Van Helsing (5e Class)

van Helsing

Maria was a young girl when the wolves first attacked her family farm. First it was a couple of sheep being slaughtered, then more over the next week. Tim the shepherd boy was found one morning with his throat torn out, that was when everyone got worried. Her father hired a couple of helpers from the local tavern who bragged about being the best fighters in the area and said that wolves were no problem. That night will be one Maria never forgets. A pack of wolves is one thing, a pack of wolves in the service of a vampire is a totally different threat. The two fighters' screams could be heard across the valley. Then the tremor of approaching doom was felt through the house as something landed on the roof. Maria was put in a cold room and told to hide and not to come out before dawn. That was the last time she saw her parents alive. A priest found her in the wreckage of the farm and took her in. She was traumatised for quite some time and feared the night. The priest taught her to harness that fear into a positive force of good, that their god would want her not to be scared anymore. They taught her how to defend herself and found she quickly picked up all they showed her. She quickly became the better of her teachers and the took to training very easily developing speed and fighting prowess faster than the priest had ever seen before. One day an old woman came to the church with reports of a wolf pack terrorising a nearby village, Maria grabbed her sword and headed off into the night looking for revenge, never to be seen again....

The monks and priests that supported the great family of the van Helsings have long taken in victims of attacks from undead creatures. Many are laid to rest in special ceremonies to make sure they stay at peace in their dying days and then into death. Out of those that survive a few show potential and are then brought into the ranks and trained in the arts of fighting the undead. Even though the family name of a notorious vampire hunter, the name van Helsing became synonymous with vampire hunter, striking fear in the dead hearts of undead beings and other evil creature's that lurk in the dark. Some are part of the vampire hunter family, other's however drawn into the fold for revenge against the evil creatures that caused their suffering or to ensure others are not victims by defending innocents from monsters.

To fight the dark powers, they rely in knowledge, both mundane and magic, constantly seeking information about the beings they hunt, and delving deeper into occultism, understanding these eldritch energies to become able to fight against it. They also master the combat arts, learning to fight with multiple weapons, but specializing in weapons easy to carry, conceal and wield, since brute strength is often useless against foes powered by black magic.

Creating a van Helsing

Now think about who makes up your character, what is their background? How did they end up as a van Helsing? Was it something they were born into? Are his or her family van Helsings and trained you into it? Was it something that called to you later in life? Did you lose a friend or family to one of these horrors and swear vengeance? Were you hunted by one of these horrors and vowed to become the hunter? What made you start adventuring? A mission set out by your priests? Was it by pure chance- you were in the wrong place at the right time? Are you looking for something existential or personal? All these questions lead to better understanding your character and their motivations. It can be hard to find good backgrounds for a van Helsing. Inquisitor will be the most widely applicable background. Haunted One may be chosen if a horror has attacked him or his family in the past. A noble background could be chosen for how well educated lords and ladies can be.

Quick Build

You can make a van Helsing quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma or Intelligence or Wisdom, and constitution. Choose the Inquisitor background. Choose Athletics, Insight, Investigation, and Intimidation as your skills. Pick a Dungeoneer's pack for your starting equipment in addition to anything granted by your background.

Class Features

As a Helsing you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Cartographer’s tools, tinker’s tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Stealth, and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) one martial weapon or (b) rapier
• (a) light crossbow or (b) longbow
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Helsing

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
				1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Helsing Speed, Weapon Mastery	-	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Helsing Eyes	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Eldritch Path, Familiar	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Attack	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Steel Resolve, Helsing's Favoured Weapon	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Eldritch Path Feature	5	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	-	6	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Favored Weapon Improvement	6	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Eldritch Path Feature	7	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	-	8	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Hidden	8	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Eldritch Path Feature	9	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	-	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Helsing Speed Improvement	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Eldritch Slayer	11	4	3	3	3	2

Weapon Mastery

At 1st level, your hard training with one handed weapons, which you use to face mind numbing horrors, has led you to become more skilled and faster than a common warrior. When you attack with a melee weapon that you are proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property, you can use your Dexterity modifier, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls.

Helsing Speed

At 1st level, you gain the ability to move faster than a common person. You gain the following benefits:

• Your movement speed increases by 5 feet. This bonus increases to 10 feet at 5th level and to 15 feet at 18th level.

• You get a +1 bonus to initiative. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level and +3 at 18th level.

• Starting at 18th level, when you take the Dash action, your movement is unaffected by difficult terrain.

Spellcasting

Starting at 2nd level, by embracing the tactics of those you hunt, you gain the ability to harness the dark magic given to them by the darker elements of the realms.

Spell Slots

The Helsing table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell hellish rebuke p and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast hellish rebuke using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. The Spells Known column of the Helsing table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your helsing spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Helsing Eyes

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to see in the dark so their mark can't hide in the shadows. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet.

