Blade (class)

Blades were a variety of bards that demonstrated fantastic showmanship while wielding bladed weapons. The term was also used to refer to those bards of the College of Swords. They were considered to be both excellent combatants as well as captivating entertainers.

Activities
While some blades were content as performing knife-throwers at carnivals, others took up more daring occupations such as that of an adventurer or even an assassins. Yet others blended two lives together, acting as a beloved entertainer by day and deadly sword-for-hire by night.

Abilities
They performed elaborate demonstrations that involved flashy leaps, intricate slashes, and forceful jabs made with their chosen blade. These displays demanded exacting movements and gracefulness on the part of the performer. When executed in combat, a blade's performance could inspire their allies and demoralize their foes, assuming they were intelligent enough to recognize the blade's prowess and skill.

Blades were exceptionally skilled in one of two forms of bladed combat: either wielding a one-handed blade with an empty offhand, or wielding two lighter bladed weapons. They could alter their dance-like twirls and slashes referred to as 'spins' or 'flourishes'. These maneuvers could be performed defensively, allowing them to better parry incoming attacks, or offensively, to threated their foe and inspire fear in their heart. Blades could also utilize their combat flourishes to exact especially harmful strikes in combat, and if needed reposition themselves around their foe.

Skilled blades could strike faster than their less-experienced counterparts, performing more attacks in the same amount of time in battle.

Master blades could perform flourishes whenever they desired in combat, and did not require rest to replenish themselves between engagements.



Possessions
They preferred to wear medium armor, often in darker colors, and many chose to obscure their appearance behind half-masks or head scarves.

Notable Blades

 * Haer'Dalis, the tiefling bard from Sigil that performed with Raelis Shai's wandering troupe.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn