Runner, Variant (5e Class)

Runner

A runner is a fearless warrior who specializes in speed. No one can evade him, and few can respond before he has already cut them down. He bobs and weaves around incoming spells and arrows without getting hit, and he crashes through foes fast as lightning, decisively ending battles before they really begin. Runners favor an extremely aggressive fighting style and must be brave of heart to survive. Many runners are very pious, treating the action of running as a religious experience akin to a form of prayer or homage to a god of war or strength.

Creating a Runner

Runners fight extremely aggressively; their whole fighting style is based around charging headlong into the fray. Your personality and your background should reflect that. Beyond that aspect, however, runners can live a variety of different lives. Ask yourself: Why do you run? What do you use your speed for? Are you a stereotypical runner, a hot-blooded warrior, who rushes in to battle without fear? Or are you more clever and calculating than you might seem?

Quick Build

You can make a Runner quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Soldier background.

Class Features

As a Runner you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) chain mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) three handaxes or (b) ten javelins
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Table: The Runner

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Heroic Agility	Lightning Strike
1st	+2	Fighting Style, Lightning Strike	—	2d6
2nd	+2	Heroic Agility	+10 ft.	2d6
3rd	+2	Runner's Path	+10 ft.	2d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Rough Runner	+10 ft.	2d6
5th	+3	Extra Attack	+10 ft.	3d6
6th	+3	Path Feature	+15 ft.	3d6
7th	+3	Evasion	+15 ft.	3d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	+15 ft.	3d6
9th	+4	Combat Reflexes, Sidestep (1/rest)	+15 ft.	3d6
10th	+4	Path Feature	+20 ft.	3d6
11th	+4	Extra Attack (2)	+20 ft.	4d6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	+20 ft.	4d6
13th	+5	Sidestep (2/rest), Swift as the Wind	+20 ft.	5d6
14th	+5	Path Feature	+25 ft.	5d6
15th	+5	True Courage	+25 ft.	5d6
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	+25 ft.	5d6
17th	+6	Sidestep (3/rest), Steel Will	+25 ft.	6d6
18th	+6	Path Feature	+30 ft.	6d6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	+30 ft.	6d6
20th	+6	Transfixing Charge	+30 ft.	6d6

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. A fighting style from the list of fighting styles. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Lightning Strike

The signature ability of runners is their skill at charging into the fray and using their sheer momentum to strike forceful blows. You can deal an extra 2d6 damage to one creature you hit with a melee or thrown weapon attack if you moved at least 15 feet towards that creature in a straight line immediately before making the attack.

The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Lightning Strike column of the Runner table.

Heroic Agility

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet, and you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to take the Dash or Disengage action.

Your speed increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Heroic Agility column of the Runner table.

Runner's Path

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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.

Rough Runner

Starting at 4th level, your speed is not reduced by nonmagical difficult terrain.

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 you can make increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm 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.

Combat Reflexes

At 9th level, you learn to enter battle with such blinding speed that your opponents cannot react. You now have advantage on initiative rolls.

Sidestep

Once you reach 9th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you can force the creature to reroll its attack and take the lower result. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.

Swift as the Wind

Once you reach 13th level, you become exceptionally adept at using your speed to dodge blows before they can hit you. You gain a +2 bonus to your AC.

True Courage

At 15th level, you gain immunity to the frightened condition.

Steel Will

At 17th level, you gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Transfixing Charge

At 20th level, when you take the Dash action on your turn, you can make a crushing, awe-inspiring charge attack which single-handedly routs your enemies. When you do so, make a single melee or thrown weapon attack with advantage on your attack roll. On a hit, the creature takes 20d6 extra damage of weapon's damage type, and each creature within 60 feet of the target and aware of it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or drop whatever it's holding and become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. While frightened by this feature, a creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on its turn, unless there is nowhere to move.

Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

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Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Runner class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 or higher, Dexterity 13 or higher

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Runner class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, shields

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