Sword Saint

The first sword saint, a knight named Ser Remont Alystair, sought a source of power which could be wielded by ordinary warriors to augment their skills. He first sought out the barbarians of the north who seemed capable of performing supernatural feats of strength despite no apparent magical abilities. Believing that the savage warriors were, in fact, tapping into unknown sources of power, he began research into the arcane to find a link between the disciplined use of magic and spectacular abilities of otherwise ordinary warriors. After decades of research into the study and use of magic, and martial training to hone his skill the the sword, he was able to find that through intense focus through his sword he was able to evoke that focus into power which would make him more effective in combat. Further research would reveal that this power was being drawn from beyond the material plane. Ser Alystair passed his knowledge and technique down to his students and the discipline of the sword saint would spread to those willing to dedicate both the intense study and physical demands required.

Trueblade and Sword Art

At the side of any sword saint is their trueblade - a weapon which the sword saint has studied and bound themselves to. A sword saint is one with their trueblade as it is both a practical weapon and an instrument for channeling extraplanar power. sword saints reach into planes beyond the material to draw power to augment their bodies and conjure effects through what are known as sword art. These techniques, however, require a great deal of study and practice. Siphoning this extraplanar energy can be exhausting and a sword saint is limited in the amount of sword art they are able to perform.

Scholarly Warriors

While many warriors find their stride in strictly mundane martial techniques or through the aid of the gods, a sword saint is a consummate student of war, dedicating endless study and practice honing their knowledge and techniques. Most who decide to pursue the way of a sword saint first seek out a teacher as the first steps into the discipline must be taught. Because of this, initiate sword saints tend to live and travel with a master who can guide them through the process of learning to bind to a trueblade and channel extraplanar energy through it. These travels are meant to test the physical limits of the initiate and to bring them to libraries, temples, and other sources of knowledge and lore. The curious wealthy wishing to learn the discipline may hire a sword saint, though this is often a costly endeavor. While some sword saints will remain stationary and work for a local lord or mercenary company, most fit well into the life of an adventurer, seeking greater hidden knowledge and eager to put their bodies and techniques to the test.

Creating a Sword Saint

When creating a sword saint, consider what brought you to pursue the discipline and what your training was like: Were you inspired by stories of heroes of villains of old? Did something push you to seek this power? A great loss or a cause to fight for? Who taught you the discipline of a sword saint? Where did your trueblade come from? Was it a family heirloom? A weapon you won from a rival? Does your trueblade have a name? Do you keep to yourself and contemplate the larger universe white you travel? Do you speak to your companions of your training? Do you offer nuggets of wisdom from your studies? Is there a particular master you are in search of? Is there a piece of knowledge or lore that you seek?

Quick Build

You can create a sword saint quickly by following these suggestions. For your highest ability score, pick Strength or Dexterity (if you plan to use finesse weapons). For your second highest ability score, pick Intelligence. For race, choose human and for background choose sage.

Class Features

As a sword saint, you gain the following features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Sword Saint level
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Constitution & Intelligence
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a Greatsword or (b) any martial melee weapon
• (a) a Longsword and a shield or (b) any martial melee weapon
• (a) Leather Armor or (b) Scale Mail
• (a) a Diplomat’s Pack or (b) an Explorer’s Pack

Trueblade

As a Sword Saint, you are one with your trueblade. A trueblade is a dagger, short sword, longsword, greatsword, or glaive that you have specially bound to in order to channel your power. You may only be bound to one trueblade at a time. You may bind a weapon to be your trueblade by dedicating one hour to become connected to the trueblade. A trueblade takes on any magical properties the weapon originally had and will add any benefits conferred by your class features. Your trueblade is considered a magical weapon for the purpose of overcoming resistance or immunity. Additionally, at 6th level, your trueblade gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus improves to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 18th level. If your trueblade is a magic weapon which already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls and the bonus provided by this feature is greater than the bonus on the weapon, the bonus from this feature replaces the one provided by the weapon, otherwise the weapon does not gain a bonus to attack or damage rolls from this feature. A trueblade is bound to you until you die or you bind to another trueblade. The moment a trueblade is no longer bound to you it loses any properties that were bestowed upon it as a trueblade and you must roll a d20. If the result is lower than your Sword Saint level, the weapon crumbles to dust, destroyed permanently.

