Slasher (5e Class)

Slasher

The male elf and his lover run through the alley in the night. They're cornered like rats.

The male elf shoots a powerful firebolt that seemingly knocks down their pursuer for the count. The elf cautiously walks near the body to examine it. It looks like some ordinary guy with a mask with a knife. Like a bad horror movie, the elf turns around to reassure his lover, only to drop his guard. The slasher rises like nothing happened and stabs the elven male clean through his chest. The elf's body goes slack from the horrendous wound and he drops like a sack of potatoes at the killer's feet, bleeding everywhere.

The female elf screams and only backs into the alley dead end further, her eyes wild with fear. Nowhere to run. She can feel her piss run down her jelly legs as the slasher nears, blade raised...

Instiller of Horror

A slasher is a relentless killer. They have the most basic tools needed. Most of the time. They are scary, sure. Imposing? Sometimes, but they vary in stature. That's what the mask is for. Are they strong? Maybe, or maybe just wily enough to get in more hits than one. Fast? Not necessarily, but you'd be hard-pressed to get away from a slasher.

The point is they are killers surrounded in mystique and unanswerable questions. Their power lies partially in their unpredictable and unknown background and powers. Rumors spread in fear of them serve to make them stronger as they not only physically brutalize victims and murder, but also leave psychological scars that never fade. They haunt your mind forever. Even in your sleep, you shall see them. So, you had best hope you don't survive.

Creating a Slasher

Does your slasher have a tragic or horrific beginning that turned them into a serial murderer with bloodlust? Are they maddened and just materialized straight out of the stuff of nightmares? Is your slasher loud and bloodthirsty or quiet and just a relentless angel of death? Do they have a vendetta? If your race is undead, was your slasher wronged in their past life?

Quick Build

You can make a Slasher quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose a mundane background, such as Disgrace, Exile, or Farmer.

Class Features

As a Slasher you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: none
Weapons: Simple melee weapons, Martial melee weapons, Improvised weapons
Tools: Disguise kit
Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Investigation, Intimidation, Perception, Deception, Stealth, Survival, Insight, Athletics, and Acrobatics

Equipment

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

• (a) A handaxe, or an Improvised weapon similar to a Handaxe (Cleaver, Machete, Tomahawk, etc.) or (b) A dagger, or an Improvised weapon similar to a Dagger (Knife, Shiv, Spade, etc.) or (c) A club, or an Improvised weapon similar to a Club (Candlestick, Bat, Chair leg, etc.)
• A set of travelers clothes
• A mask of your design
• A trinket trophy from a memorable victim you slew
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d8 in funds.

Table: The Slasher

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Horror Points	Features
1st	+2	1	Origin, Horror
2nd	+2	2	Signature Weapon, Origin Feature
3rd	+2	2	Predatory Mark
4th	+2	3	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	3	Relentless
6th	+3	4	Origin Feature
7th	+3	4	Predatory Mark Improvement
8th	+3	5	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	5	Origin Feature
10th	+4	5	Horrific Critical
11th	+4	6	Pervert Gravity
12th	+4	6	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	7	Pervert Gravity Improvement
14th	+5	7	Relentless Improvement
15th	+5	8	Predatory Mark Improvement
16th	+5	8	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	9	Origin Feature
18th	+6	9	Horrific Critical Improvement
19th	+6	9	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	10	Apex Predator, Relentless Improvement

Origin

What kind of killer are you? From what do your origins make you? Choose either the Vengeful Spirit or Unstable Killer subclass, detailed toward the bottom of the class description. You gain features from your subclass at 1st level, then further at levels 2, 6, 9, and 17.

Horror

A slasher gains power based upon the turmoil and horror. This is measured in horror points. The maximum amount of horror points you can have at a time is shown on the Horror Points column of the slasher table. You gain and regain horror points by completing heinous and grisly deeds, unlike a monk's passive meditation. Starting 1st level, you gain 1 horror point by committing any of the following:

• Landing a critical hit with a weapon attack
• Successfully frightening a creature

Spending Horror Points

A slasher spends their horror points in a variety of ways. You gain further features using horror points as you gain levels in this class. Starting 1st level, you can expend a horror point to cast either the thaumaturgy, minor illusion, or prestidigitation cantrip once.

Signature Weapon

Slashers are well-known for both their appearance and their weapon, or weapons. Starting 2nd level, you can double your proficiency in one weapon of your choice, designating it as your signature weapon. If you designate a new weapon to be your signature, the old one loses its designated property. You now also gain 1 horror point when you successfully reduce a creature to 0 hit points with your signature weapon.

Predatory Mark

Starting 3rd level, the evil inside you can manifest like a mark on your victims so they never escape. You can expend a horror point as a bonus action and mark a creature that you can see within 120 feet of you. The mark functions mimics the hunter's mark spell, except it is not magical and does not require concentration.

Starting 7th level, you deal an additional 1d6 or weapon damage die, whichever is higher, when you hit a creature marked by your predatory mark.

Starting 15th level, you gain advantage in all attack rolls against creatures marked by your predatory mark.

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.

Relentless

You are unceasing, sometimes even after your target is dead. Beginning at 5th level, once per turn, when you successfully attack with your Signature Weapon, you can attack again, with no additional action on your part. The number of relentless attacks increases to two at 14th level in this class, and to three when you reach 20th level.

Horrific Critical

Starting at 10th level, your skill with your keen strikes make for more fear than ever. When you successfully land a critical hit on a creature, you may gain two horror points, instead of one.

Starting 18th level, your critical hits now land on a 19-20 roll.

Pervert Gravity

You can go anywhere needed to pursue your prey, in any way. Nothing stops you. Starting 11th level, you are considered permanently under the effects of the spider climb spell. Additionally, you can now hold your breath for up to an hour at a time.

Starting at 13th level, you are no longer affected by difficult terrain.

Apex Predator

At 20th level, you attain the greatest power of killers. You can utilize the horror you roused to strike true at your victims as they can only stand dazed. Once per turn, you may use 1 horror point to make your next attack roll automatically be a critical hit.

Vengeful Spirit

You perhaps died and came back, making this subclass particularly suitable for undead type races. However, you may also have been left for dead and returned only to wreak hell upon those who simply abandoned you while you yet lived, and still are alive.

Unnatural Fortitude

Starting 1st level, either death or the trauma of near death has altered you immensely so you are only at the fringe of being mortal. Your food and drink requirements are halved, if you require nourishment. If you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you may instead drop to 1 hit point. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

Hateful Weapon

Your signature weapon is one of great importance to you, as it is your main channel for your pent up rage and hatred. Starting 2nd level, you may spend an hour bonding with your signature weapon. You may only have one bonded weapon at a time. If you make a new bonded weapon, the old one loses its bonded property. A bonded weapon will reappear in your hand as a bonus action so long as it is in the same plane.

Ever Finder

Your body phases between this world and the next as your rage makes you transcendent. Starting 6th level, you instantly know where a creature you marked with your Predatory Mark is, even if they are invisible or in a different plane. Additionally, you gain ethereal sight, and can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when you are on the Material Plane, and vice versa.

Ghastly

Obstacles cannot get in the way of you and your prey, as you can now bypass much of the material that would hamper you. Starting 9th level, you may spend a horror point to step into the Ethereal Plane as an action. You are capable of moving twice your movement speed as long as you are within the Ethereal Plane. You can exit the Ethereal Plane by using a bonus action and spending another horror point. You are visible on the Material Plane while in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet you can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane.

Dreadful Pursuit

Fear strikes dead at those who see you coming for them. Starting 17th level, when you move at least 20 feet in a line towards a creature that can see you, you have advantage on all attack rolls against that creature until the end of your turn. Additionally, you can force the creature to expend a reaction to attempt a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they become frightened. At the start of each of the frightened creature's turns, they can retry the Wisdom saving throw. On a success, they are no longer frightened and are immune to being frightened by you for 24 hours.

Unstable Killer

You may be mortal, but you're one tough son of a bitch to put down. A voice maybe drives you to insane lengths to kill. Hearing the screams and feeling the warm blood drives you, not any sense of logic.

Unbreakable

Starting 1st level, your incessant desire to kill and strike fear makes you inured to pain and being hit. Your body can withstand great ordeals on its own, without fancy adornment. When unarmored, your Armor Class is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You may use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Variable User

Your bloodlust is not limited to one tool. All are means of murder you can use. Starting 2nd level, you can make up to three weapons your Signature Weapon instead of just one.

Designated Resistance

Those you designate as prey, you have prepared for. They cannot harm you. Starting 6th level, a creature marked by your Predatory Mark had disadvantage in attack rolls against you.

Gory Revelry

Starting 9th level, you become incredible at hitting parts where it hurts. When you make a critical hit against a creature, you may roll an additional damage die in addition to the critical hit.

Rampage

Once you've started, you refuse to stop. Starting at 17th level, once, on each of your turns when you make a critical hit against a creature with your Signature Weapon, you can use your bonus action to make an additional attack on a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within your range and roll with advantage.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Slasher class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Charisma 15

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Slasher class, you gain the following proficiencies: Intimidation, Investigation, Improvised Simple Melee weapons, Simple Melee weapons

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