Spiritual Swordsman (5e Class)

Spiritual Swordsman

An old adage says that great warriors are immortal. They live forever in the tales of bravery told around campfires, on history books that retell stories of glorious battles and acts of bravery, on the examples and legacy born from the acts of great men and women of erstwhile.

Spiritual swordsman are fighters that know the hidden truth on this old saying. Not only great warriors live on metaphorically, but the fragments of their existence in the material plane, the echoes of their great deeds keep reverberating in the world of living.

These warriors learn how to channel these warriors and harness their power, wisdom and ability by following the example set by them, emulating their paths and learning from the histories of them. They learn how to listen to these echoes, how to commune with these spiritual fragments and bind to them.

They train their bodies to act as the perfect vessels for these great spirits, and let them take part of the control, guiding the strikes with pristine precision.

Creating a Spiritual Swordsman

When creating a spiritual swordsman, ask yourself why you decided to follow the footsteps of these legendary heroes and act as a vessel for them. Do you follow a tradition of your family or clan, keeping alive the memories and deeds of your ancestors? Do you seek power by forcefully capturing these fragments of essences from these great heroes? A spiritual swordsman lives in two worlds, one of the past and one of the present, and constantly strive to use the old to create something new.

Quick Build

You can make a spiritual swordsman quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom Second, choose the Endless Soul background.

Class Features

As a spiritual swordsman you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per spiritual swordsman level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per spiritual swordsman level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity,Charisma
Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception

Equipment

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

• (a) a spear and light crossbow and quiver with 20 bolts or (b) any two simple weapons
• (a) leather armor or (b) chain shirt
• (a) dungeoneer's kit or (b) explorer's kit
• a shield and a dagger
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The spiritual swordsman

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Channeling, Spiritual Strikes
2nd	+2	Fighting Style, Replace Spirit
3rd	+2	Spiritual Path
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Path Feature
7th	+3	Renew Connection, Spiritual Defense
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Hollowed One
10th	+4	Path Feature
11th	+4	Ancient Warden
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Hollowed One Improvement
14th	+5	Path Feature
15th	+5	Knowledge of Ages
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Hollowed One Improvement
18th	+6	Path Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Soul Mastery

Channeling

At 1st level, you learn how to channel the power of ancient warriors, letting their experience guide you and their example inspire you. When you finish a long rest, you can choose one Ancient Soul from the Ancient Souls List to channel.

If the ancient soul requires a level pre-requisite, you must be a spiritual swordsman of that level to channel it. You keep channeling that spirit until you finish a long rest.

Some abilities require you to make a spell attack or your foes to make a saving throw. Charisma is your ability, and these checks are calculated as follows:

Spirit Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spiritual Strikes

At 1st level, the ancient soul channeled by you can attack trough you. When you take the Attack action, you can forgo an attack to make a melee spell attack against a creature within 30 feet. The attack deal damage equal to 1d6, and the damage type is force. The damage increases to 1d8 at 5th level, 1d10 at 11th level and 1d12 at 17th level.

In addition, as a bonus action after taking the Attack action, you can make a spiritual strike. Charisma is your ability modifier for this attack, and you also add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.

This spiritual strike takes the form of the warrior you are currently channeling.

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Replace Spirit

Starting at 2nd level, you can change the spirit currently possessing you. As an action, you can release the Ancient Soul you are channeling, changing for another one. Once you use this ability, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Spiritual Path

At 3rd level, you chose a Path. Choose between the options detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd and again at 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th levels.

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

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Renew Connection

Starting at 7th level, you can recover one ability of the spirit you are channeling. As a bonus action, choose one ability that recover during a short rest and make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 10. On a success, you recover the use of that ability. On a failed save, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Each time you use this ability afterwards, the DC increases in 5.

Spiritual Defense

Starting at 7th level, the spirit you channel protect you from harm. When you take damage from an attack you can see, you can use your reaction to halve the damage for that attack.

Hollowed One

At 9th level, you learn how to create space in yourself to channel even more spirits. You can Channel two Ancient Souls at once, instead of one. The second Ancient Soul cannot require pre-requisites.

