Sword Mage (5e Class)
Sword Mage[edit]
One after another, swords fly up from the ground, piercing the air as a human warrior chains her enemy and, with a flick of her wrist, one of the blades ends their suffering without her ever unsheathing her own sword.
Raising his swords towards the elemental planes, a tiefling jumps into battle, the blade in his left burning hot with the flames of his anger while the other hisses with the winds of fury.
Chanting words as daggers appear in the air circling around a horde of imps, an elf sways his arm and the daggers converge to slaughter the horde, ending their attack.
Sword Mages are the swordsmasters amongst the mages, warriors of blade and magic that enhance their battle prowess through the mysthic arts. Depending on the sword dance they've decided to create, they can get up close and personal to overwhelm their enemies in melee combat or they can stay back and support their team with their telekinetic powers.
Telekinetic Abilities[edit]
Those that train in the ways of telekinesis have found that controlling objects becomes easier the most familiar one is with it; though possible for day to day tasks, unfamiliar weapons are not efficient enough to use in combat. They soon learned that, by bonding with their weapons and taking the time to study and become more familiar with them, they could become spellbound and share their emotions, fighting alongside their owners as a single entity. Outmaneuvering their opponents with their intellect and techniques, they have become great fighters as well as mages to help cities defend or lead charges in many armies. They use their telekinesis smartly and always look for the most efficient way to end their opponents with their spells and weapons. They trust their weapons as their weapons trust them, an important bond with their weapons that is as valuable to them as their own life.
Valuable and Passionate Fighters[edit]
As they grow and become stronger, their passionate bond with their weapons may extend to the rest of the world. Most Sword Mages fight for a righteous cause and are trained extensively to keep and develop the bonds they share with their swords, although it can sometimes go too far and result in an excessive control from the weapon. Their communication and friendship with their swords may distance them from their allies, but the results of their battles says otherwise. Very valuable and efficient, they usually try to deepen their knowledge of the people around them while helping them grow stronger. Teams and guilds appreciate their company unless they let their swords talk first. Some wield legendary weapons to slay dragons or clear out entire hordes with seemingly little effort.
Creating a Sword Mage[edit]
By Meganerid |
When creating a Sword Mage, take some time to think about your weapons and your relationship with them. How did you find your weapons? What's your relationship with them? They may be like family to you, valued friends, respected rivals or maybe even hated arch-nemesis. Do you think great feats should be attributed to the tools that made them possible or to the hands using them? Maybe one tells a story of how they were used to slay a Red Dragon that saved their city, but only the hero was recognized. What are their goals? Some may look for a quiet life or the fame of great exploits, while another may be looking for redemption or revenge from the crimes they took part in with their previous master.
Weapons have their own emotions as they tell you how they feel through telepathy and it's your job to help them complete their mission or complete your own mission with their help. Just like the weapons have their own stories, you can share your own tales and wishes as you study them. Communication is key to sword mages. So, what motivates you to fight and continue your studies? What made you choose this discipline? Why was a specific weapon your first? How did you begin to uncover the secrets of weapon telekinesis and bonding? Were you chosen by the army or did you learn them by yourself? Were you a fighter before you discovered these arcane arts or were you a scholar first? How can you achieve your own goals and help these weapons become known for great things?
- Quick Build
You can make a Sword Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Strength depending on the archetype. Second, choose the Courtier or Sage background.