Planar Dice

You have a pool of dice representing your ability to draw upon extraplanar power known as planar dice. You have a number of planar dice equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum if 1) and these dice are d8. They increase to d10 at 9th level, and to d12 at 15th level. When you spend a planar die, it is unavailable until you finish a Short or Long Rest, at the end of which you are able to recover your full pool of planar dice.

Planar Strike

When making an attack roll with your trueblade, you may expend one of your planar dice and add it to the attack roll. You can use this feature before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.

Sword Art

As a Sword Saint, your training allows you to use techniques to channel primal forces from other planes through your trueblade to enhance yourself in combat. These techniques are known as sword art. At 2nd level, you know one sword art. As you gain levels in this class, you learn additional sword art as determined by the sword saint table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you may replace one sword art that you know with another one that you could learn at that level.

Trueblade and Sword Art

While some sword art provides a passive benefit that is always active, most are powerful techniques which draw directly upon your connection to other planes to produce exceptional effects. In order to use any sword art which requires you to spend a planar die, you must be wielding your trueblade. Some sword art requires concentration to maintain its effect. This concentration functions as if you are concentrating on a spell. Sword Art Ability. Your sword art uses your Intelligence as it is channeled using techniques honed through careful study and practice. You use your Intelligence modifier to set the saving throw DC of your sword art.

Sword art save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Keen Mind

At 2nd level, you may gain proficiency in one of the following skills: arcana, nature, history, religion, or investigation. At 6th level, you may choose one more skill to gain proficiency in. In place of choosing a skill proficiency, you may select one of these skills which you are already proficient in and double your proficiency bonus for any ability check with the chosen skill.

Fighting Style

At 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC

Dueling

While you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 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 for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wearing a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Sword Saint Archetype

Sword Saints wield their power through reaching into an extraplanar source and harnessing its energy to bolster themselves in battle. At 3rd level, you advance your study and dedicate to a particular extraplanar source of power. Your Sword Saint Archetype determines your source of power which grants you and your trueblade additional abilities. Each archetype grants unique features to you at various levels and allows you to select additional sword art.

Ability Score Improvement

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 you can increase 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, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Honed Sword Art

Beginning at 11th level, you practice channeling extraplanar energy though your trueblade has made it easier to do so. You gain two bonus planar dice to add to your pool.

Bonded Blade

Starting at 9th level, your bond with your trueblade strengthens such that you have an awareness of its location and surroundings even when it is far from you. You may spend an action to hone in on your trueblade. If it is on the same plane of existence as you, you are able to determine the direction and distance it is from you. Additionally, for up to 10 minutes while you maintain concentration, you may focus on your trueblade to be able to see and hear its immediate surroundings as if you were there. Once you use this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you are able to do so again.

Empowered Art

Starting at 14th level, you are able to channel extra focus into your sword art to increase their potency. Whenever you use a sword art technique which makes an attack roll or requires a saving throw, you may grant a +2 bonus to its attack roll or saving throw DC. You may not use this feature again until you complete a short or long rest.

Trueblade of Legend

Upon reaching 20th level, your soul has left a permanent mark on your trueblade, granting it benefits even after your death. So long as you do not bind to a different trueblade, the weapon grants the following bonuses if you had them, even after you die and it becomes a weapon of legendary renown.

