Old World Kensai

Kensai are Warriors devoted to a single weapon with which they hone their skill, shunning magical enhancement and preferring to become ‘living weapons’. They remain unarmoured to give freedom of movement, relying on their physical hardiness and ability to parry to withstand the rigors of battle. Kensai Fighters are able to infuse their very soul into their weapons, attaining a skill in combat that some would consider superhuman.

Weapon Mastery

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain mastery over a single Weapon, though not every weapon of it's type. You can choose a single weapon that has been in your possession for at least six months and meditate for 12 hours, infusing your soul into the weapon and gaining the following bonuses:

• You can never be forced to drop this weapon, and cannot be unarmed even through magical means, even while incapacitated, this weapon will not leave your grip if while not incapacitated you did not want to drop it.
• Your superior mobility and parrying skills give you an unarmoured AC equal to 10 + Dex + your wisdom Modifier. E.G. A Kensai with 16 Dex and 14 wisdom has an unarmoured AC of 10 + 3 + 2 = 15.

You can only have one kensai weapon at a time, all kensai abilities require the use of this weapon, and cannot be used if you do not have a current kensai weapon. If your kensai weapon is destroyed or lost it can be reforged, if you still have a piece of the weapon. Many Kensai carry old blades intentionally broken off of their swords, before they where repaired with a new blade, so that a new sword could be made from the old blade, but still be considered the main weapon. If a kensai's soul still resides in a weapon and they try to put their soul into a new weapon, the kensai will be incapacitated for 24 hours upon completion of the ritual, and cannot be awoken by any means.

Weapon and Soul

Whatever weapon you have attuned to with your "Weapon Matster" Old World Kensai trait has traces of your very soul in it, granting you abilities that are beyond what most would be able to obtain with the same weapon in their hands. In addition, you may not be unwilfully disarmed through any means, and even while incapacitated, your weapon cannot be removed from your hand. To power these abilities you pull your pull some of the energy from your weapon. These points are known as "Soul Points". You have soul points equal to half your fighter level, leveled down.

You gain the following abilites:

• True Strike - Whenever you make an attack with your Kensai weapon, but before you make your attack roll, you may choose to expend 1 Soul Point per damage die to channel your energy and inflict Maximum Weapon Damage. E.g. If using a Longsword two-handed as your Kensai weapon, you may spend one Soul Point to treat the 1d10 die roll as a 10. Or, for a greatsword if you spend two soul points to treat both d6's as 6's.
• Enhanced senses- On your turn, you may expend 2 Soul Points and your Bonus Action to take the Dodge action.

However, if the Kensai's weapon is destroyed, or badly damaged, eg. The blade of a sword is broken in half, The kensai is incapcitated for 1d4 hours, due to the shock of the item their soul is stored in being destroyed. They cannot be awoken through nonmagical means.

Combat as an Art Form

you gain proficiency with the painter's supplies. as well as a choice from the following list

Smith's tools

Gain proficiency with the Smith's tools.

Woodcarver's Tools

Gain proficiency with the woodcarver's tools.

Infused Soul

Starting at 7th level, your soul has empowered your weapon, all attacks made with your Kensai weapon are considered magical for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. Additionally you gain +1/5th of your fighter level, rounded down, to a maximum of +3 at level 15, to all attack and damage rolls with your Kensai weapon.

Like an Arrow

As an action, by spending two Soul Points, you can instantly move up to thirty feet to a square within your sight without provoking attacks of opportunity, once during this action, you can attack a creature you move through a square it is occupying, as if you had spent your action to attack. You cannot end this movement in a square an opponent is occupying.

Combat Ready

You are able to add your wisdom to your intuitive roll, in addition, you can no longer be surprised.

Empowered soul

Chose one of the following:

Burning Soul

Your soul burns with fire eternal, dealing 1d4 fire damage on all weapon attacks.

Cool soul

Your soul is cool and calm, your weapon deals 1d4 cold damage.

Righteous Soul

Your soul burns with righteousness, you add 1d4 radiant damage to all weapon attacks.

Blade Storm

Chose at least three enemies within range of your kensai weapon, as an action spend a number of soul points equal to the amount of enemies you chose and make attacks against all of them, you can spend the same amount of soul points to attack each enemy again. You cannot spend less soul points even if an enemy dies from the original attack. You may spend the same amount of soul points additional times equal to the amount of attacks you have per action. Eg. there are three enemies within 5ft of you, you spend three soul points to attack them all with your greatsword kensai weapon, one dies, you spend another three soul points and attack the two that are still alive.

Weapon and Soul as One

Becoming a living weapon, you become immune to fear. When you kill an enemy you regain one soul point. When you take an action that spends a soul point, double the amount of weapon damage die you roll on all attacks that are a part of that action.

Improved Empowered Soul

The damage from your previous choice is increased to 2d4.

Improved Burning Soul

Your soul burns brighter with fire eternal, now dealing 2d4 fire damage on each weapon attack.

Improved Cool Soul

Your Soul is calmed even further, your weapon now deals 2d4 cold damage extra on every attack

Improved Righteous Soul

Your soul burns even brighter with righteousness, you now deal 2d4 bonus damage.