At 13th level, the second ancient soul can require the 5th level of Spiritual Swordsman as a prerequisite.

At 17th level, the second Ancient Soul can require any prerequisite.

Ancient Warden

Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to retaliate and protect attacks made against you or your allies. Whenever you or a friendly creature takes an attack within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make an spiritual strike against that creature. The attacker must be within your spiritual strike range.

In addition, you can now use your Spiritual Defense to protect creatures within 30 feet of you.

Knowledge of Ages

At 15th level, you can draw from the ancient spirits to gain knowledge about a topic. Whenever you roll a 9 or lower on a check for a skill you are proficient with, you can choose to roll a 10 instead.

In addition, whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can replace a skill you are proficient with for another one you aren't.

Soul Mastery

At 20th level, you reach a state of perfect connection to your ancient souls.

Whenever you fail an ability check, attack roll or saving throw, you can use your reaction to reroll that check. You must choose the new result.

Path of the Lore Seeker

Lore seekers are voracious students, who dedicate their lives to research the stories about old heroes and ancient warriors, learning their techniques and following their examples.

Path of the Brave Soul

Brave souls are warriors that are chosen by the ancient souls as a vessel due to their courage and devotion to combat. These warriors some times don't even know they have a connection with the spirits, forging this bond in a instinctual level.

Inspiring Bravery

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you make an attack on your turn, you and any creature within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against the frightened condition.

In addition, if you succeed on a saving throw against the frightened condition, you and any creatures within 10 feet of you become immune to it.

Angered Strikes

Also at 3rd level, you can use your pain and fury as a weapon against your enemies. When a creature causes damage against you with an attack, you can choose to target that creature with your anger. Until the end of your next turn, if you make all attacks you are able to make on a turn against that creature, you can make one additional attack against it.

Coward's Bane

Starting at 6th level, you punish cowardice with pain. Whenever you make an opportunity attack against a creature, you cause additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier. This additional damage is psychic.

Ferocious Courage

At 10th level, you exude an aura of courage and anger. Whenever you succeed a saving throw against the frightened condition, all allied creatures within 30 feet become immune to fear until the end of the encounter, and all hostile creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or become frightened of you.

At the end of its turn, a creature can make a saving throw to end the effect on himself.

Lion Heart

Starting at 14th level, the range of your Inspiring Bravery increases to 30 feet.

In addition, whenever a creature frightened by you is within this area, it takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Dreadful Hate

At 18th level, your angered gaze can awaken a deep fear even in the bravest of the hearts. Whenever you hit a creature with the additional attack from Angered Strikes, that is frightened by you until the end of your next turn.

In addition, whenever you impose a frightened condition with class features from this class, you ignore immunity to this condition and creatures don't have advantage against it.

Path of the Intangible Sword

Intangible swords seek to merge with their spirits, becoming one with them. They dance between the material and spiritual plane with ease, and are greatly attuned to the spirits.

Spiritual Guidance

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Charisma, instead of Intelligence, for your Religion checks; and instead of Wisdom, for your Perception checks.

In addition, you learn the guidance cantrip.

Ghostly Step

At 3rd level, whenever an enemy makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to merge with your spirit, become ethereal until the resolution of that attack. Doing so reduces the damage of the attack by an amount equal to your Spirit Strike damage.

Reducing that damage to 0 allow you to move in ethereal form up to 30 feet.

Spiritual Walk

At 6th level, you gain the ability to travel further while merged with the spirit. You can use your bonus action to move in ethereal form to a place within 10 feet. If you end your movement in a occupied space, you a expelled to a place within 5 feet of you, taking 1d10 force damage.

Phantasmal Warrior

At 10th level, you start to become slightly intangible to touch, always phasing between the material and spiritual world. You gain advantage on any checks or saving throws to avoid the grappled and restrained conditions.

In addition, you become able to see 30 feet into the ethereal plane.

Two Minds

At 14th level, your mind, body and soul become one with the spirit possessing you. You add your Charisma modifier to your Dexterity checks, as the spirit guides your body.