Helsing's Familiar

At 3rd level, you can summon a familiar to aid thee in thine quest, since fighting eldritch horrors can be a lonely work without a little friend to keep as company and to be an extra set of eyes. You learn the find familiar spell and can cast it once, without spending a spell slot. The spell doesn't count against your number of spells known. Once you cast this spell, you can't do it again until you complete a short or a long rest.

When you cast this spell, because of the strange nature of the creatures you hunt, you can chose the following forms, instead of the regular ones given by the spell: dog, owl, imp or faerie.

Additionally, as a bonus action, you can command a familiar summoned by this feature make one attack on his turn. The familiar's game statistics are in the familiar stat block bellow.

Familiar

Armor Class 13

Hit Points equal to the familiar's Constitution modifier + 3 times your level in this class.

Speed fly 30 ft.

STR 14 (+2)

DEX 16 (+3)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 10 (+0)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws: Dex + 5

Skills: Perception + 2

Senses passive Perception 12

Languages understands the languages you speak

Actions

Familiar Attack Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage. Type of damage depends on the type of familiar: piercing (dog), fire (imp), radiant (fairy), slashing (owl).

Eldritch Path

When you reach 3rd level, you devote yourself to an eldritch path. You can chose between the Path of the Scholar, Path of the Devoted or Path of the Cursed.

Your path grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th and 15th.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, while hunting in the darkness against the horrors that dwell there your reflexes have become honed to the point that you can move faster than a common person. Your training and time hunting leaves their attacks a blur to the naked eye. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Steel Resolve

At 6th level, you have been training to face creatures that would rip the life and sanity out of a normal person, steeling your resolve against their attacks. Chose four of the following creature types: Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Demons, Devils, Monstrosities, or the Undead.

You gain advantage on Wisdom and Constitution saving throws against any effect or spell of this creatures. You gain also advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against any Charisma (Deception) checks from these creatures.

Helsing's Favoured Weapon

Starting at 6th level, when you finish a long rest, you can chose one weapon as your favoured weapon. Must be a melee weapon that lacks the two handed property. When you bind with the weapon, it starts to count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and you can now use this weapon as a spellcasting focus for your van Helsing spells. You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have your favoured weapon in your hand.

While wielding your favoured weapon in one hand, you gain +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls in additional to any other bonuses the weapon may already have. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level. The weapon is also a conduit for your faith and as such you can channel the power of your conviction through the weapon with each strike for an additional 1d6 radiant damage.

Hidden

At 14th level, you have embraced the darkness of the places their prey live. They use it to their advantage. Moving with silent steps and sticking to the shadows, you become almost invisible. You gain advantage to all Dexterity (Stealth) skill checks made while you are in dim light or darkness.

Eldritch Slayer

Blood and gore run down the blade as the horror dies at the Helsing’s feet. Their training served them well. Trained to take down such horrors, the skills against them are at their peak.

At 20th level, choose four creatures of eldritch origin: Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Demons, Devils, Monstrosities, or the Undead. You gain advantage on all attacks against these chosen creatures.

Path of the Scholar

You have found academic study a breeze and are fascinated by the library. Digging up all you can about these evil creatures and how to combat them. Not only by force but by wisdom and intelligence. You are still a capable fighter but see that the sword is not always the most efficient solution. You have learned to fight these eldritch beasts through study, training and dedication.

Scholar's Cyclopaedia

Starting at 3rd level, you gain a book where you compile all knowledge gathered through your journey as a monster hunter. You learn two cantrips from the wizard spell book and you can add new spells to this book. You can transcribe any spell you know to this book, at a cost of 25 gp per level of the spell. In addition, you can add new spells you encounter to this book. You can transcribe a spell from the wizard spell list to this book, when you find a scroll or a grimoire, spending 50 gp in materials per level of the spell.

You can have a number of spells compiled to your cyclopaedia equal to your level in this class. You can prepare spells contained in your cyclopaedia, at the end of a long rest. You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier.

In addition, while you have this cyclopaedia in hands, you cannot roll a number under your Intelligence modifier + half your level in any Intelligence (History), (Nature), (Arcana) or (Religion) check.

If your cyclopaedia is lost or destroyed, you need to spend 7 days and 250 gp to make another. All spells copied onto the original one are lost.

Magic Warrior

Beginning at 7th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action. You add half (rounded up) your INT bonus to your attacks as you have studied the texts of combat.

Secret Knowledge

At 11th level, you discover a magical secret while hunting the creatures of the night. Choose one spell of 6th-level spell from the warlock or wizard spell list as your secret knowledge.

You can cast your secret knowledge spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

You now add your full INT bonus to your attacks as you have studied long and hard to discover the secrets of warfare.

