Bounty Hunter
Bounty hunters draw on the spirits of nature as do druids, but balance their magical prowess with martial training. Most often, they stand with civilization against the perils of the wilds...whether those perils come from uncivilized people or beasts or nature itself. Many bounty hunters find that civilization is also in peril from the uncivilized folks within its borders--these too draw a bounty hunter's wrath.
Bounty hunters are skirmishers, either attacking from afar with ranged weapons or fighting with multiple weapons. They can put on a shield and fight on the front-lines, but they are less suited to that than a specialized barbarian, fighter, or paladin. They have more ability to deal with hordes of small enemies than most weapon-users, but are not nearly as supportive as a druid or cleric.
Note: Yes, this is ranger v2 and not intended to be played alongside a “stock” ranger. It’s an effort to give them actual mechanical and thematic identity.
Quick Build
To quickly build a bounty hunter, make Dexterity your highest ability score, with Wisdom and Constitution your secondaries. For weapons, you should either use a longbow for ranged combat or two light weapons for melee combat.
Class Features
As a bounty hunter, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per bounty hunter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per bounty hunter level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Woodcarvers or leatherworker’s tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) chain shirt or (b) leather armor
- (a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
| Level | Prof | Features | Focused Foe Die | STA | AET | Max Spell Level |
| 1 | +2 | Focused Foe, Natural Explorer | d4 | 1 | – | – |
| 2 | +2 | Weapon Specialization, Spellcasting | d4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | +2 | Bounty Hunter Archetype, Primeval Awareness | d4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | d4 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | +3 | Extra Attack | d6 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | +3 | Favored Foe and Natural Explorer Improvements | d6 | 6 | 14 | 2 |
| 7 | +3 | Bounty Hunter Archetype Feature | d6 | 7 | 14 | 2 |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Land’s Stride | d6 | 8 | 17 | 2 |
| 9 | +4 | Aether Strike | d6 | 9 | 17 | 2 |
| 10 | +4 | Natural Explorer Improvement | d6 | 10 | 27 | 3 |
| 11 | +4 | Bounty Hunter Archetype Feature | d8 | 11 | 27 | 3 |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 11 | 32 | 3 |
| 13 | +5 | – | d8 | 12 | 32 | 3 |
| 14 | +5 | Favored Enemy Improvement, Vanish | d8 | 12 | 38 | 4 |
| 15 | +5 | Bounty Hunter Archetype Feature | d8 | 13 | 38 | 4 |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 13 | 44 | 4 |
| 17 | +6 | – | d8 | 14 | 44 | 4 |
| 18 | +6 | Feral Senses | d8 | 14 | 57 | 5 |
| 19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 15 | 57 | 5 |
| 20 | +6 | Foe Slayer | d8 | 15 | 64 | 5 |
Stamina
As a bounty hunter, you have a pool of energy called stamina you can use to fuel your non-magical exploits. You have a number of stamina points as shown in the Stamina column of the Bounty Hunter table. Expended stamina is restored when you finish a short rest.
Focused Foe
Bounty hunters have the ability to focus on a single enemy at a time, predicting their actions and striking their weak spots. As a bonus action, choose a creature you can see to become your Focused Foe. This lasts until the target dies or you select another target as your Focused Foe. While focused, a creature takes additional damage from your attacks equal to your Focused Foe die (originally a d4) once per turn when you hit them with an attack.
Additionally, focused foes cannot gain advantage on attacks against you and you cannot have disadvantage to attack them. This even works if they are invisible. You always know where they are if they are within 120 feet of you; if they are further away, you have advantage to track them.
Natural Explorer
You are particularly familiar with one type of environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, underground, or urban. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you're proficient in.
While traveling in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
- Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel.
- Your group can't become lost except by magical means.
- Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
- Your group can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
- While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
Additionally, when you are in your favored terrain, creatures have disadvantage on attempts to hide from you and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to spot hidden creatures and objects.
You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.
Weapon Specialization
You are better than most at using the additional properties of your weapon. Choose two of the following options. You gain the bonus while wielding the weapons specified. If a wielded weapon qualifies for multiple bonuses, you must choose which bonus applies at the beginning of your turn--this choice lasts until the beginning of your next turn. If a bonus calls for a saving throw, the DC = 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. Battering Once per turn when you hit with a weapon attack dealing bludgeoning damage, you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw as part of that action. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone. Cleaving Once per turn when you hit with a melee weapon attack dealing slashing damage, you can carry some of the damage to another target. When you do so, choose another target within your reach. Compare your attack roll to their AC as if you had attacked them. If you would have hit, they take damage equal to your weapon ability modifier, or twice as much if the initial attack was a critical hit. Light When you make the additional attack with a light weapon, you add your ability modifier to the damage dealt. In addition, you make this additional attack as part of the original Attack action instead of as a bonus action. Loading You ignore the normal effect of this property. Instead, once per turn when you hit with an attack from a loading weapon, you can choose to have the ammo pass through at a creature behind the original target. The closest creature on a 5' wide line connecting you to the original target and extending 30' behind him acts as the new target. Make an attack at disadvantage against that creature. If it hits, it takes damage as normal from the attack. Parrying While wielding a dagger, shortsword, longsword, greatsword, or halberd, you can use your reaction to react to incoming attacks. As a reaction when you are targeted by an attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack. You can use this ability after you see the die result but before any damage or other effects are applied. Precise Attacks made with daggers, pikes, rapiers, shortswords, and longbows score critical hits on a die result of 19 or 20 instead of only 20.
Reach You can make opportunity attacks with reach weapons when a creature enters your range as well as leaves it.
Thrown You can draw thrown weapons as part of the attack. In addition, the damage die increases by one step when thrown and you do not suffer disadvantage out to the long range of the attack. Two-handed (Ranged Only) You can choose to forgo your proficiency bonus to the attack roll with two-handed ranged weapons. If you still hit, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to the damage dealt. Versatile You get the increased damage die even when wielding it in one hand.
Spellcasting
By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to befriend the kami, teaching them to do magical tricks (in the form of spells) in exchange for your personal aether. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this entry for the Bounty Hunter spell list.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Bounty hunter table shows how many aether (AET, aka spell points) you have to cast your spells and do other magical tasks. To cast a spell that requires aether, you must expend aether equal to its cost or greater (effectively casting it from a higher level slot). You regain all expended aether when you finish a long rest.
You can prepare a number of bounty hunter spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your bounty hunter level, rounded down (minimum one spell), choosing from the bounty hunter spell list. You can trade out any single known spell for any other spell you can learn from that list when you finish a long rest. You cannot prepare any spell with a level higher than the maximum spell level entry in the bounty hunter table for your level.
| Aether | Spell Level |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 |
| 7 | 5 |
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your bounty hunter spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Bounty hunter spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Aether Limit
When you expend AET on an ability other than a spell, you cannot expend more than your aether limit, which is equal to the aether cost of the highest spell level you can prepare (the tier # of the spell + the spell level).
Bounty hunter Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate: Manhunter or Monster Slayer, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Primeval Awareness
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action to focus your awareness on the region around you. For a number of minutes equal to your proficiency bonus, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature reveals the direction and approximate distance (very near, near, far, very far) as well as a general sense of the number (solitary, a group, a horde) of each distinct cluster of creatures detected. Once you use this feature, one hour must pass before you can use it again.
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 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above +5 using this feature.
Alternatively, if your GM allows, you can pick a feat that you qualify for.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. In addition, you can expend 2 STA when you hit with an attack to deal your Favored Foe damage an additional time per turn.
Land's Stride
Starting at 8th level, moving through difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against spells or abilities that would impede your movement, such as the entangle spell.
Aether Strike
Starting at 9th level, you can manipulate aether to strike multiple targets in a blur. As an action on your turn while you are wielding a weapon, expend 3 or more AET and choose a number of targets equal to half the amount of AET spent, rounded up. Depending on the type of weapon (ranged or melee) you are wielding, one of the following occurs.
Melee weapon You teleport from target to target in an order you choose, moving no more than twice your speed in each jump. As you briefly appear next to each of them, make a melee weapon attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes normal damage from your weapon plus a number of d10s equal to your proficiency bonus. After attacking the final target, you appear in an empty space within your reach of that target.
