Espada (5e Class)

Espada

Espada is Spanish for "sword" and Japanese for "ten blades". They were initially created as an answer to Soul Society’s Gotei 13, the most elite of the Soul Reapers. The Espada have the skill of Soul Reapers augmented by the raw strength of an undead beast.

Known Members of the Espada, Tite Kubo

Zanpakutō

Your Zanpakutō is similar to that of a Soul Reaper’s in the sense that it contains your soul's power. Due to this if it were ever destroyed, it will become completely repaired after a long rest. It is a one-handed martial finesse weapon which deals 1d10 slashing damage. Although the specific appearance is dependant on the wielder as it is an imprint of their spiritual pressure, they primarily take the form of a katana, wakazashi, nodachi, or tanto.

Creating an Espada

Quick Build

You can make an Espada quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution.

Class Features

As a Espada you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Espada level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Espada level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Melee Weapons, Martial Melee Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Choose 3 from the following: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Religion, or Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• White robes
• Zanpakutō
• (a) Explorer’s Pack or (b) 2 Simple Weapons or (c) 1 Martial Weapon

Table: The Espada

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Reiryoku Points
1st	+2	Reiryoku, Hollowfication, Sonido, Reiatsu Release	4+con
2nd	+2	Hierro, Bala	8+con
3rd	+2	Cero	12+con
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Cero Improvement	16+con
5th	+3	Extra Attack	20+con
6th	+3	Lighter than a Feather	24+con
7th	+3	Sonido Improvement	28+con
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	32+con
9th	+4	Cero Improvement	36+con
10th	+4	Resurrección	40+con
11th	+4	Descorrer	44+con
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	48+con
13th	+5	Cero Improvement	52+con
14th	+5	Resurrección Mastery	56+con
15th	+5	Extra Attack	60+con
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	64+con
17th	+6	Cero Improvement	68+con
18th	+6	Gran Rey Cero	72+con
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	76+con
20th	+6	Resurrección: Segunda Etapa	80+con

Reiryoku

Reiryoku (霊力, Spiritual Power) is a power aligned with the spiritual sensitivity and willpower of the user. It is used by Shinigami, Espada and other spiritual beings to provide power for their various abilities.

Reiryoku Points

Beginning at 1st level, you have a number of Reiryoku points equal to your Espada level x 4, as shown in the Reiryoku Points column of the Espada class table, + your Constitution modifier. If you already have Reiryoku from another class, such as from the Fullbringer class, or Reishi from the Soul Reaper class, you may add these Reiryoku points to that pool instead, and any features that use Reiryoku may use the other point pool as well.

You regain all expended Reiryoku points when you finish a long rest.

If your Reiryoku points reach a count of 0, you have Disadvantage on all saving throws, excluding death saving throws, until you regain at least one Reiryoku point.

Some of your Reiryoku features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects, or you to make a spell attack. Constitution is your ability modifier for these features. The saving throw DC and spell attack bonus are calculated as follows:

Reiryoku save DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier.

Reiryoku attack modifier= your proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier

Reiatsu

Reiatsu is the physical force/pressure that a person’s Spiritual Energy creates when released. The difference between spiritual energy and spiritual pressure is simple: Reiryoku is the amount of energy a being has stored within their body or soul, whereas Reiatsu is the pressure that a person's Reiryoku exerts. In other words, Reiryoku is potential while Reiatsu is energy in use and can be sensed by other spiritually aware beings.

Reiatsu Release

All Reiatsu released by individuals eventually returns to them, but Reiatsu released in explosive bursts also engulfs energy in its surroundings in the process, forming devastating waves of pressure lethal to any who would be affected by it.

At 1st level as an action, you can release your Reiatsu aura in a devastating wave surrounding you. Creatures in area of 5 x your Espada level ft. must attempt a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 force damage on a failure or half as much on a successful one.

You can spend additional Reiryoku points to increase the damage of this attack. For every 2 additional Reiryoku points you spend, the damage increases by 1d8. The maximum number of Reiryoku points that you can spend on this feature is equal to your Constitution Modifier X 5 (minimum of 2).

Additionally, you can spend 2 Reiryoku points to imbue your Zanpakutō with your Reiatsu aura as a bonus action for 1 minute. While empowered, your Zanpakutō deals an extra 1d4 force damage.this fet

You can spend additional Reiryoku points to increase the extra damage by 1d4 per 2 Reiryoku points spent. The maximum amount of additional die you can attain to your Zanpakutō is equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). For example, if your Constitution modifier is +4, you can spend a maximum of 8 Reiryoku points to attain an additional 4d4 force damage.

