Class Features
As a deadeye, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per deadeye level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per deadeye level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, Medium armor
- Weapons: Simple Weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
- Skills: Choose two from Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Acrobatics, Arcana, History, Nature, Survival, or Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) any ranged martial weapon or (b) two simple ranged weapons
- a set of five daggers
- studded leather armor
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
Creating a Deadeye
A deadeye's life is very often tied to their political beliefs. They are usually on one side of the law or the other, disobeying it or following it to a tee. However, one thing stays true with a deadeye; when it is time for battle, they get serious. For most deadeyes, it seems as though battle has been worn into their skin and caused scars, whether metaphorical or physical, deep into their bodies. The background of your character should give a brief view into why such scars would appear and what tragedies one would have to go through to be in such a state.
Quick Build
You can make a deadeye quickly by following these suggestions. First, your highest ability scores should be Intelligence and Dexterity. Second, choose the Soldier or Urban Bounty Hunter background depending on your alignment.
Alignment
Accuracy is everything to a deadeye. If you cannot hit it, it is worthless to even attack. This leads a deadeye to the neutral alignment but sometimes good shooters are outlaws or even crazy shotgun blasters so there is much variation to be had.
The Deadeye
Level | PB | Class Features | Deadshot Die |
---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Ranged Specialist, Arcane Shot, Eagle Eye | ⎯ |
2nd | +2 | Deadshot, Favored Enemy | d4 |
3rd | +2 | Deadeye's Practice | d4 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, No Escape | d4 |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack (x1) | d6 |
6th | +3 | Practice Feature | d6 |
7th | +3 | Arcane Shot Affinity (1) | d6 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | d6 |
9th | +4 | Quickdraw | d8 |
10th | +4 | Extra Attack (x2) | d8 |
11th | +4 | Practice Feature | d8 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 |
13th | +5 | Retreating Fire | d8 |
14th | +5 | ─ | d10 |
15th | +5 | Arcane Shot Affinity (2) | d10 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | d10 |
17th | +6 | Practice Feature | d10 |
18th | +6 | ─ | d12 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | d12 |
20th | +6 | Unmistakable Aim | d12 |
Ranged Specialist
Beginning at 1st level, your extensive time and research around ranged weapons has provided you the knowledge to use them with unsurprising ease. You gain proficiency in all weapons with the Range property, including all Firearms.
Arcane Shot
At 1st level, the time you have put into fiddling with arcane forms of magic has brought you to a new form of magic, Arcane Shots.
This form of condensed magic takes the ammunition form of the weapon you shoot as soon as your weapon is readied for fire. This magic mimics the ammunition perfectly, as if a real piece was shot.
However, it is merely a mimic which allows you to shoot a ranged weapon without expending any ammunition or other resources upon firing.
Eagle Eye
Also at 1st level, your experience with ranged weapons has given you an eye like an eagle.
You can throw or shoot any ranged weapon to its maximum ranged distance without imposing disadvantage on yourself until that amount exceeds 120 feet.
Deadshot
Starting at 2nd level, you obtain jolts of mystical energy called Deadshots. These fuel various features within this class and are also essential to hitting targets you wish to hit. One of these features is detailed below.
You can use your bonus action to expend a use of Deadshot and add a role of your Deadshot Die to your next ranged attack roll before the end of your turn. The die you roll is determined on your class table.
You have a pool of Deadshot Die equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Dexterity modifier. All expended uses are regained at the end of your next long rest.
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 2nd level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.
Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.
When attacking one of your chosen favored enemies, you gain +1 to hit and ignore any elemental resistances and immunities that creature has.
Favored Enemy
In this class I use a self revised version of the Favored Enemy Feature. It makes the feature more like a buff than a dull version of Hunter's Mark.
Deadeye's Practice
At 3rd level, you choose a practice that you decide to emulate within your shooting techniques. You can choose from the Hunter, Point-Blank Manic, or Covert Sniper practices. The practice you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Some abilities within your chosen practice may ask for a Spell Save DC or a Spell Attack Bonus. Even though you cannot cast spells, your Spell Save DC is equal to 8 + your Intelligence Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. Your Spell Attack Modifier is equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency Bonus.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.
