Bowhunter (5e Class)

Bowhunter

Isolated in the wild corners of the world, solitary in the depths of wild forests and vast deserts, bowhunters have perfected their sharpshooting skills and archery techniques, devoting their accuracy and prowess as shooters to the practice of hunting, honing their aiming skills into an almost supernatural technique. Through many years of practice and refinement, bowhunters have mastered their archery, turning a basic hunting tool into an unique mortal weapon, being able to strike down even the biggest of their quarries with a single and precise shot, aiming for the target's weak spots. Capable of standing quiet and immobile for hours while waiting their target to appear, or standing in front of charging predator, nothing can shake the focus of a bowhunter, that even in the face of certain death, can find peace of mind to aim a perfect killing shot.

Solitary Wanderers

To become a bowhunter, one must learn how to track and stalk their prey, discipline their minds and train their focus, a thing that is hard to do with distraction brought by other individuals, reason why many bowhunters are solitary, at least during their training years. At first they will be taken to the hunting grounds by a mentor figure - a father or master - that will teach the basics of how to shoot a bow, follow footprints and move silently, but soon enough they will be let on their own, as a final test to their learning, and a way to really allow the bowhunter in training to flourish on its own.

Hunter's Pack and Method

After wandering alone and being able to kill their first marks during their first years of training, a bowhunter can join a pack, a hunting group that gather around to either hunt specific games, or who are devoted to a particular method of hunting. Some methods are more straightforward, relying on the basics of bow hunting and just honing the basic skills, but reaching perfection with them. Others rely on supplemental tools in the form of magic to enhance their bownhunt techniques, combining marksmanship and spellcasting in a powerful mixture.

Creating an Bowhunter

Bowhunter by David Sanjuan Enciso

As you create your bowhunter, think about why you decided to follow this path? Have you became a bowhunter out of necessity, using the bow as way to gather food for yourself and your community? Is bowhunting a familiar activity, a tradition passed from father to son, and now is your turn to seek this tradition? Are you from a village that homes a hunting pack, and you choose to become a bowhunter in order to join their ranks? Are you seeking for vengeance or moved by hatred, dedicating your life to destroy a specific type of creature that is responsible for a tragic event on your past?

Quick Build

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

Class Features

As a Bowhunter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, longbow, heavy crossbow, hand crossbow
Tools: Carpenter's tools, tinker's tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Survival and choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, Nature, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Sleight of Hand and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10gp in funds.

Table: The Bowhunter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Sharpshooting
1st	+2	Sharpshooter	1
2nd	+2	Rapid Fire, Fighting Style: Archery	2
3rd	+2	Bowhunter Style	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2
5th	+3	Extra Attack	3
6th	+3	Hunter's Sight	3
7th	+3	Style Feature	3
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3
9th	+4	Ambusher	4
10th	+4	Style Feature	4
11th	+4	Mark of Hunting	4
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4
13th	+5	Eagle's Eye	5
14th	+5	Extra Attack	5
15th	+5	Style Feature	5
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5
17th	+6	Death Shot	5
18th	+6	Style Feature	5
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5
20th	+6	Legendary Bowhunter	5

Sharpshooter

As a bonus action, you can assume a firing stance with a bow or crossbow. This stance lasts for 1 minute. While in the sharpshooter stance, you ignore disadvantage due to ranged attacks against creatures within 5 feet and ignore the effects of half and third cover.

Once, before the stance ends, you can give yourself advantage on a ranged weapon attack with a bow or crossbow, and on a hit on this attack, you cause additional damage equal to your Bowhunter level + your proficiency bonus.

You can use this feature once, regaining your uses of it after finishing a short or a long rest. You gain more uses of this feature as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Sharpshooter column on the Bowhunter table.

Rapid Fire

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with an attack from a bow or crossbow, you can use your bonus action prepare another piece of ammunition on your bow or crossbow and make another attack towards that creature with the same weapon, as a reaction.

This ability ignore the loading property of crossbows.

Bowhunter Style

Starting at 3rd level, you can choose to devote yourself to a style of archery. Your choices are shown at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th levels.

Fighting Style: Archery

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt the archery fighting style. You can't choose this fighting style more than once, even if you later get to choose a fighting style option again.

Archery

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

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.

Hunter's Sight

Starting at 6th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to three of the following characteristics of your choice:

• Strength score
• Dexterity score
• Constitution score
• Intelligence score
• Wisdom score
• Charisma score
• Armor Class
• Current hit points
• Total class levels (if any)

Ambusher

Starting at 9th level, you add your proficiency bonus to your Initiative rolls.

In addition, you have advantage on attack rolls with bows or crossbows made against any creature that haven't taken a turn in the first round of combat.

Mark of Hunting

Starting at 11th level, you can cast hunter's mark at will, without spending a spell slot. When you assume your Sharpshooter stance, you can place the mark on a creature as part of the same bonus action.

Eagle's Eye

Starting at 13th level, once per turn when you make an attack with a bow or crossbow against a creature, you add your Wisdom modifier to the attack or damage roll (choose one).

Death Shot

Starting at 17th level, you can deliver a deadly blow against a creature. As an action, you can make a Death Shot against a creature you can see that is not behind total cover. The creature automatically take damage equal to the damage die of your weapon + your Dexterity modifier, and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier).

On a failed save, the target is reduced to 0 hit points. This ability have no effect on creatures without defined anatomy (such as oozes) or constructs. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Legendary Bowhunter

At 20th level, you become an unparalleled master of bowhunting. At the start of your turn, you gain 3 legendary actions. You regain all spent legendary actions whenever your turn starts.

You can use your legendary actions in the following manners:

Track (Cost 1 Action)

You can make a Wisdom (Survival) or Wisdom (Perception) check.

