Blade Lineage Clan Cutthroat

"I see a dark cloud casting over the skies, as if rain will soon flood the land."
-Bamboo Hatted Kim, Blade Lineage clan leader.

After a short detour in your adventure, you learned techniques from the Blade Lineage Clan and became a Member of the clan (called a "Cutthroat"). Now you use the techniques you learned to cut down your enemies like wheat.






Level 3


Blade Lineage Cutthroat: You gain proficiency in shortswords, longswords, and any Katana-type weapons (Ie, Katanas, Odatchi, and Tantos).
At levels 10 and 18, you may choose one of these weapon types to double your proficiency bonus on attack rolls with it.


Draw of the Sword: The first attack you make in each combat has advantage. After triggering this ability, all your attacks for the rest of the combat gain a +1 bonus to hit.
At level 7, this hit bonus becomes +2.
At level 10, your first attack of each combat deals maximum damage on a hit.
At level 15, your opportunity attacks also trigger this ability, and the hit bonus becomes +3.
At level 18, you may choose to remove the advantage from your first attack in order to score a critical hit with it. This effect can only occur once per short or long rest.


Scared, Leathery Flesh: While not wearing armor, your AC is equal to 12 plus your Strength or Constitution modifier. You also gain a +2 to intimidation checks while not wearing armor or while wearing armor that visibly reveals your scars.


I welcome the pain: When being targeted by an attack, you can choose to lower your AC against it to give yourself Temp HP (-1 AC = 2 Temp HP). The Temp HP is removed at the start of your turn, and this feature cannot be used more than once per round.
At level 7, you gain 3 Temp HP instead of 2 for each reduced AC.
At level 10, you gain 4 Temp HP instead of 3.
At level 15, you gain 5 Temp HP instead of 4
At level 18, when your Temp HP is depleted, your next attack that hits becomes a Crit.



Level 7


Yield my Flesh...: When making an attack, you can declare a Clash instead of a normal attack.
In a Clash, both you and your target roll a d20. The higher roll wins and lands the attack. If you lose, you gain DeathRite (max 1 stack, only 1 DeathRite can be gained per turn). DeathRite is used for some features and lasts until the end of combat.
Ties: Roll again. Each Tie before resolution adds +1 damage to the eventual winner’s attack.
Advantage: In a Clash, advantage becomes a +2 bonus instead.

At Level 10, you may choose to ignore your own or the target’s attack bonus in the Clash.
At Level 15, you may choose to grant yourself or the target a +2 bonus in the Clash.

Rough Skin: All damage you take from attacks is reduced by 2, increasing to 4 at level 10, 5 at level 15, and 6 at level 18. This damage reduction is increased by your proficiency bonus during a clash.


Occam's Razor: Before rolling an attack, you can lower your hit bonus to increase your attack damage (-1 Hit Bonus = +1 damage), but you cannot decrease your hit bonus below a -5 to hit. Using this feature disables features/abilities like Great Weapon Master and similar feats or class features that trade hit bonus for damage.

Overthrow: As a reaction to a creature attacking you with advantage, you can turn that advantage into disadvantage. You can use this ability 2 times per short rest, and it cannot be used on the same creature in the same round.
At level 10, you can also attack the creature as part of the same reaction.
At level 15, the creature you Overthrow also has its hit bonus turned into a -2 for the Overthrown attack and until the end of your next turn.



Level 10


... To Claim Their Bones...: As a bonus action, you can spend your DeathRite to prepare a counterattack, which is triggered as a free action when a creature hits you. The counterattack has a +2 to hit and deals 5d8 slashing damage. If you miss this attack, you gain DeathRite II*.
The counterattack does not benefit from critting
You can use Occam's Razor when using this feature.
At level 15, the damage increases to 7d8.
At level 18, the damage increases to 9d8.

*DeathRite II: While you have DeathRite II, your hit bonus and damage bonus increase by 1, and your AC lowers by 1. DeathRite I cannot be gained while you have DeathRite II. DeathRite II expires after combat ends. You can only have one stack of DeathRite II.


Cloud-Cutter/Falling Thunder: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to propel both yourself and the target 30 feet into the air. On your next hit against that creature before the end of your next turn, you slam them downward, dealing normal weapon damage plus fall damage, ignoring resistance or immunity to falling damage.
You take no damage from this fall.
If the creature dies from the launching hit, you do not get moved into the air, and the creature's corpse is bisected. Creatures that see the Bisection with a wisdom lower than 10 must make a wisdom saving throw with a DC of (8 + proficiency bonus + Strength [Dexterity if finesse weapon] modifier) or be frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
If a creature cannot be launched, you deal 2d6 extra damage.
At Level 15, Launch height is increased to 40 feet, and fall damage +2
At Level 18, Launch height is increased to 50 feet, and fall damage +4



Deflect Assault: When an ally within your movement range is targeted by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to move to intercept. Roll 2d12; if the result is higher than the attacker’s attack roll, the attack misses and their turn ends. If the result is lower than the attacker's attack roll, you get hit.
The movement from intercepting an attack does not cause opportunity attacks, and you are placed within 5 Feet of the intercepted creature.
At level 15, if you fail to deflect, you gain DeathRite.
At level 18, if you fail to deflect, you may trigger …To Claim Their Bones… as a reaction, consuming DeathRite.



