Demon Hunter
A lady holds a silent breath as she slides a bolt into her crossbow. Hidden behind debris she watches as a bone devil stalks the remains of a village it has destroyed. Knowing that the devil is unsuspecting, she bolts out of her hiding spot to lay waste to the fiend, as her companion emboldens her presence
The creatures surround the man, hiding out of sight amidst the shadows. stalking him, preparing. They have been gathering for hours as he waits, calm, collected. They prepare their numbers for their imminent attacks, launching into sight hoping to catch him off guard. He smiles, for the prey have finally gathered for the predator.
A haggard halfling wanders out of what was once a town. The buildings have collapsed walls, and burn marks, while the center of town is but a patch of scorched earth, the devils that had been there prior, but ash in the wind.
Upon the fields of slaughter, a lone human transforms, bearing the form of an angel. He makes quick work of the gnolls that descend on his location, drawing his blade from their corpses and heading in the direction of the demon Yeenoghu, for it is time for them to settle their battle.
Bond of the Fallen
Demons hunters are those who are lucky enough to cross paths with a fallen divinity. Though not a god, an angel can still grant power, and before you lay one broken, dying, tainted by the demons it fought. Looking in its eyes, you can tell that it still refuses to give up. Its war has not ended, and it is ready to do anything to complete its task, and so it offers you a deal, allowing it to recuperate within your body.
When you die, its body will reform and it can return to battle, in the meantime it will train you, altering your body to withstand the horrors of the demonic planes, and granting you power that few achieve in their lifetimes.
The Pinnacle of Hunters
Warriors of the mortal realms, demon hunters specialize in hunting the monsters that threaten the mortal planes, be them demons, devils, or the likes of the undead liches, and aberrant aberrations. They learn to track their targets as the apex predators of the realms, using an assortment of knowledge, skill and magic to find any hunt, wherever it may choose to hide. They move stealthily through the destruction of their foes, and strike when the enemy least expects it. Demon hunters focus their combat training on techniques that will slay fiends quickly, so that they may help those in need quickly and efficiently.
Thanks to their familiarity with fiends, demon hunters acquire the ability to cast spells that utilize the divine powers granted to them by the angels, much as a cleric or paladin would. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the decimation of all that is deemed unholy and demonic. A demon hunter’s talents and abilities are honed with the grim purpose of fighting a never ending war against the most formidable of enemies.
Creating a Demon Hunter
As you create your demon hunter character, consider what led you to the dying body of an angel, and what led you to accept its powers and become its host? Was your village caught in the battle between the angel and a demon? Was your sister stolen as a child by cultists for a dark ritual and now you seek the power to destroy what was summoned? Was it by happenstance that you came across the body of a dying angel, who had escaped from the outer realms only to lay there dying in the woods? Or perhaps you are a part of a special order that fights alongside angels, and acts as hosts in extreme situations, teaching you the secrets of fighting the abyss and hells while preparing you to save the life of a divine warrior. You might be a normal person who wound up in a situation that you can barely handle, and now must fight for your life.
Demon Hunter
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Radiant Strikes | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slot | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Radiant Strikes, Targets of Enmity | 1d6 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Hunter's Path, Pact Magic | 1d6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | Metamorphosis | 1d6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 1d6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1st |
| 5th | +3 | Multiattack | 1d8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2nd |
| 6th | +3 | Hunter's Sense, Keen Insight | 1d8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 7th | +3 | Hunter's Path Feature | 1d8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | 1d8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 9th | +4 | Upgraded Metamorphosis | 1d8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3rd |
| 10th | +4 | ─ | 1d8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 11th | +4 | Hunter's Path Feature | 1d10 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3rd |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | 1d10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3rd |
| 13th | +5 | Demonic Resistance | 1d10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 4th |
| 14th | +5 | Hunter's Path Feature | 1d10 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4th |
| 15th | +5 | ─ | 1d10 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4th |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | 1d10 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4th |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | 1d12 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 5th |
| 18th | +6 | Hunter's Path Feature | 1d12 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 5th |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | 1d12 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 5th |
| 20th | +6 | True Metamorphosis | 1d12 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5th |
Why do you hate more than demons, going so far as to train to target another species beyond demons and devils? Did a monster kill someone you loved or was it employed by the likes of Orcus? Or do you deem them as dangerous as the demons you squander, actively attempting to protect people from multiple fronts? Is your adventuring career a means to an end, or a significant change? What made you join up with a band of adventurers? Do you find it challenging to socialize with those who haven't faced horrors from the outer realms, or do you welcome the relief from solitude that they offer?