Quick Shot (Cost 2 Actions)

You make one ranged attack with your bow or crossbow.

Volley (Cost 3 Actions)

You make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.

Bowhunter Style

Endurance Hunter

Endurance hunters are specialized in tiring their prey, hunting them for great distances. Endurance hunters have a herculean tolerance to exhaustion, and can run for several hours before showing signs of tiredness. These hunters are common in places like vast plains or deserts, with large open spaces and fast running preys.

Unarmored Defense

You must travel light and unencumbered to track your target. As such, you have learned how to defend yourself without the aid of armor. While not wearing armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.

Marathoner

At 3rd level, when traveling a fast pace, you have no penalty to your Wisdom (Perception) checks, and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to avoid exhaustion during a Forced March.

In addition, for short spans of time (up to an hour), you can run for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for a fast pace.

Pursuit

Also at 3rd level, on your first turn of combat without taking an action, or as a bonus action afterwards, you can start a pursuit. Choose one hostile creature of your choice that you can see or sense. Until the end of your next turn, you can move up to your movement speed towards that creature. This extra movement doesn't count against your normal movement in each turn, and you must end your movement closer to the creature than when you started.

In addition, until the end of your next turn, you add 1d6 to your damage rolls against the chosen creature.

Immobilizing Shot

You can hinder the movement of a hostile creature with an attack. At 7th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with a bow or crossbow, that creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier, or its movement speed is reduced to 0.

The creature can make another saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this effect.

Fast Steps

Also at 7th level, when you take the Dash action, you can make a ranged weapon attack using your bonus action.

Hindering Shot

Starting at 10th level, your attacks can hinder your prey's movement. When you hit a creature with a ranged attack from a bow or crossbow and cause damage, that creature's speed is halved until the end of its next turn.

Deadly Pursuit

Starting at 15th level, whenever you are in Pursuit, you have advantage on ranged attacks with bow and crossbow if you move at least 10 feet before making the attack.

Finishing the Hunt

Starting at 18th level, whenever you enter in Pursuit, the first attack you hit during it causes additional damage equal to twice the damage die of your bow or crossbow.

Skirmisher

Skirmishers are bowhunters specialized on wearing out their targets through the use of hit-and-run tactics. They prefer to hunt slow targets, and on places with plenty of hiding spots and maze-like properties, like forests.

Bonus Proficiency

Starting when you choose this bowhunter style at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: History, Insight, or Investigation. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.

Skirmish

Also at 3rd level, when you roll initiative, you can quickly move to a more advantageous position. You gain a pool of movement equal to 15 feet x your Dexterity modifier.

When you roll initiative and on each of your turns, you can spend any amount of movement from this pool to move without spending your movement speed, and without provoking opportunity attacks. You lose any movement on this pool after 1 minute, or if you spend a turn without using at least 5 feet of movement from the pool.

Alternatively, if you before making an attack, you can spend this movement pool to increase the damage of your attacks. You must spend an amount of movement from the pool equal to distance you moved before the attack. If the attack hits, you cause additional 1d6 damage for each 5 feet from the movement pool spent.

Careful Steps

Also beginning at 3rd level, you can use the Disengage action as a bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Disengage action, you can move up to your movement speed.

You can't use the careful steps if you aren't in reach of a hostile creature.

Movement Recovery

At 7th level, you can use an action when your Mobility Pool is reduced to 0, to regain all your pool of movement.

Fast Barrage

At 10th level, when you miss an enemy with a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to make another attack against the same creature.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Swift Strider

Beginning at 15th level, you can move trough the spaces occupied by other creatures as if it was difficult terrain.

Devastating Volley

At 18th level, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to make another ranged attack against a creature within range. Choose a willing creature who can hear you. That creature can immediately make an action of its choice.

Moreover, if the creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the Death Shot, you can take an extra turn. During this extra turn, all ranged attacks made by you are made at advantage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Ranger

Bowhunters who adopt the ranger style are specialized into using natural magic to hunt their prey. These rangers have a strong connection with the natural world, and are able to draw from that connection to manifest magical powers. These hunters treat their quarry with respect, always attempt to disturb the natural cycle as little as possible.

Spellcasting

Ranger Spellcasting

Bowhunter Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	3	2	—	—	—
4th	2	4	3	—	—	—
5th	2	4	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	3	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you learn how to use natural spells to boost your hunting abilities.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn an additional druid cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Ranger Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. you regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level ranger spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the ranger spellcasting table shows when you learn more ranger spells of 1st level or higher.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the ranger spells he know with another spell of your choice from the ranger spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for the ranger spells, since you learn this power through research and study. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to his spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger 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

Magical Shot

Starting at 3rd level, you can use Rapid Fire after hitting a creature with a spell attack and when a creature fails a saving throw against a cantrip you cast.

Eldritch Barrage

By 7th level, when you use Rapid Fire, you can use your reaction to cast one of your cantrips, in place of a weapon attack. The cantrip must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only one hostile creature.

Additionally, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one ranged weapon attack as a bonus action.

Primordial Shot

At 10th level, when you hit an enemy with an attack from a bow or crossbow, choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison or thunder. You cause damage from the chosen type.

Elemental Curse

Starting at 15th level, while you are on your Sharpshooter stance, you can choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. The first creature you hit with an attack while in this stance gains vulnerability to the chosen type for the duration of your stance.

Creatures resistant or immune to the chosen type are immune to this feature. You can't concentrate on spells while this feature is active.

Arcane Archer

At 18th level, you can use your reaction from your Rapid Fire feature to cast a Bowhunter spell that requires a spell slot to cast and that has the casting time of an action, and duration of instantaneous.

In addition, once per turn, you can forgo one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to cast a bowhunter spell that has the casting time of an action.

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