Homebrew: Weapon Mastery

Overview: There is no more weapon proficiency - every hero can use any weapon and can add their proficiency bonus to the attack modifier (the only exception is improvised weapons). The weapon proficiency system is being replaced with the weapon mastery system. Mastery with a school of weapons reflects a lifetime of practice with that type of weapon. If you are using a weapon that you are a master of, you have access to a special combat technique based on the weapon's school. Using these special techniques takes hero points, the maximum of which is equal to your proficiency modifier. Your hero points refill after a long rest.
Weapon Schools: For weapon school stats, see Homebrew: Weapons
Melee:

• Simple weapons: Sure Strike - before you make an attack roll, you can use a hero point to gain advantage on it.
• Throwing weapons: Ricochet - When you hit a target with an attack, you may spend a hero point to make another attack roll at disadvantage at a different target within 15 ft of the target. You may choose as many different targets as you have hero points to spend.
• One-handed reach weapons: Trip Attack - you can use a hero point to attempt to trip a creature. Make an athletics or acrobatics check, contested by the enemy's athletics or acrobatics check. On a success, the enemy is knocked prone. You may only attempt this once per turn.
• Short weapons: Backswing - when you miss an attack, you can use a hero point to attack again.
• Versatile weapons: Parry - when you are attacked, you may use a hero point to add your strength, dexterity, or proficiency to your AC for that attack only.
• Two-handed reach weapons: Impale - You may use a hero point to attack 2 tiles in a row within your reach. This is considered one attack.
• Two-handed weapons: Cleave - when you kill a target with an attack, you may spend a hero point to make an attack against another creature within your range, if successful, use the same damage roll as the initial hit. You may continue spending hero points and cleaving new enemies if you keep killing them. (You may not move before making the extra attacks. This is essentially one strike chopping through many enemies).

Ranged:

• One-handed weapons: Sure Shot - before you make an attack roll, you can use a hero point to gain advantage on it.
• Two-handed weapons: Quickdraw - you may use a hero point to make a bonus action attack at disadvantage.
• Heavy Weapons: Volley - you may spend a hero point to replace an attack with a volley. You shoot a bundle of 10 ammo into a 15 foot cube within your normal range. Every creature in the cube must perform a dexterity saving throw vs 8 + your dex + your proficiency. On a failure they take your weapon damage, on a save they take half that.

Spellcasting: (requires the ability to cast a cantrip or a spell)

• Offensive: At the cost of taking 1d6 true damage, you can spend an action and a hero point to deal 1d6 force damage in a 15 ft cube centered on a creature within 30 ft of you. This scales (both your damage taken and done) with your cantrip damage.
• Defensive: At the cost of taking 1d6 true damage, you can spend an action and any number of hero points to give [proficiency modifier] targets within 10 ft of you 1d6 thp. Each hero point you spend causes you to take 1d6 more damage and bestow 1d6 more thp on each target.
• Utility: At the cost of taking 1d6 true damage per spell slot, you can spend an action and any number of hero points to regain a level of spell slots equal to the hero points you spend. For example, if you spend 2 hero points, you can gain a level 1 spell slot, 2 level 1 spell slots, or a level 2 spell slot.

Masteries by Class: The following is a list of how many masteries each class starts with. When the class gains an ASI, it may also choose a new mastery (for free, in addition to the ASI). Certain races also start with extra masteries.
Artificer: 1
Barbarian: 3
Bard: 1
Beastheart: 2
Blood Hunter: 2
Cleric: 1
Druid: 1
Fighter: 4
Harbinger: 2
Monk: 2
Paladin: 2
Ranger: 3
Rogue: 2
Sorcerer: 0
Warlock: 1
Wizard: 0

Masteries and multiclassing: Multiclassing will provide masteries equal to half the base classes masteries rounded down. For example, if a hero multiclasses into barbarian, they may choose 1 more school to master, because a barbarian normally starts with 3 masteries (half of 3 rounded down is 1).