Master of Arms (5e Class)

## **The Master of Arms**

*"Worry not, young princess. Your power is beyond question, and your aim is true. No matter what path you walk or which kingdom you fight for... I am certain you will always make the right choice and use that blade for good."*

*-Fuga, human master of arms & chieftain of the Hoshido Wind Tribe*

A wandering samurai walks across a bridge, over a brilliant blue lake. As he reaches the other side, four assassins come out, to ambush him, and one lunges at him with a scimitar. The samurai quickly parries the blow, and slashes the assassin in half with his katana. He draws a sickle, and uses it to cut down the second assassin, and in less than a second he pulls out a last weapon, a warhammer, and smashes the skull of the third. The samurai then continues on, leaving the last assassin to cower in fear.

A gladiator wielding a strange unorthodox weapon, which appears like a wheel, screams at an emperor for more powerful foes to face. The emperor obliges, sending three panthers to attack the gladiator from all sides. The gladiator laughs in the face of his new feline opponents, and spins the strange weapon he has around, chopping at all of them at once. Suddenly, the gladiator's face turns stalwart, as he drops his weapons, placing his hands in front of himself. As the panthers attack him, he punches them all into the dust, and then laughs, picking up his weapon once more.

Masters of Arms are warriors that take on warfare as if it were an art form, studying it as a wizard studies magic, and practicing with weapons like a monk practices with their body. They use martial techniques that others are not able to use, exerting force from their body more than regular warriors can.

### **Kings of Warfare**

Able to use every kind of weapon with ease, as if they had their entire life, masters of arms can adapt to any scenario. Even if they have to use a strange, exotic weapon that they had not seen for their entire life, masters of arms can wield it easily.

### **Lords of Ether**

The life force that allows sentient creatures to be what they are is known to some as ki, and to others as ether. Masters of Arms master this force, to allow them to use martial techniques. These techniques let them do things that other mortals could only dream of, such as leaping high distances, cloning the shots from an arrow multiple times and even closing their wounds as they fight.

### **Taught by the Best**

No master of arms can naturally pick up their talents for the arts of warfare, they must be taught by a grandmaster of some sort. This teacher may be of their race and be a talented veteran, or they might be an otherworldly being that takes warriors under their wing, either to gain favors or just out of the goodness of their heart.

## **Creating a Masters of Arms**

When creating a master of arms character, think about how your character met their teacher, and why they gained a drive to study the art of warfare. Did they go to an academy, and learned alongside other soon-to-be masters of arms? Or were they taught on their own, by a tutor, to become a perfect warrior? Did they want to study, or perhaps they merely felt compelled to by some outside force? Ask your GM about who your teacher might have been, and if they might be important to the campaign.

### **Quick Build**

You can make a Masters of Arms quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength or Dexterity, followed by Constitution, then Wisdom. Second, choose the scholar or soldier background. Finally, choose scale mail, a longsword and shield, two handaxes, and an explorer's pack.

## **Class Features**

As a Master of Arms you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
**Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Master of Arms level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Master of Arms level after 1st

Proficiencies
**Armor:** Light armor, Medium armor, shields

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, Martial weapons

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity

**Skills:** Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (*a*) scale mail or (*b*) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows
* (*a*) a martial weapon and a shield or (*b*) two martial weapons
* (*a*) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (*b*) two handaxes
* (*a*) a dungeoneer's pack or (*b*) an explorer's pack

### **Ether**

Masters of Arms are able to manipulate the life force of their body, known as their ether, to dominate over lesser foes on the battlefield. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ether points. Your master of arms level determines the number of ether points you have, as shown in the Ether column of the Master of Arms table. When you spend an ether point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ether back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest lightly exercising to restore your ether.

### **Techniques**

Due to your intense training as a master of arms, you are able to perform martial techniques by exerting yourself to the limit, expending tiny bits of your life force, called ether. You know one technique of your choice from the Techniques list, at the bottom of this page, and gain more as you gain levels in this class. You must meet any prerequisites of a technique, if any, before you can learn it. Additionally, when you would learn a technique, you may also choose to replace another technique you have with another, if you meet the prerequisites.

Some of your techniques require saving throws, which are based on your Wisdom modifier, due to your knowledge of your training being how your fighting techniques work.

* **Technique save DC =** 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

### **Fighting Styles**

Beginning at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

#### Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons

#### Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC

#### Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

#### Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

#### Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

#### Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier.

### **Student of Talent**

Starting at 3rd level, your previous teachings have allowed you to recall skills regarding specific weaponry, Choose from the Student of Swords, Student of Bows, and the Student of the Outer Worlds, all featured at the bottom of this page. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 13th, and 17th levels.

### **Ability Score Increase**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10, 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### **Extra Attack**

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 20th level in this class.

### **Weapon Master**

Starting at 6th level, your mastery over weapons lets you ignore any race, class, and level requirements for magical weapons, and you gain proficiency in exotic weapons.

### **Destroy Missiles**

At 9th level, you can use your reaction to deflect or destroy ranged weapon or spell attacks. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) + your master of arms level. If you reduce the damage to 0, it is destroyed, and if it would hit multiple targets, it does not.

### **Know Your Enemy**

Starting at 11th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:

* Strength score
* Dexterity score
* Constitution score
* Armor Class
* Current hit points
* Total class levels (if any)
* Master of Arms class levels (if any)

### **Master of Agility**

Beginning at 15th level, your movements are more rapid, and your reflexes can save you more often. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity 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.

### **Tempered Warrior**

At 18th level, you are able to realize when your mind is being tampered with, due to your experience. Whenever you make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ether point to reroll it and take the second result.

### **Student of Talent**

Masters of Arms are all exceptional students of war, studying far more into the art of warfare than most warriors. Each focuses on one specific art of it, whether it be a specific weapon, or some alternate style of fighting.

## **Student of Swords**

The teaching of sword mastery for masters of arms is not truly just for swords, but it also includes all other melee weapons like it. They can become like tornadoes of steel, using multiple weapons at once to maul one target, or they can use the hurricane-like force of their weaponry to pull others in that would try to flee from them.

### **Parry**

When you become this student, at 3rd level, you gain the ability to block attacks with your own weapons. When you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

### **Flurry**

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to unleash multiple weapons on one target. When you take the Attack action and make more than one attack, you can use a different weapon for each attack, drawing the weapon as part of each attack. If you do so, each weapon after the first gains a cumulative +1 bonus to their attack and damage rolls if they are a different die size than any of the weapons used before it on this turn.

### **Gale**

Beginning at 10th level, you are able to spin around, to draw those far away close to you. When you take the Attack action, and another enemy is within 15 feet of yourself, you can expend ether points to try and draw them in to you. You can expend a number of ether points equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice, min 1), and a number of creatures within 15 feet of yourself equal to the amount spent must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or be brought within 5 feet of yourself and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 5 feet they were moved.

### **Whirlwind Attack**

At 13th level, you are able to strike those around you, like a fierce tornado. You can use your action to make melee attacks against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target.

### **Dual Strike**

Starting at 17th level, when you use your action to use a technique, you may make a melee weapon attack, as a bonus action.

## **Student of Bows**

While most masters of arms are known for their excellent use of melee weaponry, this does not mean that ranged weapons are excluded. Instead, they are just less common, however this lack of knowledge about them makes them more terrifying to face for those who are unaware. They have the ability to strike from distances out ranging that of most archers, and take out platoons of men from far away, with ease.

### **Brutish Range**

When you become this student, at 3rd level, your muscularity allows you to use your brute force with ranged weapons. You can choose to use your Strength modifier, instead of your Dexterity modifier, whenever you make an attack with a ranged weapon.

### **Forceful Shot**

Additionally, at 3rd level, your might allows you to empower your shots. You can expend 1 ether point and use your bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage of the weapon's type on a hit. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

### **Close Quarters**

Starting at 7th level, when you make a ranged attack while within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you no longer suffer disadvantage on the attack roll.

### **Sniper**

Beginning at 10th level, your aim is able to sharpen, even at a long distance. The normal range distance for your ranged weapon attacks is increased to twice its normal amount, to a maximum of the weapon's long range.

### **Volley**

Starting at 13th level, you can fire into a crowd of multiple targets all at once. You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.

### **Dual Shot**

At 17th level, when you use your action to use a technique, you may make a ranged weapon attack, as a bonus action.

## **Student of Outer Worlds**

Warfare is not just limited to the weapons that many warriors, use, as the masters of arms that take on an otherworldly teacher learn. Warfare also has magical elements in it, and the students of otherworldly beings are able to be granted some magical abilities from their teachers, like the patrons of warlocks.