In addition, you can communicate with the souls. You can cast commune and legend lore. Casting either of these spells make you unable to do it again trough this feature until you finish a long rest.

Ethereal Blade

At 18th level, you become a ghostly swordsman. You become able to cast a version of Etherealness, as a bonus action. When you do so, you stay on the Ethereal form for 1 minute, or until you decide to come back to your normal form as a bonus action.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and regain your uses of it after a short or a long rest.

Path of the Soul Master

Soul masters are capable of not only attuning and connecting to the ancient souls, but with the souls of living creatures while they still inhabit their bodies. These warriors not always are bonded with their spirits, and some of the oppress their spirits, forcing them into submission to use their powers.

Soul Puppet

Starting at 3rd level, whenever a creature that have a soul makes a melee weapon attack against another creature within 5 feet, you can use your reaction force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw or either lose the attack or choose another creature within 5 feet as a target.

Invisible Master

At 6th level, once in each round, when a creature you can see within 60 feet moves away from another creature within 5 feet of it, you can force that creature to use its reaction and make an opportunity attack against the creature that moved away from it.

A unwilling target can make a Wisdom saving throw to avoid the effect.

Soul Consumption

At 10th level, you can drain the souls of the creatures you slain, absorbing their life force and some of their power. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to its total hit dice.

In addition, until you finish a short or long rest, or until you use this ability again, you can use one of the creature's actions, using its proficiency bonus, instead of your's.

Possession

At 14th level, once in each of your turns, you can take control over a creature you can see for a brief moment. You learn how to cast the spell command at will. In addition, you can forgo your spirit strike to cast the command spell instead.

Soul Transmutation

At 18th level, whenever you use your soul consumption, you become able to gain the abilities of the consumed creature. This works as the true polymorph spell, but it lasts until the end of your next turn.

Ancient Souls List

Moon Stalker

You channel the power of an ancient nocturnal hunter, granting you great prowess in tracking your foes. You gain the following traits when channeling the Moon Stalker:

• You gain proficiency in Survival and Perception checks. At 17th level, you add twice your proficiency bonus in one of these skills.
• Any quiver on you gain the properties of a Quiver of Ehlona, containing sixty arrows, eighteen javelins and six spears. These weapons disappear when you no longer channel the moon stalker.
• You can cast hunter's mark once, without expending a spell slot. Once you cast this spell, you can't cast it again until you finish a short or a long rest.
• While channeling the moon stalker, you can see on the dark as if it were bright light as long as you are outdoors and at night.

Frenetic Devastator

You channel a furious and brutal warrior, which grants you might and anger. You gain the following traits when channeling the Frenetic Devastator:

• You gain proficiency with greatswords, greataxes and mauls.
• When wielding a weapon in two hands, you add 2d4 to the damage dealt.
• When you score a critical hit with a two-handed weapon, you can use your bonus action to deliver a powerful blow. When you do so, you roll the damage dice of the weapon one additional time, and add half your level in this class to the damage. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• When you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d10 force damage, as the frenetic spirit counters the attack. It increases to 2d10 at 17th level.

Weave Dancer

You channel the power of a warrior that uses both steel and magic as weapons. You gain the following benefits when channeling the Weave Dancer:

• You learn the green-flame blade and the booming blade cantrips.
• When you take damage from a spell, the next time you hit a creature with an attack with a weapon until the end of your next turn deal additional damage equal to the damage taken. The damage is force.
• You can cast shield. Once you do that, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.
• You can cast detect magic as a ritual.

Storm Caller (Prerequisite - 5th level)

You channel the power of a warrior devoted to the storms. You gain the following benefits when channeling this warrior:

• You gain proficiency with the warhammer, battleaxes and longswords.
• You can throw any melee weapon you are proficient with up to a range of 20/60 feet. You gain +1 on attack rolls when you throw a weapon. Any weapon you throw returns to your hand after each attack.
• You can make a special attack summoning the power of the storms. Your weapon becomes pure lightning, causing lightning damage, instead of the regular damage, and additional 1d4 lightning. In addition, all creatures within 5-foot of the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take thunder damage equal to half the damage rolled on a failed save. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.
• You can use your Charisma, instead of your Strength, for attacks and damage rolls with weapons you throw. In addition, you gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage.

