Marksman

A Lifetime of Training

One does not reach the level of skill required to be a Marksman without dedicating many years to the craft. It is often said that true Marksmen are born with some sort of projectile in their hands, as it is the only explanation for their affinity to their craft. But even those with natural skill need to train, and they train harder than most to make sure that their shots are as perfect as possible.

From Humble Beginnings

A Marksman is often made out of necessity, though this isn’t necessarily the case if you should wish it so for your own Marksman. However, Marksman are typically self-taught from years of providing food for their families and village by hunting animals. It is a basic life skill that also gives them plenty of reason to hone their abilities, as a missed shot often leads to losing your prey.

Doing A Job Well

The Marksman is admittedly limited in what it does. It is a ranged attacker with the drawback of staying away from melee combat at almost all costs, as it has no features at all that benefit it in that scenario. This is made up for by the fact that, when given the space to operate, the Marksman will provide invaluable utility and support that will surely be an asset to any team composition.

Quick Build

You can make a Marksman quickly by following these suggestions. First, make your highest stats Strength or Dexterity, followed by Intelligence or Wisdom. Second, take the Folk Hero background.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

• Armor: light armor
• Weapons: Simple Weapons, Heavy Crossbow, Longbow
• Tools: woodcarver's tools

• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance. Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) a Longbow and Quiver of 20 Arrows, (b) a Heavy Crossbow and Case of 20 Bolts
• (a) an Adventurer’s Pack or (b) an Explorer’s Pack
• Leather Armor and two Daggers

Ranged Specialist

Beginning at 1st level, your expertise and training with ranged weapons provides you a number of benefits. First, you ignore the loading property of ranged weapons. Second, you gain the benefit of the Archery Fighting Style, which provides a +2 bonus to ranged weapon attacks. Finally, you are able to produce your own ammunition, producing 20 arrows or bolts over the course of one hour using repurposed materials or old broken ammunition.

Traps

Beginning at 1st level, your training in ranged combat also includes methods of delaying and harming foes far afield. By spending one hour’s time and 5 gold pieces, you may create a simple but dangerous trap that weighs 5 lbs. Later, as an action, you may place and rig the trap against the next creature that would step on it. The Trap DCs are equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence modifier. Trapped squares require a perception check with the same DC to notice, and an equal thieves’ tools check to disarm. You may make the following kinds of traps:

• Needle Trap: The creature must then make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 piercing damage. This damage increases by 1d8 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
• Bear Trap: The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 piercing damage and be grappled until the creature makes a new Strength saving throw to escape as an action on its turn. The DC to escape increases by 1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
• Exploding Trap: The creature and all creatures within 10 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage. This damage increases by 1d4 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
• Poison Trap: The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 poison damage and be Poisoned for one minute. The creature may make a Constitution saving throw at the end of its turn to end the Poisoned condition early. The DC to end the poison increases by 1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Backstep

Beginning at 2nd level, your quick reflexes and knowledge that sword range is not the safest place grants you the ability to tactically disengage from an approaching threat. When a creature would move to within 5 feet of you, you may use your reaction to move up to half of your movement speed away from them. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

At 17th level, this trait is always available, no longer requiring you to not move on one of your turns.

Firing Focus

Beginning at 3rd level you gain access to your Firing Focus, a style of ranged combat that grants you unique capabilities, focusing your class into a specialized damage dealer. The Sniper is a straightforward master of ranged weapons who specializes in extreme distance sharpshooting. The Hurler is a unique ranged combatant who specializes in throwing weapons to inflict harm. The Harrier is a magically infused skirmisher who utilizes special ammo to damage and suppress foes.

Your chosen focus 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. You can also choose to take a feat in place of increasing your ability scores, if feats are allowed.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you may take two actions at part of your Attack action.

Keen Eyes and Deft Hands

Beginning at 6th level, your keen eyesight and awareness develops to an exceptional state. You gain proficiency in Perception and Thieves’ Tools, gaining Expertise if already proficient.

Rapid Shot

Beginning at 9th level, you gain the ability to rapidly fire a ranged weapon, attempting to inflict additional harm at the cost of accuracy. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may use your bonus action to perform an additional attack at disadvantage.

At 13th level, you may use your bonus action to perform two additional attacks with disadvantage.

Precise Ballistics

Beginning at 3rd level, your knowledge of archery and marksmanship allow you to hit targets far afield or behind cover when others would fail. Your ranged attacks ignore the penalty for firing at long distance as well as half cover.

Called Shot

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to accurately target your opponent's limbs to cripple and disrupt them. When making an attack roll with a ranged weapon, you may deal an additional 2d4 damage and inflict one of the following effects:

• Head - The target suffers a -2 to saving throws until the start of your next turn. If it is concentrating on a spell, it must also make its constitution saving throw for concentration with disadvantage.
• Hands - The target suffers a -2 to attack rolls until the start of your next turn. The creature must also make a strength saving throw or drop whatever it is holding.
• Legs - The target has its walking speed halved until the start of your next turn. It must also make a dexterity saving throw to avoid falling prone.

