Fighting Styles

Below is the list of Fighting Styles available to Fighters. You can learn a Fighting Style at the same time you meet all its prerequisites. You cannot replace a Fighting Style if it is the prerequisite for another one of your Fighting Styles.

Archery

Prerequisite: Dexterity of 13 or higher

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with ranged weapons, and your attacks with ranged weapons ignore half-cover and treat three-quarter’s cover as half cover.

Archery Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Archery

You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack rolls with ranged weapons. Attacking at a weapon’s long range no longer imposes disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.

Balanced Fighting

When wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Balanced Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Balanced Fighting

When are wielding a versatile melee weapon and a shield, you use the versatile weapon’s larger damage die, and you can use your shield to do a Shove attack as a bonus action.

Brawling

Prerequisite: proficiency in Athletics

On hit, your unarmed strikes deal damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. When you have both hands free, you can make a single unarmed strike, shove, or grapple as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Classical Swordplay

Prerequisite: Dexterity of 13 or higher

While wielding a single finesse weapon, no shield, and not wearing heavy armor, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls with that weapon and a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Classical Swordplay Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Classical Swordplay

When are hit by an attack while using Classical Swordplay, you can use your reaction to add your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class against that attack.

Defensive Fighting

When you are wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or a shield you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Defensive Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Defensive Fighting

While wearing heavy armor you can reduce all non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage you take by your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

If your armor is magical, this can also reduce magical damage of the types above.

Dual Wielding

Prerequisite: Strength or Dexterity of 13 or higher

While two-weapon fighting, you make your off-hand attack as part of your Attack action instead of your bonus action, and you add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack. You cannot also make an attack with your bonus action that turn.

Dual Wielding Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Dual Wielding

One-handed melee weapons are considered to have the Light property for you, and when you are wielding a melee weapon in each hand, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Great Weapon Fighting

Prerequisite: Strength of 13 or higher

Whenever you hit a target with a heavy melee weapon attack, you can treat any of the weapon’s damage dice as the average roll if you rolled lower: d4 (2), d6 (3), d8 (4), d10 (5), d12 (6).

Great Weapon Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Great Weapon Fighting

Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a heavy melee weapon attack, you can make another attack as part of that action, bonus action, or reaction with the same weapon.

Mounted Warrior

Prerequisite: proficiency in Animal Handling

While you are riding a controlled mount, both you and your mount gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class, and you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to command the mount to take one action from its stat block or another action.

Polearm Fighting

Prerequisite: Strength and Dexterity of 11 or higher

You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with glaives, halberds, pikes, quarterstaffs, and spears so long as you are wielding only that weapon and no shield. When doing so, creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter or move within your reach with that weapon.

Polearm Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Polearm Fighting

Whenever you take the Attack action while using Polearm Fighting, you can use your bonus action on that turn to make a melee attack with the end of your weapon. On hit, it deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4+ your Strength modifier.

Protection

When a creature you can see hits you, or a target within 5 feet with a melee attack, you can use a reaction to add your Proficiency Bonus to the target’s Armor Class against that attack. You must be wielding a shield or a melee weapon.

Protection Expert

Prerequisite: 6th-level Fighter, Protection

When a creature within 5 feet is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to interpose a shield, adding your Proficiency Bonus to its saving throw roll.

You can use this reaction after the creature rolls the d20, but before you know the outcome of its saving throw.

Strongbow

Prerequisite: Strength of 13 or higher

You can use your Strength modifier, in place of Dexterity, for attack and damage rolls with longbows and shortbows. When you do so, you gain a +1 to damage rolls with those weapons.

Versatile Fighting

Prerequisite: Strength or Dexterity of 11 or higher

While wielding a single versatile weapon and no shield, you gain a +1 bonus to your attack rolls with that weapon. While doing so, you can use your bonus action to make a grapple or shove attack, or to take the Use an Object action.