Stormbreaker (5e Class)

Stormbreaker

A man in heavy viking garb shouts his war cry before clasping his two axes, one in each hand. With blazing fury, he swings them both down, sending a shudder through the heavens themselves as the storm above breaks from his cleave, a single enormous shaft of lightning flying through, down upon the hordes of demons. In a single electrifying strike, the battlefield is clear, all save that lone warrior, laughing raucously over his slain enemies as the residual lightning crackles and the storm roils once more.

Cleave the Heavens

For those who are fooled by the name, do not be fooled. If you were expecting a class built around lightning damage, you'd be missing the bigger picture. Stormbreakers aren't your stereotypical viking raiders who run around and channel lightning from the heavens into their weapons to strike. Rather, they themselves are the battery. They are the sparse individuals in history whose strength was so immeasurable that they crushed giants in a fell stroke. In their blitzing frenzy, they wipe out hordes of enemies all on their own. Their very slashes and attacks replicate strikes of lightning in a storm; fast, deadly and furious. Upon realizing their potential, stormbreakers may very well be able to break storms with their howls, and cleave to the skies with their strength.

Creating a Stormbreaker

By Siegfried Czerny

So, is your character a meathead? Stormbreakers vary in personalities due to some being rather reserved about their powers unless absolutely necessary. Is your character like that? Do they prefer a challenge in battle, or just quick and easy kills? Outside of combat, do they value raucous rough-housing, drinking and merrymaking? Perhaps they are more solitary and spend their time alone reading? There is no need to adhere to a screaming idiotic stereotype as a stormbreaker. There is equally strength in quiet contemplation as there is in brash declaration.

Quick Build

You can make a Stormbreaker quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Outlander background.

Class Features

As a Stormbreaker you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, medium, heavy, shields
Weapons: all
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Perception, Performance, Nature, Intimidation, animal handling

Equipment

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

• (a) Two longswords or (b) Two handaxes or (c) Two light hammers or (d) one two handed martial melee weapon of your choice
• a musical instrument of your choice
• (a) plate armor or (b) a shield
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Table: The Stormbreaker

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Break Bonus	Surges
1st	+2	Breaker, Break Style	1d6	0
2nd	+2	Surge	1d6	2
3rd	+2	Storm Ways	1d6	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	2
5th	+3	Jolt Disrupt	2d6	2
6th	+3	Storm Ways feature	2d6	2
7th	+3	Charge	2d6	4
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	4
9th	+4	Surge+	3d6	4
10th	+4	Storm Ways feature	3d6	4
11th	+4	Lightning Armor	3d6	6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	3d6	6
13th	+5	Surge Ram, Charge improvement	3d6	6
14th	+5	Ta'i Sea	4d6	8
15th	+5	Storm Ways feature	4d6	8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	8
17th	+6	Jump Start	4d6	8
18th	+6	Thunderous Strike	4d6	10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	10
20th	+6	Storm Ways feature	5d6	10

Breaker

Starting 1st level, your incredible strength channels into plasma which trails your every strike. Once per turn, you can deal extra damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. You may add the appropriate break bonus as shown on the stormbreaker table to your damage die. The attack must be a melee weapon attack. The break bonus is dealt as 1D6 lightning damage. This damage increases at 4th level (2D6), 9th level (3D6), 14th level (4D6), and 20th level (5D6).

Break Style

Starting 1st level, you may choose to specialize in a specific form of combat. Choose one of the following options:

• Slicer: You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light.
• Slammer: You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
• Hacker: When you hit with an attack using a simple or martial weapon, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time and add it as extra damage of the weapon’s damage type. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Two-Hand: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Surge

Starting 2nd level, you have the tremendous forces of energy positively bursting from your being. They must be channeled. You may expend a bonus action to activate one of the following effects of this energy:

Rend: By using one surge, your break bonus is doubled for the duration of your turn.

Catch: You may expend one surge and add your break bonus to any attacks of opportunity you perform until your next turn.

You have as many surge uses as shown on the stormbreaker table at a time, gaining more uses as you level up. You regain all uses of surge after your complete a long rest. As part of a short rest, you can expend a hit dice to regain a number of surge uses equal to the result instead of hit points.

Storm Ways

At 3rd level, you chose a Storm Way. Choose between Hawk, Wotan, Tur, and Chaac, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.

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.

Jolt Disrupt

Starting 5th level, those who try to cheese and spell strike you are sorely mistaken. If you are targeted by a spell attack up to 60 feet away that you can see, you may expend a reaction to give a strong shout, calling upon your frenetic energies. You make a Strength check where DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spellcasting fails to have any effect, as you just interrupted them with sheer might. You may use this feature once, regaining use upon finishing a long rest.

Charge

Starting 7th level, you can quickly store energy to let loose surges when you need them most. By expending an action, you concentrate your energies and regain one Surge use. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier + 1 (min. 1), regaining all uses upon finishing a long rest.

Starting at 13th level, your powers consume quickly and so recharge faster even as you get stronger. You regain two charges of your Surge as a bonus action instead of one as an action. This improvement replaces the previous charge feature and has the same usage limitations. Additionally, when you roll for initiative and have no uses of Surge left, you may regain 4 uses.

Surge+

Starting 9th level, you gain the following additional options when you use your Surge feature:

Regenerate: You regain 2d4 hit points. You cannot use this option if you are at maximum hit points. If you gain a number over your maximum, you gain them as temporary hitpoints which last until your next turn.

Zip: Your movement speed doubles until the end of your next turn.

These surge options require 2 surges to activate instead of just one use.

Lightning Armor

The electric energies that pulse and course about you and power you also coat you thinly like a protective layer. It travels over any armor you wear, but not shields. The electromagnetism it provides greatly reduces the power of mundane weapons. Your Armor Class now cannot be below 16.

Surge Ram

Starting 13th level, your electricity coats you to allow your body to become a brute weapon, a conductor for your destructive energy. You may expend a bonus action to use two surges and coat your body in tumultuous energy. Until your next turn, any creature with 5ft of a space you move over and occupy takes 1d8 lightning damage.

Ta'i Sea

Starting 14th level, even enemies that are not vulnerable to your element had best beware. By expending three surges, you can choose one creature which you can see. The creature loses any immunity or resistance it has against lightning and thunder damage until the end of its next turn.

Jump Start

Starting 17th level, the absolutely relentless roiling energies built in you prevent you from death by keeping your vitals powered and stimulating your cells and tissue. If you are dropped to 0 hit points, you may have your innate battery rev up to maintain yourself. If you succeed your first death saving throw, your inner energies instantly jack up and perk you back to the living, having you become conscious with 1 hit point and also regain one use of your surge feature. You must finish a long rest to use this feature again.

Thunderous Strike

Starting at 18th level, the electricity within your body has grown stronger. So much so that when you expel surges, the sheer burst of energy can frighten others even if they don't have astraphobia. By expending 4 surges, you may use an action to make a special attack with your weapon, smashing it into the ground and emitting a huge charge of dangerous lightning and crackling thunder. All creatures within 120 feet of you take 3d6 lightning damage. Creatures that can hear and not deafened must succeed a Strength saving throw of DC 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus or take an additional 3d8 thunder damage, and become frightened and deafened until the end of their next turn. You regain use of this feature after finishing a long rest.

Hawk

Hawks are stormbreakers sometimes referred to as stormhawks. They are fast actors who rely on quickness rather than power.

Blink

You are so fast even enemies running from you can't escape. Starting 3rd level, creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the disengage action before leaving your reach.

Dash Catch

Starting 6th level, you are a master, a gatekeeper of speed. You have advantage in opportunity attack rolls against creatures who are dashing. If you successfully land an opportunity attack, you gain an additional 20 feet of movement speed on your next turn.

Swoop

Starting 10th level, you gain the additional option to become a true hawk when you use your Surge feature:

• Hawk: You charge yourself with current to gain flight. By expending 3 surges, you gain 30 feet of fly speed for 1 minute. If the feature duration ends while you are in midair, you start falling immediately at the end of the last turn and take falling damage as normal.

Sky Strike

Starting 15th level, you are a true aerial master. So long as you are airborne, ranged nonmagical weapon attacks roll with disadvantage against you. Additionally, if a creature should enter melee range of you while you are in midair, you may use your reaction to make an opportunity attack.

Zap Charge

Starting 20th level, if you move at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the target takes extra damage equal to your break bonus. You can then roll a 1d4 and regain a number of surge uses equal to the result.

Wotan

Wotan stormbreakers are masters of pure force that utilize brawn as well as brain to imitate that of a force of nature.

Stimulate

Starting 3rd level, you can boost your physical prowess by channeling the electric force inside to your limbs. By expending one surge with a bonus action, you gain advantage in attack rolls until the end of your turn.

Sense

Starting 6th level, you can feel electrical wavelengths outside of your own body. You're able to sense the activity of those around you, even if you can't see them. You gain 60 feet of blindsight.

Anticipation

Starting 10th level, you can effectively sense the intentions of enemies via the electricity coursing in them. Like a polygraph, you can sense their bodily fluxes if they try to lie or tense to attack. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. Additionally, you gain the following option when you use your Surge feature.

• Preemption: By expending two surges, you're able to sense what your opponent is going to do next via the electricity coming from their body, granting you +2 to your AC until the end of your next turn.

T'ai Sea'all

Starting 15th level, you can sap the powers of more than one creature's immunities and resistances. When you use your Ta'i Sea feature, you may choose additional creatures to target on the same action, expending an extra surge for each above 1.

Energy Conserver

Starting 20th level, you know how to effectively use your limited energy to its greatest potential. Your surge requirements for features are halved, rounded up. Additionally, if you move 0 feet on your turn, you regain 2 surge uses at the end of your turn.

Tur

Stormbreakers who follow the way of Tur maximize their manipulation of energies generated from their strikes rather than the strikes themselves.

Shock

Starting 3rd level, when you successfully hit a creature with your break bonus, the energy travels into them and momentarily paralyzes them. You may force the creature to make a Strength saving throw with DC equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature is stunned until their next turn. On success, they are unaffected and are immune to this feature for the next 24 hours. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier, regaining use after you finish a long rest.

Intensify

Starting 6th level, you can concentrate to intensify the powers of your electric attacks. You may spend an hour concentrating and imbuing your will into the natural forces which fuel your storm-like power. For one hour, your break bonus damage is doubled. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

Build Potential

The energies zipping around in you build with much more intensity and ferocity. Starting 10th level, when you use your Charge feature, you regain double the amount of surge uses.

Flash Absorb

The energies you bust out to fry enemies can be re-channeled back into your own body to fuel your powers further. Starting 15th level, when you successfully deal damage to a creature with your Breaker feature, you may regain hit points equal to half the break bonus dealt as damage. You cannot regain hit points over your maximum with this feature.

Ta'Sea'll

Starting 20th level, when you use the Ta'i Sea feature, the target creature additionally gains vulnerability to lightning and thunder damage.

Chaac

The way of Chaac is to make one's body a fortress none dare penetrate.

Jolt Deflect

Starting 3rd level, you gain the following ability to use when you opt for your Surge feature:

• Deflect: When you are attacked successfully either by spell or weapon, you may expend a reaction to use a surge and halve the damage you receive.

Electrocute

Starting 6th level, when you successfully use Jolt Disrupt, you may force the interrupted caster to make a Strength saving throw of DC 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On success, they take half your break bonus as damage. On failure, they take the full amount of damage and are stunned until the end of their next turn.

Charge Defense

When you charge, you can channel the energy to quickly bolster your defenses rather than be expended for frivolous attacks. Starting 10th level, when you use your Charge feature, you gain a temporary +1 bonus to your AC in addition to surge uses. This bonus which wears off once you complete a long rest.

Electromagnetivity

Your Lightning Armor can now fully dent the damage mundane weapons deal you. Starting 15th level, you gain resistance to one damage type of non-magical piercing, slashing or bludgeoning of your choice.

Armor Pulse

Now those who strike your armor get a nasty surprise. at 20th level, when you are successfully hit by a melee weapon attack, you may expend a reaction to use five surges and zap the attacker, letting the electricity coating you flow into their weapon to them. They take lightning damage equal to your break bonus. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Stormbreaker class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 17, Wisdom15

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Stormbreaker class, you gain the following proficiencies: warhammer, battleaxe, Intimidation

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