Level 15


...And Take One's life: When making an attack, you can spend DeathRite II to change the attack into a "Take One's Life" attack. This attack has a +2 to hit and deals 8d12 piercing damage. When killing a creature with this attack, you and any allies within 10 feet of you heal equal to the lethal damage dealt.
Take One's Life does not benefit from critting
At level 18, the damage increases to 9d12 and the hit bonus increases to +3.


Unrelenting Heart: When taking damage that would reduce your health to 0, you can choose to instead have your health reduced to 1, and all damage you take until the start of your next turn is reduced by 30 (minimum of 0). You can only use this feature once per day.


Singular Strike: When making the first attack on your turn, you may forgo one or more extra attacks. For each extra attack forgone, add one additional weapon damage roll and a +1 bonus to the attack roll.



Level 18
"See as I crawl back to the mountain-top just to watch you fall"

Summit: You gain 2 "Counter reactions". When hit by an attack, you can use a Counter reaction to make a "Summit counterattack", which deals 2d12 extra damage on a hit. You cannot counterattack the same creature in the same turn with this feature. When attacking a creature 2 or more sizes larger than you,  your hit bonus and damage bonus increase by 3. When attacking a creature below Half Health (Bloodied), you gain a +2 to hit.


Cut the Guardian Knot: When attacking a creature considered a “Leader” (such as a vampire with spawn, a hobgoblin commander, or a dragon leading kobolds), you gain +3 to hit and +3 to damage.
DM Note: If a creature has no underlings at all, it cannot be classified as a leader. If a creature has underlings but they're not in the fight, they are not classified as a leader until the underlings enter the fight.


Razor Strike: Your Slashing and Piercing damage bypasses Resistances and Immunities.


Swordplay of the Homeland: You can choose to increase either your Strength or Constitution score by 3, to a maximum of 30.


Optional Level 20 Feature

Sword saint: You can choose to gain 2 feats or ability score improvements. ASIs gained this way can increase your scores to a maximum of 30.

Level 3

Blade Lineage Cutthroat: You gain proficiency in shortswords, longswords, and any Katana-type weapons (Ie, Katanas, Odatchi, and Tantos).
At levels 10 and 18, you may choose one of these weapon types to double your proficiency bonus on attack rolls with it.


Draw of the Sword: The first attack you make in each combat has advantage. After triggering this ability, all your attacks for the rest of the combat gain a +1 bonus to hit.
At level 7, this hit bonus becomes +2.
At level 10, your first attack of each combat deals maximum damage on a hit.
At level 15, your opportunity attacks also trigger this ability, and the hit bonus becomes +3.
At level 18, you may choose to remove the advantage from your first attack in order to score a critical hit with it. This effect can only occur once per short or long rest.


Scared, Leathery Flesh: While not wearing armor, your AC is equal to 12 plus your Strength or Constitution modifier. You also gain a +2 to intimidation checks while not wearing armor or while wearing armor that visibly reveals your scars.


I welcome the pain: When being targeted by an attack, you can choose to lower your AC against it to give yourself Temp HP (-1 AC = 2 Temp HP). The Temp HP is removed at the start of your turn, and this feature cannot be used more than once per round.
At level 7, you gain 3 Temp HP instead of 2 for each reduced AC.
At level 10, you gain 4 Temp HP instead of 3.
At level 15, you gain 5 Temp HP instead of 4
At level 18, when your Temp HP is depleted, your next attack that hits becomes a Crit.

Level 7

Yield my Flesh...: When making an attack, you can declare a Clash instead of a normal attack.
In a Clash, both you and your target roll a d20. The higher roll wins and lands the attack. If you lose, you gain DeathRite (max 1 stack, only 1 DeathRite can be gained per turn). DeathRite is used for some features and lasts until the end of combat.
Ties: Roll again. Each Tie before resolution adds +1 damage to the eventual winner’s attack.
Advantage: In a Clash, advantage becomes a +2 bonus instead.

At Level 10, you may choose to ignore your own or the target’s attack bonus in the Clash.
At Level 15, you may choose to grant yourself or the target a +2 bonus in the Clash.

Rough Skin: All damage you take from attacks is reduced by 2, increasing to 4 at level 10, 5 at level 15, and 6 at level 18. This damage reduction is increased by your proficiency bonus during a clash.


Occam's Razor: Before rolling an attack, you can lower your hit bonus to increase your attack damage (-1 Hit Bonus = +1 damage), but you cannot decrease your hit bonus below a -5 to hit. Using this feature disables features/abilities like Great Weapon Master and similar feats or class features that trade hit bonus for damage.

Overthrow: As a reaction to a creature attacking you with advantage, you can turn that advantage into disadvantage. You can use this ability 2 times per short rest, and it cannot be used on the same creature in the same round.
At level 10, you can also attack the creature as part of the same reaction.
At level 15, the creature you Overthrow also has its hit bonus turned into a -2 for the Overthrown attack and until the end of your next turn.

Level 10

... To Claim Their Bones...: As a bonus action, you can spend your DeathRite to prepare a counterattack, which is triggered as a free action when a creature hits you. The counterattack has a +2 to hit and deals 5d8 slashing damage. If you miss this attack, you gain DeathRite II*.
The counterattack does not benefit from critting
You can use Occam's Razor when using this feature.
At level 15, the damage increases to 7d8.
At level 18, the damage increases to 9d8.

*DeathRite II: While you have DeathRite II, your hit bonus and damage bonus increase by 1, and your AC lowers by 1. DeathRite I cannot be gained while you have DeathRite II. DeathRite II expires after combat ends. You can only have one stack of DeathRite II.


Cloud-Cutter/Falling Thunder: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to propel both yourself and the target 30 feet into the air. On your next hit against that creature before the end of your next turn, you slam them downward, dealing normal weapon damage plus fall damage, ignoring resistance or immunity to falling damage.
You take no damage from this fall.
If the creature dies from the launching hit, you do not get moved into the air, and the creature's corpse is bisected. Creatures that see the Bisection with a wisdom lower than 10 must make a wisdom saving throw with a DC of (8 + proficiency bonus + Strength [Dexterity if finesse weapon] modifier) or be frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
If a creature cannot be launched, you deal 2d6 extra damage.
At Level 15, Launch height is increased to 40 feet, and fall damage +2
At Level 18, Launch height is increased to 50 feet, and fall damage +4



Deflect Assault: When an ally within your movement range is targeted by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to move to intercept. Roll 2d12; if the result is higher than the attacker’s attack roll, the attack misses and their turn ends. If the result is lower than the attacker's attack roll, you get hit.
The movement from intercepting an attack does not cause opportunity attacks, and you are placed within 5 Feet of the intercepted creature.
At level 15, if you fail to deflect, you gain DeathRite.
At level 18, if you fail to deflect, you may trigger …To Claim Their Bones… as a reaction, consuming DeathRite.

Level 15

...And Take One's life: When making an attack, you can spend DeathRite II to change the attack into a "Take One's Life" attack. This attack has a +2 to hit and deals 8d12 piercing damage. When killing a creature with this attack, you and any allies within 10 feet of you heal equal to the lethal damage dealt.
Take One's Life does not benefit from critting
At level 18, the damage increases to 9d12 and the hit bonus increases to +3.


Unrelenting Heart: When taking damage that would reduce your health to 0, you can choose to instead have your health reduced to 1, and all damage you take until the start of your next turn is reduced by 30 (minimum of 0). You can only use this feature once per day.


Singular Strike: When making the first attack on your turn, you may forgo one or more extra attacks. For each extra attack forgone, add one additional weapon damage roll and a +1 bonus to the attack roll.

Capstones (18 & 20)

"See as I crawl back to the mountain-top just to watch you fall"

Summit: You gain 2 "Counter reactions". When hit by an attack, you can use a Counter reaction to make a "Summit counterattack", which deals 2d12 extra damage on a hit. You cannot counterattack the same creature in the same turn with this feature. When attacking a creature 2 or more sizes larger than you,  your hit bonus and damage bonus increase by 3. When attacking a creature below Half Health (Bloodied), you gain a +2 to hit.


Cut the Guardian Knot: When attacking a creature considered a “Leader” (such as a vampire with spawn, a hobgoblin commander, or a dragon leading kobolds), you gain +3 to hit and +3 to damage.
DM Note: If a creature has no underlings at all, it cannot be classified as a leader. If a creature has underlings but they're not in the fight, they are not classified as a leader until the underlings enter the fight.


Razor Strike: Your Slashing and Piercing damage bypasses Resistances and Immunities.


Swordplay of the Homeland: You can choose to increase either your Strength or Constitution score by 3, to a maximum of 30.


Optional Level 20 Feature

Sword saint: You can choose to gain 2 feats or ability score improvements. ASIs gained this way can increase your scores to a maximum of 30.