```metadata title: 'Martial Archetype: Blade Sage' description: '' tags: '' systems: - 5e renderer: legacy theme: 5ePHB ``` # Martial Archetype: Blade Sage While some warriors rely on their strength or instincts, Blade Sages rely on their meticulous study of battle. These warriors pore over tomes of weapon techniques and seek out masters to teach them how to perfect their skill with a blade. They are melee combat experts, usually focusing their training to obtain mastery over one type of weapon. Through rigorous training and study, Blade Sages learn powerful techniques to strike hard, befuddle their opponents, and deftly maneuver themselves and their allies around the battlefield. They are reactive, close-quarters fighters who are trained to seek out opportunities to attack and take advantage of their enemies' mistakes and weaknesses . #### Bonus proficiency When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: History, Arcana, Religion, Nature, or Insight. #### Way of the Blade Sage Many Blade Sages fight without armor, avoiding attacks by simply knowing where to be at the right time. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, while you are wearing no armor and are not wielding a shield or a melee weapon with the Heavy property, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. If you have the Defense Fighting Style, you may still add the +1 bonus to your AC while you are unarmored this way. In addition, when wielding a spear or longsword, you may choose to use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls with those weapons. #### Blade Arts When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn special weapon techniques called Blade Arts. ***Blade Arts.*** You learn two Blade Arts of your choice, which are detailed under "Blade Arts" below. Blade Arts can enhance enhance your melee attacks or allow you to perform a special move. Blade Arts cannot be used with weapons that have the Heavy property. Each time you level up, you can replace a Blade Art you know with a different one. You learn an additional Blade Art at 7th level and 10th level. Also at level 7, you gain access to Greater Blade Arts. Only one Greater Blade Art can be known at a time. ***Blade Dice.*** You have three blade dice, which are d8s. A blade die is expended when you use it. You can only expend one blade die per turn. You regain all expended blade dice after a short or long rest. You gain another blade die at level 10, and your blade dice become d10s at level 15. ***Saving Throws.*** If a Blade Art requires your target to make a saving throw, your Blade Art save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. #### Weapon Sage Your knowledge of weapon techniques extends to weapons themselves, as well. Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on any checks you make to recall information about weapons. In addition, you are also able to more easily identify and attune to magic weapons. If you spend 1 minute with a magic weapon, you can learn its properties and, if you choose to, immediately become attuned to it (provided that you meet any requirements necessary). #### Improved Blade Arts Starting at 10th level, your relentless training and study cause your Blade Arts to become more deadly. Whenever you add a blade die to a damage roll, hit a creature after adding your blade die to the attack roll, or hit a creature with an additional weapon attack granted as a result of using a blade die (such as "Blade Counter"), you can cause the target to take an amount of damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. The damage type is the same as the weapon you are wielding. If a Blade Art damages multiple targets, choose one target to add this extra damage to. #### Ever-Ready Blade Starting at 15th level, whenever you roll for initiative and have no blade dice, you regain one blade die. In addition, you gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to half your Intelligence modifier (rounded up). \page #### Peerless Technique Starting at 18th level, you gain the ability to make your strikes even deadlier and more precise. As a bonus action, you can choose a number of creatures equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. You gain the following benefits with melee weapon attacks against these creatures for the next minute: * You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls * Any attack roll you make is a critical hit on a roll of 18-20 * When you score a critical hit, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice an additional time You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest. #### Blade Arts The Blade Arts are presented in alphabetical order. ***Blade Counter.*** When a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to expend and roll one blade die and add the result to your AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss. If the attack misses, you can use to move up to half your speed without taking attacks of opportunity. Before or after this movement, or if you choose not to move at all, you can also make one melee weapon attack against the creature that attacked you as part of this reaction. ***Dazing Flurry.*** As a bonus action, you can attempt to stun a creature for a short time. Expend a blade die and choose a creature within range of a melee weapon you are holding. The creature must make a Constitution Saving Throw. On a failed save, the creature takes an amount of damage equal to your blade die and is stunned until the end of your turn. The damage type is the same as the weapon you chose that the creature is within range of. ***Disabling Strike.*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a blade die to attempt to weaken its attacks. You add your blade die to the attack's damage roll, and the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls until the end of its next turn. ***Hurricane Blade.*** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can expend a blade die and replace one of your attacks with a wide spinning attack that knocks your opponents off their feet. Choose any number of creatures that are within the range of a melee weapon you are holding. Each creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take an amount of damage equal to your blade die. The damage type is the same as the weapon you are wielding. ***Lightning Leap.*** As a bonus action, you can leap and strike at a distant opponent. You can expend a blade die to jump up to a distance equal to half your speed (rounded up). Any attacks of opportunity made against you during this movement are made with disadvantage. In addition, you can reduce any falling damage taken as a result of this movement by half and you don't fall prone. You can make a melee weapon attack against a creature either during this movement or after you land, adding your blade die to the attack roll. ***Piercing Blade.*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a blade die to attempt find a weak point in its defenses. You add your blade die to the attack's damage roll and you learn of all resistances the creature has has (if any). If the target has at least one resistance, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you can choose one of its resistances. You and your allies can ignore that resistance until the end of your next turn. ***Pincer Attack.*** When an ally makes an attack roll against a creature within range of a melee weapon you are holding, you can expend a blade die to use your reaction to add your blade die to the ally's attack roll. You may also make one melee weapon attack against the target as part of this reaction. ***Sundering Strike.*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a blade die to attempt to to cripple its movement and defenses. You add your blade die to the attack's damage roll, and the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, its speed is halved and its AC is reduced by 2 until the end of your next turn. #### Greater Blade Arts ***Retribution Stance.*** As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend a blade die to enter a special defensive stance. Roll the blade die and add the result to your AC until the start of your next turn. Whenever a creature within the range of a melee weapon you are holding targets you with an attack, you can immediately make a melee weapon attack against that creature. Doing so does not consume your reaction. Once you use this Blade Art, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
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\page ***Triangle Strike.*** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can expend a blade die to make a powerful melee team attack with your allies. When you target a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose up to two other friendly creatures that you have fought alongside before. These creatures can use their reaction to move up to half their speed without provoking attacks of opportunity and make a melee weapon attack against the creature you targeted. If they do not have their reaction, cannot get within melee range with this extra movement, or do not have a melee weapon drawn, then they cannot be chosen for this attack. You and your ally/allies all make your attack rolls simultaneously. After the attacks are rolled, you can add your blade die to either your attack roll or one of your allies' attack rolls. Once you use this Blade Art, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Art used: -Zihark, "Fire Emblem" (property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo) -Dragontail whip, "Dragon Quest VII" (property of Hearbeat, Arte Piazza, and Square Enix) -Phoenix Spear, "Nier/Nier Automata" (property of Cavia and Square Enix)