Hunter

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Overview & Creation

As you create your hunter character, consider the nature of the training that gave you your particular capabilities. Did you train with a single mentor, wandering the wilds together until you mastered the hunter's ways? Did you leave your apprenticeship, or was your mater slain—perhaps by the same kind of monster that became your favored prey? Or perhaps you learned your skills as part of a band of hunters associated with a druidic circle, trained in mystic paths as well as wilderness lore. You might be self-taught, a recluse who learned combat skills, tracking, and even a magical connection to nature through the necessity of surviving in the harsh wilderness.   What's the source of your particular hatred of a certain kind of prey? Did a monster kill someone you loved or destroy your home village? Or did you see to much destruction these monsters cause and commit yourself to reining in their depredations? Is your adventuring career a continuation of your work in protecting the borderlands, or a significant change? What made you join up with a band of adventurers? Do you find it challenging to teach new allies the ways of the wild, or do you welcome the relief from the silent solitude that they offer?  

Quick Build

You can make a hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. (Some hunters who focus on two-weapon fighting or who take the Bounty Hunter subclass make Strength higher rather than Dexterity.) Second, choose the outlander background.  

The Hunter			Spell	Slots	By	Spell	Level
Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Natural Explorer Swift Response	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+2	Fighting Style Hunter's Mark Spellcasting	2	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	Hunter's Prey Hunter's Technique 1/rest	3	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	Extra Attack	4	2	-	-	-
6th	+3	Hunter's Guard	4	2	-	-	-
7th	+3	Hunter's Prey feature, Hunter's Technique 2/rest	4	3	-	-	-
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	-	-	-
9th	+4	-	4	3	2	-	-
10th	+4	Cunning Action	4	3	2	-	-
11th	+4	Hunter's Prey feature	4	3	3	-	-
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	-	-
13th	+5	-	4	3	3	1	-
14th	+5	Counterattack	4	3	3	1	-
15th	+5	Hunter's Prey feature, Hunter's Technique 3/rest	4	3	3	2	-
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	-
17th	+6	-	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Feral Senses	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Foe Slayer	4	3	3	3	2

 

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Class Features

Natural Explorer

Starting at 1st level, you are skilled at navigating the wilderness. You gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more:

• Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel.

• You can't become lost except by magical means.

• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.

• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.

• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.

• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Swift Response

At 1st level, you learn to react with swift and decisive action when attacked. This grants you the following benefits:

• You can add your proficiency bonus to initiative rolls.

• On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on the first attack roll you make against a creature that has not yet acted.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Hunter's Mark

At 2nd level, you learn to read your prey, allowing you to strike deeper and truer. As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose a creature you can see within 90 feet of you and mark it as your quarry. You can maintain this mark for a number of hours equal to your hunter level. You deal an extra 1d6 damage of the weapon's type to the marked target whenever you hit it with a weapon attack, and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find it.   This effect ends if you fall unconscious, use it on another creature, or dismiss it as a bonus action.   You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Hunter's Prey

At 3rd level, you choose a prey that you focus your hunt on: Blood Hunter, Bounty Hunter and Ranger are all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.  

Prey Spells

Each prey has a list of associated spells. You gain access to those spells at the levels specified in the prey description. Once you gain access to a prey spell, you always have it prepared. Prey spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.   If you gain a prey spell that doesn't appear on the hunter spell list, the spell is nonetheless a hunter spell for you.  

Hunter's Technique

Your choice of prey allows you to perform certain maneuvers. Each Hunter's Technique option provided by your prey explains how to use it.   When you use your Hunter's Technique, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Hunter's Technique again.   Some of your Hunter's Technique effects require your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:   Technique Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your choice of Strength or Dexterity modifier   Beginning at 7th level, you can use your Hunter's Technique twice between rests, and beginning at 15th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase on 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.