### **Pact Magic**

Starting at 3rd level, when you become this student, you gain the magical abilities of a warlock, from your teacher being your patron.

#### Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip at 10th level.

#### Spell Slots

The Student of Outer Worlds table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

#### Spells Known of 1st Level or Higher

At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. The Spells Known column of the Student of Outer Worlds table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

#### Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

* **Spell Save DC =** 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
* **Spell attack modifier =** your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

### **Restore Ether**

Beginning at 7th level, you are able to restore ether by expending one of your slots, as a bonus action. The amount of ether restored is equal to the slot level expended.

### **Patron's Lesser Blessing**

At 10th level, your patron has granted you a boon they gift warlocks that are lower in power than you are. You gain the same feature a warlock of the same patron would gain at 1st level. If the feature relies on your Charisma modifier, it instead relies on your Wisdom modifier, for you, and uses your master of arms level instead of warlock level.

### **Patron's Superior Blessing**

Starting at 13th level, your abilities are close to that of warlocks under the same patron. You gain the same feature a warlock of the same patron would gain at 10th level. If the feature relies on your Charisma modifier, it instead relies on your Wisdom modifier, for you, and uses your master of arms level instead of warlock level.

### **War Magic**

At 17th level, when you use your action to cast a spell, you can make a weapon attack as a bonus action.

## **Techniques**

The techniques used by masters of arms are what differentiates them from other warriors, allowing them to perform feats that others could not. Some techniques use a specific type of weapon, while others work on all weaponry.

### **Buster Seal**

When you make a weapon attack on a creature, you can expend 1 ether point to add a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Wisdom modifier (min +0). The next attack roll that creature makes within the next minute does not add its proficiency bonus to it.

### **Double Lariat**

*Prerequisites: Extra Attack, melee-only*

As an action, you can expend 2 ether points while two creatures are within your movement range. You move up to one creature, and make one melee weapon attack on it, and then leap to the other one without provoking opportunity attacks, making a melee weapon attack on it.

### **Giant's Arrow**

*Prerequisites: Ranged-only*

As an action, you can expend 2 ether points to choose one creature within 30 feet of yourself to fire like an arrow. If the creature is unwilling, it can make a Charisma saving throw, and your ether points are wasted if it succeeds. If it is willing or fails the save, you can make one ranged weapon attack with a ranged weapon you are proficient in, however you instead fire the creature. You choose if the creature is restrained during this shot or not, before you fire it. If it is not restrained, it can make an opportunity attack on the creature you attacked, regardless of if you hit or missed. If it is restrained, it and the target you attacked take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for each 20 feet it had traveled.

### **Enclose**

When you make a weapon attack on a creature, you can expend 1 ether point to cripple the target, reducing their speed to 0 until the end of their next turn.

### **Hit and Run**

When you make a weapon attack on a creature, you can expend 1 ether point to distract the target from your direction of movement, making it so they cannot make opportunity attacks on you for the rest of your turn.

### **Mistdancer**

As a bonus action, you can expend 1 ether point to enter an evasive stance. Any saving throws against magical effects you make before the start of your next turn have a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier (min +1).

### **Riposte**

*Prerequisites: Melee-only*

As a reaction to a creature within 5 feet of yourself making a melee weapon attack on yourself, you can expend 1 ether point to make a melee weapon attack on them, as a reaction.

### **Sentinel Stance**

As an action, you can expend 2 ether points to enter a sentinel's stance, stowing your weapons away and holding your hands in front of yourself, your body hardening like stone. In this stance, you have a number of reactions equal to the amount of attacks you can make with one Attack action, and your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage. When a creature makes a weapon attack while within 5 feet of yourself, you can use your reaction to add half of your proficiency bonus to your armor class and make one unarmed strike on the creature.

### **Sol**

When you make a weapon attack on a creature, you can expend 1 ether point to restore hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 1). You can only use this once per turn.

### **Spreadshot**

*Prerequisites: Ranged-only*

Before you make a ranged weapon attack on a creature, you can expend 2 ether points to make two copies of your attack, attacking two other creatures within 5 feet of your original target. You make the same number of attacks on them as you do on your original target.

## **Multiclassing**

**Prerequisites.** To qualify for multiclassing into the Masters of Arms class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Strength or Dexterity 13

**Proficiencies.** When you multiclass into the Masters of Arms class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, Medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons