Holy Crusader (5e Class)

Holy Crusader

Take back the Holy Land!

A man walks across the battlefield. Blood drips from his sword. He kneels on one knee and prays. After he finishes, he keeps on walking.

A battle rages on. One man alone kills as many heretics he sees. As soon as he gets overwhelmed, he pulls out a cross and lightning strikes his enemies.

A woman rides a horse. She is confronted by five goblins. She stops to pray, and suddenly the goblins are burning on the ground.

Creating a Holy Crusader

Think of why your character decided to become a Holy Crusader. Is he hoping for redemption? Was he drafted? Was he protecting his church? Or was he simply bored and wanted something fun to do?

Quick Build

You can make a Holy Crusader quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, choose the Path of Redemption path.

Class Features

As a Holy Crusader you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Holy Crusader level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Holy Crusader level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shields
Weapons: Any weapon
Tools: Smith’s tools
Saving Throws: Strength saves, Wisdom Saves
Skills: Choose 3 from Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) A longsword and a shield or (b) Any two martial melee weapons
• (a) Leather Armor and 20gp or (b) Chain Shirt
• (a) A light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) A heavy crossbow and 10 bolts
• A holy symbol and a Crusader Uniform.
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10 gp in funds.

Table: The Holy Crusader

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Religion Points
1st	+2	Unarmored Defense, Mark Heretic	5
2nd	+2	Divine Radiance, Pray, Fighting Style	5
3rd	+2	Paths to Heaven	5
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	10
5th	+3	Extra Attack	10
6th	+3	Paths to Heaven feature	10
7th	+3	Magic?! Heresy!	15
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	15
9th	+4	Repent, Sinner!	15
10th	+4	Paths to Heaven feature	20
11th	+4	Even Diviner Radiance!	20
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	20
13th	+5	Extra Attack	25
14th	+5	Paths to Heaven feature	25
15th	+5	Stay Back, Foul Temptress!	25
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	30
17th	+6	Paths to Heaven feature	30
18th	+6	Preach	30
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	35
20th	+6	The Holy Crusade!	40

Unarmored Defense

Your god has granted you a gift for your service as a Holy Crusader. Your skin glows faintly, and it is though you have divine protection. While you are wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 10 + your Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You may use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Mark Heretic

At 1st level, you gain the ability to mark one creature of your choice that is within 60 feet of you as a heretic. You use a bonus action to mark a heretic, and the effect lasts one minute. You gain advantage on all attacks made against the marked heretic. At 4th level, you do an additional 2d6 radiant damage to your enemy once on hit per turn, increasing to 3d6 damage at 7th level, 4d6 damage at 11th level, 4d8 at 14th level, and 5d8 at 18th.

Divine Radiance

Starting at 2nd level, you can imbue your weapon using your faith to deal more damage to your enemies. You use religion points to charge your sword with divine power. The amount of Religion points you have available to you are detailed on the right side of the class features table. Using one Religion point, you deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage. You can use more points to increase this damage, but only up to half your Holy Crusader level rounded down. For example, a level 6 Holy Crusader can use 3 Religion points to deal an additional 3d6 radiant damage.

Pray

A Holy Crusader must pray regularly if they wish to keep their strength. Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to pray. You can use pray as an action, or right after killing an enemy. Pray lasts until the start of your next turn. While praying, enemies have advantage on attacks against you, and you have disadvantage on all ability checks and savings throw. However, you regenerate 1d6 + Your Constitution modifier health, as well as 1+1d4 Religion points. If you pray while in combat, you regenerate 1d8 + Your Constitution modifier, as well as 1+1d6 Religion points.

Fighting Style

Fighting Style

Choose One of the following Fighting Styles at 2nd level. chose another at 6th level, 10th level, 14th level

Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Shove Whenever you hit a creature with a sword or a dagger, instead of dealing damage, you may have them make a Dexterity saving throw. (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) On a failed save the creature is pushed 10 feet away from you and knocked prone. on a successful save nothing happens.

