Steel Hunter (5e Class)

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Steel Hunter

With a musket in hand, the half orc hunter stalks his prey, a giant Warg that have been terrorizing the countryside. The monstrous wolf leaps from the woods, ready to sink its fangs on the traveler, unaware of its imminent demise. Right before the fangs of the best have the chance to sink into the traveler's flesh, a resounding boom travels through the air, as a hole is manifested were there were before bestial eyes, spraying the traveler's face with blood and gore.

With methodical agility, the elvish blademaster draw his longsword wielding it in two hands, while assume a martial stance, honed relentlessly through the years. With a sudden movement, she lunges forward, remembering the martial secrets taught back in the keep by her grandmaster, and with a swift cut, she decapitates the vile ghoul that had been devouring the corpses in the cemetery.

The human warrior, clad in a steel chest plate, now ripped and bloodied by the ferocity of a demon. With a grin, he firms his grasp on his battleaxe and with an enraged shout rushes forward, delivering a powerful blow, filled with hate and vengeful anger, sending the demon back to its homep lane.

Steel Hunters are well trained warriors, who rely on the cold steel and combat prowess to face the monsters who roam the world. Armed with nothing but regular weapons, technique honed through years and a huge dose of courage, these hunters challenge the most terrifying creatures to protect their homes.

The Path of Steel

Steel hunters are trained in the martial style called "The Path of Steel". This is an ancient martial art, that have been evolving for centuries. Originally focused on swords, axes and other melee weapons made of steel, with recent technological advancements, it evolved to include firearms.

An adept of the path of steel usually start his training as a child, learning first how to mold the steel in the heat of a forge. As they graduate as fully trained hunters, they would choose one of the weapons they were trained with to be forged by their own hands, symbolizing the forging of them by their orders in hunters.

Being trained in the path of steel requires a huge dose of focus, since they are trained to stand in the same stance for hours, and train secret techniques thousand times to reach perfection. They know that when battling monsters, they are always at disadvantage, so their technique must be flawless, because they may not have a second chance.

Class Features

As a Steel Hunter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Smith's tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) Leather armor or (b) chain armor
• (a) Great axe or (b) long sword and musket
• (a) Long bow and 20 arrows or (b) short bow and 20 arrows
• (a) Adventurer's pack or (b) Dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4x10 in funds.

Table: The Steel Hunter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Path of Steel, Dedicated Hunter, Stamina
2nd	+2	Steel Mastery, Steel Secrets
3rd	+2	Vengeful Retort, Hunting Doctrine
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Steel Hunger
6th	+3	Rhythm Breaker
7th	+3	Doctrine Feature
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Steel Journeyman
10th	+4	Voracious Strike
11th	+4	Stance Improvement
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Meditative Insight
14th	+5	Devouring Strike
15th	+5	Doctrine Feature
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Honed Instincts
18th	+6	Doctrine Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Steel Master

Path of Steel

At 1st level, you start to tread the path of steel, using it to fend off the monsters who roam the world. You gain a steel die, that is a d4. The size of this die increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Steel Die column on the Steel Hunter table.

Whenever you finish a long rest, if you have the smith's tools on you, you can roll your steel die, and generate one of the following effects:

• You craft an amount of steel bullets equal to the number rolled.

• You restore a number of hit points to a object made of steel equal to the number rolled.

Dedicated Hunter

Also at 1st level, you are trained to track and hunt monsters. You have proficiency with the Survival skill, and if you are already proficient, you add twice your proficiency bonus in checks with it.

In addition, you can quickly measure up your opponents and your environment. On your first turn of combat, you can take the Search action as a bonus action.

Stamina

Starting at 1st level, you can use your honed stamina to gain an upper hand in battle. You also have a number of stamina points, equal to your level in this class. You regain your stamina after a long rest.

You use these points to fuel some of your features: kiss of steel and tactical retreat, but you gain more features as you gain levels in this class.

Kiss of Steel

Whenever you take the Attack action, you can spend a stamina point before making an attack. On a hit, you cause additional damage equal to your Steel Die.

Tactical Retreat

When you take the Disengage action, you can spend 1 stamina to roll a hit die, and regain hit points equal to the number rolled + your Constitution modifier + a roll of your Steel Die.

Steel Mastery

At 2nd level, you learn special stances that can be employed with your Doctrine Weapons, that are all the martial melee weapons that lack the reach property, the musket* and the pistol* (*If your campaign use firearms).

Stances Known

You learn a number of techniques equal to your proficiency bonus. As you gain levels in this class, you can replace a technique you know with a different one. Each stance grants you a special benefit that is active while you are on said stance. To assume or change a stance, you must use a Bonus Action.

Special Attacks

Each stance grants you a Special Attack, that can be used while in it. Special Attacks are made as a replacement to your regular attack, unless otherwise stated. After a special attack, you automatically leave the Stance.

Steel Secret

Also at 2nd level, you learn special techniques called Steel Secrets. To use a secret, you must be in a Stance and spend one use of your secret uses. You can use secrets a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain its uses after completing a short or a long rest.

You learn two secrets, learning a new secret whenever your proficiency bonus increases by 1.

Vengeful Retort

Starting at 3rd level, whenever a creature causes damage to you, you can place a mark of revenge on that creature as a reaction. If you hit that creature with an attack until the end of your next turn, you cause additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus x your Steel Die.

Hunting Doctrine

At 3rd level, you can choose a hunting doctrine, that determines the philosophies and combat styles adopted while hunting. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 15th and 18th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can Attack twice, rather than once, when you take the Attack action.

Steel Hunger

At 5th level, your blade thirst for blood. When you miss an attack with a Steel Weapon, you can use a reaction and spend 1 stamina point to add a bonus to the attack equal to a roll of your Steel Die, potentially turning that miss into a hit.

On a hit, you cause additional damage equal to the number rolled on that die and the stamina used for this feature is not spent.

Rhythm Breaker

At 6th level, you can break the ferocious rhythm of the monster you hunt. When a creature uses the Multiattack feature against you and misses the first attack, all other attacks made by that creature against you until the start of its next turn have Disadvantage.

Steel Journeyman

At 9th level, you each a new level of mastery with your Doctrine Weapons. You gain the following uses for your stamina:

Defensive Movement Improvement

You can use Defensive Movement whenever you take damage, no action required, once per turn.

Disabling Strike

When you damage a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 stamina as a Bonus Action to force that creature to make a Constitution save.

On a fail, the creature take additional damage equal to a roll of the steel die and is stunned if it takes bludgeoning damage; prone and have its movement speed reduced to 0 if the damage is slashing; is blinded if it is piercing. The conditions last until the end of your next turn.

Kill of Steel Improvement

Whenever you use Kiss of Steel, roll your steel die, and you add half the number rolled (rounded down) to the attack roll, and that attack's damage ignore resistance and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage.

Whirlwind Strike

As an Action, you can spend 1 stamina to make one attack with a melee weapon against each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you. If you miss a creature, that creature take damage equal to a roll of your steel die.

Thirsty Strike

At 10th level, when you hit a creature with your Steel Hunger feature, you can choose to spend the stamina point to turn that attack into a critical.

Stance Improvement

At 11th level, each stance grants you new benefits, active while you assume them.

Meditative Insight

Starting at 13th level, once a day during a short rest, you can enter in a deep meditation that lasts for 1 hour. During this meditation you gain glimpses of the position of your target, and prepares mentally to the hunt ahead.

During the meditation you can't move and are incapacitated, and gain the benefits of the mind blank spell, and you can locate a creature as if you had cast locate creature, but with indefinite range.

When your meditation ends, you regain a number of stamina equal to half your Steel Hunter level, and you remove one level of exhaustion.

Voracious Strike

At 14th level, when you hit a creature with your Steel Hunger attack and score a critical hit, you regain hit points equal to half the damage caused if you are at half your maximum hit points or lower.

You can't reach more than half your maximum hit points with this feature.

Honed Instincts

At 17th level, your instincts and senses are honed as a sharp blade. You gain blindsight up to a range of 30 feet, and attacks made against you can never have Advantage.

In addition, whenever you make a Wisdom check with a skill in which you are proficient and initiative rolls, a roll of 9 or lower is considered a 10.

Steel Master

Upon reaching 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no stamina points left, you regain 3 points. If you are at full stamina, on your first turn of combat you can use Kiss of Steel without spending stamina.

In addition, whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend 1 stamina point to be reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Doctrines

Doctrine of Steel

Followers of the Doctrine of Steel hone their techniques with their weapons, focusing on mastering stances and the steel secrets. These warriors are said to become one with the steel they carry, being malleable, hard and sharp as metal blades, qualities required to survive the encounter with monsters.

Martial Path

Starting at 3rd level, you gain deeper knowledge over the Steel Mastery arts and the path of steel. You gain an additional Stance and Secret, plus an additional stance and secret at 6th, 14th and 18th levels.

In addition, you can use each secret learn through this feature once between rests, without spending an use of your Secrets.

Steel Bonded

Starting at 7th level, your attacks with melee weapons and firearms are considered magical, for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities to non-magical damage.

