Roguish Archetype:
The Spellblade
"Thas' it, boss. I'm done with this 'teach 'em a lesson' nonsense... This one, she's like no other. She wields this rapier, see? Lightning crackles 'round it with a flick of her wrist, or frost chills the air. It's like bein' stung by a thousand wasps, boss. Can't even move when she sticks ya. I don't know where ya find 'em, but she's got magic in her veins, I swear it..."
--An underling of a crime boss to their superior
Whomever said that magic and martial prowess couldn't go hand in hand clearly wasn't skilled enough. Spellblades are individuals with an innate spark of magic, enhancing their already formidable physical skills with arcane prowess. Astutely sharp and deadly in their craft, these duelists infuse their weapons and even their bodies with magical energy to gain the upper hand both in and out of combat. They possess incredible versatility, capable of bending any situation, and any spell, to their favor. They can confidently walk into any danger, a swagger they have rightfully earned.
Class Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Spellcasting, Imbue Edge, Empower Self |
| 9th | Sculpt Spell |
| 13th | Imbue Blade |
| 17th | Power Syphon |
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. You may use any finesse weapon as the focus for these spells.
Cantrips: You learn three cantrips from the Sorcerer spell list, one of which must be a damaging cantrip. You learn another cantrip of your choice at 9th and 17th level.
Spell Slots: The Spellblade Spellcasting 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 the 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 three 1st-level Sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which must be from among the evocation, or transmutation spells on the Sorcerer spell list. The Spells Known column of the Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an evocation or transmutation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. The spells you learn at 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th level can come from any school of magic. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an evocation or transmutation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th or 19th level from any school of magic.
Spellblade Spellcasting
| Rogue level | Cantrips known | Spells known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4rth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 4th | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 5th | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 6th | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 7th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 8th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 9th | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 10th | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 11th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 12th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 13th | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 14th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 15th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 16th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
| 17th | 5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
| 18th | 5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
| 19th | 5 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 5 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Spellcasting Ability: Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spells, as your magic is innate. 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 Sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Imbue Edge
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapons with simple enchantments. When you take the Attack action with a finesse or ranged weapon, you can use a bonus action to cast a cantrip into your weapon. The chosen cantrip must deal damage and cannot target yourself. The cantrip is Imbued and does not take effect immediately.
If your attack hits, you apply the on-hit effects of the cantrip on the target of your attack. If your attack qualifies for your Sneak Attack feature, the damage type of the Sneak Attack damage becomes that of the imbued cantrip. At 5th level, an Imbued attack will gain 1d6 bonus damage of the cantrip's type, which will become 2d6 at 11th level and 3d6 at 17th level.
If your attack misses, the Imbuement's effects ends without taking effect.
Empower Self
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells from the school of transmutation on yourself without expending a spell slot. The level of the spell cast can never be higher than your level in this class divided by 3 (rounded up).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency modifier (rounded up), and you regain all expended uses after finishing a short or long rest.
Sculpt Spell
Starting at 9th level, your arcane ability enables you to manipulate spells cast within 30 feet of you. When a creature you can see casts a spell, you can compel it to make a saving throw using its spellcasting ability modifier. On a failed save, you can use your reaction to alter the spell's effects in one of the following ways:
- Change the damage type from one of the following damage types to one of the same list: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder.
- Alter the targeted ability score for saving throws. A physical save (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution) can only be changed to another physical save, and a mental save (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma) can only be changed to another mental save.
- Grant advantage or disadvantage on the saving throw to a single creature within the area of effect.
Creatures can choose to fail the saving throw willingly. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
Imbue Blade
Starting at 13th level, your mastery of blending magic and martial prowess reaches its apex. When you take the Attack action on your turn using a finesse or ranged weapon, you can cast a spell you know into your weapon as a bonus action. The spell must target a single creature other than yourself or have an area of effect, and its duration must be instantaneous. The spell is Imbued and does not take effect immediately. If the attack hits, the following effects occur:
- If the spell required a spell attack roll, treat the attack roll made as the spell attack roll.
- If the spell required a saving throw, the target of the attack has disadvantage on the saving throw against the spell. Other creatures within the spell's radius are affected normally.
- If the spell has an area of effect, the area originates from the target in a direction of your choosing.
If the attack misses, the effect ends at the start of your next turn, but the spellslot is still expended.
Power Syphon
Starting at 17th level, you become capable of stealing the power from a spell before it is even cast. As a reaction to when a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can compel the creature to make a saving throw using its spellcasting ability modifier. If it fails, you negate the spell entirely and absorb its power into yourself. You gain a spell slot equal to half the level of the spell cast (rounded down, minimum of one).
Any spell slot gained in this way disappears when you finish a long rest. You can successfully use this ability once and regain its use when you finish a long rest.
Art credit
First page top: Jeehyung Lee
Second page bottom: Hugh Pindur
Third page left: Grace Cheung
