The Path of the Caped Crusader

Being a hero isn’t just about spandex and supervillains. It’s also about protecting people from threats that they can’t handle themselves!

…even if the supervillains make up most of the box office budget.

 

This subclass was created for the Subclasseptember 2022 challenge!

Heroic Fisticuffs

When you take this subclass at 3rd level, your fists become deadly implements of justice. You can roll a d8 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strikes. In addition, the first time you hit a creature with an unarmed strike each turn, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

Clothesline. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

Haymaker. The target must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.

Uppercut. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it has disadvantage on all attacks until the start of your next turn.

Some of your Caped Crusader abilities require saving throws. The DC of the saving throw for these effects is (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier).

I Am Here!

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to defend others from harm. When another creature within 30 feet of yourself would take damage, you can use your reaction to switch places with it, provided that the target is willing. In addition, you become the target of the effect, if possible. When you do so, both you and the target gain 2d6 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points increase as your level in this class increases, to 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 17th level.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Single Bound

At 6th level, you can put all of your strength into a leap that can clear the tallest of buildings. As a bonus action, you can jump up to two times your movement speed in any direction. If you are raging, this distance increases to three times your movement speed.

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.

Dynamic Entry

At 10th level, you can make an entrance with such aplomb that enemies are dazzled by your might - or possibly your willingness to cause property damage. When you use your Single Bound, you can choose to perform a Dynamic Entry as part of the same bonus action. When you do so, the ground in a radius of 20 feet centered on your landing site becomes difficult terrain, and creatures within this area must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are stunned until the start of your next turn. Creatures that are surprised have disadvantage on this saving throw.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Living Wall

At 14th level, your very presence serves as a shield for those around you. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a saving throw to take only half damage, such as a dragon’s breath or the effects of a cone of cold spell, you project a 30-foot cone of protection behind yourself, directly away from the source of the effect. Creatures other than yourself within this cone take no damage if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if they fail.