• +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls
• Blade of Light, Ethereal Trueblade, or Duskblade
• Sheathe of Light, Ethereal Touch, or Dark Baptism
• Light of Hope, Multiplanar Trueblades, or Maddening Vision

If a trueblade with these bonuses is bonded to another sword saint, the sword saint replaces the bonuses as they are learned. For example, if a 5th level dark knight binds to a holy knight's trueblade, the trueblade would lose the bonus from blade of light but gain the bonus from duskblade.
The soul of a Sword Saint may affect the trueblade in different ways: a dark knight’s trueblade may attempt to take control of the wielder’s body, while a holy knight's trueblade might act as a sentient weapon and provide wisdom to its wielder, or an Etherblade’s trueblade may blink back and forth between the ethereal and material plane at different locations. In addition, any time you roll initiative with less than half of your maximum planar dice, you gain 1 planar die.

Sword Saint Archetypes

Sword Saints wield their power through reaching into a plane such as the ethereal plane, divine planes, or the great void and harnessing its energy to bolster themselves in battle. Knowledge of these planes is often passes from master to student and requires a great deal of study and discipline, both martial and scholarly.

Holy Knight

Holy Knights are Sword Saints which have tapped into the plane of a divine being and channel this energy to defend their allies and hinder their foes. While some Holy Knights take up this energy as a champion of a certain deity, others may do so as independent agents, sometimes even angering the deities of the planes they channel. Most Holy Knights, however, choose the discipline as an effective means of surviving and controlling battle. Holy Knights may often be in the service of kings which sponsor them in exchange for their service as tacticians or bodyguards, or as wandering defenders of the weak. When gaining levels as a Holy Knight, your trueblade gains the following benefits:

Bonus Trueblades

As a Holy Knight, you may also bind pikes and spears to be your trueblade. In addition, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Blade of Light

Upon becoming Holy Knight at 3rd level, your trueblade gains the ability to shed bright light for 20 feet and dim light for an additional 20 feet. You may activate and deactivate this feature as a bonus action. Additionally, your Planar Strike becomes charged with holy energy which rattles a creature’s body when struck. Whenever you hit a creature with Planar Strike, the creature must make a successful Strength saving throw or suffer disadvantage on melee and ranged attack rolls until the end of its next turn.

Light's Justice

Your mastery of holy energy enables you to overcome the defenses of even the most powerful creatures. Starting at 7th level, you ignore a creature's resistance and immunity to radiant damage when dealing damage with your trueblade or sword art.

Sheathe of Light

At 10th level, your constant channeling through your trueblade has imbued it with holy energy. Whenever you hit a creature with your trueblade, the creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage.

Light of Hope

At 17th level, your trueblade becomes a conduit to the heavens and gains the ability to bring that light to nearby creatures. Once per day, you may use a bonus action and raise your trueblade to grant the blessing of light to each creature of your choice within 60 feet of you. Each creature gains 8d6 temporary hit points and has advantage on all saving throws for 3 rounds.

Etherblade

The first Sword Saints which were able to tap into extraplanar forces became the Etherblades, warriors which would use their knowledge and discipline to manipulate time and space so that they could rapidly move around a battlefield unhindered, engaging numerous foes fearlessly. Etherblades tend to operate independently and may come from a wide variety of backgrounds such as an heir to a noble fortune looking to hone their self defense and military expertise or a wandering traveller of the wilderness in search of lore and solitude to in which they can practice. As you gain levels as an Etherblade, your trueblade gains the following benefits:

Bonus Trueblades

As an Etherblade, you may also bind rapiers, sabers, and scimitars to be your trueblade.

Ethereal Trueblade

Starting at 3rd level, your trueblade is able to move between the material and ethereal plane. You gain the ability to dismiss to the ethereal plane a trueblade you are bound to at will. On the ethereal plane, your trueblade hovers around the space you would occupy. You can then summon a trueblade into an open hand using a bonus action. In addition, your trueblades carry a distorting effect from the ethereal plane. When you hit a creature with your Planar Strike, it must make a successful Wisdom saving throw or have its speed halved and be unable to make reactions until the end of your next turn.

