Martial Archetype: Ghostblade
The Ethereal Plane is a spectral realms that exists in-between other planes, filling in the void with ghastly translucence. Ghostblades are fighters who managed to contact to and conjure a bond with the Ethereal Plane, channeling the magical property of the transitional plane, and utilizing it for their martial advantages. One distinctive feat available with this bond is conjuring an entire arsenal out of ectoplasm tapped from the Ethereal Plane, which is both corporeal enough for actual physical wounds and ethereal enough for supernatural properties, all at the same time.
In general, Ghostblades are not welcome in most communities. Their connection and control over the Ethereal Plane, however limited, is often perceived as ominous and creepy, and it does not help that one of the most (in)famous factions of Ghostblades is the dreaded ghost pirates, sailing through the ethereal cyclone across the multiverse, plundering and ransacking unfortunate interdimensional passengers.
Ghostblade Arsenal
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you can conjure weapons from ectoplasm channeled from the Ethereal Plane.
Spectral Weapon. As a bonus action, you can conjure a spectral weapon in your empty hand, which is a melee weapon of your choice. You are proficient with it while you wield it, and it counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Your spectral weapon disappears if is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you dismiss the weapon (no action required) or if you die.
You can have up to two spectral weapons at a time. When you conjure a new spectral weapon after the second, the oldest weapon dissipates into thin air.
Spectral Bond. You can perform a special 1-hour ritual to bond a magic weapon to yourself, transforming into a spectral weapon. The ritual can be done during a short rest or long rest. You cannot bond an artifact or a sentient weapon this way. At the end of the ritual, the weapon is dismissed into a pocket dimension. You can summon a bonded weapon from your pocket dimension in your empty hand as a bonus action, or dismiss the bonded weapon into the pocket dimension without using an action.
The weapon's bond is broken when you die or when you perform a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the pocket dimension when the bond breaks.
You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with a bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.
Dissipating Weapon
Also starting at 3rd level, you can make your spectral weapon briefly dissipate into ethereal form, then rematerialize it into corporeal form, bypassing the target's defense.
When you make an attack with a spectral weapon, you can treat the target's Armor Class as 10, regardless of the target's actual Armor Class.
You can use this feature twice before a short rest or long rest. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest or long rest.
Spectral Senses
At 7th level, your connection to the transitional planes strengthens and stimulates your senses. You can see into the Ethereal Plane out to 10 feet of you. Ethereal creatures and objects appear ghostly and translucent.
As a bonus action, you can heighten your special senses out to 60 feet of you for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). Once you use this feature, you must finish a short rest or long rest before you can do so again.
Spectral Combat Maneuver
When you reach 10th level, you can fully utilize your bond to the Ethereal Plane for your combat advantages. Choose one of the following options:
Ethereal Jaunt. When you are targeted by an attack or a spell, you can expend one use of your Dissipating Weapon as a reaction to vanish from your current plane of existence and appear in the Ethereal Plane. At the start of your next turn, you return to the nearest unoccupied space from the space you vanished from. While on the Ethereal Plane, you can see and hear the plane you originated from (which is cast in shades of gray), you cannot see anything there beyond the radius of your Spectral Senses, andn you can only affect and be affected by other creatures or objects on the Ethereal Plane.
Incorporeal Steps. When you take the Dash action on your turn, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain until the end of the turn. You cannot end your turn inside a space already occupied by another creature or object.
Intangible Defense. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw to take half damage, you instead take no damage on a successful save.
Wandering Weapon
At 15th level, you can use a bonus action to conjure a spectral weapon that stays afloat in an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of you. The weapon stays afloat for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). After the duration, the weapon dissipates into thin air, or is dismissed into a pocket dimension if it is a magic weapon bonded to you.
As a bonus action, you can move the floating spectral weapon up to 10 feet, but no more than 30 feet away from you. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use one of the attack to make a weapon attack with the floating weapon against a creature you can see within the weapon's reach.
The floating spectral weapon counts as a Small object. Its hit points equal your Constitution modifier plus your fighter level, and its Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. When the spectral weapon drops to 0 hit points, it dissipates into thin air, or is dismissed into a pocket dimension if it is a magic weapon bonded to you.
Improved Spectral Weapon
By 18th level, you have full control over your spectral weapons. Choose one of the following options:
Haunting Weapon. Whenever you hit a creature with a spectral weapon, the target takes an extra necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Penetrating Weapon. Once on each of your turn when you make an attack with a spectral weapon, you can increase the weapon's reach by 10 feet, or by 20 feet if it has the reach property.
Vanishing Weapon. You can use your Dissipating Weapon feature four times between rests. When you hit a creature with a spectral weapon with your Dissipating Weapon feature applied, the weapon deals force damage instead of its normal damage type.
Credits
All contents are created by Weirdo Whoever unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to D&D Wiki, NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool, and GM Binder for providing the templates for my imaginations.
The subclass is inspired by "Class Idea: The Astral Knight" by u/Glorian_Strifle.
Artwork. Credit for the awesome art goes to "Ghost King" by conorburkeart.
Watercolor. Credit for the clever watercolor goes to Full Page Watercolor Stains by fellow GM Binder users.