Steel Mind

At 15th level, you gain proficiency on Wisdom saving throws. In addition, whenever you make a save to resist the charmed or frightened condition, you can roll your Steel Die and add it to the total.

Opportunistic Retort

At 18th level, you can use your Vengeful Retort feature whenever a creature misses a melee attack against you.

Doctrine of Might

These hunters hone their bodies, reaching the peak of human performance. Through intense physical training, they sculpt their muscles, having bodies carved as marble statues, and strong as bulls. They have the vigour to track and pursue their targets for days without end and still have the stamina to defeat them in combat.

Enhanced Stamina

Starting when you choose this doctrine at 3rd level, your stamina increases. Whenever you use a martial feature, you can Enhance the feature. When you enhance a martial feature, you roll one additional Steel Die and add its result to the effect.

You can enhance a martial feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Stamina Actions

Starting at 7th level, you can use your stamina to increase the effectiveness of certain actions you take in action. Choose a number of actions in combat from the following list, equal to your proficiency bonus: Hide, Dodge, Disengage, Dash, Search, and Use an Object.

Those are stamina actions for you, and you can spend 1 stamina point to take them as a bonus action. You can spend more stamina to gain additional benefits depending on the action, as shown below:

Hide. When you take this action in an area of dim light or darkness, you can spend 1 stamina to become invisible until you make an attack or leave the area of dim light or darkness.

Dodge. When a creature misses you with an attack while you are under the effects of the Dodge action, you can spend 1 stamina to make an opportunity attack against that creature.

Disengage. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to move without taking opportunity attacks until the end of your turn.

Dash. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to charge at your target, taking the Shove action as part of the same action. You have Advantage on your Strength check when you do so.

Search. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to learn one of the following informations about a creature you can see: damage resistances and vulnerabilities, damage immunities, condition immunities, AC and maximum number of hit points.

Help. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to allow the creature you're helping to make an ability check or an attack using its reaction.

Ready. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to use the prepared action without requiring a reaction.

Use an Object. When you take this action, you can spend 1 stamina to activate the object as part of the same bonus action, if it would normally require an Action to do so.

Adrenaline Surge

At 7th level, you can temporarily increase your physical attributes. Using an action, choose one of the following rolls: Ability Checks, Damage Rolls or Saving Throws.

For the next minute, whenever you make the chosen type of roll with Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, you roll your Steel Die and add it to the result.

You can use this feature once, requiring a short or a long rest before being able to do so again.

Steel Metabolism

At 15th level, your health and endurance are incomparable. You gain proficiency in Constitution checks and saving throws, and you add your Steel Die to your checks to avoid diseases, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.

In addition, if you are poisoned, have a disease or have a level of exhaustion, you can spend 1 stamina to end that condition on you.

Perfection of Body

At 18th level, you attain peak athleticism possible for your race. Your Strength, Dexterity and Constitution all increase by 2, up to a maximum of 22. If any of these abilities is lower than 15 with this increase, they become 15 instead.

In addition, during a short rest you can spend any amount of stamina to roll your Steel Die, and regain hit points equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier.

Doctrine of Mana

Steel sometimes isn't enough, specially when it comes to the hunt of eldritch and arcane monsters. For this reason, followers of the Doctrine of Mana infuse their bodies and blades with arcane sigils and magical spells. This magical power is acquired through the alliance with dark forces with whom these hunters forge pact, as they are not afraid to sacrifice their own soul to hunt their prey.

Pact Magic

Focused Casting

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Focus to cast spells. You can cast a spell at its lowest level by spending focus equal to the level of the spell plus 1.

Eldritch Secret

At 7th level, you gain access to one of the Invocations available to the warlock class that don't require prerequisites.

Curse of Steel

Also at 7th level, whenever a creature is under the effects of one of your spells that require concentration, your melee weapon attacks against that creature cause additional necrotic damage equal to your Steel Die.

Mystical Arcanum

At 15th level, you can choose one spell of 6th-level or lower from the Warlock spell list. You can cast this spell once, without spending spell slots or material components, being unable to do so until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 9 focus to do so again.

Price of Blood

At 18th level, you can use your blood to empower your spells. When you cast a spell that requires a saving throw, you can spend a hit die to impose disadvantage on the save made by the creature. If your spell target multiple creatures, you need to spend a hit dice per creature you want to affect.

In addition, when you cause damage to a creature with a spell, you can roll your Steel Die to cause additional damage equal to the number rolled, and lose the same amount of hit points to the number rolled on the die. This loss can't be prevented.

Stances

Steel Stance

You stand with your body straight and lift your weapon in front of your body, with its edge at the center. While in this stance, your attacks against creatures you can see can't have Disadvantage.