Class Features
As a Sword Mage you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Sword Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Sword Mage level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light and medium
Weapons: Simple and martial Weapons
Tools: Tinker's Tools
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Pick 2 from Arcana,Acrobatics, Deception, Investigation, Insight, Intimidation, History, Perception.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a shortsword or (b) a longsword
- (a) a shield or (b) any simple ranged weapon
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack or (c) a scholar's pack
- (a) leather armor and two daggers or (b) leather armor and one martial melee weapon
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x10 in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Techniques Known | Bound Weapons | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||||||
1st | +2 | 0 | 1 | Sword Study (1d8), Call To Arms | 0 | - | — | — | — | — | — |
2nd | +2 | 2 | 1 | Techniques of the Blade, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
3rd | +2 | 2 | 1 | Arts of Swordsmanship Archetype | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
4th | +2 | 2 | 1 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
5th | +3 | 3 | 2 | Extra Attack (x1) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
6th | +3 | 3 | 2 | Arts of Swordsmanship Feature | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
7th | +3 | 4 | 2 | Sword Study (2d8) | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
8th | +3 | 4 | 2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
9th | +4 | 5 | 2 | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
10th | +4 | 5 | 3 | Arts of Swordsmanship Feature | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
11th | +4 | 5 | 3 | Extra Attack (x2) | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
12th | +4 | 6 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
13th | +5 | 6 | 3 | Telekinetic Mastery | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
14th | +5 | 6 | 3 | Arts of Swordsmanship Feature | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
15th | +5 | 7 | 4 | Sword Study (3d8) | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
16th | +5 | 7 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
17th | +6 | 7 | 4 | Arts of Swordsmanship Feature | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
18th | +6 | 8 | 4 | Last Attempt | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
19th | +6 | 8 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
20th | +6 | 8 | 4 | Extra Attack (x3) | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Sword Study[edit]
Your curiosity grows as you bond with your weapons and learn more about them, gaining insight into their history (the DM may choose to give them a personality as well, but this will not effect their obedience in battle). You can study a weapon to create a magical bond with it. You perform the study over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond. The weapon must be one-handed, deal either piercing or slashing damage, and you must be proficient with it. The weapon can't have the special property either.
The bound weapon becomes imbued with additional bonus attack damage equal to 1d8 as it bonds with you, sharing its memories and history. This raises to 2d8 at 7th level and 3d8 at 15th level. Additionally, it counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
As long as a bound weapon is on the same plane of existence as you, you know its direction and general distance.
You can have up to one bound weapon, but this number increases as you level up as shown in the class table. If you attempt to bond with a weapon while already being bound with the maximum number allowed, you must first break the bond with one of the others.
Call To Arms[edit]
At 1st level, you can use a bonus action to magically animate one or more non-magical melee weapons you can see within 30 feet of you that aren't being carried by another creature. You can animate a maximum number of weapons equal to your Bound Weapons limit. The weapons must be non-magical and one-handed, deal either piercing or slashing damage, and you must be proficient with them. The weapon can't have the special property either. You can also animate weapons bound through Sword Study even if they do not fulfill those conditions. Each weapon remains animated until it is destroyed, you deanimate it as a bonus action, until you use this bonus action again, or until you're incapacitated.
An animated weapon has AC 14 + your proficiency bonus, 1 hit point, and immunity to all conditions. If it has to make a saving throw, it uses your saving throw bonus for the roll. It retains its size, and it occupies its space. On your turn, you can mentally command the weapon to move up to 30 feet in any direction (no action required). If the animated weapon is ever more than 30 feet from you at the end of your turn or its hit points are reduced to 0, the effect on it ends and the magic keeping it animated disappears.
You can use your animated weapons in the following ways:
- When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace any number of your attacks with one from any of your animated weapons.
- When a creature that you can see within reach of one of your animated melee weapons moves out of said reach, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature with that animated weapon.
Attacks made with any one of your animated weapons originate from that weapon's space and use your Intelligence modifier for both the attack and damage rolls.
The distance at which you can animate and keep your weapons animated increases by 10 feet when you reach 5th level (40 feet), 11th level (50 feet), and 17th level (60 feet).
Techniques of the Blade[edit]
You have practiced the way of the blade as you go about in your adventures, reaching partial enlightment in some aspects of the art.
At 2nd level, you gain two Techniques of the Blade from the List of Techniques of your choice. When you gain certain sword mage levels, you gain additional techniques of your choice, as shown in the Techniques Known column of the Sword Mage table. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the techniques you know and replace it with another technique that you could learn at that level.
