Gunblade Fighters combine their master swordsmanship with the power of magic and rudimentary gunpowder. These Fighters can serve as bodyguards or elite infantry, either protecting their allies or unleashing explosive bursts of damage with their signature weapon. Each Gunblade Fighter designs and crafts their own Gunblade, a powerful weapon that enhances melee attacks with explosions of magical energy that are released when magically infused cartridges are primed and the trigger is pulled. Masters of the Gunblade can use these cartridges for protection or devastation. 

Bladesmith

Starting at 3rd level you gain proficiency with smith's tools. During a long rest you can use your smith's tools to craft your own Gunblade using a longsword and a pistol. If the longsword you use in the crafting is magical, your Gunblade will inherit its benefit to attack and damage rolls and also become magical. You decide what the weapon looks like when you craft it. You must be wielding your Gunblade to use the features of this subclass. Your Gunblade has the following traits: 

• Weapon Category: Martial Melee
• Damage on a Hit: 1d10 Slashing plus the ability modifier used for the attack roll. 
• Properties: Finesse, Two-Handed 
• Weight: 5 Ib.
• Mastery: Graze (you can use this property, and it doesn’t count against the number of properties you can use with Weapon Mastery) 

 

Primed Chamber

At 3rd level, your Gunblade can hold 4 magically infused cartridges in its chamber. You can replenish all expended cartridges during a short or long rest. When you reach 10th level in this class you can modify your Gunblade to hold 6 cartridges. You must spend 200 GP during a long rest to make this modification. 

As a bonus action, you can prime your chambered cartridges, adding 2d6 fire or lightning damage (your choice) to each Gunblade attack you make using your action or extra attack until the end of your turn. This damage increases to 2d8 when you reach 10th level in this class. Once the cartridges are primed each affected attack will consume 1 cartridge until the effect ends. 

 

Blade Guard

At 7th level you can use Second Wind to give yourself resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until end of your next turn instead of healing. While this effect is active, hostile creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on attack rolls when attacking creatures other than you. 

 

Momentum Trigger

At 7th level, you can activate Primed Chamber using your reaction when you make a Gunblade attack using your action or extra attack. The triggering attack will expend a cartridge to also gain the benefits from the Primed Chamber affect. 

Additionally, if you expend 2 or more cartridges with your action you can make a thrusting attack with your Gunblade as a bonus action that does piercing damage equal to 1d6 plus the ability modifier used for the attack roll. 

 

Shielding Shot

At 10th level, you can use your reaction to create a small magical barrier whenever you or an ally within 20 feet are attacked. Doing this expends 1 cartridge. Until the start of the target's next turn they gain a +3 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack. You can use this reaction the moment after the attacker makes the attack roll for an attack. 

 

Cartridge Blast

At 10th level, you can expend a cartridge as an action to unleash an explosive blast at your location. Each creature within 10 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your dexterity or strength modifier). A target takes fire or lightning damage (your choice) equal to 1d8 x your proficiency bonus on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. When you use this action you also protect yourself from its effects. 

 

Magic Reload

At 15th level, you or an ally within 20 feet of you can spend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher as a bonus action to replenish all of your expended cartridges while not in combat. This feature can also be used in combat, but it will require an action. You can benefit from this feature once before needing to finish a long rest to benefit from it again. 

 

Rapid Burst Impact

At 18th level you can expend 3 cartridges as an action to move up to 20 feet towards a hostile creature without using your movement and unleash a powerful cluster attack with your Gunblade that does 3d12 fire or lightning damage (your choice) and stuns the creature until the end of your next turn. Using this action also causes you to take 3d6 force damage unless the attack misses. This damage cannot be reduced in any way. You can use this action three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.