Elegant Edge (5e Subclass)

Elegant Edge

Fighter Subclass

In the tapestry of warfare, where brute force often overshadows finesse, there emerges a warrior whose prowess transcends mere strength—the Elegant Edge. These rare fighters weave through the battlefield with a grace that belies the deadly precision of their strikes, turning combat into an art form. With each fluid motion and each step measured with care, they blend the lethal dance of duelists with the strategic acumen of chess masters.

The heritage of the Elegant Edge is one of ancient traditions and sophisticated combat philosophies, where the mastery of dual-wielding is not merely a technique but a profound expression of balance and beauty in war. They strike not with the raw fury of a berserker but with the calculated elegance of a painter, their weapons tracing deadly arcs like brush strokes on the canvas of battle.

To encounter an Elegant Edge is to witness the harmonious convergence of discipline and devastation. These warriors do not simply fight; they perform, turning the chaos of combat into a spectacle of sublime skill and precision. Whether in defense of the innocent or in pursuit of honor, the Elegant Edge commands the battlefield not only through might but through the awe-inspiring spectacle of their artful warfare.

Dance of the Duelist

Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you've honed your ability to move and attack with unparalleled grace, turning the battlefield into your stage. You gain the following benefits :

• Fluid Defense : Your mastery of movement allows you to predict and evade your opponents' attacks with ease. When you are wearing light or no armor and not using a shield, you can add your Dexterity modifier (minimum of +1) to your AC as a bonus.
• Harmonious Assault : You have learned to synchronize your attacks with your movements, creating a deadly ballet of blades. Once per turn, when you make a melee attack with a light or finesse weapon and have advantage on the attack roll, you can add your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage roll.
• Elegant Maneuver : Your understanding of combat as a dance enables you to move with a captivating fluidity. You gain an additional 10 feet of movement on your turn. This bonus is only in effect as long as you are not wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield.

Blade's Ballet

Upon embracing the path of the Elegant Edge at 3rd level, you not only learn to move like the wind but also to make your attacks flow like water—unpredictable and inescapable. You gain the following benefits :

• Whirlwind Flourish : As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose to engage in a Whirlwind Flourish until the start of your next turn. While flourishing, you can use your reaction to make one melee weapon attack against any creature that misses you with a melee attack, provided you are wielding a light or finesse weapon in at least one hand. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.
• Step of the Windwalker : Your unmatched agility allows you to glide across the battlefield with ease. Whenever you make an attack on your turn, you can move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks before or after the attack. This movement does not count against your normal movement for the turn.

Graceful Recovery

By the time you reach 7th level, your mastery over the elegant arts of movement and combat allows you to turn even the most precarious situations to your advantage. Your training in the Elegant Edge philosophy imbues you with the ability to recover from missteps and retaliate with grace. You gain the following benefits :

• Counterstrike Cadence : Your keen sense of timing and positioning lets you exploit openings created by your opponents' attacks. If a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature, provided you are wielding a light or finesse weapon. If your attack hits, you add your Dexterity modifier to the damage roll. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Poise Under Pressure : Your calm and concentration under duress are unmatched. You gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. Additionally, if you succeed on a saving throw that would normally result in half damage, you can choose to take no damage instead, using your reaction. This feature can be used once, and you regain the ability to do so after finishing a long rest.

Graceful Retaliation

By 10th level, your mastery of the Elegant Edge has reached new heights, allowing you to retaliate against your foes with unparalleled finesse and precision. You gain the following benefits :

• Reactive Parry : Your instincts for defense are finely tuned, enabling you to react swiftly to incoming attacks. Whenever you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of this feature after you finish a short or long rest.
• Counterstrike Flurry : When you successfully hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to expend one of your uses of this feature to immediately make another melee weapon attack against the same target as a bonus action. This additional attack benefits from any features that applied to the initial attack, such as Sneak Attack or the benefits of Whirlwind Flourish.

Masterful Finesse

By the time you reach 15th level, your skill with blades and movement has transcended mere mastery. You've become a virtuoso of the battlefield, capable of feats that blur the line between martial prowess and magic. You gain the following benefits :

• Evasionary Steps : Your ability to predict and evade attacks reaches a supernatural level. If 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.
• Dancing Edge : Your attacks with light or finesse weapons become so swift and precise that they can cut through magical protections. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can ignore damage resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage for that attack. Additionally, once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.

Apex of the Tempest

Reaching the pinnacle of your discipline at 18th level, you embody the ultimate union of grace, speed, and lethal precision. Your mastery over the Elegant Edge has elevated you to almost mythical status, transforming you into a tempest of blades on the battlefield. You gain the following benefits :

• Tempestuous Momentum : Your control over your own movement and that of your blades reaches its zenith. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action. This attack must be made with a different weapon than the one used for your previous attacks this turn, emphasizing your skill with dual-wielding and your ability to seamlessly transition between targets and threats.
• Ethereal Step : You've honed your agility and spatial awareness to such a degree that you can momentarily tread into the Ethereal Plane, rendering you untouchable and elusive. As a bonus action, you can become ethereal until the start of your next turn. While ethereal, you can move in any direction and through objects and creatures, but you cannot affect or be affected by anything on the Material Plane. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Blade's Whirlwind : Your ultimate expression of the Elegant Edge, this ability allows you to unleash a devastating flurry of attacks that target every foe around you. Once on each of your turns, when you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with a Blade's Whirlwind. You make one melee attack with a light or finesse weapon against each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you. Each attack is made with advantage, and successful hits deal an additional 1d8 damage of the weapon’s type.

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Character Options → Subclasses