Stalker (5e Class)

Stalker

A indistinguishable Halfling slips the coin purse off of a unsuspecting bystander whom is witnessing a riot, caused by the Halfling himself, unfold. Leaves rustle as a chill wind blows past a pair of Orcs guarding a stronghold, they are unaware of a Elf whom is scaling the stronghold's wall just out of their sight. A lone Human sits outside a room with thick wall, even though she is out of ear-shot, she still hears all that is said within the room. Infiltrator are witty, and often unseen, scouts or otherwise information gathers, while they do not shine in combat situations, their manueverability, quick-thinking, and abilities to go unseen where most cannot make them formidable threats to anyone whom does not wish to be discovered. No wall is too high or thick for the Infiltrator's resources, and no secret lies buried for long if they wish to find it.

Unseen Eyes

Every town and city has its share of stalkers. Most of them live up to the worst stereotypes of the class, making a living as burglars, assassins, cutpurses, and con artists. Often, these scoundrels are organized into thieves’ guilds or crime families. Plenty of rogues operate independently, but even they sometimes recruit apprentices to help them in their scams and heists. A few rogues make an honest living as locksmiths, investigators, or exterminators, which can be a dangerous job in a world where dire rats—and wererats—haunt the sewers.

As adventurers, rogues fall on both sides of the law. Some are hardened criminals who decide to seek their fortune in treasure hoards, while others take up a life of adventure to escape from the law. Some have learned and perfected their skills with the explicit purpose of infiltrating ancient ruins and hidden crypts in search of treasure.

Creating a Stalker

As you create your stalker character, consider the character’s relationship to the law. Do you have a criminal past—or present? Are you on the run from the law or from an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal?

What was the trigger that led you away from your previous life? Did a great con or heist gone terribly wrong cause you to reevaluate your career? Maybe you were lucky and a successful robbery gave you the coin you needed to escape the squalor of your life. Did wanderlust finally call you away from your home? Perhaps you suddenly found yourself cut off from your family or your mentor, and you had to find a new means of support. Or maybe you made a new friend—another member of your adventuring party—who showed you new possibilities for earning a living and employing your particular talents.

Quick Build

You can make a stalker quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Spy background.

Class Features

As a Stalker you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Stalker level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Stalker level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Thieves' tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) A rapier or (b) A shortsword
• (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a burglar's pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack or (c) an explorer's pack
• Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves' tools
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d6 x 10 in funds.

Table: The Stalker

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Sneak Attack	Martial Arts	Ki Points
1st	+2	Expertise, Sneak Attack, Thieves’ Cant	1d6	1d4	-
2nd	+2	Cunning Action, Martial Arts	1d6	1d4	2
3rd	+2	Trade, Deflect Missiles	2d6	1d4	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	1d4	4
5th	+3	Uncanny Dodge	3d6	1d6	5
6th	+3	Expertise, Empowered Strikes	3d6	1d6	6
7th	+3	Evasion, Assasinate	4d6	1d6	7
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Vigilant	4d6	1d6	8
9th	+4	Trade Feature	5d6	1d6	9
10th	+4	Shadow Dash	5d6	1d6	10
11th	+4	Reliable Talent	6d6	1d8	11
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6d6	1d8	12
13th	+5	Trade Feature	7d6	1d8	13
14th	+5	Blindsense	7d6	1d8	14
15th	+5	Slippery Mind	8d6	1d8	15
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8d6	1d8	16
17th	+6	Trade Feature	9d6	1d10	17
18th	+6	Elusive	9d6	1d10	18
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10d6	1d10	19
20th	+6	Stroke of Luck	10d6	1d10	20

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves' tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 6th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies (in skills or with thieves' tools) to gain this benefit.

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon or an unarmed strike.

You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Stalker table.

Thieves’ Cant

During your rogue training, you learned thieves' cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves' can understand such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly.

In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves' guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.

Cunning Action

Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Martial Arts

At 2nd level, your practice of martial arts gives you master of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:

• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.

• You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Stalker table.

• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.

Trade

At 3rd level, you choose a trade. Choose between Infiltrator,Ghost, and Vigilante all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Deflect Missiles

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your stalker level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 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.

Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Empowered Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming Resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Assasinate

Starting at 7th level, you are at your deadliest when you get the drop on your enemies. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Vigilant

At 8th level, you become more attuned to your surroundings, you cannot be Surprised and creatures gain no benefits to attacks made against you from being unseen. Additionally, when you roll for initiative, you may add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll.

Shadow Dash

Starting at 10th level, if you aren't wearing heavy armor, you can use a bonus action to teleport up to 20 feet in any direction.

Reliable Talent

By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Blindsense

Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

Slippery Mind

By 15th level, you have acquired greater mental strength. You gain advantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Elusive

Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Stroke of Luck

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Infiltrator

Next to you, a shadow on the wall, inside your head. Infiltrators excel at hiding and at revealing anything which is hidden.

Fast Hands

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves' tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.

Second-Story Work

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to climb faster than normal; climbing no longer costs you extra movement.

In addition, when you make a running jump, the distance you cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Dexterity modifier x2.

Supreme Sneak

Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Superior Mobility

At 13th level, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. If you have a climbing or swimming speed, this increase applies to that speed as well.

Sudden Strike

Starting at 17th level, you can strike with deadly speed. If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as a bonus action. This attack can benefit from your Sneak Attack even if you have already used it this turn, but you can't use your Sneak Attack against the same target more than once in a turn.

Ghost

Unseen and unheard, ghosts rely on cover and stealth to get where they're going.

Silent Sneak

Beginning at 3rd level, you make no sounds when you breathe, walk, or climb, unless you want to. Characters have disadvantage on Perception checks (and -5 from passive Perception) made against you while they cannot see you.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit and the poisoner's kit.

Extra Attack

Starting at 3rd level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Gut Feeling

Beginning at 9th level, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws. You do not gain this benefit if you are blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Dextrous

Starting at 13th level, you become innately stealthy. If your total for a Dexterity check is less than your Dexterity score, you can use that score in place of the total.

Unseen

Starting at 17th level, you may, as an action, become Invisible. Anything that you are wearing or carrying is also invisible. This effect lasts for 1 hour or until an attack hits you. You may do this once per long rest.

Vigilante

The Vigilante Stalks the shadows seeking out those who are immoral. Like a stealthy cat the Vigilante seeks his/her prey to dish out a justice to.

Undercover

At level 3, you gain the following abilities:

⦁ You may perfectly mimic any voice you have heard for at least 10 minutes.

⦁ You have advantage on Performance and Deception checks while disguised.

⦁ You gain fluency in two basic languages of your choice.

Extra Attack

Starting at 3rd level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Insightful Fighting

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to decipher an opponent’s tactics and develop a counter to them. As a bonus action, you make a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature you can see that isn’t incapacitated, contested by the target’s Charisma (Deception) check. If you succeed, you can use your Sneak Attack against that target even if you don't have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it.

This benefit lasts for 1 minute or until you successfully use this feature against a different target.

Extort Truth

At 9th level, you can hit a series of hidden nerves on a creature with precision, temporarily causing them to be unable to mask their true thoughts and intent. If you manage to hit a single creature with two or more attacks in one round, you can spend 1 ki point to force them to make a Charisma saving throw. You can choose to have these attacks deal no damage. On a failed save, the creature is unable to speak a deliberate lie for 1 minute and all Charisma checks directed at the creature are made with advantage for the duration. You know if they succeeded or failed on their saving throw.

An affected creature is aware of the effect and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as the effect lasts.

Prenatural Counter

Beginning at 9th level, your quick mind and study of your foe allows you to use their failure to your advantage. If a creature misses you with an attack, you can immediately use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.

Vigilante Flurry

At 13th level, you learn to attack with such unexpected speed that you can turn a miss into another strike. Once on each of your turns when you miss with a weapon attack, you can make another weapon attack as part of the same action.

Shadowy Dodge

Starting at 17th level, you can dodge in unforeseen ways, with wisps of supernatural shadow around you. Whenever a creature makes an attack roll against you and doesn't have advantage on the roll, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on it. You must use this feature before you know the outcome of the attack roll.

Multiclassing

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

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the <!-class name-> class, you gain the following proficiencies: One Dexterity skill of your choice and proficiency in improvised weapons.

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