Trapper (5e Class)

Arcane Trapper

The trapper avoids a fair fight whenever possible, using their devices and wits to outsmart their enemies and leave them defenceless. They are experts at ambushes and traps, knowing exactly where an enemy will step and using it to their advantage. They prefer to make their first strike from the shadows, luring the enemy into their traps before going in to finish them off.

Creating a Trapper

When making an arcane trapper, think about what it was they prefer to trap. Do they hunt animals trap them for food? Maybe they use their traps for good with the police to trap criminals before sending them to jail. Maybe they use their trapping skills for money, selling their skills as a home-defence expert. Or perhaps they're a brutal serial killer, whose only want is to kill people with the most brutal and devastating traps.

Quick Build

You can make a Trapper quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence or Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Outlander background. Third, choose Hide armour, a spear and light crossbow, 1,000 Ball Bearings; 20 Caltrops and a Hunting Trap, and a burglar's pack.

Class Features

As a Trapper you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Trapper level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Trapper level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armour, Medium armour
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Trident, Glaive, Whip, Blowgun, Net, Heavy Crossbow, Pike, Shortsword,
Tools: Disguise Kit, Thieve's Tools
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose 3 from Animal Handling, Arcana, Deception, History, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) Leather armour or (b) Hide armour
• (a) A Spear and Light Crossbow or (b) A Whip and Shortsword or (c) 2 Simple Weapons
• (a) 1,000 Ball Bearings, 20 Caltrops and a Hunting Trap or (b) A Net, 50 ft of Rope, 5 Javelins
• (a) Burglar's Pack or (b) Dungeoneer's Pack or (c) Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Trapper

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Trap Damage	Features	Cantrips	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	+2	-	Cunning Action	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	1d8	Improved Traps	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	2d8	Home Design, Spellcasting	2	2	—	—	—
4th	+2	2d8	Ability Score Improvement	2	3	—	—	—
5th	+3	3d8	—	3	3	—	—	—
6th	+3	3d8	Trap Comprehension	3	3	—	—	—
7th	+3	4d8	Expertise	4	4	2	—	—
8th	+3	4d8	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	2	—	—
9th	+4	5d8	-	5	4	2	—	—
10th	+4	5d8	Hidden Traps	5	4	3	—	—
11th	+4	6d8	Concussive Blast	5	4	3	—	—
12th	+4	6d8	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+5	7d8	-	5	4	3	2	—
14th	+5	7d8	Salt in the Wound	5	4	3	2	—
15th	+5	8d8	Hide in Plain Sight	5	4	3	2	—
16th	+5	8d8	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	—
17th	+6	9d8	-	5	4	3	3	—
18th	+6	9d8	Extra Trap	5	4	3	3	—
19th	+6	10d8	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	1
20th	+6	10d8	Surprise Trap	5	4	3	3	1

Cunning Action

Starting at 1st level, you can use your bonus action to take the dash, disengage and hide action. Additionally, you can use it to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check using theives tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object Action. This allows you to use your portable traps as a bonus action.

Improved Traps

Starting at 2nd level, traps used by you deal an extra 1d8 damage. This damage increases at later levels (shown on the Trapper table. Any trap you place that requires a DC save to escape or avoid has a Trap DC of 8 + Proficiency + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, or it can use its normal DC save (whichever is higher). You cannot score a critical hit with a trap.

Home Design

When you unlock this feature at 3rd level, you get the ability to create your own traps to suit the environment. These traps can range from a pit with spikes, trip wire and a crossbow, and more: as many as you can imagine. Depending on the complexity of the trap, you may be required to make a Wisdom or Intelligence (Survival) check. Your traps, if they deal damage, deal damage equal to your trap damage and whatever additional damage your DM feels should be applied (if your trap fires a crossbow bolt aimed at head height, if your target falls into a pit of javelins/acid etc.) In order to detect your traps, a creature needs to make an Wisdom(Perception) or an Intelligence(Investigation) against your Trap DC.

Spellcasting

When you earn this ability at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use magic to enhance your trap skills. The Trapper gets its own unique brand of magic. They specialise in magic traps. They can alternatively be cast in similar fashion to the Glyph of Warding spell with a shorter casting time of 1 minute, allowing you to apply your trap damage. You can have a maximum of 10 magic traps active at a time. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Intelligence.

