Path of the Cursed Blade (5e Subclass)
Path of the Cursed Blade[edit]
Barbarians who follow the path of the cursed blade are warriors who have found a sentient hexed weapon, that slowly took control over them. Cursed blades are often foul entities, with a thirst for blood, and they revel in the typical barbarian rage, as it lead them to be bathed in enemies blood and drink from their life essence. They not cause the natural fury the fuel the barbarian's fighting abilities, rather exploiting it for their own desires. Cursed blade wielders are feared for their profane weapons, but they pay a steep price for their power. The thirst of these vile weapons can't be satiated for no amount of blood or souls, and ultimately, when the weapon fails to consume lives and essences in the heat of battle, it will eventually turn on its bearer, craving for his flesh and convincing him to pay this price. More than one cursed blades have been downfall of powerful warriors, who have been dragged from battle to battle, hoping to satisfy the blade hunger, just to having their souls consumed by their own weapons.
- Cursed Blade
Starting at 3rd level, you have found a cursed blade. The cursed blade is any melee weapon of your choice that you are proficient with. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Constitution modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.
You can use your bonus action to summon a cursed blade in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it. You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Your cursed blade disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.
Your Cursed Blade can absorb one magic weapon into itself by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. After this absorption, the Cursed Blade gain the properties of the absorbed weapon. The cursed blade can't have more than one weapon absorbed at the same time, and making another absorption releases the previous one. You can't affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way.
- Thirsty Blade
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability awaken the thirst for blood from your weapon. As a bonus action when you are raging, or as part of the same bonus action you used to enter in rage, you can activate your Thirsty Blade for the duration of your rage, which grant you the following benefits:
- You gain a bonus to damage rolls made with the cursed blade. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
- Any attack roll you make with the cursed blade is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
- If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points using this blade, you absorb part of its life force, gaining temporary hit points equal to the target's CR.
- When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points during your turn, you must use your bonus action to move directly towards the nearest creature to you and use the Attack action against that creature. You can choose whether or not to use your Extra Attack feature for this attack. If there is more than one possible target, roll to randomly determine the target. You then regain control for the remainder of your turn. If you are not able to reach another creature with your movement or use your bonus action, you must attack yourself with your blade (no action required).
- Awakened Weapon
At 6th level, your blade assumes sentience. Whenever a hostile creature is within 30 feet and you are able to see that creature, you must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC 10, or you must enter in rage and awaken the Thirsty Blade, attacking that creature. On a success, you must make another save for each minute you remain on that creature's presence, increasing the DC in 5 for each minute. The DC is reduced to 10 after you use the Thirsty Blade.
In addition, you can benefit from the blade senses. You gain blindsight with a range of 10 feet and a bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score and to Wisdom (Perception) checks. The bonus equals your Constitution modifier as long as you wield or carry the blade.
- Hexed Protection
At 10th level, your cursed blade protect you from harm. While the Thirsty Blade is active, whenever a creature hit you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its roll.
- Soul Drinker
At 14th level, your Thirsty Blade becomes able to suck the soul of its victims. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while Thirsty Blade is active, you can drink his soul using your reaction. As a bonus action on your turn, you can consume the soul, granting you one of the following benefits:
- You regain 2d8 hit points.
- You can use a bonus action to make your next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw with advantage.
If you don’t use this benefit before the start of your next turn, the soul is consumed by the sword and is destroyed. In addition, if you are reduced to 0 hit points while Thirsty Blade is active, and fail the saving throw for your Relentless Rage feature, your soul is consumed by the sword.
A creature whose soul has been consumed by the sword can only be revived with a true resurrection or wish spell.
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