Spellcasting[edit]
By the time you reach 2nd level, you also have learned how to use deadly magic along with your swords to support your allies on the battlefield and overwhelm your enemies.
- Spell Slots
The Sword Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
- Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Sword Mage Spell List.
The Spells Known column of the Sword Mage table shows when you learn more sword mage spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sword mage spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sword mage spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
- Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your sword mage spells, since your magic comes from your knowledge of weapons and how they work best. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sword mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
- Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
- Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
- Ritual Casting
You can cast a sword Mage spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you know the spell.
Arts of Swordsmanship[edit]
At 3rd level, your constant practice and concentration in sword handling and use, advances your techniques in the Arts of Swordsmanship. Your combat prowess and intellect helps you as you choose a unique style of battle from the following arts: The Art of the Duelist, The Art of The Aegis, The Art of Telekinesis, The Art of Magic, The Art of Puppetry or The Art of the Soul, all of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your decision grants you a feature at 3rd level, and again at 6th level, 10th level, and at 17th level.
Ability Score Improvement[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.
The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.
Telekinetic Mastery[edit]
You begin to master your mind and concentrate on objects as practice using your telekinetic powers in daily life. When you reach 13th level, you learn the telekinesis spell and you can cast it without expending a spell slot. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell. On each of your turns while you concentrate on the spell, including the turn when you cast it, you can make one attack with one of your animated weapons as a bonus action.
Once you cast this spell in this way, you can’t cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast this spell using spell slots you have of 4th level or higher.
Last Attempt[edit]
Starting at 18th level, your increasing understanding of your arsenal lets you refine the energy of all your weapons together in one singular strike. As an action, you can choose one Large or larger creature within 30 ft. of you. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 8d8 magical piercing damage. Hit or miss, the energy then explodes. The target and each creature within 10 feet of the point where the beam exploded must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Sword Mage spell save DC or take 8d6 force damage.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Arts of Swordmanship[edit]
The Art of the Duelist[edit]
Duelists don't like to stay back and watch the fight unfold from afar. These mages prefer to engage directly and join in the fray along with their animated weapons in order to overwhelm their enemies. Learning the Art of the Duelist means you are responsible for your swords and what you do with them. You have accepted that learning this art means a great responsibility is placed upon you as a Sword Mage. Your swords aren't just your own, but also for your allies to help take down any foe you encounter.
- Sword Dance
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level you become proficient in the Performance skill. Additionally, when you attack with one of your bound weapons, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.
- One with the Weapon
At 3rd level, you learn how to use your animated weapons to create openings for your attacks. Hitting an enemy with one of your animated weapons gives you advantage on all melee weapon attacks made directly by you (i.e. not through one of your animated weapons) against that enemy until the end of the current turn.
- Fast Movement
Starting at 6th level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing heavy armor. Additonally, you can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier.
- Telekinetic Sharpness
At 10th level you learn how to sharpen your weapons through telekinesis. Attacks you make with one of your bound weapons score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
- Mesmerising Strike
At 14th level, your coordination with your weapons has reached new heights. When you make an attack with one of your animated weapons against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
- One Blade, One Mind
At 17th level, your animated weapons become undistinguishable from your real body while fighting. Each time a creature targets you with an attack while one of your animated weapons is within 5 ft. of you, roll a d6. On a roll of 4 or higher, the attack misses you, and targets said animated weapon instead.
The Art of The Aegis[edit]
Contrary to others, some sword mages decide to focus their efforts in defence and animate shields instead of weapons. These mages take pride in protecting their allies through their telekinetic abilities and keeping them away from harm's way.
- Animated Shields
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level you become proficient with heavy armor and shields, and the latter counts as a simple melee weapon dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage (plus the ability score used for the attack) for you.
- Steel Absorption
Also at 3rd level, when a creature you can see takes damage from an attack and at least one of your animated shields is within 5 feet of them, you can use your reaction to give it resistance to all of that attack's damage on this turn. After using this reaction the shield deanimates.
