Path of the Whirling Blade
Those that follow the Path of the Whirling Blade seek to embody the essential nature of the blade. As formshapers, they manipulate their personal aether into forms, the platonic ideal of a particular concept. In this case, curved blades. As a side effect, those of the Whirling Blade dance like (angry, hulking) tornadoes across the battlefield, striking seemingly randomly, leaving devastation in their wake.
| Level | Features | Shaping Die Size |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Aetheric Weapons, Blade Dance, Shaping Dice | d6 |
| 6 | Flash Step | d8 |
| 10 | Shielding Tempest | d8 |
| 14 | Warp Strike | d10 |
Features
Shaping Dice
You have 4 shaping dice, each of which is a d6. You use these to empower your archetype features. You regain expended dice when you complete a short or long rest. The the size of each die increases with level as shown on the Whirling Blade table.
Aetheric Weapons
Starting when you choose this archetype at level 3, you can manifest aetheric blades from one or both of your hands as a bonus action. These glittering blue swords count as light melee weapons with the thrown (60/120) property. Their damage die is equal to your shaping die and they deal your choice of slashing or piercing damage. When you throw one of them as an attack, it reappears instantly in your hands after the attack completes, hit or miss.
Additionally, you can choose to meld with up to two one-handed magical weapons you are touching at the end of a long rest. While bonded, the weapons disappear and any magical properties they possess are replicated on your aetheric blades.
Blade Dance
You gain the two-weapon fighting style. When you hit with your aetheric blades, you can spend a shaping die to increase the damage done by the amount rolled.
Flash Step
Starting at level 6, while enraged, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed toward anyone who attacked you or cast a spell with you as a target. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks if you expend a shaping die as part of the reaction.
Shielding Tempest
Starting at 10th level, you can expend a shaping die when you are targeted by a ranged attack. If you do so, make an attack roll against the attacker's AC. On a hit, you suffer no ill effects from the attack and the attacker instead takes the normal damage of the attack + the amount you rolled on your shaping die. You can only use this once per turn.
Warp Strike
Starting at 14th level, when you make a thrown attack with your aetheric blade and hit, you can choose to teleport next to the target.
