ROGUISH ARCHETYPE: Bushwhacker (5E)

“Murasa Ranger,” by Erik Deschamps

Guerrilla Warfare
At 3rd level, a bushwhacker rogue adds their proficiency bonus to all Wisdom (Survival) checks, even if they are already proficient in the skill.

Additionally, the rogue chooses one of the following abilities:

• Hit and Fade: If a hidden bushwhacker attempts a ranged sneak attack and misses, they remain hidden. If the attack succeeds, the bushwhacker gains advantage on their next Hide check.
• Smash and Grab: After attempting a melee sneak attack, a bushwhacker can make a Sleigh of Hand attempt against the target or another creature adjacent to both the target and the rogue. If the attack succeeds, the bushwhacker gains advantage on the Sleight of Hand check.

Rugged
Starting at 9th level, a bushwhacker gains one additional hit point per level. Also, when subjected to an effect that allows a Constitution saving throw to take half damage, the bushwhacker takes no damage instead, and suffers half damage on a failed save.

Counterattack
When the bushwhacker uses Uncanny Dodge, they can also make a single attack (melee or ranged) against the enemy attacking them.

Bushmaster
In natural environments, a bushwhacker’s blindsense extends to 20 ft and also applies to traps and structures.

MARTIAL ARCHETYPE: Myrmidon (5E)

Armored Might
At third level, a myrmidon chooses one of the following abilities:

• Immovable: Whenever you roll a Strength saving throw and the result is lower than your armor class, you can use the value of your armor class instead. You must be wearing heavy armor to use this ability.
• Irresistible: You count as one size category larger for the purposes of grapple and shove attempts. You must be wearing heavy armor to use this ability.

Fistful of Steel
At 7th level, a myrmidon wearing heavy armor can deal 1d4+Str bludgeoning damage with their unarmed strikes.

Tough as Nails
When a 10th-level myrmidon uses the second wind ability, they gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until the beginning of their next turn.

Heavy Metal Thunder
A 15th-level myrmidon can wield a two-handed melee weapon in one hand.

Vulgar Display of Power
At 18th level, whenever a myrmidon drops an enemy to 0-hp, that creature’s allies must make Wisdom saving throws or gain disadvantage on attacks and saving throws until the end of the myrmidon’s next turn.

The Demon Queller

Shoki, the Demon Queller, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

The world is beset with perils beyond mortal ken – following a lengthy illness, a child begins speaking an ancient tongue; malicious spirits torment a nobleman in his newly-inherited keep; a farmer wakes every morning to find another of his cattle dead, completely drained of blood…

In such circumstances, upon whom does one call?

Demon quellers are individuals who spend their lives studying the paranormal, the better to fight against it. Some follow this dangerous path out of duty, sponsored by a church or secret society. Others become demon quellers to avenge some past harm inflicted by unnatural forces. And then there those with the right combination of courage and curiosity, seekers of the unknown, challengers of the impossible.

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Level         Exp           HD            Paralyze    Poison     Breath     Device      Magic        Lore

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1                    0             1d8                14              11              16                 12              15            2-in-6

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2                 1,450        +1d8              14              11              16                  12              15           2-in-6

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3                 2,900        +1d8              14              11              16                  12              15           2-in-6

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4                 5,800        +1d8              14              11              16                  12              15           3-in-6

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5               11,600        +1d8              12               9              14                   9              12           3-in-6

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6               23,200        +1d8              12               9              14                   9              12           3-in-6

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7               46,400        +1d8              12               9              14                   9              12           4-in-6

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8               92,800        +1d8              12               9              14                   9              12           4-in-6

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9             185,600        +1d8              10               7              12                   8                9           4-in-6

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10           278,400          +3                10               7              12                   8                9           4-in-6

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Curious and Forgotten Lore: Over the course of their careers, demon quellers accumulate a vast trove of esoteric and occult knowledge.

Starting at 1st level, a demon queller has a 2-in-6 chance of identifying any given supernatural creature or phenomenon “in the field.” This also represents the character’s base chance of successfully researching a particular topic related to the supernatural (GMs may modify this roll based on the obscurity of the information sought and the resources available). Such information may include, but is not limited to: characteristics of supernatural beings, like special abilities and weaknesses; true names, command phrases, and other words of power; rituals on binding and banishing entities; locations of supernatural significance.

Using their curious and forgotten lore, a demon queller can create protective scrolls (as a cleric) and potions (as a magic-user), but the process to produce either requires double the time and cost.

A failed roll indicates that the character either doesn’t know or was unable to find the desired information. Alternatively, a GM may decide that the demon queller possesses or uncovers false or incomplete information.

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Discussion

In her post from Sunday, Emmy Allen reverse engineered the basic LotFP classes and created a scheme based on XP requirements to kit-bash new classes. The demon queller is my attempt based on her calculations.

It’s an approximation of the monster-hunter/paranormal investigator archetype

Anthony Hopkins as Prof. Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

probably best represented by Abraham Van Helsing. (Another good example of this type of character would be Egg Shen from Big Trouble in Little China.) As such, the class is really suited to a low-to-no magic setting where the curious and forgotten lore feature will actually be useful. In my opinion, clerics and magic-users will eat a demon queller’s lunch.

Additionally, I imagine this class’ utility and playability is highly dependent on the GM’s willingness to create and adjudicate what a demon queller can do with their lore ability.

 

NEW MONSTER: Fever Beast

illustration by Evan Thomas

An ancient theory of disease held that all illnesses were caused by malevolent entities possessing the afflicted’s bodies. The proper course of treatment was exorcism. Ironically, by investing psychic energy into this concept, healers sometimes caused the disease to physically manifest. As medical lore advanced, instances of these creatures became exceedingly rare. But they can be found lurking in ruined cities and haunting plague-ravaged communities.

The fever beast presented here is a manifestation of a common sickness. It has been surmised that rarer and deadlier diseases create more powerful entities.

Medium Aberration

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Armor Class 14
Hit Points 22 (3d8+9)
Speed 30 ft

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Senses: Blindsense, 60 ft.
Immunities: Poison, disease
Vulnerabilities: Radiant damage

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Special Features

Aura of Ill Health: The toxic nature of the fever beast saps endurance and lowers resistance to disease. All creatures within 15 feet of a fever beast has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.

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ACTIONS

Flailing Limb melee attack +5 (1d6+2 bludgeoning damage, 10 ft. reach; a fever beast cannot use flailing limb while grappling a creature)

Febrile Fury (recharge 6)  Makes three flailing limb attacks; a target struck by at least 2 flailing limbs is grappled

Carious Fangs melee attack +7 (2d4+2 piercing damage plus contagion, 5 ft. reach; a fever beast can use carious fangs as a bonus action against a grappled target)

Miasmal Breath (recharge 5-6) The fever beast exhales a 15-foot cone of disease-ridden phlegm and spittle. Each creature in that area must succeed a DC 13 Constitution save or suffer the effects of a contagion spell