Spellblade (5e Class)
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Spellblade[edit]
An elf looks around him as a horde of goblin is rushing from one side, and a small band of orcs attack from the other. Staying calm, he pulls out two shortswords that instantly burst into flames. Pointing them both at the goblins, a large fireball is launched from the pair, incinerating every last one of the goblinoids. The orcs are scared now and stop in their tracks, but it is too late as the elf Magister turns to them and a large lightning bolt reduces them to ash.
A human charges into battle with only a longsword in one hand as a weapon, but he smiles knowingly as his small group clashes against the horde of undead. Teleporting into the middle of the zombies, that smile grows into a grin as lightning crackles around him. He moves faster than the eye can see, and within moments all of the undead surrounding him are dead, and he seems ready for more.
Creating a Spellblade[edit]
Spellblades are people who seek to combine the study of magic and sword, but only a select few are able to do so. Drawing from the pure magical essence of ether (or the weave/whatever form of magic exists in your world), these gifted individuals learn how to move their weapons in certain ways to cast spells, moving through the battlefield as both a powerful battle-mage and lethal fighter.
When making a Spellblade, consider what made them efficient in both the blade and as a caster. How did they learn this craft? Does your character have an innate talent or connection with their magical source? Make their personality to match your choices.
- Quick Build
You can make a Spellblade quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma.
Class Features
As a Spellblade you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Spellblade level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Spellblade level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, melee martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Survival
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Any melee martial weapon or (b) 2 shortswords
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- (a) a component pouch or (b) arcane focus
- (a) Scale Mail (b) Leather Armor or (c) Chain mail (if proficient)
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Arcane Blade | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | ||||||
| 1st | +2 | 1d4 | Arcane Blade, Charged Blade | - | - | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | 1d4 | Spellcasting, Fighting Style | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | 1d4 | Archetype | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | 1d4 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | 1d6 | Extra Attack | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | 1d6 | Archetype Feature | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | 1d6 | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | 1d6 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | 1d8 | — | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | 1d8 | Elemental Expertise | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | 1d8 | Archetype Feature | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | 1d8 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | 1d10 | — | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | 1d10 | Archetype Feature | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | 1d10 | Arcane Versatility | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | 1d10 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | 1d12 | — | 5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | 1d12 | Archetype Feature | 5 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | 1d12 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | 1d12 | Archetype Feature | 5 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Class Features[edit]
Charged Blade[edit]
When you reach 1st level your training with magic in and out of combat has taught you the ability to channel spells through any of your Arcane Blades, using it as a spellcasting focus. In addition, you may now cast spells without the somatic gestures if you use your Arcane Blade as a spellcasting focus.
Arcane Blade[edit]
You've trained to enhance your weapon with magical energy. Starting at 1st level When you take a long rest you can choose to use an hour to perform a ritual upon one melee weapon and imbue it with an element of your choosing: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. Whenever you hit with a weapon attack using that weapon you deal an extra 1d4 of damage of the chosen element. The amount of this damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Arcane Blade column of the Spellblade table. This weapon is bound to you and you may either summon it from or return it to a pocket dimension at will as a bonus action. Also as long as you are on the same plane of existence you can tell where your bound blades are at all times(if not in dimensional pocket) and can summon it to yourself, or teleport to it if you concentrate for a hour. You can bind up to 3 weapons in this way.
Spellcasting[edit]
You draw your magic straight from the ether, limiting your pull until you have had a rest.
- Cantrips. At 2nd level you know two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn additional sorcerer cantrips of your choice at higher levels as shown in the Cantrips Known column on the Spellblade table above.
- Spell Slots. The Spellblade table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spellblade spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spellblade spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
- Learning Spells of 1st level and Higher. Each time you gain a spellblade level you can learn additional spells of your choice from the sorcerer spell list, as shown on the Spells Known column of the Spellblade table above. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the spellblade level. Also, at every level, you can choose one spell you know and exchange it for a different spell that you can learn.
- Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spellblade spells, as your hours of dedication to martial magic has allowed you to learn the movements in using your spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spellblade spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
- Spellcasting Focus. You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your spells.
Fighting Style[edit]
At 2nd Level, the Spellblade selects one of the following fighting style options:
Dueling: When wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with the weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on damage die for an attack with a weapon you wield with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the second roll. The weapon must have two-handed or versatile as a property to gain this benefit.
Two Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Archetype[edit]
At 3rd level, choose an archetype, either Blademaster, Magister,or Spell Slasher. Blademasters infuse their power into their weapons to become swirling forms of death on the battlefield, while magisters can still attack but choose to research this ether that gives them their spells in the first place. Spell Slasher apply spells by force using their weapon causing explosive starts or catastrophic failure. You gain features from your chosen archetype at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, 14th, 18th and 20th level. These Archetypes are detailed at the end of this chapter.
Ability Score Increase[edit]
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[edit]
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.
Elemental Expertise[edit]
Starting at 10th level, you select a preferred damage type available to your Arcane Blade feature. An Arcane Blade infused with the chosen element does additional damage equal to your spellcasting modifier. You also gain resistance to the chosen damage type. You can change the damage type at the end of a long rest.
Arcane Versatility[edit]
At 15th level, with all the arcane energy you are able to channel you have learned to change the element of your Arcane Blade feature even more. You may now change the damage type to necrotic, radiant, or thunder. This does not apply to other magical enchantments such as the Flametongue effect.
Archetypes[edit]
Blademaster[edit]
A Blademaster focuses most on attacking in combat, dealing damage with their weapons. They infuse even more ether into their weapons and into themselves at the cost of not learning more complex powers of Ether.
- Fighter of Ether
At 3rd level a Blademaster gains the ability to use Action Surge (two at 13th and three at 17th) and Second Wind (Using Spellblade level instead of Fighter).
- Ether-Enhanced Abilities
Beginning at 6th level, a Blademaster may use their Charisma modifier instead of their Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls when attacking with a weapon imbued with their Arcane Blade class feature.
- Ether-Carved Blades
Beginning at 11th level, the Blademaster can ignore elemental damage resistance using their Arcane Blade class feature.
- Experienced Combatant
At 14th level, a Blademaster chooses a second fighting style from the list presented.
- Arcane Blade Mastery
At 20th level, the damage of the Arcane blade class feature increases from 2d8 to 3d8 for your preferred element type . Additionally, you may use a whirling blade dealing 3d8 of your preferred damage type in a 5 foot cube around you. You must complete a long rest before using this ability again.
Magister[edit]
A magister focuses more on their spells than other Spellblade, able to cast more and greater spells than other Spellblades
- Ether Adept
The Magister is able to draw more power from the ether before needing to take a break. Beginning at 3rd level, the Magister has one more spell slot and learns one more cantrip.
- Magical Defense
Beginning at 6th level, the Magister learns and may cast the Shield spell twice per day without expending a spellslot, if the spellblade already knows the spell you may pick another spell of the same level. The spell chosen is always cast at 2nd-level, no matter what level your spell slots are at. The Magister must finish a long rest before doing so again.
- Ether Seeker
Beginning at 11th level, the Magister begins to tap into deeper, more powerful reserves of energy in order to create more powerful spells. You may learn one 4th level spell from the Sorcerer spell list and cast it without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before casting it again. You learn one 5th level Sorcerer spell at the 15th level, and one 6th level sorcerer spell at the 18th level. Each of these can be cast once without expending a spell slot before needing a long rest.
- Mastery of Ether
Beginning at 14th level, the Magister gains an additional 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th level spell slot of your choice.
- Ether Breakthrough
Beginning at 18th level, the Magister may learn any 2 spells from the Sorcerer spell list that the Magister is able to cast.
- Flow of Ether
When you reach 20th level, you gain mastery over two powerful spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 3rd-level spells from the sorcerers spell list as your signature spells. These spells can be cast without using spell slots
Spell Slasher[edit]
A SpellSlasher focuses on using the bound weapons to cast spells during attacks
- Bladed Spells
Beginning at 3rd level as a bonus action or in place of an attack, you may spend a spell slot to imbue any spell with a casting time of an action or less to a weapon within reach, this takes concentration and last until it makes a successful melee or thrown attack, which cast the spell. The creature hit automatically fails any Dexterity save. This replaces Arcane Blade damage until the spell is used.
- Exploding blade
All AOE spells imbued to your weapon change to a cone, with the same total area as the spell. At 3rd level spells deal 1 dice less damage,(or 1 dice lower if only 1dX) for any target other than the first. At 5th level spells deal normal damage to all creatures At 7th Level you deal Arcane Blade damage on a successful hit even if you are using the Bladed Spells feature. At 11th level you may change the angle and dimensions of the cone to a sphere or a line with the same total area At 14th level you may concentrate in 2 imbued spells at the same time. If they are both in the same weapon you may chose which spell or both to release on a hit.
- Glowing Blade
Beginning at 6th level, a SpellSlasher may add the Damage from their Arcane Blade feature to the AOE from spells
- Arcane Supremacy
At 18th level, During a long rest a SpellSlasher may choose a spell level 2 or below from their spell list, they may use this spell in place of their Arcane Blade
- Empowered Imbue
At 20th Level, spells you imbue with Bladed Spells feature with a spell slot level less than your Charisma are not expended when they are cast, and can be reused until you replace the spell using the Bladed Spells feature again.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Spellblade class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13, Strength or Dexterity 13
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Spellblade class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, Shields, Simple Weapons
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