Trueblade Warp

At 7th level, you are able to reach through the ethereal plane and touch your trueblade on a different location on the material plane. As a bonus action, you may teleport yourself from your current location to an unoccupied space within 100 feet at or adjacent to your trueblade and make one melee attack with your trueblade.

Ethereal Touch

At 10th level, your trueblade carries latent energy back from the ethereal plane. Whenever you hit a creature with your trueblade, the creature takes an extra 1d8 force damage.

Multiplanar Trueblades

At 17th level, your trueblade has become easier to pull into and out of the ethereal plane such that you may now do so at will. Additionally, your trueblade’s connection to the etheral plane has solidified to the point that you may use a bonus action to have it grant you truesight to a range of 60 feet for 1 minute. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before you are able to use it again.

Dark Knight

The Dark Knights are a less frequent, though just as well known discipline of Sword Saints which draw their power from the great void, a plane in which life cannot exist. Many avoid this path as mortals are not meant to tamper with such a place and many which pursue its power go mad or are consumed. For those that survive the gruelling , there is a path which allows a Dark Knight to destroy and feed upon life, although often at the cost of their own. Dark Knights are most commonly found as mercenaries but some find service as generals, eager to lend their tactical knowledge and to put their abilities to use. Upon gaining levels as a dark knight, your trueblade gains the following benefits:

Bonus Trueblades

As a Dark Knight, you may also bind greataxes and battleaxes to be your trueblade. In addition, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Duskblade

Upon becoming a Dark Knight at 3rd level, your trueblade grants you Darkvision up to 120 feet and the ability to see through magical darkness. Additionally, you gain the ability to draw monstrous strength from the void. When dealing damage with your Planar Strike, roll one additional weapon damage die.

Inevitability

Starting at 5th level, you ignore a creature's resistance and immunity to necrotic damage when dealing damage with your trueblade or sword art.

Dark Baptism

At 10th level, your constant channeling through your trueblade has imbued it with dark energy. Whenever you hit a creature with your trueblade, the creature takes an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.

Maddening Vision

At 17th level, your trueblade becomes a conduit to the great void and gains the ability to show it to nearby creatures. Once per day, you may raise your trueblade to force each creature of your choice within 60 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw using your sword art save DC. On a failed saving throw, a creature is driven mad staring into the great nothingness and is stunned until the end of your next turn and blinded for 3 rounds. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is not stunned but is still blinded for 3 rounds.

Sword Art

If a sword art has requirements, you must meet them in order to learn it. You can learn the sword art at the same time that you met its requirements. The level required for any sword art refers to your total number of sword saint levels.

Sword Saint Art

The below sword art is available to all sword saints and reflects their ability to channel extraplanar energy through their trueblade. This general sword art focuses on and enhances a sword saint’s physical combat ability.

Patient Defense

When you take the Attack action on your turn while you are wielding a trueblade and no shield, you may spend a bonus action to gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn while your trueblade is in your hand and you are not incapacitated.

Warden’s Haste

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing heavy armor. Additionally, you may expend a planar die on your turn to take the Dash action as a bonus action.

Tactician's Eye

Requires 5th level
You may attempt to study a creature’s combat stance and tactics to look for openings in its defense. As a bonus action, you may make an Investigation (Intelligence) check against a creature you can see that isn’t incapacitated, contested by the target’s Charisma (Deception) check. If you succeed, you have advantage on the next attack you make against the creature until the beginning of its next turn.

Wulfric’s Hammer

Requires 5th level
When you take the Dash action, you can expend a planar die and use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack with your trueblade. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, add the planar die to the weapon damage roll and, on a hit, the creature must make a successful Strength saving throw or be pushed back a number of feet equal to 5 times your Intelligence modifier (minimum 5). A huge or larger creature has advantage on this saving throw.