Quick Build
You can make a demon hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second choose the acolyte background.
Class Features
As a demon hunter, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per demon hunter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per demon hunter level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, shortsword, rapier
Tools: Alchemist’s supplies, thieves' tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a rapier or (b) a shortsword
- (a) a hand crossbow with 20 bolts or (b) a light crossbow with 20 bolts
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) An explorer’s pack
- Studded leather armor, a dagger, and an arcane focus
Radiant Strikes
Beginning at 1st level, you know how to imbue divine energy into your strikes. Once per turn, you can use a radiant point to deal an extra 1d6 radiant damage to one creature you hit with an Attack. The Attack must use a Finesse or a ranged weapon.
Your number of radiant points is equal to your demon hunter level + your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1).
When you spend a radiant point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which all of your radiant points return.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Radiant Strikes column of the Demon Hunter table.
Targets of Enmity
At 1st level, thanks to the aid of your symbiotic hunter's bond, you have advantage on all checks to track or recall information on fiends and one more target of choice: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, monstrosities, or undead.
At 6th level, you gain a +1 on all attack and damage rolls made against your Target of Enmity targets. This bonus becomes +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 14th level.
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.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to Attack rolls you make with ranged weapons
Blind Fighting.
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you
Close Quarters Shooter (UA).
When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. You have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks
Defense
While wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC
Titan Fighting
You gain a +2 bonus to melee weapon attack rolls you make against Large or larger creatures
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in Two-Weapon Fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Hunter's Path
When you reach the 2rd level, you can select a Hunter's Path. This choice gives you a feature at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th and 18th level.
Pact Magic
Also at 2nd level you have accomplished a form of symbiosis with a dying angel. Thanks to the teachings of the angel you have learned to control the power within you, calling upon strong magic, granting you stronger spells, though limiting the amount of arcane power you can expel. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the demon hunter spell list.
Cantrips
You know one cantrip of your choice from the demon hunter spell list. You learn additional demon hunter cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the demon hunter table.
Spell Slots
The demon hunter table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your demon hunter spells of 1st through 5th level. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your demon hunter spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
For example, when you are 9th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At 2nd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the demon hunter spell list.
The Spells Known column of the demon hunter table shows when you learn more demon hunter spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 11th level, for example, you learn a new demon hunter spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the demon hunter spells you know and replace it with another spell from the demon hunter spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your demon hunter spells, so 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
Spell attack modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your demon hunter spells.
Metamorphosis
At 3nd level, your symbiotic relationship with your angel has started to transform your body even more. You can use your action to partially transform your appearance briefly. Dampened divine energy flows from your back like false wings, and you give off an aura of divine anger. Each creature of your choice that is within 20 ft. and is aware of you must succeed on Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or become Frightened for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency modifier (minimum 2). A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, Ending the Effect on itself on a success.
The transformation ends after a number of rounds equal to your proficiency modifier passes (minimum 2).
After using this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Ability Score Increase
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 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.
Hunter's Sense
Upon reaching 6th level, your symbiotic relationship has altered your senses, causing the presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor. You can sense the presence of any fiend or other Target of Enmity within 20 feet of you. You know the type of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity or location. Within the same radius, you cannot be surprised by fiends and your Target of Enmity, and said creatures cannot gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.
When you reach 10th level, the range of this feature increases to 30 ft., 40 ft. at 14th level, and 50 ft. at 18th level.
Keen Insight
Also at 6th level, your body continues to change and adapt to the form of your angelic counterpart, you start to pick up on the ways people talk around you. You gain advantage on all Wisdom (Insight) checks to tell if someone is telling a lie.
Upgraded Metamorphosis
When you reach 9th level, your symbiotic relationship with your angel has transformed your body to a point where you can temporarily manifest its true form. When you use your Metamorphosis feature, divine energy flows from your back creating strange ethereal wings, and you now channel an aura of divine anger, granting Metamorphosis the following abilities:
- Your wings shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.
- When you land an attack against an opponent, you deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage
- While under the transformation you are under the effects of a feather fall spell.
Your transformation now lasts for 1 minute, and after using this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Demonic Resistance
When you reach the 13th level, your knowledge of your foes has extended to their arcane abilities. You gain advantage on all saving throws against spells cast against you by fiends and your targets of enmity.
