Critical Warrior (5e Class)
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Critical Warrior
Trembling, the criminal slowly walks along the steps that lead him to the scaffold. There, a tall masked man, bearing a large sword, awaits, silent. The man is place on his knees, and with a swift and precise cut, the head pirouettes in the air, falling in a basket.
Facing a enormous knight donning a heavy armor, the elf warrior wields his long and fine blade. Focusing his attention, he delivers a precise strike between the enemy's armor gap, slitting his throat, and enters in a flow state, unleashing a barrage of precise strikes against each crevice, crack or gap in the armor, replacing the silver of the armor for the red of the knight's blood.
In the summer's fair, spectators await for the main event, a competition of precision. Dozens of archers stand in an open field, in hopes of gaining the prize. One after the other, they shoot the target far far away. The last archer inspire and nocks his arrow on the bow, looking at the target already pierced in the center. He lets his arrow fly, splitting his competitor's arrow in the middle, and leaves the stand to grab his well earned bag of gold.
All of these are examples of Critical Warriors, individuals who use their precision to deliver devastating strikes, which enables them to perform marvelous combat techniques.
Focus and Restraint
Focus and restraint are the main skills that a critical warrior needs to develop in order to master their technique. Using focus, they find weak spots in their target's anatomy, gaps in the armor and openings on their stance; and, with restraint, they avoid targeting those weaknesses, waiting for the right time to deliver the critical blow.
Doing so, they keep the control over the pace of the battle, waiting patiently to strike with precision when they really need to, letting their opponents feel confident, which in turn open them for the true power of critical strikes.
Masters of Precision
Precision is one of the greatest tools in a critical warrior's arsenal. With precision, they can increase their chances to strike the tiny spots where they can really cause devastating wounds on their enemies. Thus, they tirelessly train their eyesight and perception, their motor skills and steadiness, and their technique with weapons.
The benefits of this training is twofold: on one hand, allows them to keep their calmness and carefully aim even in the heat of combat; on the other, turns the act of using precise aim an instinct, turning their hits precise without the need for the warrior to think on doing so.
Class Features
As a critical warrior you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per critical warrior level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per critical warrior level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Perception, and Sleight of Hand
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
- (a) a greataxe or (b) any martial weapon
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- (a) A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) A martial weapon
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Critical Pool Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Hand-Eye Coordination, Restraint | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | Critical Mastery (19-20), Sure Strike | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Attentive Glance, Critical Style | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | Critical Style Feature | 4 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | Brutal Criticals (x3) | 5 |
| 10th | +4 | Critical Style Feature | 5 |
| 11th | +4 | Crippling Criticals | 6 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |
| 13th | +5 | Brutal Criticals (x4) | 7 |
| 14th | +5 | Critical Style Feature | 7 |
| 15th | +5 | Critical Mastery (18-20) | 8 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
| 17th | +6 | Brutal Criticals (x5) | 9 |
| 18th | +6 | Critical Style Feature | 9 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 |
| 20th | +6 | Critical Master | 10 |
Hand-Eye Coordination
Your precision training have gifted you with an incredible eyesight and a steady hand. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check that relies on sight, a Dexterity check that involves handling an object you can hold in one hand, or an attack roll against a stationary and unheld object, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.
Restraint
You can exert great control over the potency of your strikes, allowing you to unleash devastating blows when needed. This ability is represented by your critical pool maximum, that start as 1 at 1st level.
Your pool maximum increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Critical Warrior table. When you hit a target with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 critical point and turn that attack into a critical.
When you score a critical hit against a hostile creature, you can turn that attack into a normal hit, and restore 1 point to your critical pool, up to your maximum. When you finish a long rest, your pool returns to its maximum.
Critical Mastery
At 2nd level, you score critical hits on a roll of 19-20 on the d20. This improves to 18-20 at 15th level.
Sure Strike
When you reach 2nd level, you can use your powerful eyesight and steady hands to make extremely precise strikes. As a bonus action, you can give yourself Advantage on the next attack made on this turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). When you finish a short or long rest, you regain all uses.