Leomund’s Gambit

Requires 9th level
When taking the Attack action on your turn, you may expend one planar die and use your bonus action to make an attack at disadvantage with your trueblade. On a hit, add the planar die to the weapon’s damage roll and you are refunded the planar die.

Asher’s Thrown Blade

Requires 9th level
You may use a bonus action and spend one planar die to grant your trueblade the ability to be thrown as a deadly weapon which returns to your hand. For the next minute while you maintain concentration, your trueblade gains the thrown property with a range of 30/120 feet. If the trueblade already possessed the thrown property, the normal and long range values are doubled, instead. Ranged attacks with the trueblade while this effect is active use Intelligence as the ability modifier for attack and damage rolls. Immediately after making a ranged attack, your trueblade flies back to your hand.

Bartlet’s Arcane Defense

Requires 13th level
When you are damaged by a spell or magical effect, you can use your reaction and spend one planar die to reduce the damage from the spell by the planar die + your Intelligence modifier + your Sword Saint level. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a long rest before you are able to use it again.

Follow-through

Requires 13th level
When damaging a creature with your trueblade as part of the Attack action, you may spend a bonus action and expend one sword saint die to make one additional attack against the same creature with your trueblade.

Alystair’s Flashing Blade

Requires 17th level
As an action, you may spend a planar die to immediately make a number of attacks equal to your Intelligence modifier with your trueblade. You may not move between these attacks. Add the planar die to the attack roll of each attack. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Holy Knight Art

Holy Knights draw upon divine power to protect their allies as well as blast their foes with light and disable them to be subdued or eliminated.

Radiant Bulwark

Requires Holy Knight
As a bonus action, you may draw upon holy power to create a shining barrier of radiant energy around a shield you are holding which lasts for 1 minute. When you take the attack action on your turn while wielding the radiant bulwark, you may use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack with the shield. you are considered proficient with this attack and use Strength as the ability modifier for the attack roll. On a hit, the shield deals 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage. You may dismiss the radiant bulwark at will. The radiant bulwark gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls at 6th level. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level, and +3 at 18th level.

Bright Blade

Requires Holy Knight
You cause brilliant, searing light to descend upon a creature. As an action, you may spend a planar die to cause a burst of holy light to appear on a target creature you can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage and be blinded until the end of your next turn. This sword art’s damage increases by 2d6 when you reach 5th level (4d6), 11th level (6d6), and 17th level (8d6) in this class.

Armor of Light

Requires Holy Knight, 5th level
When you are hit by an attack or spell, you may use your reaction and expend a planar die. You gain temporary hit points for 3 rounds equal to the result of the planar die + your Intelligence modifier. Damage from the attack or spell is first applied to your temporary hit points.

Judgement Blade

Requires Holy Knight, 5th level
As an action, spend a planar die to make a flourish and cause glass-like, ethereal blades of radiant energy to descend upon a creature you can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a successful Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage. On a successful saving throw, a creature takes half damage. This sword art’s damage increases by 2d8 when you reach 11th level (6d8), and 17th level (8d8) in this class.

Battleplate of the Gilded Tower

Requires Holy Knight, 9th level, Armor of Light sword art
When you would take damage from an attack or spell, you may use your reaction and expend one or more planar dice. For each die spent, gain the result of the die + your Intelligence modifier in temporary hit points. You may gain no more than half of your maximum hit points in temporary hit points when using this feature. These temporary hit points last for one hour. You may not use this sword art again until you complete a long rest.

Divine Binding

Requires Holy Knight, 9th level
As an action, you may spend a planar die to conjure shining golden chains which attempt to wrap around a target creature you can see within 30 feet to restrain it. The chains last up to 1 minute while you maintain concentration. The creature may willingly be restrained by the chains or may attempt a Strength saving throw to try to break free. On a failed saving throw, the creature takes 3d6 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage and is restrained by the chains. The creature may use an action to attempt the saving throw again on each of its turns, taking 3d6 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage on each failed saving throw. This sword art’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 11th level (4d6) and 17th level (5d6) in this class.