Special Attack: Steel Revelation. When you use a Steel Secret while in this stance, you can spend a stamina points up to your proficiency bonus, to cause additional damage equal to a roll of your Steel Die per point spent.

Stance Mastery: Master of Secrets. You gain three additional uses of your Steel Secrets between rests.

Open Stance

You raise your melee weapon above your head, allowing for heavy strikes. As a bonus action you assume this stance, granting you additional 1d4 damage for attacks made with weapons that lack the heavy property.

Special Attack: Descending Blow. You make a heavy descending blow, that on a hit, causes additional 2d4 damage.

Duelist Stance

You stand laterally, allowing for a quick retreat. While in this stance, any melee weapon that lacks the heavy or two-handed property can use either your Dexterity or Strength modifier.

Special Attack: Skirmisher's Strike. You move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks and make an attack. After the attack, move 5 feet to any direction, not provoking opportunity attacks.

Slayer Stance

You raise your weapon pointing forward, wielding it with both hands. Your attacks while in this stance are considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical damage.

Special Attack: Hide Cutter. When you make this attack, a hit ignores any resistances or immunities to slashing damage. If the creature has a vulnerability, this attack's damage is considered to be the damage type that creature is vulnerable to.

Blademaster Stance

You become able to perform lunges while in this stance. While wielding a melee weapon with both hands, all your attacks have the reach property.

Special Attack: Elegant Stroke. You move your blade with precision, making this attack with Advantage.

Knight Stance

To assume this stance, you must be wielding a melee weapon on one hand and a shield on another. While in this stance, you can shove creatures as a bonus action.

Special Attack: Shield Bash. You make a melee weapon attack using your shield. On a hit, you cause damage equal to 1d6 bludgeoning and the creature is stunned until the end of this turn. You then make an attack with the one handed weapon.

Executioner Stance

You stand with your weapon raised above your head. Your melee weapon must have the heavy or two handed property. While in this stance, you roll one additional die when making attacks with Advantage.

Special Attack: Execution. When you make an attack with Advantage, you can use this special attack to ...

Secrets

Blasting Assault

You must be wielding a pistol in one hand and a one handed weapon in another to use this technique. When you hit a creature with a firearm, you can spend a use of your techniques to move up to that creature (if you have movement enough to reach it) and make a number of attacks with the one handed weapon equal to your proficiency bonus, ending this combo earlier if you miss an attack. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of these melee attacks.

Bleeding Cut

When you cause slashing damage to a creature, you can use this technique to cause it to bleed. The creature gain a number of bleeding stacks equal to your proficiency bonus. Whenever a bleeding stack is consumed, that creature loses a number of hit points equal to your Steel Die. Bleeding Stacks are consumed at the start of each turn of that creature, or whenever that creature is hit by an attack from you.

Dreadful Stare

You stand in a menacing posture with your weapon, forcing each hostile creature within 20 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes is frightened and must use its reaction to move up to its movement speed away from you. This movement provoke opportunity attacks.

Piercing Shot

You shot your firearm, causing the bullet to travel through multiple creatures. All creatures in a 60 by 5 feet line must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes damage equal to your firearm damage die + your Dexterity modifier. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage.

Reckless Blow

Make an attack with a melee weapon. On a hit, your attack is a critical hit. On a miss, all attacks made against you have Advantage until the start of your next turn. If the attack made is a critical, you cause maximum damage, instead of rolling for damage.

Spreading Shot

You fill your firearm with shrapnel and fire in a 20-foot cone. All creatures in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or take damage equal to your Steel Die + your Dexterity modifier on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Steel Barrage

You can make one attack with a thrown weapon against each creature in a 10-foot radius within 30 feet. On a failed attack, the target takes half damage, rather than no damage.

Steel Whirlwind

You can whirl the weapon you wield, make one attack against each creature within reach. On a miss, you cause half damage, rather than only half. If you are engaged in two-weapon fighting, you can attack the targets with each of them once.

Vengeful Strike

If you have used Defensive Movement since your last turn, record the amount of damage you've reduced. On this turn, the next time you hit a creature that have damaged you on your last turn with an attack you can use a Bonus Action and cause additional damage equal to the damage recorded.

Violent Charge

As part of this Action, roll the Steel Die. You can move in a straight line a distance equal to 5 feet x the number rolled and make an attack with a melee weapon. On a hit, you cause additional damage equal to your Steel Die and the target takes additional damage equal to 1d6 for each 10 feet you moved before making this attack. If you use your movement speed to move in a straight line before making this attack, this distance counts for the damage caused.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Steel Hunter class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength and Dexterity 13, Wisdom 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Dark Vessel class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, martial weapons.

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