Attentive Glance
When you reach 3rd level, you develop your eyesight even further, which enables you to find weak spots on your targets. When you take the Search action, you can give yourself Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that rely on sight. You can't be blinded to use this feature.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain your expended uses.
Critical Style
When you reach 3rd level, you choose to dedicate yourself to a specific style of critical fighting, that directs your training. You can choose either Execution, Murder or Bane as your critical style. Your choice give you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, 14th and 18th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 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.
Brutal Criticals
When you reach 9th level, you roll your weapon's dice three times, rather than twice, when you score a critical hit. This increases to four dice at 13th level and five dice at 17th level.
Crippling Criticals
Beginning at 11th level, when you spend a critical point to turn a normal attack into a critical hit, you impose 1 level of exhaustion on your target. You can't impose more than three levels of exhaustion on your targets.
Critical Master
When you reach the 20th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, that attack is a critical.
Critical Styles
Execution Style
Executors are Critical Warriors who rely on the precision of their attacks to end their fights in single powerful blow. Most critical warriors adopt this style, knowingly or no, since the honing of precision and restraint, all in preparation for a single devastating blow is a path that naturally leads to the execution style.
As the name implies, lots of executioners compound the execution style ranks. Others who choose this style are assassins, or any type of combatant who prefers to not waste time in glorious but overly long battles, opting for quickness and simplicity.
- Murder
At 3rd level, you can assassinate your enemies with your attacks. When you score a critical hit against your target, you can use your reaction to double the damage of that attack.
- Firm Hand
At 7th level, your murderous intent causes your blade to always find the target. When you miss a Sure Strike, you can use your reaction to reroll that attack, and use your new roll. Alternatively, you can use this feature when you make an attack with Advantage, to roll three dice rather than two, choosing the highest result.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after completing a long rest.
- Debilitate
At 10th level, you can prevent the escape of your execution targets. You now score critical hits whenever you make an opportunity attack against a creature. In addition, whenever you score a critical hit against a creature, that creature's movement is reduced to 0 until the end of the creature's next turn.
- Cruelty
When you reach the 14th level, your attacks are specially brutal. When you score a critical hit, you can choose to cause maximum damage, rather than rolling for it. If you have critical points on your critical pool, you can spend them, adding two rolls of your damage dice (maximized) for each point spent.
You can use this feature once, without any consequence. For each time you use this feature again before taking a long rest, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion.
- Dismemberment
At 18th level, when you score a critical hit against a creature using a weapon that causes slashing damage, roll the attack again. If the attack was rolled with advantage, this roll also has advantage. If the result is again a critical, you lop off one of the target’s limbs, with the Effect of such loss determined by the GM. If the creature has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body instead. If the creature is restrained or incapacitated, you decapitate the creature instead (if the creature has a head).
Rampage Style
The Rampage style focus on using critical strikes to set up complex combos of rapid attacks. Hitting with a precise strike allows the Rampage warrior to enter in a flow state, where he can deliver a flurry of uninterrupted strikes against a single opponent.
- Flurry State
Starting at 3rd level, you can unleash a barrage of strikes against a creature you critically hit. When you score a critical hit against your target, you can enter in a state of flurry for 1 minute. You can make an additional attack against your target on this turn. In addition, for the duration, whenever you take the Attack action, you can make an additional attack against that target.
Your flurry ends if you miss an attack, attack another creature or if the target is reduced to 0 hit points.
- Agile Feint
At 7th level, your attacks seem to always find a target. When you make an attack with a weapon that lacks the heavy or two-handed property, and miss the attack, you can use your bonus action to reroll the result. You can spend a use of Sure Strike without using an action to give yourself Advantage on this attack.
Using this bonus action prevents you from ending your Flurry State.
- Critical Barrage
At 10th level, you can unleash a furious barrage of attacks against your targets. Whenever you score a critical hit, you can use barrage to make another attack against the same target.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.
- Opportunist
At 14th level, whenever you score a critical hit against a creature, you can make an opportunity attack against it.
- Quick Flurry
Starting at 18th level, you are ever ready for combat. If you take the Attack action on your first turn of a combat, you can make one additional attack with a weapon that lacks the heavy or two-handed property as part of that action.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Critical Warrior class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Critical Warrior class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons.
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