Martial Archetype: Flicker

In any fight, there is always danger. The only way to win is to survive. You see what others can’t: the path to victory in combat lies not through brute strength or powerful evocations. It’s in avoiding combat altogether.

You have trained to make use of the soul's natural arcane energy, which governs the interactions between the other types of energy suffusing the Prime Material plane. You have learned to use this energy to briefly enter the Ethereal plane. This allows you to slip in and out of combat, reappearing for just long enough to strike, then vanishing out of harm’s way.

Ethereal Jump

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to tap into your soul’s arcane energy to briefly hop into the Ethereal Plane. During your turn, you may use your bonus action to jump. If you do, you move to the Ethereal Plane if you aren't already there. At the start of your next turn, you return to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of where you vanished. If there is no space in range, you return to the next one, chosen at random if there's multiple options.

On the Ethereal Plane, you can see up to 60 feet and in shades of gray, and hear the plane you came from. You can only affect and be affected by creatures on the Ethereal Plane, and creatures that aren't there can't perceive or interact with you unless they have an ability that allows it.

You can make an Ethereal Jump 3 times. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you regain each use of Ethereal Jump. You gain an additional use at 7th level, and another at 15th level.

Surprise Strike

On your turn, whenever you return from the Ethereal Plane into a space within 5 feet of an enemy, you can take advantage of your unexpected appearance to unbalance your foe. You can make a Surprise Strike, gaining advantage on your first attack against that creature this turn.

Reflexive Flicker

At 7th level, your jumps become more instinctive. Whenever you succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction and expend a use of Ethereal Jump to flicker out of your current plane and immediately reappear up to 5 feet away, completely avoiding the effect that triggered the saving throw. If you do, you take no damage from an effect that would cause you to take half damage on a successful save.

Quickened Assault

At 10th level, you gain finer control over your ethereal jumps. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you may expend one use of Ethereal Jump. If you do, you immediately return to your original plane, up to 10 feet away.

Expert Flicker

Beginning at 15th level, your connection to the Ethereal Plane has begun to suffuse you more completely. Whenever you roll initiative with no uses of Ethereal Jump left, you regain one use.

Ethereal Soul

Beginning at 18th level, whenever you make an Ethereal Jump, you regain 1d10 hit points. In addition, whenever you return from the Ethereal plane, you may return to an unoccupied space up to 30 feet from where you vanished.

Art Credit: Stepping into the White Light Portal

Made with The Homebrewery.