Swordsman, 2nd Variant (5e Class)

Swordsman

A young man with a black leather coat stares at the battlefield before him, filled to the brim with hordes of enemies. Unsheathing his two swords, he charges into the fray, cutting down swathes of enemies as he wreaks havoc in their lines. The horde would not be defeated easily as it swarmed and rushed to attack the man. Seeing this, the man goes into a stance and would parry each of their attacks with ease, only for him to unleash a great counter against all who attacked him. By end of it, only the young man would be stand alone as the battlefield is filled with all he cut down.

With odds stacked against her, a lone elf faces off a giant ogre, holding a shortsword in each hand as the ogre roared as it slammed its club towards her. She dodged and weaved the ogre's attacks, making her own counterattacks against the ogre with cuts and stabs that landed each time against it. The ogre would not be felled so easily however and would land a strike against her, bludgeoning her with great force. Defiant and still standing, the elf seeked to finish it as she unleashed a deadly technique against the ogre, striking the ogre seven times in various vital areas. By the end of it, the elf stands triumphant over her foe, covered in blood from the freshly slain ogre.

Careful and precise movements define the fighting style of a swordsman. They are diligent adepts who spend their entire lives perfecting their techniques to become more refined and dangerous warriors. Swordsmen are famous for being great mercenaries and duelists, trusting in their reflexes and honed instincts to survive any battle.

The Honed Edge

While a sword is deadly by itself, it's but just a tool when not in the hands of someone dedicated to it. Swordsmen are those who've come to adopt swordsmanship as their own, mastering its techniques and art to better make use of the deadly edge the sword possess as it becomes an extension of themselves. Many styles and techniques were born from the many users of the sword, often forming schools to teach others of their own style and techniques, which often would develop into great rivalries, looking to make others see that their own style and techniques are superior and above all others.

Through this constant conflict, swordsmen would hone their craft even further, becoming deadly and frightening opponents in the battlefield. Focused and determined, these men and women would slice through anyone who oppose them as they leave nothing but spilled blood and their opponents lacerated, decapitated, and even eviscerated.

Sharpening the Steel

A Swordsman's path is paved with danger and conflict, but with this comes the possibility of improvement and new knowledge. It is no wonder that swordsmen are seldom seen in peaceful as they can only ply their deadly trade in areas of war, strife, and conflict. Because of this, their combat prowess is valued, making swordsman excellent soldiers, bodyguards, bounty hunters, enforcers, and etc.

Creating a Swordsman

When creating your Swordsman, consider what type of sword would fit the history and personality of your character as swords are a reflection of who the character is. What motivated you to become a swordsman? Have you lived a violent life and sought the edge of a sword to protect yourself? Maybe you have a family tradition or a master and wanted to continue the tradition of your style of sword fighting? Maybe the sword was the first ever weapon you used and merely continued what has been started? These are some questions you should ask yourself when making a Swordsman.

Quick Build

You can make a Legendary Swordsman quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength/Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the folk hero background. Third, choose a longsword, a dungeoneer's pack.

Class Features

As a Swordsman you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Dagger, greatsword, longsword, rapier, scimitar, and shortsword
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Survival.

Equipment

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

• one martial weapon of your choice
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale armor
• two shortswords
• (a) dungeoneer's pack or (b) explorer's pack

Table: The Swordsman

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Honed Edge	Features
1st	+2	1d4	Honed Edge, Sword Arts
2nd	+2	1d4	Switch, Primary Sword Skills
3rd	+2	1d4	Swordsmanship School, Superior Reflexes
4th	+2	1d6	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	1d6	Extra Attack
6th	+3	1d6	Swordsmanship School
7th	+3	1d8	Evasion
8th	+3	1d8	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	1d8	Superior Velocity
10th	+4	1d8	Advanced Sword Skills
11th	+4	1d10	Swordsmanship School
12th	+4	1d10	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d10	Lethal Precision
14th	+5	1d10	Swordsman's Reach
15th	+5	1d10	Unyielding Will
16th	+5	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	1d12	Swordsmanship School
18th	+6	1d12	Master Swordsman
19th	+6	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	2d6	Master Sword Skills

