Crusader (5e Class)
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Crusader[edit]
Heavy armor, damage output, healing and campaigning. A leader for those who feel able to balance three cores of a singular class.
The Champion[edit]
Every cause needs a champion, a hero to rally otherwise common people to a righteous cause and lead them to victory. The crusader is that champion. With holy blade in hand, they smite the wicked and sends them back to the darkness from whence they crept. Their armor affords them great protection, allowing them to stand in the front lines to take the blows that their weaker comrades cannot.
No matter the pressures they face, they will remain strong, finding strength within themselves to keep fighting on while inspiring others to do the same. Even in the midst of battle, they can galvanize their allies, giving them the strength to fight off madness for a little longer. When the crusader is leading the charge, all of hell will know to fear the flame.
Creating a Crusader[edit]
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| The crusader from Darkest Dungeon. |
When creating a crusader, think about where your character got it's training. Were they trained in a monastery, devoted to a god, taught by a mentor, or self-taught? Why did your character choose to become a crusader? Was it religious devotion, the will to do the right thing? Or just adventure and treasure? Do you want to become a protector, a savior or a brave knight?
- Quick Build
You can make a crusader quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution then Charisma. Second, choose the Noble Guard background.
Class Features
As a Crusader you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Crusader level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Crusader level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Medium armor, heavy armor and shields
Weapons: Simple weapons and martial weapons
Tools: Land vehicles
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose 3 from Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion and Survival.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) a martial melee weapon and two simple weapons
- chain mail
- (a) Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) Explorer's Pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10gp in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Smite |
| 2nd | +2 | Inspiring Cry, Zealous Accussation |
| 3rd | +2 | Righteous Goal |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Battle Heal |
| 7th | +3 | Righteous Goal feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Parry |
| 10th | +4 | Stunning Blow |
| 11th | +4 | Zealous Speech |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Righteous Goal feature |
| 14th | +5 | Holy Lance |
| 15th | +5 | Righteous Goal feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Death's Door |
| 18th | +6 | Righteous Goal feature |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Crusader's Lock |
Smite[edit]
Your time during the crusade fueled your attacks with might making them deal increased damage.
Starting at 1st level, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may use your bonus action to deal additional damage of the same type as the attack equal to your proficiency bonus on the attack.
Inspiring Cry[edit]
Your experience in fighting and living made your voice more pleasant and inspiring, even if you simply shout random noises.
Starting at 2nd level, you may use your bonus action to yell inspiringly to an ally within 60 feet, healing them for 1d4 + your Charisma modifier hit points and while also removing the frightened and charmed conditions. Alternatively, as a bonus action you may slap your ally at melee range triggering the same effect. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.
Zealous Accusation[edit]
The resolve of your beliefs is finally channeled into a scroll which prescribes basic rules of your god and which ones your enemy(ies) coincidentally breaks.
Starting at 2nd level, as an action, you can summon a scroll to justify the death the enemy is about to face. Every creature in a 30 foot cone in front of you must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 2d8 + your Charisma modifier radiant damage, and on a success they take half as much. The scroll vanishes after the use. This feature's damage increases when you reach certain crusader levels to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. Once you use this feature, you can not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
(Just a reminder that this isn't magic, magic is heresy)
Righteous Goal[edit]
Starting at 3rd level, you choose a subclass that you emulate: godbound or haunting ancestry, detailed at the end of the class description. Your subclass choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at levels 7th, 13th, 15th, and 18th.
Ability Score Increase[edit]
Starting at 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[edit]
Even the common warrior can attack twice. Making you fast and sure enough with your blade doesn't make you as common as one though.
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Battle Heal[edit]
Your theoretical military medical degree lets you bandage your allies and add your flawless Charisma to ease your comrade's wounds.
Starting at 6th level, as an action you can touch a creature and heal them for 2d8 + half your crusader level + your Charisma modifier hit points if you have bandages or other medical supplies at hand. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) and you regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.
Parry[edit]
During crusades parrying saved your life more than once. Around the middle of your journey you finally remember how to do that.
