Vampire Hunter, Variant (5e Class)

Vampire Hunter

The vampire spawn hissed at one another in annoyance, unable to find the one who had disrupted tonights hunt and killed one of their own. A flash of metal flickered through the air, one of them staggering back as their eyes widened, grasping at the burning silver dagger embedded in its chest. A soft chuckle echoed in the alley as another dagger was flung by the unseen elven assailant, her gleeful grin there for none to see.

The red black tar-like blood dripping from his body, the human turned to face the lord of the now dead vampiric host. Arching his back, he roared as the blood began to swirl in the air, two long black and bloodied blades appearing in hand as he stared into the eyes of the one who cursed him, the one who gave him the power to destroy him utterly.

Howling to the full moon, the lyan-warrior leaped down upon his blood enemies, biting deep into the vampires unprotected neck and drinking deep. The curse of vampire blood having no effect on her due to her natural-born curse, she finished off the creature by ripping its head clean off and pressing a silver blade to the wound, chuckling darkly as the flesh sizzled.

Vampire hunters are few and far between, but those that do exist are spoken in reverence and fear by common folk and vampires alike. Some are natural born hunters, others are accursed- or blessed- with abilities that give them the power to hunt down the foul undeath of the night. Perhaps one killed your family, or bit you, or mayhaps you were raised by lycanthropes who taught you to hate the creatures of night.

Creating a Vampire Hunter

When you create a vampire hunter, ask yourself what led you into this dark path: did you had loved ones that perished under the fangs of a vampire? Is vampire hunting a family tradition? Do you work for a organization or religion dedicated to the extermination of those beings?

Quick Build

You can make a Vampire Hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by dexterity. Second, choose the Outlander or Folk Hero background. Third, rapier, light crossbow and 20 bolts, two daggers, the explorer's pack, a leather armor, thieve's tools, alchemist supplies, a holy symbol.

Class Features

As a Vampire Hunter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Vampire Hunter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Vampire Hunter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: thieves tools, alchemist tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcana, Medicine, Religion, Investigation, Persuasion, Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) rapier or (b) longsword or (c) any martial weapon
• (a) crossbow (20 bolts) and two daggers or (b) shortbow (20 arrow) and two handaxes or (c) any two simple weapons
• leather armor, thieves tools, alchemist tools, holy symbol

Table: The Vampire Hunter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Gambit Uses
1st	+2	Dark Hunter, Shadow Seer	-
2nd	+2	Slayer's Gambit	4
3rd	+2	Slayer Style	4
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4
5th	+3	Extra Attack	5
6th	+3	Mental Fortress	5
7th	+3	Slayer Style	5
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5
9th	+4	Vertical Motion	6
10th	+4	Bite Resistance	6
11th	+4	Slayer Style	6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6
13th	+5	Sense Vampiric Corruption	7
14th	+5	Legendary Reflexes	7
15th	+5	Slayer Style, The Only Thing the Deathless Fear	7
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	7
17th	+6	Master of Gambits	8
18th	+6	Slayer Style	8
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	8
20th	+6	Vampire Killer	8

Shadow Seer

As a hunter of creatures who slink in the dark, you've grown attached to shadows, making them your home. You gain darkvision out to 60 feet and can use the Hide action as a bonus action while in darkness. If you already have darkvision, it increases by 30 feet.

Dark Hunter

You gain an unarmored defense which has your AC equal 10 + Dexterity modifier + Wisdom modifier. In addition, when you make a melee weapon attack against a creature, that creature cannot make opportunity attacks against you until the end of your turn.

Slayer's Gambit

At 2nd level you gain some new ways to take down your favored - or hated - enemies. Once per turn you can use a Slayer Gambit. You learn two from the list below and can switch them out anytime you would gain an ability score improvement. You learn one new gambit at 6th level, 12th level, and 18th level.

You can use your gambits a number of times equal to the amount of times shown on the Gambit Uses column on the Vampire Hunter table.

Some gambits require your target to make a saving throw to resist its effects. Your Gambit save DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Rending Blow

When you make an attack with a melee weapon you can expend a use of Slayer's Gambit to turn that attack on a rending blow. If your target is an undead you have Advantage on the attack. On a hit, the attack deals the weapon's damage and an extra 2d6 damage which is the same damage type of the weapon that hit. In addition, that creature cannot regain hit points until the end of its next turn.

Shapeshifters Bane

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a use of your gambit to force that creature make a Constitution saving throw. On a fail, it is reverted to its true form if it is a shapechanger. This does not affect illusions. In addition, that creature cannot use its shapeshift until an hour has passed.

Bite-Proof

When you are targeted by a creature using a natural weapon attack or bite attack, you can expend a use of a gambit to use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against all natural attacks made against you until the end of your next turn.

Immobilizing Strike

You can expend a use of a gambit to replace an attack with this option. Roll an attack with a ranged or melee weapon against a creature within range of the chosen weapon. On a hit, the creature takes the normal damage and then makes a Strength saving throw. Undead make this save with disadvantage. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved and, unless it is on solid ground, the creature falls to the ground (this includes creatures walking on walls or ceilings).

Trackers Trail

You can expend a use of a gambit to make an attack against a creature with a ranged attack as a bonus action. On a hit, the creature takes the normal damage but you gain advantage on all Survival (Wisdom) checks made to track the target for 8 hours. In addition, you cannot be surprised by the target or creatures within 30 feet of the target for those 8 hours.

Slayer's Style

At 3rd level, you define your style of fighting and killing vampires. Choose between Dark Hunter, Accursed, or Blooded Wolf all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.

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, when you take the Attack action you can attack twice, rather than once, as part of that action.

Mental Fortress

At 6th level you gain the ability to steel your mind and thwart the wiles of vampires. You are immune to the charmed condition, and have Advantage on all saving throws against spells that would control your mind and actions.

Vertical Motion

At 9th level, you've gained a degree of control over motion in order to face the wall climbing deathless. You can take the Dash action as a bonus action. In addition, when you take the Dash action, you can move along vertical surfaces without falling while you move. Vertical surfaces counts as difficult terrain.

Bite Resistance

At 10th level you have increased defenses against the curse ridden bite of a vampire. You have advantage on Constitution saves made to resist curses, gain resistance to necrotic damage, and cannot have your hit point maximum reduced.

Sense Corruption

At 13th level your senses become enhanced, tuned to the magic of the world. You can sense the presence of any shapechanger within 30 feet of you, as well as anyone who is under the charmed condition.

Legendary Reflexes

By 14th level you've had your fair share of epic battles and know how to take down a dangerous foe. As a reaction when a creature takes a Legendary Action, you can move up your speed and attack that creature. This reaction occurs before the Legendary action takes place.

The Only Thing the Deathless fear

At 15th level vampires have come to know and fear you. Whenever an undead sees you and knows your identity for the first time, they must roll a Wisdom save against you gambit save DC. On a success, they are immune to this effect for one week. On a fail, they become frightened by you for 1 minute. After the minute has passed they can reroll the save. On another fail, they are frightened by you for 24 hours.

In addition, you become immune to necrotic damage and to the curse of vampirism.

Master of Gambits

At 17th level you have mastery over one weakness your vampiric prey has. Choose one of the following abilities below:

Burning Silver

Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, if that creature would gain hit points at the start of their turn they must roll a constitution save against your gambit DC. On a fail, they cannot regain hit points until the end of their next turn.

Reveal The Changer

When you sense a shapeshifter with your Sense Corruption ability you can use an action try to force your will upon the shapechanger. Both you and the target roll a Charisma check, rolling a d20 and adding your Charisma modifier. If you win, the shapechanger takes 4d6 psychic damage and must revert to their true form. A shapechanger can only be affected by this ability once per day, regardless of fail or success.

Bring the Light

As an action you can throw a bottle of magically contained sunlight at any point within 60 feet of you. All creatures within 30 feet of the point chosen must make a constitution saving throw against your gambit DC. On a fail, the creature is blinded. Bright light is shed 15 feet from the point and then 15ft of dim light for 1 minute. The light counts as sunlight. This cannot be used until you complete a short or long rest.

Vampire Killer

At 20th level you become the undisputed master of killing the deathless. You regain 1 use of your Slayer's Gambit when you roll initiative and when you reduce an undead creature to 0 hit points.

Slayer's Style

Blood Corrupted

The blood corrupted are a caste of vampire slayers that have become cursed by the blood of their foes. However, they turn this curse into a boon, another tool to kill their prey.

The Curse Lingers

At 3rd level you become slightly corrupted and dependent on blood. However, this does grant you powers. Once per day you must consume at least 1 pint of humanoid blood. You can substitute this for 4 pints of animal blood, but this will only work for 3 days. After the 3rd, animal blood becomes non-effective, and every 8 hours without drinking humanoid blood will incur 1 point of exhaustion.

You also gain the following benefits:

• You gain claws, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Your unarmed strikes with claws deal 1d6 slashing damage.

• Once per turn you can attempt to grapple the target hit by your claws as apart of the attack.

• As an bonus action you can empower yourself with your curse and bring about a variety of beneficial changes. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and once per turn when you hit with a creature that has blood with an unarmed strike you gain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus as long as you are below half your hit point maximum.

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Undying Form}

At 7th level you gain the ability to draw upon your lingering vampiric powers to take upon the form of a bat or fly swiftly as mist. Whenever you take the Dash action, you can choose to teleport to a point within 30 ft of you instead. You can use this as many times equal to your proficiency bonus plus your charisma modifier.

You must finish a long rest to regain all uses. You can regain 1 use of this ability after regaining hit points with your unarmed strike. You cannot gain more uses while you still have at least 1 use remaining. You cannot use this trait while in or to move through sunlight or running water.

Vampiric Powers

At 11th level your curse increases, driving your hunger further. You now must drink 3 pints of human blood a day, of which can be replaced by 12 pints of animal blood. The rules for substituting blood for animal blood still apply.

You gain a bite attack. This can only target a creature you have grappled or a willing creature. This can be used in place of an unarmed strike. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage + your strength or dexterity modifier.

As a part of the attack, you can cause the bite to deal an extra 3d6 necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of necrotic damage dealt and you regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses on a short or long rest.

Regeneration

At 15th level the curse truly begins to flow through your blood. At the start of your turn as long as you have 1 hit point you gain a number of hit points equal to 5 plus your constitution modifier.

If you take radiant damage or are in sunlight at the start of your turn this trait doesn't function until the start of your next turn.

Ascendant

At 18th level you become blood hungry and ever strong as the curse pulls you ever onward. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on all saving throws against poisons. In addition, you can use a bonus action to enter a deathly state resembling a vampire for 1 minute. In addition to the benefits conferred by the bonus action conferred by The Curse Lingers, your regeneration increases to 10+constitution modifier, your unarmed dice and bite damage all increase by a damage dice level (your 1d6 becomes 1d8). Your necrotic damage granted by Vampiric Powers increases to 6d6 and you can heal beyond half hit points with it during the 1 minute of transformation.

Blooded Wolf

Raised and gifted with the blessing of lycanthropy, you now use your gifts to hunt down your ancestral enemies.

Lycan Form

At 3rd level you gain abilities based on your flavor of lycanthropy. You gain a 1d6 unarmed strike that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Then, choose one from the following abilities:

Werewolf. You gain darkvision out to 60 feet and gain a bite attack that can be used as a part of your attack, though only once per turn. It deals 1d10 piercing damage + your Strength modifier.

Wererat. You gain an extra 10 feet of movement speed and gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Wereboar. Whenever you take the Dash action you can make an attack as apart of that action. If you hit, you deal extra damage equal to the amount of feet you moved divided by 10 (rounded down). After you attack you cannot use your movement speed to move until the start of your next turn.

Werebear. You gain double carrying capacity and have advantage on checks to push, shove, or lift objects or creatures. In addition, whenever a creature start its turn grappled by you, it takes damage equal to your unarmed strike damage die.