You must maintain concentration on your Zanpakutō in order to maintain your aura on it as if you were concentrating on a spell.

Hollowfication

Also at 1st level, you have effectively died and been brought back to life, becoming a Hollow, a spiritual creature that is driven by instinct and desire. Your time as a Hollow could have been short or lengthy, depending on your journey into becoming an Espada, but it has eventually led you into having your Hollow Mask mostly stripped from you, forcing you to assume a more humanoid and more powerful form.

Though your type doesn’t change, you no longer need to sleep, breath or eat. You can, however, benefit from devouring souls.

After killing an enemy, you may choose to devour its soul as an action. By doing so, you regain an amount of Reiryoku points equal to that creature's challenge rating (minimum of 1). If your Reiryoku points are completely filled, then you can choose to regain the Reiryoku points as Temporary hit points instead.

When you devour the soul of a creature, you can instead gain one of of its Traits instead, such as a Chain Devil's "Devil's Sight", or an Owlbear's "Keen Sight and Smell".

There are some exceptions to the extent of abilities you can gain from a soul, as such:

• You cannot devour the soul of an Undead or a Construct.
• You cannot gain a feature from a creature with a CR higher than your Espada level.
• You cannot gain any of its actions, reactions, damage resistances, damage immunities, Legendary Actions or Legendary Resistances.
• You must have slain the creature with your Zanpakutō or one of your Reiryoku abilities.
• The target must have died in the last 5 minutes.

You can only retain an amount of traits equal to your Constitution modifier. When you devour a new soul and you have already reached the maximum amount of traits you can possess, you can replace one of your current traits with the trait you want to receive.

Any acquired traits last 24 hours. You can extend the duration for one feature by forgoing the other benefits of devouring a soul, when you do so, you gain no benefits from devouring the soul, but you can extend the duration of one of your acquired traits by 24 hours.

A creature that has had its soul devoured can only be resurrected by the True Resurrection or the Wish spells.

Sonído

Also at 1st level, you learn how to move between places at incredible speeds, impossible to track with the naked eye. As a bonus action you can spend 1 Reiryoku point to teleport up to 80 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Travelling further distances is taxing on the user, whenever you attempt to teleport to a distance that is higher than half your movement speed, you must succeed on Constitution saving throw or gain one level of Exhaustion. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 10 + 1 per ten feet traveled beyond your normal speed.

The Sonído technique makes it easy for the user to travel long distances unnoticed. You have advantage on Dexterity(Stealth) checks made on the same turn this feature is used.

At 6th level, you can warp up to your full movement speed without needing to make a saving throw instead of half.

Hierro

Starting at 2nd level, while you are wearing no armor, your skin becomes coated in compressed spirit particles. Your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.

Bala

Also starting at 2nd level, you learn how to concentrate your Reiatsu into small, condensed projectiles that pack deadly force behind them.

By spending 2 Reiryoku points as an action, you can manifest three projectile bullets composed of red Reiatsu from the palm of your hand and hurl them at up to three creatures you can see within 60 feet at.

Make a ranged weapon attack for each bullet. On a hit, the bullets deal 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier force damage.

Your Bala's damage die increases by one die category when you reach 5th level (1d8), 11th level (1d10), and 17th level (1d12).

Cero

Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to fire powerful blasts of concentrated spiritual energy from your mouth, hands, or any other parts of your body.

You can spend 4 Reiryoku points as an action to shoot a blast of colored Reiatsu, forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide, in a direction you choose.

Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d8 + your Constitution modifier + your Espada level radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

• At 4th level, the line's range increase to 120 feet.
• At 8th level, your damage increases to 2d8.
• At 16th level, a creature that fails the saving throw against this attack by 10 or more takes an additional 2d8 radiant damage.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 15th level in this class.

Lighter than a Feather

Starting at 6th level, you are lighter than a feather. You can move your normal walking speed through the air as if you were flying. However, if something were to paralyze you, or cause your movement speed to fall to zero, you will begin to fall, this includes going unconscious. You must have at least one reiryoku point lest to use this feature.

Resurrección

Espada usually seal the nuclei of their abilities within the form of a sword, which is entirely different from what the Shinigami use. When they release their weapons' seals, they unleash their true power and their Hollow true form.

Starting at 10th level, you learn how to unseal your true Hollow form and transform in battle. You can spend 5 Reiryoku points as an action to draw your Zanpakutō from its scabbard and speak an unique command word, followed by the Zanpakutō's name, releasing the energy sealed within.

Your appearance changes to match more of your former Hollow appearance. You may choose how you appear after your Resurrección, though you must still appear humanoid if you choose so.

