Demon Hunter
A tall Half-Elf skirts the battlefield, staying hidden from his greatest foe. When the time is right and his foe at its weakest, he leaps from the shadows to strike with furious abandon.
Wading wholeheartedly into the fray, a stout Dwarf shrugs off the blows of his enemies, all while keeping his foes attention off his allies.
Leaping towards her enemies, a partially transformed High Elf steals the power of the very demons she hunts, using it against them in a dangerous dance of power.
Hunters of Evil
Demon Hunters are people who have taken it upon themselves to eradicate evil in its purest form. They study and, in some rare cases, emulate demons and fiends in order to truly eradicate them. Demon Hunters are those people with the most staunch beliefs, and the deepest convictions.
Most Demon Hunters simply study demons, learning weaknesses and training to bolster their abilities against them, but some Demon Hunters go so far as to copy and desecrate their own bodies, taking on aspects of the very evil they hunt. While most demon hunters are welcome in society, these few are almost universally shunned for their willingness to copy their foes.
Most Demon Hunters use their agility and cunning intelligence in tandem to outwit and destroy demons of all kinds. Though they tend to tailor their abilities to hunting demons, the skills of a Demon Hunter make them uniquely suited to hunting monsters of all types, and some Hunters choose instead to focus their time on hunting Monstrosities, Aberrations, or Undead as well.
Creating a Demon Hunter
When creating your Demon Hunter, consider why you've chosen to pursue the destruction of demons. Did you have a terrifying experience with a single demon, who now is the target of your passion? Or were you somehow tainted by demons and resent the influence they had on you? Perhaps your path was chosen for you by a family tradition or paying an ancient debt.
The Demon Hunter
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Demonic Awareness, Demon Sense | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Hunter's Bite, Spellcasting | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Hunter's Path | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Relentless Pursuit | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Path Feature | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Hell Hunter | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Demonic Counsel | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Hunter's Resilience | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Siphoning Bite | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Quick Build
You can build a Demon hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence or Constitution. Second, choose the Outlander background.
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice 1d10 per Demon Hunter Level
Hit points at 1st level 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Demon Hunter level after first.
Proficiencies
Armor Light, Medium Armor
Weapons Simple and Martial weapons
Tools None
Saving Throws Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, and Survival.
Multiclass Simple and Martial weapons; Demon Hunter's require a score of 13 Dexterity and 13 Intelligence.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Two Shortswords or (b) a greatsword
- (a) Leather armor or (b) scale mail armor
- A crossbow and 20 bolts
- (a) a Dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an Explorer’s Pack
Demonic Awareness
Your knowledge of demons and their ilk gives you heightened awareness of their habits and movements. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track Demons and Fiends, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Additionally, you learn the Infernal and Abyssal languages.
Demon Sense
At 1st level, you're time studying demons allows you to detect their very presence. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of all fiends and undead within 60 feet of you that are not behind total cover. You know the location of any creatures you sense, and if you have previously encountered a fiend you sense, you recognize it as well. Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the Hallow spell.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Two-Handed Weapon Expertise
While wielding a melee weapon with the two-handed property and not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you may use dexterity for the attack and damage rolls with that weapon.
Spellcasting
By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on hellish magic through your sheer intellect and coercion of the Hells to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the Demon Hunter spell list.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Demon Hunter table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your Demon Hunter spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of Demon Hunter spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Demon Hunter spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Demon Hunter spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your Demon Hunter level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 5th-level Demon Hunter, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell fog cloud, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Demon Hunter spells requires time spent in study: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Demon Hunter spells, since their power derives from your knowledge and study of your enemies. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Demon Hunter spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your demon hunter spells.
Hunter's Bite
Starting at 2nd level, your study of demons has taught you how to better hurt them. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike, you can expend one demon hunter spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a fiend.
Hunter's Path
At 3rd level you choose a Hunter's Path to follow. The path you choose greatly influences how you battle your demonic foes. Choose the Path of Shadows, Path of Devastation, or the Path of Transformation. This choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 20th 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
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Relentless Pursuit
At 6th level, you become as relentless as the Demons you hunt. Your speed increases by 10 feet, and neither magical nor non-magical difficult terrain reduce your speed.
Hell Hunter
By 9th level, your study of demons, fiends, and their lairs gives you a better understanding of tracking vile creatures. You gain proficiency with the Survival skill, and may add double your proficiency bonus with this skill when tracking fiends. Additionally, you cannot become lost by non-magical means.
Demonic Counsel
At 10th level, your study of demons and fiends gives you greater understanding of their motivations and feelings. You gain advantage on Charisma checks when interacting with fiends and their minions
Hunter's Resilience
Beginning at 14th level, your study of fiends and their ilk allows you to more easily shrug off their effects. You gain resistance to your choice of poison, fire, or necrotic damage. If you already have resistance to all of these, you may choose to gain resistance to one of acid or cold damage instead.
Additionally, you gain proficiency with constitution saving throws.
Siphoning Bite
At 18th level, you can draw the very life energy out of the creatures you hunt. When you deal damage using your Hunter's Bite class feature, you regain hit points equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum 1).