Holy Wrath

Requires Holy Knight, 13th level
As an action, you may spend one planar die to send a golden bolt of radiant energy to strike a creature you can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a successful Wisdom saving throw or take 4d8 + your Intelligence modifier in radiant damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. A creature which succeeds its saving throw takes half damage. This sword art deals an additional 4d8 radiant damage against a creature which is already blinded, stunned, or restrained. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a short or long rest before you are able to use it again. The initial damage and extra damage each increase by 1d8 once you reach 15th level.

Bastion of Light

Requires Holy Knight, 13th level
If you have temporary hit points and an ally within 10 feet would take damage from an attack or spell, you may choose to have the damage be taken by your temporary hit points first. Once your temporary hit points are reduced to 0, the allied creature takes any remaining damage.

Light of Creation

Requires Holy Knight, 17th level
As a bonus action, you may expend one planar die to cause a wave of radiant energy to surge forth from your trueblade. You and any creatures of your choice within 20 feet that you can see recover hit points equal to 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier. All other creatures that you can see within the area take 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier radiant damage. The damage and healing rolls for this sword art increase by 1d6 for each sword art you know which requires Holy Knight other than this one. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a long rest before you are able to use it again.

Etherblade Art

As the oldest of the sword saint orders, the earliest Etherblades sought to emulate traditional magic to enhance their own abilities by reaching into the ethereal plane. Their sword art often manipulates space and time to accomplish this end.

Etherblade Armor

Requires Etherblade
While you are not wearing armor, your armor class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier.

Twinblade

Requires Etherblade
You may be bound two trueblades instead of one and when you use a bonus action to summon your trueblade, you may summon both trueblades instead of one.

Aurri’s Dance

Requires Etherblade, 5th level
Any time a creature misses you with an attack, you may spend your reaction and one planar die to move up half your speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Heward’s Flight

Requires Etherblade, 5th level
When you fail a saving throw to avoid being paralyzed, petrified, restrained, or stunned you may use a reaction and expend a planar die to reroll the saving throw, adding the planar die to the result. You must use the new result.

Gisella’s Severance

Requires Etherblade, 9th level
When you hit a creature with your trueblade, you may expend one planar die to attempt to disrupt the creature’s connection to the material plane. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious for up to 1 minute while you maintain concentration. The creature may repeat the saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns and any time ittakes damage.

Avelina’s Disruption

Requires Etherblade, 9th level
When a creature targets you or an area you are in with a spell, you may spend your reaction and one planar die to attempt to disrupt the spell being cast. Make an intelligence check, adding the result of the planar die to the roll contested by the creatures spellcasting ability check + the level of the spell. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a short or long rest before you are able to do so again.

Temporal Distortion

Requires Etherblade, 13th level
As an action, you may spend one planar die to manipulate time as it affects your body. For the next minute while you maintain concentration, you gain the effects of the Haste spell. You may not use this sword art again until you complete a long rest.

Swiftblades

Requires Etherblade, 13th level, Twinblade sword art
When you are two-weapon fighting while wielding two trueblades and use your bonus action to make an attack as part of two-weapon fighting, you may attack with both trueblades instead of one.

Etherstorm

Requires Etherblade, 17th level
As an action, you may spend a planar die to rapidly vanish through the ether and reappear to attack enemies. You may immediately teleport to a space adjacent to a creature you can see within 60 feet and make an attack against the creature. You may do this a total number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a long rest before you are able to do so again.

Dark Knight Art

Dark Knights draw their power from the great void, a plane of eternal darkness in which no life may exist. Their sword art uses the power from this plane to destroy life and thrive in darkness during battle. Dark Knights often sacrifice their own life energy to power their sword art while siphoning that energy from other creatures.