- Arcane Rebuke
At 6th level, your shields grow powerful enough to retaliate. When you use your Steel Absorption to reduce the damage of an attack, you can make a melee weapon attack with the animated shield being used against that creature, regardless of the distance between them.
- Animated Parry
At 10th level, you have learnt how to project a protective aura from your animated shields. You and your allies have half cover while within 5 ft. of any of your animated shields.
- Barrier Creator
At 14th level, you gain the ability to create invisible barriers with your shields. You learn the following additional spells, which don't count against the number of spell mage spells you know: Alarm, Tenser's Floating Disk and Leomund's Tiny Hut.
You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
- Immovable Aegis
At 17th level, your shields become the physical embodiment of defense. Your animated weapons become completely immune to all damage, don't deanimate after using Steel Absorption and can't be moved unless you wish for them to move.
The Art of Telekinesis[edit]
Followers of the Art of Telekinesis prefer to focus their efforts on their telekinetic powers, controlling the battlefield and limiting the movement of their opponents.
- Telekinetic Expert
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level you learn the mage hand cantrip. Additionally, when you cast mage hand, you can make the spectral hand invisible and you can control the hand using a bonus action. Additionally, the range from which you can keep your animated weapons functional is doubled.
- Telekinetic Bind
Also at 3rd level, you have learnt to produce enough force to push or grab a person with telekinesis. When you take the Attack action you can attempt to shove or grab a creature within 30 ft. of you with telekinesis in place of one or more of your attacks. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer one of the next effects (your choice):
- The creature is moved 10 ft. in a direction of your choice.
- The creature is knocked prone.
- The creature is grappled (escape DC equal to your spellcasting save dc). You can only use this feature to grab a single creature at a time.
- Crushing Force
At 6th level, when a creature fails a saving throw against your Telekinetic Bind feature they take force damage equal to 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
- Strategic Grappler
At 10th level, you have advantage on all attack rolls against grappled creatures.
- Telekinetic Wings
At 14th level, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You can't grapple a creature using your Telekinetic Bind while flying in this way.
- Grasp Heart
At 17th level, your control over telekinesis allows you to target the vital organs of a creature. As an action, you may attempt to crush the internal organs of a creature you are grappling using your Telekinetic Bind feature. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 Hit Points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 force damage. Whether the creature succeeds or fails, it becomes immune to this feature for the next 24 hours.
The Art of Magic[edit]
More often than not, mages like to keep their hands clean from afar, bombarding the battlefield with their spells. Followers of the Art of Magic cultivate their spellcasting capabilities and learn new ways to use them. You use your spells to your advantage whenever you are in battle.
- Channeling Bond
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you learn how to bond Arcane Focus to you using your Sword Study feature, which count as simple ranged weapons dealing 1d6 force damage (plus the ability score used for the attack) with a range of 30/60 ft for you.
Additionally, you can use any of your bonded weapons as a spellcasting focus for your Sword Mage Spells.
- Channeled Spell
Also at 3rd level, whenever you cast a Sword Mage spell, you can cast it as if you were in one of your animated weapon's space, instead of your own.
- Magic Surge
At 6th level, you've learned new ways to channel arcane energy to harm or heal. When either you hit a target with a spell attack or one of your animated weapons hits a target, you can expend one spell slot to create one of the following effects:
- The target takes extra force damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8.
- You pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you or push it the same distance.
- Potent Spellcasting
Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of any Sword Mage spell you cast.
- Arcane Veil
At 14th level, you learn how to magically hide your presence. As a bonus action, you can become invisible, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Spellbound Steel
At 17th level, you learn how to imbue your weapons with your magical essence, making them an extension of yourself. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch any number of bonded weapons, and you store a spell in each of them, choosing a spell from the sword mage spell list that requires 1 action to cast (you needn't have it prepared).
While holding the weapon, a creature can take an action to produce the spell's effect from it, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, the creature must concentrate. The spell stays in the object until it's been used, your bond with it breaks or until you use this feature again to store a spell in it again.