Honed Edge

At 1st level, any Sword (Shortsword, Scimitar, Rapier, Longsword, or Greatsword) that you are wielding gains a bonus +1d4 to its damage rolls. This die changes as you gain Swordsman levels, as shown in the Honed Edge column in the Swordsman table. When wielding a sword with the two-handed or heavy property, it may benefit from the effects of Honed Edge, but the weapon's damage die is lowered to 1d10 if its damage die is greater.

Sword Arts

At 1st level, you've come to adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. These styles of fighting can only be used when using a Sword (Shortsword, Scimitar, Rapier, Longsword, or Greatsword). Choose one of the following options. You can't take the same Sword Art option more than once.

Aggressive Dueling

While wielding a sword, you may choose to make a melee attack without your proficiency bonus. On a hit, your damage roll gains a bonus amount of damage equal to thrice your proficiency modifier.

Classical Swordfighting

While only wielding a sword in one hand and nothing else, you gain a +1 bonus to your attack rolls and armor class.

Defensive Guarding

While only wielding a sword in one hand and nothing else, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class and saving throws.

Dual Sword Mastery

When you take the Attack action while two-weapon fighting with swords only, you can make a single additional attack with your off-hand weapon as part of your attack action instead of your bonus action, adding your ability modifier to the damage roll of this attack.

Featherlike Agility

While wielding only swords with the Light property and nothing else, your movement speed increases by +10ft and whenever you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.

Heavy Swings

While wielding a sword with the Heavy property, on a hit, you can choose to deal no damage equal to knock the target one size larger than you and below prone.

Mordhau

While wielding a sword that you can hold two-handed, on a hit, you may choose for the damage type to deal slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing damage.

Sword and Board

While wielding a sword and shield, you may now make attacks with your shield, of which you are considered proficient, it uses Strength/Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls, and deals bludgeoning damage equal to your Honed Edge die. On a hit, you may choose to also shove your target 5ft away from you in any direction.

Two-Handed Reach

While wielding a sword with the Two-Handed property, your weapon's reach is extended to 10ft and gain a +1 bonus to your attack rolls.

Switch

At 2nd level, your reaction speed is enough to help an ally. As a reaction, you switch positions with a friendly creature within 5 feet of you that is about to be attacked and take the damage, of which it is reduced by 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die.

Sword Skills

At 2nd level, you're training and dedication with the sword has opened you to the use of Sword Skills. To use these Sword Skills, you must be using a Sword and spend Flurry points, of which you have a number of flurry points equal to your Swordsman level + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. At the 2nd level, you gain access to the Primary Sword Skills. You gain access to the Advanced Sword Skills at the 10th level and the Master Sword Skills at the 20th level. All Sword Skills benefit from any attack or damage modifiers the sword possess (i.e. when wielding a Sun Blade, the Sword Skill still benefit from the sword's +2 to attack and damage rolls and its bonus 1d8 radiant damage when attacking an undead).

When you spend a flurry point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you regain a number of Flurry points equal to your proficiency bonus at the end of a short rest and regain all flurry points at the end of a long rest. You must spend at least 30 minutes of continuous rest to regain your flurry points.

Some of your Sword Skills and features that uses flurry require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Sword Skill save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength/Dexterity modifier

Primary Sword Skills

• Snake Bite - As a melee attack, you make a swift fainting attack to disarm the enemy. On a hit, the target takes weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge Die + Strength/Dexterity modifier and they drop whatever weapon or item they're holding in their hand. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

• Avalanche - As a melee attack, you can perform a massive overhead swing with your sword to bring your opponent down to their knees. On a hit, the target takes weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge Die + Strength/Dexterity modifier and they are knocked prone. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