No Escape
Also, starting at 4th level you can treat a creature behind cover as if they were in less cover than they are. You treat a creature in three-quarters cover as if they were in half cover and a creature in half cover as if they are not in cover.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 10th level in this class.
Arcane Shot Affinity
Many shots have been fired with your weapons, doing you well each time. The problem is, you are fed up with the boring stuff and delve deeper into the inner workings of your Arcane Shots.
Beginning at 6th level, you can choose from the list below an elemental affinity to add to your Arcane Shots upon firing. You gain one more affinity at 15th level. You can change your affinity at the end of a long rest.
Additionally, the ranged attacks you make using Arcane Shot are now considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
You can activate your affinity for 1 minute as a bonus action by expending a use of your Deadshot Die. You can deal extra damage on your ranged attacks equal to a roll of your Deadshot Die. Only the damage rolled through your Deadshot Die has your affinity applied to it.
Affinities
- Flame Affinity. Your shot gains fire damage.
- Frost Affinity. Your shot gains cold damage.
- Electric Affinity. Your shot gains lightning damage.
- Decaying Affinity. Your shot gains necrotic damage.
- Mystic Affinity. Your shot gains psychic damage.
- Divine Affinity. Your shot gains radiant damage.
Quickdraw
Beginning at 9th level, whenever you roll for initiative and your roll is above all enemies, you can make one ranged attack as a surprise attack.
Retreating Fire
At 13th level, when attacking with a ranged weapon on your turn, you can use this feature to teleport up to 90 feet away as a bonus action. You can use this feature equal to your Proficiency Bonus. All expended uses are regained once you finish a long rest.
Unmistakable Aim
At 20th level, all ranged weapons you attack with have a +5 attack bonus. This stacks with any magical bonuses are already applied to the weapon. Also, your Arcane Shot affinity is always applied to your ranged weapon attacks.
Deadeye Practices
At 3rd level, you choose a practice that you decide to emulate within your shooting techniques. You can choose from the Hunter, Point-Blank Manic, or Covert Sniper practices. The practice you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Hunter
Hunting has formed your life and it is how you know to live. prolonged exposure to nature has bestowed upon you natural gifts and campanions to work alongside you.
Keen to Nature
When you choose this practice at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Perception and Survival skills. If you are already proficient in these skills, you may choose another skill from the deadeye skill list.
Hunter's Companion
At 3rd level, you can perform a 1 hour ritual to summon a beast companion by your side. This summon has to appear to be of feline or canine descent. The beast is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. This beast is of spiritual origin and counts as celestial or fiend (your choice) to any spells or abilities that would need this information. The stat block for this creature is shown below.
The bestial form this summon takes has to be a beast of a challenge rating of 1/4 or less. This rating increases to 1/2 at 11th level. At 11th level, you can also give your beast an Ability Score Improvement and its AC increases by 1.
In combat, the beast acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the beast to take the Attack action. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If the beast has died within the last hour, you can use your action to touch it and expend a use of your Deadshot Die. The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. When you finish a long rest, you can summon a different primal beast. The new beast appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, and you choose its stat block and appearance. If you already have a beast from this feature, it vanishes when the new beast appears. The beast also vanishes if you die.
Hunter's Help
Beginning at 6th level, when you make a check to track a target, you can make an Intelligence (History) check to remember one significant thing about the target (size, type of being, smell, etc.). On a successful check, the memory is transferred to your companion and they can successfully track this target with supreme accuracy at a rate of its movement speed. If the target teleported more than a mile away or went to another plane/dimension, your being will send a mental feeling that this is the case.
Hunter's Companion
Medium, Neutral
- Armor Class 12 + your Intelligence modifier (natural armor)
- Hit Points 5 + five times your deadeye level (1d8 per deadeye level)
- Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages: understand the languages you speak
- Challenge Rating: ---
- Proficiency Bonus (PB): equals your bonus
- Hunter's Bond: You can add your PB to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: your Spell Attack bonus to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + Strength + your Intelligence modifier piercing.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: your Spell Attack bonus to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d4 + Strength + your Intelligence modifier slashing.
