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Van Docks' Arsenal of Armigers - V0.9.2 - Final Draft (Compressed For Web)
Van Docks' Arsenal of Armigers - V0.9.2 - Final Draft (Compressed For Web)
Arsenal of Armigers
5 E C O M PAT I B L E
We dedicate this book to our gaming group—Abigail, Daron, Genesis, Luke, Parker, Teleia, and
Thomas. This wouldn’t exist without you all, and we wouldn’t want it without you anyways. May our
campaigns be long, our sessions filled with fun, and our stories transformative. And, of course, here’s to
more natural 20’s!
Based on the “Vanguard” class concept by Blake Cargill.
ON THE COVER
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.
wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
www.kevinorduno.com/support
Table of Contents
Part 1: Introduction 9
Part 2: The Armiger 13
Part 3: Armiger Inheritances 21
Avowed Inheritance ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23
Caper Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������27
Endurant Inheritance ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33
Harbor Inheritance �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������37
Lethe Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������41
Outrider Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 45
Osmose Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 49
Radiant Inheritance ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 53
Spartan Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������57
Symmetric Inheritance ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������61
Temperament Inheritance �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 65
Vanguard Inheritance ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 69
Part 4: Other Character Options 73
Other Character Options (Preview) 74
Future Options & Content Plans 75
Appendix A: Similar Classes/Subclasses 76
CHANGELOG (v0.9 to v0.9.2)
NEW CONTENT :
• Final subclasses! (These’ll be the last subclasses for a while. 12 is plenty!)
• Harbor Inheritance (subclass). Focused on turning their armory into a habitable demiplane and on invoking aspects of their
armory into the world, harbors are a utility subclass that provides plenty of support for exploration and downtime.
• Osmose Inheritance (subclass). Absorbers who can integrate their bonded weapons into their bodies and can even learn to
absorb parts of other creatures. This shapeshifting subclass provides a lot of versatility for players who like options.
• Temperament Inheritance (subclass). Powerful empaths, temperaments are psychic sponges that can funnel strong emotions
into a rage-like state, but this can drain them. A high-risk/high-reward class with plenty of Insight-related utility!
• All subclasses have a descriptions page with a d20 table for relevant character traits to help flesh out your armiger! :)
• New Feats section with some new weapon manipulator-related feats!
MODIFICATIONS/CHANGES:
• The Armiger’s Armory feature is now an extradimensional plane (not a demiplane), and you can bring people into it for a limited time
at 1st level. We also clarified the rules regarding what happens when you die and how the armory interacts with extradimensional
items. (The ability to turn it into a demiplane is now a feature of the new Harbor Inheritance subclass and will also be an ability
provided by a soon-to-be-developed magic artifact.)
• While a weapon is bonded to you, you can now ignore the Heavy property. This made sense to us since you can control a heavy
weapon with Telumkinesis anyways. May as well just ignore the property entirely.
• We moved the ability to regain links from the 6th-level Greater Bonds feature to 2nd-level and made it its own proper feature called
“Draw Power”. This significantly changes the armiger’s power level and resource management!
• Renamed the 4th-level “Other Connections” to “Connection Style” and added the ability to swap out benefits every time you get an
ASI - according to the new precedent from TCoE.
• Due to the changes to the 1st-level Armiger’s Armory feature, the 14th-level Manifested Armory feature has been changed, too. It’s
functionally the same but with some additional addendums and clarifications.
• The Avowed’s “Better Together” feature has moved the ability to cast a cantrip as a bonus action after attacking into a link feature
(called Spellweave) due to concerns that the BA cantrip was a little too much.
• The Caper’s Unconventional Bonds feature now allows bonded improvised weapons to be thrown (20/60) when used in a Grand
Strike to make up for their smaller damage dice. And the Caper can bond with an improvised weapon as an action once per long rest
This page is intentionally
(instead of as a 1 Minute ritual).
• The Caper’s Razzle-Dazzle link feature is now limited to a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier instead of all
designated creatures within range. left blank.
• The Spartan now gets proficiency in Tinker’s Tools and Woodcarver’s tools (both, not just one!), and we threw in expertise when using
Smith’s tools.
• The Spartan’s Modified Grand Flurry link feature has been buffed and clarified!
• The Spartan’s “Power of the Bond” feature has been replaced with “Dedicated Fighter” which gives them a Fighter’s fighting style and
a new link feature called One Powerful Blow.
• The Spartan’s Break Through Immunity link feature has been replaced with the Tour De Force link feature that builds on synergies
from the new One Powerful Blow link feature.