You can activate spells imbued in your animated weapons without needing to touch them.
The Art of Puppetry[edit]
Some Sword Mages have discovered that, by focusing their powers into a single vessel, animating entire sets of armor becomes possible, controlling a sturdier and somehow stronger puppet at the cost of agility.
- Puppet Artisan
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level you become proficient with heavy armor and Smith's Tools.
- Puppet Animation
Also at 3rd level, you've learned how to control a set of armor as if it were a puppet. As an action, you can animate one Large or smaller set of armor within 30 feet of you that isn't being worn or carried. The animate armor uses the Armor Puppet stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB). The armor is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. It lives for 1 hour, until it is reduced to 0 hit points, or until you die.
In combat, the armor shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the item can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
Whenever you make an attack with one of your animated weapons, you can have the attack originate from the puppet's space instead.
Once you animate a set of armor with this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to use this feature again. You can have only one set of armor animated by this feature at a time; if you use this action and already have an Armor Puppet from this feature, the first one immediately becomes inanimate.
- Armor Refinement
At 6th level, you can confer your puppets additional benefits befitting the armor used to create them. Armor Puppets you animate gain one of the following benefits depending on the type of armor you have used to create them:
- Light armor. The Armor Puppet has its walking speed increased by 5 ft. and has advantage on Stealth ability checks.
- Medium armor. The Armor Puppet has Blindsight with a range of 5 feet. Within that range, it can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if it is blinded or in darkness. Moreover, it can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from it.
- Heavy armor. The Armor Puppet has advantage on saving throws and ability checks made to avoid being pushed or knocked prone. Additionally, it adds your proficiency bonus to Athletics ability checks it makes.
- Enhanced Spikes
At 10th level, the spikes that cover your Armor Puppet become sharper. Your Armor Puppets gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class and the retaliation damage of its Telekinetic Spikes increases to 2d6.
- Telekinetic Medium
At 14th level, you learn new ways to channel your energy through your puppets. Once per turn when either you hit a target with one of your animated weapons or your Armor Puppet hits a target, you can create one of the following effects:
- The target takes an extra 1d6 force damage.
- Choose one creature or object you can see within 30 feet of the Armor Puppet. Protective energy flows into the chosen recipient, giving it 1d6 temporary hit points.
- Empowered Puppet
At 17th level, you can drastically increase the power of your puppets as an action. For 1 minute, your Armor Puppet gains the following benefits:
- When you activate this feature, you can cause the Armor Puppet to grow to Large size, provided there is enough free space.
- It gains 50 temporary hit points.
- When the Armor Puppet uses the Attack action, it can make two attacks intead of once.
- Whenever you use your Telekinetic Medium feature, the amount of damage or temporary hit points granted by it is increased by 2d6.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
The Art of the Soul[edit]
What's a sword? Some mages focus their efforts in studying the very essence of a sword, rather than its physical vessel. Such individuals gain an incredible control over the souls of their weapons and, by extension, over theirs.
- Soul Language
When you choose this subclass at 3rd level your domain over souls allows you to communicate directly with the soul of other creatures. You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Additionally, you become proficient in the Insight skill.
- Soul Blade
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to materialise the very essence of a sword. When you use your Call to Arms feature, you can summon ethereal weapons instead of animating existing ones. A weapon summoned this way shares the characteristics of a type of non-magical weapon you can bound with Sword Study of your choice, but its damage type is changed to psychic and it vanishes completely after being de-animated. Such a weapon benefits from Sword Study.
- Soul Focus
At 6th level, when a creature is hit by one of your bound weapons, they have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you until the start of your next turn.
- Soul Disruption
At 10th level, you've learned new ways of attacking a creature's soul directly. When one of your animated weapons hits a target, you can expend one spell slot to attack its soul. The target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC or suffer one of the following conditions until the start of your next turn depending on the level of the spell slot:
- 1st level spell slot: poisoned
- 2nd level spell slot: frightened
- 3rd level spell slot: incapacitated
- 4th level spell slot: stunned
- 5th level or higher spell slot: paralyzed
- Soul Empathy
At 14th level, you can cast Detect Thoughts at will, without expending a spell slot.
