D&D 5th Edition Conversion Class - The Slayer

Hi everyone!  Good grief it has taken me forever to get this done.  Classes this semester have been pretty demanding in terms of my time.  That is, one class involves a lot of reading about small business things, and thus tends to put me to sleep.  My other class involves coding a website, start to finish, and working with a virtual client.

Either way this class is inspired by the Castlevania anime on Netflix (in part), as well as the potential of the Van Helsing character to be made into a sort of class.  Now I will say that I'm not overtly satisfied with the class.  It could be better.  But it's about as good as I'm going to get it for the moment.  Either way, keep the comments clean and helpful.  It may take me some time to integrate any suggestions into the build, but I'll do what I can.

In the meantime, because of the class I'm taking, I've got the a general outline for a website.  Now the only points of concern for this is finding a host, getting the domain, and making sure that the host uses cpanel.

Now about the class.  While it may be built to be inspired by vampire hunting, the class is more versatile than that.  But enjoy and remember I'll make changes if I agree with suggestions made.

Slayer

There are reasons to fear the dark, they are reasons that normal people pay heed to.  The man standing in the dark woods smiled as the dark looked back at him, hesitant to face a man who would fearlessly enter its domain and look every bit the predator who was in his element.

A woman stood before the coffin, the creature within was sleeping, but for how long didn’t matter.   She threw open the coffin and drove her stake into the heart of the creature that lay with in.  Had it been anyone else, the stake merely would have paralyzed the monster, but in her hands the stake would destroy it.

To be a Slayer is to be more than just one who hunts vampires, but one who can hunt any creature of darkness.  To be a slayer is to be one capable of hunting and slaying any undead, to stand against demons, and remain unflinching in the face of horrors that would drive a normal person insane.

Slayers are a rare breed, drawn from beings who have survived encounters with undead and in turn vowing to stand against the dark.  They seek out others like themselves and learn the myriad tricks of the trade that make vampire hunters the bane of monsters that they are.

Unflinching Resolve

People everywhere are always dealing with the undead.  As such a slayer is often a person who has no specific home, they travel, always employing their trade wherever they go and only setting down roots where an infestation of the undead is.  Slayers are typically well educated, as well as capable fighters, having spent years in apprenticeship to another slayer.  Typically, slayers call large cities home as their chosen quarry hunts in cities themselves.  While training, a hunter will develop a fighting style that is flexible enough to allow them to fight at range and up close with no loss in defensive capabilities.  They also learn, through a grueling regime of training, to steel their mind against the charms and frightful powers of creatures.

Bane of the Dead

Most major cities have at least one slayer present somewhere within them.  This hunter will train, advise, and even lead others in the hunt of the undead.  While Clerics and Paladins are often viewed as the best fighters to employ, and Rangers can also specialize in the hunting of the undead, it is a slayer that combines the various capabilities of all of these beings into one streamlined person. 

A person becomes a slayer as part of a calling.  This can be due to facing an undead blight in their youth, being apart of a line of slayer, or they simply feel it is their calling, a desire to put the undead down.  Regardless of their reason, the path to becoming a slayer is just as perilous as the fight as one.

Creating a Slayer

When creating your slayer, you will need to keep a few things in mind.  What happened that put you onto the path?  Did you figure out the tricks and trade of the hunter yourself, or did someone help you along?  Are you single minded in your pursuit, or is there some flexibility there?  Do you commission the weapons you wield or forge them yourself?

Quick Build

You can make a slayer quickly by doing the following.  First, choose either Strength or Dexterity to be you highest score, both are important to a slayer.  Your section highest score should be either the other score you didn’t choose, or Intelligence if you plan on your slayer possessing a scholar’s aptitude.  Second, choose the Folk Hero background, or the Sage background.

Class Features

As a slayer, you gain the following features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice:  1d10 per slayerlevel

Hit Points at 1^st Level:  10 + your CON modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels:  1d10 (or 6) + your CON modifier per Vampire Hunter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:  Light & medium armor, shields

Weapons:  Simple & martial weapons

Tools: Choose 1 set of tools to be proficient in

Saving Throws:  Dexterity, Intelligence

Skills:  Choose two skills from Arcana, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Perception, Religion, Stealth.