True Metamorphosis
At 20th level, the angel infused in your body has finished transforming your body, enhancing your Metamorphosis feature, and altering your base physiology. All damage rolls made against fiends and your other target of enmity include additional radiant damage equal to your intelligence modifier, and you can now telepathically communicate with creatures within 60 ft. of you, though this doesn't overcome language barriers.
Additionally, when you activate Metamorphosis, you gain the following properties:
- Your wings have fully manifested, you have a flying speed of 30 ft.
- Attack rolls made against Targets of Enmity are made at advantage.
- radiant damage against fiends is doubled.
- You gain true sight of 30 ft.
Your transformation now lasts for 10 minute, and after using this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Hunter's Path
A demon hunter's Path is the path a demon hunter takes to achieve their end goals. Angels can transform a mortal body in many ways, and can help them towards different forms of mutation. These paths are what differentiates one demon hunter from another, and shows how they prefer to go about dealing with their common enemies.
Path of the Annihilator
Those who choose the Path of the Annihilator don't understand the meaning of mercy when it comes to fighting against the forces of evil. A lot of creatures are evil, fiends are only part of it, therefore everything will be used to accomplish the sacred task: the annihilation of every evil being.
Detect Evil
Starting at 2rd level, your metamorphosis shows the true nature of those around you. While in your metamorphosis, you can sense the alignment of any creature within 30 ft. of you.
Relentless Assault
Beginning at 7th level, when you're hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack roll against that creature. If your assailant is a creature which has been marked as evil by your Detect Evil feature, you can also use your Radiant Strikes feature on the attack, without expending a radiant point.
Anger Against Evil
Starting at 11th level, you use a bonus action to determine the alignment of a single creature within 30 ft. of you. If the creature's alignment is evil, then you gain the effect of the spell hunter's mark on the creature without a need for concentration. You can use this feature twice per long rest.
At 15th level you can detect the alignment of 2 creatures with a single use of this feature, and can use the feature 3 times per long rest, and four times at 18th, while detecting up to three creatures alignments per use.
Resistance Against Evil
At 14th level, you have an unbearable will against the spells of villains. You gain advantage to all saving throws against spells cast against you by a creature detected as evil by your Detect Evil feature.
Annihilator of Evil
Reaching 18th level, no one can deceive you from their real nature. The Detect Evil feature is now active outside of Metamorphosis and its range has increased to 60 ft.
Also when you use your Metamorphosis feature you choose to gain a temporary new target of enmity for the duration of your metamorphosis which can be of any type you want.
Path of the Stalker
You hone your skills to be quick and efficient. Being quick on your feet, and the first to react to any given situation, Demon hunters who embrace the Path of the Stalker are expert trackers, and have no qualms entering what some may call a sticky situation.
Vault
Starting at 2rd level, you can take the disengage action as a bonus action, and gain an additional 10 feet of movement when disengaging.
Evasion
Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm 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.
Stalker's Mobility
At 11th level, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. If you have a climbing or swimming speed, this increase applies to that speed as well.
This bonus increases by 10 feet when you reach the 17th level, and an additional 10 feet at the 19th level. This increase will affect your True Metamorphosis flying speed at level 20.
Efficient Deflection
At 14th level, your weapons training has improved to the point where you can use your opponent's momentum to counteract their attacks.
When a creature lands a successful melee attack roll against you while within 5 ft. of you, you can use your reaction to make a Dexterity saving throw against the attack roll, taking the normal damage on a fail, or taking no damage on a success, with the creature taking the damage instead.
Once you have used this feature you must complete a long rest before using it again.
Radiant Onslaught
When you reach 18th level, You have fully weaponized the divine energy flowing within you. Whenever you use your Radiant Strikes feature you triple the dice used.
When you use the Radiant Strike Feature against a fiend or a Target of Enmity, you triple the dice used.
Additionally when you use your True Metamorphosis feature, radiant damage against fiends is tripled.
Path of the Demon-Fused
You desire more power, tainting your new form with the blood and souls of demons. A more brutal form, demon hunters on the Path of the Demon-Fused tend to act on primal instinct, and will sooner turn themselves into a monster to achieve their goals, then worry about what consequences these actions may have.
Demonic Alteration
Starting at 2nd level, your absorption of demonic energy has altered the course of your mutations. Your Radiant Strikes feature now deals necrotic damage, and you can cast the spell darkness once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
Additionally, after 2nd level, any form of metamorphosis is altered and takes on a more demonic form. When you reach 9th level your Upgraded metamorphosis ability is altered, and the following changes are made:
- Bright light within 10 ft of you is dimmed, and dim light within 10 ft. is treated as darkness.
