Charge Blade Hunter

The charge blade hunter uses a sword and a shield that are able to transform, through combination, into an axe. The sword form of the weapon builds energy through the strikes it lands while the axe form discharges this energy as either an element or a burst of force. Charge blade hunters are known for their powerful damage output and heavy guarding capabilities, as well as a mode, form, or charge state for handling just about any situation, keeping them versatile. They aren't incredible at a range, and certainly are not heralded as quick or able to dodge very well, but they make up for it with terrifying power and a very large axe.

Hunter's Knowledge

As a hunter of monsters, you gain access to certain tools and the ability to study monsters. You gain the following benefits:

• Proficiency with one of the following tools: Tinkerer's tools, Cook's utensils, Alchemist's supplies.
• As a bonus action you may analyze a creature of the types beast, dragon, or monstrosity. Roll a dc 14 intelligence (investigation) check, on a success, you learn its damage weaknesses, its damage resistances, or its damage immunities.
• You have advantage on survival checks to track a beast, dragon, or monstrosity.

Field crafting

As a hunter, you have access to the ability to craft certain items in the field and knowledge as to how to gather the resources. 
You have advantage on checks to do the following:

• Carve useful materials from monsters and animals 
• Collect useful plants, mushrooms, and insects for crafting
• Using tools to craft items that can heal, cure statuses, or be used as hunting implemets

Mode swap

Level 3, you may spend 30 minutes modifying any long sword, short sword, scimitar, or metal shield, this process may coincide with a short or long rest, but for no more than 2 weapons at a time during a long rest. You may only have a number of swords and shields modified in this way equal to your proficiency bonus, but may undo the modification of one to modify another. 

A modified longsword, short sword, or scimitar and a shield may combine to become a great axe as a bonus action, henceforth referred to as a charge blade with the following properties:
- Heavy, two-handed, reach
- Requires a str of 15 or higher to use with proficiency.
- Is considered proficient for the charge blader fighter subclass (granted they meet the strength requirement)
- Retains all properties of both the shield and sword used to create it (as best can be interpreted) except for the shield's ac bonus. This includes any and all magical effects, addition bonuses, damage types, etc., if both components have addition bonuses, the highest bonus is applied while the other is discarded. (I.e. a +2 shield and a +1 long sword combine, the result is a +2 charge blade)
- Deals 1d12 slashing damage.
- As a bonus action, the weapon can once more be separated into its respective sword and shield parts, which will be immediately equipped as part of the bonus action.

Switching forms becomes a no action at level 10.

Phials

Level 3, when you attack in sword mode, if the attack hits a creature, roll one d4 and gain that many charge points. If you reach 10xproficiency charge points, your sword attack is replaced with a 1d4 bludgeoning attack with no proficiency or mod added until you charge your phials. The charge points gained increases with fighter level to 1d6 at level 10 and 1d8 at level 18.

You may use a bonus action to charge your phials with your points. This will reset your charge points to zero.

• You gain 1 phial for every 3 charge points used.
• You can never have more phials than 3 + proficiency
• Charge points and phials start at 0 and return to zero after 30 minuets without combat.

Axe Mode: Discharge

Level 3, when you take choose this martial archetype at level 3: Before landing an attack in your axe mode you may declare the use of a discharge, if the attack lands an explosive effect will occur on impact, dealing 2d4 force damage to the target of the attack. Whether the attack lands or not, you will loose one phial charge. This damage scales with fighter level, increasing to 2d6 at level 7, 2d8 at level 10, 2d10 at level 15, and 2d12 at level 18. 

Medium or smaller creatures hit by a discharge roll a dex saving throw dc 8+Str+Proficiency or be knocked prone
Creatures larger than medium hit by a discharge roll a con saving throw dc 8+Str+Proficiency or be stunned for one turn

Sword Mode: Bash

Level 7, Once per turn, either as an attack in your attack action or a bonus action after an attack action, you may, while using your charge blade in its sword form, attack with your modified shield. This attack does 1d6 bludgeoning damage modified by strength that a charge blader is proficient in. 

Sword Mode: Guard

Level 7, You may, once each round (whichever is higher, minimum once), increase your ac by 2 for one attack as a reaction. If the attack then fails, you gain charge points equal to your proficiency. You also gain advantage on saves to avoid being knocked prone for that attack, and cannot be moved by the attack.

At level 15, when you use your guard on an attack and that attack does not hit, you may change modes to axe mode and make a weapon attack on the attacking creature. 