Equipment

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

·         (a) a chainmail or (b) leather armor

·         (a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons

·         (a) a short bow or (b) light cross bow, both with 20 arrows or bolts (respectively)

·         (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Slayer’s Training

You have learned much and are ready to set upon the enemies of those who live.  At 1^st level the slayer is highly skilled at dealing with the undead.  When dealing with any undead creature you have advantage on Skill Rolls when dealing with them.  You also can, as a bonus action, make a second attack against the undead creature (or one of your chosen creature types) during your action.

At level 6 you can apply these bonuses to 1 additional creature type, and again at level 12.  The creatures you can choose to apply the bonuses to are aberrations, beasts, fiends, and monstrosities.  Against any of your chosen enemies, including your initial undead, you may use a bonus action to make an additional attack against them.

Prepared Gear

At 1^st level you know the basics of readying yourself for an opponent.  You know how to create alchemical agents to use in your fight against your chosen foes.  You know places to get ingredients with out purchasing them, though you can buy them as well.  You typically need at least 50sp worth of materials.  It takes you around 1 hour to make one alchemical agent.  Your level of skill with this allows you to craft one of the following:

·         Weapon Grease:  This is a grease you can apply to any weapon (or even your own hands).  It allows the weapon to deal either +1d6 Radiant damage, or +1d6 Force Damage (only one, but not the other).  The grease will last on a weapon for 8 hours before it dries out, or its been used up enough to be ineffective.  It takes around 1-3 minutes to apply the grease properly to a weapon, and its sheath (if it uses one).

·         Healing Potion:  You can craft a healing potion.  While the potion works normally for you, if you use it on another person it has a reduced effect (healing only 1d4 +1).

·         Holy Water:  You know an alchemical process that creates a liquid that works like holy water.

The Abyss Flinched

At 2^nd level you have advantage on saving throws for fear and charm effects.

Slayer’s Resilience

At 2^nd level you gain immunity to all diseases

Slayer Archetype

At 3^rd level, you choose an archetype that adds to your instincts and tenacity as a Slayer.  Choose Ardent Hunter, or Grim Scholar.  Each of these are detailed at the end of the class description.  The archetype you choose grants you features at level 3, and again at levels 7, 10, 15, and 18.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach level 4, and again at levels 8, 12, 16, and 19^th levels you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or two ability scores of your choice by 1.  No score can be increased above 20 in this way.

Extra Attack

Beginning at level 5, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Slayer’s Weapon

At level 6 you may choose a weapon to become your favored weapon.  You know of a ritual that empowers the weapon, making it a formidable tool.  The ritual takes 2 hours to complete and requires around 500gp in materials.  Once completed, the weapon is treated as a magical weapon (if it is not) and deals +2 damage.  Against your chosen enemies the weapon does +1d6 damage of a damage type that they are weak against.  At level 11 the critical threat range of the weapon improves by +1 becoming 19-20, and against your chosen opponent you add +1d6 to the critical hit damage.  At level 17 when you score a critical hit with your chosen weapon you do +1d6 damage, but against your chosen enemy you do another +1d6 (+2d6 in total).

Darkness Holds No Surprises

At level 9 you gain Darkvision 60ft.  Additionally, if one of your chosen enemies is invisible, or is shapeshifted you have Advantage on skill rolls to detect it.

Slayer’s Blood

At level 13 your blood is a poison to any creature that would dare to bite you.  A creature that hits you with a bite attack will deal damage normally, unless it’s bit is poisonous, in which case you are immune to the poison portion of the damage you would take.  In turn, any creature biting you will find your blood quite poisonous too.  The creature must make a CON save (DC 8 + CON Modifier + Proficiency Bonus).  If they fail the save the creature takes 3d12 poison damage and is poisoned until they can succeed on their CON save.  If they succeed on their save they take half damage and are not poisoned. 