Fallen Knight (Prerequisite - 5th level)

You channel the power of a noble but deceased knight, who have used its last breath to protect someone. You gain the following benefits when channeling the Fallen Knight

• You gain proficiency with heavy armor, shield, lance and longsword.
• When a creature within 5 feet of you take damage, you can use your reaction to change places with the target, taking damage yourself instead. When you do so, the damage is reduced to half.
• You can cast find steed. Once you cast this spell, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. The steed disappear if you aren't channeling the fallen knight anymore.
• You can mount and dismount at a cost of 5 feet of movement. In addition, you can use your Charisma, instead of your Strength, for attacks and damage rolls using the longsword or the lance.

Sacred Warrior (Prerequisite - 9th level)

You channel the power of a holy servant, a warrior that uses the power of the gods as a tool and a weapon in combat.

• While channeling the sacred warrior, you can cause radiant or necrotic damage with your weapon attacks and spiritual strikes. You must choose the damage when you channel the spirit.
• As a bonus action, you can ward a creature with divine energy. Choose a creature you can see within 5 feet of you. Until the end of its turn, the next attack against that creature have its damage reduced by your Charisma modifier, and the attacker takes the same amount of damage. The damage is either necrotic or radiant.
• You can cast the following spells: heroism and magic weapon. You can cast each of these spells twice, and regain the uses of it after a long rest.
• You can cast the following spells: crusader's mantle and aura of vitality. You can cast each of these spells once, and regain the uses of it after a long rest.
• When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend one use of your Sacred Warrior spells to deal additional damage to that creature. The damage equals 1d8, plus 1d8 per level of the spell. The damage type equals the damage type chosen when channeling the ancient soul.
• You gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage.

Legendary Archer (Prerequisite - 9th level)

You channel the spirit of a great bowman of ore, earning his precision and skill. You gain the following benefits when channeling the legendary archer:

• You gain proficiency with the heavy crossbow, the longbow and the hand crossbow.
• When you make a ranged attack with a ranged weapon, you gain +2 to your attack rolls with it. This doesn't stack with the Archery fighting style.
• The first ranged weapon attack you make in each of your turns is made at advantage.
• You can use your Charisma, instead of Dexterity for attacks and damage rolls with ranged weapons.
• As a bonus action, you can make one ranged weapon attack, at advantage. On a hit, you deal additional damage equal to your Spirit Strike die. You can use this bonus action a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining the uses after a long rest.

Forgotten Spy (Prerequisite - 13th level)

You channel the spirit of an assassin and infiltrator from an ancient war. While channeling the forgotten spy, you gain the following benefits:

• As an action, you can choose a creature you can see within 60 feet, making that creature incapable to see you as if you were invisible until the end of your next turn or until you make an attack or cast a spell.
• Once in each of your turns when you hit a creature with an attack with a weapon that have the finesse or light property, or with a ranged weapon, you deal additional 2d8 damage. The damage is necrotic.
• You can cast disguise self and invisibility twice, and regain the ability to do so after finish a long rest.
• You can cast gaseous form and greater invisibility once, and regain the ability to do so after finishing a long rest.
• When you are invisible, you can use your action to make a creature to lose memories of encountering you within the last round.

Undefeated Duelist (Prerequisite - 17th level)

You channel the power of a great swordsman that have never been defeated on a sword-fight. You gain the following benefits when channeling the undefeated duelist:

• You gain proficiency with the shortsword, the longsword, the rapier, the scimitar and the greatsword. Whenever you use any of these weapons, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity.
• You can cast shadowblade at will, without spending a spell slot and without requiring concentration.
• You can cast haste and steel wind strike, both once, and regain your uses of it when you finish a long rest.
• When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can choose to have 1 hit point instead. You can use this ability twice, and regain your uses of it after a long rest.
• Whenever you are hit by a critical hit, you take no damage and the attack misses.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Spiritual Swordsman class, you must meet these prerequisites:

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Spiritual Swordsman class, you gain the following proficiencies:

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