Grab. Contested Strength (Athletics) checks to grapple, reach 5 ft., one target large or smaller.
Brand of The Hunter
At 11th level, equal to your Proficiency Bonus per long rest, you can cast Hunter's Mark as a 3rd level spell.
One With The Hunter
At 17th level, you can summon your beast to rest on your shoulder where it can assist in attacking with you for 1 minute. This beast weighs nothing to you when resting on top of you. As one of your attacks on your turn you can command your bond to perform one of the actions below.
- Bite. Melee Spell Attack, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 3d10 + your Spell Attack Bonus force damage
- Swipe. Two Melee Spell Attacks, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 + your Spell Attack Bonus force damage each
- Fetch. Contested Strength (Athletics) checks to grapple, reach 30 ft., one target large or smaller. On a successful grapple it can teleport that creature to another spot within 30 feet of you as a bonus action. This feature can be used once per short or long rest.
Covert Sniper
Tough practice and thorough training has drilled some techniques into your muscles that you will never be able to get rid of. No matter what training you had to go through, it was for the single goal of "assassination". Such practices have given you the training to perform kills from distances uncanny to any other person all with the stealth of a black cat in the night.
Stealthy Operationalist
When you choose this practice at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you already have proficiency in this skill, you gain expertise.
Specialized Weapon
Starting when you take this specialization at 3rd level, you can choose one weapon with the Range property to forge a bond with. You perform a 1 hour ritual to bond yourself to this weapon and have it become your Specialized Weapon. You can change your Specialized Weapon once per long rest. This weapon gains the following benefits:
- On hit, you deal an extra 1d4 for every 30 feet away your enemy is up to 5d4 damage. This increases to a maximum of 10d4 at 11th level.
- This weapon's normal attack range is doubled. The weapon's long attack range does not change.
Ghillie Suit
Also at 6th level, you learn to cover yourself within the brush of your natural surroundings when taking aim to fire. When lightly obscured or in dim or dark light, you can attempt to hide. Also, you can use the hide action as a bonus action.
Steady Aim
Starting at 11th level, you can use your bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on your next ranged attack.
Armor Piercing Round
At 17th level, when using the Deadshot ability, you can expend two uses instead of one to roll double the Deadshot Dice as normal and apply both to your next attack. This feature can be used once and you regain the use after finishing a short or long rest.
Point-Blank Maniac
some decide to the shoot from the safety of cover while others don't care for their lives as much. A maniac can shoot close range and doesn't care for the person being put victim of this.
Bully
Starting when you choose this practice at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation and Deception skills. If you already have proficiency in these skills, choose another skill provided by the deadeye class to become proficient in.
Point-Blank
Beginning at 3rd level, when attacking with any ranged weapon, disadvantage is not imposed within 5 feet of your target.
Deathshot
Also at 3rd level, when making a Point-Blank attack with the Deadshot feature, you can instead use your Deadshot Die roll as extra damage instead of adding it to your attack bonus.
Punch and Shoot
Starting at 6th level, when making a Point-Blank attack, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike attack dealing 1d6 + Dexterity bludgeoning damage. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of this your unarmed strike.
Threaten
At 11th level, as your action, if you are within Point-Blank range, you can draw your weapon and make a Charisma (Intimidation) check. On a failed save, you can make one Point-Blank attack using your bonus action and the target is frightened of you until it can successfully make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a successful save, the target is frightened of you until the start of its next turn. You can use this feature once and you regain the use when you finish a short or long rest.
Reckless Maniac
At 17th level, you can use your turn to go on a rampage and use your full movement to run in any path you choose. You can make one attack to all creatures you come within 5 feet of. Running past these creatures does not provoke opportunity attacks and you can only attack each creature once. After your rampage is finished, you gain one level of exhaustion and you cannot use this again feature until you finish a long rest.
Author's Word
Hello reader! This is my first officially formatted homebrew and my first ever homebrew class! Please feel free to leave feedback and comments; they are very much appreciated.
Credits
Cover Art: Darek Zabrocki on DeviantArt
Art on Page 3: Fantasy Pics Inc on Pinterest
Art on Page 6: Fantasy Pics Inc on Pinterest