CLARIFICATIONS/ERRATA:
• Clarified that Bonded Weapons doesn’t take up an attunement slot but that you may attune to a weapon and bond to it simultaneously
(if the weapon has the option for or requires attunement).
OTHER:
• We added Alucard from Castlevania to the inspiration list.
• Countless typo’s and minor rewordings because art affects layout and vice-versa. C’est la vie.
• ART, DESIGN, AND ILLUSTRATION IS NOT FINAL!
Letters from the Creators
F I
rom my earliest days as a boy, I would often believe the saying goes that you never know
find myself immersed in fantasies of becoming when inspiration will strike you. Whether you are
a heroic figure, a vanquisher of the kingdom merely idling at a coffee shop or joining a new D&D
of darkness. With a saber firmly gripped in my group after a chance encounter, inspiration sometimes
hand and an expanse of adversaries arrayed knocks on your door when you least expect it. Of
before me, I would methodically cut them down course, what really matters thereafter is what you do
one by one, until the limits of my stamina were with it. Perhaps that’s also why some people tell us
reached. It was only upon emerging from this reverie that I not to wait on inspiration, since inspiration is best handled by
would realize my magnificent blade was but a simple stick, those prepared to use it?
and my foes, nothing more than shrubs and undergrowth in Still, I’m thankful for the inspiration that struck when I
the woods. joined Blake’s adventuring group.
Fantasy, I believed, was a realm where one could transcend It was serendipitous. I met one of the other players - Luke - at
any boundary, adopting the role of the desired hero. Yet, I a mutual friend’s graduation party. Quickly, we both discovered
could not have foreseen that my flights of imagination would that we were fellow TTRPG nerds. And even quicker, Luke
evolve into captivating narratives that my friends would invited me to join his group. (Coincidentally, they were losing
come to cherish and eagerly participate in. The wellspring of one of their players anyways.) I hadn’t played a proper TTRPG
inspiration that perpetually guided me into the realm of fantasy session in about 1.5 years at that point, though I had never put
was none other than the enchanting world of “The Lord of the down the hobby, so I accepted the invitation immediately.
Rings.” Each cinematic masterpiece became a siren’s call that After joining "The Verdai", I mentioned how I loved
enticed me to explore the tomes penned by the venerable J.R.R. homebrewing and game development, ever since I first started
Tolkien. The films stood as the zenith of cinematic artistry for playing TTRPGs over 10 years ago when I was a sophomore
me, while the books, in their essence, surpassed even that in high school. (If you’re curious, Pathfinder 1e was my first
pinnacle. The dialogues between characters, a conduit for my system; though, I’ve played a number of other systems since
imagination to materialize within the moment, emerged as the then). Blake caught on to my remarks and asked if I’d be willing
most cherished facet of the series. to look at a class concept that he called the "vanguard".
The desire to share this sense of wonder with my friends I obliged. Inspiration knocked. And, the rest is history.
became an ambition I was compelled to pursue—a tale that The Armiger (previously known as the Vanguard) is a passion
unfurled seamlessly amidst the interplay of characters. The project of our’s. We novice developers are hoping to fill a niche
year 2017 marked my initiation into the art of Dungeon not yet satisifed by the 5e canon - the weapon manipulator. But
Mastering, and I was confronted with the intricate tapestry more than that, we’re also hoping to inspire readers, DMs, and
of intricacies and challenges that came with orchestrating players alike with the content herein. The armiger has been a
the game. Yet, the awe that lit up my players’ faces as they huge inspiration to us, and we hope to share that with you!
delved into the world I wove, and the palpable wonder that Going on, as the art director and designer of the book, I
accompanied my descriptions of imagined landscapes, lifted would be remiss not to make a disclaimer about the use of AI
any weight that might have lingered upon the throne of the in this project. I have two day jobs - one as a performer and
Dungeon Master. one as a designer. Both have been affected by the innovation
Few things rival my delight in observing my players piece of generative AI. As a SAG-AFTRA member and "tech nerd",
together the narrative through their dialogues, grappling with I’m well-aware of the dangers and unethical possibilities
the twists of circumstance, and above all, metamorphosing into of the technology, and I wholly stand by with artists, actors,
the very heroes they had meticulously crafted for a wondrous performers, voice actors, and creators of all kinds who are
chronicle. I am blessed with the remarkable individuals I have worried about the future of our careers and of the industry.
been given and would never take them for granted. Therefore, The choice to utilize AI in our project was not an easy one.
with heartfelt gratitude, I extend my thanks to Thomas, Luke, However, after establishing some ground rules, such as not
Daron, Teleia, Abby, Genesis, and Kevin—for transforming the using pure AI outputs but editing/manipulating/overpainting
tales born within my imagination into grander sagas than I had them, we believed it was the most efficient way forward to
ever deemed conceivable. I am grateful to be your Dungeon supply visual content for this wonderful project. We aren’t able
Master and honored to be your friend. to work on this full-time, and neither of us is trying to make
I also wish to express my profound appreciation to Matthew money with this (though we appreciate any monetary support
Mercer, whose artistry and creativity have been an immense that people are willing to donate). We are simply following our
source of inspiration on my Dungeon Mastering journey. Your passions and seeing if hard work and dedication won’t make
dedication to storytelling and your skill in bringing characters something amazing.
and worlds to life have kindled my passion and guided me Therefore, we chose to use AI for some of the design and
toward creating unforgettable experiences. Your impact on the illustration of the book because we can’t afford anything else
realm of fantasy cannot be overstated, and for that, I am truly financially-speaking. However, if this project leads to financial
thankful. resourcing, we’d love to make the jump into hiring and
Furthermore, I extend my gratitude to you, dear reader, for commissioning real people. So, here’s hoping for that!
venturing into the chronicles we have conjured, and I sincerely Thank you for your time engaging with this work. It has been
hope you find enjoyment within the stories that lie in wait, a labor of love, and I can’t wait to continue sharing it with all of
destined to be unveiled by the valiant Armiger. Here’s to a you. You make this better, simply by reading, commenting, and
future punctuated by remarkable sessions and an abundance sharing it! We can’t understate our appreciation!
of those cherished Natural 20s. May your stories transform your worlds, your characters,
and most importantly yourselves!
- Blake
- Kevin "Blurhy"
6 Van Docks’ A rsenal of A rmigers
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left blank.
W
andering the land as freelance
adventurers, the twins—Dalin and Seraphine The Armiger - New Class
Van Dock—have seen a lot. Prismatic dragons Contained in this document is a new class for Dungeons &
that defy normal classifications. The face Dragons fifth edition called the Armiger, the Scion of their
of an unknown deity. They even witnessed Bonded Arsenal.
adventurers save the realm from certain doom The armiger controls weapons that they bond with through
by stopping an apocalypse before it happened. a special ritual known only to them. And though their weapon
(Of course, no one believes them because the world didn’t end.) manipulation can exceed practiced telekinetics, this isn’t the
Yet, despite everything they’ve experienced, what has stuck only thing that sets armigers apart.
with them is a type of person they call an armiger—well, Armigers are more than just weapon manipulators, they are
Seraphine calls them armigers; Dalin thought a better name connectors. Whether via magic, psionics, or just incredible
was “swordlord” because of the rhyme. (He also claims that empathy, armigers can form powerful bonds with things
he gets majority vote on the name since he is an "swordlord". outside themselves that affect their abilities and mark them.
Fortunately, Seraphine is older by a few minutes and used her Some armigers connect to salient things, like a particular
older sibling authority to choose the better name.) entity or location, and other might bond with abstract concepts,
Able to manipulate weaponry through magic, telekinesis, like silence or joy. Regardless, all armigers are influenced by
armigers boast a unique
psionics, or just force of will, swordlords their connections to become truly unique characters.
power that has fascinated the Van Docks. And so, the Van The armiger is detailed in Part 2 of this document.
Docks have been putting together a formal dossier on their
investigations into armigers. This is that document.
Log #3
p tu r n ed u s a w ay because of our
u
After th e last gro id en ti ti es to in fi ltrate a group
ed new
past, we’ve assum e V er d a i, so D alin can hone
n as th
of armigers know si m p le ex p lor er s for now.
th ink we’re owers bef or e
his powers. They to co n tr o l h is p
a ll y learns
I hope Dalin fi n
Again.
th ey kick us out.
- S. I’m able to control my blades just fine...
- “Doing Very Dandy”
P.S. using your first initial is pointless if you’re
still gonna write my real name. Unless you don’ t
care about my cover?! Do a codename like I did.
10 Van Docks’ A rsenal of A rmigers
Armiger Inheritances - Subclasses
As an armiger grows, they inevitably bond to something that
becomes fundamental to their being. This thing—whether
concept, ideal, object, place, or person is more than another
connection; it influences the armiger and imparts them with
unique abilities. As such, these special bonds are called
“inheritances”, and though armigers of the same inheritance
might share similarities in ability, each armiger may be bonded
to something completely unique.
