The Swordmaster

An attractive half-elf raises her sword as she disputes in a tournament, confident and graceful, she unsheathes her sword. She doesn't falter, her eyes are fixed on his target, a bell rings in the distance, and just as briefly as an eye can blink, her rapier reaches its target throat without the slightiest wound performed, she then laughs carefreely as he is declared victor.

A tough, battle-hardened half-orc gladiator in an arena, demanding the favor of the people, the round begins, three warriors are freed simultaneously and surround him soonly after, the half-orc is now focused and silent, he just waits for the right moment. A clean sweep, then another, and another one. His sword is coathed in blood, three clean cuts, three dead enemies.

A retired human swordsman and an infant elf urchin who he had adopted after the war. Master and disciple, throughout the years the man ensures that his experiences transcend through the child, who grows up listening the stories of his teacher, his awe and curiosity for the world grow incesantly. The day of the man's death, the elf takes his sword and proceeds to start his own journey, following the legacy and tradition, just as he had done with his own father, and as every ascendant from him had done.

Swordmasters are specialized combatants who wield their blades with surgical presicion. Renowned for their admirable dedication, not every mercenary or knight with a sword can become a swordmaster, unlike most warriors, swordmasters are rarely soldiers serving a liege or a cause. Instead, they are mostly travelers with no particular interest in politics or riches, but in the perfection of their art as well as the seeking for a higher purpose in life, thirsting for experience and wisdom about the ways of the world.

Unrivailed Discipline

Free Spirits


Creating a Swordmaster

As you make your swordmaster character, think about the event that connected you with the swordsmanship. How and why it influenced your character into devoting itself into this art. Were you or your family acquainted with some master of the blade? Were you an adventurer or mercenary looking to forge its own path?

A true swordsman's life is harsh and sacrificed. Utmost discipline is requiered and even then, few ever become true swordsmasters. Consider why you are into this journey of self-discovery and improvement. Perhaps you lived as an adventurer until a moment of self-realization and are now seeking to understand the world and life first-handedly. Consider your departure. What did you left behind? Is there something you hope to accomplish outside the life of a warrior? Are you seeking to explore the world or was leaving more important than the destination? Are you eager to return to your home once your journey is accomplished?

One thing is for sure, you are now on a perilous yet exciting journey. Your sword will be your most trusted partner, it will accompany you in the coldest nights and beyond any adversity.

Quick Build

You can make a swordmaster quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Far Traveler background.

The Swordmaster
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Battle Stances Known
1st +2 Unarmored Defense, Fighting Style -
2nd +2 Battle Stance, Shove 1
3rd +2 Martial Discipline 1
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 1
5th +3 Extra Attack 2
6th +3 Martial Discipline Feature 2
7th +3 Evasion 2
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 2
9th +4 Wanderer, Vantage 2
10th +4 Superior Discipline 2
11th +4 Martial Discipline Feature 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 3
13th +5 Swordfaire 3
14th +5 Extra Attack (2) 3
15th +5 Crescent Slash 3
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 3
17th +6 Martial Discipline Feature 4
18th +6 Unyielding Spirit 4
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 4
20th +6 Astra 4

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 Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Swordmaster level after 1st

Proficiencies


  • Armor: Light Armor.
  • Weapons: Simple melee weapons, Scimitars, Shortswords, Longswords, Rapiers and Greatswords.
  • Tools: None.
  • Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
  • Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Insight, Perception, Survival or Intimidation.

Equipment

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

  • (a) two scimitars or (b) a greatsword
  • (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
  • a longsword, one dagger, leather armor

Unarmored Defense

Starting at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Fighting Style

At 1st 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.

Two-Weapon Fighting

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

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.

Dueling

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

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target that is within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a swordmaster weapon to use this reaction.

Shove

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to shove a willing creature 5 feet away from you.

Battle Stance

Upon reaching 2nd level, you learn two battle stances from the list below, you learn new stances as you gain levels in this class; consult the Battle Stances collumn of the Swordmaster table. Every time you master a new battle stance, you gain passive bonuses depending on the chosen stance, granted only if you have a swordmaster weapon equipped and are wearing light or no armor and have no shield equipped.

