The Duskblade The very first Duskblades were rumored to be ancient elves who required both heavy armor and spell to defend their lands. The art of the Duskblade was thought lost with the ravages of time, only to be sung about in elven song. However, uncovered scrolls from ancient elven ruins have begun circulating the lands, sold by exotic tradesmen to the highest bidder. The scrolls outlined soldiers who blended swordplay with arcane power, two schools of combat thought to exist far from each other. This amalgamation of the two disciplines, that were as different as night and day, lead to the name of Duskblade. Duskblade's of today are usually seen wearing purple armor, a sign of pride and emulation of the time of day their order was named after. Though many secrets were lost with time, the Duskblades of now take pride in their constant practice and split discipline, and thus blending, of a soldier's routine and a scholar's study. On the battlefield, a Duskblade is comfortable being up front with the fighters as well as being in the back line supporting and protecting the less hardy. Due to the dual nature of their focus, and the complexity of arcane spells, a Duskblade memorizes only a select few number of spells, those he or she feels will be the most use to her during conflict. _ The Duskblade Level Proficiency Bonus Features Cantrips Known Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 1st +2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting 2 — — — — — — 2nd +2 Gift of Knowledge 2 2 2 — — — — 3rd +2 Discipline 2 3 3 — — — — 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 2 3 3 — — — — 5th +3 Twilight Strike 3 4 4 2 — — — 6th +3 Mystic Momentum, Quick Cast (1/short rest) 3 4 4 2 — — — 7th +3 Discipline Feature 3 5 4 3 — — — 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 5 4 3 — — — 9th +4 — 4 6 4 3 2 — — 10th +4 Practical Knowledge, Quick Cast (2/short rest) 4 6 4 3 2 — — 11th +4 Discipline Feature 4 7 4 3 3 — — 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 4 7 4 3 3 — — 13th +5 — 5 8 4 3 3 1 — 14th +5 Conduit, Quick Cast (3/short rest) 5 8 4 3 3 1 — 15th +5 Discipline Path Feature 5 9 4 3 3 2 — 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 9 4 3 3 2 — 17th +6 — 5 10 4 3 3 3 1 18th +6 Eclipse Strike, Quick Cast (4/short rest) 5 10 4 3 3 3 1 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 5 11 4 3 3 3 2 20th +6 Discipline Path Feature 5 11 4 3 3 3 2 Class Features As a Duskblade, you gain the following class features Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per Duskblade level

1d10 per Duskblade level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Duskblade level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields

Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

Constitution, Intelligence Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation

Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a one handed martial weapon and a shield or (b) Any one martial weapon and any one simple weapon

(a) Chain Shirt or (b) Leather Armor and a light crossbow with 20 bolts.

(a) Arcane focus or (b) Spell component pouch

(a) Explorer's Pack and 30g or (b) Scholar's Pack Fighting Style You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. At first level, 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. 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. Spellcasting Your life has been filled with endless days of blending martial prowess with arcane might. Your studies of the arcane are only surpassed by the most studious of wizards, and your athletic discipline is only surpassed by the most stalwart of warriors. Due to the complextiy of arcane incantations, you only know a select number of spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this homebrew for the Duskblade spell list. Cantrips At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the Duskblade spell list. You learn additional Duskblade cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Duskblade table. Spell Slots The Duskblade table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Duskblade spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot. Spells Known of 1st Level or Higher At second level you know two 1st level spells of your choice from the Duskblade list (found at the end of this class description). The Spells Known column of the Duskblade table shows when you learn more Duskblade spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Duskblade spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Duskblade spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Duskblade spells, since the power of your magic relies on your studies and understanding of the arcane. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Duskblade spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Spellcasting Focus You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your Duskblade spells. Gift of Knowledge You learn to impart some of your knowledge to another though swift instruction. Beginning at 2nd level, if you spend 10 minutes conversing with an ally you grant them proficiency in one skill, weapon, armor or tool that you are also proficient in. The ally must be able to understand you in order to receive this feature. The effect lasts for 1 hour. The ally uses their own proficiency modifier. After you use this feature you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again. Discipline At 3rd level, you choose a discipline that you follow to compliment your Duskblade abilities. Mystic Blade or Arcane Agent. All detailed at the end of the class description. Your Discipline choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.