Ranged Weapon Make a ranged weapon attack against each target in turn. On a hit, targets take normal damage from your weapon plus a number of d10s equal to your proficiency bonus. Targets struck by this attack have disadvantage on their next attack. Either before the first attack or after the last attack you may teleport to an unoccupied location you can see within a distance of twice your speed.
Vanish
Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. If you expend 2 STA while doing so, you become invisible until you attack or cast a spell.
Additionally you can't be tracked by non-magical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
Feral Senses
At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it, nor do those creatures gain advantage on attack rolls against you.
You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you are particularly adept at finding the weak spots of your enemies. When you attack a target you've selected as your favored foe, you can spend 5 STA and choose to target a vital spot. Make the attack as normal. If the attack hits, it is a critical hit. On a natural 20, you score a critical hit and the damage done is the maximum possible damage for that attack, including all additional damage. A natural 1 is still an automatic miss. Once you use this ability against a particular foe, you cannot use it again against that creature.
Bounty hunter Archetypes
The ideal of the bounty hunter has two classic expressions: the Manhunter and the Monster Slayer.
Manhunter
Manhunters are those who specialize in tracking down and dealing with civilization's refuse, of whatever race they may be. Those who harm others, those who prey on the weak, those who flout society's standards. Many of your preferred foes are humanoid, but more monstrous foes are not exempt. You are just as much at home in the cities and settled areas as you are in the wilds; your quarry goes to ground wherever they are most comfortable and you must find them there. A manhunter lives and dies by his reputation--it is his currency and one of his primary weapons.
Information Gatherer
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Charisma checks made to gain information. Additionally, you learn the secret signals that identify one as an ally of the various criminal organizations of the known world. This does not gain you any direct favors, but grants access to black markets, fences, and other less reputable establishments.
Fearsome Reputation
At 3rd level, you've begun to establish a reputation as a hunter to be feared. This lets you unsettle the minds of the weak. As a bonus action on your turn, you can spend 2 STA to attempt to intimidate a number of creatures that can see and hear you equal to your proficiency bonus. The targets must speak at least one language that you are proficient in. Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they are frightened of you for one minute. A creature who ends its turn where it cannot see you can attempt the saving throw again, ending the effect on a success. Creatures that succeed on the saving throw are immune to this ability for 24 hours.
Additionally, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against any creature who can see you and who speaks a language that you are proficient in.
Debilitating Reputation
At 7th level, your reputation has grown strong enough to make the weak unable to act against you. When you use your Fearsome Reputation feature, choose one creature that failed the saving throw. That creature is unable to make attacks against you while frightened of you.
Razor Dance
At 11th level, you've honed your skills at taking down a single target. When you use your Aether Strike ability, instead of choosing multiple targets, you can choose to distribute the same number of attacks between fewer targets. For example, if you spent 6 AET (and thus could target 3 creatures), you can choose to make 3 attacks against a single target or 2 attacks against one target and 1 against another.
Wordless Reputation
Starting at 15th level, your reputation and the aura that surrounds you are such that you can use your Fearsome Reputation ability against any foe, whether it can understand you or not. In addition, you can choose to use Debilitating Reputation against all creatures that fail their saving throws instead of just one.
Monster Slayer
Monster slayers protect civilization from the horrific things that lurk on the frontier. Most at home in the wilderness, they are rangers in the truest sense--ranging the borders of civilization. Many of the things they hunt are twisted monstrosities and aberrations...but many of the worst monsters present a civilized face.
Hunter's Prey
At 3rd level, you gain the following features, but can only apply one of them per turn.
Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it's below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn. You can use it again on that same turn if you spend 1 STA when you hit again.
Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.
Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon. You can use it again on that same turn if you spend 1 STA when you hit again.
Defensive Tactics
At 7th level, you gain the following features, but can only apply one of them per turn.
Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
Multi-attack Defense. When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
Steel Will. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Multi-attack
At 11th level, you gain the following features.
Volley. When you use your Aether Strike ability with a ranged weapon, you can target one creature for every aether spent instead of one target per two aether spent.
Whirlwind Attack. When you use your Aether Strike ability with a melee weapon, you can choose to perform a whirlwind attack at any point along the chain of attacks. If you do so, all creatures within your reach at that point count as targets for your Aether Strike. Make a separate attack for each one. You may only perform a single whirlwind attack per use of Aether Strike.