Armiger inheritances are detailed in Part 3 of this document.
Preternatural Connection
At 9th level, your arsenal acts quicker than you can command.
Once per long rest, you can cast a link feature that requires an
action with a bonus action instead.
Exalted Rearguard
Beginning at 10th level, your arsenal defends you
automatically. When you take the Dodge action, you add your
Charisma modifier to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Additionally, Warding Arsenal now lasts until the start of your
next turn instead of just against the triggering attack.
Superior Bonds
At 13th level, you can now bond with a number of weapons
equal to your armiger level. You also gain an additional
attunement slot that you can only use to attune to a weapon.
Whirling Might
At 16th level, you can unleash the full onslaught of your arsenal.
When you use the Grand Flurry link feature, you may expend
an additional link to make another additional Grand Strike
attack as part of that same Grand Strike.
Additionally, you learn the Glorious Maelstrom link feature.
Glorious Maelstrom (5+ Links)
As an action, you can expend 5 or more links to unleash the
entirety of your arsenal’s power into a single area. You designate
a 30-foot cube within 60 feet of you. A massive portal opens in
the point you designate, unleashing a torrent of weapons upon
those in the area. All hostile creatures in the cube must make
a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 6d8 bludgeoning,
piercing, or slashing damage (your choice) on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one. For each additional
link expended beyond 5, the damage increases by 2d8.
My temple has asked for your death. Don’t take it personally. — Lady Hecate, templar of the Crimson Way
Traits for an Avowed
Avowed armigers are made unique by the nature of their vow. Each armiger may be bound to a different agreement with a different
entity for different reasons, and it is in these specifities that one avowed armiger really stands out from another avowed.
Consider adding one or more of these traits when creating an armiger of this inheritance or as you advance in its ranks.
d20 Avowed Relationships to their Patron, Oath, or Vow
1 Zealous. You are unwaveringly loyal to your patron, oath, or vow, and will go to great lengths to fulfill your obligations even if it puts
you at odds or in danger.
2 Haunted. You are haunted by visions, dreams, or memories associated with your patron, oath, or vow, which serve as a constant
reminder of your commitment.
3 Watchful. You maintain constant vigilance to secret messages from your patron, oath,or vow, always on the lookout for signs, omens,
or threats. Others might call you superstitious or paranoid for reading into everything, but you just think you’re vigilant.
4 Marked. There is a physical or visible mark on your body that symbolizes your connection to your patron, oath, or vow, making you
easily identifiable to others. When you disobey, the mark burns.
5 Unsure. You believe that your patron, oath, or vow has orchestrated a great plan for you, but you aren’t sure what it is, causing you to
constantly seek out help or prophecies that guide your actions.
6 Vengeful. You took your patron, oath, or vow as a way to empower yourself for some greater vengenace or payback. It’s all a means
to an end. Perhaps your last act of vengeance will be to destroy the source of your powers.
7 Given. You were given to your patron, oath, or vow by someone else (and often at a young age). You didn’t have a choice. This might
bug you or not, since you don’t really remember life before from your patron, oath, or vow anyways.
8 Penant. You’ve previously broken an agreement with a patron, oath, or vow and now you seek redemption or a new purpose to regain
what you’ve lost. Your current patron, oath, or vow could be the same one as before, or it could be a new one entirely.
9 Powerhungry. You feel your connection is holding back on you and are constantly seeking ways to curry favor and increase your
abilities. But, you also fear the day you might lose all the power you’ve worked so hard to gain. You won’t let that happen.
10 Tormented. Your patron, oath, or vow is a constant burden, and you often find yourself plauged with doubt, guilt, or inner turmoil.
You may even be looking for a way to break your agreement—perhaps through death? Or perhaps not even death can free you?
11 Geasbound. Your are under a magical geas or binding that forces you to fulfill your obligations to your patron, oath, or vow, and
failure to do so comes with dire consequences.
12 Leveraged. You are compelled to stay true to your patron, oath, or vow because of what would happen if you didn’t. Perhaps the
leverage against you is a terrible secret you can’t let people know about, a loved one held as hostage, or something else.
13 Enigmatic. For whatever reason, you keep your connection a secret, and you purposefully try to keep the true source of your powers
hidden from others. Maybe this secrecy is demanded of you or maybe it’s for your own safety?
14 Vessel. Your patron, oath, or vow has branded you a vessel. Your presence and force of personality are otherworldly, and people often
mistake you for some kind of divine being. Or maybe people just see what you are becoming?