Each stance has an additional Adrenaline Rush effect, which you can use once you have learned the respective stance. You can fuel it by expending Adrenaline. The amount of Adrenaline available is equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum of one). You regain all your expended adrenaline rush when you finish a short or long rest.

Some of your stances require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects. The saving throw DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Ox Guard

You gain advantage in saving throws against any effect that would cause you to fall prone or be moved against your will.

Adrenaline Rush: When you take the attack, disengage, or dash action, you may as a bonus action get into a defensive stance. Until the begginning of your next turn, you add half your wisdom modifier (rounded up, with a minimum of one) to your AC. This bonus only applies against melee attacks.

Long-Point Guard

The reach of any swordmaster martial weapon you're wielding is increased by 5 feet.

Adrenaline Rush: On a successful attack, you can force the target creature to make a Dexterity saving throw against your Stance save DC. On a failed save, the creature drops its weapon or an item of your choice that is carrying on its hands or equivalent limbs.

Wrath Guard

Whenever you land a critical hit using a swordmaster weapon, it deals additional damage equal to your swordmaster level.

Adrenaline Rush: Whenever you land a critical hit, you can force the target creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your stance save DC. On a failure, the target is stunned until the start of your next turn.


Draw Stance

You gain advantage in initiative rolls. Additionally, your movement speed increases by 15 feet.

Adrenaline Rush: You can spend adrenaline rush to dash as a bonus action during your turn. Until the end of that turn, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement.

Martial Discipline

At 3rd level, you choose a martial discipline that represents your combat style and training. Choose either the Trueblade, or the Duelist, both detailed at the end of the class description. The discipline chosen grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 11th 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 when you reach 14th level in this class.

Evasion

Once you reach 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.

Wanderer

Upon reaching 9th level, you've grown accustomed to travelling and adapting to your environments, remaining alert and ready at any given moment You gain the following benefits.

  • You and anyone accompanying you can't get lost except through magical means.
  • When travelling, difficult terrain doesn't slow your group travelling speed.
  • If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
  • Whenever travelling at normal pace or slower, you and any creature accompanying you don't leave any tracks behind, you can only be tracked through magical means or scent.
  • For as long as you are conscious, you can't be surprised.

Vantage

Starting at 9th level, when you are below half your hit point maximum and a hostile creature makes a melee attack against you, you may use your reaction to make an attack against that creature before they make their attack roll.

Superior Discipline

By 10th level, you have developed an unshakable willforce. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws

Swordfaire

Once you reach 13th level, your unrivailed precision allows you to score deadly strikes with minimum effort. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19 or 20. Lastly, you ignore class and race restriction for any swordmaster weapon.

Crescent Slash

Upon reaching 15th level, your constant, rigurous training has given you the capacity to master an advance technique consisting of a swift, cleaving cut. If you have a swordmaster weapon equipped, as an action, you may force every non-flying creature within a 15-feet radius to make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d8 slashing damage on a failed save and be pushed 10 feet away, landing prone. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and suffers no additional effect. A creature with total cover remains unaffected. If your equipped weapon is magical, so is the damage dealt. You can use this feature twice per short or long rest.

Unyielding Spirit

Starting at 18th level, whenever you roll for initiative while having at least one expended use of adrenaline, you regain one use.

Astra

At 20th level, you have reached the paragon in the art of the sword and learned to unleash a barrage of flashingly fast strikes, a mastery technique also known as Starblade or Five-Point Strike. Once per short rest, when you take the attack action, you can perform up to five melee weapon attacks for as long as all attacks are directed towards the same creature. These attacks are performed with advantage.

Martial Disciplines

When a swordmaster comes to mind, there are two main styles in practice: the Trueblade, and the Duelist. Your martial discipline reflects the perspective taken of way of the sword as well as your phylosophy as a warrior.

The Sword Saint

Unlike most combatants, the style of a Sword Saint involves not only precision and speed, but also the capacity to fluidly transition in the heat of combat to best adapt to your environment. Such graceful finesse is hardly replicable by other swordsmen, and certainly looked up to. Only those who seek for the perfection in the art of the sword and are ultimately determined to commit themselves to this philosophy can ever become trueblades.