Starting at 9th level, you can use your reaction in combat to parry an attack. When you are hit by an attack, as a reaction, you can choose to parry one melee attack against you as long as you aren’t surprised and the creature attacking you doesn’t have advantage against you. When you use this feature, your AC increases based on your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) against the triggering attack, potentially causing it to miss. If you successfully parry an attack this way, with no action required, you can make an attack the creature that had attacked you. Otherwise, if you fail to to cause the attack to miss you, you instead take half damage from the attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.
Stunning Blow[edit]
After all that, you got used to other people's bad intentions. So you hit them really hard on the head, stunning them. Bloody heretics...
Starting at 10th level, as an action, you make a melee weapon attack dealing normal weapon damage plus an additional 2d8 bludgeoning damage. On a successful hit along with the damage, you run the risk of stunning your target... applying the stunned condition upon your foes. Upon being hit by this attack a creature must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the start of your next turn.
You may use this feature once at 10th level, twice at 12th level, three times at 16th level, and four times at 19th level. You regain all uses of this feature at the end of a short or long rest.
Zealous Speech[edit]
You may give a lofty speech about how your current errand is holy and just. Light will prevail.
Starting at 11th level, when you are taking a short rest, you may spend the short rest inspiring an amount of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Any creature who understands this speech gains temporary hit points equal to your crusader level and has advantage on saving throws against being frightened and charmed for 1 hour after finishing the short rest.
Holy Lance[edit]
Charging is useful when starting fights, attacking with might, power and dominance, moving closer to the target and dodging obstacles.
Starting at 14th level, as an action, you can charge toward a chosen target with a range of 30 feet, moving towards them in a line. The charge's movement does not trigger opportunity attacks. This feature deals 1d10 + your crusader level bludgeoning damage and knocks Large or smaller creatures prone if they were in the way towards your target or are the target. All creatures hit by this must make a Dexterity or Strength(their choice) saving throw equal to DC 8 + proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier. If they succeed, they take half damage and are not knocked prone. You may use this feature twice and regain all uses of this feature after you finish a short or long rest.
Death's Door[edit]
'Defeat does not dismiss you, Death dismisses you' is what your ruler told you before sending you out on the crusade. Your devoted zeal borders on fanaticism, but defying death, even briefly, is worth the godless slander.
Starting at 17th level, instead of going unconscious when you fall to or below 0 hp, you may choose to not get knocked unconscious until you take damage equal to or greater than your crusader level. While being at Death's Door, your exhaustion level becomes 3, unless you already have 3 or more levels of exhaustion. If you are healed and your hit points become positive while in Death's Door, you can continue fighting like usual, but you may not enter Death's Door again until you finish a long rest. If you fall unconscious while in Death's Door, you have advantage on your death saving throw made on your next turn. If you fall unconscious while in Death's Door, you can not use the feature again until 1d4 days have passed.
Crusader's Lock[edit]
The battlefield is your mistress, every action was once done and can be repeated. You no longer expect an enemy to stay within range, but do you allow them to flee? You don't think so.
Starting at 20th level, whenever a creature leaves your range, including disengaging, you may use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against the creature. If the attack hits, the creature's movement speed is reduced to 0 feet until the start of your next turn.
Godbound[edit]
You have chosen the path on the road to godhood, what trials and tribulations await you on this path are yet to be seen. All you know is that a daunting path lay in front of you, and you are not about to back down.
- Additional Healing
Vitality is important to a soldiers body. Ever since you started training for the crusades your diet and style of life lead to increased recovery and effectivity of healing.
Starting at 3rd level, whenever you are healed by a spell, you are healed for an amount of extra hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Additionally you heal this much more whenever you roll a hit die on short rests.
- Blessed Back Shield
Backstabbing. No one likes for it to happen to them. Instead of learning this foul technique, your faith conjures a way to protect you against these vile attacks.
Starting at 7th level, you may summon a shield which floats around you for 1 minute as a bonus action. You gain +1 AC when attacked from the sides or back for every shield summoned. However, every shield active reduces your movement speed by 5ft. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier(minimum one) and you regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.
