Ranger Archetype: Witch Hunter
Witch Hunters are grim individuals often trained with crossbows or firearms who through holy power seek out corruption in order to bring it down. They often have varying motivations why they are apart of this archetype, could it be for vengeance, wealth or a religious cause. How they attain their divine aid also differs from person to person, but in its core it's a tool to take out the wicked that plague the world.
Witch Hunter Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Witch Hunter Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | protection from evil and good |
| 5th | gentle repose |
| 9th | remove curse |
| 13th | locate creature |
| 17th | holy weapon* |
*XGtE pg. 157
Coated For Death
At 3rd level, you can gain proficiency in Firearms.
The cost of crafting silvered ammunition and coating weapons in silver is halved. When you use silvered ammunition or weapon for an attack, it is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities.
Assorted Arsenal
At 3rd level, you are adept at making use of different weaponry to purge the unholy in efficient ways.
- You can draw or stow two items when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
- If you have a melee weapon in one hand, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
- Once per turn, when attacking with a crossbow or a firearm, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage. This bonus damage is radiant damage.
Additonally, you learn the cantrip Sacred Flame, and it counts as a ranger spell for you.
Prying Assassin
By 7th level, you gain proficiency in the Insight and Investigation skills. If you are already proficient in either skill, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those proficiencies.
Additionally, as an action you can examine a creature through divine aid. Select a creature within 30 feet of you and make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the creature's Charisma (Deception) check. On a success, you know if the creature is affected by magic, its creature type, and you perceive the original form if the creature is a shapechanger for 1 hour. You may use this feature once per long rest.
Expect the Unexpected
At 11th level, you tend to have the upper hand even when things take a bad turn. You may use one of the following features by speaking a phrase.
Cleansing Shot. Before attacking with a crossbow or a firearm, you bless the ammunition. On a hit, the target takes an additional 4d6 radiant damage. For one round, the target can't be invisible, and emits bright light from itself up to 30 feet.
Destabilizing Shot. Before attacking with a crossbow or a firearm, you curse the ammunition. On a hit, the target takes an additional 4d4 psychic damage, and the target will have disadvantage on their next saving throw.
Decline the Heresy. As a reaction when you or a creature within 60 feet gain a charmed or frightened condition, you remove that condition from yourself or the creature.
Stop the Devious. As a reaction when a creature moves within 60 feet of you, the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If the creature fails, its movement speed is reduced to 0, and attacks against the creature can't suffer disadvantage, until its next turn.
You can use this feature an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). The uses reset after you finish a long rest.
Always Ready
Starting at 15th level, your intuition tells you when things turn grim. At the beginning of combat, you can treat your initiative roll as a 20, and on your first turn in combat you have advantage on your attack rolls and enemies have disadvantage against saving throws you trigger.
Credits
"Witch Hunter" V1.0 by u/JollerMcAwesome
Art: "Condemned by Fire" book cover
Inspired by Warhammer Fantasy by Games Workshop
