Taser (5e Class)
Taser
Twitching uncontrollably, a halfling stands amongst the charred corpses of an orc raiding party, arcs of lightning still running across his fingertips and hair.
Shaking hands with a long time enemy, a dwarf adds a little surprise before his rival can react, and the former's hand is shocked beyond repair.
An elf covered in blue runes closes his eyes and settles in to a meditation pose. He slowly rises up the face the red dragon, and a tether of lightning connects the two. The dragon's life force slowly is siphoned away in to the glowing runes as it roars and flails in futility.
Unfortunate or lucky?
The taser is a class of those accursed by fate. Tasers are formed by those that found or created a device to imbue their bodies with the power of lightning. This ultimately grants both great power and misfortune. They often have blue veins of electricity zagging over their skin showing their power's instability. It hurts them to even use it at times.
Creating a Taser
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Not all characters are a Taser by choice. Consider the amount of control a character has over the power in its own body and how anyone can get a small shock from contact. Is your character very sporadic? Are they tortured by memories of being an experiment, or perhaps a misfortune they bought on themselves? Do they want normalcy or relish this chaotic energy?
- Quick Build
You can make a Taser quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the explorer background. Third, choose the shortsword, explorers pack and studded leather armor for your equipment.
Class Features
As a Taser you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Taser level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Taser level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: light armor
Weapons: martial melee weapons, simple weapons
Tools: thieve's tools, medicine kit
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: any three
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) explorers pack or (b) adventurers pack or (c) empty backpack with 50ft rope.
- (a) quarter staff or (b) short sword or (c) any simple weapon
- (a) studded leather armour or (b) plate armor
- A nonfunctional device melded onto some part of your body that is irremovable
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10 in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Charge Points | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 2 | Inner Battery, Shock Attack |
| 2nd | +2 | 4 | Passive Charge |
| 3rd | +2 | 6 | Taser Type |
| 4th | +2 | 8 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | 10 | Shock Repose |
| 6th | +3 | 12 | Passive Charge improvement |
| 7th | +3 | 14 | Taser Type feature |
| 8th | +3 | 16 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | 18 | Lightning Rod |
| 10th | +4 | 20 | Passive Charge improvement |
| 11th | +4 | 22 | Charge Resistance |
| 12th | +4 | 24 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | 26 | Powered By Thunder |
| 14th | +5 | 28 | Electromagnetism |
| 15th | +5 | 30 | Taser Type feature |
| 16th | +5 | 32 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | 34 | Restorative Storm |
| 18th | +6 | 36 | Taser Type feature |
| 19th | +6 | 38 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | 40 | Resuscitation |
Inner Battery
At 1st level, you gain charge points, which allow you to fully utilize your effects as a taser.
- Charge Points
You have 2 charge points, and you gain two additional points every time you level up, to a maximum of 40 at level 20. You can never have more charge points than shown on the table for your level. You regain all spent charge points when you finish a long rest.
Shock Attack
Starting first level your character can imbue melee attacks with the power of lightning by expending charge. You may choose to expend charge points when you make a melee weapon or unarmed attack on a creature in range, requiring no action of you. This feature deals lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on top of normal weapon damage equal the amount of charge points expended. The maximum amount of charge points you have is shown in the Taser table. If more than 1 charge point is used in an attack the opponent must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + number of charge points used + your Wisdom modifier. On a failed save, the creature is stunned until the end of it's next turn. When you successfully deal damage to a creature with this feature, you take half of the damage dealt on your turn as lightning or thunder damage (depends on what you chose before) rounded up.
Passive Charge
Starting 2nd level, the presence of charge in the characters body causes visible changes such as sparks of lightning and small twitches. So long as the character has any charge points available, you are considered proficient in the Intimidation skill, but you have a -2 penalty in animal handling checks. A soft glow casts dim light in a 10ft radius of the character as long as you have charge points that are unused.
Starting 6th level, you regain one charge point every hour you are not incapacitated.
Starting 10th level, you recover 2 charge points per hour instead of one.