Twilight Strike Beginning at 5th level, whenever you take the Attack action and hit with a weapon attack you can immediately cast a Duskblade cantrip you know that requires a spell attack roll. A cantrip may only be cast in this way once per turn and incurs no ranged spell attack penalty for being in melee. Hidden Force A Duskblade is at their prime when locked in a conflict. Their tenacity only seems to bring them more power and the most senior of Duskblades know there is a hidden power source locked away inside every fight and every war. Veteran Duskblades know how to tap into the latent energies of battle when their moral is at its highest. Beginning at 6th level, whenever you roll a 20 on an attack roll, you regain one spell slot up to half the highest level of spell you can cast, rounded down. Quick Cast The might of a Duskblade comes from reacting to an ever-shifting battlefield. Sometimes a fast spell is more effective than a fast blade. Beginning at 6th level you learn to manipulate arcane magic for the fast pace of a battlefield. You can cast any Duskblade spell once as a bonus action. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must a 1st-level spell or higher. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. The number of times you can use this feature between a long rest increases to twice at 10th level, three times at 14th level, and four times at 18th level. Practical Knowledge Having a focused mind allows you to approach any situation with mental alacrity. Beginning at 10th level you can add half of your Intelligence Modifier, rounded down (minimum 1) to any skill check you make that doesn't already use your proficiency bonus. Conduit A Duskblade knows when power is needed at the most crucial moments. This late into their career, a Duskblade's understanding on how to manipulate raw magical energy allows for versatility. Starting at level 14, you may touch a creature as an action and expend a spell slot. That creature regains a spell slot equal to the level of spell slot you have expended. The reverse is also true. While touching a creature as an action, they may expend a spell slot. You regain a spell slot equal to the level of spell slot the creature has expended. If the spell slot received is higher than what could be cast, the highest spell slot is regained instead. Once you use this feature, either to give or receive a spell slot, you cannot use it again until you've completed a long rest. Eclipse Strike This feature replaces Twilight Strike Beginning at 18th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. In addition, you can immediately cast a Duskblade cantrip you know that requires a spell attack roll. A cantrip may only be cast in this way once per turn and incurs no ranged spell attack penalty for being in melee. Discipline A Duskblade spends their whole life in pursuit of their battle prowess. Senior Duskblade members instruct their juniors on many aspects of their development. When a Duskblade has proven they can aptly blend martial might with arcane power, they move onto other Disciplines of focus. Two such Disciplines have been widely accepted within the ranks of the Duskblades as the most effective compliments to their skills. Mystic Blade The Mystic Blade takes the martial side of combat and uses their magic to further enhance their abilities. A Duskblade that follows this discipline fearlessly stands on the front lines, ready to dispatch enemies with weapon and spell. He also has enough abilities to frustrate his opponents while his allies get into a better position. A Mystic Blade learns to pour raw arcane power into his weapon in order to overpower his foes. When strength fails, a Mystic Blade will fall back on their heavy defensive capabilites powered by their understanding of energies. Armored Mage Beginning at 3rd level you gain proficiency in heavy armor. In addition, shields do not interfere with the somatic components required for a spell. Arcane Channeling Using weapon and spell has become second nature to you. Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one Duskblade spell slot to deal elemental damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. You choose the damage type between acid, cold, fire force or lightning. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. Spell Bulwark Beginning at 7th level, whenever a creature within 30 ft of you that you can see takes damage as the result of a spell, you can use your reaction to grant resistance to the creature against the spell's damage.

Siphon Arcanum The time you've spent slinging spells and being the target of them has granted you new knowledge into their raw energies. Beginning at 15th level, whenever a spell that targets you misses, or you save versus a spell, you may use your reaction to attempt to steal a portion of the wasted energy. When using this ability, you roll an Arcana check versus the target's spell DC. If you win the contest, you regain a spell slot equal to half the spell's level used against you. If this results in a spell slot higher than what you cast, you instead regain the highest spell slot available for your level. Once you use this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again. Mystic Aura At 20th level, as an action, you emanate a lightless blue aura out to 30 feet. For 1 minute you and allies standing within the aura have advantage on saving throws against spells. In addition, while this aura is active, once on each of your turns you may add your Intelligence modifier to any weapon or spell damage roll you make. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Arcane Agent A Duskblade's connection with the arcane differs from other magic users like wizards or sorcerers. Duskblades manipulate magic with thoughts of battlefield use and little else. As such, those of the Arcane Agent Discipline learn to use their magic to bolster their allies, or hinder their opponents. Knowledge is Power An Arcane Agent understands that might alone is not enough to concur everyday challenges. Beginning at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in any two skills or tool sets or one skill and one tool set. Dusk and Dawn Your emulation of the setting and rising sun focuses your mind and allows you to achieve powers that could aid your allies or curse your foes. At 3rd level, choose which aestethic to adopt, The Rising Sun or The Rising Moon. Your choice awards you with an expanded spell list. The spells on this list are known to you when you're able to cast at their appropriate level. The bonus spells do not count against your spells known limit for your class. The Rising Sun Spell Level Spell Name 1st bless, protection from evil and good 2nd enlarge/reduce, levitate 3rd elemental weapon, water breathing 4th otiluke's resilient sphere, polymorph 5th scrying, greater restoration The Rising Moon Spell Level Spell Name 1st faerie fire, hex 2nd darkness, silence 3rd bestow curse, slow 4th banishment, evard's black tentacles 5th cloudkill, dominate person Violet Aura Starting at 7th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 30 feet of you must make a Concentration save to maintain concentration on a spell, you and the creature gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Intelligence modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus. Spell Penetration Beginning at 15th level, whenever an enemy makes their save against a spell cast by you, you can force them to reroll their result and use the second number. Once you use this feature, you must must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. The Witching Hour Beginning at 20th level, whenever you are concentrating on a spell granted to you by your Dusk and Dawn feature, you may concentrate on a second spell simultaneously. If you must make a concentration check to maintain concentration on your spells, you make a concentration check for each spell seperately. If you fail either of your concentration checks you then lose concentration on both spells. When you use this feature to concentrate on two spells, the duration of both spells changes to a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence Modifier (minimum 1) unless the duration, remaining or otherwise, is shorter. If you are allowed to concentrate on multiple spells via another source (for example a feat or spell) you still may only concentrate on two spells using this feature. Any attempt to concentrate on more than two spells while using this feature causes you to automatically lose concentration on your spell granted by your Dusk and Dawn feature. Duskblade Spells Below is the Duskblade spell list. There are new spells homebrewed for this class on the last pages of this outline. The new spells are highlighted in bold on the Duskblade spell list.

