31 July 2018

Class: Sword Mage

To train with the sword, first master sweeping. When you have mastered sweeping, you must master the way of drawing water. Once you have learned how to draw water, you must split wood. Once you have split wood, you must learn the arts of finding the fine herbs in the forest, the arts of writing, the arts of paper making, and poetry writing. You must become familiar with the awl and the pen in equal measure. When you have mastered all these things you must master building a house. Once your house is built, you have no further need for a sword, since it is an ugly piece of metal and its adherents idiots.


One way to interpret the Perfect Parry cantrip.

There are no sword magi Around Here, they all come from Foreign Parts, strange swordmasters capable of inhuman feats of swordplay. Some come from well-known schools of the sword while others are taught by hermit masters, but they are all honourable, loyal, ruthless and efficient warriors.

Foreign emperors employ sword magi as personal guards, or generals of vast armies, or elite agents tasked with delicate operations. It is a sign of great prestige among the noble houses to have a sword mage at your command.

A precious few sword magi are wanderers. Masterless, they travel from town to town, ready to protect people from any evil-doer or monster, living off of alms and gifts of gratitude. While sneered at by those of higher stature, they are the most likely to become heroes of legends. Without anyone directing their steps, without any obligations requiring their constant attention and without social bonds binding their hands, they uncover ancient conspiracies, evil cults and dark sorcerers. They fight monsters and demons and corrupt officials. They are beloved by the common people.

Three swords, really? You're such a munchkin, Zoro.

You are an Outsider Around Here, but Chartered in Foreign Parts.

Starting Items: You start with a strange, foreign sword (roll below) that is etched with magical symbols and serves as your spellbook; with a swordsman's robes, and with a mask.

In Foreign Parts, it's very impolite to kill someone face to face, so noble warrior tend to wear masks.

Roll d8 for a cool sword:
  1. ancient katana,
  2. two hook swords,
  3. two butterfly swords,
  4. double-bladed sword-staff,
  5. balisword,
  6. sword-chucks,
  7. khopesh,
  8. claymore longer than you are tall.
Starting Skill: (d4) 1. Tactics, 2. Law, 3. Etiquette, 4. Foreign Parts.


Perks & Flaws:

As long as you are wielding a sword, you gain +1 Defense per odd Sword Mage template and +1 Attack per even Sword Mage template.

To cast your spells and cantrips, you must wield a sword (touching a sword in a scabbard is enough) and may not be encumbered.

Cantrips:
  1. Polish: Remove stains, dirt or rust from metal and polish it to mirror brightness.
  2. Magic Weapon: As a part of your attack, you may burn a MD to gain +1 to hit and damage.
  3. Perfect Parry: As a reaction to an incoming attack, you may burn a MD to reduce the damage by 1d6 points.
Ehm... NSFW?

Spell List:

1. Thousand Cuts
R: melee; T: creatures; D: 0

Split [sum] damage among creatures in range in any way you want, no Save or Attack roll.

2. Wind Slash
R: [dice] x 50'; T: line; D: 0

Roll a single Attack roll and compare it against Defense of all creatures and objects in a line. They take damage as if they were hit by your weapon.

3. Void Scabbard
R: touch; T: [dice] weapons; D: permanent until discharged

You stash [dice] weapons Elsewhere, where they remain in stasis until you will (one of) them to appear in your hand.

4. Blade of Grass
R: touch; T: object; D: [sum] minutes

Use any object as if it could cut, from grass to your own fingers. The enchanted item counts as a sword and deals damage based on [dice] invested (plus Str mod).
1 [die]   1d6
2 [dice] 1d8
3 [dice] 1d10
4 [dice] 1d12
5. Soul-Splitting Strike
R: touch; T: wielded sword; D: [sum] rounds

You may cut immaterial spirits (ghosts, demons, etc).

At 2 [dice], you can attack a possessing spirit without harming the host. At 4 [dice] and at GM's discretion, you may cut souls or abstract concepts. You might for example cut away a memory to make someone forget, cut a prepared spell right from the caster's brain, cut away people's shadows, or cut down their emotions.

6. Glory of Perfected Aggression
R: touch; T: wielded sword; D: [sum] rounds

Your sword lashes with graceful bloodlust, bending in impossible directions to strike at your target. Even if you miss a melee attack, the target still takes [dice] damage.

7. Principle of Cutting
R: touch; T: wielded sword; D: [sum] rounds

You can cut materials harder than your sword. Ignore any hardness, damage reduction, or resistances of materials you cut.

At 1 [die], you can cut steel as easily as flesh. At 2 [dice], you may cut through magical materials or enchanted items with ease. Adamantine splits like wood. At 3 [dice], you may attempt to sunder force effects (magical barriers such as wall of force). At 4 [dice], you may attempt to destroy artifacts.