Prerequisite: 6th level

Counter Whenever a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a single melee attack against that creature. You can do this a number of times equal to your dexterity modifier per long rest, but only once per round

Dash attack If you move at least 20 feet towards a creature before making your first attack on each turn. You gain advantage on that attack.

Combo. When your melee attack makes a creature drop to 0 hit points or whenever you score a critical hit, you can make another melee attack as a bonus action.

prerequisite: 10th level

Last Stand Once per long rest, when an attack would make you drop to 0 hit points, you may make a constitution saving trow (DC = the damage of the attack) on a success, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

Combo breaker Once per long rest, When a creature makes 2 or more melee attacks against you, you may impose disadvantage to the second attack, if said attack misses, all further attacks made against you are made with disadvantage.

Oversized Weapon Master. Prerequisite: 18 strength. you can wield oversized weapons with no negative effects and you are considered proficient with them.

Dagger Marksman. Whenever you throw a dagger, it's range is doubled and you may add your proficiency modifier to the damage, you can take this ability again at level 14, if you do so, once per long rest, when you hit an enemy with a thrown dagger, you may double the damage dealt.

1 attack, 2 Strikes. Once per short rest, when you make an attack action against a hostile creature with another hostile creature adjacent to it, you can make your attacks target both of them at the same time, one of the creatures takes full damage while the other takes only half.

Paths to Heaven

At 3rd level, you choose a Holy Crusader path. Choose between Path of Redemption and Path of Service, both of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at levels 6, 10, 14, and 17.

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.

Magic?! Heresy!

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to decrease damage from magical sources. As a reaction, you may expend 2 Religion points to halve the damage you receive from magical attacks.

Repent, Sinner!

At 9th level, you gain the ability to make an enemy confess their sins. Target one creature within 60 feet of you and yell, “Repent your sins, heretic!” The enemy is then forced to make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC saving throw for this ability is 8 + Your Proficiency modifier + Your Wisdom Modifier. On a failed save, an enemy receives 4d8 radiant damage, and gains disadvantage on all attacks, since they begin to rethink their life choices. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage, and does not repent for its sins or gain disadvantage. You expend 2 Religion points to use this feature.

Even Diviner Radiance!

Divine Radiance damage increases to d8 at 11th level, making you even more efficient at taking back the Holy Land!

Extra Attack

Beginning at 13th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack Action on your turn.

Stay Back, Foul Temptress!

Beginning at 15th level, your soul remains pure, and you will make sure that it stays that way. All Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion rolls made against you by members of the opposite sex (Unless it is one of your party members) have disadvantage. You also gain advantage on Intimidation rolls against members of the opposite sex so that you can tell them to begone.

Preach

Violence is not the only way to defeat heretics. Sometimes, peace is more powerful than death. Starting at 18th level, you may hold a miniature mass. All creatures in a 20 foot cone in front of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. The save DC is 8 + Your Proficiency modifier + Your Wisdom modifier. On a success, creatures are not affected. On a fail, however, creatures are forced to sit down and listen to your mass service until the start of your next turn. The creatures intently listen to your preaching, and begin to repent for their sins. On your next turn, you have advantage on persuading the creatures to join your religion and live a life of peace. This costs 10 Religion points to use.

The Holy Crusade

At 20th level, you can go on a Crusade against five enemies of your choice. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. The save DC is 8 + Your Proficiency modifier + Your Wisdom modifier. If the creature fails, it is instantly destroyed in a Holy Crusade. If it succeeds, it is blinded, knocked prone, and takes 15d12 radiant damage. The attack also ignores all resistances or immunities. You must expend 20 Religion points to use this feature.

Path of Redemption

The Path of Redemption is for those who wish to enter Heaven by defeating as many heretics as they can. Holy Crusaders who choose this path study their weapon, and learn how to kill their enemies in the most efficient and holy ways. They damage their enemies by channeling their faith, and redeem themselves for eternal paradise.