Taser Type
At 3rd level, you choose one of two types of tasers to become. Choose either the Warrior Taser or Mage Taser subclass, both detailed at the end of the class description. You get features from your chosen subclass at 3rd, 7th, 15th and 18th levels.
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.
Shock Repose
Starting 5th level the you can channel energy through an enemy attack. If you are targeted by a melee attack or grappled, you can use your reaction to deal lightning or thunder damage equal to the amount of charge points you expend. If more than 1 charge point is used in an attack the opponent must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + number of charge points used + your Wisdom modifier. On a failed save, the creature is stunned until the end of it's next turn. When you successfully deal damage to a creature with this feature, you take half of the damage you dealt as lightning or thunder damage (depends on what you chose before) rounded up.
Lightning Rod
Starting 9th level, by expending two charge points before any saving rolls or attack rolls are made, you can redirect a lightning or thunder attribute attack or spell onto yourself. These attacks automatically succeed and in the case of saving throws, it is treated as though you failed. The original target takes no lightning damage from the attack. In the event that the spell will hit multiple targets, the lightning rod feature must be used separately for each target.
Charge Resistance
Starting 11th level, you gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
Powered By Lightning
Starting 13th level, you can recover charge points through taking lightning damage. You regain 1 expended charge point for every 10 lightning damage dealt to you in a single attack.
Electromagnetism
Starting 14th level, you can manipulate the electricity in you to repel yourself and levitate, as well as fly. You gain a fly speed of 60 feet.
Restorative Storm
Starting 17th level, you are rejuvenated instead of harmed by lightning and thunder. If you should take lightning or thunder damage, you instead regain hit points equal to the amount of damage you would have taken. You cannot regain more hit points than your maximum with this feature.
Resuscitation
Starting 20th level, your inner battery serves to restart your life in dire situations. If you drop to 0 hit points and are incapacitated or unconscious, so long as you have at least 1 charge point remaining, you can expend all remaining charge points to become conscious again with 1 hit point. You may use this feature once, regaining use after finishing a long rest.
Warrior Taser
The kind of lightning bolt that gets up close and personal
- Shock Speed
When chosen at 3rd level the body's charge begins to boost neurological pathways. You gain 10 additional feet of movement and can dash with a bonus action.
- Stronger Shock
Starting at 7th level a warrior taser learns how to bolster any lightning damage dealt. You may increase all lightning damage you deal by the amount equal your proficiency bonus.
- Stunning Dash
Starting 15th level, you gain the power to shock those who try and take you by surprise. When you dash and take an opportunity attack, you may expend your reaction to emit a burst of lightning or thunder in a radius of 10 feet from where you are attacked. All creatures within range must succeed a Constitution roll of DC 10 + your Wisdom modifier or be paralyzed until the beginning of their next turn. You may not use this feature again until you complete a short or long rest.
- Aspect of the Lightning Beast
Starting at 18th level, you can use an action to produce a lightning breath weapon within a 5 by 30ft line in a direction of your choice. All affected creatures must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On failure, a creature takes lightning damage equal to Xd8, X being the amount of charge points you expend. On success, they take half as much damage.
Mage Taser
One who tries to imitate a mage with internal lightning and succeeds somewhat.
- Thunderwave
Starting 3rd level, you can use an action to spend 4 charge points to cast the thunderwave spell without using any somatic, verbal or material components. Your casting modifier for this spell is your Wisdom.
- Lightning Bolt
Starting 7th level, you can expend an action to spend 8 charge points and cast the lightning bolt spell without using any somatic, verbal or material components. Your casting modifier for this spell is your Wisdom.
- Chain Lightning
Starting 15th level, you can expend an action to spend 12 charge points to cast the chain lightning spell without using any somatic, verbal or material components. Your casting modifier for this spell is your Wisdom.
- Power Word Stun
Starting 18th level, you can use an action to spend 16 charge points to cast the power word stun spell without the verbal component. Your casting modifier for this spell is your Wisdom. You may use this feature once, regaining use when you finish a along rest.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Taser class, you must meet these prerequisites: must find or make the Taser artifact.
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