“I saw one once in battle, a kaleidoscope of blinding white and crimson red. His body shifted on a whim, one moment a shield, then claws, then sprawling, skeletal wings. A one-man onslaught; a living weapon." 

Folklore tells of a caste of downtrodden serfs, forbidden to carry weapons, gifted the power to wield their own skele- tons as lethal instruments of battle by a sympathetic yokai. With carapaces of dense bone and vicious, osseous claws bursting from their flesh, the serfs overthrew their masters, winning freedom and a bloodsoaked notoriety. Today, prac- titioners of this devastating technique are known as skeletal blades. Often finding work as mercenaries, bodyguards, and spies, they charge into battle clad in an ever-adapting armour of gleaming skeletal white.

Level 3: Malleable Physique

3rd-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

You have the power to manipulate your skeleton, shifting your proportions, height, and appearance. As an action, you can alter your form, becoming up to 1 foot taller or shorter and changing your facial features by altering the shape of your skull.

You must remain in a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs, and you can’t change the color of your eyes, hair, or skin. Otherwise, the extent of the transformation is up to you.

To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus).

This transformation persists until you use your action to end it or until you begin a long rest. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Level 3: Skeletal Form

3rd-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

The control you wield over your own skeleton allows you to harness it as a weapon. As a bonus action, you can extrude your bones through your flesh to form armor, entering a Skeletal Form for 1 minute. You can end this form early as a bonus action, returning to normal. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

While in your Skeletal Form, you sprout a vicious, jagged weapon through your flesh; this weapon is a simple melee weapon with the Finesse property and the Skewer superior strike* option, and it deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit. It is magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities. You can’t be disarmed of this weapon. You also gain one benefit of your choice from the list below:

• Your reach increases by 5 feet.
• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• You gain a +1 bonus to AC.
• You gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of each of your turns (minimum of 1).

As a bonus action while in your Skeletal Form, you can change your skeleton again, exchanging your current benefit for a new one.

The damage of your bladed weapon increases when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d10 at 10th level and to 1d12 at 15th level.

Level 7: Osseous Prodigy

7th-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

You have learned to simultaneously maintain multiple boney extrusions. When you enter your Skeletal Form, you can choose one additional benefit, and you can choose one of the following weapon properties and superior strike* combinations for your extruded weapon:

Impact & Reeling Blow; Light & Hamstring; or Heavy & Shockwave.

Level 10: Skeletal Knight

10th-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

Your mastery of your skeleton allows you to focus it into more powerful forms. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with your skeletal blade. This bonus increases to +2 when you reach 18th level. Furthermore, when you enter your Skeletal Form, you can enhance yourself with one of the following additional benefits:

• You sprout skeletal wings and gain the ability to magically fly You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and you can hover.
• You gain resistance to cold, lightning, necrotic, and poison damage.
• When you hit with a melee attack, the attack deals an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.
• When a creature starts its turn grappled by you, it takes 2d12 piercing damage.

Level 15: One With Nothing

15th-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

Your skeleton is empowered with regenerative magic. If you are reduced to 0 hit points while in your Skeletal Form, your transformation ends, and you are reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Level 18: Living Weapon

18th-Level Skeletal Blade Feature

When you enter your Skeletal Form, you gain two additional benefits for the duration of your transformation, which can be chosen from either the Skeletal Form or Skeletal Knight features.