While your Resurrección is active, you gain a +2 bonus to your Strength and Dexterity scores and your movement speed increases by 10 feet. Any ability score increases from your Resurrección can put your scores above 20. In addition, your Zanpakutō either melds into your body or takes a new form to match your Hollow appearance. If you choose to merge with your Zanpakutō, then your unarmed strikes gain the same properties that of your Zanpakutō. It also gains a unique property that varies from user to user. Work with your DM to create something unique that matches your character. This bonus can vary from a constant spell effect, a damage buff, a special attack, or anything of the like.

As a rule of thumb, the effect should not be stronger than a 4th level spell, or should follow the Spell Damage Design Guidelines in terms of damage.

You must spend 5 Reiryoku at the end of each of your turns to maintain this form.

Descorrer

At 11th level, you gain the ability to open gates to other places by ripping a dimensional hole between where you are and where you want to go.

You can teleport yourself from your current location to any other spot within range as an action for 5 Reiryoku points. The range at which you can teleport is up to 500 feet, and you arrive exactly at the sport desired. This space can be a space you can see, one you can visualize, or one you can describe by stating distance and direction, such as "200 feet straight downward" or "upward to the northwest at a 45-degree angle, 300 feet".

You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed what you can carry. You can also bring up to two willing creatures that are medium or smaller.

If you would arrive in a place already occupied by an object or a creature, you and any creatures or objects travelling with you are shunted to the closest unoccupied space.

Resurrección Mastery

Starting at 14th level, you have mastered your Resurrección form and improved on its hardiness in battle.

When you activate your Resurrección, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to twice your Espada level. You may only benefit from this once, regaining use at the end of a long rest/

Gran Rey Cero

At 18th level, you learn a variation of the Cero, the Gran Rey Cero. By mixing your own blood with a Cero, you can fire a Cero with much greater attack power and speed, in addition to having a change of color unique to them. It is many times more powerful than a normal Cero, disturbing the fabric of space as it travels. Upon release, it spins like a razor as it compresses and decompresses due to the sheer speed and raw power.

As an action, you spend 35 Reiryoku points to blast a gigantic concentration of Reiatsu in a direction of your choice. Each creature in a 200-foot cone originating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 15d10 + your Dexterity modifier force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage or any objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried are instantly disintegrated. A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust.

Resurrección: Segunda Etapa

At 20th level, your Resurrection surpasses its own limits, earning you a more powerful and further advanced form of your traditional Resurrección.

As a bonus action while in Resurrección for 5 additional Reiryoku, you gain an additional +2 to your Strength and Dexterity scored (+4 total). In addition, you gain one additional ability or improve your Resurrección's initial ability. Work with your DM to create a unique ability. You must spend 4 Reiryoku at the end of each of your turns to maintain this form.

The rule of thumb is the same as your Resurrección's initial ability, but you it must not be stronger than a 6th level spell, rather than a 4th level spell.

Some examples of abilities are: becoming a size larger, per the Enlarge/Reduce spell, gaining an additional attack or a special attack, gaining a Cero unique to your character, and so on.

Resurrección Examples

You're free to create, use, and add your own Resurrección examples.

Visored

The Visored Resurrección is the Resurrección that those who multiclass into the Espada class gain due to awakening their inner hollow, rather than innately being a hollow.

Hollow Mask

While in Resurrección, you gain an additional +1 Strength and Dexterity, and you may spend 20 Reiryoku to gain your character level temporary hit points as a bonus action, repairing your mask in the process. Additionally, you can not use Cero or Gran Rey Cero except while in Resurrección.

Vasto Lorde Form

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, you gain an additional +1 Strength and Dexterity, +10 ft. of movement speed, and you regain hit points instead of gaining temporary hit points in the bonus action described under Hollow Mask.

Ira

Get Pissed Off, Ira

While in Resurrección, your size category increases by 1 to a minimum of Large.

Rage Evolution

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, your size category increases by 1 to a minimum of Huge.

Los Lobos

Kick About, Los Lobos

While in Resurrección, Your Zanpakuto becomes 2 guns, which fire ceros. your Zanpakuto gains the Range (100/120) property, and Cero costs half as many Reiryoku points.

Cero Metralleta

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, you may use Cero as one of your extra attacks or as a bonus action, and Cero and your Zanpakuto, which no longer has disadvantage when used against a target within 5 ft., ignore cover.

Arrogante

Rot, Arrogante

While in Resurrección, you are always under the effects of half cover.

Senescencia

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, ranged attacks and AoE effects such as fireball or a Adult Blue Dragon's fire breath used against you automatically fail, and creatures within 5 ft. of you take 1d6 necrotic damage as they age into nothingness.

