Brawler's Shadow (5e Subclass)

Brawler's Shadow

Rogue Subclass

In the dimly lit back alleys and bustling taverns of the city thrives a figure both feared and respected. Known among the underbelly as the Brawler's Shadow, this rogue melds the cunning of a seasoned thief with the raw power of a street fighter. Born from necessity, their unique blend of skills is the result of countless brawls and narrow escapes in the urban jungle they call home.

Unlike their kin, who prefer the silence of a well-placed dagger, the Brawler's Shadow thrives in the chaos of close-quarters combat. They are a tempest, weaving through the battlefield with the grace of a dancer and the precision of a surgeon. Their fists are as deadly as any blade, and their feet move with a purpose that spells doom for anyone caught in their path.

To watch a Brawler's Shadow at work is to witness a ballet of brutality; they strike with unexpected angles and use their opponents' force against them. They are masters of improvisation, turning the environment and even their foes' weapons to their advantage. It's not just their ability to fight that earns them their name, but their uncanny skill to melt back into the shadows after delivering their devastating blows, leaving only the echo of their impact behind.

Their reputation is a mix of awe and fear. To their allies, they are invaluable assets—guardians who can navigate the underworld's dangers with unmatched prowess. To their enemies, they are specters of the night, capable of appearing anywhere, anytime, leaving no trace but the chaos of their departure.

The Brawler's Shadow knows the streets better than anyone, using this knowledge to outmaneuver their foes, always staying one step ahead. Their world is one of contrast—light and dark, silence and fury, grace and power. They are a testament to the belief that true strength comes not from the weapon you wield, but from the spirit within.

Streetwise Savagery

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you hone your fighting techniques to blend the cunning of a rogue with the brutal efficiency of a street fighter. You've learned to use your environment to your advantage and turn any situation into an opportunity for a sneak attack.

• Unarmed Precision : Your strikes are as deadly as any weapon. You gain the ability to use your Sneak Attack with unarmed strikes. Additionally, your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.

• Improvised Mastery : You've mastered the art of using whatever is at hand to defend yourself or take down an opponent. You gain proficiency with improvised weapons, and you can use your Sneak Attack with any improvised weapon. When you make an attack with an improvised weapon, you can use your Dexterity modifier, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls.

• Shadow Slip : You've learned to use the chaos of combat and the cover of shadows to your advantage. Once per turn, if you are in dim light or darkness, you can use a bonus action to give yourself advantage on the next melee attack roll you make this turn. If this attack hits, you can add your Sneak Attack damage, even if you have already used it on this turn, but you can't use your Sneak Attack again until the start of your next turn.

Grit and Guile

At 3rd level, alongside Streetwise Savagery, you've developed a unique set of survival skills that reflect your time navigating the perilous urban landscape. Grit and Guile represent your resilience and your ability to exploit every opportunity for your advantage, whether in combat or in tense negotiations.

• Urban Acrobat : Your experience fighting and moving in confined spaces has made you exceptionally agile. You gain the ability to move through spaces as small as half your height without squeezing, and climbing no longer costs you extra movement. Additionally, you can stand up from being prone using only 5 feet of your movement.

• Quick Reflexes : Your time on the streets has honed your reflexes to a razor's edge. When you are surprised and fail your initiative roll, you can act normally on your first turn, but only if you perform a dash, disengage, hide action, or make an unarmed strike or an attack with an improvised weapon.

• Counterstrike : You've learned to turn an opponent's misstep into your opportunity. Once per short or long rest, if a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon attack against that creature.

Alleyway Adept

By the time you reach 7th level, your unparalleled mastery of urban environments and close-quarters combat allows you to turn any alley or street into your battleground. Alleyway Adept enhances your ability to navigate and control the chaos of urban skirmishes, making you a formidable opponent in any cityscape.

• Shadowed Veil : You've learned to blend into the minimal cover provided by the urban environment. When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can attempt to hide as a bonus action, even if you are being directly observed. This ability reflects your skill in using shadows and the slightest distractions to vanish from sight.