If the creature is one of your chosen foes, then it is at a disadvantage to its save due to the special qualities of your poisoned blood.  The exception to this is if the creature is immune to poison.  You may also coat weapons in your blood to have the same effect, a weapon like this is only usable for landing two hits before it has to be reapplied (with the exception being that of arrows, which only work for one the one hit).

Invocation of Power

At level 14 you are capable of invoking divine power onto your foe.  You gain the Cleric’s ability to Turn Undead.  This works like the power, the clerics ability, along with the Destroy Undead capability.  Turning undead works one time until a short or long rest is taken.  Destroying Undead, however, requires a specific applied use and can only be done once per day before a long rest must be taken to regain its use.

Veteran Slayer

At level 20 few Slayers ever reach old age, let alone survive long enough to be a master of the trade.  Against any opponent you deal an additional 1d8 damage with any weapon you wield.  If wielding your chosen weapon, the dice in extra damage that you roll is increased to d8’s.  If facing one of your chosen foes you deal an extra die of damage as well.

 Slayer Archetypes

All slayer’s have a different approach toward how they deal with their prey.  The slayer archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.

Ardent Hunter

The archetype of Ardent Hunter is one that focuses on one’s prowess in battle, preferring overwhelming skill in battle as a way of defeating one’s foes.

Crippling Strike

When you choose this archetype at 3^rd level, you can unleash an attack that leaves your foe vulnerable.  You must declare your attack as a Crippling Strike.  If your attack hits you deal damage normally, and the target is at disadvantage to all DEX based skill rolls and saves until they can take a long.  You can use this attack a number of times equal to your INT modifier +1 (minimum of 1 time), before a short rest must be taken to use the features allotment again.

Rend the Darkness

At 7^th level you possess the ability to stand against the darker forces that exist in the world.  You may choose an additional chosen enemy type to have (from your existing list).  Once per day you gain the ability to cast the Dispel Magic, or Remove Curse, but only one or the other.  The caster level for this is equal to your current level as a slayer, Intelligence is the governing attribute for casting these spells if it is necessary.  After casting the spell you must take a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Unrelenting Hunter

At 10^th level when you denote a particular prey as your target.  When you track your chosen prey, you have advantage on relevant skill rolls to track them.  While tracking your prey you only need 4 hours for a long rest.  If you spend 1 hour tracking and studying your opponent, or researching them (or combination of any of the above), then when you face your opponent they are at disadvantage on attack rolls made against you for the next 24 hours.  If your opponent is one of your chosen enemies, you may reroll the relevant skill roll used to track them one time.

Alchemically Ready

At 15^th level you’ve expanded upon your alchemical creations for more combat capable concoctions.

·         Advanced Healing Potion:  The healing potions you can make are more concentrated, having a consistency almost like honey.  It needs only an hour to brew but uses 4x the amount of ingredients.  The potion heals 4d8+4 HP to you, but if someone other than yourself drinks a potion, they only recover 2d8+2 HP.

·         Dragon’s Ire Potion:  This potion takes 6 hours to brew, and 500gp worth of ingredients and creates a liquid like the element of what’s given.  When ingested, the character can use an action to breath a 5 x 30ft line of flame dealing 6d6 damage (of a damage type chosen from the Dragonborn list) if the target fails a DEX save (DC = 8 + DEX Modifier + proficiency bonus).  If the target makes their save they take half damage.  Once used, the character cannot use another Dragon’s Ire potion until they have had a long rest.  If you have a natural breath weapon the potion instead immediately restores the natural breath weapon’s use, and adds 2 additional die of damage to what is done.  If someone else drinks the potion they must make a CON Save (DC 8 + the crafter’s INT modifier + proficiency bonus).  If they succeed they can use the potion at half strength.  If they fail the save they instead take the damage themselves.