Hunter's Path
Path of Shadows
A Demon Hunter following the Path of Shadows uses his knowledge of these foul creatures to stay hidden from them, striking at the opportune moment and inflicting as much damage as possible before slipping away. These hunters prefer to catch their quarry when it is at its weakest, and attempt to set ambushes for their greatest foes.
Shadow Hunter
At 3rd level when you take this archetype you are more easily able to get the drop on your enemies. You may take the hide action as a bonus action instead, and while in dim light or darkness, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Additionally, you gain Devil's Sight and can see through magical and non-magical darkness to a range of 120 feet.
Prey on the Slow
At 7th level, your study of fiends and their habits allows you to more easily get the drop on your enemies. You may choose to add your intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls.
Additionally, when you roll initiative, you may move up to your speed and, if you stop within melee range of a creature, make one melee weapon attack against that creature.
Perpetual Darkness
At 11th level, you gain the ability to more readily summon darkness. You gain the darkness spell, and you always have it prepared. Additionally, once between long rests you may cast darkness as a 2nd level spell without requiring a spell slot or material components. You may also cast it normally with any other spell slots you have available.
Undetectable
Upon reaching 15th level, you take on the chracteristics of some of the most powerful demons. You can't be targeted by divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Additionally, you may use your action to become invisible for 10 minutes, including all items you are wearing or carrying. This effect ends upon you making an attack or forcing an enemy to make a saving throw. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain expended uses upon completion of a long rest.
Consumed by Shadows
At 20th level, your time spent in the shadows and hiding from your foes propels you to the pinnacle of stealth. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide, creatures do not gain benefit from special senses such as Truesight, Blindsight, Devil's Sight, or Tremorsense.
Additionally, as a bonus action you may choose a target you can see within 60 feet that you wish to designate for termination. For 1 minute, when you start your turn hidden from your chosen target, until the end of that turn the first melee weapon attack you make that hits the chosen target is an automatic critical hit. You must complete a long rest before using this feature again.
Path of Devastation
Those who follow the Path of Devastation focus their learning on the ways to best stand toe-to-toe with demons. These hunters may not be the most cunning, but they are the most capable when one needs to square off against a demon on its own turf, going head to head and taking it down.
Demon Armor
At 3rd level when you take this Path, your study of demons and their tactics in turn sharpens your resolve, and allows your skill with your weapons to defend you in combat. When wielding a melee weapon and not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC.
Additionally, when you deal damage to a creature with Hunter's Bite, that creature has disadvantage on attacks against targets other than you until the beginning of your next turn.
Evasion
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a pit fiend's fireball 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.
Improved Demon Armor
At 11th level, you gain the ability to more readily shrug off attacks and punish your attackers. You gain the armor of agathys spell, and you always have it prepared. When you cast it, you may choose for the spell to deal necrotic damage instead of its normal cold damage.
Additionally, you learn to lash out with your magical armor. When an allied creature within 30 ft of you is hit with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to cast armor of agathys on that creature as a 3rd level spell, without expending a spell slot. You may use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain expended uses upon completion of a long rest.
Demonic Resilience
At 15th level, your resolve heightens. You gain immunity to the poisoned condition, and you gain resistance to magical and non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Into the Fray
At 20th level, you are at the pinnacle of your craft. Standing toe-to-toe and trading blows with your foes grants you the ability to shrug off even the most powerful attacks. When you deal damage with your Hunter's Bite feature, you gain a bonus to your AC and saving throws equal to your intelligence modifier until the beginning of your next turn.
Path of Transformation
Demon Hunters on the Path of Transformation take the powers of the very evils they hunt as their own, turning that power against their foes. The most ruthless and determined hunters, these renegades skirt the line between champion against evil, and falling to evil themselves. Those on the Path of Transformation often swear away their own life, vowing that once their sworn foe is dead they will willingly end their own life as well, in order to rid the world of the demonic taint they tap into while hunting down their foes.
Demonic Transformation
At 3rd level when you take this path, you take on aspects of the fiends you hunt. Your eyes become a deep black, your skin tightens and fades to grey, red, or green, and you have disadvantage on charisma checks against creatures other than fiends and their minions. This transformation is permanent.
Additionally, as an action, you may expend a demon hunter spell slot to magically transform into a fiend. See its statistics in the Demonic Transformation stat block, which uses the spell slot level (SL) in several places. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes, until you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), or until you choose to end it (no action required). You retain your demon hunter class features while transformed, but none of your proficiencies, skills, or any other features. You cannot use any special senses (such as darkvision) unless the new form also has that sense. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying falls to the ground or merges with your new form (your choice).
When used, you may choose the appearance of your fiendish form. Your chosen appearance has no effect on the fiend's game statistics. Your chosen form may speak only if it is physically capable of speech.