- Avatar of the Blade
At 17th level, you can manifest the essence of the blade itself through your own body, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your skin might become metallic or take on a steel-like texture, your hair might become sharper, or you might be covered by blades. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain truesight with a range of 60 feet.
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
- You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.
- Enemy creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against your sword mage spells and Soul Disruption feature.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Sword Mage Spell List[edit]
If needed, this spell list can be expanded using the wizard spell list.
- Cantrips (0 Level)
blade ward, booming blade, dancing lights. green-flame blade, light, mage hand, mending, minor illusion, resistance, shillelagh, shocking grasp, sword burst, true strike
- 1st Level
alarm, bless, command, compelled duel, detect magic, expeditious retreat, faerie fire, false life, feather fall, fog cloud, heroism, identify, inflict wounds, jump, longstrider, mage armor, shield, shield of faith, unseen servant zephyr strike,
- 2nd Level
barkskin, blur, cloud of daggers, darkness, enhance ability, flame blade, heat metal, hold person, invisibility, levitate, locate object, magic weapon, mirror image, misty step, Magic Aura, pass without trace, rope trick, see invisibility, shatter, spider climb, shadow blade, spiritual weapon, warding bond, warding wind, zone of truth
- 3rd Level
conjure barrage, counterspell, dispel magic, elemental weapon, fear, fireball, fly, glyph of warding, haste, protection from energy, slow, sending, tiny servant, water breathing, water walk
- 4th Level
arcane eye, death ward, dimension door, fabricate, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, locate creature, phantasmal killer, private sanctum, resilient sphere, stone shape, stoneskin, storm sphere, wall of fire
- 5th Level
animate objects, antilife shell, bigby's hand, creation, far step, geas, hold monster, legend lore, mislead, passwall, planar binding, Rary's Telepathic Bond, scrying, skill empowerment, steel wind strike, telekinesis, wall of force, wall of stone
List of Techniques[edit]
- Martial Prowess
You can choose one fighting style available to the fighter.
- Arcane Discipline
You have learned to regain some of your magical energy through meditation. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than one third your Sword Mage level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 4th level or higher.
For example, if you're a 6th-level Sword Mage, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots.
You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.
- Double strike
When you make an attack with one weapon affected by your Call to Arms feature that has the light property during your turn, you can use a bonus action to make an attack with a different animated light melee weapon.
- Animated sniper
You've learnt how to animate and control ranged weapons. You are able to bond one-handed ranged weapons using Sword Study.
- Chains Of Binding
As a bonus action, you can shoot out chains from your hands to attempt to grapple an enemy up to 60 feet away. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or become restrained. A creature restrained by the chains can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to use it again.
- Dagger Strom
You've learned how to create daggers out of thin air and rain them down onto your enemies. You can cast the spell cloud of daggers at will, without expending a spell slot or material components..
- Two handed Weaponry
You ignore the one-handed requirement in both Sword Study and Call to Arms. When you animate a weapon through the later, two-handed weapons count as two towards the limit of weapons you can animate at the same time. You may choose whether to treat a versatile weapon as one-handed or two-handed when you animate it.
- Retaliation
You've learnt how to push through the pain and retaliate when you are attacked. When a creature hits you, you can use your reaction to move one of your animated weapons up to 15 feet and make an attack with it against that same creature if it is within its reach.
- Hidden Blade
As a bonus action, you can make one of your animated weapons invisible until you attack with it.
- Collateral Damage
Once per turn, when you make an attack with one of your animated weapons, you can use your bonus action to make another attack roll with it against one or two creatures if they are within reach of the weapon and at most 5 feet apart from the original target.
- Bladestrom
Prerequisite: 5th level
As an action, you can momentarily forgo all semblance of control over your animated weapons to create a hurricane of blade and steel around you. Choose a radius no greater than the distance limit of your Call to Arms feature. You make one attack with each of your currently animated weapons against every creature other than you inside a sphere of the chosen radius centered on yourself. You can also make creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you immune.