Superior Hunter's Defense
At 15th level, you gain the following features.
Evasion. When you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, 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.
Stand Against the Tide. When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.
Uncanny Dodge. 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.
Bounty hunter Spell List
The Bounty hunter Spell List table contains a short summary of the spells available to all Bounty hunters, ordered by aether cost. Spells marked with (*) are listed at the end of this class entry. Spells marked with (**) are listed with substantial changes from book printing, explained at the end of the entry.
Note: This spell list was designed with the idea that my Incantation homebrew is in play. Otherwise, use the Ranger list from the PHB + the additional spell list from Tasha’s, but remove hunter’s mark (as it’s a duplicate of Favored Foe and should not be stacked).
| AET (Spell Level) | Spell Name | AET (Spell Level) | Spell Name | |
| 2 (1) | Cure Wounds | 3 (2) | See Invisibility | |
| 2 (1) | Enchanted Strike(*) | 3 (2) | Silence | |
| 2 (1) | Bane | 3 (2) | Spike Growth | |
| 2 (1) | Burning Hands | 3 (2) | Web | |
| 2 (1) | Disguise Self | 5 (3) | Arcane Binding | |
| 2 (1) | Entangle | 5 (3) | Bestow Curse | |
| 2 (1) | Faerie Fire | 5 (3) | Call Lightning | |
| 2 (1) | Flash Freeze(*) | 5 (3) | Clairvoyance | |
| 2 (1) | Fog Cloud | 5 (3) | Conjure Animals | |
| 2 (1) | Grease | 5 (3) | Plant Growth | |
| 2 (1) | Longstrider | 5 (3) | Wall of Thorns | |
| 2 (1) | Sleep | 5 (3) | Wind Wall | |
| 2 (1) | Thunderwave | 6 (4) | Blight | |
| 3 (2) | Alter Self | 6 (4) | Conjure Woodland Beings | |
| 3 (2) | Barkskin (**) | 6 (4) | Dominate Beast | |
| 3 (2) | Blindness/Deafness | 6 (4) | Faithful Hound | |
| 3 (2) | Darkvision | 6 (4) | Freedom of Movement | |
| 3 (2) | Detect Thoughts | 6 (4) | Giant Insect | |
| 3 (2) | Find Traps (**) | 6 (4) | Greater Invisibility | |
| 3 (2) | Flame Blade (**) | 7 (5) | Contagion | |
| 3 (2) | Invisibility | 7 (5) | Chain Lightning | |
| 3 (2) | Pass without Trace |
New Spells
Enchanted Strike (1st level divination, S, 60 ft, 1 bonus action, 1 round). You extend your hand and point a finger at a target in range. Your magic grants you a brief insight into the target's defenses. Your next attack against the creature until the end of your next turn has advantage and scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20. If you are wielding a precise weapon, the range of rolls at which you score a critical hit increases by one.
Flash Freeze (1st level evocation, V/S, 1 action, 60 ft, instantaneous). The air around a creature you can see within range takes on the aspect of ice. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d6 cold damage and their movement is reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn. On a success, they take half damage and are not slowed.
When you cast this spell using more than 2 AET, the damage increases by 1d6 for every 2 additional AET spent.
Modified Spells
Barkskin. Modifications: drop concentration requirement. Add following text at the end:
“In addition, the target gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier at the beginning of each of their turns. These temporary hit points fade at the end of the duration.
When you cast this spell using more than 3 AET, the target's minimum AC increases by 1 for every 3 AET you spend, up to a maximum AC of 20.“
Find Traps. Modifications: replace the text with “You sense the presence of any trap within range that is within line of sight. A trap, for the purpose of this spell, includes anything that would inflict a sudden or unexpected effect you consider harmful or undesirable. Thus, the spell would sense an area affected by the alarm or glyph of warding spells, or a mechanical pit trap as well as a natural weakness in the floor, an unstable ceiling, or a hidden sinkhole. You learn the location and the general nature of the danger posed by each trap.”
Flame Blade. Modifications: Add the following text: “Alternatively, you can use it as a normal scimitar, except that it deals fire damage.” and “When used as a normal weapon, the damage dice increase by 1d6 for every 4 additional AET.”