• Environmental Opportunist : Your keen eye for detail and your experience in urban environments allow you to exploit your surroundings in combat. Whenever you make an attack in an urban environment (alleys, streets, buildings, etc.), you can interact with one object in the environment as part of the attack to gain advantage on the attack roll. This could be kicking up dust, slamming a door to create a distraction, or using nearby objects to aid your attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after a long rest.

• Concrete Resilience : The hardships of street fighting have toughened you, granting you extra resilience. You gain additional hit points equal to your rogue level when you choose this feature, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Dexterity modifier at the start of each of your turns if you are below half your hit points. This represents your stubborn determination to stand your ground, drawing on your inner reserves of strength to outlast your foes.

Cunning Counter

At 10th level, your instinctive understanding of combat dynamics and your adversary's tactics allow you to anticipate and counter their moves with unmatched precision. Cunning Counter is a testament to your ability to turn the tables on your foes, making you a formidable opponent in any skirmish.

• Anticipate Attack : You've honed your ability to read your opponents' intentions, granting you a preternatural sense of when and how they will strike. If a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack misses you, you can make one unarmed strike or an attack with an improvised weapon against the attacker as part of the same reaction.

• Riposte Mastery : Your quick reflexes and keen eye for an opening allow you to exploit your enemy's mistakes more effectively. When you use your reaction to make an attack with Cunning Counter and hit, you add your Sneak Attack damage to the attack, even if you have already used your Sneak Attack this turn. This feature can only be used once per turn.

• Tactical Retreat : Understanding when to fight and when to regroup is key to surviving in the urban jungle. If an enemy's attack triggers your Anticipate Attack and misses, you can choose to move up to half your speed as part of the same reaction without provoking opportunity attacks. This movement must take you away from the attacker.

Masterful Ambush

At 15th level, your expertise in ambush tactics reaches its zenith, allowing you to execute devastating surprise attacks with unparalleled finesse. Masterful Ambush represents your ability to strike swiftly and decisively, leaving your enemies reeling in the wake of your calculated assaults.

• Lethal Precision : You've mastered the art of exploiting your opponents' vulnerabilities with surgical precision. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack that deals sneak attack damage, you can reroll any 1s or 2s on the damage dice. You must use the new roll, even if it is another 1 or 2.

• Devastating Assault : Your ambushes are a whirlwind of violence, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. When you use your Sneak Attack on your turn, you can choose to reroll any 1s or 2s on the Sneak Attack damage dice. You must use the new roll, even if it is another 1 or 2.

• Shadow Strike : You've learned to exploit the confusion and disarray caused by your ambushes to strike with lethal precision. When you hit a creature with an attack during a surprise round or when you have advantage on the attack roll, the attack is considered a critical hit.

Urban Legend

By reaching level 18, your reputation precedes you, your very presence instilling fear in the hearts of those who dare oppose you. Urban Legend encapsulates your transformation into a near-mythical figure within the criminal underworld and beyond, a specter that haunts the alleyways and streets, always one step ahead of foes and allies alike.

• Ethereal Step : Your mastery over the shadows and the urban terrain has reached a point where you can momentarily become one with them. As a bonus action, you gain the ability to turn ethereal, as per the "Etherealness" spell, for 1 minute. During this time, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn inside an object. You can use this feature once per long rest.

• Master of Shadows : Your affinity for the shadows has grown so strong that you can manipulate them to your will. While in dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible. This invisibility lasts for 10 minutes or until you attack, cast a spell, or enter an area of bright light. This feature can be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once), and all expended uses are regained after a long rest.

• Legend's Intuition : Your experiences have honed your instincts to a razor's edge. You gain advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Insight) checks, reflecting your unparalleled ability to sense danger and decipher the true intentions of those you encounter. This keen intuition ensures that you are always prepared, never caught off guard by the machinations of your enemies.

• Aura of Dread : Your mere presence is enough to unsettle your adversaries. When a hostile creature starts its turn within 30 feet of you and can see you, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Rogue spell save DC or be frightened of you until the end of its next turn. Once a creature succeeds on this saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to your Aura of Dread for the next 24 hours.

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