Sword Saint

The sword saint channels his magical energies into his weapons, dealing devastating smites and moving rapidly around the battlefield.  Wield magic and blade as one.

A subclass comparable to the Eldritch Knight, with spell levels reserved for smites.  Other useful and flavorful abilities on a mixture of short and long rest timers.

This subclass is very powerful compared to other fighter subclasses.  For balance purposes, it is recommended to forgo the additional attacks fighters get at levels 11 and 20.  

Spell Slash

Beginning at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal elemental damage that you know to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 + Int for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8 + Int. 

 

Acid

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Acid damage.

Cold

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Cold damage.

Fire

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Fire damage.

Force

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Force damage.

Lightning

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Lightning damage.

Radiant

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Radiant damage.

Thunder

You can imbue your Spell Slash with Thunder damage.

Spellcasting

By 3rd level, you have learned to meditate and gather power from the weave that connects all magic, creating spell slots that you can use to power your abilities.

Omnislash

At 18th level you perfect your ultimate move.  Breaking all limits on your physical form, you may perform a Spell Slash that hits all targets within 30 ft of you

Enhanced Evasion and Spell Absorption

Beginning at 15th level, whenever you use Magical Evasion against an offensive (damaging) spell you may add your Int to your saving throw.  If you succeed, once per day you may absorb some of the spell energy into your chosen weapon and recharge a spell slot that is equal to or less than the spell slot used to cast the attacking spell.

Perfect Strike

By 7th level, you have learned to focus all of your energy into one perfect attack.  If that attack succeeds, it deals maximum damage on its damage dice.  This applies to any damage dice you may bring into this single attack, but not any other attacks you make in the same round.  You may do this once per long rest.

Flash Step

By the 7th level, you have developed an intuitive feel for the weave of magic. In an instant, you may connect the weave at your location and the weave at any location within 30 ft and visible to you and step between those locations.  You gain additional uses of this ability at 9th, 11th and 13th levels.  Uses return on a short rest.

Greater Spell Slash

By 10th level your Spell Slashes are more powerful and you have learned to transport your magical attacks along the Weave.  You may now make Spell Slash attacks and Enduring Element attacks at a range of 30 ft.  The die size of Spell Slash increases to a d10.  This effect can be affected by the spell sniper feat.  You must have line of sight to your target.  The energy is visible as it travels.  

Elemental Enhancement

By 3rd level, you have learned to harness the residual energy of Spell Slash and attach it to your weapon.  After a successful Spell Slash, for the next Int mod number of rounds, your chosen weapon deals an additional d6 of the same elemental damage type on each hit.

Magical Evasion

Beginning at 10th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area Effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an Ice Storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect tht allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Weapon Bond

At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can't be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.