Hi everyone, I am a DM about to start my second campaign. One of my players asked if it was possible to play as a spellfencer, like from the game Bravely Default. However, looking at some of the class home brews out there, I was afraid of the lack of play testing and some serious power balance issues. As a result, I have taken it on myself to create a fighter subclass to hopefully fit the bill.
After having completed and altered the subclass extensively, I began to realize that my limited experience as a DM may be hampering my ability to properly gauge the power of a subclass. That's why I come to you all! Here's what I have so far:
Armamancy
Beginning at level 3, you gain the ability to enhance your weapon strikes using innate magic. You learn 2 armamancy techniques from the list below, which can be performed using innate magic points. You learn an additional technique at levels 5, 9 and 15. At level 3, you may use 2 of these techniques per long rest. The number of techniques you may use increases by 1 at the 7th and 15th level.
You can activate a technique as a bonus action, imbuing 1 weapon you wield with arcane power for up to 1 minute. While this technique is in effect, any nonmagical weapon is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance. The first time you hit with the weapon during the duration, apply the effects the armamancy technique you are using, and then the technique ends. The technique duration also ends early if you are incapacitated or are no longer wielding the weapon.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the techniques you know and replace it with another technique that you could learn at that level. A level prerequisite in a technique refers to fighter level, not character level.
Some of your armamancy techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Armamancy save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier
Examine
Beginning at 7th level, your eyes are opened to the arcane nature of your enemies. You may take an action to make an Intelligence (arcana) check to survey one enemy you can see. On a successful check, you are granted arcane insight, allowing you to determine if the enemy is weak to any of the following damage types: fire, lightning, cold, poison, necrotic, radiant, force, or psychic damage.
Auto-Spell Blade
At the 10th level, you are so suffused with arcane energies that all of your strikes are conduits for elemental forces. As a part of your attacks, you may cause your weapon to briefly flare up with either fire, blizzard, or thunder magic. On a successful strike, the target takes an extra 1d6 elemental damage of your choosing from the following options: fire, cold, or lightning. If you also use an armamancy technique with an Attack, you add this damage to the extra damage provided by the technique.
Antimagic
At level 15, your body becomes naturally resistant to spell effects. When you are subjected to a magical effect that allows you to make a Dexterity or constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Phantom Weapon
At 18th level, you regain 2 uses of sword magic techniques after a short rest.
Armamancy Techniques
Fire: You can expend one point of innate magic to envelop your weapon in flames. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to fire damage. For each extra use of innate magic, you deal an extra 2d4 fire damage.
Blizzard: You can expend one point of innate magic to chill your weapon with ice. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to cold damage. For each extra use of innate magic you deal an extra 1d6 cold damage and decrease the target's speed by 5 for one minute.
Thunder: You can expend one point of innate magic to charge your weapon with lightning. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to lightning damage. For each extra use of innate magic, you deal an extra 1d8 lightning damage.
Silence (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to cover your weapon with clouds. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target cannot cast any spells with a verbal component. The target can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Poison (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to coat your weapon with poison.When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is poisoned. The target can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Sleep (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to exude purple mist from your weapon. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target falls unconscious. The target can repeat this save whenever they sustain damage or at the end of their turn. Undead and creatures immune to charming aren't affected by this technique.
Drain (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to fill your weapon with a hunger for life. When you hit with this technique, the target takes an extra 2d6 necrotic damage, granting you the necrotic damage dealt in temporary hit points.
Aspir (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to imbue your weapon with a hunger for energy. When you hit with this technique, the target takes an extra 4d4 poison damage and must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target’s level of exhaustion is increased by one, and your level of exhaustion is decreased by one.
Fear (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to mask your weapon with sheer terror. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a wisdom save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is frightened by you, cannot attack you directly, and must use all of their movement to get as far away as possible from you. The target can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns.
Holy (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to ensconce your weapon in sunlight. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 3d8 radiant damage.
Dark (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to shroud your weapon in shadow. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 2d12 force damage.
Death (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to consume your weapon with eldritch horror. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 4d6 psychic damage. If the effects of this technique bring the target to 0 hit points, the target dies.
Are there any armamancy spells or class features that need tweaking to either be more or less powerful?
P.S. I also know that Sword Magic: Death isn't quite accurate to the source material, but I absolutely refuse to add an instant death technique.