- When you land an attack against an opponent, you deal an additional 1d6 of necrotic damage instead of radiant.
Additionally when you reach 20th level, the radiant damage of True Metamorphosis is also changed to necrotic.
War Magic
Beginning at 7th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
Eyes of the Fiend
When you reach 11th level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet. With this feature, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, and are capable of discerning color.
Dawn of the Devil
At 14th level the demonic energies you have been absorbing have tainted your physical form. Strange colored markings and scars cover your body, amidst other changes. You gain a resistance to fire damage, and the range of your aura of divine anger from the metamorphosis feature is increased to 30 ft.
Demonic Gift
Starting at 18th level, when you hit a creature that is not a fiend with an attack, you can force a portion of the demonic energies in your body into theirs.
The creature takes 10d10 necrotic damage and is paralyzed until the end of their turn.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Path of
Demon Hunter Spell List
Cantrips
- Create Bonfire
- Dancing Lights
- Eldritch Blast
- Green Flame Blade
- Light
- Mage Hand
- Mending
- Message
- Minor Illusion
- Prestidigitation
- Ray of Frost
1st Level
- Cause Fear
- Charm Person
- Color Spray
- Comprehend Languages
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Disguise Self
- Divine Favour
- Entangle
- Faerie Fire
- Feather Fall
- Hellish Rebuke
- Identify
- Longstrider
- Protection From Good and Evil
- Purify Food and Drink
- Shield of Faith
2nd Level
- Alter Self
- Arcane Lock
- Blindness/Deafness
- Blur
- Detect Thoughts
- Enhance Ability
- Heat Metal
- Hold Person
- Invisibility
- Levitate
- Locate Object
- Magic Weapon
- Mirror Image
- Misty Step
- Phantasmal Force
- See Invisibility
- Suggestion
- Zone of Truth
3rd Level
- Blink
- Clairvoyance
- Counterspell
- Crusader’s Mantle
- Daylight
- Dispel magic
- Elemental Weapon
- Fear
- Glyph of Warding
- Magic Circle
- Major Image
- Melf's Minute Meteors
- Nondetection
- Protection From Energy
- Remove Curse
- Sending
- Sleet Storm
- Tongues
- Wind Wall
4th Level
- Arcane Eye
- Aura of Life
- Banishment
- Compulsion
- Confusion
- Control Water
- Death Ward
- Dimension Door
- Divination
- Freedom of Movement
- Greater Invisibility
- Hallucinatory Terrain
- Ice Storm
- Locate Creature
- Resilient Sphere
- Wall of Fire
5th Level
- Circle of Power
- Cone of Cold
- Contact Other Plane
- Destructive Wave
- Dominate Person
- Dream
- Dispel Good and Evil
- Geas
- Hold Monster
- Holy Weapon
- Legend Lore
- Modify Memory
- Scrying
- Seeming
- Telekinesis
- Teleportation Circle
- Wall of Force
Starting Equipment
When you create your demon hunter, you receive equipment based on a combination of your class and background. You can however choose to instead start out with a number of gold pieces based on the following chart and spend the gold on items from the equipment lists in Chapter 5 of the Players Handbook.
Starting Wealth
| Class | Ability Score Minimum |
|---|---|
| Demon Hunter | 3d6 x 10 gp |
Multiclassing
Multiclassing can allow you to gain levels in multiple classes. The following information will help you with multiclassing into the demon hunter class.
Prerequisites
To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class, and the class you wish to multiclass into.
Prerequisites
| Class | Ability Score Minimum |
|---|---|
| Demon Hunter | Dexterity 13 and Intelligence 13 |
Proficiencies
When you gain a level in a class other than your first, you only gain some of that class's starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies table.
Multiclassing Proficiencies
| Class | Proficiencies Gained | |
|---|---|---|
| Demon Hunter | Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, shortsword, rapier |
Credits
Created by Nicholas Hoar
Contributors: Stoneman
Proofreaders/Balancers: /u/Darcosuchus, /u/estein1030, /u/Felljustice, /u/lidanma, /u/Mr_Couver, /u/Soliantar1631References
Art in Order of Appearance
"Demon Hunter" by Martin Glenn Rane
"knight with a sword facing the lava demon in hell, digital art style, illustration painting" by Tithi Luadthong
"crossbow" by ZABO LIGHT
"Demon Hunter" by Aleksey Bayura
"fallen angel grill" by Distr