The Crested Predator Class for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e)

Base Class: Ranger

You are a member of a conclave or maybe simply a ranger who has devoted their entire life to the natural world. Unlike Druids, you interact with it as you need, though as a respecter of the cycle you find yourself to be one of the many animals within where you live. Honoring your hunts, you wear a headdress resembling your kills and draw power through them.

Primal Enchantment

Starting at 3rd level, rather than spells, your ranger conclave allows you to expend spells slots to infuse primal magic into your hunting instruments. You are capable of creating specific traps, arrows, or other items.

Creating Primal Instruments is shown in the Primal Instruments table below. Each one takes a 1 hour ritual to infuse along with 50 GP worth of material. The save DC for any of the instruments is equal to your spell save DC.

Trap. When the ritual is complete you create 2 of the trap. To be detected, a creature must succeed on a Perception check with a DC equal to your spell save DC. If it is detected, the creature has advantage on the saving throw or can spend an action to disarm it.

Arrow and Bolts. When the ritual is complete you create 6 of the ammunition.

Equipment. When the ritual is complete, you create one of the equipment piece which lasts for the next 7 days.

PRIMAL INSTRUMENTS TABLE
Instrument	Effect	Spell Level Increase
Improved Hunting Trap	As an action, you place this trap on a 5 ft. square. If a creature of large or smaller enters that square, they must succeed on Dexterity saving throw or take 3d4 damage and be restrained. It may make the save again as a action though using Strength.	The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level above 1st.
Rope Snare	As an action, you place this trap between two objects within 10 ft. of each other. If a creature of large or smaller passes through those squares, they must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take 1d6 damage, half on a success. If they were Dashing, they automatically fail.	The damage increased by 1d6 and the range by 5 ft. for each level above 1st.
Broadhead Arrow	When a creature is hit by this attack, they must succeed on Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 additional damage and have their movement speed reduced by half for a minute. If they succeed they take half damage.	The damage is increased by 1d6 and an additional minute for each level above 1st.
Net Arrow	Rather than take damage, if the net arrow hits a creature of large or smaller, the creature is restrained until freed. The creature must either succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw, or must deal 30 damage to the net (AC equal to your spell save DC).	The damage dealt is increased by 10 and the DC by 1 for each level above 1st.
Pinning Bolt	When a creature of large or smaller is hit by this bolt, they must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 ft. If they are pushed into a surface, they are restrained. They may use their action to try and make the save.	The amount of feet they are pushed back is increased by 5 and they take an additional 1d10 damage for each level above 1st.
Explosive Bolt	When a creature is hit, all creatures within a 20 ft. radius must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 6d4 damage and half on a success. That creature is deafened for a minute.	The radius is increased by 5 ft. and the damage die is raised for each level above 1st.
Climbing Axe	While equipped, you gain a climbing speed of 30 ft. When use, the Climbing Axe works like a Handaxe which requires the target to make a Strength save or be knocked prone.	The climbing speed is increased by 5 ft. and it deals an additional 1d4 damage for each level above 1st.
Hunters Whistle	As an action, you can whistle into it. After 1d8 rounds, 1d4 animals native to the area will appear attacking the nearest creatures to them.	It takes 1 less round and the die for animals increases for each level above 1st.

Hunter's Beastiary

Starting at 3rd level, as begin your training to be an apex hunter, you create a physical journal to identify the creatures you have faced.

After a battle, you can inspect a creature and take notes in your Hunter's Bestiary of it's different attributes. Make a Wisdom (Survival) check with a DC equal to 8 + half the challenge level of the creature. On a success, you learn the name of the creature and any 3 attributes about it. On a failure, you learn the name of the creature. If you encounter the same creature again and attempt to gather new information about it, you make the check with advantage.

Additionally, you may choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language if you are using Favored Enemy, or may mark an additional Favored Foe and deal 2d4 instead of 1d4 additional damage.

Hunter's Crest

At 3rd level, you gain access to a sacred ritual allowing you to bind the strength of slain prey into you.

You may take part in a 2 hour ritual using the corpse of a beast you have slain as you transform parts of its body into a trophy. This trophy grants benefits based on the type of creature you killed and its CR rating. You cannot harvest parts from a body that has been incinerated or melted down. Whenever you are reduced to half or less than half of your maximum hit points, your crest is destroyed. The list displaying the trophy effect based on race is shown below.

CREATURE TYPE	CREST EFFECT	CR SCALING
Abberation	You gain a +1 on Wisdom and Inteligence saves. If a spell would force you to make this save and you pass, the caster takes 1d4 psychic damage	Additional +1
Beast	Your suprise attacks deal an additional 1d8 damage and you get a +1 to Dexterity saves. You have advantage on Stealth and Animal Handling checks.	Additional +1
Construct	You gain a +1 to your Armor Class. Your unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d4 force damage.	Additional +1
Dragon	Your attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage of that dragons damage type. You gain resistance to that damage type.	Additional 1d4
Elemental	When you are dealt damage of that elementals type, you gain 1d4 hitpoints. You gain resistance to that damage type.	Additional 1d4
Fiend	Your first attack against a creature causes that creature to take an additional 1d4 hitpoints at the end of each turn for the next minute. You gain a resistance to fire damage	Additional 1d4
Giant	You gain a +1 on Constitution and Strength saves. Your carry, push, and pull capacity is on level higher.	Additional +1
Humanoid	You gain a +1 in one ability score of your choice. You can read, speak, and write an additional language.	Additional +1
Monstrosity	Whenever a creature enters your melee attack range, you can make a free unarmed strike against them. You have advantage on Perception checks that rely on sight or smell.	Unarmed strike deals an additional 1d4 damage
Ooze	Any contact with you with a creature you are fighting deals 2 acid damage. Creatures have disadvantage against grappling you or changing your form.	Additional +2 acid damage
Plant	You gain an addition 5 ft. of movement speed. You can hide when only lightly obscured by natural phenomena like foliage, rain, snow, or mist.	Additional 5 ft.
Undead	You deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage to creatures that are frightened of you. You have a resistance to cold and necrotic damage.	Additional 1d8

The rate of increase for CR is that every 4 levels after 3rd, the next benefit occurs.

One With the Wilds

At 7th level, you have become one with your environment. Non-aggressive creatures see you as a friend and typically aggressive creatures may be weary to attack you. You gain a climbing and swimming speed equal to your walk speed.

Additionally, while wearing your trophy, you gain a resistance to all non-magical slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage.

Hunter's Field

At 11th level, you've honed your survivability and hunting skills, allowing you to take glance at your surroundings before being able to set up a point of ambush.

When you take the Hide, you may choose to expend a 3rd level spell slot or take part in a minute long ritual. If you do, you transform the area 70 ft. around you into your Hunter's Field, allowing you to use the following abilities. As soon as it activates, you may choose to teleport to an obscured place within that Hunter's Field.

You can teleport to an equally or more so obscured area within your movement speed as a bonus action and a 1st level spell slot.
You have advantage on Initiative rolls.
Your first attack causes a creature to make a Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened for the next minute.
You may scatter 5 traps around the field.
Your first attack against a target that cannot see you will knock them Prone
If you are wearing your headdress, you can Hide as a bonus action.

Apex of the Cycle

At 15th level, you have transcended your own being, joining the cycle of life and wielding it power. You can freely speak with animals and speak Sylvan.

You have 30 feet of blindsight.

Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hitpoints, you regain hitpoints equal to your Wisdom bonus.