Swordsage

Swordsages are mystical fighters who perform supernatural feats of martial ability. They often fight in melee, but many swordsages try to avoid the front lines. Swordsages’ supernatural abilities come from their innate ki powers, which they might have unlocked through years of meditation and training.

Swordsage talents produce a variety of supernatural effects without relying on formal arcane magic. Their talents might create mirages of multiple attacks, turn the swordsage incorporeal as they dodge, or shape their ki into solid objects. Swordsage ribbons use ki for minor utility effects.

Examples of swordsages in fiction include almost all anime fighters that have supernatural abilities, as well as some high fantasy magic swordsmen and wuxia heroes.

Novice Talents

Dragon Stance

You take on the stance of a dragon, crushing foes with elemental energy

Your unarmed Strikes deal 1d8 base damage (with the chosen trait) and have the Finesse trait. You have 10 Shield (against the chosen trait).

Elemental Weapon

You enhance your weapon with damaging elemental energy
Trigger
You succeed on a Strike

The triggering Strike deals an extra 2d6 damage.

Forbidden Technique

You unleash a dangerous forbidden technique that comes at a heavy cost
Trigger
You make an attack

You have a +10 bonus to the triggering attack. At the end of your turn, you gain 1 fatigue.

Ki Blast

You blast enemies with a bolt of concentated ki energy

You can fire ki blasts as a ranged weapon with a range of 120 feet and a base damage of 1d10 Force. Your ki blast Strikes add Spirit to the attack and damage rolls instead of Agility. You can use the Charge Blast power.

Ki Pool

You have a pool of ki points that fuel your Swordsage powers
Prerequisites
Any Encounter Swordsage talent

You have a Ki Pool that stores up to 3 Ki points. You can spend 1 Ki point at any time to refresh an Encounter Swordsage talent, letting you use it again without taking a 5-minute rest. Your Ki Pool replenishes when you complete an 8-hour rest.

Mind over Body

You resist a physical attack through pure mental fortitude
Trigger
An attack targets you

Your DC against the triggering attack is your Spirit DC + 5.

Shadow Blade

You strike twice at an enemy, with your true sword and a illusory copy

Make a melee Strike. Make two attack rolls for this Strike and keep the higher result. If both results would have been successes, the Strike deals an extra 4d6 damage.

Spirit Carve

You strike directly at your enemy’s soul, bypassing their defense

Make a melee Strike with a +5 bonus. The DC of this Strike is your target’s Spirit DC.

Veteran Talents

Blast Strike

Your strike lets out a blast of elemental energy that damages everyone nearby
Trigger
You succeed on a melee Strike
Area
20-foot emanation around the target of the triggering Strike
Target
All creatures other than you in the area

Make a Spirit attack roll against your target’s Agility DC.

Success
Your target takes 4d6 damage
Failure
Half damage

Ki Flight

Your ki is so powerful that you can levitate above the ground
Duration
10 minutes

You can fly at your full Speed.

Nightmare Blade

You perceive the deadliest place to strike your enemy
Target
One creature you can reach

Make a Spirit+Notice attack roll against your target’s Defense.

Success
Make a melee Strike against your target; this Strike is automatically a critical success

Super Mode

You glow with power, transforming into an even stronger form
Duration
1 minute

You have +1 Defense and +10 feet Speed. Your Strikes deal an additional 1d6 damage on a success.

Don’t make him hungry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s hungry.

Vengeful Jaunt

You reappear behind a foe that attacked you
Trigger
After you are targeted by an attack
Target
The creature that made the triggering attack
Requirements
Your target is within 120 feet of you
Duration
Until the end of your next turn

You teleport to an empty space adjacent to your target. You have advantage on the next Strike you make against your target.

Nothing personal, kid.

Master Talents

Deadly Techniques

Your elemental weapon power does more damage
Prerequisites
Elemental Weapon or Shadow Blade

The extra damage of your Elemental Weapon power increases to 4d6.

The extra damage of your Shadow Blade power increases to 8d6.

Quivering Palm

You infuse your target with ki, which you can set off like a bomb
Duration
1 week

Make a melee Strike. On a success, choose one of the following effects:

  • Your target takes 8d6 damage
  • You can use the Quivering Death power once on your target

Strike the Soul

Your strikes hurt your opponent’s spiritual perseverance
Trigger
You succeed on a melee Strike

The target of the triggering Strike takes 1 fatigue.

Epic Talents

Ribbons

Battle Aura

You unleash your battle aura, glowing bright with power
Duration
1 minute, or until you decide to end it

You glow bright with power, shedding colorful light as a torch. You have advantage on Provoke rolls to impress others with martial power.

The color of your battle aura is specific to you as an individual.

You give up some of your own life force to heal an ally
Target
One creature you can reach

Youe current health decreases by 2d6, to a minimum of 0. Your target heals for the same amount of health you lost.

Perfect Meditation

You can enter a mediatative trance instead of eating or sleeping

You can enter a state of perfect meditation that replaces your need for food and rest. While meditating, you don’t need to eat or drink. You can also meditate instead of sleeping, gaining all the benefits of resting while remaining aware of the outside world. You can’t use powers while meditating.

Scouter

You can sense the power level of nearby enemies
Range
120 feet

You learn your target’s character level or CR, and you learn your target’s Swordsage level.

Vegeta! What does your Scouter ribbon say about his Swordsage level?

Ultimate Technique

You announce the name of your latest ultimate technique
Trigger
You make a die roll

You shout the name of your ultimate technique. You must come up with and declare this name out of character. If the name is at least 5 words, and if your character hasn’t used Ultimate Technique with the same name before, you have advantage on the die roll.