Gamuza

Declare, Gamuza

While in Resurrección, your movement speed increases by +30 ft. and your Zanpakuto gains the Reach property.

Lanzador Verde

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, your Zanpakuto gains the Thrown (60/120) property and deals 3d12 + your Strength modifier magical piercing damage and moves the target 15 ft. away from you on a successful hit.

Murciélago

Enclose, Murciélago

While in Resurrección, you may use Cero, and Gran Rey Cero when you gain it, as a bonus action.

Lanza del Relámpago

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, you gain a flying speed equal to twice your movement speed. As an action, you may spend 50 Reiryoku points to blast a gigantic concentration of Reiatsu in a direction of your choice. Each creature in a 200-foot line originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. A target takes 20d12 + your Dexterity modifier force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage or any objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried are instantly disintegrated. A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust.

Trepadora

Strangle, Trepadora

While in Resurrección, your Zanpakuto gains an additional +5 ft. of reach and you may attack an additional time when you take the attack action.

Lanza Tentáculo

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, your Zanpakuto gains an additional +5 ft. of reach and you may attack an additional time when you take the attack action.

Pantera

Grind, Pantera

While in Resurrección, you gain an additional +1 Strength and Dexterity, and you may spend 20 Reiryoku to gain your character level temporary hit points as a bonus action, repairing your mask in the process.

Desgarrón

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, Bala fires twice as many projectiles and you may add your Dexterity modifier twice.

Brujería

Supress, Brujería

While in Resurrección, as an action or bonus action, you can try to move an object that weighs up to 500 pounds that isn't being worn or carried that you can see, you automatically move it up to 30 feet in any direction, but not beyond 120 ft. from you.

You can exert fine control on objects with your telekinetic grip, such as manipulating a simple tool, opening a door or a container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or pouring the contents from a vial.

You also force a creature within 120 ft. that you can see to attempt a Dexterity saving throw, removing use of 1 limb or other body part, such as their mouth or 1 eye, on a failure. You may have up to 5 of this effect active at once.

El Embrion

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, you become resistant to all damage, but your movement speed becomes 0 and you can not make ranged attacks or use AoE effects such as Gran Rey Cero.

Fornicarás

Sip, Fornicarás

While in Resurrección, as an action for 15 Reiryoku, you may force 1 creature within 15 ft. to attempt a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, you create a perfect copy of them within 15 ft. of you that has half as many hit points. You may either control this copy or yourself, with the other(s) being completely immobile. If your original body dies or becomes unconscious, or if 12 hours pass, all clones instantly dissipate. You may only create 1 clone per creature per 7 days.

Gabriel

While in Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, as a bonus action for 20 Reiryoku after successfully hitting a creature with your Zanpakuto, you may inject a fragment of your soul into their body. If you die, you are slowly reborn from their body. They are paralyzed and take 2d10 + twice your Constitution modifier necrotic damage at the end of each of your turns up to a number of d10 equal to your Espada hit dice, after which you appear anywhere within 5 ft. of them with an equal number of hit points.

Final Resurrección

The Final Resurrección feature can only be gained by coming to terms with your mask as part of yourself. As an action, regardless of your level, you gain all of this class's features, not including those of subclasses you have not taken, for 1 minute, and you regain 20 Reiryoku and hit points at the end of each of your turns. At the end of this duration, your mask shatters and you lose all features from this class. Your hit points and character level are uneffected. To begin regaining your previous features, you must reduce yourself to 0 hit points as an action. This action can only be done while you are missing your Espada powers. You can regain your previous features by gaining half as many experience points as it took to originally gain the level you gained the feature at (or through smaller milestones for milestone leveling), and you may change which subclass you chose. Your mask must be reforged as well, which can only be done by a blacksmith of the highest order who can also commune with spirits.

Canon variant rules

The following are variant rules meant to bring this class closer to how it operates in canon. Many, if not all, of these rules are far too powerful to be used alongside most core classes, and should only be used if all players agree.

• Resurrección and Resurrección: Segunda Etapa cost no reiryoku unless the player has the Visored Resurrección Examples.

• When a player gains a bonus to their Strength and Dexterity score from Resurrección or Resurrección: Segunda Etapa, they gain an equal bonus to their Constitution score.

• Sonido costs no reiryoku.

• Until 20th level while Resurrección or Resurrección: Segunda Etapa is active, a Visored must attempt a DC 30- their level + rounds spent in said form Wisdom saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns. On a failure, they are berserk until the beginning of their next turn.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Espada class, you must meet these prerequisites: 15 Dexterity, 15 Constitution, 12 Intelligence.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Espada class, you gain the following proficiencies: Zanpakutō.

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