
Athletics. If you are falling, you can expend one or
more Martial Dice as a reaction. Roll the Martial Dice
and add them together. For the purpose of falling
damage, the fall is reduced by a number of feet equal
to 5 times the result.
Fly. You can only expend Martial Dice in this
manner if you have proficiency in Acrobatics or
Athletics. Expend three or more Martial Dice as a
bonus action. Roll one Martial Die. You gain a fly
speed of 60 feet for a number of rounds equal to the
result. At the end of each turn while you have this fly
speed, you fall if you end your turn in midair.
Grappling. When you attempt a grapple, you can
expend a Martial Die to grapple a creature one size
larger than you regularly can. You can roll the Martial
Die and add the result to your Strength (Athletics)
check to engage the grapple.
Haste. As an action, expend three Martial Dice.
Roll one Martial Die. You cast haste targeting yourself,
lasting for a number of rounds equal to the result.
Invisibility. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Stealth. As an
action, expend two Martial Dice. Roll one Martial Die.
You become invisible for a number of rounds equal to
the result or until you make an attack or cast a spell.
Leadership. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Persuasion or
Animal Handling. If you have proficiency in
Persuasion, you can attempt this with humanoids that
share a language with you. If you have proficiency in
Animal Handling, you can attempt this with beasts or
non-evil monstrosities.
By talking or interacting with a creature with a CR
of no more than half your level that is friendly with
you for 10 minutes, you can expend two Martial Dice
to convince them to follow you for the cost of living for
24 hours. This cost is equivalent to a number of gold
pieces equal to twice its CR per day, minimum 2. The
creature will follow your commands during this period
so long as doing so does not clearly threaten its life,
such as going against a very strong creature in melee
or jumping across a deep gorge. If the creature does
not share a language with you, commanding it takes
an action or bonus action. The creature may still
attempt dangerous acts if you perform them first. For
the duration, the creature has a bonus to its attack
rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws equal to your
proficiency bonus.
Magic Weapon. As a bonus action, expend two
Martial Dice and choose a weapon you are wielding.
Roll the Martial Dice and add them together. Attacks
with that weapon are made with a +1 bonus to attack
and damage and are magical for a number of rounds
equal to the result. If you apply this effect to a familiar
or animal companion, their attacks gain this bonus
instead.
Revivify. You can only expend Martial Dice in this
manner if you have proficiency in Medicine. As an
action, you can expend three Martial Dice and attempt
to revive a creature you can touch that has died
within the last minute. Make a Wisdom (Medicine)
check with a DC of 20 + the number of rounds the
creature has been dead. On a success, the creature
returns to life with 0 hit points but is stable. So long
as you do not move away from the creature and it has
not been dead for more than 1 minute, you can
attempt this check again as an action without
expending more Martial Dice.
Spider Climb. You can only expend Martial Dice in
this manner if you have proficiency in Athletics or
Acrobatics. As a bonus action, expend 2 Martial Dice.
Roll the Martial Dice and add them together. You gain
a climb speed equal to your walking speed for a
number of rounds equal to the result.
RESOURCE RECOVERY
Many players feel that the Battle Master’s maneuvers
and the Monk’s ki abilities are limited largely by small
resource pool relative to their ability costs. Consider
using one or more of the following variant rules to give
such characters a wider resource pool.
 If a Battle Master scores a critical hit, they regain
1 superiority dice.
 If a Battle Master rolls an 8 or higher on a
superiority dice roll, that superiority dice is not
spent.
 If a Monk scores a critical hit, they regain 1 ki
point.
 When a Monk hits a creature with a melee attack
that drops it to 0 hit points, they regain 1 ki point.
Alternatively, allow a Battle Master or Monk to
spend five minutes meditating once per day to regain
their superiority dice or ki as if they completed a short
rest. With this option you might wish to extend this to
other classes dependent on short rests, such as the
Warlock.
10