Class Summary

Hit Die: d10.

Primary Abilities: Strength or Dexterity, plus Wisdom.

Saving Throws: Dexterity and Wisdom.

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields.

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons, light crossbows, pistols if available in your campaign.

Tools: One gaming set, one artisan’s tool, or vehicles land/water.

Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion, Stealth, or Survival.

Starting Equipment

• A martial weapon and shield, or two martial weapons.
• A short sword, dagger, or baton.
• Light crossbow and 20 bolts, or pistol and 20 shots if firearms are allowed.
• Leather armor or scale mail.
• Explorer’s pack or soldier’s pack.
• A black training sash, student-issue field manual, and a written reprimand you have not technically earned yet.

Guard Dice

You have a pool of Guard Dice, representing discipline, timing, drilled reactions, and trained violence. You regain all expended Guard Dice when you finish a short or long rest.

Battle Drafting

At 1st level, you learn limited combat drafting. This is not full Drafter training. You cannot perform complex architecture, deep color theory, civilian engineering, or subtle long-form luxin work unless another feature allows it.

Your Will Points equal half your Blackguard level, rounded up, + your Wisdom modifier, minimum 1. You regain spent Will Points after a short or long rest.

Draft Save DC: 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier.

Draft Attack Modifier: proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier.

Core Class Features

Blackguard Training

You are trained to fight near drafters without freezing, gawking, or dying in the first three seconds. You gain proficiency in one of the following: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Perception, or Stealth. If you already have that proficiency, gain expertise instead.

Guard Dice

You may spend Guard Dice to fuel Blackguard maneuvers. You know three maneuvers from the Blackguard Maneuver list. You learn one additional maneuver at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Field Color

At 1st level, choose one Field Color: Sub-red, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, or Blue. This is the color you have been drilled to draft under combat pressure.

You learn two Field Drafts from your color. At 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level, learn one additional Field Draft from your Field Color or from another color approved by your DM.

Battle Drafting Restrictions

• You must have a visible source of the color you draft.
• You cannot learn high-tier Drafter manifestations unless a subclass grants them.
• Your drafts usually last until the start of your next turn unless stated otherwise.
• You may not choose Paryl, Chi, Black, or White as a Field Color.

Halo Strain

Blackguard battle-drafting uses less luxin than full chromaturgy, but it is still dangerous. When you spend 3 or more Will Points on one turn, or when you drop to 0 Will Points, make a Wisdom saving throw.

The DC equals 10 + the number of Halo Strain checks you have already made since your last long rest. On a failure by 5 or more, you gain 1 Break Point.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, choose one:

• Defense: +1 AC while wearing armor.
• Dueling: +2 damage with a one-handed melee weapon and no other weapon.
• Great Weapon Fighting: Reroll 1s and 2s on two-handed melee weapon damage.
• Protection: Use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack against an adjacent ally.
• Close Quarters: +1 to melee attack rolls against creatures within 5 feet while you wear light or medium armor.

Interpose

At 2nd level, when a creature you can see attacks a target within 5 feet of you, you may use your reaction and spend a Guard Die to move up to 5 feet and add the die roll to the target’s AC against that attack. If the attack misses, you may become the target of any remaining attacks from that creature this turn.

Blackguard Standard

At 3rd level, choose your Blackguard Standard: Iron Sentinel, Mirrorbreaker, Tower Hawk, Oathbound Blade, or Chromatic Vanguard.

Halo Discipline

At 3rd level, you gain advantage on saving throws against fear caused by drafters, color wights, luxin storms, or visible magical catastrophes. You also gain advantage on checks to identify dangerous Halo Strain in another creature at close range.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can attack twice when you take the Attack action.

Combat Vent

At 5th level, once per turn when you hit with a weapon attack, you may spend 1 Will Point to vent your Field Color through the strike. Add 1d6 damage and apply the listed color rider:

• Sub-red: Fire damage; target cannot take reactions until your next turn.
• Red: Fire damage; target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until your next turn.
• Orange: Force or acid damage; target has disadvantage on its next grapple, shove, or opportunity attack.
• Yellow: Radiant damage; you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus.
• Green: Bludgeoning damage; you may move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Blue: Piercing damage; you gain +1 AC until the start of your next turn.

Warden’s Step

At 7th level, when you use Interpose, you may move up to 10 feet instead of 5 feet. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Counterdraft Reaction

At 9th level, when a creature within 30 feet creates a visible luxin effect, you may use your reaction and spend a Guard Die to interfere. Roll the Guard Die and subtract the result from the triggering creature’s attack roll or from the save DC of the effect for one target.

Disciplined Assault

At 11th level, once per turn when you hit with a weapon attack and spend a Guard Die or Will Point, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage.

Iron Nerve

At 13th level, you cannot be frightened while you can see an ally within 30 feet. If you begin your turn frightened and can see an ally within 30 feet, the effect ends on you.

Break the Line

At 15th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may move up to half your speed and make one weapon attack or Field Draft against a different creature.

Elite Guard

At 17th level, when you roll initiative and have no Guard Dice remaining, regain 2 Guard Dice.

Perfect Interposition

At 18th level, when a creature within 10 feet would take damage, you may use your reaction to take that damage instead. You have resistance to the transferred damage. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

The Unbroken Chain

At 20th level, for 1 minute, you become the living standard of the Blackguard. You regain 1 Guard Die at the start of each of your turns, your Combat Vent costs 0 Will Points once per turn, and allies within 10 feet cannot be frightened while you are conscious. Once used, this feature returns after a long rest.

Iron Sentinel

DefenseBodyguardShield

Iron Sentinels are immovable protectors trained to guard leaders, drafters, witnesses, prisoners, children, doors, bridges, and occasionally fools who insist they are “too important to die.”

3rd: Shield-Bound

While wielding a shield, you may use Interpose for a creature within 10 feet instead of 5 feet. If your Interpose causes an attack to miss, gain temporary hit points equal to your Guard Die roll.

6th: Hold the Door

You count as one size larger when resisting forced movement. Allies behind you gain half cover against ranged attacks if you are using a shield.

10th: No Passage

When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, its speed becomes 0. You may spend 1 Will Point to add your Field Color’s Combat Vent rider without dealing extra damage.

14th: Living Wall

Once per short rest, as a bonus action, you become a defensive anchor for 1 minute. Allies within 5 feet gain +1 AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Wisdom saves.

Mirrorbreaker

Counter-DrafterDisruptionMage-Hunter

Mirrorbreakers specialize in fighting drafters, destabilizing constructs, reading hostile light, and surviving exactly the kind of magical duel that kills the overconfident.

3rd: Read the Draft

You gain proficiency in Arcana or Investigation. If already proficient, gain expertise. When a creature within 60 feet drafts visibly, you may identify the color and general purpose without using an action.

6th: Luxin Sever

When you hit a luxin construct or a creature maintaining one, spend a Guard Die to add the die to damage. If the target is maintaining a construct, it must pass a Constitution save or the construct ends.

10th: Interrupt Color

Your Counterdraft Reaction subtracts both your Guard Die and your Wisdom modifier from the triggering draft’s attack roll or save DC.

14th: Break the Working

Once per short rest, when a creature within 30 feet creates or maintains a luxin effect, force it to make a Wisdom save against your Draft Save DC. On failure, the effect collapses or fails for one target of your choice.

Tower Hawk

PursuitUrbanMobility

Tower Hawks chase assassins across rooftops, escort witnesses through riots, leap between balconies, and know every service stair a noble thinks is beneath notice.

3rd: Vertical Patrol

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You have advantage on checks to move across roofs, scaffolds, ropes, bridges, and crowded streets.

6th: Intercept Runner

When a creature within 30 feet moves away from you or an ally, spend a Guard Die as a reaction to move up to half your speed toward it. If you end adjacent to it, its movement is reduced by the die roll x 5 feet.

10th: Rooftop Drafting

When you use a Field Draft that moves you, such as Slick Step or Rebound Line, increase the movement by 10 feet. You do not provoke opportunity attacks during that movement.

14th: No Escape from the Light

Once per short rest, mark a creature you can see within 60 feet. For 1 minute, you know its direction while it remains within 300 feet and exposed to any light source. Your first attack against it each turn deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Oathbound Blade

Honor GuardDuelistCommand

Oathbound Blades serve as ceremonial guards, field commanders, duelists, and symbols of Blackguard discipline. Their word is a blade. Their blade is usually more polite.

3rd: Named Charge

Choose one creature you can see as your charge after a short or long rest. While within 10 feet of your charge, you gain +1 AC and advantage on saves against being frightened.

6th: Commanding Line

As a bonus action, spend a Guard Die. One ally within 30 feet may move up to half its speed and gains temporary hit points equal to your Guard Die + Charisma or Wisdom modifier.

10th: Duel of Obligation

When a creature attacks your named charge, you have advantage on your next attack against that creature before the end of your next turn.

14th: Die Before They Fall

Once per long rest, when your named charge would drop to 0 hit points within 30 feet of you, you may use your reaction to move up to your speed and take the damage instead. You may immediately spend a Guard Die to reduce that damage.

Chromatic Vanguard

Battle DraftingAssaultHybrid

Chromatic Vanguards are Blackguards with unusually strong drafting talent. They are not full Drafters, but they are trained to weaponize luxin more aggressively than most of the Guard.

3rd: Expanded Field Color

Choose a second Field Color. You learn one Field Draft from that color. Your Will Point maximum increases by 1.

6th: Controlled Burn

When you use Combat Vent, you may spend 1 additional Will Point to apply the Vent rider to one additional creature within 5 feet of your target.

10th: Battle Drafter’s Rhythm

Once per turn, when you hit with a weapon attack, you may use a 1-Will Field Draft as a bonus action. This draft must target the same creature or affect only yourself.

14th: Terrible Brilliance

Once per long rest, when you use Combat Vent or a Field Draft that deals damage, you may maximize one damage die and add your Wisdom modifier to the damage. After the attack resolves, make a Halo Strain save.