Fast Caster

At 15th level, you learn how to cast spells on the heat of the battle with speed. When you cast a spell using a higher level spell slot, you can chose, instead of generating the effect on the description of the spell, to cast it with a bonus action. If you cast a spell with your action, you can use your bonus action to cast another spell with this feature.

Path of the Devoted

Your devotion to the cause has been noticed by your deity. You were given the powers and told to fight these evil beings by a god, who watches over you. Your priests tell you how special you are in the light of your god. You are indeed a weapon of the gods in the fight against evil and thus blessed.

Sacred Channelling

At 3rd level, when you cast a van Helsing spell, you can use your Wisdom instead of your Intelligence as your spellcasting ability, and you can use a sacred symbol as your spellcasting focus. In addition, you learn one cantrip from the cleric spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You gain the Spare the Dying cantrip if you don't already know it.

Divine Mark

At 3rd level, you can use the divine power to destroy your prey. As a bonus action, you can chose one creature you can see within 30 feet to mark with divine light. The mark lasts until the end of your next round, or until you hit this creature with an attack. Your next attack against this creature is made with advantage, and you deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage on a hit.

In addition, chose one 1st level spell from the cleric spell list. You can cast this spell without spending a spell slot, a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. You regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Aura of Light

At 7th level, you become surrounded by a invisible, but tangible divine presence. You and any creature within 10 feet of you gain advantage against being frightened or charmed. In addition, the area around you to 30' is considered difficult terrain to any undead or fiend.

In addition, as an action, you can lift a sacred symbol and reveal your aura in a explosion of bright light. All evil, fiend and undead creatures within 30-feet radius must make a Constitution saving throw, or are blinded until the beginning of your next turn. Any undead or fiend in the area that fail the saving throw are frightened of you for 1 minute or until they are attacked. Once you do this, you can't do it again until you complete a long rest.

Blessed Light

At 11th level, when you mark a creature, the bright light limits its vision. While the mark is active, all attacks made by that creature are made with disadvantage. If the creature is a undead or a fiend, it must make a Constitution saving throw against your save DC or it is blinded while the mark is active on a failed save.

Breath of Life

At 15th level, Your god acknowledges your great potential even further and looks out for you. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can ask your god for intervention, regaining a number of hit points equal to 1d20 + your Wisdom modifier. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or a long rest during which time you are able to praise your deity for their merciful kindness.

Path of the Cursed

To fight monsters, you sometimes become a monster yourself. Cursed van Helsings have fought many times and that comes at a price, either through a bite or scratch they have been infected with blood from the vile creatures they seek to destroy, which whilst enhancing their powers and giving them magical abilities, causes problems that have to be managed through treatments from their priests and constant vigilance to prevent them succumbing to the evil that now courses their veins.

Beguiling Presence

Starting at 3rd level, you feel more confident and you can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to any Charisma check you make that doesn't already use your proficiency bonus.

Innate Magic

At 3rd level, when you cast a van Helsing spell, you can use your Charisma instead of your Intelligence as your spellcasting ability. In addition, you learn one cantrip from the warlock spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You can cast Charm Person without using a spell slot or materials, once you have done this you cannot cast it again until after a long rest.

The Thirst for Revenge

At 7th level, you become more thirsty, you crave something that you dare not consider. You are prone to violent outbursts of anger which gives you a +2 to Intimidation checks but a -4 to Animal Handling and Persuasion checks if Intimidation is used before a long rest as you emanate evil intent. In battle, if you take damage you must take a WIS sv (DC15) or be compelled to charge the source of your taken damage then focus all attacks and energy towards that target. You gain a charge range of 50' as the vampire within yearns for revenge. When in this rage you add 3d6 your melee weapon damage type which is considered magical.

In addition, your saving throws are at disadvantage when in full sunlight. So if you are fighting in daylight and take damage The Thirst for Revenge WIS sv is at disadvantage.

Battle Blood

At 11th level, you discover that your blood has regenerative powers. You are healed by Necrotic damage, whenever you take necrotic damage you are healed instead by half the damage you would have taken. You are now vulnerable to Radiant damage and at disadvantage against saving throws from being Blinded by light spells or sources.

Vampiric Anger

At 15th level, you gain Extra Attack(3). You can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. If you slay (reduce to 0 hit points) your last foe within 60' before using your last attack you must make a WIS sv (DC20) or use your remaining attacks against the nearest ally as you fail to control your anger and thirst.

Inspiration for the class? Whoever made the Alucard & Helsing (5e Class) homebrew class, I just wanted to tweak it a bit, and I think the name van Helsing denotes a variant that does not include supernatural vampire abilities beyond what is expected in a vampire/undead hunting class. To whoever made the Alucard & Helsing (5e Class) class, thank you!

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