Purifier (5e Class)

Purifier

The world has become strange. Magic, weapons, and technology have long overtaken the mortal body. Very few have the courage (or insanity) to pit sweat, blood, and tears against cold steel and raging magic, fewer still can survive combat in this manner. Purifiers, in their own eyes, are the last line of defense against extinction. Their abilities in non-magical unarmed combat make them feared by even those who wield the strongest of Arcane forces.

Some Purifiers bear open hatred for magic and those who wield it, while others simply regard it as a dishonorable shortcut to overcome weakness. Whatever the case, Purifiers hold themselves above shortcuts to power, ignoring material pursuits to better the self and destroy those who corrupt magic and abuse the might of weaponry.

Creating a Purifier

When creating a Purifier, consider their motives before all else. Nobody simply realizes they are a Purifier, as in the case of many Sorcerers, or goes through a certain process to gain this title, as with Warlocks. Perhaps a magical spell gone awry wreaked some havoc to their home that they have not forgiven, or they grew up witnessing senseless violence made possible by finely crafted weapons. It may even be that your character admired the drive and well-honed skill of a Purifier they encountered and wish to replicate these traits themselves. Whatever the case, understanding motive is at the core of your Purifier.

Quick Build

You can make a Purifier quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity if you intend to choose the Hardline Ascetic House, Constitution if you intend to take the Bulwark Ascetic House, or Wisdom if you intend to take the Spellbreaker Ascetic House. Second, choose the Outlander background. Do not choose any weapons.

Class Features

As a Purifier you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools: Choose one
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, Religion, Stealth or Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack or (c) a broken martial weapon as a trophy
• a shattered staff as a trophy

Table: The Purifier

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Prowess Die
1st	+2	Ascetic House, Prowess, Purified Recovery	1d6
2nd	+2	Inner Strength, Last Breath, Measured Approach	1d6
3rd	+2	Ascetic House Feature	1d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
5th	+3	Mage's Nightmare, Extra Attack	1d8
6th	+3	Ascetic House Feature	1d8
7th	+3	Vigorous	1d8
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
9th	+4	Breath of Life	1d8
10th	+4	Enduring	1d8
11th	+4	Ascetic House Feature	1d10
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
13th	+5	Resilient	1d10
14th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
15th	+5	Hearty	1d10
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
17th	+6	Ascetic House Feature, Breath of Life Improvement	1d12
18th	+6	Complete Resilience	1d12
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
20th	+6	Purified perfection	1d12

Ascetic House

At 1st Level, you choose an Ascetic House, binding you to a particular path of Purification. Choose between House Bulwark, House Hardline, and House Spellbreaker, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st Level, and again at 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 17th.

Prowess

As a purifier, your body is the only weapon and only protection you will ever need. Beginning at 1st level, you gain the following benefits while unarmored and unarmed.

Prowess Die

Your prowess is represented by your prowess die, which is a d6. This Prowess Die increases as shown in the Prowess column on the Purifier table.

Unarmed Prowess

Purifiers, similarly to Monks, are trained to be expert unarmed combatants. However, the style employed by a Purifier cannot be described as an art. Although far from graceful and free-flowing, Purifiers are a terrible glory to behold in unarmed combat. Beginning at 1st Level, your prowess die become the damage die for your unarmed strikes.

Enhanced Unarmored Defense

Purifiers rely not upon steel, plate and leather for protection, choosing instead to dodge, anticipate or simply endure attacks. Beginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Wisdom, Constitution, or Dexterity modifier. Once you choose which modifier to use, you may not change it.

Purified Recovery

At 1st level, whenever you roll a hit die to recover hit points or to use any of your Purifier features while you are purified, also roll your prowess die. If the result on your hit die roll is lower than the roll of your prowess die, you can choose your prowess die result instead.

Purified

Some purifier features require you to be purified. You are purified when not carrying a magical item, weapon or armor. If you use any of those, you lose your purified state until you are no longer carrying them.

You also lose your purified state if you are under the effect of a harmful spell. A harmful spell removes your purification for the duration of the spell.

Finally, when you willingly use a magic item, or when you are affected by a spell from a non-hostile target, you lose your purified state until you complete a long rest.

Impure

Any magical healing you receive causes you psychic damage equal to the amount of hit points you would receive.

Inner Strength

At 2nd level, instead of drawing your power from supernatural forces, you push yourself harder to gain this power, using your inner reserves instead. These inner reserves are represented by an amount of stamina points you have.

Gaining Stamina

You can, at the start of your turn, you roll your prowess die. You lose a number of hit points equal to the number rolled, and gain the same amount in stamina. This hit point loss can't be reduced by any means. Any stamina you have is lost when you finish a long rest.

Last Breath

Starting at 2nd level, the first time on a day you are reduced to 0 hit points, or after succeeding a death saving throw, you regain a number of hit points equal to a roll of your prowess die, and gain a number of stamina equal to the number rolled + your Purifier level.

Measured Approach

A key part of every Purifier's training is learning to identify weaknesses and flaws in the enemy, striking with maximum impact and effect. Beginning at 2nd Level, when you attack an humanoid creature of large size or smaller with an unarmed strike, you can designate a specific part of the target's body. You must declare what body part you are trying to hit before making the attack.

You can choose from the following:

Head

When you make an unarmed strike against a humanoid, you can expend 1 stamina point to attempt to strike his head. Make the attack with disadvantage. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Arm

When you make an unarmed strike against a humanoid, you can expend 1 stamina point to attempt to strike an object from their hands. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop 1 held object of your choice and have that object be pushed 10 feet away from you.

Torso

When you make an unarmed strike against a humanoid, you can expend 1 stamina point to target its torso. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on attacks until the end of their next turn.

Legs

When you an unarmed strike against a humanoid, you can expend 1 stamina point to attempt to knock the target to the ground. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.

Mage's Nightmare

Purifiers of every house are trained to resist and endure the wiles and power of magic in its many forms. Beginning at 5th level, whenever you must make a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, you can use your reaction to give yourself advantage to that check. If you are attacked by a spell attack, you can also use your reaction to impose disadvantage to that spell attack.

If you do so, you half the damage taken from the attack or failed save. If you take no damage, you don't spend your reaction.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn.

Vigorous

Beginning at 7th level, when you are purified, if you spend hit die to recover hit points after finishing a short rest, you gain the maximum amount of hit points, instead of rolling the die.

Breath of Life

At 9th level, when you use your Last Breath feature, you double the amount of hit points and stamina points gained. This increases to the triple at 17th level.

Enduring

Starting at 10th level, while you are purified, you make saving throws in which you have proficiency with at advantage.

Resilient

At 13th level, whenever you succeed a saving throw against an effect caused by a hostile creature you can see, you gain a number of stamina points equal to the result of your save.

Hearty

At 15th, whenever you finish a long rest, you recover all your hit die, instead of only half of them.

Complete Resistance

At 18th level, you gain proficiency with all saving throws.

Purified Perfection

Starting at 20th level, your Strength and Wisdom score increases by 4, up to a maximum of 24.

If you are purified, your Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence and Charisma also increase by 4.

House Bulwark

Purifiers sworn to House Bulwark have devoted years, or, in some cases, decades, to making a fortress of their mind and a wall of their body. A Bulwark is nigh on immovable when they wish it, mastering their own weight and strength to hold the line against mages and soldiers alike. Bring your soldiers, your bolts, your arrows, your spells, or your holy fire - a Bulwark holds fast.

Powerful Build

Your body is extremely large and powerful. At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Athletics skill, and can double your proficiency bonus in checks with it if you are purified.

Fortitude

As a Bulwark, at 1st Level, you gain access to an ability called Fortitude, used to endure and deal incredible physical punishment. You use your prowess die to fuel your fortitude features.

Whenever you roll the maximum number possible on a prowess die when using your fortitude features, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion.

You start by learning three such features: Iron Hide, Practiced Resistance, Detoxification.

Iron Hide. When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one or more of your attacks and roll one prowess die for each attack. Until the start of your next turn, any damage you take is reduced by an amount equal to the amount rolled. When a creature within 5 feet hit you, it takes the damage rolled on your prowess die.

Practiced Resistance. When you make a saving throw against poison damage, poisoned condition or disease, you can roll a prowess die and add the number to the result. If you still take poison damage after doing so, the damage is halved.

Detoxification. When you are affected by poison or disease, you can roll a prowess die as an action to end that effect.

Enhanced Reserves

Also at 1st level, you can use your bonus action to recover from all your exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest, unless you spend 2 hit dice to do so.

Endurance

Starting at 3rd level, when you roll your hit die to recover hit points during a short rest, you recover from 1 level of exhaustion for each die rolled.

In addition, if you roll a 1 on your prowess die when using the Fortitude feature, you gain a number of stamina points equal to 1 + half your level (or your level, if you are purified).

Improved Fortitude

Beginning at 6th level, you gain the following additional fortitude features:

Steel Hide. When you are under the effects of iron hide, you can choose to roll one additional prowess die to reduce the damage of a single attack of your choice. When you do so, you can't do it again until you use Iron Hide again.

Iron Mind

Also at 6th level, you are tied to this plane, resistant to the flow of the many planes of existence. You are unable to be sent to another plane against your own will. Spells attempting to send you to another plane will fail without your consent, and Gates and Portals to other planes will feel solid to you unless you consciously decide to enter them.

Immovable Object

Starting at 11th level, if you have less than 3 levels of exhaustion, you can use your action to enter in an unmovable stance, using your action. While in this stance, you gain the following effects:

• You gain resistance to Slashing, Piercing and Bludgeoning damage.
• When you use this feature and at the start of each turn, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Prowess Die + your Constitution modifier.
• Whenever a normal or magical effect, would move you against your will, you can reduce the distance moved by your movement speed. Your movement speed on your next turn is reduced by the same amount. You also have advantage on checks and saves against such effects.

This ability lasts for 1 minute, ending earlier if you are unconscious. When the duration ends, you suffer 3 levels of exhaustion.

Unbreakable Body

At 17th level, your endurance is unending. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can roll your prowess die as a reaction, and be instead reduced to an amount of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your level in this class.

In addition, when you do so, you automatically activates Immovable Object, without using any action. When you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

House Hardline

The polar opposite of the Ascetic House of the Bulwark, Hardline Purifiers are built to shatter defenses, intimidate opponents, and break walls and bodies alive. They are, even among the skilled Order of the Purifier, heralded as some of the finest unarmed combatants ever seen. While all Purifiers train to cleanly take enemies apart by hand, Hardlines also perfect a second technique designed to cause pain and draw enemies' attention.

Taunt

Starting at 1st level, while purified, you can attempt to provoke your enemies, coercing then into attacking you. As an action, you can make a Charisma (Deception) check, resisted by the target's Wisdom (Insight). On a success, the creature must use its reaction to move up to its movement speed towards you. This movement provoke opportunity attacks.

If the creature ends its movement within 5 feet of you, you can make an unarmed strike against it using your bonus action.

Bone Breaker

At 1st level, whenever you cause damage with an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to roll the damage die twice and choose the highest result.

Painful Strike

Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can turn that attack into a painful strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your prowess save DC. On a failed save, the target roll your prowess die whenever it makes an attack roll, reducing the result by the amount rolled.

In addition, the target can't take reactions nor cast or concentrate on spells. The creature can make another saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this effect, otherwise it lasts for 1 minute.

After using this ability successfully twice, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Shaken

Beginning at 6th level, whenever a creature within 5 feet hit you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an attack against that creature. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or is frightened until the end of your next turn.

In addition, when you hit a creature that is frightened by this feature with an unarmed strike, the creature takes additional psychic damage equal to half your purifier level, and the condition ends.

Devastating Strikes

Starting at 11th level, whenever you hit a creature that is under the effects of your painful strike with an unarmed strike, you add your Prowess Die to your damage rolls, and the target must make the saving throw to avoid its effects at disadvantage.

Broken Body

At 17th level, your strikes aren't not only painful, but also weaken your target, making it more fragile to attacks. While the target is under the effects of painful strike, it also suffer from the following effects:

• Any weapon attack scores a critical hit on the creature on a roll of 18-20.
• The target's movement speed is reduced by 10 feet.
• Whenever a creature hit the target with a melee weapon attack, it can use its reaction to cause additional 1d8 damage to it, from the weapon's type.

House Spellbreaker

Members of the Spellbreaker house are purifiers who devote their training to the hunt of magic users, developing endurance to magical effects trough a gruesome and painful training, and training their minds by studying arcane secrets, acquiring knowledge about their prey. These purifiers understand the dangers of magic, and see the weakness on those who need to rely on the weave to supplement their abilities.

Arcane Knowledge

At 1st level, you have studied those you hunt. You gain proficiency in the Arcana, Religion or Nature skill. In addition, while you are purified, you gain advantage in checks with the chosen skill.

Mage Slayer Rush

Starting at 1st level, when you roll initiative if you aren't surprised, you can choose to evaluate and prioritize your targets on the battlefield. If you do so, you gain a -5 on your Initiative roll.

If you do so, on your first turn of combat, you can move up to your movement speed towards an hostile creature of your choice. If you end your movement within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you can make a unarmed strike. On a hit, you cause additional damage equal to your Purifier level.

Arcane Resilience

At 3rd level, your purified body is specially resilient to the effects of spells. Whenever you roll a 9 or lower on a saving throw against a spell, you can choose a 10 instead.

In addition, you have advantage on ability checks made to recognize spells that you can see or hear being cast and on Intelligence (Arcane) checks to identify the nature of spells.

Mage Slayer

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to disrupt the flow of weave in a creature's body, blocking its ability to cast spell or causing the magic power inside the creature to hurt her by overloading it. You gain the following abilities:

Spellburn. When you hit a creature that has spell slots with a melee weapon attack, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature loses a spell slot with a level up to your proficiency bonus. In addition, the creature takes additional force damage equal one roll of your prowess die per level of the spell slot.

You always burn the highest level spell slots you are able to, before the lower ones.

Silence. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can force silence into that creature, making it unable to speak until the end of your next turn.

Block Action. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, the creature can only take the following actions until the end of your next turn: Attack, Dash, Dodge, Disengage, Hide, Search or Ready. In addition, the creature is unable to make spell attacks for the duration.

You can use your Mage Slayer feature twice, and regain your uses of it after completing a short or a long rest.

Spell Breaker

At 6th level, you become able to interrupt or end the effects of spells. You learn the following techniques:

Cleansing Touch. You can use your action and spend one use of this feature to mimic the effects of dispel magic. .

Disrupt Casting. As a reaction when a creature cast a spell within a distance equal to your movement speed, you can spend one use of this feature to move towards the creature casting the spell. If you end your movement within 5 feet of that creature, you mimic the effects of counterspell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. The spell mimicked by this feature is not considered a magical effect, and is cast on a level equal to half your current level, rounded down, to a maximum of 9th level. In addition, whenever you make a check to dispel or counter a spell, you add your Wisdom modifier to the result of the check.

At 13th level, you can spend uses of your Mage Slayer feature to use your Spell Breaker techniques.

Inner Reserves

Starting at 11th level, you can spend a hit die without spending an action to regain one use of your Mage Slayer feature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and regain your uses of it after a long rest.

Renewal

At 17th level, whenever you use your inner reserves feature, roll the hit die spent. You regain hit points equal to the number rolled + your Constitution modifier.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Purifier class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Dexterity 13, Constitution 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Purifier class, you gain the following proficiencies: one skill, one artisan's tools.

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