School of the Focus-Blade (5e Subclass)
The Focus-Blade[edit]
Wizard Subclass
The Focus-Blade is a school of wizards who wished to dabble in martial combat without sacrificing their arcane learnings. To this end, they have developed the ability to use their spellcasting focuses as arcane weapons.
- Focus-Blade
Starting at 2nd level, you are able to generate weapons at a moment's notice. As an action, you may touch one Arcane Focus and expend one first level spell slot. This Arcane Focus becomes your Focus-Blade. While using this Arcane Focus, you may use your bonus action to generate a translucent, magical melee weapon. While transformed, the Arcane Focus becomes integrated into the weapon. Some examples of Focus-Blades can be found below, though any configuration is useable as long as the focus is part of the weapon:
| Spellcasting Focus | Weapon Example |
|---|---|
| Orb/Crystal | The pommel of a sword or the head of a Morningstar or Mace |
| Wand/Staff | The shaft of a spear or sword, or the blade of a dagger or greatsword |
While transformed, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain proficiency with the weapon your Focus-Blade is taking the form of while you are wielding it. You lose this proficiency while the focus is not transfomed. Your Focus-Blade gains the properties of any weapon it is transformed into, and is counted as that weapon for class features, feats and traits.
- You gain a +1 to melee attack and damage rolls using this weapon. This increases to +2 at 6th level and +3 at 10th level
- Your Focus-Blade deals 1d6 force damage instead of bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage. You may use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, when making attack and damage rolls. The damage die increases to 1d8 at 6th level, 1d10 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 14th level.
- Your Focus-Blade disappears if it is more than 30 ft. away from you. You may also summon it to your hand as a bonus action.
While transformed into a weapon, you may not use this weapon for spellcasting. However, you may continue to concentrate on spells that were cast before the transformation, and transforming your Focus-Blade does not end spells that are still active. You may transform it back into its Arcane Focus form as a bonus action.
- War Wizard
At 2nd level, your martial and magical prowess are interchangeable. You may use your Intelligence modifier in place of Strength when making Athletics checks. You may also use Intelligence instead of Dexterity when making Acrobatics checks.
In addition, your time on the battlefield has given you insight into creating an impenetrable defense. You may add your Intelligence instead of Dexterity to features that would determine your AC (Such as the mage armor spell, or a monk's unarmored defense.
Finally, upon gaining this feature your hit points increase by 2, and increase by one additional hit point whenever you gain a level in the Wizard class.
- Spell Striker
At 6th level, you have learned to augment your strikes with your magic. When making an attack roll, you may choose to expend a spell slot to overcharge your strike. You may choose to gain a bonus to the attack or damage roll equal to the level of the spell slot expended, at the cost of reducing the other roll by the same number. For example, if you expended a 3rd level spell slot, you could choose to gain a +3 to the attack roll, at the cost of a -3 to the damage roll, or vice-versa.
- Extra Attack
At 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks, even if your Focus-Blade is active.
- Focus Celerity
At 10th level, your practice with your Focus-Blade has increased your focus and speed. You may add your Intelligence modifier to Dexterity checks and saving throws, and your speed increases by 10 ft.
- Empowered Focus
Also at 10th level, you may add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to all cantrips cast using your Focus-Blade that require an attack roll.
- Focused Savant
At 14th level, you have mastered the art of the Focus-Blade. You may now cast spells through your Focus-Blade while it is transformed into a weapon, and may transform the Focus-Blade as a free action, both into a weapon and back.
In addition, you no longer receive the reduction of Spell Striker. Instead, you may add the expended spell slot level to both the attack and damage roll.
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