Blade Of The Order

“They strike not from the shadows, but through them. One moment a dagger lies silent; the next, it blooms in your chest, and the serpent curls tighter around the world. The Blades are not killers. They are the Order’s will, made flesh.”
— Archivist Kaelen Vire, Whispers of the Curled Serpent

 

Whispered of in fearful tones, the Blades of the Order are agents of a hidden power, trained in the forbidden arts of teleportation, illusion, and silent execution. Their daggers are more than weapons—they are gateways, allowing them to blink across the battlefield in a flicker of steel and shadow. A single strike is enough to sow confusion, as decoys linger where the assassin once stood, leaving foes striking at phantoms while the true blade closes in for the kill.

These assassins are masters of stealth and subtlety, capable of choking a guard unconscious without a sound, extracting secrets from terrified hostages, or vanishing from a killing blow with a single deceptive blink. At the height of their training, they become a mirage of death, appearing everywhere at once and making entire squads of enemies vulnerable to their relentless precision.

To see a Blade of the Order is to already be doomed. By the time you notice them, they have already chosen who dies next.

 

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Subclass Features

Level 3: Dance Of Blades

When you throw a dagger, you can use a bonus action to teleport to its location.

• If the dagger hits a creature, you can attempt a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight). On a success, you gain the benefit of Sneak Attack for that strike even if you wouldn’t normally qualify.

• You never suffer disadvantage for throwing a dagger while within 5 feet of an enemy.

Level 3: Veil of Silence

Your order trains you in eliminating threats without alerting others.

• Silent Neutralization: When you are hidden and adjacent to a creature, you can attempt to silently choke them unconscious as a bonus action.

  • The target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus).

  • On a failed save, they fall unconscious for 5 minutes or until damaged. On a success, they resist but remain grappled.

  • You can use this a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier per long rest.

• You gain proficiency in Intimidation.

• Interrogation Grip: If you grapple a creature, you can attempt to make it your hostage. It must make an Intelligence saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + proficiency bonus). On a failure, it follows your orders while grappled and cannot attempt to escape. When released, it becomes frightened of you for 1 minute.

Level 9: Serpent’s Mirage

When you teleport using Dance of Blades, you leave behind a phantom decoy of yourself.

• The decoy lasts until destroyed (AC = your AC, 1 hit point) and counts as an ally for flanking and other effects.

• While the decoy is within 5 feet of you, enemies have disadvantage on attacks against you.

• You can mentally command the decoy to move up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see (no action required), and you can make attacks from its position as if you were there.

• Additionally, you gain a Cunning Strike option: Serpent’s Venom (Stun)—when you deal Sneak Attack damage, you can forgo 1d6 to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + Dex mod + proficiency bonus) or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Level 13: Shadow’s Coil

Your mastery of the Serpent’s teachings lets you slip beyond even supernatural senses.

• You cannot be detected by blindsight or tremorsense while hidden.

• You gain blindsight out to 20 feet.

• Evasive Coil: When a creature targets you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attempt a swift dodge. Make a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the attacker’s Wisdom (Insight). On a success, you teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see, and the attacker has disadvantage on the triggering attack.

Level 17: Dance of the Serpent

Your presence becomes an unstoppable illusion of death, the true embodiment of the Curled Serpent’s will.

• As a bonus action, you can activate Dance of the Serpent for 1 minute. During this time:

  • Dance of Blades no longer requires a bonus action.

  • Serpent’s Mirage no longer expends any uses.

  • Whenever you teleport, you create three illusory duplicates (as per Mirror Image).

• Serpents Fang: When you roll initiative, you can mark a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier within 30 feet. These creatures gain vulnerability to one damage type you deal (piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning) for the duration. If you kill a marked creature, you can immediately mark another within 15 feet.