Trap Book

At 3rd level, you have a book of all the traps you know. You must consult this book to change your prepared spells.

Cantrips

You learn 4 cantrips of your choice from the trapper spell list. You learn additional cantrips at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Spells Known and Prepared

You know all the spells in the trapper spell list, however you can only cast the spells you have prepared (even as a ritual). You can prepare one new spell on every even level number (levels 6,8,10,12 etc). You start with 1 spell + your intelligence or wisdom modifier prepared at 3rd level. You can change what spells you have prepared after a short or long rest. You recover all your spell slots on a long rest and 1/3 of your spell slots on a short rest (similar to wizards' arcane recovery ability).

Trap Comprehension

When you unlock this ability at 6th level, you have honed your knowledge of traps. You know what and where to look for them, and how to disarm them. You have advantage on all checks relating to traps: finding them, disarming them and understanding how they work. You also have advantage on any saving throw they cause to you.

Expertise

At 7th level, you gain expertise in two of your skills. You can double the proficiency of any two skills or tools.

Hidden Traps

At 10th level, you learn to camouflage your traps better. You can use your action or bonus action to hide a trap, either by using magic or the environment. A hidden trap is harder to find: a creature has disadvantage on spotting any hidden traps.

Concussive Blast

When you unlock this ability at 11th level, you learn to combine chemicals and magic into a bomb you can throw 20/60ft. This bomb has a 10 ft radius. Targets within this area must succeed on a strength saving throw against your Trap DC. On a failed save, they are pushed 15 ft away from the bomb. You can choose to throw a damaging bomb, that deals half of your trap damage, or a non-damaging bomb. (Basically you become Junkrat from Overwatch... have fun)

Salt in the Wound

When you unlock this ability at 14th level, you can strike more effectively against your poor, defenceless trapped creature. Any attack you make against a target whose movement is restricted is automatically a critical hit.

Hide in Plain Sight

At 15th level, you can spend 1 minute crafting camouflage for yourself and allies. Whoever is wearing the camouflage can press themselves against a surface that can take the hide action once and get a +10 to stealth.

Trap Mastery

At 18th level, when you use your action or bonus action to place a trap, you can instead place two traps (a total of 4 per round). Additionally, you can now use your bonus action to take the shove action.

Surprise Trap

Have you ever watched an enemy move and just wished you placed a trap there? Well now you have. At 20th level, if an enemy moves you can choose to have them set off a trap you "forgot" you placed there. This can be a magical trap, including one you don't have prepared. The target automatically fails any saving throw required and the trap is guaranteed to hit. Can use up to Intelligence or Wisdom Modifier number of times per long rest

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.

Trapper Spell List

You can choose spells from the trapper spell list.

Cantrips

You can cast cantrips without a ritual, like a normal spell caster.

Control Flames, Create Bonfire, Light, Lightning Lure, Mage Hand, Message, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy, True Strike

1st Level

Alarm, Catapult, Colour Spray, Compelled Duel, Disguise Self, Earth Tremor, Faerie Fire, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Grease, Magic Missile, Silent Image Sleep, Snare

2nd Level

Arcane Lock, Blindness/Deafness, Cloud of Daggers, Cordon of Arrows, Darkness, Dust Devil, Earth Bind, Enlarge Reduce, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Levitate, Magic Mouth, Maximilian's Earthen Grasp, Pyrotechnics, Shatter,Silence, Skywrite, Spike Growth, Suugestion, Web

3rd Level

Animate Dead, Call Lightning, Conjure Animals, Dispell Magic, Enemies Abound, Erupting Earth, Fireball, Glyph of Warding (does not require material spell component), Magic Circle, Major Image, Plant Growth, Sleet Storm, Stinking Cloud, Summon Lesser Demon, Wall of Sand, Wall of Water

4th Level

Banishment, Compulsion, Confusion, Conjure Minor Elementals, Control Water, Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Grasping Vine, Hallucinatory Terrain, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Polymorph, Stone Shape, Storm Sphere, Summon Greater Demon, Vitriolic Sphere, Wall of Fire, Watery Sphere

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Trapper class, you must meet these prerequisites: Intelligence or Wisdom of 13 or higher.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Trapper class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Thieve's Tools

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