Executioner (5e Class)

Executioner

Enemies that are rendered helpless become even more helpless when you're around. The Executioner focuses on making one big blow to an enemy, and using the brutality of their fighting style to instill fear in their enemies. With a big vertical slash, you chop up your enemies, and with the help of your teammates and your class features you essentially become a valuable support. The executioner doesn't deal a lot of damage on target not affect by a condition, but if an enemy falls prone or is grappled, your potential damage skyrockets.

Death's Middle Man

Executioners are the people who were hired to legally carry out executions, to exact judgement on criminals and enemies. But killing a criminal wasn't always hardly enough. Executioners also tortured criminals or enemies before beheading them, because they needed to pay for their actions. Because of this dark job, Executioners are often connected with death, or the grim reaper, and they are feared and respected. This is also the reason many people avoid executioners, since they are so scary.

Creating an Executioner

An Executioner with his axe (by Quel)

Questions to help a player develop a character.

"Who was your character an executioner for, before becoming an adventurer?"

"Does you executioner kill to pass judgement, or just for fun?"

"Maybe someone you were supposed to kill became someone important to you?"

"Is there any important life lesson you've learned from being an executioner?"

"Is your character proud of being an executioner?"

Quick Build

You can make a Executioner quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution and Charisma. Second, choose the Faceless background. Third, choose a whip, a greataxe, chain mail, and a dungeoneer's pack.

Class Features

As a Executioner you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Executioner level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Executioner level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, flail, halberd, greataxe, whip
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion

Equipment

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

• (a) a whip or (b) a handaxe
• (a) a halberd or (b) a greataxe
• (a) chain mail or (b) leather, a light crossbow, and 20 bolts
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Table: The Executioner

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Execution, Hold Still
2nd	+2	Inescable Death, Experienced Professional
3rd	+2	Torture Specialty, Executioners Intimidation
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Heavy Blow, Extra Attack, Hold Still(2)
6th	+3	Executioners Calling, Torture Specialty
7th	+3	Improved Critical, Excellent Strike
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Passionate Executioner
9th	+4	Torture Specialty
10th	+4	Deal With Death
11th	+4	Heavy Blow (2), Heavy Weapon Training
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Torture Specialty
13th	+5	Marked For Death
14th	+5	Judgement
15th	+5	Torture Specialty, Superior Critical, Hold Still (3), Dismemberment
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Shadow of the Executioner, Guillotine of Doom
17th	+6	Extra Attack
18th	+6	Well Executed Execution
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Heavy Blow (3)

Execution

At 1st level you can perform an execution. When you reduce a enemy to 0 hp with an attack the deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can behead or dismember them in a brutal fashion. Creatures who are hostile to you and that can see your execution are frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can end the frightened condition on themselves if they succeed on a Wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier which they can make at the end of each of their turns.

Hold Still

Starting at 1st level, you can guarantee a critical hit when an enemy is frightened, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned, or unconscious. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Strength modifier, regaining your uses when you finish a long rest.

The amount of times you can use this feature increases by once per long rest at 5th level, and again at levels 10th, and 15th level.

Inescapable Death

Starting at 2nd level, when you have advantage on a melee attack, you may roll 3d20 instead of the normal 2d20 to hit.

Experienced Professional

You've clearly trained to make your executions as good and clean as possible, and you've found out that using a two-handed weapon makes the job a little easier. Starting at 2nd level, whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Executioners Intimidation

Starting at 3rd level, you gain advantage on all Charisma (Intimidation) checks. In addition, enemies that have advantage against the frightened condition lose that advantage and creatures that are immune to the frightened condition lose that immunity and instead have advantage against being frightened.

Torture Specialty

At 3rd level, you chose a Torture Specialty. Choose between Physical Torture or Psychological Torture detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, 12th, and 15th level.

Heavy Blows

Executioners are used to making heavy blows with their weapons to ensure clean executions. Beginning at 5th level, when you wield a weapon with the heavy property, that weapon gains an additional damage die. The weapon gains an additional damage die at 11th level (two extra damage die) and another at 20th level (three extra damage die).

Example

Greataxe at 5th level = 2d12 + your Strength modifier

Greataxe at 11th level = 3d12 + your Strength modifier

Greataxe at 20th level = 4d12 + your Strength modifier

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Executioners Calling

At 6th level, your sense of duty deepens, and you become anxious to exert judgement on your enemies. Your speed increases by 10 feet when you move towards an enemy inflicted with one or more of the following conditions: frightened, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned, or unconscious.

Improved Critical

Starting at 7th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18 to 20.

Excellent Strike

At 7th level, when you land a critical hit with a weapon you are proficient with, you can add your proficiency score times two to the damage of the attack.

Passionate Executioner

You are good at your job, and you like it. Starting at 8th level, whenever you kill an enemy or score a critical hit you can choose to gain one of these effects listed below:

Job Well Done

You have advantage on all saving throws until the end your next turn.

Adrenaline Rush

Your speed increases by 10 feet until the end of combat, up to a maximum of 30 feet.

Who's Next?

You gain temporary hit points equal to your character level, for the next minute.

Deal With Death

Sometimes, even you have to deal with it. Starting at 10th level, you can giver yourself advantage on a death saving throw. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Heavy Weapon Training

Due to continuous use of heavy weapons, you have very strong muscles. Starting at 11th level, you treat heavy weapons as weapons with the thrown property (20/60). You count as one size larger when determining the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Marked For Death

Starting at 13th level, at the start of combat you can mark one enemy. You have advantage on attack rolls against this enemy. The enemy has disadvantage on all attacks against you. If you perform an execution on this enemy, you can double your movement speed until the end of your turn.