After having completed and altered the subclass extensively, I began to realize that my limited experience as a DM may be hampering my ability to properly gauge the power of a subclass. That's why I come to you all! Here's what I have so far:
Armamancy
Beginning at level 3, you gain the ability to enhance your weapon strikes using innate magic. You learn 2 armamancy techniques from the list below, which can be performed using innate magic points. You learn an additional technique at levels 5, 9 and 15. At level 3, you may use 2 of these techniques per long rest. The number of techniques you may use increases by 1 at the 7th and 15th level.
You can activate a technique as a bonus action, imbuing 1 weapon you wield with arcane power for up to 1 minute. While this technique is in effect, any nonmagical weapon is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance. The first time you hit with the weapon during the duration, apply the effects the armamancy technique you are using, and then the technique ends. The technique duration also ends early if you are incapacitated or are no longer wielding the weapon.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the techniques you know and replace it with another technique that you could learn at that level. A level prerequisite in a technique refers to fighter level, not character level.
Some of your armamancy techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Armamancy save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier
Examine
Beginning at 7th level, your eyes are opened to the arcane nature of your enemies. You may take an action to make an Intelligence (arcana) check to survey one enemy you can see. On a successful check, you are granted arcane insight, allowing you to determine if the enemy is weak to any of the following damage types: fire, lightning, cold, poison, necrotic, radiant, force, or psychic damage.
Auto-Spell Blade
At the 10th level, you are so suffused with arcane energies that all of your strikes are conduits for elemental forces. As a part of your attacks, you may cause your weapon to briefly flare up with either fire, blizzard, or thunder magic. On a successful strike, the target takes an extra 1d6 elemental damage of your choosing from the following options: fire, cold, or lightning. If you also use an armamancy technique with an Attack, you add this damage to the extra damage provided by the technique.
Antimagic
At level 15, your body becomes naturally resistant to spell effects. When you are subjected to a magical effect that allows you to make a Dexterity or constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Phantom Weapon
At 18th level, you regain 2 uses of sword magic techniques after a short rest.
Armamancy Techniques
Fire: You can expend one point of innate magic to envelop your weapon in flames. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to fire damage. For each extra use of innate magic, you deal an extra 2d4 fire damage.
Blizzard: You can expend one point of innate magic to chill your weapon with ice. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to cold damage. For each extra use of innate magic you deal an extra 1d6 cold damage and decrease the target's speed by 5 for one minute.
Thunder: You can expend one point of innate magic to charge your weapon with lightning. When you hit with this technique, the damage is converted to lightning damage. For each extra use of innate magic, you deal an extra 1d8 lightning damage.
Silence (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to cover your weapon with clouds. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target cannot cast any spells with a verbal component. The target can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Poison (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to coat your weapon with poison.When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is poisoned. The target can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Sleep (Prerequisite, level 7): You can expend two points of innate magic to exude purple mist from your weapon. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target falls unconscious. The target can repeat this save whenever they sustain damage or at the end of their turn. Undead and creatures immune to charming aren't affected by this technique.
Drain (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to fill your weapon with a hunger for life. When you hit with this technique, the target takes an extra 2d6 necrotic damage, granting you the necrotic damage dealt in temporary hit points.
Aspir (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to imbue your weapon with a hunger for energy. When you hit with this technique, the target takes an extra 4d4 poison damage and must make a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target’s level of exhaustion is increased by one, and your level of exhaustion is decreased by one.
Fear (Prerequisite, level 13)- You can expend two points of innate magic to mask your weapon with sheer terror. When you hit with this technique, the target must make a wisdom save against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is frightened by you, cannot attack you directly, and must use all of their movement to get as far away as possible from you. The target can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns.
Holy (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to ensconce your weapon in sunlight. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 3d8 radiant damage.
Dark (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to shroud your weapon in shadow. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 2d12 force damage.
Death (Prerequisite, level 17)- You can expend three points of innate magic to consume your weapon with eldritch horror. When you hit with this technique, the target will take an extra 4d6 psychic damage. If the effects of this technique bring the target to 0 hit points, the target dies.
Are there any armamancy spells or class features that need tweaking to either be more or less powerful?
P.S. I also know that Sword Magic: Death isn't quite accurate to the source material, but I absolutely refuse to add an instant death technique.
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