Blademaster, Variant (5e Class)

Blademaster, Variant

The man appears to dance through the battlefield with his rapier, each strike leading into the next, climaxing in brillant thrusts and vital point blows. The warrior's deft hands and feet never out of place and always a blur, striking swiftly at any advantage given. A woman steps forward, a greatsword in her hand and coated in scale armor. She stands against an ocean of foes as an invincible bulwark. Her defense impregnable, and her blade a devastating and sweeping arc of death.

Blademasters are diligent artists with the blade, working years at mastering combinations of attacks and footwork accumulating in stances and strikes for all situations.

Mechanically, the blademaster uses stances and successive attacks to build combos to unleash stronger and stronger attacks.

Creating a Blademaster

The path of the Blademaster is a difficult one. Those who walk it choose to dedicate their lives to the sword, gaining mystic powers similar to magic. The reason they chose this path is the core of their character. Why did they become a blade master? Do they fight for anyone? Why or why not? What happened to their master? Or did they learn their abilities on their own without any teacher other than the foes they faced? Are they avenging someone or are they simply trying to find the pinnacle of blade artistry?

Quick Build

You can make a Blademaster quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the folk hero or hermit background. Third, choose a greatsword or a rapier, scale mail, 5 javelins, and an explorer's pack.

Class Features

As a Blademaster you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blademaster level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 1d10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Blademaster level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial melee weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• A martial weapon you are proficient with
• (a) five javelins or (b) two handaxes or (c) two daggers
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10gp in funds.

Table: The Blademaster

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Flask
1st	+2	Stance, Combo Points, Technique	-
2nd	+2	Bladesmanship	-
3rd	+2	Blade's Path, Flask	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3
5th	+3	Extra Attack	4
6th	+3	Adept Techniques	4
7th	+3	Advanced Stances	5
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5
9th	+4	Path Feature	6
10th	+4	Form Breathing Stance, Combo Point Improvement	6
11th	+4	Footwork Stances	7
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7
13th	+5	Master Techniques, Flask Improvement	8
14th	+5	Path Feature	8
15th	+5	Rapid Strike	9
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9
17th	+6	Path Feature	10
18th	+6	Hybrid Stances	10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10
20th	+6	Unlimited Combo, Signature Move	10

Stance

Starting at 1st level, when you begin your turn you may choose to shift to a stance you know. You may not change stances if your speed is 0, but you retain the effects of the previous stance. You begin by knowing three stances, Panther, Crab, and Road Runner and learn more as you gain levels in the blademaster Class.

• Panther Stance: You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
• Crab Stance: You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class and saving throws.
• Road Runner Stance: Your walking speed increases by 10 feet so long as your speed is not 0.

Combo Points

Starting at 1st level, you learn to fluidly connect your attacks. Each attack you make against a hostile creature generates one combo point. You may have a maximum of (3 + your level in this class) number of Combo Points. If you would gain a combo point while you are at the maximum number of combo points instead nothing happens. When you roll initiative, you lose all combo points.

Starting at 10th level, when you roll initiative, you may maintain a number of combo points equal to (your level in this class - 5). Any combo points above this amount are lost.

Technique

Starting at 1st level, every time you make an attack, you may add the effects of a technique to the attack. You learn these basic techniques to include in your combo. Each technique is categorized as an Opener, Flourish, or Finisher.

• An opener you may only use when you have no (0) combo points.
• A flourish you may use anytime you have one (1) or more combo points.
• A finisher does not generate a combo point and instead consumes all of your combo points. You may only use a finisher when you have the minimum number of combo points required. This number is listed after “finisher” in the description of the technique. You can only use one finisher each turn.

If a technique would require a saving throw, the DC is: 8 + your proficiency modifier + your choice of strength or dexterity modifier.

You start off knowing the following techniques:

• Battojutsu(Quick Draw): Opener, You gain 2 combo points instead of 1 on this attack.
• Parry: Opener, you gain +1 to AC until the start of your next turn.
• Lunge: Flourish, the reach of your attack increases by 5 feet.
• Mutilate: Flourish, if the attack hits, you gain +1 to the damage roll
• Shove: Flourish, if the attack hits a creature size Large or smaller, you also push the creature 5 feet away from you.
• Precision Strike: Finisher 3, you gain +1 to the attack roll for each combo point you have.
• Rupture: Finisher 3, on a hit you gain +1 to the damage roll for each combo point you have.

Bladesmanship

Starting at 2nd level, while wielding a weapon you are proficient with and no shield:

• If you took the attack action this turn, you can make an additional attack as a bonus action.
• You add a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Flask

At 3rd level, You have learned that your training includes rest, and thus you have developed your own solution to maximize your resting and activity through the use of a Flask. You gain proficiency with the medicine skill and herbalism kits, as part of intensive self-care. You can craft a special flask that allows you to garner and concentrate natural healing that is able to be consumed as if it were a potion. You start with 3 healing surges that heals like any potion of healing, and increase the max surges by 1 every 2 levels. Used surges are recovered whenever you finish a short or long rest. You or any creature that drinks from the flask, can drink up to a number of healing surges equal to their constition modifier. Each surge heals for 1d6+4 hit points, and also grants half of the rolled total to the target as temporary hitpoints. Alternatively, you can use your action and expend 1 surges to stabilize a creature with 0 hit points without needing to make a medicine check, which heals them for 1d4+1 hit points instead, and does not gain temporary hitpoints. If you were to lose this flask, you can craft one out of common materials found in the wild or in adventuring gear during the course of a long rest.

At 13th level, active combat may allow you to regain a flask's healing surges. Whenever you use your blademanship bonus action attack during initiative one expended healing surge from your Flask and recover a number of hit points equal to half the damage you dealt by the attack.

Blade's Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path to modify your specialty in combat. These paths are philosophies of training that emphasize certain aspects of blademaster techniques. Unlike other subclasses for most clases, you can change your path at the end of a long rest. When doing so, choose from the Path of Adamantine, Path of Mithril, or Path of Iron, all detailed at the end of the class description. The path you choose after resting grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 9th, 14th, 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 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.

Adept Techniques

At 6th level, you master the following maneuvers:

• Riposte: Opener, whenever a target would miss you with a melee attack before your next turn, you may use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that target.
• Cleave: Flourish, if you hit with this attack, you deal damage to an enemy within your reach and within 5 feet of the original target equal to half of the damage dealt to the original target.
• Hamstring: Flourish, if you hit with this attack, the target’s walking speed is reduced by 10 feet on hit for its next 2 turns.
• Kick: Flourish, if this attack hits and the target of this attack was concentrating on a spell or ability, they must make a concentration check with a -5 penalty to it.
• Reckless Slash: Flourish, you gain advantage on the attack roll for this attack, if the attack hits you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll. Regardless of whether your attack hits, the target of the attack has advantage on the next attack roll made they make against you.
• Chakra Puncture: Finisher 8, if this attack hits, the target must also succeed on a Constitution saving throw or else it is stunned until the end of your next turn. Increase the DC of this saving throw by 1 for each additional combo point you have over 8.
• Charging Lunge: Finisher 6, before making this attack you may move up to 10 feet in a straight line towards your intended target. If the attack hits you deal an additional 1d4 damage for each 5 feet you moved. You may increase the distance of this initial movement by 5 feet for every 2 combo points you have over 6.
• Shockwave: Finisher 8, if this attack hits, each hostile creature within 10 feet of the original target takes damage equal to half the damage dealt to the original target.

Advanced Stances

At 7th level, you master these more advanced stances:

• Wolf Stance: Your allies have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of you that is hostile to you.
• Hippo Stance: You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 bonus to damage rolls.
• Crane Stance: You gain a +1 bonus to saving throws and a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Form Breathing Stance

At 10th level, you learn a unique breathing stance that strengthens your resolve and ability to commit to action, in or out of battle. You gain the ability to embrace power from breathing into your combat and out of it. When taking this stance, you gain a damage reduction that allows you to reduce the damage you take by 1d6, and you gain a advantage on saves against magical effects or hazards that you can sense, and your weapon attacks deal an additional damage die. Unlike other stances, this one ends after 1 minute of being used. You can only use this stance once for free and must expend at least 1 healing surge on yourself to use it again.

At 18th level, as long as you’re not incapacitated, you permanently gain these effects (no activation required) as a natural breathing and is not considered a stance.

