Swordmaster
The half-elf thrusts her blade deep into the orc cheiftain's chest, slaying him. His bodyguards swing their halberds at her, and she nimbly dodges out of the way, ducking and weaving as the blades slice through the air. She swings her sword at one of the orcs, he falls dead. She darts towards the other guard, expecting her blade to cleave flesh, but the orc has turned and ran.
The genasi lands gently on the ground. Smiling confidently, he goes to work, whirling, and jumping, dodging the enemies' spears, and landing his attachs with ease. He sees a weakness, and his blade rends his foe. It's not long before he begins tearing away at the next one.
The dwarf grasps his shortsword in his tight fist. He waits patiently for his enemy to charge. Finally the minotaur lowers its head and drives its horns towards the dwarf. The dwarf gives a calm shout, directing his allies that were hiding from the minotaur. The dwarf and all of his allies proceed to lay into the minotaur, the dwarf issuing commands to his allies, and pointing out weak points in the minotaur's defenses.
All of these battle-hardened warriors are swordmasters in their own right. They emphasize grace and effectiveness with every swing of their sword. Proud nobles, military commanders, cunning mercenaries, warrior kings on the front lines ----- as swordmasters, they all possess an unparalleled understanding of the anatomy of their blades, and how to make their weapons almost come to life on the battlefield.
Warriors of a Higher Caliber
A swordmaster isn't your common foot soldier. They've trained for years to gain the mastery that they have, and they constantly train to maintain and improve their skills. Swordmasters know that there are weapons that are more effective than their chosen blade, but they question the honor in shooting your enemy from a safe distance, or stabbing him before he can reach you. Honor-bound to melee combat, swordmasters are counting on their enemies to underestimate them, as they search for any opening, analyzing their opponent's every move. Moving with grace that would make a panther jealous, the swordmaster will strike when their enemy is off balance.
Light on their Feet
Swordmasters prefer to not restrict their movement with armor, particularly not heavy armor. If they have to wear armor, they prefer leather, but even that hampers their mobility too much. Unhindered, a swordmaster will rush into battle without donning armor, dodging any hits that they see coming their way. With their observant eyes taking in the entire battlefield, there is very little that they will miss, and rarely will an enemy get the drop on them.
Creating a Swordmaster
As you build your swordmaster, think about these related elements from your character's backstory: Where did you get your combat training, and what drove you to rise above other sword users? Were you quick on your feet, and constantly getting the upper hand on your opponent?Were you trained by a renowned sword-wielder, as a small favor to your father, a noble?
What drove you to take up the blade? Was it a war? A threat against a family member's life? Was it simply expected of you, because of your station? Or maybe you sought vengeance?
The Swordmaster
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Precision Strike, Unarmored Defense |
| 2nd | +2 | Duelist's Blow, Fighting Style |
| 3rd | +2 | Warrior Archetype |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Improved Critical |
| 7th | +3 | Evasion |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Swordfaire |
| 9th | +4 | Warrior Archetype Feature |
| 10th | +4 | Vantage |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack (2) |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase |
| 13th | +5 | Warrior Archetype Feature |
| 14th | +5 | Pressure Point |
| 15th | +5 | Astra |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Extra Attack (3), Warrior Archetype Feature |
| 18th | +6 | Flawless Technique |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Lethality |
Perhaps your training is due to your noble pedigree, or from enduring the hardships of war in the militia of a small nation. Maybe you were even self-taught, inventing and perfecting sword techniques that no one has ever seen before. Did you take up the sword to escape the limits of farm life?, or are you chasing after your family's proud tradition? Where did you accquire your weapons and armor ----- are they family heirlooms from when your parents fought alongside the king, or did you purchase them in the local shop? Perhaps they're standard military issue, or you had them custom forged.
Quick build
You can make a swordmaster quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score. Your next highes score should be Wisdom, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the noble or soldier background.
Class Features
As a swordmaster, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per swordmaster level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constituion modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constituion modifier per swordmaster level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor
- Weapons: Simple melee weapons, scimitars, shortswords, longswords
- Tools: Blacksmith's
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handline, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) two shortswords or (b) a longsword
- (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- two daggers, a longsword, and any simple melee weapon
Precision Strike
At 1st level, your practice with swords gives you a mastery over them that not many can parallel. You may use your Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls for swordmaster weapons, which are weapons that this class grants you proficiency with.
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Duelist's Blow
Starting at 2nd level, when you make a successful melee attack against a creature, that creature has disadvantage on the first attack that they make against you on their turn.
