Chain Warrior (5e Class)

Chain Warrior

These fighters have learned the art of chain combos, trading in the more consistent fighter style for a chance at higher attacking and defending power. Like the lightning from the sky they can strike through many targets bouncing till the chain runs out. Knowing this they began to train to use the natural forces of lightning storms. While deadly under normal circumstances fighting one of these warriors during a storm is extremely dangerous as it increases their power.

Creating a Chain Warrior

When creating your Chain Warrior, ask yourself how did you learned the technique of channeling and unleashing your lightning chains. Have you been trained by a school or monastery dedicated to the mastery of this technique, or have you discovered this ability by yourself, by connecting with nature and training on strong storms.

Quick Build

You can make a Chain Warrior quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the Athlete background. Third, choose spears, javelins, studded leather armor.

Class Features

As a Chain Warrior you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Dart, javelin, spear, pike, trident
Tools: Choose one
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Insight, Perception and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) a spear or (b) two javelins
• (a) studded leather armor or (b) leather armor and a pike
• (a) Explorer’s pack or (b) Dungeoneer’s pack

Table: The Chain Warrior

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Lightning Die
1st	+2	Lightning Attack, Chain Attack (1)	1d4
2nd	+2	Imbued Lightning, Electrification Mark (+1)	1d4
3rd	+2	Archetype, Absorb Lightning	1d4
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d4
5th	+3	Extra Attack Chain Attack (2)	1d6
6th	+3	Lightning Rod, Electrification Mark (+2)	1d6
7th	+3	Archetype Feature	1d6
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
9th	+4	Lightning Adept	1d6
10th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
11th	+4	Chain Attack (3)	1d8
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
13th	+5	Lightning Adept Improvement	1d8
14th	+5	Electromagnetism, Electrification Mark (+3)	1d8
15th	+5	Archetype Feature	1d8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
17th	+6	Lightning Adept Improvement	1d10
18th	+6	Archetype Feature	1d10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
20th	+6	Chain Attack (4)	1d10

Lightning Attack

Starting at 1st level, you can hurl lightning bolts against your enemies. When you take the Attack action, you can forgo any of your attacks to, instead, make a lightning attack against a creature you can see within 60 feet. On a hit, you cause 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier lightning damage.

The damage die increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Chain Warrior class table, on the Lightning Die column.

Your lightning attack bonus equals your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. You also have a lightning save DC equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier.

Chain Attack

At 1st level, once per turn when you hit a creature with your Lightning Attack, you can use cause the lightning bolt to leap from that target to another creature within 30 feet of it, making another attack. This is called a chained lightning bolt.

Starting at 5th level, you can use this feature twice per turn. This increases to three times per turn at 11th level, four times at 17th and finally five times at 20th level.

Imbued Lightning

At 2nd level, you can imbue your strikes with your lightning power. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack using a metallic weapon or an unarmed strike, succeed on a shove or grapple attempt, you cause damage equal to your lightning die, in addition to the regular effects of the attack or check.

Electrification Mark

At 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a Lightning Attack, that creature is marked with the Electrification Mark for 1 minute, or until you mark another creature.

You gain +1 on attacks and damage rolls with Lightning Attacks against the marked creature. The bonus becomes +2 at 6th level and +3 at 14th level.

Subclass Thunder Warrior

At 3rd level, you chose an archetype. Choose between the options detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th and 18th levels.

Absorb Lightning

Also at 3rd level, whenever you take lightning damage, you can halve the damage taken as a reaction. Doing so enables you to, on the next attack made until the end of your next turn, to cause additional lightning damage with an attack equal to the damage taken.

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

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.

Living Conductor

At 6th level, your electrification mark attracts your lightning bolts. Your attacks made against a creature marked by the electrification mark ignore half and three-quarters cover.

Lightning Adept

At 9th level, you can assume special combat stances, that enable you to control lightning in a specific manner. Using a bonus action, you can assume one of the lighting adept stances shown below, at the end of the class description, and they last for 1 minute.

You know one of those stances, learning an additional one at 13th and 17th levels.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Electromagnetism

At 14th level, you can now place your mark on metallic objects. You can forgo any of your attacks made as part of an Attack action to attract the electrified object towards you. If the object is larger than Large or is fixed, you are pulled towards it instead.

If the object is being held or worn by a creature, that creature must succeed on a Strength save against your lightning save DC or have the object pulled (if held) or is pulled himself (if the object is worn) towards you.

Lighting Adept Stances

Below are shown the available stances for the Chain Warrior. The stances are shown in alphabetical order.

Electro Sphere

You are surrounded by a sphere of lighting that covers an area of 10-foot radius around you. Whenever a creature enters the area for the first time or start their turn there, the creature takes lighting damage equal to your lightning die.

At 6th level, when you damage a creature with the sphere, you can use your bonus action to force that creature to make a Constitution save against the lightning save DC, paralyzing the target on a failed save. At 10th level the creature is stunned instead. At 14th level the aura range increases to 30 feet.

Lightning Speed

You use lightning to improve your speed. For the duration, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks and your movement speed increases by 5 feet x your proficiency bonus.