Cantrips (0 Level) Acid Splash

Chill Touch

Light

Mage Hand

Message

Minor Illusion

Prestidigitation

Ray of Frost

Resistance

Shocking Grasp 1st Level Burning Hands

Color Spray

Compelled Duel

Detect Magic

**Displacing Strike

Expeditious Retreat

Feather Fall

Fog Cloud

Identify

Jump

Longstrider

Ray of Sickness

Shield

**Stand 2nd Level

Alter Self

Cloud of Daggers

Darkvision

Enhance Ability

Hold Person

Find Steed

Melf's Acid Arrow

Misty Step

Orchid Strike**

Scorching Ray

See Invisibility

Shatter

Shifting Cloak** 3rd Level Counterspell

Dispel Magic

Elemental Weapon

Font of Power **

Haste

Protection From Energy

Sending

Thunder Shout **

Vampiric Touch 4th Level Confusion

Dimension Door

Fire Shield

Icey Strike**

Phantasmal Killer

Probing Strike** 5th Level Arcanum Sanctum**

Bigby's Hand

Hold Monster

Prismatic Strike**

Rary's Telepathic Bond

Telekinesis

New Spells Displacing Strike 1st-level Evocation Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: Self

Self Components: V

V Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute The first time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your weapon’s physical appearance begins to blur slightly, and the attack does an extra 1d6 force damage to the target. Additionally, if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be teleported 5 feet from their original position into an unoccupied space you choose. At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial extra damage dealt by the attack increases by 1d6 for each slot above 1st. Stand 1st-level Conjuration Casting Time: 1 Reaction when you see a prone creature.

1 Reaction when you see a prone creature. Range: 30 ft.

30 ft. Components: V

V Duration: Instantaneous As a reaction, you give a clear arcane word and target a prone creature you can see within range. That creature immediately rises to their feet if physically able to do so. The creature must be conscious and able to hear you. The spell fails of the creature is restrained in any way. Orchid Strike 2nd-level Evocation Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: Self

Self Components: V

V Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute The first time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your weapon glows a soft purple, and the attack deals an extra 1d6 force damage to the target, and any hostile creature within 5 ft. around the target that you can see must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 force damage. At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage die increases by 1d6 for both the initial target and hostile creatures around it. Shifting Cloak 2nd-level Abjuration Casting Time: 1 Reaction when you or an ally you can see takes damage

1 Reaction when you or an ally you can see takes damage Range: 30 ft.

30 ft. Components: V

V Duration: Instantaneous Using your reaction, you may target any friendly creature within range that you can see. A translucent cloak of faded purple lands softly on the target’s shoulders and reduces the damage taken by an amount equal to double your casting modifier rounded down. (minimum 1). This bonus lasts until the end of your next turn. Thunder Shout 3rd-level Evocation Casting Time: 1 Action

1 Action Range: 30 ft. cone

30 ft. cone Components: V, S, M (a raven's beak, a bit of string)

V, S, M (a raven's beak, a bit of string) Duration: Instantaneous You shout an arcane word which is amplified with power and is audible up to 300 feet of you. Each creature within the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 force damage on a failed save and is knocked prone, or half as much damage on a successful one and is not knocked prone. Any creature concentrating on a spell makes their Constitution Saving throw with disadvantage. Rune of Power 3rd-level Enchantment Casting Time: 1 Action

1 Action Range: 30 ft.

30 ft. Components: V, S, M (bits of amethyst, a leather strap)

V, S, M (bits of amethyst, a leather strap) Duration: Concentration, Up to 1 minute You point to a spot on the ground within range and utter an incantation. An arcane rune appears at that space. Its size takes up a 5x5 ft square. Any creature standing on the rune while you maintain concentration on this spell is granted a +1 to their Spell DC and Spell Attack Bonus. Only one creature may occupy the rune space at a time. Probing Strike 4th-level Evocation Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

1 Bonus Action Range: Self

Self Components: V

V Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute. The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your weapon strikes the body while your magic strikes the mind, and the attack deals an extra 4d6 psychic damage to the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you learn if the target has any damage immunities and/or resistances.