Bladescribe (5e Class)

The Blade Scribe

Gemstones are known to be powerful things, some religions and cultures choosing to say that their beauty comes from them being creations of the gods. While some cultures might exaggerate this, the warriors known simply as blade scribes use the innate magical properties of gemstones to augment their might in ways that are unknown to most masters of the blade or spellcasters of grand proportions.

Creating a Blade Scribe

When creating a blade scribe character, think about your character’s background and reason for combat. Did the character willingly choose to study rune magic, or did a being choose for the character to gain the magic, against their will? What is the character’s drive for combat infused with rune magic? Talk to your DM about the role played by blade scribes in the campaign, and what sort of religions or cultures worship gemstones and those that use their might.

Quick Build

You can make a blade scribe quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the outlander or soldier background.

Class Features

As a Blade Scribe you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blade Scribe level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Blade Scribe level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium
Weapons: Finesse Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Intelligence
Skills: Choose 3 from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Intimidation or Perception

Equipment

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

• (a) One martial weapon and a shield or (b) Two martial weapons
• (a) Leather armor & 5 javelins or (b) Scale mail
• (a) A scholar's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
• A trinket or article of clothing with a magic gemstone embedded in it

Table: The Blade Scribe

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Runebreak Die	Bonus Rune Charges	Features
1st	+2	1d6	1	Rune Charges
2nd	+2	1d6	2	Fighting Style
3rd	+2	1d6	3	Chosen Stone
4th	+2	1d6	4	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	1d6	5	Extra Attack
6th	+3	1d8	6	Bloodied Gems
7th	+3	1d8	7	Chosen Stone Feature
8th	+3	1d8	8	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	1d8	9	War Runes
10th	+4	1d8	10	Sigil Soldier
11th	+4	1d10	11	Chosen Stone Feature
12th	+4	1d10	12	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d10	13	Runelocation
14th	+5	1d10	14	Overbreak
15th	+5	1d10	15	Studied Mind
16th	+5	1d12	16	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	1d12	17	Fountain of Youth
18th	+6	1d12	18	Chosen Stone Feature
19th	+6	1d12	19	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	1d12	20	Military Runes

Class Features

Rune Charges

When you start, your power from gemstones gives you an amount of energy from runes, shown by Rune Charges. Your blade scribe level determines the number of charges you have, as shown in the Rune Charges column of the Blade Scribe table. You regain expended rune charges after completing a short or long rest.

You can spend these charges to fuel various runic features. You start knowing two such features: Runebreak and Gemshield. You learn more runic features as you gain levels in this class.

Some of your rune features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

• Rune save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Runebreak

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one rune charge to deal additional force damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is shown on the Runebreak Die column of the Bladescribe table.

Gemshield

As a reaction to a creature making an attack roll against you, you can expend one rune charge to add your proficiency bonus to your armor class against that attack.

Fighting Style

Beginning at the 2nd 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

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.

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 wielding a shield in order for this feature to work.

Chosen Stone

Beginning at the 3rd level, the gemstone that gives you your runic magic has absorbed enough magical energy to grant you new features. Your choice gives you features at 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. At the bottom of this page are the Emerald of Justice and Sapphire of Magic archetypes.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10, 12th, 14th, 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 the 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Bloodied Gem

Beginning at the 6th level, you may sacrifice your life force to restore the might of your runes. As a bonus action, you may choose to take an amount of irreducible necrotic damage to restore rune charges, to a maximum of your Intelligence modifier (min 1). You take 2d10 necrotic damage per rune charge you choose to restore. After using this feature, you must finish a long rest before you are able to use it again.

War Runes

Starting at the 9th level, the mana in your runes surrounds you as a defensive barrier after being expended. After you expend a rune charge, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of rune charges expended. This can stack with itself, and the temporary hit points last for 10 minutes.

Sigil Soldier

Starting at 10th level, your power over gems is now vastly more powerful. You now have access to a list of powerful rune sigil spells, listed below at the end of this page. You are able to equip up to 5 sigil spells at once, and are able to swap them out during a short or a long rest. You are not able to prepare any of the spells that require 11th or 18th level with this trait.

Runelocation

Starting at the 13th level, you are able to shift your location instantly. As a bonus action, you may expend 2 rune charges to use the misty step spell, without a spell slot.

Overbreak

Starting at the 14th level, you are able to channel more energy into your Runebreak feature. When you use Runebreak, once per turn, you may choose to expend 2 rune charges instead of just 1 to double the amount of dice rolled for its extra damage.

Studied Mind

Starting at the 15th level, your mind has hardened from your constant studying. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Fountain of Youth

Beginning at the 17th level, your runic attunement has caused your body to delay aging. You suffer none of the frailty of old age, cannot be magically aged, and your lifespan is increased twofold. In addition, you no longer need food or water.

Military Runes

Starting at the 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no rune charges remaining, you regain 4 rune charges.

Chosen Stones

Emerald of Justice

Emeralds of Justice are gemstones that are blessed to have a will of pure justice and warfare. Typically being the gemstones that bless heads of guards, they are champions of combat.