Once you use this technique, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Parry
You've learned the arts of parrying from generations of teachings and have learnt to incorporate them using your animated weapons. If an enemy damages you with a melee attack and there is an animated weapon within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to parry the attack and reduce the damage you receive by 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
- Superior Parry
Prerequisite: 9th level, Parry Technique
When you parry an attack, you may choose to become immune to all the damage from that attack. After you use this technique, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
- Disarm
As a bonus action, you may attempt to telekinetically disarm an enemy if they are wielding a weapon you are proficient with. The target must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. If the creature fails, they let go of the weapon they are currently holding, which is pulled up to 15 feet closer to you.
Additionally, you learn the Mage Hand spell.
- Pushing strike
Once per turn when you hit a creature with one of your bound weapons, you can push that creature 10 feet away from it.
- Vacuum Blade
When you hit a creature with one of your bound weapons, you can move that creature in a straight line 10 feet closer to the weapon.
- Tendon Swipe
Prerequisite: 5th level
Creatures provoke opportunity attacks from your animated weapons even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach. Additionally, when you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed is reduced by 15 ft. for the rest of the turn.
- Wall of Swords
Prerequisite: 9th level
You have learned how to form a defensive ring of blades around you from many days of intense practice. You can use your action to create a 1 foot thick spheric wall of blades around yourself with a radius of up to 10 feet. The wall is opaque and provides full cover to you. When a creature other than you moves within 5 feet of the wall or starts its turn there, it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d6 magical piercing damage or half on a successful save. Your speed is reduced to 0 while using this technique and it can't be increased.
This ability lasts for 10 minutes or until you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). Once you use this technique, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Luminiscence
As a bonus action, you can magically make any number of your animated weapons glow. Until it is de-animated, the weapon sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The light can be colored as you like. Completely covering the weapon with something opaque blocks the light. The effect ends early if you use it again or dismiss it as a bonus action.
- Explosive blade
Prerequisite: 5th level
As an action, you can detonate the power within one of your bound weapons. Make an attack with the weapon against each creature within its reach. The weapon's bond to you then breaks.
- Metal Substitute
Prerequisite: 9th level
As a bonus action, you can exchange places with one of your animated weapons.
- Illusory Armory
Prerequisite: 15th level
As a bonus action, you can create illusory doubles of yourself around each of your animated weapons. Each separate illusion is equivalent to a Major Image spell except it can only represent yourself, can be controlled all at once using your bonus action and lasts for 1 minute or until you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell).
Once you use this technique, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to use it again.
- Sword skin
Prerequisite: 5th level
You learn the Blade Ward spell and can cast it as a bonus action.
- Weapon sense
You can perceive the surroundings of any of your bound weapons as if you where in their position as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through one of your bound weapons, you can also project your own voice through it.
- Unveiling weapon
Prerequisite: 9th level, Weapon Sense Technique
You can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 10 feet of one of your bound weapons and within line of sight.
- Weapon Echolocation
Prerequisite: 15th level, Weapon Sense Technique
You are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of your bound weapons.
- Master of Weapons
Prerequisite: 9th level
You ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements requirements on attuning to or using a magic weapon.
- Sword Surfer
Prerequisite: 5th level
You can cast the Fly spell without spending a spell slot. To do so, you must be sitting or standing on one of your animated weapons, which becomes glued to you for the duration of the spell. The spell ends early if the animated weapon is deanimated or destroyed.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
- Wings of Steel
Prerequisite: 15th level
You can use your Call To Arms feature to create a set of bladed wings on your back, which give you a flying speed of 60 ft. Such wings count as two weapons towards the limit of weapons you can animate with the feature at the same time.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Sword Mage class, you must meet these prerequisites: Intelligence score of 15 or higher and proficiency with a long or shortsword.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Sword Mage class, you gain the following proficiencies: History and Arcana
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes