Pactblade Fighter

Fighters who walk this path do not simply wield their weapon—they awaken it.

Some fighters look to training or tactics to perfect their art, but you have chosen a rarer path: forging a bond with the spirit that sleeps within your sword. Through meditation, battle, and sheer will, you awaken these spirits, each unlocking new destructive powers, protective wards, or even healing blessings. As your bond deepens, blade and warrior become one—an indomitable force of steel and spirit.

A Pactblade does not fight alone. Every swing carries the weight of two wills—the warrior and the awakened sword—moving as one. This union is more than weapon mastery; it is a pact of trust, a blending of souls, and a promise that neither blade nor bearer will fall while the other still endures.

When you first take this archetype at 3rd level, you awaken a spirit within your weapon — a presence that lends its strength to your strikes, shields you from harm, or heals your wounds. By 7th and 14th level, you rouse additional spirits in other weapons you learn to posses granting you even greater powers.

 

First Awakening

You perform a 1-hour ritual to bind yourself to a melee weapon. It becomes your Pact Weapon. You can summon it to your hand as a bonus action and it counts as magical.

You cannot be disarmed while conscious unless you choose to release it.

Choose one spirit to awaken within your Pact Weapon. Once awakened, you cannot activate another spirit until you reach level 7 and again at level 15.

You may activate a spirit effect when you hit with the weapon, unless stated otherwise. You can use only one spirit effect per turn.

Spirit of Destruction. Your blade radiates a faint, predatory aura. When you hit a creature, you may expend a Spirit Die to deal extra necrotic damage equal to the die + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. If you reduce a creature to 0 HP, you may move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

You also gain proficiency or expertise in Intimidation.

Spirit of Protection. Your blade hums with steadying resolve. When you or a creature within 10 feet is hit by an attack, you may use your reaction and expend a Spirit Die to reduce the damage by the die + your Fighter level. If this reduces the damage to 0, you may immediately make one melee attack against the attacker.

While wielding your Pact Weapon, you also gain +1 AC.

Spirit of Renewal. Your weapon glows with a warm vitality. Once per turn when you hit a creature, you may expend a Spirit Die to restore HP to yourself or a creature within 10 feet equal to the die + your Fighter level. If you restore HP to a creature at 0 HP, they can stand without expending movement.

You gain resistance to poison damage.

Spirit of Destruction

Your blade radiates a faint, predatory aura. When you hit a creature, you may expend a Spirit Die to deal extra necrotic damage equal to the die + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.

If you reduce a creature to 0 HP, you may move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. You gain proficiency in Intimidation. If already proficient, add double your proficiency bonus.

Spirit of Protection

Your blade hums with steadying resolve. When you or a creature within 10 feet is hit by an attack, you may use your reaction and expend a Spirit Die to reduce the damage by the die + your Fighter level. 

If this reduces the damage to 0, you may immediately make one melee attack against the attacker. While wielding your Pact Weapon, you gain +1 AC.

Spirit of Renewal

Your weapon glows with a warm vitality. Once per turn when you hit a creature, you may expend a Spirit Die to restore HP to yourself or a creature within 10 feet equal to the die + your Fighter level. If you restore HP to a creature at 0 HP, they can stand without expending movement.

You also gain resistance to poison damage.

Second Awakening

You awaken a second spirit in another, bonded, Pact weapon. Your Spirit Dice become d8s and additionally, each spirit gains an Aspect — a feature which they can use once-per-long-rest. You can also now draw or stow bonded weapons as part of an attack.

Aspect of Destruction. As an action, you unleash a wave of force in a 30-foot line. Creatures in the line must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Strength or Dexterity modifier) or take 4d6 necrotic damage and be knocked prone on a failure. On a success they only take half damage.

Aspect of Protection. When a creature you can see within 30 feet is targeted by an attack, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. If the attack still hits, you may expend a Spirit Die to reduce the damage.

Aspect of Renewal. As an action, you create a 10-foot aura for 1 minute. At the start of each of your turns, you or one creature in the aura gains temporary HP equal to 1d8 + your proficiency bonus.

Once you use an Aspect, you must finish a long rest before using that same Aspect again.

Aspect of Destruction

As an action, you unleash a wave of force in a 30-foot line. Creatures in the line must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Strength or Dexterity modifier) or take 4d6 necrotic damage and be knocked prone on a failure. On a success they only take half damage.

Aspect of Protection

When a creature you can see within 30 feet is targeted by an attack, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. If the attack still hits, you may expend a Spirit Die to reduce the damage.

Aspect of Renewal

As an action, you create a 10-foot aura for 1 minute. At the start of each of your turns, you or one creature in the aura gains temporary HP equal to 1d8 + your proficiency bonus.

Unified Flow

Your bond allows you to weave the power of your spirits seamlessly into combat. Once per turn, when you use a Spirit Die, you may reroll it and choose either result. 

Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you may replace one attack with a Spirit Surge, which triggers an attuned basic spirit effect without expending a Spirit Die.

You can use Spirit Surge a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Final Awakening

You awaken your third spirit and may form a bond with another weapon. Your Spirit Dice become d10s, and once per turn when you expend a Spirit Die, you may apply the basic effect of two awakened spirits simultaneously (expending only one die).

Additionally, when you have no Spirit Dice remaining, you can take 20 points of damage to regain one. 

 

Unified Soul

Your weapons become fully sentient, their wills intertwined with yours. Your Pact Weapons gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and when you use your Action Surge you regain one Spirit Die.

If you are reduced to 0 HP but not killed outright, you may expend a Spirit Die to drop to 1 HP instead.

Avatar State. As a bonus action, you enter a state of perfect synchronization for 1 minute. While in this state:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• Your Spirit Dice roll the maximum value.
• Once per turn, you may trigger a basic spirit effect without expending a die.
• You can use each Aspect twice.

You can only use this ability once per long rest. When the state ends, you gain one level of exhaustion.