Weretiger. You gain a long jump distance of 20 feet and a high jump of 15 feet. In addition, when you end your jump within range of a melee weapon of a creature you can use your bonus action to make an attack. If you hit, the creature is knocked prone.

Werebat. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. While flying, you can't wield objects or weapons, nor make attacks that are not bite attacks.

Wereshark. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, you can breathe normally in water.

Werecrocodile. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and gain advantage on stealth checks due to your mottled scales.

A Taste for the Accursed

At 7th level you begin hone your skills at killing vampires when they're at their strongest. When you hit an undead creature with an unarmed strike you can grapple that creature. While grappling them in this way they have disadvantage on all attack rolls against you.

In addition, you are considered a creature one size larger for the purposes of contested Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple.

Upgraded Form

At 11th level, your unarmed strikes and bite attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities, and their damage dice are upgraded by 1 (1d6 to 1d8, 1d8 to 1d10, etc).

In addition, whenever you take the Attack action, you can make one Grapple attempt as part of the attack action, without using an Action. Whenever you grapple a creature, or when a creature fail to escape your grapple, you can cause damage equal to a roll of your natural weapon damage die to it..

Lycanthrope Resistances

At 15th level your full form comes out. You gain resistance to all non magical non silvered bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Full Form

At 18th level, you gain an additional benefit related to your chosen lycanthropic form:

Werewolf. Once per turn when you hit a Huge or smaller creature with a bite, the target must succeed on a Strength save against your Gambit save DC, or the creature is knocked prone.

Wererat. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a bite, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Gambit save DC, or the creature is poisoned until the start of your next turn.

Wereboar. If you move at least 10 feet before making an attack with a natural weapon, your target is pushed 10 feet back on a hit.

Werebear. You have Advantage on all checks made to grapple a creature, retain a creature grappled or escape the grapple of an enemy.

Weretiger. When you knock a creature prone by jumping onto it, you can make an attack against it with a bite using your reaction.

Werebat. When you hit a creature with a bite while at lower than half your maximum hit points, you recover hit points equal to the damage dealt, up to half your maximum.

Wereshark. You gain a blood scent of a range of 30 feet. This works as darkvision, but only detect creatures that are below half their maximum number of hit points.

Werecrocodile. When you start your turn grappling a creature with your bite, you can roll with that creature using an Action. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your gambit save DC, or take 6d10 slashing damage, or half as much on a success. On a 1 on the save, the target lose a limb.

Dark Hunter

Mortal in every way, but always and continually honing their technique, seeking new ways of slaying vampires.

Hunter's Prowess

At 3rd level you gain darkvision out to 60ft. In addition, you become invisible in to creatures using darkvision darkness. You also gain advantage on any checks made to recall information on vampires and vampire related creatures.

Slayer's Pounce

At 7th level you are exceptionally adept at taking down the vampiric foes who never seem to hear you coming. You gain proficiency in stealth, or expertise if you already are proficient in it. In addition, you deal extra damage equal to your dexterity modifier when you hit a creature with a weapon attack that you have advantage in. This extra damage triggers only once per turn.

Hungry for More

At 11th level vampires become nothing more than an obstacle to the real target- their vampire lord. When you use a Gambit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points as a result of an attack, you can make one additional attack against a target within range of the weapon you used as apart of that attack (this can be chained together as a result of reducing multiple creatures to 0 hit points).

In addition, if you roll initiative and have no uses of Gambit left, you regain 1 gambit.

No Respite

At 15th level you leave no opening for any vampire to get their fangs in. When you are grappled, restrained, paralyzed, stunned or frightened by a creature you can use your reaction to attempt to reroll the contested check or save to end that effect. If you succeed, you can move up to half your speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Ultimate Stalker

At 18th level you have reached utter mastery with blades and undeath. Whenever a creature leaves your reach you can use your reaction to make an attack against them. This allows you to strike creatures who use disengage or have some other effect preventing them from taking opportunity attacks.

In addition, you gain advantage on attacks against a grappled creature that isn't grappling you. In addition, your Slayer's Pounce is no longer limited to triggering once per turn.

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