• Parry - As a reaction to a creature who makes a melee attack against you, you may roll an attack against it. If you exceed their attack roll, you take no damage and may immediately make one melee attack against them. If you fail or match the result, you take half the damage from the attack. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

• Honorable Strike - After successfully striking an enemy with a sword, as a bonus action, you may imminently follow up with a blindingly quick attack with the butt/pommel of your sword or your shield against the creature . Make a single melee strike against the creature. On a hit, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1 roll of your Honed Edge die + Strength/Dexterity modifier and must make a Constitution saving throw. On a fail, the creature will be Stunned for 1 round. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

• Flash - You perform a superfast sword strike that leaves no room for an enemy to counter you. As an action, you move 15ft in a straight line and if you end the movement within 5ft of a creature, you make an attack against it. On a hit, you deal weapon damage equal to 3 rolls of your Honed Edge + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. Hit or miss, you continue moving an additional 15ft in a straight line through your opponent without provoking attacks of opportunity. Cost: 2 Flurry Points

• Leaping Edge - Whenever you move at least 10ft and stop within 5ft of a creature, you may perform a leaping attack against them as a bonus action. On a hit, the target is dealt weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

• Wind Slash - Whenever you take the attack action, you may instead make a ranged weapon attack as part of your attack action at a creature within a range of 100ft. On a hit, the creature takes weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. Cost: 1 Flurry Point per attack.

• Mocking Blade - As a melee attack, you provoke the enemy by attacking both the body and mind by insulting the enemy after the attack. On a hit, you deal weapon damage equal to 1 roll of your Honed Edge die + Strength/Dexterity modifier. Additionally, it then must make Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature must use its movement to move towards you in the shortest path possible action and must use its Action to make a melee/ranged attack against you for the next 2 rounds. Cost: 1 Flurry Point

Advanced Sword Skills

• Riposte - As a reaction to a creature who makes a melee attack against you, you may roll an attack against it. If you exceed their attack roll, you take no damage and may immediately make two melee attacks against them at advantage. If you fail or match the result, you take half the damage from the attack. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

• Serration Wave - As an action, you cause all hostile creatures within 10ft of you to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, their movement is reduced to 0, and a creature cannot use any form of movement until the start of your next turn. They are also dealt weapon damage equal to 3 rolls of your Honed Edge Die. On a success, they are only dealt half of the damage rolled. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

• Square Dance - As an action, you dash to four points along a square and unleash a barrage of slashes from each point with such speed that you only leave an afterimage of you doing the motion. All hostile creatures within 10ft of you must make a Dexterity saving throw or take weapon damage equal to your 3 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier + Your Swordsman levels or half as much as a success. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

• Path of Blades - As an action, you dash towards a point 30ft in front of you, forming a line 30ft long and 10ft wide with such high speed that no enemy creatures may make opportunity attacks against you while moving to the point, unleashing a myriad of slashes along the way. All hostile creatures within of you must make a Dexterity saving throw or take weapon damage equal to your 3 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier + Your Swordsman levels or half as much as a success. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

• Ravenous Edge - As a melee attack, you can perform a seemingly normal melee attack against a target. On a hit, the target is dealt weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. In addition, you heal an amount of hitpoints equal to the damage dealt by this attack as the blade siphons the life of the target. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

• Vanishing Blade - As part of a melee attack, you can seemingly vanish from view and reappear instantly 5ft next to a creature that you can see within 100ft and immediately make a melee attack against the target. On a hit, the target is dealt weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. In addition as a bonus action, you may choose to vanish again after the attack and reappear back to your previous position. Cost: 3 Flurry Points

Master Sword Skills

• Meteor Break - As an action, you perform a flurry of strikes in combination with swift shoulder bashes to disorient your opponent as you expertly dismantle them. Make a single attack roll against a creature. On a hit, they take weapon damage equal to 4 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier and must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are Stunned for two rounds. Cost: 6 Flurry Points

• Nova Ascension - As an action, you enter a stance to parry all incoming attacks against you until the start of your next turn, of which you can't use your bonus action, reaction, or movement. Until the start of your next turn, you may roll an attack against all attacks that target you. If you exceed their attack roll, you take no damage. If you fail or match the result, you take half the damage from the attack. Additionally, once it is your turn again, you may choose to spend flurry points to perform a deadly counter. For every attack made against you, gain an additional amount of Honed edge die to add to the damage roll of your next successful melee attack by. Cost: 3 Flurry Points (1st Phase) + 3 Flurry Points (2nd Phase)

• Deadly Sins - As an action, you perform a seven-hit skill that consists of various slashes, several full-circle spins, and a backward somersault. Choose one target within 15ft of you, then dash toward them without provoking attacks of opportunity, and make a single attack roll. On a hit, you deal weapon damage equal to 5 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier. Additionally, all creatures within 10ft of the targeted creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or take weapon damage equal to 3 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier or half as much on a success. As a finale to your attack, you leap backward 15 in a direction of your choice without provoking attacks of opportunity. Cost: 6 Flurry Points

• Meteor Fall - As an action, you throw your blade high into the air and then, with blinding fast speed, deliver a haymaker punch to a single creature. Choose one target within 10ft of you, of which you then dash toward it without provoking attacks of opportunity, and make a single attack roll. On a hit, this first attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier and immediately launches them 15ft backward. If the creature collides with a structure or another creature the same size or larger, both parties within the collision take additional damage equal to half of the result of the first attack (rounded down). Then the Swordsman leaps into the air catching their blade to deliver a single decisive attack at the target. All creatures within 10ft of your original target then must make a Dexterity saving throw, on a failure, they take weapon damage equal to 5 rolls of your Honed Edge die + your Strength/Dexterity modifier and are knocked 20ft away from you. On a success, they are not knocked back and take only half damage. Cost: 6 Flurry Points

• Thousand Cuts - You unleash your mastery of the sword art. As an action, you may attack an amount of times equal to your 3 x your Strength/Dexterity modifier against a single creature. You can only use this move once, regaining use after a short rest. Cost: 10 Flurry Points

Swordsmanship School

Starting at 3rd level, you decided to follow in the footsteps of a great swordmaster, learning from his school and martial treatesies. Your choice of school grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 11th and 17th level.

Superior Reflexes

At 3rd level, you can use your reaction to evade projectiles. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Strength/Dexterity modifier + your Swordsman level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can attempt to deflect the missile if you are wielding a sword. If doing so, spend 1 Flurry Point and make an attack roll using your sword. If the result of your attack is higher than the your attacker's, you reflect the projectile against any target of your choice within 20 feet, dealing weapon damage equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die. If its lesser than the attackers, the projectile is merely deflected away from you.

Ability Score Improvement

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

At 5th level, you can attack twice whenever you take the attack action in your turn.

Evasion

At 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient 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.

Superior Velocity

At 9th level, you are so fast that it's difficult to hit you. When a creature makes an attack against you at Advantage, you can use your reaction to cancel any advantage that creature has until the end of its turn.

Lethal Precision

At 13th level, you are as precise as you are fast. Your critical range is 19-20, and your critical strikes now deal one additional die of damage.

Swordsman's Reach

At 14th level, whenever a creature enters your reach, you can now use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

Unyielding Will

At 15th level, you can use your will to keep fighting through the most grievous of wounds and situations. You may now spend up to 5 Flurry points to heal an amount of HP equal to 2 rolls of your Honed Edge die. You can only use this ability once, regaining use after a short rest.

Master Swordsman

At 18th level, you become a master of sword art. Your Strength/Dexterity score increases by +2 and you increase your ability score maximum for Strength/Dexterity increases to 22. Additionally, whenever you roll for initiative in combat and have no more flurry points, you regain a number of flurry points equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).

Swordsmanship Schools

Just as the sword have many forms and can take many shapes and sizes, there are as many schools in swordsmanship that cater to many different techniques, methods, and philosophies on how a sword is to be used and many schools have popped up in an effort to proclaim that their school is the greatest above all others.

