Loader image
Loader image
Back to Top

Blog

Nerdarchy > Dungeons & Dragons  > Character Builds  > Master New 5E D&D Maneuvers from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Master New 5E D&D Maneuvers from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Master New 5E D&D Fighting Styles from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Master New 5E D&D Feats from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons characters with a warrior vibe of any stripe can discover a lot to love inside Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. All the new subclasses available for 5E D&D players create amazing new opportunities for some really fantastic characters. Not to be outdone by all the magical possibilities a more grounded approach to interaction with 5E D&D experienced a groundswell of cool new options not the least of which are seven new maneuvers adding variety to a warrior’s repertoire. So let’s get into it.

5E D&D maneuvers for every occasion

For many players the 5E D&D Battle Master fighter represents the epitome of what a dedicated warrior ought to be. The base class provides tools to stay in the fight and dish out consistent weapon damage while the Martial Archetype grants a variety of features either directly supporting base class capabilities or tangentially related to being a disciplined warrior. Among them the Battle Master stands out as the most flexible thanks to their maneuvers. These special techniques give fighters a personalized suite of tricks to supplement their already top notch combat skills.

Along with introducing seven new maneuvers adding to the 16 found in the Player’s Handbook under the Battle Master Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything offers a second pathway for non-fighters to access them. Martial Adept is a feat found in the PHB allowing characters to learn two maneuvers of their choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class. Now in addition to the feat there’s the Superior Technique fighting style, which creates new opportunities for every kind of character to add even more maneuvers. This means non-fighters can now acquire up to three maneuvers without any multiclassing required.

This is all terrific! With all this extra flexibility for characters players can stay true to a single class and still realize a huge variety of character concepts. Gloomstalker rangers with the Ambush maneuver sounds very much on brand and even a squishy wizard with Bait and Switch might find a dash of maneuver pretty darned handy during perilous adventures.

And now here’s all 23 currently available maneuvers for 5E D&D characters along with their source.

(PHB = Player’s Handbook, TCoE = Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

  1. Ambush. Bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) and initiative. (TCoE)
  2. Bait and Switch. The ol’ switcheroo with an AC bump for good measure. (TCoE)
  3. Brace. Remember D&D 3.5’s attack of opportunity rules? (TCoE)
  4. Commander’s Strike. Create an attack by proxy scenario. (PHB)
  5. Commanding Presence. Roleplaying doesn’t stop when combat starts y’all. (TCoE)
  6. Disarming Attack. Drop it! (PHB)
  7. Distracting Strike. Give allies an opening. (PHB)
  8. Evasive Footwork. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. (PHB)
  9. Feinting Attack. Night King, meet Arya Stark. (PHB)
  10. Goading Attack. Eyes on me! (PHB)
  11. Grapping Strike. Hit ’em with the steel chair and right into a submission hold. (TCoE)
  12. Lunging Attack. Lancers, dragoons and bugbear enthusiasts rejoice! (PHB)
  13. Maneuvering Attack. Move allies around like chess pieces. (PHB)
  14. Menacing Attack. Make your attacks frighteningly effective. (PHB)
  15. Parry. Classic melee combat at its finest. (PHB)
  16. Precision Attack. Scoff at the enemy’s impenetrable armor. (PHB)
  17. Pushing Attack. Step off, evil doer. Like, way off. (PHB)
  18. Quick Toss. Great for unexpected damage and makes a splash as a party trick. (TCoE)
  19. Rally. Any time a warrior can restore others’ hit points is a reason to celebrate. (PHB)
  20. Riposte. Turn the tables on pesky attackers. (PHB)
  21. Sweeping Attack. No one is safe around you! (PHB)
  22. Tactical Assessment. A mind disciplined for battle provides unique perspective. (TCoE)
  23. Trip Attack. Great for battlefield control or just to demoralize an opponent. (PHB)
5E D&D maneuvers Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

A limitless variety of warriors and different approaches to combat awaits 5E D&D players thanks to new options like additional maneuvers and ways to acquire them in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

So many possibilities brewing in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

I’ve been working my way through Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything modular chunk by modular chunk and each new section I delve into sets my imagination is awhirl. Starting with chapter 4’s Dungeon Master’s Tools the material in this book gets me more excited about 5E D&D than I already was (and it’s a lot — I’m a fanboy for life!). Believe it or not Champion is my favorite fighter Martial Archetype and I’ve never played a Battle Master before. This hasn’t changed even with all these new maneuvers but I’m definitely thinking of characters who can benefit from a special trick or two.

What’s your favorite of the new maneuvers from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything? Are you looking longingly at any of them with a non-fighter character in mind? I want to know about your favorite maneuvers and especially the ones you’re excited to acquire for let’s say less obvious character types. Sound off and share in the comments and use your Superiority Dice to stay nerdy!

Share
Doug Vehovec

Nerditor-in-Chief Doug Vehovec is a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, with D&D in his blood since the early 80s. Fast forward to today and he’s still rolling those polyhedral dice. When he’s not DMing, worldbuilding or working on endeavors for Nerdarchy he enjoys cryptozoology trips and eating awesome food.