Extra Proficiencies

When you pick this discipline, you gain proficiency in a skill. Choose between persuasion or history. Additionally, you can learn a new language of your choice.


Path of the Sword

As a devoted practicioner of the path of the sword you gain several benefits for as long as you're wielding a swordmaster weapon and wearing light or no armor and have no shield equipped. You gain more benefits as you gain levels in this class.

  • If you're using a swordmaster weapon that lacks the heavy property, you may use your dexterity modifier instead of your strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You can also draw or stow two weapons instead of one.

  • You learn the cantrips Green-Flame Blade and Booming Blade. These spells count as Swordmaster spells for you. Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier when casting these spells.

  • Starting at 6th level, If you take the dash or disengage action, you can cast a Swordmaster spell as a bonus action.

  • Once you reach 11th level, you regain all expended uses of Adept upon taking a short or long rest.

  • By 17th level, you can reeplace the extra attack granted by the Adept feature to cast a Swordmaster spell. Lastly, if you are Resolute, you may spend Adrenaline and use the Crescent Slash feature as a bonus action, provided you meet the requirements to use the feature.

Adept

Starting at 3rd level, if you're wielding a swordmaster weapon, after taking the attack action on your turn, you may use this feature to perform a melee weapon attack as a bonus action against the last creature you attacked. If you would normally be able to perform an attack using your bonus action, you can instead perform two attacks. You can use this feature an amount of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one), and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Keen Eye

By 6th level, you are well-versed on the history and lore of bladed weapons. You can tell whether they are magical at a glance, and you have advantage on any Intelligence (History) skill checks made to recall lore relating to bladed weapons or knowledge related to martial tradition and culture. You can also cast the Identify spell as a ritual with a duration of a minute, for the duration you must be holding the weapon. You can do so without material components, but only to identify swordmaster weapons.

Honed Senses

By 11th level, you can spend adrenaline as a bonus action. When you do so, choose one of the following benefits during the next hour.

  • You gain 10ft. of blindsense. You know the location of any invisible creature within 10 feet of you unless they're behind total cover. Additionally, attacking an invisible creature doesn't grant you disadvantage on the attack rolls.

Resolve

Starting at level 17, a swordmaster's resolution burns as they hold onto life by overexterting their body to its very limits. Whenever your hit points drop to equal or below half its maximum, you may as a reaction become Resolute. Whenever you are Resolute, you add your Wisdom modifier to all saving throws and damage rolls from melee attacks. Your resolve lasts up to a minute, and will end immediately if your hit points rise above half your maximum hitpoints or if you fall unconscious. This feature can only be used once per long rest.

during your turn you take the attack action and miss an attack, you may reroll it. You can do this once per round

The Duelist

Those who practice the art of fencing and combine their martial prowess with fancy tactics to outplay their opponents are known as duelists. Renowned as elusive fighters with a trained eye for exploiting openings on their opponents.

Extra Proficiencies

As a Duelist, you gain proficiency in medium armor. Additionally, wearing either medium armor will no longer prevent you from using the Battle Stance feature. Lastly, you become proficient in a skill , choose between persuasion, performance or deception.

Duel

Starting at 3rd level, When you hit a hostile creature with a melee weapon, you can provoke it to focus its attention on you. This feature has no effect on creatures that are immune to the charmed condition. Both you and the provoked creature can't willingly move away from each other. Additionally, said creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against any creature other than you until the end of the effect.

The duel ends after a minute, or until you provoke a different target. If the target creature's hitpoints drop to 0 while still under the effect, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your level in this class. You can use this feature twice per short or long rest.


Flip the Coin

By 6th level, you can attempt to get a glimpse of a read of the forecoming destiny by tossing a coin. When you do so, the GM rolls a d6 in secret. If the result is equal or lower than your Wisdom modifier (Maximum of 5), you add that value to the next ability check you perform within the next hour. If the result is higher, you substract it from your ability check. You can use this feature a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier.

Unrelenting Strike

Upon reaching 11th level, you ignore the hitpoints requirements of the Vantage feature. Furthermore, Whenever you perform an opportunity attack against a creature affected by Duel using the Vantage feature and successfully hit, the target has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against you.