Footwork Stances

At 11th level, you learn these stances that enable you to move and respond faster:

• Hummingbird Stance: While in this stance, you may make an additional attack for free whenever you take a bonus action.
• Stallion Stance: While in this stance, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. Additionally, you may take the Dash action whenever you take a bonus action.
• Elephant Stance: While in this stance, you cannot be moved against your will or be knocked prone, and gain a +1 to Armor Class.

Master Techniques

At 13th level, you learn the most advanced basic maneuvers for your combos:

• Shunpo: Opener, you may teleport up to 10 feet in any direction before or after you make this attack.
• Air Sickle: Opener, the attack has its reach increased by 10 feet, and the weapon’s damage type changes to force damage.
• Bloody Cut: Flourish, if you have less than half of your hit point maximum remaining, you gain +1 bonus to the attack roll of this attack, and if the attack hits you gain a +3 bonus to the damage roll.
• Pommel Strike: Flourish, if this attack hits, the target has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
• Deliberate Strike: Finisher 16, this attack has a +10 bonus to the attack and damage rolls. Add +1 to the attack and damage roll for each combo point you have over 10.
• Eviscerate: Finisher 10, if this attack hits, it becomes a critical hit. In addition, Add 1d6 damage for each combo point you have over 10. This bonus damage is not affected by critical hit effects.

Rapid Strike

Starting at 15th level, you learn to trade accuracy for swift strikes. You can only use feature if you have advantage on an attack roll against a target. You can forgo the advantage on that attack, and in exchange, you can make an additional attack against that target. This feature may be used to make a number of additional attacks on your turn up to your Dexterity modifier, in addition to any added additional attacks by other features or effects. This maneuver may only be used while wielding a weapon you are proficient with.

Hybrid Stance

Starting at 18th level, you have learned to combine your stances. You may be in two different stances at the same time. At the beginning of your turn, you may switch one or both stances.

Unlimited Combo

Starting at 20th level, you no longer have a combo point maximum and finishers consume a maximum of half of your combo points or the number of combo points required to activate the finisher, whichever is greater. Finishers that have an increased effect dependent on the number of combo points you have still have the full effect. You may now use an opener when you have no combo points or anytime the last attack you made was a finisher. For example, if you use Rupture with 10 combo points, the attack gets +10 damage and you go down to 5 combo points. If you use Deliberate Strike, which requires 16 combo points, with 18 combo points, you gain +12 to the attack and damage rolls and have 2 combo points remaining.

Signature Move

You also gain the Signature Move action. Instead of taking an attack action, you may instead showcase the full bulwark of your strength in a collected single action. You make four attacks with this action. For each attack keep all relevant modifiers to the attack roll and damage bonus but replace the base damage of the weapon with 3d12 (except finishers that modify base damage dice). For the first attack you may add the effects of any opener. For the second and third attack you may add the effects of any flourish. For the fourth attack you may add the effects of any finisher (path finishers are expended as normal), as if you had the minimum number of combo points required to use it. Once you use this action, you must expend at least 3 healing surges on yourself to regain the use of it again.

Path of Adamantine

This path focuses on defensive techniques and on slowly wearing out an opponent rather than on attacking aggressively. Practitioners often show great patience and tact, knowing to wait for the perfect moment to land a decisive blow.

Heavy Footed

At 3rd level, you gain an additional +2 bonus to your Armor Class while you are in crab stance, hippo stance, or elephant stance. Additionally, when you flourish, you may choose to not gain combo points from that attack and instead add an additional +2 to the damage roll.

Steel Scale Defense

At 9th level, you may use your action to shore up your defense. Until the start of your next turn, you gain a +5 bonus to your Armor Class and saving throws. You also gain 3 combo points.

Long Reach

At 14th level, you have learned to plant yourself and strike from afar. While in Crab stance, Hippo stance, or Elephant stance, you may use the Air Sickle opener as if it were a flourish, and you instead add 20 feet to your reach. You may also use Air Sickle as a Finisher with a 6 Combo Point requirement. When used as a Finisher in this way, Air Sickle deals an additional 2d10 force damage on a hit and does not consume all your combo points, it only consumes 6.

Turtle Destruction Wave

At 17th level, you learn the very essence of the Adamantine Path in the form of a finisher. You must be in crab stance, hippo stance, or elephant stance in order to use this finisher. Once you use this finisher, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Turtle Destruction Wave: Finisher 16, You unleash a beam of energy in a 15 foot wide, 40 foot long line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 8d6+40 force damage and is pushed 20 feet away from you. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. Any building or object in this area takes double damage, regardless of size.

Path of Mithril

The path of Mithril focuses on speed and maneuverability over sheer force or invincible defense. They use this quickness to overwhelm their foes with a flurry of slashes and thrusts faster than the eye can see.

Swift Footed

At 3rd level, while in Road Runner stance, Crane stance, or Hummingbird stance you have an additional +2 bonus to attack rolls and you may use Battojutsu as a flourish as well as an opener.

Swift Strikes

At 9th level, you may use an action to make a whirlwind attack. Make a melee weapon attack against every hostile creature within 5 feet of you. You may only use flourishes for these attacks, even if you have no combo points. You gain no combo points until the entire action is finished at which point you gain 3 combo points regardless of how many attacks you made.

Flash Step

At 14th level, while in Road Runner stance, Crane Stance, or Hummingbird stance, you may use Shunpo as a finisher with a 6 combo point minimum requirement. If shunpo is used as a finisher in this way, you may teleport up an additional to 20 feet (for 30 total). The target takes an additional 4d12 damage from the attack and does not consume all your combo points, it only consumes 6

Judgement’s Strike

At 17th level, you learn the very essence of the Mithral Path in the form of a finisher. You must be in Road Runner stance, Crane Stance, or Hummingbird stance in order to use this finisher. Once you use this finisher, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Judgement’s Strike: Finisher 14, Choose a number of creatures within 40 feet of you. As part of this special attack action, make a single attack that targets creatures that you choose or an object within a 5 foot range of said creature, up to maximum to a number of targets equal to your current combo point total. Each creature that you hit with the attack takes the weapon’s damage type and any other relevant modifiers and damage bonuses, but replacing the base damage dice of the weapon with 6d8 damage. Regardless whether the attacks hit or not, at the end of your turn, every hostile creature or object within range takes 3d8 force damage, buildings and objects take double damage. If you so choose, you can target only one creature with this finisher, and if you do, you can attack that target multiple times equal to a third the number of combo points use for this finisher.

Path of Iron

This path focuses on channeling raw offensive force to overwhelm an opponent. Practitioners are often bold and vigorous individuals who rely on their strength to see them through danger and believe that the best defense is a good offense.

Claw Footed

At 3rd level, when you are in Panther stance, Wolf stance, or Stallion stance, you gain an additional +2 bonus to damage rolls. When you use the Mutilate flourish in one of those stances, the technique adds +2 to the damage roll instead of +1.

Heavy Strike

At 9th level, you may use an action to make a melee weapon attack against one target within your melee range. You may use maneuvers as normal with this weapon attack. Make this attack using the weapon’s normal modifiers for attack and damage bonuses but replace its base damage dice with 4d8. You gain 2 combo points instead of 1 for this attack.

Critical Finishers

At 14th level, when you use a finisher in Panther stance, Wolf stance or Stallion stance, you can hit a critical with the attack on a d20 roll of 17 or higher. Also, whenever you hit a critical hit with a finisher, you can treat the finisher as if you had 3 additional combo points. You are still required to have the minimum number of combo points to activate the finisher without including these combo points.

Crescent Moon Slash

At 17th level, you learn the very essence of the Iron Path in the form of a finisher. You must be in Panther Stance, Wolf Stance, or Stallion Stance in order to use this finisher. Once you use this finisher, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Crescent Moon Claw: Finisher 12, your blade elongates and stretches like bone and claw, attacking every enemy's soul in a 20 foot x 20 foot square in front of you. You can target every creature in the area and are able to attack them by choosing one between the number of Hitdice, Highest spell slot level (spell level if innate) + 8 as the difficulty class number to hit for this attack, rather than Armor Class. You use the weapons normal modifiers for attack and damage rolls but its base damage dice are replaced with 8d10 and it deals radiant damage on a hit. If a creature is reduced to 0 hitpoints, their existence is shredded.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the blademaster class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 in Dexterity or Strength.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the blademaster class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, Battleaxe, Glaive, Greatsword, Halberd, Longsword, Rapier, Scimitar, and Shortsword

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