15 Remnant. You used to belong to an organization devoted to your patron, oath, or vow, but now you are the only one left to finish the
work that was started.
16 Curious. You committed to your patron, oath, or vow out of a deep desire to unravel its mysteries, but your endless curiosity often
puts you in dangerous situations. Curiosity killed the cat, but hopefully, satisfaction will bring it back.
17 Heretic. You were kicked out from a previous organization or institution because of your unorthodox connection to your patron, oath,
or vow. You may not have their support anymore, but you still have your commitments.
18 Ancestral. You are from a long line of people who have upheld the connection to your patron, oath, or vow, and you bear the weight
of familial expectations when it comes to fulfilling your end of the deal.
19 Fluke. You developed your connection and commitments by some kind of accident. Maybe a friend messed up the runic sigil that
was used to invoke the patron, oath, or vow... or maybe it wasn’t an accident after all?
20 Indebted. You took your patron, oath, or vow in a moment of need. Time passed, and nothing happened. So, you didn’t think it was a
big deal. That is, until the time came to fulfill your end of the agreement.
Here: you use that sword, and I’ll use this napkin. Let’s see who wins. — Lucky Lyle, regular tavern brawler
Impressive Displays
At 3rd level, you learn the Prestidigitation and Minor Illusion
cantrips. Charisma is your spellcasting ability.
Also, choose 1 from Acrobatics, Performance, or Sleight of
Hand. You gain proficiency in the chosen skill or expertise if
you already have proficiency in the skill.
Finally, you learn the Razzle-Dazzle link feature.
Razzle-Dazzle (1 Link)
As an action, you can expend 1 link to perform an enchanting
trick with your bonded weapons. Designate a number of
creatures within 30 feet equal to your Charisma modifier.
The targets must make a Charisma saving throw or are either
charmed, restrained, or frightened of you (your choice) until
the start of your next turn. If a creature saves against this
feature, they are immune for 1 Minute. This is a charm effect.
Handicapped?! HAH! I can do more with a wink than you can with your whole body. — Commander Xifeng
Telekinetic Bonding
Also at 3rd level, you do not need to physically touch a weapon
to bond with it, though it must be within 5 feet of you during the
entirety of your bonding ritual. Additionally, you do not need to
touch a weapon to remove your bond from it, but it must also
be within 5 feet of you while you remove the bond. Finally, you
do not need to touch an item or piece of equipment in order to
transport it to your armory, but it must be within 5 feet of you.
Follow me quietly. I will shelter you. — Strelitzia, member of The Road of Liberty
Immortal Bastion
At 18th level, your armory is now a fully realized demiplane. It
no longer ceases to exist when you die.
Additionally, Manifest Armory no longer costs any links, and
you can use the Armiger’s Armory feature to bring creatures to
your armory at will instead of once per long rest.
L e t h e A rmi g e r
Armiger Level Subclass Features
3rd Strange, Not There
7th Stranger Still
11th Consort to the Curious
15th Sensate Stalker
18th Apotheosis
Huh, the Sacred Falls are nice and all, but I’ve seen better. — Dr. Rimor Viator, unimpressed explorer
Ah~ Take it all in... no, I mean it literally. — Ya’ta’gha’ya’r, aspring comedian and wilderness guide
The High Queen of old lives. She stands before you, made new in me. Now, kneel. — Lord Reyluz
King of Kings
Your glory shines. At 18th level, you gain immunity to radiant
damage and can maintain concentration on 3 total instances
of the Coronate feature (and its related features) at one time,
though you must still start each instance separately.
You also learn the Superior Coronation link feature.
Superior Coronation (5 Links)
As an action, you can expend 5 links to crown a target within
30 feet (including yourself). If the target is unwilling, they can
make a Charisma saving throw to resist. While crowned, they
receive one of the following effects:
• Superior Crown of Condemnation. When the target
damages a creature, they take radiant damage equal to your
Charisma modifier. This damage ignores any immunities or
resistances.
• Superior Crown of Life. When the target receives healing,
they heal the maximum amount and heal additional HP
equal to your Charisma modifier. They also regenerate HP
equal to your Charisma modifier every round.
• Superior Crown of Might. Choose 1 ability score. That
ability score temporarily increases by 4. This can allow the
score to exceed 20.
• Superior Crown of Tyranny. All weapon attacks against the
crowned target deal an additional 3d8 radiant damage.
This feature requires concentration to maintain, and you can
only maintain it for up to 1 Minute.