School of the Instinctive Blade

Adepts from the school of the instinctive blade are reactive warriors who rely heavily in their honed instincts, relying in their spontaneous body movement while trusting that their constant training will trigger when needed. They can quickly counter or evade attacks and amongst the swordsman are the ones more suited to battle multiple opponents.

Honed Instincts

Starting at 3rd level, your instincts are sharper than ever, allowing you to react to multiple situations at the same time. You gain one additional reaction per round (for a total of two) and as a reaction, you may spend 1 flurry point to use the Dodge action.

Vicious Response

At 6th level, you've come to learn the stance that the school is known for, the 'Vicious Response'. As a bonus action, you enter into a unique stance until the start of your next turn. While in this stance, all melee attacks against you are made at advantage, but you can instantly make a single melee attack against any enemy who made a melee attack against you.

Switcherooo

At 11th level, your advanced instincts have now allowed you to counter the enemy with their own allies. As a reaction and when being attacked, you can spend 2 flurry points to switch positions with an enemy creature within 5 feet of you and that creature would take the damage from the attack as if it hit.

Reactive Sword Skills

At 17th level, you may now use a Sword Skill or an Advanced Sword Skill as a reaction, but at an increased cost of 2 flurry points.

School of the Phantom's Edge

Silent and unseen, swordsmen from the phantom's edge school focus on gaining an advantage on their opponents by striking unseen against their enemies. Opportunists and pragmatists, they never take a fight that they can't win and would always seek to gain any advantage they can get to further bolster their chances against any foe they face.

Unseen Strike

Starting at 3rd level, you have been trained to fully take advantage from striking your opponent unseen and to make such opportunities available to you. Once per turn, you can deal extra damage equal to two rolls of your Honed Edge die to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a Sword. In addition, you may now Hide and Disengage as a bonus action.

Capitalize

At 6th level, you've learned to fully maximize the opportunities given to you. When hitting an Unseen Strike, you can choose to spend 1 Flurry point to instead deal maximum damage instead of rolling.

Blade in the Dark

At 11th level, you've now combined your swordsmanship and the advantages that darkness. While under dim light or darkness, you have advantage on all rolls to Hide and you no longer suffer disadvantage on your attack rolls with a Sword.

Dark Execution

At 17th level, you've become a master of striking unseen and are capable of ending your enemies in one slice. When you hit an Unseen Strike, it automatically deals the maximum damage and you may now instead choose to spend 3 Flurry points to double the damage dealt.

School of the Swift Sword

'Strike fast, strike hard ,and let the violence of action carry your blade through.' is the core tenet that the students of the swift sword follow. Focusing on speed, initiative, and momentum, they are quick to draw their blade and are even faster when wielding them. With their speed, they can easily catch any fleeing opponent and is even said that master swordsmen from this school can catch any opponent, even when they're in flight.

Athletic Body

Starting at 3rd level, you have been trained for speed and to move faster than anyone against you. Your movement speed increases by 15 feet, and you gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

Efficient Movements

At 6th level, you're movements waste no energy, allowing you to move even faster for less effort. You can now Dash as a bonus action and nonmagical difficult terrain does not impede your movements.

Freerunning

At 11th level, you've learned the art of 'freerunning', allowing you to climb over obstacles easily and safely fall from heights that to most would injure them. You now gain climbing speed equal to your movement speed and falling from heights equal or lesser than your movements speed doesn't harm you.

Sky Walk

At 17th level, you're movements are so fast and smooth that you can now do the ultimate technique of the school, the Sky Walk. Your jump distance is tripled and you gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed. You fall if you are still aloft by the end of your turn.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the legendary swordsman class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength and Dexterity 13 or higher

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the legendary swordsman class, you gain the following proficiencies: Dagger, greatsword, longsword, rapier, scimitar, and shortsword. One skill proficiency.

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