Runic Missile

At the 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, as an action you can expend 1 rune charge to summon a missile of pure mana to launch into a target of your choice within 30 feet, making a ranged spell attack roll using your Intelligence modifier. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to the number of your remaining Runebreak Die + your Intelligence modifier. At the 7th level, you may expend an additional rune charge to fire another missile, making another attack roll, and another at the 18th level. The missile takes on the appearance of your choice.

Magical Reflex

Starting at 7th level, when you use your action to use Runic Missile, you may make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

Gemstone Aegis

Beginning at the 11th level, your Gemshield runic feature is upgraded from your mystical prowess. When you fail to block an attack with your Gemshield feature, the damage you take from that attack is reduced by an amount equal to your remaining Runebreak Die. Additionally, you may now use your Gemshield feature on creatures within 15 feet of you.

But The Earth Refused To Die

Starting at the 18th level, magic has infused in your bloodstream from repeated use of runes. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, but not killed outright, you can spend rune charges to restore hit points. You may expend a maximum of rune charges equal to your Intelligence modifier (min 1), and restore 1d10 hit points per rune charge expended. You may only use this feature once, and may not use it again until you complete a long rest.

Sapphire of Magic

Sapphires of Magic are gemstones that are attuned to the arcane energies in the world, condensing it into pure power for whomever they bless to use.

Minor Runomancy

Starting at the 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, you learn 2 sorcerer cantrips of your choice. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip at the 7th, 11th, and 18th levels.

Runomancy

At the 3rd level, you are able to harness the magical properties of your gemstone, allowing you to convert rune charges into powerful arcane spells.

You can prepare two runic sigils of your choice at the end of a Long rest, which are detailed in the “runic sigils” section below. You can prepare two additional runic sigils of your choice at 7th, 11th, and 18th level. Each runic sigil has a minimum bladescribe level that you must meet in order to use it. You cannot replace cantrips for runic sigils.

Arcane Spells. Some runic sigils allow you to cast spells. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide material components for it. You use your Intelligence modifier for your Spellcasting modifier.

• Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Master of Runes

Once you reach 6th level in this class, you can spend additional rune charges points to increase the level of a runic sigil spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional rune charge you spend. For example, if you are a 6th-level Bladescribe and use Shout of the Storms to cast thunderwave, you can spend 2 rune charge to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the sigil’s base cost of 1 rune charge plus 1).

The maximum number of rune charge you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base rune charge cost and any additional rune charges you spend to increase its level) is determined by your bladescribe level, as shown in the table below

Bladescribe Level	Maximum Rune Charges for a Spell
6th-8th	3
9th-12th	4
13th-16th	5
17th-20th	8

Runic Sigils List

3rd Level

• Shout of the Storms: Cast thunderwave for 1 rune charge.
• Blade of the Nine Hells: Cast burning hands for 1 rune charge.
• Shield of a Hero: Cast shield of faith for 1 rune charge.
• Leader's Encouragement: Cast heroism for 1 rune charge.
• Sentinel's Halberd: For 1 rune charge as a bonus action, +5ft. of reach when attacking, opportunity attacks ignore Disengage, lasts 1 minute.
• Grasp of Mortis: Cast inflict wounds for 1 rune charge.
• Challenger Approaches: Cast compelled duel for 1 rune charge.

7th Level

• Strength of the Giants: Cast enlarge/reduce (enlarge only) for 2 rune charges.
• Mounted Hero: Cast find steed for 2 rune charges.
• Hunter's Gaze: Cast hold person for 2 rune charges.
• Runic Imbue: Cast magic weapon for 2 rune charges.
• Eyes of Truth: Cast see invisibility for 2 rune charges.
• Spears of Solarity: Cast scorching ray for 2 rune charges.
• Sharkflesh Hide: For 2 rune charges as a bonus action, for 1 minute you regain 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns, and your armor class increases by 1.
• Howls of the Wild: Cast shatter for 2 rune charges.

11th Level

• Poseidon's Fury: Cast tidal wave for 3 rune charges.
• Dance of the Dragon: Cast fireball for 3 rune charges.
• Torment of the Thunder God: Cast lightning bolt for 3 rune charges.
• Fist of the Vampire Bat: Cast vampiric touch for 3 rune charges.
• Archangel's Blessing: Cast fly for 3 rune charges.
• Precision's Weapon: For 3 rune charges as a bonus action, for 1 minute your critical hit range is increased to 19-20.
• Interrogation Knows No Expiration: Cast speak with dead for 3 rune charges. The corpse is forced to answer truthfully, even if it perceives you as hostile.

18th Level

• Wave of the Mountains: Cast cone of cold for 5 rune charges.
• Aegis of the Planes: Cast fire shield for 5 rune charges.
• Avatar of the Wild: Cast polymorph (self only) for 5 rune charges.
• Ocean's Tornado: Cast maelstrom for 5 rune charges.
• Burning Land of Hades: Cast immolation for 5 rune charges.
• Screech of the Thousand Banshees: Cast destructive wave for 5 rune charges.

Multiclassing

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

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Bladescribe class, you gain the following proficiencies: Shields, Martial weapons

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes