Densetsu no Kajiya

Among the incredible craftsmen of the Emerald Kingdoms, there have been some blacksmiths that have led skilled forging teams in creating the mighty nihonto, or bladed weapons used throughout the realms. However, some utterly legendary Kajiya (or blacksmiths) have learned the magical techniques and means of artifice to create nihonto on their own, particularly that they can make shinken, or "true swords" that are the finest blades throughout most of the Kingdoms. They employ magical skills to create astonishing blades, and use magic to empower their usage of weapons to stand in service to any of the kingdoms as a formidable warrior themselves. As this tradition of teaching is so uncommon, exacting, and extremely difficult to master, there are only a few clans who have any instructors in this path available. The Crab, Crane, Lion, and Dragon clans have these Kajiya in service with high repute, other clans either intentionally hide the existence of such an asset or have no ability to attract such rare craftspersons.

The normal process of crafting nihonto is an arduous and difficult task, which employs teams of workers to power the smelting and forging process, and in the best-known traditions of craftsmanship, there is a specialist for the hilt and the scabbard, one for polishing, one for honing the finest edge, and so on, with many talents working together under the guidance of a master smith in order to craft the finest shinken which are those employed by the greatest samurai lords and their most trusted retainers. It is a rare and unique talent that arises uncommonly when one individual takes the entire craft unto themselves and learns the unique methodology of using magic to replace the need for other workers. These artificers make the crafting of such weapons a one-person process, and using their potent spells, they become capable wielders of all such weapons. These masters of blades not only master the creation of the finest swords, but they are intimate with the usage of such weapons, as well. They simply do not dare live the life of the sparring Samurai, as the risk of losing their precious knowledge with no inheritor or apprentice is not generally favored among their kind. Should a terrible evil need slaying, however, no finer or braver smith can be found to challenge it, throwing caution to the wind to defend the people they care for, bringing swordsmanship to bear along with powerful magical weapons and spells.

Densetsu no Kajiya Spells

3rd-level Densetsu no Kajiya feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Alchemist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Densetsu no Kajiya Spells

Techniques of the Kajiya

3rd level Densetsu no Kajiya feature

You learn the Move Earth cantrip, and you may work at a forge to fully create the purified tamagahane or "jewel steel" needed for your creations, transforming satsetsu iron sands into that fine substance by smelting literally tons of the fine sand in medium-sized clay crucibles. You may roll a Smithing Tools use check as an action to detect the quality and purity of any mass of metal. You may use wood and metal at any forge to craft weapons in the following unique ways:
- Craft a Bouken: you craft a weapon intended for use with training in the use of that weapon. Whether a wooden version or a standard version with dulled blades, you may make a Smithing Tools check DC 12 and take 1 hour to craft a Bouken. Whenever a creature wields a Bouken weapon you've created, they may practice with said weapon for 10 minutes and then they are treated as if they are proficient with any version of such a weapon for 24 hours afterward. For example, if you make a longsword Bouken, and a creature practices with that Bouken for 10 minutes, performing weapon drills, that creature is treated as proficient with longswords for 24 hours afterward. Only one Bouken you create can bestow this benefit at one time, and if you craft a new one, the previous version loses this benefit. 
- Craft a Shinken: you spend one week to create the signature weapon of your profession, the Shinken or "true sword." When you spend a week with tamagahane, you transform the metal into a weapon of your choice, adding high quality wood, leathers, or other materials as needed for the weapon. All Shinken you create have double the normal hardness points for a weapon of its type. If you are wielding a Shinken you have created, melee attack rolls you make with that weapon deal an additional die of that weapon's damage on a successful critical hit.
- Improve Shinken: you spend 8 uninterrupted hours in a ritual with your Shinken, shaping, perfecting, polishing, honing, and meditating through magical techniques all in this time. Once you have completed this ritual, the Shinken gains your choice of one of the following benefits: attacks against humanoids and beasts with the weapon deal critical hits on a roll of 19 or 20, or the weapon deals 1d3 bonus damage of its type, or it gains "you may cast Compelled Duel, Searing Smite, and Shield as if you were a 1st level sorcerer once each without expending a spell slot before you must finish a long rest to use these spells again," and while a Shinken you created and are wielding has this property, you know and can cast those spells with your artificer spell slots.

Nihonto Mastery

5th level Densetsu no Kajiya feature

You master not only the crafting but also the use of all bladed weapons, and you can perform Powerful Cuts with these at any time. As a bonus action while wielding a bladed weapon, the next attack roll you make with such a weapon gains advantage and if this attack hits, you can deal your choice of double damage to constructs and objects or 1d6 additional damage of the weapon's type. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before you must finish a long rest to use it again.

Additionally, your knowledge of bladed weapons includes an ability to magically know any blade's history as soon as you handle it, as the blade "whispers its secrets" to you. As an action, you may immediately identify any bladed weapon you handle as if you immediately succeeded with an Identify spell on the object.

Blademaster's Teachings

9th level Densetsu no Kajiya feature

You have learned the techniques of forging utterly legendary blades, and your forging techniques are now mythical feats of ritual endurance. With this great knowledge comes the development of new capabilities you achieve when using a forge. You may spend 1 hour performing a special ritual at a forge and consuming the materials mentioned for each effect below:
- Imbue Shinken: You consume 2 tons of iron sand in the forge, and after performing the ritual, you can cause one Shinken weapon you are holding to receive the ability to enable the casting of a specific spell. You expend the spell slot as you complete the ritual, casting it into the weapon with no other effect. This spell may not exceed spell level 4. The weapon becomes magical if it is not magical. The weapon then gains "You may cast the imbued spell once. This ability recharges each day at dawn." A weapon can only gain the benefit of this feature once.
- Mass Craft Bouken: You consume 2 pounds of wood or steel for each Bouken in the forge, and after performing the ritual, you can craft many Bouken, as described in your Techniques of the Kajiya feature, totaling no more than your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence bonus.
- Forge Weapon Bond: You consume 1 ton of iron sand and 10 pounds of silver in the forge, and after performing the ritual, you can forge a weapon bond with a weapon you are holding. Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can’t be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand. You can have a number of bonded weapons equal to the number of items you can attune, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a weapon but you already have the maximum number of bonds, you must break the bond with one of the other bonded weapons.

Ensouled Shinken

15th level Densetsu no Kajiya feature

You create the pinnacle of all legends, a weapon with a soul all its own, capable of powerful feats in the hands of a chosen wielder. You add the Magic Circle and Planar Binding spells to the artificer spell list, and can perform an 8-hour ritual during which you must cast both of these spells once, at a forge and consuming one ton of gold to bind a willing celestial, elemental, fae, or fiend into the blade. That being no longer has a physical body when the ritual is finished, and their mental ability scores, senses, languages (although it may no longer speak), skills, spellcasting and spells, and non-physical action block actions reside in the now-intelligent weapon as abilities and actions it may choose to use on your initiative. It is treated as being able to see and hear as long as you are able to see and hear, and actions that would be determined by the creature's current space are instead determined by your current space. Spells it casts ignore somatic components, and if it casts a spell with a range of self, the blade itself gains any magical properties of these spells, if they can apply. Physical actions and actions such as Change Shape, and any melee or ranged weapon attack actions cannot be used. The exception being that the creature may use Healing Touch if the weapon touches a willing creature and Touch actions if the weapon successfully hits with a melee attack. If you have a weapon bond with this weapon, you can telepathically communicate with the spirit inside the weapon at will. Only one Shinken you create can receive this benefit at any time. Such beings as those you'd entice often require an agreement to enter into such a state, and they do so for the life of the weapon, which despite the many years it may be, may be inconsequential in the long lives of such spirits. Nonetheless, such devotions don't come cheaply, and large offerings and deals are made to entice the summoned being to be willing to undergo this, aside from the costs used to conduct this ritual. If the weapon binding such a soul becomes broken, the creature is immediately released and receives its physical body back, free to act on its own, and it is always unwilling to re-enter the weapon without a new casting of this ritual.