·         Quicksilver Potion:  The potion takes 3 hours to brew, 250gp of materials, and creates a liquid that is like mercury.  When drank the person gains an extra 30ft of movement and can make an extra attack.  If someone other than the maker drinks it, they only gain 15ft of movement.  The effects, however, last only two rounds – ending at the end of the second round.  Once over you have to take a short rest before you can use another potion again.

Monster Slayer

At 18^th level your lethality is the stuff of stories and legends.  You can end a creature in a single well-placed strike.  In the place of an attack action you can attempt to use your Monster Slayer strike.  Against an enemy that is not one of your chosen foes, you can deal normal critical damage to the target with a successful attack roll.  If the enemy is one of your chosen enemies then critical hit damage is dice is rolled 3 times instead of the normal two.  If you roll an actual critical hit for this attack, you then would roll 3 times the damage or 4 times the damage (respectively).  If the target looses more than half their HP in this attack, they must make a CON save (DC = 8 + DEX modifier + Proficiency bonus).  If they succeed they take the damage normally.  If they fail the save they die.

Grim Scholar

The archetype of Grim Scholar is one that focuses on one’s skills and capabilities instead of overall combat prowess.

Know Thy Foe

At 3^rd level you have the ability to quickly assess your foe and their capabilities.  When facing an opponent you can spend an action to analyze a single chosen opponent.  On your next turn and until that chosen opponent is defeated you may choose one of the following options to use when fighting them:

·         +1 AC

·         +2 Damage

·         +1 to Attack Rolls

If the foe is one of your chosen opponents from Slayer’s Training, you can double the bonus.  At the start of each of your turns you can choose how to reapply the benefits.

A Trick Up Your Sleeve

At 7^th level you have developed tricks for concealing weapons and items on your person.  You have advantage on skill rolls to conceal objects on your person.  Additionally, you are never with out a weapon.  With an hour of prep time you can bond a light weapon to yourself.  This weapon can be called to yourself from anywhere it is.  You also can bond one item that is not a weapon to be called to you in the same way.  When called the weapon simply appears in your hand.  You may also choose to send the item back to where you called it from if you deem it necessary.

Worldly Study

At level 10 you have developed the ability to quickly adapt to new places and situations.  It takes you an hour to get used to any environmental condition that does not cause physical harm.  This allows you to move and take actions with no disadvantage to your rolls from them.  You are still harmed by environments that would do harm to you, but if there is a saving throw involved you have advantage.

Outside of these conditions, you adapt quickly to social environments.  With an hour of time spent in the new place, learning about what goes on there you gain advantage on skill rolls to learn information, find your way around, or to persuade others into assisting you in some small way (so long as they are native to the place).

  

Grim Caster

At 15^th level the character develops a small ranged of specialized spells that they can use.  You may choose your spells from the Cleric spell list.  You may choose:

·         Cantrips:  Select 2 of your choice.

·         1^st Level:  Select 2 spells to know.  You may cast your 1^st level spell up to 3 times.

·         2^nd Level:  Select 2 spells to know.  You may cast your 2^nd level spell up to 2 times.

·         3^rd level:  Select 1 spell to know.  You may cast your 3^rd level spell 1 time.

·         4^th level:  Select 1 spell to know.  You may cast your 4^th level spell 1 time.

Spells with levels can only be cast once per day and are recovered after a long rest.  Saving throw DC’s are INT based (8 + INT modifier + Proficiency bonus).

Slaying Leader

At 18^th level the character has developed skills and capabilities that allow them to lead others in hunting and slaying their chosen opponents.  When facing any of your chosen enemies from Slayer’s Training, and you spend at least an hour prepping the people who will be facing the enemy, you can grant each of them +1d8 damage when facing this foe.  If the foe is not from your Slayer’s Training you can still grant a +1d4 to damage dealt.  However, in order for this to work you must be conscious, and your allies must be able to hear you so that you can issue orders on the fly.  For yourself, you have the ability to direct the flow of battle to a degree.  You can choose, at the start of your turn, to grant one ally or yourself advantage on the next attack roll.  This cannot be applied to the same person each turn, and only applies to that person one time.  After this, a short rest is needed before the bonus can be used again.