Arcane Blademaster

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special arcane training leads you to master the use of the Arcane Blade, which is included at the end of this subclass. This path also includes instruction in the study and wisdom of things arcane. You gain the following benefits.

Arcane Knowledge. You have studied the arcane arts and understand their workings. You gain proficiency in Arcana.

Arcane Blade Ritual. You gain proficiency with Arcane Blades and they are monk weapons for you. You learn how to perform a 1 hour ritual that transforms a mundane short sword (or any other one-handed sword) into an Arcane Blade. You choose the damage type of the Arcane Blade when you perform this ritual: fire, cold, necrotic, radiant, lightning, or force.

Telekinetic Bond. The character can spend 5ft of their movement to draw their Arcane Blade, so long as it is within 30 feet. The weapon flies into the character’s open palm, as long as it is not being held or carried by another creature. If it is being held by another creature, the creature must make a Strength saving throw contested by a number equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. If it is being carried, but not held in their hand, the creature instead makes a Dexterity saving throw contested by the same number.

Agile Parry. If you attack with an Arcane Blade on your turn, you can use it to defend yourself. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren't incapacitated.

Deeper Study

At 6th level, your meditations into the arcane arts surrounding the use and functions of your Arcane Blades has given you certain insights into applications with the material world. You gain the following benefits.

Telekinetic Mastery. You’ve studied the ‘Magic Bind’ feature of your Arcane Blade to the extent that you can now perform this feat on other objects. You learn the mage hand cantrip. You can cast it without verbal or somatic components, and the spectral hand is invisible.

Versatile Blade. You can perform a 10 minute ritual on an Arcane Blade you have already created to change its damage type.

Arcane Blade Upgrades

Also at 6th level, your mastery of the Arcane Blade Ritual allows you to improve upon the basic design of your Arcane Blades.

Each Arcane Blade you create can have 1 of the following upgrades. You can add or exchange upgrades when you create an Arcane Blade, or by performing a 1 hour ritual on an Arcane Blade you have already created.

• Deft Blade. When you hit a target with an Arcane Blade, you can spend 1 Ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
• Super-heated Blade. Your Arcane Blade becomes hot enough to temporarily soften metal. When you hit a target with the Arcane Blade and the target is wearing armor made of metal, the target's AC is reduced by 1. This effect lasts for 1 minute, or until they are hit by another Arcane Blade with this upgrade. When you reach level 11, this upgrade can be added multiple times, increasing the AC reduction by 1 each time.
• Ki-Channeling Blade (requires level 11 in this class). As a bonus action, you can expend up to 3 ki points to grant this Arcane Blade a bonus to attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. The bonus equals the number of ki points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again.
• Blade Blast. Spend some Ki to point your blade and shoot energy of its type at an enemy within 60ft. Make a spell attack roll - your spell attack bonus is equal to 8 + your Wisdom Modifier + your proficiency bonus. If it hits, it deals a number of d6 equal to the Ki spent.
• Dual-Bladed. You learn a 1 hour ritual that allows you to fuse two Arcane Blades together at the pommels. Blades extend from either end of the new larger hilt. This Dual-Bladed Arcane Blade has the same properties as a normal Arcane Blade except that it is two handed, and it deals 1d12 damage. Both Blades must be of the same damage type.
• Thrown Blades. Your Arcane Blades gain the thrown property with a range of 30/60ft.

Image (c) Wizards of the Coast 2015. Illustration by Magali Villeneuve.