Fighting Style
Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular tyle of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if later you get to choose again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Evasive
You are an expert at dodging out of the way of enemy attacks. As a bonus action on your turn, you may roll 1d4. The total of this roll is subtracted from your enemies' attacks against you for the round.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property.
Protection
When a creature you see attavks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You must be wielding a sword.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Warrior Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Choose either the Vanguard Knight, or the Ronin Skirmisher, both detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the attack action.
The number of attacks increases to three at 11th level, in this class and to four at 17th level in this class.
Improved Critical
Starting at 6th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19 or 20.
At 15th level your weapon attacks score a critical hit on roll of 18---20.
Evasion
Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects. such as a red dragon's fiery breath, or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Swordfaire
Starting at 8th level, your mastery of the blade allows you to strike your opponent with maximum effectiveness. Once on each of your turns your weapon deals an extra 1d8 damage.
When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Vantage
Starting at 10th level, when you are below half your hit point maximum and a hostile creature makes an attack roll against you, you may use your reaction to make a single attack against them before they deal damage.
Pressure Point
Starting at 14th level, you are an expert at finding your opponents' weaknesses and making them suffer for those weaknesses. You can use a bonus action on your turn to make a Wisdom (Insight) check against the target's AC. If you roll their AC or higher, you have advantage on your attack rolls against them until the end of your next turn.
Astra
Starting at 15th level, your speed is blinding to your opponents. When you have advantage on your attack roll you may double the amount of attacks that you can make when you take the Attack action for that round. You regain use of this feature after you complete a short or long rest.
Flawless Technique
Starting at 18th level, if disadvantage is imposed on you, you can make a Wisdom saving throw to shrug it off. The DC for this saving throw is 20.
Lethality
At 20th level, you have mastered the blade beyond the capabilies of mere mortals. When you score a critical hit against a creature they must make a Constitution saving throw or drop to 0 hit points. On a successful save they take an additional 10d10 damage. The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Warrior Archetype
Different swordmasters perfect their combat techniques in different ways, and thus see the field of battle in a different light. The warrior archatype you choose reflects how your character moves on the battlefield.
Vanguard Knight
Trained as a member of a phalanx, you excel at working seemlessly as a member of a group, controlling crowds, and keeping your allies safe. Your mind for group tactics is exemplary.
Combat Superiority
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a special set of abilities that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice.
Superiority Dice. You have four superiority dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
You gain another superiority die at 7th level and one more at 15th level.
Using Superiority Dice. You can expend superiority dice to gain a number of different benefits:
- When an ally within 5 feet of you takes damage, you use your reaction to expend one superiority die and reduce the damage by the number you rolled.
- You may expend one superiority die as a bonus action to direct one ally that you can see within 60 feet of you to attack a foe. Your ally must use their reaction, and may move up to their full movement speed. They make a single attack, and add your superiority die to their damage.
- You may expend one superiority die as a bonus action to rally one ally that you can see within 30 feet of you. If your ally has any abilities that would subject a target to a saving throw, their save DC is increased by your roll.
- When you take the Attack action, you may expend one superiority die and add it to your damage roll. You can only do this once per round.
Steadfast
Starting at 9th level, when an ally within 5 feet of you successfully makes an attack, you may use your reaction to target the same creature with a single weapon attack.
Retaliation
Starting at 13th level, when an ally within 5 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend a superiority die, moving up to your full movement speed and making an attack against the creature that attacked them. You add one of your superiority dice to your damage roll.
Uncanny Wit
Starting at 17th level, you gain proficiency with Wisdom saving throws.
Ronin Skirmisher
Your prowess really shines in single combat, and you perfect your talents accordingly, knowing that your enemies will come to fear you before too long. You have sharpened your mind to find an enemies weak points, even when you don't have an ally to assist you.
Unfettered Blade
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you may enter a trance as a bonus action on your turn. This trance grants you visions that show you how to inflict the most pain on your enemies. When you take the Attack action using a swordmaster weapon, you may add an extra 1d4 to the damage you deal. This trance lasts for 1 minute, and ends if you do not make an attack on your turn. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest (minimum of 1).
The extra 1d4 increases to 2d4 at 9th level, and 3d4 at 15th level.
Determined Strike
Starting at 9th level, when you roll a 1 on your attack roll, you may choose to reroll your attack, using the new roll, even if it's a 1. You may use this ability once per short or long rest.
Fancy Footwork
Starting at 13th level, you know exactly how to land a strike and slip away without reprisal. During your turn, if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
Resolute Warrior
Starting at 17th level, you gain proficiency with Constitution saving throws.
Multiclassing Proficiencies
You gain the following proficiencies by multiclassing into the swordmaster class.
Light armor, one skill from the class's skill list, longswords