Hunter, Variant (5e Class)

Hunter, Variant

The sound of clanging blades rings out. Armies in plate mail charge each other. But in the forest beside the battlefield, a click rings out, in its own, silent way. The click of an arrow being knocked on a bow. The string is pulled back, the bow turned towards the army general. A twanging sound, the arrow released, intent on its target. A thud, the general falls off of his horse, and like that, the battle is over.

Sneak and Surprise

Hunter, Variants are people of stealth, using that ability to exterminate opponents. Like combinations of fighters and rogues, Hunter, Variants combine stealth and fighting prowess, making a deadly combination.

Creating a Hunter, Variant

As you create a hunter, think of how you were trained. Were you originally a street urchin, learning the ways of a rogue, and then stealing enough money to receive martial training? Did you begin as a noble, trained by a professional fighter, but then ending up on the streets? Or did you teach yourself?

Quick Build

You can make a Hunter, Variant quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution to shore up your defences, if you prefer more utility then Intelligence if you want to excel at investigation, or Wisdom if you want to excel at tracking. Second, choose the Urchin background.

Class Features

As a Hunter, Variant you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: light, medium
Weapons: simple, martial
Tools: thieve's tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Skills: Stealth and choose two additional skills from Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) any bow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) any crossbow and a case of 20 bolts
• (a) any martial weapon or (b) thieve's tools
• leather armor and two concealed daggers

Table: The Hunter, Variant

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Surprise Attack	Swiftness
1st	+2	Fighting Style, Mark Target Sneak, Attack	1d6	_
2nd	+2	Swiftness	1d6	10 feet
3rd	+2	Archetype Feature	1d6	10 feet
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6	10 feet
5th	+3	Extra Attack	2d6	15 feet
6th	+3	Archetype Feature	2d6	15 feet
7th	+3	Evasion	2d6	15 feet
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	15 feet
9th	+4	Reliable Talent	3d6	20 feet
10th	+4	Archetype Feature	3d6	20 feet
11th	+4	Versatility	3d6	20 feet
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	3d6	20 feet
13th	+5	Ambush	3d6	25 feet
14th	+5	Archetype Feature	4d6	25 feet
15th	+5	Elusive	4d6	25 feet
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	25 feet
17th	+6	Ambush Master	4d6	25 feet
18th	+6	Sudden Strike	4d6	30 feet
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	30 feet
20th	+6	Master Hunter	5d6	30 feet

Fighting Style

At first level, choose a fighting style from the following:

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

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.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Two-Weapon Fighting

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

Marked Target

Starting at 1st level, your years of tracking have granted you the ability to mark a creature as your favored enemy. As a bonus action on your turn you may choose one creature within 30ft of you as your target, your mark last for one hour or until the target drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious, at which point you regain controle of this feature.

  You gain the following benefits while you are wearing light armor and not weilding a shield.

•you may make melee atacks against your target with advantage.

•you may use wisdom instead of strength or dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of your melee weapon.

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foes distraction. Once per turn you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack that you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use finesse or a ranged weapon. You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Swiftness

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are in combat. You do not provoke opportunity attacks while using swiftness. This bonus increases as you gain more levels in this class, as shown on the Hunter, Variant table. At 13th level, you are always affected by swiftness, in combat or not.

Hunter, Variant Archetype

At 3rd level you choose a Hunter, Variant archetype. This choice grants you additional features at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 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 11th level in this class.

Evasion

At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a Fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Reliable Talent

At 9th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Versatility

At 11th level your weapon attacks now score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Ambush

At 13th level, When you land a critical strike you deal x3 damage instead of x2.

Elusive

Beginning at 15th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Sudden Strike

Starting at 18th level, you can strike with deadly speed. If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as a bonus action. This attack can benefit from your Sneak Attack even if you have already used it this turn, but only if the attack is the only one you make against the target this turn.

Master Hunter

At 20th level, you learn to exploit a creature’s weaknesses by carefully studying its tactics and movement. Your Sneak Attack damage against that creature increases by 3d6.

Hunter, Variant Archetypes

Blademaster

Masters of melee, becoming whirlwinds of blades in battle.

Multiattack Defense

At 3rd level, When a creature hits you with an Attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

Whirlwind

At 6th level, you can use your action to make a melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target. You cannot use surprise attack while using this feature.

Surprise Whirlwind

At 10th level you can use surprise attack while using whirlwind. You can only effect two creatures in this way. Whirlwind radius is increases by 5 feet.

Blade Tornado

At 14th level you can hit creatures multiple times when using whirlwind. Once per turn when you use whirlwind, you deal an additinol 1d10 damage.

Bowmaster

Masters of ranged weapons, picking enemies off from afar.

Precise Aim

At 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to, until the start of you next turn, double your Dexterity modifier when determining your ranged attack rolls. You can use this feature an amount of times equal to half your level per short or long rest. (Round down)

Volley

At 6th level, you can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target. You can use this feature a number of times a day equal to your Dexterity modifier (rounded down)

Surprise Volley

At 10th level you can use Volley to Sneak Attack one extra target. Volley gains an increased radius to 15 feet of a point you can see within your weapons range.

Arrow Storm

At 14th level you can hit creatures multiple times when using volley. When you use volley, you do 2d12 + your Dexterity modifier damage, plus the usual amount of damage dealt by that weapon.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Hunter, Variant class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Hunter, Variant class, you gain the following proficiencies: simple weapons, martial weapons, light armor, stealth, Dexterity saving throws.

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