Extra Attack

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

Hunter's Guard

At 6th level, your ability to read your prey's movements allows you to better protect you and your allies. As a reaction when a the target of your Hunter's Mark hits you or a creature within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can impose a 1d6 penalty on the attack roll, potentially causing it to miss. Additionally, whenever the target of your Hunter's Mark forces you to make a saving throw and whenever you make an ability check to escape that target's grapple, add 1d6 to your roll.

Cunning Action

Starting at 10th level, your quick thinking and agility allows you to move and act quickly. You can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action on your turn.

Counterattack

At 14th level, you learn to strike back as you defend. If the target of your Hunter's Mark misses an attack due to your Hunter's Guard, you can make one weapon attack at the creature as part of the same reaction.

Feral Senses

At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. As long as you are not both blinded and deafened, you can see invisible creatures and objects within 30 feet of you as if they were visible.

Foe Slayer

At 20th level, you strike with supernatural accuracy. Once on each of your turns, you can grant a 1d6 bonus on the next attack roll you make before the end of your turn.

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Starting Equipment

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

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor

• (a) two martial melee weapons or (b) a martial melee weapon and a shield

• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

• A simple or martial ranged weapon and 20 pieces of ammunition

  Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

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Spellcasting

By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does. Refer to the end of this heading for the Hunter's Spell List.  

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Hunter table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your hunter spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   You prepare the list of hunter spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the hunter spell list. When you do so, choose a number of hunter spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your hunter level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.   For example, if you are a 5th-level hunter, you have four 1st- level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd- level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.   You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of hunter spells requires time spent in research and preparation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.  

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your hunter 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 hunter spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier  

Ritual Casting

You can cast a hunter spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.  

Hunter Spells

 
 

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Subclass Options

Blood Hunter

The blood carries many curses that if left unchecked spread rampant across Erenel. It is the duty of Blood Hunters to scour the lands for signs of infection and wipe them out, no matter the cost.

Prey Spells

You gain the prey spells at the hunter levels listed.

Hunter Level	Spells
3rd	bane, inflict wounds
5th	blindness/deafness, crown of madness
9th	bestow curse, vampiric touch
13th	aura of purity, blight
17th	contagion, dream

Hunter's Technique

When you choose this prey at 3rd level, you gain the following two Hunter's Technique options.

• Crimson Rite. As a bonus action, you can use your Hunter's Technique to empower your weapons with blood. You take 1d6 necrotic damage, which ignores resistance and immunity, and sheathe your weapons and ammunition in blood for 1 minute. Your weapons and ammunition become silvered, and when you hit a creature that has less than half of its maximum hit points, it takes an additional 1d6 necrotic damage.

• Infusion. As a bonus action, you can use your Hunter's Technique to resupply your body with blood. You regain hit points equal to 1d6 + half your Hunter level.

Bloodhound

When you choose this prey at 3rd level, you learn to track your prey through the scent of their blood. Whenever you make any Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check to track or find a a creature whose blood you have a sample of, your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies to the check.

Profaned Blood

At 7th level, your mastery of the blood flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.

Spilled Blood

At 11th level, you can channel the blood from your wounds into your crimson rite. When a creature lands a critical hit on you, or when you land a critical hit on a creature, you can use your reaction to activate your Hunter's Technique: Crimson Rite without taking necrotic damage or expending a use of your Hunter's Technique.

Blood Curse

At 15th level, you learn to emulate to the effects of the blood curse you seek to eliminate, granting you supernatural fortitude. As a bonus action, you can draw upon the power of the curse and gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered.

• A creature that hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you takes 1d6 necrotic damage.

This curse lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends. You can also end this curse on your turn as a bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

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Bounty Hunter

Hunters that excel in fighting humanoids, Bounty Hunters develop techniques specialized for subduing humanoid enemies. These techniques cover the spectrum in lethality, allowing the hunters to catch their prey, dead or alive. Vicious and terrifying to behold, few dare stand in their way.  

Prey Spells

You gain the prey spells at the hunter levels listed.

Hunter Level	Spells
3rd	command, sleep
5th	detect thoughts, hold person
9th	hypnotic pattern, slow
13th	compulsion, confusion
17th	dominate person, scrying

Hunter's Technique

When you choose this prey at 3rd level, you gain the following two Hunter's Technique options.

• Disarm. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can use your Hunter's Technique to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. The target succeeds on a Strength saving throw or drops the object you choose, which lands at its feet.

• Pin Down.When you attack a creature within 5 feet of you that is no more than one size larger than you, you can instead force the creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it is knocked prone and grappled. You must have a free hand to use this Hunter's Technique.

Investigative

When you choose this prey at 3rd level, you develop techniques to obtain information on your quarry. If you spend at least ten minutes interrogating, questioning, or conversing with a person, your proficiency bonus is doubled on checks made against that person pertaining to information regarding a specific creature.

Multiattack Defense

Starting at 7th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

Menacing Warrior

At 11th level, you have learned to intimidate those who would stand in your way. When you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can use your bonus action to force one creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your hunter spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Misdirection

At 15th level, you learn to evade pursuit by leading your foes astray. While you are hidden, you can use your action to stir up a disturbance in a space you can see within 30 feet of you. Each creature attempting to locate you must make a Wisdom (Perception) check against your hunter spell save DC. A creature automatically succeeds this check if it can see the space and knows it is unoccupied. On a failed check, a creature thinks you are hidden in that location. In addition, the next hit you score against a creature that failed the check before the end of your next turn is a critical hit if you attack while hidden.

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Ranger

Hunters that deal primarily with beasts and plants, Rangers are experts at navigating treacherous terrain and moving without a trace. They cultivate a codependency with the flora and fauna, serving as wardens of nature.

Prey Spells

You gain the prey spells at the hunter levels listed.

Hunter Level	Spells
3rd	longstrider, speak with animals
5th	animal messenger, pass without a trace
9th	conjure animals, speak with plants
13th	guardians of nature, grasping vine
17th	commune with nature, tree stride

Hunter's Technique

When you choose this prey at 3rd level, you gain the following two Hunter's Technique options.

• Fleet Footed. When you move on your turn, you can use your Hunter's Technique to increase your walking speed by 10 feet until the end of your turn.

• Flurry. When you miss with a weapon attack, you can use your Hunter's Technique to make another weapon attack as part of the same action.

Breath of the Wild

At 3rd level, your knowledge of the wild allows you to establish a powerful link to beasts the land around you.   You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast as an action, and can read its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs (such as food or safety), and actions you can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack.   You cannot use this ability against a creature that you have attacked within the past 10 minutes.

Land's Stride

Starting at 7th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.   In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such those created by the entangle spell.

Expert Skirmisher

Starting at 11th level, you are difficult to pin down during a fight. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction when a hostile creature moves within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

One With the Wild

At 15th level, your connection with the wild allows you to take on the shape of a creature of the wild. As an action, you can transform into a beast or plant with a challenge rating of 3 or lower.   You can stay in this form for 1 hour. You then revert to your normal form. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.   While you are transformed, the following rules apply:  

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the chosen creature, though you retain your alignment and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You assume the hit points of your new form, and when you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before transforming. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce the normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

 

• Your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your new form, and you can't cast spells. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

 

• Your gear melds into the new form. You can't activate, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of its equipment.

  Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

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Multiclassing

As Hunter is a homebrew class, it has the potential to open up synergies and interactions that were not foreseen. Multiclass at your own peril. The dungeon master has the option to revert or change anything in terms of balance at their table.

Prerequisites

To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and your new one, as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites table.   Multiclassing Prerequisites

Class	Ability Score Minimum
Hunter	Dexterity 13 and Wisdom 13

Proficiencies

When you gain a level in a class other than your first, you only gain some of that class's starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies table.   Multiclassing Proficiencies

Class	Proficiencies Gained
Hunter	Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons, one skill from the class skill list