Switch Skills

Level 7, You may use certain specialized skills a number of times equal to your proficiency per short rest. You may exchange switch skills for any other on a short rest. You gain one selection at level 7 and another selection at level 15

Air Dash

Swing upwards with your axe twice while jumping 10 feet upwards. Make two attack rolls on one target with your axe. These are at advantage if your target is larger than medium. This attack may be followed with either a falling sword attack, ending in sword mode, or a large phial discharge dealing 5 damage dice of your discharge while only consuming 1 phial.

Medium and smaller creatures must pass a dex save dc 10+str+prof or be knocked prone
Creatures larger than medium must pass a con save dc 10+str+prof or be stunned for until the end of their turn

Axe Hopper

Jump 10 feet in the air while doing a downward slashing attack and then vaulting off of your charge blade, these are at advantage if your target is larger than medium. You may follow this attack with a super amped discharge (at level 18), sword attack, or axe hit while falling as a no action.

Morph Advance

Charge up to 15 feet in a direction and switch modes at the same time, performing an attack of the mode you switch into.

Peak Counter

You gain your proficiency as AC as a reaction to an attack and immediately fill phials equal to your proficiency. You cannot be knocked prone or moved by that attack.

Ready Stance

Gain half proficiency as ac for a reaction to an attack, you cannot be knocked prone or moved by that attack. Regardless of if the attack is blocked or not, you may then immediately do the following:
- Grant yourself full phials
- Gain the savage axe state

Sword Mode: Guard Point

Level 10, If you end your turn with an attack with your charge blade sword or shield in sword mode, you gain 2 ac for the first attack that would hit you until your next turn.

Axe Mode: Shield Charge

Level 10, You may, in axe mode, make a weapon attack which will do 2d12 + str damage to an enemy that you are proficient in, but the attack cannot crit, and you may not use a phial. The attack will change your charge blade into its sword form at the end of the attack, and consume all phials, putting your shield into a charged state. 

At level 15 you may also do this as a reaction from your guard counter.

In the charged state, both forms receive benefits for a number of rounds equal to the number of phials consumed:
- Sword Form: Your shield gains a +2 defense bonus (on top of whatever magical bonus it might have), when you use your shield bash attack it does your discharge damage without consuming a phial, and when you successfully guard an attack with your guard reaction the attacker takes 1 damage dice of your discharge (including the charged shield bonus, except at level 18 it is 1d12 + 6).
- Axe Form: Your charge blade gets a +2 bonus to attacks and damage, and your discharge changes dice type based on your fighter level (or you get a bonus at level 18). 

Your damage dice for your discharge are also empowered based on fighter level:
Level | Dice
10 | 2d10
15 | 2d12
18 | 2d12 + 12

Sword Mode: Sword Charge

Level 15, While you have the shield charge state, you may spend an action, rather than a bonus action, while charging phials and do an attack action. This will consume all your charge points as normal, and grant you the normal amount of phials, while also granting you the sword charged state for charge points consumed/6 turns rounded down. (example: you charge with 18 charge points, your sword will remain charged for 3 turns, and you will gain 6 phials.)

The attack action will double the damage dice of your sword's attack, but cannot crit, while causing an explosion of phial energy.

In this state, all attacks with your sword will deal 1 damage dice of your discharge damage (including the boost from shield charge except at level 18 it is 1d12 + 6 force damage), and both axe and sword forms gain an additional +1 to hit and damage. 

Axe Mode: Savage Axe

Level 15, You empower your axe head with phial energy, as it slowly drains, it makes your attacks much more powerful and spins the shield head of the axe and rips into your target. 

As an action, make a weapon attack in axe mode, doing 1d12 + 5d4 +str damage that you are proficient in, when this attack ends, you will still be in axe mode, but now in the savage axe state.
While in the savage state, your axe mode:
- Does 4d4 slashing damage extra on all attacks except for the savage axe transformation attack
- Crit on a 19
- Restore a phial on a crit
You drain a phial every turn, regardless of form or other charge states, and the state only ends when you run out of phials.

Axe Mode: Super Amped Element Discharge

Level 18, As an action or as the counter from your shield guard, you expend all of your phials in a massive slamming attack which decimates either a line or cone in front of it while hitting an enemy. 

The attack deals 2d12+str slashing damage to the targeted enemy, you have proficiency for this attack, and then releases a scaling discharge effect based on how many phials were used.
1d8 per phial consumed in one of two shapes (this damage increases to 1d10 per phial if your shield is charged):
- Line: 5 ft per phial.
- Cone: 5ft per 2 phials, rounded down. 
Regardless of shape:
- Medium or smaller creatures hit by a discharge roll a dex saving throw dc 8+Str+Proficiency or be knocked prone
- Creatures larger than medium hit by a discharge roll a con saving throw dc 8+Str+Proficiency or be stunned for one turn