The Duelist of the Twin Blades embodies the perfect harmony between elegance and lethality. Trained from early days to wield two weapons simultaneously, these warriors move with balletic grace, their blades flashing in perfect sync as they deflect, parry, and strike. Combat for them is not a mere clash of steel but a dance — one where every step, every twist, is calculated to outmaneuver and outwit their foe.

Unlike brutes who rely on overwhelming force, the Duelist thrives on precision, agility, and timing. Their signature techniques allow them to repel multiple ranged attacks, redirect projectiles back to their attackers, and vanish into afterimages to confuse and deceive. When the situation demands, they summon ethereal blades that swirl around them, striking with unearthly speed and power.

However, their true strength is bound by a sacred oath — the Oath of the Twin Blades — which governs their conduct in battle and in life. These duelists vow never to strike the first blow, seeking always to avoid violence unless absolutely necessary. Their duels are matters of honor, conducted with respect for their opponent and the rules set between them. If a duel is agreed to be non-lethal, causing death is a grave breach of their code.

Vanity and cruelty have no place in their hearts. Those who boast of their skills or prey on the weak violate the oath’s spirit. Such transgressions mark a Duelist for judgment, and the consequences are severe.

Each Duelist is entrusted with twin blades at their graduation — weapons that serve not only as their tools but as a bond and a beacon. These blades are magically linked to their wielder, impossible to discard, ensuring that those who break their sacred vows can be tracked, hunted, and brought to justice. The tribunal that oversees these warriors is unforgiving; failure to defend oneself adequately in trial can result in death or the permanent stripping of one’s weapons and honor.

In all things, the Duelist of the Twin Blades pursues balance: between offense and defense, pride and humility, power and restraint.

 

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Oath of the Twin Blades

The Duelist of the Twin Blades swears an unyielding oath to live by a code of honor, discipline, and respect for the art of combat. This oath is more than a set of rules — it is a solemn bond that governs every aspect of their life, both on and off the battlefield. The blades they wield are not mere weapons, but sacred instruments of justice and balance, forever linked to their soul.

Tenets of the Oath

1. The First Strike is Forbidden
A true Duelist does not initiate violence. The first blow shall never come from your hand, for to strike first is to betray the honor of the duel. You stand ready to defend, to parry, and to respond — but never to provoke. Only when your life or the lives of innocents are at immediate risk may you break this sacred rule.

2. Combat is a Ritual, Not a Brawl
Each duel is an agreed contest between worthy opponents. The conditions of battle—its lethality, duration, and stakes—must be understood and honored by all parties. To disregard the terms, or to use deceit or trickery to gain unfair advantage, is a stain upon your honor and your name.

3. Death Without Cause is a Crime
If a duel is agreed to be non-lethal, the killing of your opponent is a grievous betrayal. Such an act shatters trust and invites condemnation. Likewise, the wanton killing of innocents or those who do not bear arms is forbidden under all circumstances. The Duelist walks a path of restraint, not bloodlust.

4. Pride is Silent; Humility is Strength
Boasting of your skills, seeking glory through words, or reveling in the defeat of others is an affront to the art of the duel. True mastery is shown in your deeds, your restraint, and your grace under pressure. Let your blade speak for you, not your tongue.

5. Protect the Weak and Defenseless
A Duelist’s strength is not a license for cruelty. To prey on the helpless, to bully those who cannot fight back, or to use your talents to oppress is a betrayal of your very purpose. Honor demands that you shield the vulnerable and uphold justice beyond the battlefield.

6. The Twin Blades Bind You Forever
Upon completing your training, you are entrusted with a pair of bonded blades. These weapons are more than tools — they are a mark of your oath and identity. Bound by ancient magic, these blades cannot be discarded or hidden; they connect you to the Council of Blades, the order that governs Duelists. The Council watches all its members, ensuring they remain true to their vows.

7. The Judgment of the Council
Should you break this oath, whether through dishonor in combat, unjust killing, arrogance, or cruelty, you will be summoned before the Council of Blades. This tribunal is impartial and merciless. Your defense will be heard, but failure to adequately justify your actions will lead to grave consequences.

 

Punishments for oath-breaking include the stripping of your twin blades — a symbolic and practical death sentence, for without your bonded weapons you are cast out and shunned. In the worst cases, execution follows to cleanse the stain upon the order and the land.

 

The Spirit of the Oath

To be a Duelist of the Twin Blades is to walk a narrow path between war and peace, strength and restraint. You are a warrior-scholar, a master of both blade and mind. The oath calls you to perfect your skills not for glory, but for balance — to keep the scales even in a world often ruled by chaos and cruelty.

Your combat style is a dance, weaving defense and offense seamlessly, using speed, precision, and deception to overcome foes without needless destruction. When you vanish into afterimages and summon spectral blades, it is not to intimidate but to disorient and survive.

Above all, your honor is your true weapon. It is sharper than any sword, unbreakable even in the darkest moments. If you stray from this path, the weight of the oath will find you — and you will answer for it.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.

Level 3: Twin Defection

When wielding two melee finesse weapons, you gain the ability to defect incoming ranged weapon attacks with your blades.

• You can use your reaction to attempt to defect one ranged weapon attack that hits you by making a Dexterity saving throw (DC 15). On a successful save, the attack misses.
• Additionally, you can use this feature to defect up to two projectiles in the same turn from the same enemy but only 3 times per long rest. When using this enhaced defection, you roll the saving throw separately for each projectile.
• To use this feature, you must be wielding a melee finesse weapon in each hand. The precise and fluid movements of your blades allow you to parry and redirect projectiles aimed at you.
• You gain proficiency in Acrobatics and Perception if you don't already have it.
• As a bonus, once you use this feature each time, you gain an increase of 10 feet to your movement speed for 1 minute.

 

"The art of the Twin Deflection is the foundation upon which the Duelists of the Twin Blades build their combat style. These warriors do not simply rely on brute strength or speed; they embody a philosophy that elevates defense to an elegant dance, where every movement serves a purpose, and every parry is a graceful retort to aggresion.

Trained from an early age in secluded schools hidden within misty mountain monasteries or ancient cities, these duelists learn to read the slightest shift in the air (the faint whistle of an arrow, the spin of a thrown dagger) and react with a calm precision born of years of rigorous discipline.

Their twin swords are extensions of their will, moving in a synchronized ballet that blurs the line between offense and defense. The ability to defect not just one, but two projectiles in quick succession, reflects their unparalleled mastery of timing and dexterity. This skill is not unlimited; even the most practiced warriors must conserve their strength and focus, using their enhaced deflection only sparingly during the heat of battle.

The act of deflection is more than a simple block; it is a controlled redirection of kinetic energy, a moment where the world seems to slow and the duelist becomes a conduit of fluid motion. When a projectile strikes their blade and vanishes harmlessly away, it leaves behind a fleeting shimmer, a ripple in the air like the echo of a well-executed dance step.

The grace and speed required to pull off such maneuvers also hone their physical agility. Thus, they become adept at Acrobatics, twisting and flipping to maintain balance and evade follow-up attacks. The rush of heightened speed surges through them as they dance between blows, their movement becoming a blur, enabling swift repositioning and fluid strikes.

Those who face a Duelist of the Twin Blades quickly learn that their attacks are rarely straightforward. To pierce their defense requires more than skill — it demands anticipation, unpredictability, and perhaps a bit of luck, for these duelists have made art out of turning danger into graceful salvation."

Graceful Reversal

At 7th level, when you successfully deflect a ranged weapon attack using Twin Deflection, you can choose to redirect the projectile toward a creature within 60 feet that you can see.

• The attack roll for this redirected strike uses your Dexterity modifier and counts as a ranged weapon attack.

• On a hit, the target takes damage equal to the projectile’s original damage plus your Dexterity modifier.

• You can only use this feature if the original attack hit you before you deflected it.

• This counterattack is performed in one fluid motion, spinning your blades with precise elegance, turning defense into an immediate and deadly offense.

 

"Mastery of defense is incomplete without the ability to turn it into offense. Duelists who reach this level no longer merely deflect attacks; they transform them into weapons of retaliation. The Graceful Reversal is a signature move, often taught only to those with a pure heart and steady hand.

This technique resembles a dance of exquisite complexity — a spin here, a flick of the wrist there, each movement timed perfectly to harness the kinetic energy of the enemy’s assault. The projectile, once meant to bring harm, becomes a messenger of reprisal, flying back with twice the deadly intent."

Momentum Dance

When you take the Attack action while wielding two melee weapons, your movement speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn.

Additionally, you can use your reaction to become invisible until the start of your next turn. When you do, you leave behind an illusory echo of yourself at your original position. This echo is an exact visual copy that lasts until the start of your next turn and can move up to 10 feet as a bonus action, mimicking your last movements to confuse your foes. 

When your invisibility ends, you are enveloped in a shimmering cascade of ribbons and flowing light, like a noble dance that unfolds in the blink of an eye.

"The Momentum Dance is the pinnacle of the Duelist’s physical and mental training. It embodies speed, misdirection, and grace — qualities that allow them to slip through the battlefield unseen and untouchable.

This technique teaches the warrior to harness their graceful dance, extending their natural agility beyond normal. The extra speed is not mere haste, but a fluid extension of their fighting style, allowing them to skirt danger like a shadow.

The invisible steps taken during the Momentum Dance seem almost supernatural, inspiring awe and fear in equal measure. In the stories told around campfires, these duelists are described as phantoms, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, leaving their enemies grasping at shadows."

Phantom Waltz

As an action, you can summon three spectral blades that swirl around you in a dazzling elemental dance. You can do this a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum once) per long rest.

When you summon the blades, you choose the elemental damage type for each blade independently from: necrotic, fire, cold, radiant, poison, acid, or lightning.

These blades last until you use all three or until you dismiss them.

• On your following turns, when you make a melee weapon attack with your dual weapons, if the attack hits, you may expend one of your spectral blades to deal an additional 2d8 damage of that blade’s elemental type.

• If the attack misses, one spectral blade immediately makes a separate melee weapon attack roll against the same target. This spectral blade uses your weapon’s attack bonus (the same as your real weapon) to determine if it hits. On a hit, it deals 2d8 elemental damage of its assigned type.

• Each spectral blade is an exact copy of your weapon in appearance and attack capability, differing only in being spectral and dealing fixed elemental damage.

• After each spectral blade attack (whether as extra damage or as an independent attack), that blade disappears in a burst of harmless elemental particles matching its damage type.

• You may assign a different elemental damage type to each of the three blades when you summon them, allowing for versatile and striking effects.

The spectral blades swirl and flash around you like a dazzling dance, their elemental energies crackling and shimmering in a deadly ballet.

 

"The Phantom Waltz is the culmination of the Duelist’s mastery over both blade and elemental forces. No longer limited to physical skill alone, the duelist summons blades forged from pure elemental energy, weaving them into their combat style with lethal grace.

Each blade pulses with raw power—whether searing flames, biting frost, corrosive acid, or crackling lightning—embodying the duelist’s will to dominate the battlefield with artistry and ferocity. The blades respond to the duelist’s intent, appearing and disappearing in bursts of radiant energy as if dancing to a silent, deadly symphony.

This ability demands perfect harmony between precision and power, transforming the duel into a performance where every strike is a stroke of elemental artistry. Legends speak of duelists who could summon storms of flame or waves of shadow with a flick of the wrist, their Phantom Waltz a fearsome sight that blends beauty and destruction.

To wield the Phantom Waltz is to command the elements themselves, turning the tide of battle with a storm of spectral blades that dance through enemies with unmatched elegance and devastating force."

Ethereal Crescendo

At 18th level, you gain the extraordinary ability to phase completely into the Ethereal Plane for up to 1 minute. While in this state:

• You cannot be damaged or targeted by attacks or spells from the Material Plane.

• When you enter the Ethereal Plane, you create five ethereal afterimages (“echoes”) at positions of your choosing. These echoes must be placed within 10 feet of each other, starting from your original position.

• You may designate one echo as your “primary attacker.” This echo can make two melee weapon attacks per turn.

• You control the echoes’ movements and attacks as if they were your own, confusing and overwhelming your enemies with their ghostly dance.

• You can remain in the Ethereal Plane for up to 1 minute or until you choose to return to the Material Plane.

• Upon returning, you unleash Crescendo’s Return: all echoes collapse into your form in a burst of forceful energy, forcing all creatures within 30 feet to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 20), taking 6d8 force damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.

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

Your time in the Ethereal Plane is a sublime performance of shadow and steel — your movements unseen, your presence unassailable. The echoes dance around your foes like phantoms, striking with lethal grace while you remain untouchable in the ghostly realm.

 

"The Ethereal Crescendo is the apotheosis of the Duelist’s craft — a mastery over space, time, and existence itself. Those who command this power are whispered to become one with the very fabric between worlds, slipping beyond reach to orchestrate a ballet of deadly phantoms.

Legends speak of duelists who vanish from sight, their ghostly doubles wreaking havoc in their stead, while the true warrior watches from the veil. Their enemies are left bewildered, unable to discern reality from illusion, and overwhelmed by the sudden, devastating return of their master.

This technique requires supreme focus, timing, and an almost supernatural connection to one’s own essence. The Ethereal Crescendo is not merely a combat maneuver — it is a transcendental dance, the final crescendo of a lifetime devoted to the art of the duel."