Demon Hunter (5e Class)

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Demon Hunter

For generations, our village has had to live under the constant threat of possible invasion from demonic entities. That was until they arrived. A figure glowing with energy told us not to worry, as they would take care of the menace that we faced. Although we are unsure of what became of that individual, after they left, there hasn't been a demon sighting in these parts for years. -Yadris, Village Mayor

On one normally quiet and tranquil day, a figure moves through the dried husk of a forest with a letter in hand. The charred and blacked ground crunches between their feet as they move onwards towards their target. Soon they spot their target in the distance, an impressive city with massive gray walls adorned with guard towers. As the figure approaches, the walls seem to almost crumble to dust before him as the sight of the broken and crumbled wall seem to break the figure's trance of imagining the once majestic walls that once guarded this town. Stepping inside, the figure sees burnt and dilapidated houses stretching as far as the eye can see. The figure smiles, as he notices the hulking figure of a demon covered in a multitude of boils, horns, appendages. Undeterred, the figure charges the demon ready to slay their mark. This individual is a demon hunter.

Demon hunters are individuals who have chosen to make a pact with a vengeful angel or a devil in order to exterminate demons. A demon hunter's pact can take many forms, it may be a brand on their skin, it may allow the demon hunter to glow with white or black energy, or it may even affect the very way a demon hunter thinks and speaks. Even so, through this pact, demon hunters gain the ability to harness magic as well as the power to feel the life essences of fiends and undead. Their tenacity in combat, along with their effective use of finesse and magic allows them to adapt to a variety of circumstances both in and out of combat.

Those who choose this path tend to crave battle and power, and at times, are often known to enter a trance where they kill their targets with no remorse. By choosing to become a demon hunter, these individuals have chosen to a life of killing as they know their job doesn't stop with the death of one demon, it only ends with either the extermination of all demons or their death. Many demon hunters therefore choose to travel with others, as alone, demon hunters often fall into an endless cycle of killing with no remorse.

Creating a Demon Hunter

Demon Hunter(Angel) by cyl1981

As you are creating a demon hunter, keep in mind how your character relates to society and why they took up monster hunting. Why are you devoted to a cause of killing demons? Why did you decide to make a deal with your patron? Was it for revenge, power, or does it serve some other purpose? Is your patron an angel or a devil? Why would your character decide to group up with others? Do you have another goal besides the killing of demon's? Typically, a demon hunter without a goal or cause is lost.

Quick Build

You can make a demon hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score followed by Wisdom then Constitution. Second, choose the Faction Agent background. Third, choose the leather armor, a rapier for the martial weapon and a shield, the arcane focus, and the dungeoneer's pack.

Class Features

As a Demon Hunter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion, Stealth, and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) leather armor or (b) hide armor
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) An arcane focus or (b) a component pouch
• (a) A explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Demon Hunter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Spell Slots	Slot Level	Bonus Weapon Damage
1st	+2	Pact Magic, Hunter's Bane	2	2	1	1st	—
2nd	+2	Coalesced Power, Preferred Weapons	2	3	2	1st	+2
3rd	+2	Hunter Order	2	4	2	1st	+2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	5	2	1st	+2
5th	+3	Extra Attack	3	6	2	2nd	+3
6th	+3	Hunter's Bane Improvement	3	7	2	2nd	+3
7th	+3	Hunter Order feature	3	8	2	2nd	+3
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	9	2	2nd	+4
9th	+4	Gilded Eyes	3	10	2	3rd	+4
10th	+4	Preferred Weapons (2)	4	10	2	3rd	+4
11th	+4	Sheer Skill	4	11	3	3rd	+5
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	11	3	3rd	+5
13th	+5	—	4	12	3	4th	+5
14th	+5	Hunter Order feature	4	12	3	4th	+6
15th	+5	Combat Style	4	13	3	4th	+6
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	13	3	4th	+6
17th	+6	—	4	14	4	5th	+7
18th	+6	Hunter Order feature	4	14	4	5th	+7
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	15	4	5th	+7
20th	+6	Resilience	4	15	4	5th	+8

Hunter's Bane

Beginning 1st level, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track undead and fiends, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. Upon reaching 6th level, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks and Wisdom saving throws against undead and fiends.

Pact Magic

At 1st level, your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by your angelic or devil patron have given you facility with spells.

Cantrips

You know the eldritch blast cantrip and one other cantrip of your choice from the demon hunter spell list. If you already know the eldritch blast cantrip, you instead learn two other cantrips of your choice from the demon hunter spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Demon Hunter table.

Spell Slots

The Demon Hunter table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your demon hunter spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell hellish rebuke, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the demon hunter spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Demon Hunter table shows when you learn more demon hunter spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 9th level, for example, you learn a new demon hunter spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

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

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your demon hunter spells, so 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 demon 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

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your demon hunter spells.

Coalesced Power

Beginning at 2nd level, when you cast eldritch blast, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage it deals on a hit if you do not already add an ability modifier to the damage already.

Preferred Weapons

Beginning at 2nd level, you have trained for years with two weapons of your choice that have become your preferred weapons. Choose a martial melee weapon and a martial ranged weapon. You have a +2 bonus to damage rolls with these weapons. The amount of bonus damage increases as you gain levels, as shown in the Bonus Weapon Damage column of the Demon Hunter table.

At 10th level, you may also choose another martial melee weapon and martial ranged weapon to also gain this benefit.

Hunter Order

Beginning at 3rd level, you choose a subclass that you emulate in the exercise of your hunter abilities: Deathblade, Power Fiend, or Arcane Devastator, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your subclass choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at levels 7th, 14th, and 18th.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Extra Attack

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

Gilded Eyes

Beginning at 9th level, you gain darkvision for 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, the range is instead increased by an additional 30 feet.

Sheer Skill

Starting at 11th level, before the results of a roll have been announced, you may add 1d6 to any roll you make. You may not use Sheer Skill more than once on any roll you make. You may use this feature an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all uses of this feature after you finish a short or long rest.

Combat Style

Beginning at 15th level, you may choose a combat style that emphasizes your specialty in combat.

Dexterous Evader

Through practice, you have learned how to anticipate upcoming attacks in order to dodge them. You may take a specialized Dodge action as a bonus action, which gives you the effects of the Dodge action and advantage on Dexterity saving throws until the start of your next turn. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your half your Dexterity modifier rounded up (minimum of one), and you regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Precision Caster

You have focused all your training efforts into learning how to properly connect with your spells and cantrips. You have a +1 bonus to your spell attack rolls and spell save DC.

Specialized Hunter

You have spent ages learning how to effectively kill your hated enemies. You have advantage on your first weapon attack roll each turn when targeting a demon or undead, and deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus on that attack.

Speedy Hands

You have trained your hands at the point of mastery at handling of crossbows. You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with crossbows.

Resilience

Beginning at 20th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience on battle. If you have no more than half your hit points left, as a bonus action, you can spend up to two hit dice to heal yourself for an amount of hit points equal to amount rolled + your Constitution modifier for each hit die rolled. You can not use this feature if you have 0 hit points.

Deathblade

Deathblade demon hunters who adhere to this path are no strangers to the grimmer parts of their job as demon hunters. Due to the strain of the job, some of these individuals lose themselves over time, becoming more and more immersed with death as time goes by. In exchange, they receive the powers of the grim art of death, allowing them to quickly bring death to others while forestalling the death of their friends.

Death's Door

Beginning at 3rd level, you have accepted death as a natural part of life for all creatures except yourself. If you succeed on a death saving throw, you may regain 1 hit point. Once you use this ability, you can not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Fleeting Step

Beginning at 3rd level, your speed and evasiveness have reached new levels. Your base walking speed is increased by 5 feet, and may take the Disengage action as a bonus action.

Grim Sage

At 7th level, your experience instills you with what you need to act cunning in combat. You may add your Wisdom modifier to your initiative rolls.

Death's Doctor

Beginning at 7th level, your knowledge of death limits exemplified. You have advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks to stabilize creatures and you may attempt to stabilize a creature as a bonus action.

Quick Dash

Beginning at 14th level, you know how to quickly bound towards other creatures and make a quick strike against them. As a bonus action, you may move 15 feet in a direction and make a weapon attack against a creature within range. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Control Over Death

Beginning at 18th level, you have learned how to effectively stop death. As an action, you may bind a creature's soul to your current plane as long as the creature is within 60ft of you. You may choose to target a living creature or you may target a creature that has not been dead for more than 1 round(6 seconds). If the creature was living, until the start of your next turn, that creature can not be killed or knocked unconscious. If the target would take damage that knocks them unconscious, they instead remain conscious at 1 hit point. If the target was recently slain, you return that creature to life with 50 hit points and with 0 failed death saving throws. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Power Fiend

Some demon hunters believe that without sufficient power and durability they stand no chance against the very demons they swore to slay. As such, these individuals choose to become Power Fiends allowing them to harness power akin to that of the very creatures they swore to destroy. However, no matter the threats they face, from rampaging demons and hordes of elementals to towering giants and terrifying dragons, Power Fiends will face them head on to act as the bulwark between civilization and the terrors of the Abyss.

Hardened Body

Beginning at 3rd level, you body becomes hardened to the effects of battle. Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take is reduced by 2 (damage reduction is before resistance). This amount increases by 1 at 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level.

Weathered

Beginning at 3rd level, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws against extreme weather (DMG p. 110).

Protection Pact

Beginning at 7th level, your pact with the fiendish entity now grants you some degree of protection. You are now considered to be under the effects of nondetection at all times and may not be moved or teleported by a magical effect without your consent.

Fury

Beginning at 14th level, you have learned how to put your full might behind your attacks. As a bonus action you may enter a state of all out aggression for 1 minute. Your first weapon attack that hits each turn deals additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus. However, while in this state, you have disadvantage on Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Supreme Fortitude

Beginning at 18th level, after being hit by an attack and taking damage, you may make a reaction to make it so that no damage is done. You may use this feature twice and you regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Arcane Devastator

Arcane Devastators could simply be described as those who want an abundance of magical power to destroy their enemies, but that would be a bit too simple. Although they can not cast as many spells as traditional spellcasters, these individuals still try their hardest to manipulate magic in whatever way they can to their betterment. In the end though, how each Arcane Devastator deals with their limitations on magic, is what determines who succeeds and who fails.

Flexible Spell List

Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you finish a long rest, you can choose one of the demon hunter spells you know and replace it with another spell from the demon hunter spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Well Learned

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the History or Arcana skill, and if you already have proficiency in it, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check you make using it.

Magic Guidance

Beginning at 3rd level, when you make an ability check or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can cancel the disadvantage for that roll. Alternatively, before you make an ability check or a saving throw, you may add your proficiency bonus to the roll regardless of whether you are proficiency in the check or not. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Enhanced Spellcasting

Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage, you deal 1 additional point of damage per damage die. This bonus damage is the same damage type as the damage from the spell.

Well of Magic

Beginning at 14th level, you have learned how to reach into your inner most depths of your pact for more magic. You gain an additional demon hunter spell slot.

Magic Pact

Beginning at 18th level, your pact can now further enhance your spellcasting capabilities. You may cast any 5th level or lower spell from the demon hunter spell list once. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Demon Hunter Spell List

Demon hunters can choose spells from a variety of options, usually picking spells that best fit what situations they find themselves in.

Cantrips

create bonfire, dancing lights, eldritch blast, green flame blade, light, mage hand, mending, message, minor illusion, prestidigitation, ray of frost

1st

arms of hadar, cause fear, charm person, color spray, comprehend languages, detect magic, detect poison and disease, disguise self, entangle, faerie fire, feather fall, fog cloud, hellish rebuke, hex, identify, longstrider, protection from evil and good, purify food and drink

2nd

alter self, arcane lock, blindness/deafness, blur, cloud of daggers, darkness, detect thoughts, enhance ability, heat metal, hold person, invisibility, levitate, locate object, mirror image, misty step, phantasmal force, ray of enfeeblement, see invisibility, suggestion, web

3rd

blink, clairvoyance, counterspell, daylight, dispel magic, fear, glyph of warding, hypnotic pattern, magic circle, major image, melf's minute meteors, nondetection, protection from energy, remove curse, sending, sleet storm, speak with dead, stinking cloud, tongues, water breathing, wind wall

4th

arcane eye, banishment, black tentacles, blight, compulsion, confusion, control water, dimension door, divination, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain, ice storm, locate creature, resilient sphere, wall of fire

5th

cone of cold, dominate person, dream, contact other plane, dispel evil and good, geas, hold monster, insect plague, legend lore, modify memory, scrying, seeming, telekinesis, teleportation circle, wall of force

References

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the demon hunter class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength or 13 Dexterity and 13 Wisdom.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the demon hunter class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, and martial weapons.

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