That’s a lot of weapons you have. Compensating for something? — Uniko the Sword Saint
Arsenal of One
When you gain this subclass, you commit to bond with one
weapon, pouring all of your power into an arsenal of one. Your
armiger abilities are modified as follows:
One Bond. You can only have one bonded weapon at a time.
Flexible Attunement. When you gain additional attunement
slots at 13th and 20th level, you can use these attunement slots
for any magic item instead of just for weapons.
Returning Weapon. When you use your bonded weapon
in a Grand Strike, the weapon automatically returns to you
at the end of the Grand Strike. This does not allow you to
make multiple Grand Strike attacks with the one weapon,
but instead, the Returning Strike improvement allows the
weapon to return immediately after each Grand Strike attack
roll, letting you use the one weapon for multiple Grand Strike
attacks.
Modified Grand Flurry. Since you can only use your one
bonded weapon multiple times in a Grand Strike when you
have the Returning Strike improvement, the Grand Flurry link
feature is more flexible, as described below. This replaces the
original Grand Flurry link feature.
Modified Grand Flurry (1 Link)
When you take the Attack action, you can expend 1 link (no
action required) to make 1 additional attack of any kind as
part of the same Attack action. When you gain the Whirling
Might feature at 16th level, you may spend 1 additional link
with this feature to gain another additional attack (for a total of
2 additional attacks when you spend 2 links).
Enemies are a gift, for they give us something to stand against. Honor them with your resistance. — anonymous
Perfectly Balanced
Your power is perfected. At 18th level, you gain the Monk’s
Purity of Body and Timeless Body features.
Also, when you use your Life Transfer link feature, as a
bonus action, you can expend 5 links to impose one of your
improved balancing effects from Balance the Scales. When
you do this, any creatures who failed their Constitution saving
throw against the Life Transfer automatically fail their Wisdom
saving throw against the balancing effect.
If I am an example, I am example of the power of our hearts. — Rei Omoi, on the day of her trial
If you stay beside me, you will never know death. — Steelwarden Qaletaqa
Living Banner
You aren’t just a standard bearer; you’re the banner itself. At
15th level, as long as you are not unconscious, all other allies
who can see you gain advantage to saves against charmed and
frightened effects.
Finally, you learn the I Am With You! link feature.
I Am With You! (4 Links)
As long as you have more than 0 movement speed, as an action,
you can expend 4 links to instantly rush to an ally you can see.
You move in a straight line to an unoccupied space adjacent
to the ally. If no such space exists or there is no traversable
straight line to the space, the feature fails.
This features uses up any remaining movement you have for
the round.
Though blazingly fast, you still pass through the intermediate
spaces between your starting point and destination. This
movement does not provoke opportunity attacks but could
trigger other effects.
Options (Preview)
N
Your ability to bond with weapons increases, granting you the
following benefits:
ot every weapon manipulator concept
• You can bond with a second weapon as per the Weapon
can be fully realized with just the armiger
Manipulator feat.
class on its own. As such, we have been
developing a variety of other options that • Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. When you make
might help you bring your concept to life. a melee weapon attack with a bonded weapon, you may use
Though we mainly focused on providing the chosen ability score for attack and damage calculations
options that synergize well with armigers or instead of the normal ability score.
other weapon manipulator characters, we have sprinkled in
some other options that we hope anyone can enjoy!
Feats
Gifted Communicator
Prerequisite: 4th Level; Charisma 13 or higher
You develop incredible communication abilities, granting you
the following benefits:
• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You learn one Communication Style option of your choice
from the armiger class. If you already have a style, the one
you choose must be different.
• Whenever you gain an Ability Score Improvement, you can
replace this feat’s communicaiton style with another one
from the armiger class that you don’t have.
Multi-Weapon Master
Prerequisite: Dual Wielder feat
You’ve mastered the skill of using multiple weapons in one
flourish, gaining the following benefits:
• When you make multiple melee attacks in one turn, you
can use a different weapon for each melee attack, drawing
each weapon for each attack and immediately stowing it as
necessary. This can allow you to use multiple weapons at
once.
• You can engage in two-weapon fighting with any melee
weapon you are proficient with.
• You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls on every
weapon attack after the first weapon attack you make each
round but only if you use a different weapon.
Weapon Manipulator
Prerequisite: Can’t have the Bonded Weapons feature
You learn to bond with and control a single weapon, granting
you the following benefits:
• At the end of a long rest, you can touch a melee weapon that
you are proficient with to bond with that weapon. This bond
lasts until the next time you finish a long rest.