A creature must have the proper anatomy to use Called Shot. You may make a number of called shots per day equal to your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Sniper’s Perch

Beginning at 7th level, you gain the ability to swiftly climb and make use of the terrain to assault your foes with precision. You have advantage on Athletics or Acrobatics checks to climb, and climbing no longer costs additional movement. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls when attacking targets that you are at least 10 feet above.

Enhanced Called Shot

At 10th level, you gain access to additional called shot options and your called shot damage is increased to 4d4.

• Eyes - The target suffers a -2 penalty to armor class. It must also make a dexterity saving throw to avoid being blinded until the start of your next turn.
• Heart - The target is unable to recover hit points until the start of your next turn. It must also make a strength saving throw or suffer damage equal to the attack at the start of it’s next turn.
• Throat - The target is unable to use breath weapon attacks until the start of your next turn. It must also make a constitution saving throw or be unable to cast spells with verbal components for the same duration.

Precise Shot

Beginning at 15th level, you are able to channel inaction into incredible accuracy. As a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on all of your attack rolls on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven’t moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum one) and regain all uses after a long rest.

Critical Shot

Beginning at 18th level, you can focus your mastery of archery and sharpshooting into an extra damaging and debilitating attack. Once per long rest, as an action, you may perform an attack making use of your Called Shot feature, even if you had no uses of the ability left. In addition, the effect of the called shot lasts for one minute and the creature has disadvantage on the relevant save. Lastly, this attack inflicts an additional 25 damage.

Alchemic Ballistics

Beginning at 3rd level, your knowledge of traps and alchemy allow you to form a unique edge over other archers in battle. When you make a ranged weapon attack that deals damage that is not slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning, that damage ignores resistances.

Thrown Ballistics

Beginning at 3rd level, your unique knowledge of throwing weapons confirs you a number of benefits. Ranged attacks with weapons that have the thrown ignore the penalty for long distance. You may use Dexterity in place of Strength with any ranged attack when using a weapon with the thrown property. Finally, you replace the Archery fighting style with the Thrown Weapon fighting style in Practical Ballistics.

The Right Kind of Weapon

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to uniquely impact your targets based on the type of thrown weapon used to inflict harm.

• Dagger - When throwing a dagger with your attack action, you may throw one additional dagger with disadvantage. Beginning at 10th level, you may throw a second additional dagger with disadvantage.
• Hand Axe - A thrown hand axe ignores the benefits provided from a shield or similar item.
• Throwing Hammer - When throwing a hammer, a creature hit by the weapon has its speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

Anything Is A Weapon

Beginning at 7th level, you gain the ability to use objects others would find impossible as thrown weapons. You may throw weapons one size category larger than normal with no penalty to your attack roll. In addition, you may still use your proficiency bonus when throwing an improvised weapon. Finally, you may add your Strength modifier to the damage of a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, in addition to using Dexterity to determine the attack and damage bonus of a thrown weapon.

More Kinds of Weapons

At 10th level, you gain access to additional thrown weapon bonuses:

• Javelin - A creature hit with a thrown spear or trident must make a constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier. On a failure, the weapon sticks in the creature, inflicting 1d4 points of damage at the start of each of it’s turns. As an action, a creature can remove one such weapon stuck in itself or another creature.
• Dart - A creature hit with a thrown dart suffers an additional 2d6 damage. This bonus damage can be acid, poison, or psychic.
• Net - The escape DC of the net is equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier. In addition, your Net’s have an AC of 15 and no longer consume all of your attacks for that turn.

Bouncing Throw

Beginning at 15th level you are able to transform a simple thrown object into a bouncing piece of metal and death. As a bonus action, you can enhance your next thrown weapon attack, allowing it to pick a new target after each successful hit, so long as that new target would be within the short range of the thrown weapon from the current target. Every consecutive hit provides a cumulative -2 penalty to hit, and if your attack misses a target, the effect ends. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your strength modifier (minimum one) and recover all uses on a long rest. Bouncing Throw does not function with javelins, darts, or nets.

Boulder Toss

Beginning at 18th level, you can draw upon all of your might to throw an object at another creature, ignoring all logical constraints. Once per long rest, you may make a thrown weapon attack with an object that you could physically carry (typically 15 lbs x Strength score). This improvised weapon has a range of 60 feet and deals 10d6 bludgeoning damage. A creature hit with an object that has a weight of at least 200 lbs takes 20d6 bludgeoning damage instead, and must also make a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier or be stunned until the end of it’s next turn.