Hunter of the Undead (5e Subclass)
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Hunter of the Undead[edit]
Ranger Conclave
| “ | I'm coming. Even undeath cannot protect you from me. | ” |
| —Varden Silvermoon, Elven Hunter of the Dead | ||
Hunters of the Undead are survivors of attacks from undead creatures. They have fought the undead and live to tell of it. They have changes the direction of their lives to seek out and destroy undead creatures. Because of their hatred of these creatures and their experience with them, they have developed skills and abilities that aid them in their quest. Once a Hunter discovers an undead creature, he will seek to destroy it and will not turn aside any call for help against an undead creature. Hunters of the Undead have special supernatural abilities at their disposal to use against undead creatures.
Characters typically pursue this class because of horrible encounters with undead creatures and the hate that living through an encounter leaves behind towards them. Fighters, Rangers and Rouges typically follow this path after several encounters with undead. Clerics will sometimes follow this path to aid them in their quest to vanquish evil. Hunters of the Undead are granted powers by their church that are specifically for this class, and thus he is always required to accept specific church missions from time to time. The Hunter of the Undead gets several powerful abilities from the moment he takes his vow and begins down this path. His alignment will change to good once he takes his vows and he will never turn away from hunting down an undead creature.
A Hunter of the Undead carries with him the tools of his trade and therefore he must have ten silver stakes, a silvered weapon, ten vials of holy water and the holy symbol of his deity. He carries the symbol to show his loyalty and devotion. He cannot ever turn or rebuke undead or smite anything but an undead creature. His focus and hatred of the undead is too intense for him to channel energy or use spells.
First always against Undead. He will also defend any cleric against undead, even more so if the cleric is of their church. He is usually assigned to a cleric until he complete his journey upon this path. When he completes his path, he must be confirmed by his church, much the same way a student is confirmed into priesthood. After this time, he still works with other clerics, but is not held to the requirements or directions of his assigned cleric. For example, when he is assigned, the cleric may command him to wait until she channels energy. After he is confirmed, he no longer has to wait for her to do so. He may attack as he wishes.
Often, several Hunters are assigned to a task for the church. They work together well and often a retiring Hunter will look favorably upon a younger Hunter and make a gift of a powerful weapon or artifact to help battle undead. The church will also offer help if the Hunter is on a church assigned mission. Should a Hunter find an artifact that may prove desirable to the church he is compelled to turn it over for it's use; often he receives remuneration for his effort.
Hunters of the Undead are often sought out for specialized missions fraught with undead creatures, often paid well for such services. Some rulers keep them in their employ or as members of their military forces. Hunters are quiet and often join groups for the travel and access to dungeons and kinship. They report to their church as often as they can, and report any activity that might be a serious problem to their church. Once a Hunter reaches level 10 he can only take the fighter class or the rogue class due to the restrictions of his classes restrictions on spell casting and energy channeling. Many follow the path of the rogue because the skills of that class help the in their pursuit of undead by allowing them to access locks,disarm traps and gather information.
| “ | "Didn't like dying the first time? You really aren't going to like it this time around." | ” |
Hunters of the Undead are often in the company of a cleric to act as a supporter to her channeling powers and to protect her should the need arise. While not every cleric has a Hunter with them, usually, when a Hunter is found, they are in the company of a cleric or another divine class.
- Conclave Spells
You gain conclave spells at the ranger levels listed. You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your conclave spells.
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | protection from evil and good |
| 5th | lesser restoration |
| 9th | speak with dead |
| 13th | death ward |
| 17th | greater restoration |
- Track Undead
Starting at 3rd level, your experience hunting undead allows you to see any signs of the presence of undead even tracks left by incorporeal creatures, sensing traces of shadows rather than tracks. As an action, you can open your awareness to magically detect undead. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any undead within 60 feet of you that isn't behind total cover and that isn't protected from divination magic. This sense doesn't tell you anything about a creature's capabilities or identity.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Crypt Walker
When you choose this conclave at 3rd level, your body starts to adapt and change due to your repeated encounters with the dead. You become immune to disease, and can't be affected abilities that reduce your hit point maximum or ability scores from Undead creatures.
In addition, you have Darkvision up to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, yours increase in 30 feet.
- Smite Undead
At 3rd level, once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you cause additional 1d6 radiant damage. This increases to 2d6 if the target is an undead.
In addition, an undead hit by this attack cannot regain hit points until the end of its next turn.
- Ghost Touch
Starting at 7th level, your attacks can pierce trough even creatures that are not fully on the material plane. Your melee weapon attacks ignore resistances to non-magical damage, and you can strike creatures that are in the Ethereal Plane.
In addition, you can see into the Ethereal Plane up to a range of 10 feet.
- Spring Attack
Starting at 11th level, once per turn, if you move up to half your maximum movement speed and make an attack, on a hit you cause additional 3d6 damage and can move up to half your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
In addition, you can take the Dash and Disengage actions as a bonus action.
- Undead Bane
At 15th level, you become the true terror of undead creatures. You gain the following benefits:
- Vampiric Immunity. You gain the supernatural ability to withstand the horrible transformation of undead curses. You can't be transformed in an undead or raised as one.
- Mind Shield. You become immune to the frightened and charmed conditions, and to psychic damage.
- Taunt Undead. You are perceived as a primary threat to undead creatures. When you hit an undead with an attack, you can choose to taunt him. A taunted undead has Disadvantage on all attack rolls made against creatures other than you until the end of its turn.
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