Drain Life

Requires Dark Knight
As an action, you may expend one planar die to cause a beam of darkness to appear above a target creature you can see within 60 feet. The target creature must make a successful Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the creature takes 1d8 damage plus your Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. You recover a number of hit points equal to half of the damage dealt. This sword art deals an additional 1d8 necrotic damage for each sword art you know which requires Dark Knight, other than this one.

Terror of the Void

Requires Dark Knight
As an action, you may spend a planar die to reveal the void to the mind of a target creature you can see within 60 feet. The creature must make a successful Wisdom saving throw or take 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage and become frightened of you for 1 minute. The creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it is no longer frightened and is immune to being frightened by Terror of the Void for 24 hours. This sword art’s damage increases by 2d6 when you reach 5th level (4d6), 11th level (6d6), and 17th level (8d6) in this class.

Dark Bargain

Requires Dark Knight, 5th level
When you take the Attack action, you may use a bonus action and spend one planar die to cause your trueblade to deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage until the end of your turn. Until this effect ends, each time you make an attack, you take 1d4 necrotic damage unless the attack kills a creature, in which case you instead recover 1d8 hit points.

Crushing Blow

Requires Dark Knight, 5th level
As an action, you may spend one planar die to surround a creature you can see within 60 feet with crushing darkness. The creature must make a successful Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 bludgeoning damage and 2d8 + your Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half damage. When you reach 10th level, and again at 15th level, the bludgeoning and necrotic damage each increase by 1d8.

Void Harvest

Requires Dark Knight, 9th level
When you expend one or more planar dice on a sword art which kills a creature, you recover any planar dice spent.

Grim Determination

Requires Dark Knight, 9th level
When you are badly injured, you may use your connection to the void to artificially bolster your strength. When you have less than half of your hit points, you may use an action to expend one or more of your planar dice. For each die spent, gain the result of the die + your Intelligence modifier in temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour. You may not gain a number of temporary hit points greater than half of your maximum hit points. The act of forcing life into your body in this manner takes a toll and you may not use this sword art again until you complete a long rest.

Dark Nova

Requires Dark Knight, 13th level
As an action, you may spend one planar die to let loose a massive explosion of dark energy from your body. Each creature within 20 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. You, as well as any creature which failed its saving throw, take 8d8 + your Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. The damage of this sword art increases to 12d8 at 15th level. Once you use this sword art you must complete a short or long rest before you may use it again.

Death Shroud

Requires Dark Knight, 13th level
As an action, you may expend one planar die to radiate magical darkness which coats your body in a protective layer. You gain the following effects for 1 minute:

• Immunity to necrotic damage and the frightened condition
• Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
• Vulnerability to radiant damage

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You may use this sword art while frightened. Once you use this sword art, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.

Impending Doom

Requires Dark Knight, 17th level
As an action, you may spend one planar die to mark a creature within your reach for death. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the creature takes 10d8 necrotic damage. It must repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, taking 10d8 damage on each failed saving throw. After 1 minute or if the creature makes a successful save, the effect ends. Unless the creature is killed while under this effect, you must complete a long rest before you are able to use this sword art again..

Multiclassing As a Sword Saint

This class should be considered playtesting material and, as such, is not recommended for multiclassing. The class mechanics are in draft and may change. Check with your DM for permission to multiclass as a sword saint.

Prerequisites

In order to multiclass as a sword saint, you must possess both a Strength and Intelligence score of 13 or higher. It is recommended that any prospective sword saint seek a master of sword art to teach them the basics.

Proficiencies

When multiclassing from another class to a sword saint, you gain the following proficiencies:

• Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons

Special Thanks

This is a class I've been passionate about for some time, largely meant to capture the essence of characters from media such as Ashram from Record of the Lodoss War or Agrias and Gaffgarion from Final Fantasy Tactics.
I've had a great deal of help in iterating on the class's design, most especially from Encartrus at Falleron, which is greatly appreciated.
Obviously, huge thanks to Homebrewery as well in providing such an incredible and easy-to-use tool in which someone can create homebrew material.