Tome of Nine Swords is an amazing supplement that turns the Battlemaster up to eleven. With a wide variety of subclasses,martial paths, exploits, feats and weapons of legacy the buyer is certain to get lots of hours of content out of all of these.

I am especially fond of the flavor the Master of the Nine Swords, the Shadow Sun Ninja, and the Jade Phoenix Mage have so i will undoubtedly be playing these in the future.

As a long time fan of 3.5's Tome of Battle, this supplements does it justice. Strongly recommend!

The Tome of Nine Swords by Stratos Fotakis (@StratosF8) and George Mpaklatzis

The introduction gives a stimulating description of the lore of the Nine styles and their history, absolutely bursting with the flavour

Each of the nine new subclasses brings something new, takes a greater focus or gains access to elements to create something new. The flavour text for each subclass is rich and paints a vivid picture.

A holy warrior Fighter whose faith guides their martial prowess and bolsters their resolve.

A pantheran Barbarian becoming one with the tiger within, rending and tearing with terrifying claws.

A Fighter who is a cyclone of blades and hammers, mastering ricochets and juggling thrown weapons; all becoming boomerangs in their studied hands.

A Dwarven Fighter who can warp the foundation of the battlefield, rising above danger and smashing down with rock-bending might.

An Elven Fighter working in tandem with an ancient Elven spirit whose knowledge and acumen guide their blade with unwavering accuracy.

A Sorcerer, one of only thirteen at one time, who inherits the knowledge of those who came before, granting them fiery arcane martial arts.

A Paladin who serves and shuts enemies down, reminiscent of the Templars from Dragon Age and the Sisters of Silence from the Horus Heresy.

A Grey Jedi Monk who walks the paths of the light and the dark, striving for balance, yet gaining so much for surrendering to the darkness.

A Fighter who is master of the Nine; an expert of the eclectic paths with honed control of their body.

They all sound like awesome, but I desperately need to play a Boomerang Bro (Bloodstorm Blade), Grandmother Knows Best (Eternal Blade) and Samurai Jack Vs Shinobi Ninja (Way of the Shadowsun Ninja)!

These Fighters, Barbarian, Monk and Paladin all have access to Martial Paths, specific lists of awesome new exploits. These exploits work much like a Battle Master’s Manoeuvres, with the majority of the able to be used in conjunction with an attack.

These Martial Paths and their Manoeuvres range from the blinding and burning of Desert Wind, the preternatural poise and power of Devoted Spirit, the stalwart and reflexive Diamond Mind, the heavy, hale and...hearty of the Iron Heart, the blazing battling of the Setting Sun, the brutish blows of Stone Dragon, the insidious and sneaky Shadow Hand, the leaping and dealing of Tiger Claw, and the tactical precision of White Raven.

Expanded Martial Feats are a collection of twelve new feats designed around and with prerequisites for characters with access to the specific Martial Path.

These are a fantastic addition and seem to line up with the traditional feats, as much as the can while being designed around the Martial Paths. As with all feats they offer wider variety and specialisation, which is always what you want as a player.

The Nine Swords are the legendary blades themselves. Each come with invigorating lore and history, an Omen – a minor unique ability/ element, weapon properties, as well as the Legacy Rituals and Legacy Abilities – these legendary legacy blades have a Dormant, Awakened and Exalted, as they evolve/ unlock greater abilities. I have been a fan of Legacy Blades since Darren Kenny (@DeleniaCreation) and Conor Higgins (@Higgindazs) released Awakened Blades [https://www.dmsguild.com/product/306310/Awakened-Blades—A-5th-Edition-Magic-Item-Collection], and the Nine are awesome examples of bloody brilliant blades!

This is an inspired supplement building on the 3.5 supplement Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (2006) and Fotakis’ own great Warblade Fighter Archetype (2019). Despite not being so familiar with the 3.5 and the original myself, it appears faithful to the original with adaptation, extension and innovation for 5e.

All in all, this is a gorgeous supplement with a beautiful layout, spectacular use of art and both style and substance coming out of everywhere!

Credits

Design: Stratos Fotakis, George Mpaklatzis Layout Designer: Stratos Fotakis Art Director: Stratos Fotakis, Alexandros Balatsouras Cover Art: Alexandros Balatsouras Interior Art: Alexandros Balatsouras, Wizards of the Coast

The following sources inspired this material: Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (2006) Warblade Fighter Archetype (2019)