At 6th level, you can move on walls and on the surface of water while in this stance, and your movement ignore nonmagical difficult terrain. At 14th level, when you hit a creature with a lightning bolt, you can teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of it as a bonus action.

Amp Up

When in this stance, a creature hit by a chained lightning bolt take additional damage equal to an additional roll of your lighting die. Each time you hit a creature with the same chained lightning, the damage increases in one additional die.

At 6th level, any chained lightning after a critical is also a critical on a hit. At 14th level, if you hit all chained lightning bolts, the last chained lightning causes maximum damage.

Lightning Rail

The range of your Lightning Strikes increases to 120 feet. In addition, whenever you target a creature directly behind (in a same line) with the chain light ability, the creature take half damage, rather than no damage on a hit.

At 6th level, the range of the lighting strikes and the chain distance are doubled and any creature hit by the lightning can't take reactions. At 14th level, the first creature hit by your lightning strikes must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or is incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

True Lightning

You can only use this stance outdoors. While wielding a metallic weapon, on the turn you entered the stance and as a bonus action in each turn afterwards, you conjure lightning towards you. The lightning bolt causes damage to all creatures within 5-foot, causing 2d6 lightning damage to them.

At 6th level, whenever you use this bonus action, your weapon becomes electrified, and you cause additional 2d6 lightning damage on your next attack. At 14th level, you can hurl your electrified weapon forgoing one attack, causing a blast of electricity, forcing each creature in a 20-foot radius from the point of impact to make a Dexterity save, taking 2d6 lightning damage on a success, or half as much on a failure.

Archetypes

Below are shown the archetypes available to the Chain Warrior class. These archetypes enhance the base class powers by focusing on a specific aspect of the Chain Warrior, or by offering abilities that change the base features.

Lightning Lancer

Lightning lancers are chain warriors who use spears and spear-like weapons as lightning rods, electrifying and hurling against their enemies, causing their lightning strikes to be attracted by those weapons. They are quick and versatile warriors, who can quickly change distances in combat, attacking with ferocity and melee and quickly retreating to unleash their elemental destruction from afar.

Electrified Lance

Starting at 3rd level, when wielding a spear, trident, javelin or dart, you can imbue it with Electrification Mark, instead of imbuing a target, with a use of an Object action. When you do so, you gain the bonus associated with the feature with any attack or interaction made with the weapon.

In addition, whenever you make a ranged attack with your electrified weapon, you can cause it to return to your hand without using an action, after the attack resolves.

Lightning Rod

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you hit a creature with a electrified weapon, you can use your Bonus Action to hurl a Lighting Attack against that creature.

Electric Throw

Starting at 7th level, attacks made with the electrified weapon ignore bonus from half and third-quarters cover, and are considered magical, if they weren't already.

In addition, you can have two creatures, objects or weapons Electrified at the same time, rather than one.

Electromagnetic Grasp

At 15th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with your electrified weapon, you can use your Electromagnetism as a reaction to pull the creature towards you, without requiring an action.

Magnetic Defense

At 18th level, while wielding a electrified weapon, whenever an attack with a projectile or weapon or natural weapon that is partially or entirely made of metal is made against you, you can use a Reaction to force the attacker to make a Strength saving throw against your lightning save DC. On a failure, the attack misses.

Thunder Warrior

Thunder warriors are strong chain warriors who are capable of channeling the true power of lightning, striking with both the electric power of lightning bolts and the deafening sound of thunders. They use heavier weapons, with the intent of provoking soundwaves that can debilitate and kill their targets.

Thunder Combat

At 3rd level, you master the art of channeling the power of thunders. You gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with medium armor, clubs, greatclubs, hammers, great hammers and mauls.
• Whenever you attack with those weapons, you can use your Imbued Lightning ability to cause additional thunder damage, rather than lightning damage.
• You can use your Strength modifier, rather than Dexterity, for your lightning attack and save DC for abilities that cause Thunder Damage.

True Lightning

Starting at 3rd level, you can hurl a powerful lightning bolt, that also propagates a powerful sound wave. When you use your Lightning Attack, you can cause a thunder blast to propagate in an are of up to 10-foot radius from it. Each chained lightning bolt resulting from this attack also propagate the thunder blast. Any creature within the area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or take thunder damage equal to two six rolls of your Lightning Die, or half as much on a success.

You can hurl the true lightning three times, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.

Forceful Thunder

At 7th level, whenever you cause thunder damage to an electrified target with Large size or smaller, you can choose to push that target 10 feet back or knock that target prone.

When you cause thunder damage with this feature, your target is deafened until the end of its turn and can't take reactions. On a critical hit with this feature, your target is also stunned, and a thunderous sound can be heard in an area of 300 feet from the point of impact.

Thunderous Rebuke

At 15th level, you can repeal your attacks with thunderous might. Whenever an electrified creature within 5 feet makes an attack against you, you can force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw as a reaction. On a failed save, the attack misses, and the creature takes thunder damage equal to your Lightning Die and is pushed 10 feet back.

Thunder Monger

At 18th level, you regain the uses of your True Lightning feature whenever you finish a short or a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Chain Warrior class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Chain Warrior class, you gain the following proficiencies: Spear, javelins, light armor.

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