Demonic Transformation
medium or large (your choice)
- Armor Class 12 + SL (natural armor)
- Hit Points 20 + ten times SL
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Str +3 plus SL, Con +3 plus SL
- Skills Athletics +3 plus SL, Perception +0 plus SL, Survival +0 plus (SL x 2)
- Damage Resistances fire, poison
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 10 + SL
- Languages the languages you know
Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede your darkvision.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 + SL necrotic damage
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d12 + 3 + SL slashing damage
Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, Range 150 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 + 3 + SL fire damage
Fiendish Infusion
Upon reaching 7th level, you gain a measure of control over your transformation. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed while under the effects of your Demonic Transformation feature.
Additionally, you take on aspects of the fiends you study, even while in your normal form. Choose one of the following effects, which you gain only while not under the effects of your Demonic Transformation feature. Your body takes on physical traits of the chosen fiend.
Barlgura Running Leap. You may extend your long jump and high jump by an amount equal to half your speed when you have a running start.
Nupperibo Driven Tracker. You can flawlessly track any creature that has taken damage from your Hunter's Bite feature in the last 24 hours.
Bulezau Telepathy. Your gain telepathy to a range of 60 ft. You must share a language with the target to communicate in this way.
Demonic Control
At 11th level, you learn to transform more quickly. When you use your Demonic Transformation feature, you may activate it as a bonus action, instead of an action.
Fiendish Vigor
Upon reaching 15th level, you gain a sharper control over your transformation. You gain advantage on saving throws against spells while under the effects of your Demonic Transformation feature.
Additionally, you take on aspects of even greater fiends while in your normal form. Choose one of the following effects, which you gain only while not under the effects of your Demonic Transformation feature. Your body takes on physical traits of the chosen fiend.
Yochlol Spider Climb. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Marilith Teleport. As an action, you may teleport, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain expended uses upon completion of a long rest.
Shadow Demon Incorporeal Movement. As an action, you can become incorporeal for 1 minute. During this time you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn inside an object. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain expended uses upon completion of a long rest.
Become the Demon
At 20th level, you gain the tenacity and willpower of a Pit Fiend. You gain proficiency with all saving throws, and you make concentration checks with advantage.
Additionally, you gain the fireball spell, it counts as a Demon Hunter spell for you, and you always have it prepared. Finally, you may cast fireball as a 3rd level spell at-will, requiring no spell slots or material components.
1st Level
- Absorb Elements
- Alarm
- Armor of Agathys
- Arms of Hadar
- Bane*
- Chaos Bolt
- Command
- Compelled Duel*
- Comprehend Languages
- Detect Evil and Good*
- Detect Poison and Disease*
- Earth Tremor
- Ensnaring Strike*
- Fog Cloud*
- Hellish Rebuke
- Hunter's Mark*
- Identify
- Inflict Wounds
- Searing Smite*
- Snare
- Wrathful Smite*
2nd Level
- Augury
- Blur*
- Crown of Madness*
- Darkness*
- Darkvision
- Detect Thoughts*
- Find Traps
- Flame Blade*
- Hold Person*
- Kinetic Jaunt*
- Knock
- Magic Weapon*
- Mind Spike*
- Nystul's Magic Aura
- Pass Without Trace*
- See Invisibility
- Shadow Blade*
- Zone of Truth
3rd Level
- Blinding Smite*
- Dispel Magic
- Elemental Weapon*
- Fear*
- Haste*
- Magic Circle
- Nondetection
- Remove Curse
- Slow*
4th Level
- Arcane Eye*
- Banishment*
- Blight
- Confusion*
- Death Ward
- Elemental Bane*
- Freedom of Movement
- Locate Creature*
- Shadow of Moil*
- Staggering Smite*
5th Level
- Destructive Wave
- Dispel Evil and Good*
- Far Step*
- Hold Monster*
- Legend Lore
- Scrying*
- Steel Wind Strike
*: Spells marked with * require concentration
Demonic Transformation
At 3rd level when you take this path, you take on aspects of the fiends you hunt. Your eyes become a deep black, your skin tightens and fades to grey, red, or green, and you have disadvantage on charisma checks against creatures other than fiends and their minions. This transformation is permanent.
Additionally, you gain the summon fiend spell, it counts as a demon hunter spell for you, and does not count against your total number of spells prepared. Using this feature, you may cast summon fiend using a demon hunter spell slot of any level, and requiring no material components, with the following changes:
- When cast, the spell has a range of self, and you do not summon a fiend. Instead, you physically transform into the chosen fiend. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying falls to the ground or merges with the chosen form (your choice).
- The spell requires concentration, but lasts only 10 minutes.
- You do not gain the multiattack action option, but may still benefit from the Extra Attack feature.
- You gain resistance to poison damage, instead of immunity to poison damage.
- Your speed is equal to your normal walking speed, and you do not gain the devil's fly speed, nor the Magic Resistance trait
- You retain the benefit of any features, proficiencies, and skills from your race, class, or other source, but you can’t use any special senses you have (for example, darkvision) unless your new form also has that sense. You can only speak if your chosen appearance can normally speak.
When used, you may choose the appearance of your fiendish form. Your chosen appearance has no effect on the fiend's game statistics.
Disclaimer
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2022 by Neil Evans and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
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