Penitent Blade

The life of a warrior can be a difficult one, rife with blood and sin. On occasion, a soldier may become so stricken with remorse for their actions that they are gripped by an all-consuming rage, a burning desire to be free of the weights which now burden their soul. Whether they were a noble paladin of the highest Order or a knight-errant of a long-forgotten kingdom has no meaning any longer, for when a blade is turned to a singular cause, it matters little from whence the wielder heralds.

Broken in Battle

In a myriad scattered villages and towns, whispered tales of long dead heroes can still be heard. Stories of individuals who, at the peak of their power, fell from grace and in their grief were seized by a nigh-on unstoppable urge to cleanse themselves of their wrongdoings. The names and details change from telling to telling, but the overall story remains consistent, and it is a story that continues to be written to this day.

In the catacombs beneath a necromancer's fortress, a knight clad in polished armour leads her group forwards, torch held aloft as she holds her sword out in front of her. The flickering firelight flickers out, and with it the knight's senses numb into nothingness. When she comes too, the warrior finds herself surrounded by the butchered corpses of her friends, her shattered sword still embedded into the twitching remains of her brother.

Deep within the cathedral of an Order of Paladins, an elderly man is huddled into the corner. His face is buried deep into his knees as he rocks back and forth, terribly raspy sobs echoing across the silent church. In his mind, images of horror play again and again- his young squire being cut down by an unholy abomination, as the water the body falls into runs a deep crimson. He couldn't save a single soul then, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen again.

Alone in the Convent dorms, a young cleric paces up and down the long, candlelit room. As they walk, they fingers come to rest upon the silver medallion tied around their neck; the metal is cold to the touch, it's silent heart as loud as any beast's roar. The cleric gulps, quivering eyes turned up to the heavens as they think back to earlier in the day. "What have I done? Oh Greatest One, what have I done?" The deafening silence answers their prayers as their vision blurs and fades to black.

Reforged in Blood

When an old blade shatters, it is brought to the blacksmith to be repaired, or to be remade into something stronger and keener. The same is true of those known (half-mockingly) as the Penitent Blades. Splintered and dulled by horrors beyond imagining, these souls are remade in the burning fires of war, their wills struck against the anvil of danger time and time again, until the old blacksmith of war deems them suitable for a new purpose.

The process is seldom easy; indeed, rumours abound of the minds of such individuals becoming warped and twisted in the crucible, driven mad by the crushing burden of their own guilt. Naturally, these souls seldom last long, their often confused psyches falling prey to the many foul beasts they seek to fight.

Those who do find their new purpose are reborn as Penitent Blades, rage-filled warriors whose entire being is given over to repenting for their sins; real or imagined. Seldom thinking of their own safety, these souls seek two things: the death of those who seek to harm those the Blade protects, and a glorious death for themselves. The two always go hand-in-hand, rare indeed is it to find a retired Penitent Blade.

With Reckless Abandon

Eschewing most armour in favour of speed and mobility, Penitent Blades are a deadly force to meet on any battlefield. In groups on far-flung battlefields, Blades are potent infantry, sent careening into even the toughest enemy positions. In multiple historical accounts of battles both ancient and recent, it has been said that a group of five dozen Blades is enough to rout even the most disciplined armies.

And it's easy to see why. Eyewitness accounts speak of demons of blood and metal tearing through armour like dragon fire through parchment, viscera and gore filling the air as packs of crazed Blades hack and slash with furious, almost desperate fervour. These graphic reports are a testament to not only the Penitent Blades' skill in battle, but also the efficacy of their scare tactics.

Alone, Blades are deadly. Hitting hard and fast with heavy weaponry, even the most nimble of enemies will be hard-pressed to stay one step ahead of a Blade. When martial might fails, mental attacks often suffice- many creatures can shrug off sword and axe wounds, but few can stare down a Penitent Blade and not feel fear bubbling and boiling within.

Calm in the Eye of the Storm

Contrary to popular opinion, most Penitent Blades reserve their fury for battle, bottling up their desire for blood and absolution deep, deep within themselves. In fact, when need be a Blade can be as calm and level-headed as any soldier, operating either as a keen-minded tactician or dependable adventurer, given the right circumstances.

So alarming is the dissonance between the two that some academics have posited that all Blades have a kind of split-personality brought on by the sheer trauma they may have once experienced. Whether there is any widespread veracity to this claim is uncertain as all attempts to test this have ended inconclusively, often with high body counts.

Some have even gone so far as to call the Blades glorified barbarians, rage-fuelled savages with no place in any kind of organisation, let alone civilisation. Of course, few who believe such things would say as much to a Blade's face, however scholars throughout the years have wondered the same thing. The general school of thought is that although there are similarities between the barbarous warriors of the wilds and the Penitent Blades, the more martial foundations of the latter are more than sufficient to push for the two groups being merely similar.

Absolution in Death

For most Penitent Blades, their penance will only be completed upon their final, irrevocable death. Their souls cleansed with blood, they move on to whatever afterlife they're destined for, leaving behind a trail of dead monsters and vanquished evils.

Repentant Fury.

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you are able to fly into a fury, screaming curses and prayers alike as you charge headfirst into battle, much to the terror of those you stand against.

This ability lasts for 1 minute. Upon activation as a bonus action, all creatures within 20 feet of you must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened until the end of their next turn.

Whilst this ability is active, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain +10 feet to your movement speed.
• Every time you take damage equal to or lower than your Fighter level, roll a Constitution check (DC 10 + damage taken - your Constitution modifier). If you succeed, you can instead take half damage instead (rounding down).
• You have advantage on Intimidation checks and are immune to being Frightened.

You can only use this ability once per long rest.

Unarmoured Defense.

When you are not wearing any armour, your armour class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still get this benefit.

Desperate Fervour.

In their desperation for penance, many Penitent Blades turn to blindly hacking away at their foes, forgetting any and all martial training they may have once possessed. Such attacks are often clumsy and poorly-executed, but what they lack in technical panache, they more than make up for in raw power and carnal might.

Starting at 7th level, when you make a melee attack against an enemy, you can elect to use this ability. You must make the attack roll with a -10 modifier, but if it connects then you double the total damage dealt.

Penitent Charge.

Driven forward by the call of battle and the temptation of the sweet succour of bloodshed, the Blades charge into the fray like wild beasts, weaponry slicing and smashing through bone and armour alike with greater power than ever before.

Starting at 10th level, you are able to inflict additional damage when charging into battle. If you move at least 15 feet in one straight line to come within striking distance of an enemy, you can add an additional d8 bludgeoning damage onto any successful attacks.

Hurry to the Fray!

With mind and body focussed on one target, the Blade charges forwards at borderline impossible speeds, the strength of their own fury blowing around them like a tempest.

Starting at 15th level, your base walking speed increases by 10 feet when you are unarmoured.

They Just Won't Die!

Legends speak of a battle long ago between a orc raiding party and a small contingent of Penitent Blades. Despite being outnumbered 7-to-1, the Blades just kept fighting, sustaining injuries that should have killed them time and time again. Until eventually, after hours of fighting, the last orc warrior fell, leaving a handful of battered and bloody Blades left, bitter that they were robbed of the glorious death they so eagerly sought.