Judgement

When passing judgement on an enemy, there is nothing standing in your way. Starting at 14th level, when you roll for damage against an enemy you hit with advantage, you ignore physical resistances, but not immunities.

Superior Critical

Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 17-20.

Dismemberment

Starting at 15th level, twice per long rest, when you score a critical hit, you can disarm a humanoid enemy by severing its hand weapon or a chosen hand if it is not holding a weapon.

Guillotine of Doom

Upon reaching 16th level, your mastery of the art of death allows you to make attacks that can instantly end your foe. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Strength modifier. When you declare attacks against a creature that has fewer than 50% of its maximum hit points, you can attempt an Executioner's Deathblow. Make an attack roll with advantage. If you hit, the target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 12 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever is higher) + your proficiency bonus. If the save fails, the attack's damage is doubled and the target is stunned until the end of your next turn. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is decapitated, dying instantly. After using this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow of the Executioner

At 16th level, you have perfected the art of moving undetected and striking when your enemies least expect it. As a bonus action, you can enter a state of supernatural stealth that makes you invisible to sight, hearing, and magic until the start of your next turn or until you attack or take an action that affects the enemy or ally. While in this state, your first attack automatically deals critical damage, and you have advantage on saving throws until your next turn. After using this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Warrant To Kill

Being an executioner comes with certain benefits. At 17th level, whenever you have to state a reason for killing someone resulting in a deception, intimidation or persuasion check, you do so with advantage.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 17th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Well Executed Execution

At 18th level, whenever you perform an execution in a combat where you haven't taken any damage yet, or it is the first round of combat. Enemies are feared instead of frightened by your execution. All enemies feared by your execution must succeed a wisdom saving throw or be frightened by you until the end of their next turn. While frightened by this effect, the creature must take a dash action and move as far away as possible from you by the safest route available on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. On each of their turns they can make a DC 8 + your Charisma + proficiency Wisdom saving throw, and on a successful save, the effect ends.

Torture Specialty

Executioners aren't just people who've legally been hired to kill someone, they also take on a wide palette of other jobs. Executioners have also been known too use their experience with death to get rid of carcasses on streets, both animal and human. They also often serve as wardens for prisons or dungeons. They've also surprisingly commonly been tasked with tax collection, and other jobs such as bodyguard or bouncer. Another important job executioners often get, is the job as torturer. Executioners have often been tasked with torturing for the sake of punishment. One might call it a sort of pre-execution, held in order to be sure that a criminal/prisoner would get the right amount of punishment, and not only the sweet remorse of death.

Physical Torture

Pain is a great tool for torturing enemies. The job of the executioner is to inflict physical pain to pass judgement, but some executioners do it just for fun.

Sloppy Butcher

Starting at 3rd level, you know exactly how to hit enemies to inflict a frightening amount of pain. Once per turn, when you hit an enemy with a melee attack, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw equal to (8 + your proficiency + your charisma modifier), or they become frightened of you and become unable to take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Sadist

Starting at 6th level, inflicting pain ticks you off in all the right ways. Whenever you deal damage to an enemy, you have advantage on attack rolls against that enemy until the end of your next turn.

Tough as Nails

At 9th level, life as a torturer has given you a certain mental fortitude. You have advantage saving throws against being frightened and you gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Grievous Wounds

The wounds you inflict your enemies make them writhe in pain. Starting at 12th level, when you attack an enemy, they are unable to take a dash or disengage action on their next turn. Their movement speed is also reduced by 5ft until the end of combat. It is possible to reduce an enemy's movement speed by more than 5ft if additional attacks are made. If you reduce an enemy's movement to 0ft they become restrained. It is not possible to reduce an enemy's movement more than 20 ft.

Experienced Torturer

Your experience with torture has given you insight in the inner workings of the body. Starting at 15th level, When you attack an enemy with an unarmed melee attack, you make sure that you hit certain nerves or muscles, resulting in one of these effects.

Sensory Disruption; you hit a nerve or muscle that results in the enemy being blinded and deafened until the end of their next turn.

Muscle Spasm; you hit a nerve or muscle that results in the enemy falls prone or is disarmed

Severe Headache; you hit a nerve or muscle that results in the enemy being stunned until the start of their next turn.

Psychological Torture

Torture comes in more than one form. Psychological torture is about damaging the mind of an opponent, breaking them down mentally, until they are completely broken.

Vicious Mockery

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the Vicious Mockery cantrip, if you don't already know it.

Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.

Thanatophobia

Many see executioners as the harbingers of death, and it would be rightfully to fear death. At 6th level, you can use your action to instill fear in your enemies. You roll a intimidation throw, and all enemies that can see and hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your intimidation throw. If their roll is lower, they are frightened by you for 1 minute. At the start of their turns, they can repeat the saving throw.

Hemophobia

Blood is a very symbolic substance, and a great tool for torture. At 9th level, after making a melee attack against an enemy capable of bleeding, they must succeed on a DC 8 + Your Charisma + Proficiency, Wisdom saving throw, or be restrained until the end of their next turn. If an enemy rolls 1 on the wisdom saving throw, the sight of their own blood makes them fall unconscious until the start of their next turn.

Bleeding isn't an actual condition, but rather just a visual thing.

Break their spirit

Starting at 12th level, when you either move to, or away, from an an enemy that is frightened, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack.

Mental Breakdown

Starting at 15th level, you can frighten an already frightened enemy. If you succeed in frightening an already frightened enemy, one of three things happen. The enemy rolls a d6, and the outcome is based on the numbers shown on the die.

1-2, the enemy runs as far away as possible from you.

3-4, the enemy's legs give in, and they fall prone.

5-6, the enemy momentarily looses consciousness, falling unconscious until the end of your next turn.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Executioner class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength and 13 Charisma

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Executioner class, you gain the following proficiencies: Greataxe and Halberd

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