- Marcher's Body
All those tiring crusades made you accustomed to diseases. And through it, your immune system has been trained to start resisting even the most vicious poison.
Starting at 13th level, you gain resistance to poison damage and have advantage on Constitution saving throws against poison or disease. In addition, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws to avoid exhuastion.
- Enhanced Armor
You started polishing armor, the shine of a crusader's armor, which inspires your fellow party and makes the enemy tremble in fear is now even more potent.
Starting at 15th level, you have a +1 bonus to AC when wearing heavy armor.
- Healing Surge
Or second wind. When the battle is long and tiring you can remember your righteous cause and reinvigorate yourself against more blows.
Starting at 18th level, as an action, you may heal yourself for half your maximum hit points. You regain use of this feature after you finish a long rest.
Haunting Ancestry[edit]
'You remember our venerable house, opulent and imperial..' this is how your ancestor started his pleading letter to you, but you chose the crusades. Was it the right choice? No. You must forget about it. Regret is sin. But whatever your ancestor messed up, it seems to... Affect you.
- Mark for Death
Focusing on a target was never wrong, now your finger has some arcane red paint when you fight, probably.
Starting at 3rd level, you may mark a creature within 60 feet of you as a bonus action. You need a free hand, enough for a subtle circle symbol, equivalent to a somatic spell component (S). The creature then glows with a red glowing symbol visible even in dim light. You and your allies have advantage on any Wisdom (Survival) or Wisdom (Perception) checks you make against it. Additionally the target loses 3 AC. If the creature dies, you may use a bonus action on your next turn to mark another creature you can see. If there is no other target or you already spent your bonus action when the target gets defeated, this not-spell ends. The non-spell also wnds when the target escapes from view for ten minutes. You regain use of this feature after you finish a short rest.
- Hater and Slayer
There's no stronger emotion to increase strength than hate. You now pick which races become the incarnation of heresy.
Starting at 7th level, you can choose two creature types out of beast, celestial, dragon, elemental, fey, fiend, and undead. Alternatively you may choose three races of humanoid (such as elves or dwarves). Your melee attacks deal additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier against these creatures. You choose an additional hated enemy at level 14.
- Nightmares
Everyone has them, your ancestral home is full of them now, as such they are yours by birthright.
Starting at 13th level, the dreams you have are barely pleasant. They are filled with pelagic sirens, eldritch horrors and crushing darkness, whispers and much worse. As your mind gets used to it and does not dwindle to insanity you grow stronger.
You are now immune to being frightened and charmed. From now on, every time you go to sleep during a long rest you have to roll a D20 against a 7. On a failure you suffer from a nightmare, take 2d4 psychic damage before gaining 2d4 temporary hit points when waking up. When succeeding against the roll, gain 2d8 temporary hit points without any drawback instead.
- Crovid Encounter
Remember that crow which knocked on your window when you were 3? It seems to cause some trauma. That, or your ancestor decided to go after that mutant crow your mom told you not to worry about.
Starting at 15th level, a crow like abomination joins your nightmares. Your body seems to get inspired by it.
You gain Crovid Grace; proficiency in the Acrobatics or Athletics skill, if you already have proficiency in it, you can double your proficiency bonus. However, you gain Crovid Appetite which increases your need for rations to a daily amount of 2. Furthermore, while in at least dim light, your melee attacks always deal additional damage according to your Hater and Slayer feature regardless of the type of creature you hit. You also gain darkvision for 60 feet, if you already have darkvision, the range is increased by an additional 30 feet as well as gaining 5ft of truesight.
- Crimson
Something happened to your mind and body since last night. Making you awaken sturdier, immovable and.. slower..
Starting at 18th level, whenever you are hit by something forcing you to move, you gain advantage against the saving throw from it. Furthermore you gain 30 maximum hit points and lose 5 feet of movement speed.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the crusader class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 and Constitution 13.
Proficiencies. When you multi-class into the crusader class, you gain the following proficiency: medium armor, heavy armor, simple weapons, swords, and shields.
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