The Ansurian Swordmaster
Well it's been several months! I will make no excuses except for job changes, an upcoming big move, and getting fucked repeatedly by insurance! But as the penguin says, "...give me results!" and you're not here for little old me are you...
ANSURIAN SWORDMASTER
The swordmasters of Ansurius reject the grip of curses and the touch of the Worldly Powers. Mortal men flee at the sight of their conical helms, and even demons quake and shiver in their presence. They live by one immutable truth: the sword is mightier.
+1 damage (exclusively with swords) per template.
A - Carrion Carnival
B - Nightmarish Inevitability
C - Charnel Cleave
D - True Strike
Carrion Carnival [A]
The first lesson: become a shining wheel of death. Be they god or man, leave your foe no chance to strike back.
You can use both of your actions to attack. Additionally, you can exhaust hit dice to make extra attacks on your turn or in reaction to someone coming under attack.
Nightmarish Inevitability [B]
When a swordmaster of Ansurius fixes their mind to a target, the foe inevitably falls into despair, for there is no way to stop the blade from falling now.
While you move toward an enemy, you cannot be slowed, stopped, knocked down, pushed back, or otherwise dissuaded from your present course unless you will it. This is both an in-combat benefit and a metaphysical truth humming through every fiber of your being.
Charnel Cleave [C]
The monstrous might of the swordmaster hews down foes left and right, yet some must be spared. Those for whom there is no mercy will be scattered across the battlefield, a sight from which the swordmaster draws grisly strength...
When you reduce an enemy to 0 HP, choose: drive them away in humiliation, or splatter them all over the place. If you splatter them, you immediately take another turn.
True Strike [D]
Swordmasters face all manner of horrific threats. Sometimes, there is no choice: the foe must die at first strike or all is lost. In such cases, the swordmaster prepares a perfect cut...
You may exhaust hit dice before you make an attack to wind up a fell and terrible strike. If your attack lands, roll these hit dice and add the sum to damage dealt. If your attack misses, immediately take the extra damage yourself, as your gambit backfires and the enemy scores a terrific hit against you.
NOTES
There was a version of this class that had the Duelist "Style" ability, but in weighing the likelihood of ever publishing a post against the need for said post to be perfect, I decided to go without. If you want that sweet good good, just add "Style" at [A] template and advance as the Duelist does. I may still update this in a later post, or at least add some styles to the pot, as many other brave and candid souls already have.
If your rules don't use hit dice, feel free to replace the word "hit" with "magic" and give this class 1 MD per template.
Still to come: sneaky cursed rogue, some kind of wizardly sort, and several other fighters if the inspiration holds true!