God Smite Thee!

Starting at 3rd level, you can ask your god to strike your enemies with lightning. You pull out your holy symbol, and in doing so, you strike all creatures of your choice within a 20 foot cube of you with lightning. The creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw. The saving throw is 8 + Your Proficiency modifier + Your Wisdom modifier. On a failed save, the creatures take 2d6 lightning damage, or half as much on a successful save. This increases to 5d6 at 10th level. You expend 3 Religion points to use this action.

Deus Vult!

Starting at 6th level, you can charge your item with holy power. You can expend 4 Religion points to make a melee attack imbued with radiant power. You deal 4d6 additional radiant damage to your enemy. In addition, the enemy is marked as a heretic.

Cleanse with Fire!

Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to kneel on the ground and ask your god to “cleanse” your enemies. When you use this ability, all creatures of your choice within a 20 foot cube of you must make a Wisdom saving throw, or be “cleansed.” The save DC is 8 + Your Proficiency modifier + Your Wisdom modifier. On a failed save, a creature receives 5d6 radiant damage. They also begin to burn for one minute, receiving 1d6 fire damage at the beginning of their turn. On a successful save, a creature receives half damage, and does not burn. This action costs 5 Religion points.

The Language of God

When you reach 14th level, you gain the ability to shout at an enemy in an unknown language that you call the “language of God.” On a successful melee attack, you can shout words in your enemy’s face. The enemy must pass a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or they are frightened of you. If they fail, they also take 4d6 radiant damage. A creature is unaffected on a success. This feature costs seven Religion points.

Confess Your Sins, Heretic!

At 17th level, you know the sins of your enemies. You can force a creature within 60 feet of you to make a DC 15 strength saving throw. If they fail, then you list their sins. The creature receives 8d8 force damage, as it was crushed under the weight of their sins. On a success, they take half damage. This costs 15 Religion points to use.

Path of Service

Path of Service is for those who wish to reach Heaven by serving others. They seek to protect their allies, pray for their teammate’s wellbeing. Holy Crusaders that chose the Path of Service have research multiple healing prayers, and chose protecting others over killing heretics

Minor Holy Heal

You have learned a simple healing prayer. Using your holy symbol, you can heal a minor amount of health to the people around you. Beginning at 3rd level, you heal all creatures of your choice within a 20 foot square of you for 1d8 + Your Wisdom modifier health. You expend 3 Religion points when you use this feature.

Holy Aura

Beginning at 6th level, you gain access to a Holy Aura. The aura is a 15 foot cube, and all allies standing in the aura regenerate 2d6 health each round, and gain +2 AC. Any undead that enter the aura receive 2d6 radiant damage. You must expend 3 Religion points to start the aura, and then an additional 2 Religion points each round to maintain the aura.

Major Holy Heal

At 10th level, you discovered a more advanced healing prayer. Using your holy symbol, you pray on the ground. All creatures of your choice within a 20 foot cube regenerate 3d8 + Your Wisdom modifier health. This prayer also cures blindness, deafness, and poison. It costs 5 Religion points to use this feature.

Morale Boost

At 14th level, you learn sacred Holy words. By shouting these Holy words, you inspire your allies. You can choose one creature to be affected by this ability. When the Holy words are shouted at them, they gain a morale boost. Your ally will now deal an additional 3d6 radiant damage, and will have advantage against all enemies for one minute. This costs 10 Religion points to use.

Great Holy Heal

You have finally mastered the art of healing prayers. Beginning at 17th level, you can choose any creatures of your choice within 20 feet of you to be healed. The creatures are each healed 5d12 + Your Wisdom modifier health, and are cured of any negative status effects. This feature costs 25 Religion points to use.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Holy Crusader class, you must meet these prerequisites: 14 Strength and 15 Wisdom

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Holy Crusader class, you gain the following proficiencies: Athletics, Religion

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