• You can have your bonded weapon hover harmlessly around
you (no action required). While hovering, the weapon
remains in your space and continues to count as being worn
or equipped by you but otherwise freeing up your hands.
• As long as the weapon is within 30 feet of you and not in the
possession of another creature, you may use a bonus action
to summon the weapon into your hand or to a hovering
position.
A
s much as we love the armiger, we know
that it might not be the right fit for everyone. Part 5: Seraphine’s Spellbook of
Whether due to DM restrictions or just personal
preference, plenty of people may want armiger-
Swordmagic
like features and abilities without actually having Seraphine Van Dock can’t let the book be just about her brother
to be an armiger. As such, we’re hoping to develop and his armiger kin. A talented wizard by her own merits,
other character options that might better satisfy Seraphine has created a number of spells inspired by the
the concept a player has in mind. twins’ investigations into the armiger, telumkinesis, and other
All of these ideas are tentative and in early workshop stages, weapon manipulators (with some bonus unrelated spells).
so please take them with a grain of salt! If you like the Blade Burst TCE spell, then you’ll love this
If you want to help us see all of this through, please consider chapter!
supporting us by going to kevinorduno.com/support.
Part 6: Arsenal Armaments
Part 4a: Non-Armiger Subclasses What is an armiger without their arsenal? This chapter is an
Weapon Manipulator/Armiger-related subclasses (working equipment and items chapter, filled with a plethora of options
titles tentative): for all kinds of adventurers and robust additions to weapons.
We’ll introduce a special weapon type called Sacraments
• Artificer - Weapon Animator. Through magical tinkering,
which are weapons that have innate power progression so that
these artificers can create (semi?)permanent animated
a character can stick to one weapon their whole adventuring
weapons. Maybe its magic? Maybe it’s tiny propulsion jets?
career (if they want to).
• Barbarian - Path of the Great Armory. Barbarians whose We also hope to add some unique properties and options
rage summons portals that shoot weapons. A sort of to the list of Simple and Martial weapons, such as the Spell
bladestorm archetype. Charge property that allows spellcasters to expend a spell slot
• Bard - College of Conducting. Use puppetry, a baton, song, to give a weapon a bonus.
oration, poetry, or dance (or what have you) to manipulate We’re also thinking of taking a stab at a version of the
weapons. Gives new meaning to a dancing sword. Weapon Mastery idea introduced in the One D&D playtests.
• Blood Hunter - Order of the Bloodstain. Blood Hunters Part 7: Armigers of the Realm
who use hemomancy to bond weapons to them, marking
them with their own blood. They especially hate vampires. For the worldbuilders, DMs, and lore-lovers, this flavorful
chapter of armiger lore introduces unique armiger characters
• Fighter - Bladebound. The armiger as a fighter subclass; and organizations that you can plug-and-play into your own
basically the armiger-lite and better for those who don’t want campaigns!
to try a whole new class. We even hope to provide some premade PC stat blocks so
• Monk - Way of the Flying Sword. Inspired by Wuxia and that players can try out an armiger quickly and easily!
Xian Xia tropes, a monk that uses ki to control weapons.
Riding a flying sword included! A rare Wisdom-based Part 8: Night at the Museum
weapon manipulator! A short adventure with modular difficulty options to fit a variety
• Rogue - Kinetic Scoundrel. Telumkinetic rogue that of adventuring parties. The party is tasked with guarding a
manipulates weapons for assassinations. Great at stabbing collection of antique weapons that were recently unearthed
people in the back while standing in front of them through from an ancient armiger’s tomb.
use of their hidden armory. However, when night arrives, the weapons come to life
and seek to be returned to their master. Can the adventurers
• Sorcerer - Swordsoul. Sorcerers who have an animated
subdue the rebelling weapons without damaging them, while
sword "pet". Kinda like the Order of Scribes Wizard but
also fighting off a reknowned burglar whose eyes are on the
reconceptualized for a weapons-based sorcerer.
living blades?
• Wizard - School of Telumkinesis. Similar to the bladebound An adventure with a few end states, some planar twists,
fighter, this is basically an armiger-lite subclass. Intelligence hooks for further adventuring, and it’s a great primer to
based swordmage with more emphasis on the mage part. integrate armigers into your world!
Basically, our take at a "gish" but influenced by the armiger.
Even More Bonus Content?
Part 4b: Other Character Options As the project continues to expand, we have plenty of
The current list of tentative ideas is as follows: ideas for even more content in the future. Some are purely
informative, such as including a robust appendix of the
• Eldritch Arsenal (eldtrich invocation). Requires Pact of research, mathematics, and rationale behind our design
the Blade. You can have more than one pact weapon (up to choices. Others are for flavor development, such as a list of
Charisma modifier?), and you get a version of the Armiger’s modifications you can make with canon subclasses to make
telumkinesis feature for your pact weapons. them weapon manipulator concepts (like ideas on adjusting the
• Magus (eldritch invocation). Requires Hexblade patron. Swarmkeeper Ranger a bit so that its "swarm"is a collection
You can have more than one weapon benefit from your Hex of floating weapons.)
Warrior feature (up to Charisma modifier?). And you gain a
bonus when you cast a spell and make a weapon attack?
W
e know we’re not the only people out • Spellsword v5 by Brandon Coulson
there who’ve tried to bring a weapon • Swordmage by RegulusMagnus
manipulator class concept to life, and this
wonderful hobby we call Tabletop Roleplaying • Swordmage by Weirdo Whoever
is a lot stronger when we come together as a • The Duskblade: A 5e Class by Adeptus Gaming
community to help each other out.
Therefore, we scrounged the internet to find • The Spellsword by Smug Coffee Man
similar classes and are including them here as a way to help Non-Conversion Classes
them gain the recognition they deserve and to help you find The following list is comprised of gish classes. Gish is a term
other options that might better suit your vision. We can’t speak that defines a character that is skilled in both physical combat
to the balance of any of them, so make sure you work with your and magic, and they are usually intelligence based. The
DM if any one of these classes catches your eye! magus and spellblade are gishes. However, the classes in this
We also know that plenty of people lump "gish" classes with category aren’t necessarily trying to convert existing material
weapon manipulators, so we’ve included those. to 5e; they have some kind of original spin.
Also, we haven’t included content from D&D Wiki for a few
reasons: 1) D&D Wiki is easy enough to search on its own; 2) • Blademaster by Notamalkavian
the content on D&D Wiki can be community-generated which • Runeblade by GnomeWorks
makes it hard to credit; and 3) some of the content on there is
• Spellblade by KibblesTasty
unfinished. That said, we do recommend you take a look at the
options there! • Spellblade by Megamoya
It’s also important to note that some of the contents listed • Spellblade by Ricodyn
here are not free. Content that has a price are denoted with an • Spellblade Class for D&D 5e (2021) by Michael Williams*
asterisk (*) and italicized.
If you know of another class/subclass we should add to this • Swordmage by CreamCloud0
list, let us know, and we’ll be happy to keep this list growing! • Swordmage by Jeff "Hageshii01" Venancio
Good luck and happy homebrewing!
• The Spellblade by Kayzen
Other Options by Other Creators • The Spellblade by TheBricycle
The various other options are presented below. We tried to • The Spellsword by Bleizy
help a bit by sorting them into rough categories, and generally, Subclasses
the lists are sorted alphabetically. The following is a general list of options that are all subclasses
Magus Classes for existing 5e classes which may satisfy a weapon manipulator
The following list is a comprised of Magus classes. These or gish concept:
classes are usually inspired or based on the Pathfinder class • Blademancer by 10000Balloons
of the same name, which is why they are their own category.
Maguses usually have some form of spellcasting and are often • Dancing Blade (Fighter) by Venya
Intelligence ability score based to some degree. • Duskblade (Wizard) by SarlaccHobbie
• 5e Magus by Sky Knight • Knight-Enchanter (Wizard) by Ricodyn
• Magus Class - 5e by Radioactive_Coffee • Path of the
• Magus Class by LordMinast Bladestorm
(Barbarian) by
• The Magus Class by laserllama KibblesTasty
• The Magus Class by Benjamin Huffman* • Spiritsworn
• The Magus v4.0 by rannieryjesuino (Fighter) by
KibblesTasty
• Revised Pathfinder Magus by badmudderfugger
• Warbound Bloodline (Sorcerer)
Previous D&D Class Conversions by Finalplayer14
The following list is a comprised of classes inspired or based
on the 3.5 edition base class (duskblade), 3.5 edition prestige • Way of the Sword Saint (Monk) by
class (spellsword), or 4th edition class (swordmage). Like the KibblesTasty
magus, these classes usually have some form of spellcasting
and are often Intelligence ability score based.
• Blade and Bond: The Swordmage Class (5e) by Levi
Pressnell
• Duskblade by Rooster68W
• Duskblade by Stravix
• Duskblade by The TTRPG Factory
• Duskblade for 5th Edition by Thomas Kirksey