Locate Vitals

Starting at 17th level, you are an expert at finding your opponents' weaknesses to exploit them in your favor. Whenever you make use of the Duel feature (regardless of the creature's saving throw result). For the duration of a minute or until that creature drops to 0 hitpoints, you have advantage in your attack rolls against that creature. Lastly, if you land a critical hit on a creature under this effect, you deal 10 additional damage and it must make a Constitution saving throw with DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier, on a failure, the creature is stunned until the end of your next turn.

The Soulblade

Soulblade Spellcasting | Spell Slots per Level
Swordmaster Level Cantrips Know Features Hermetic Geography
3rd +2 Mathematical Pharmacist +2
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement +3
5th +3 Plasma Outlaw +3
6th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Demonic Anthropology +3
7th +3 Gunpowder Torturer +4
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Spell Analyst +5
9th +4 +6
10th +4 Plasma Outlaw +6
11th +4 +7
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Astrological Chemistry +8
13th +5 Orbital Gravedigger +9
14th +5 Ability Score Improvement +9
15th +5 Gunslinger Corruptor +10
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement +11
17th +6 Malefic Chemist +12
18th +6 Sixgun Poisoner +13
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Demonic Anthropology +14
20th +6 Divinatory Mineralogy +15

The Hero

Those who practice the art of fencing and combine their martial prowess with fancy tactics to outplay their opponents are known as duelists. Renowned as elusive fighters with a trained eye for exploiting openings on their opponents.

Battleaxe, Greataxe, Halberd, Warhammer

Extra Proficiencies

Upon choosing this discipline, you gain proficiency in all melee martial weapons, medium armor and shields.

Seasoned Combatant

At 3rd level, you feel how your body is well-accustomed to the exertion of battle. Your hit point maximum increases by 1 per level you have taken in this class and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class. Additionally, if you're wearing light or medium armor.

Martial Expertise

Once you reach 6th level.

  • If you're wielding a shield, you can use your bonus action to provide half cover to yourself.

Flawless Technique

Upon reaching level 11, if during your turn you take the attack action and miss an attack, you may reroll it. You can do this once per round.

Sol

Starting at 17th level, your prowess in battle fills you with vigor and strength when you need it the most. When you take the attack action and use this feature, until the end of your turn you recover hit points equal to half the damage you deal to any hostile creature. Once you use this feature, it can't be used again until you take a long rest.

Honed Edge

When you reach NONEth level, striking your opponents with devastating efficiency. You add your Wisdom modifier to your melee weapon damage rolls.

  • By 17th level, your senses are honed beyond mere perception, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

The Duelist

Those who practice the art of fencing and combine their martial prowess with fancy tactics to outplay their opponents are known as duelists. Renowned as elusive fighters with a trained eye for exploiting openings on their opponents.

Extra Proficiencies

As a Duelist, you gain proficiency in medium armor. Additionally, wearing medium armor will no longer prevent you from using the Battle Stance feature. Lastly, you become proficient in a skill , choose between persuasion, performance or deception.

Duel

Starting at 3rd level, When you hit a hostile creature with a melee weapon, you can provoke it to focus its attention on you. This feature has no effect on creatures that are immune to the charmed condition. Both you and the provoked creature can't willingly move away from each other. Additionally, said creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against any creature other than you until the end of the effect.

The duel ends after a minute, or until you provoke a different target. If the target creature's hitpoints drop to 0 while still under the effect, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your level in this class. You can use this feature twice per short or long rest.


TBA

Unrelenting Strike

Upon reaching 11th level, you ignore the hitpoints requirements of the Vantage feature. Furthermore, Whenever you perform an opportunity attack against a creature affected by Duel using the Vantage feature and successfully hit, the target has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against you.

Locate Vitals

Starting at 17th level, you are an expert at finding your opponents' weaknesses to exploit them in your favor. Whenever you make use of the Duel feature (regardless of the creature being affected by it or not). For the duration of a minute or until that creature drops to 0 hitpoints, you have advantage in your attack rolls against that creature. Lastly, if you land a critical hit on a creature under this effect, you deal 10 additional damage and it must make a Constitution saving throw with DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier, on a failure, the creature is stunned until the end of your next turn.