8. Lightning Strikes Twice
R: 0; T: self; D: your next turn

You can perform [dice] bonus attacks on your next turn. If you forgo one of those attacks, you may unsheathe your weapon, attack and sheathe it again so fast all creatures will have to roll against [sum] to notice you even moved.

This spell can also be used to do clothing damage or cut letters on the enemy's skin before they can react.

9. Flash Step
R: special; T: self; D: 0

Move up to [dice] x your movement speed as a free action. Your movement is so fast it appears instantaneous.

At 1 [die], you ignore pressure plates (or similar mechanisms) and dangerous or difficult terrain. At 2 [dice], you may move up a wall or over the ceiling, as long as you end your movement in a place where you can normally stand. At 3 [dice], you may move over surfaces that couldn't normally support your weight (surface of water, twigs and leaves, weapons held by your enemies). At 4 [dice], you may move through impossibly tight squeezes without being slowed (between prison bars, through a keyhole).

You may also cast this spell as a reaction to any melee attack against you, even outside your turn.

10. Falling Raindrop Cut
R: 0; T: self; D: concentration

You cut through a ranged attack, splitting it without being harmed.

At 1 [die], you can split arrows or stones flying at you, or stay dry in a rainstorm by deflecting the raindrops with your sword. At 2 [dice], you can cut through a boulder, a ballista bolt or a cannonball. At 3 [dice], you can cut through a splash of liquid, a gust of wind or dragonfire. At 4 [dice], you can split apart spells before they hit you.

You may also cast this spell as a reaction to any ranged attack against you, even outside your turn.

11. Daiklave
R: touch; T: wielded sword; D: [sum] rounds

Your sword grows large and menacing, but strangely easy to use. If it has any writing, engraving or etching, it will glow dimly. Its every strike is accompanied by singing or moaning or quiet screams.

Damage of the enchanted sword increases by [dice] steps as denoted below. If it wasn't magical before, it now counts as a magic weapon.
1d4 -> 1d6 -> 1d8 -> 1d10 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10 -> 3d8 -> 3d10 -> 4d10

12. Perfect Cut
R: 0; T: self; D: [sum] rounds

You can use your mind alone to cut.

This spell can be cast without wielding a sword. For the duration of the spell and as long as you are conscious, you wield your mind as a sword (treat as mundane sword dealing 1d6 + Str mod damage). You can use melee attacks even if you otherwise can't attack or move. Shackles and webs, missing limbs, or even complete paralysis will no longer stop your from cutting.

At 2 [dice], this spell can be cast without any verbal or somatic component. At 3 [dice], you can cast all of your Sword Mage spells as if you were wielding a sword (including enchanting your mind-sword). At 4 [dice], your mind can replicate enchantment of any magic weapon in your possession.

I'm not sure if she was actually using her mind, but Perfect Cut could look something like this.

Principle of Cutting

Mishaps:
  1. Your MD only return on a 1-2 for 24 hours.
  2. You take 1d6 damage as cuts appear on your body.
  3. Random mutation for 1d6 rounds, then Save. Permanent if you fail.
  4. Random insanity for 1d6 rounds, then Save. Permanent if you fail.
  5. Weapons shun you. For 24 hours, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls.
  6. You cannot regain burnt MD until you kill an intelligent creature.
Dooms:
  1. You cannot draw a sword without drawing blood. If you don't deal any damage in a combat, Save or attack the nearest creature until you deal damage. You get a new Save each round to get hold of yourself.
  2. You are one with your sword. You cannot voluntarily put away your sword and should anyone try to take it from you, Save or try to kill them. You get a new Save each round to get hold of yourself.
  3. Death follows in your steps. No creature in your vicinity (you included) can clear away Fatal Wounds.
Your dooms can be avoided by training a pupil in the way of the sword and bequeathing them your blade (you can then buy a new, untainted one, but simply buying a new sword is not enough), or by defeating your former master without drawing a weapon.

Sword-chucks, yo!

Edit: Changed the Dooms a bit. Thanks, Matteo Siano.

4 comments:

  1. Amazing spells. I'm currently working on a set of monk-as-wizard schools. Do you mind if I borrow a few for spell lists and provide a link back to their original source?

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  2. I am a little confused on the Daiklave spell, and how the damage increases with the number of dice. How exactly does it work?

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    Replies
    1. Let's say you wield a 1d6 shortsword and use Daiklave with 2 MD. Your sword would deal 1d10 damage for the duration of the spell (1d6 increased 2 steps). A 1d8 longsword with 1 MD Daiklave would deal 1d10 damage too.
      If you wield a 1d10 greatsword and cast with 4 MD, your sword would deal 3d8 damage.

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