Trophy Hunter 5.5

The Trophy Hunter is a ranger who seeks to capture the essence of dangerous beasts and monsters, using their trophies as both symbols of their victories and sources of power. Through their unique bond with these creatures, Trophy Hunters are able to craft powerful trophies that grant them temporary access to the abilities, resistances, and attributes of the creatures they’ve slain or tamed. These hunters see each battle as an opportunity to gather more than just the creature’s remains—they aim to imprint the very strength of their quarry onto themselves, making them adaptable in combat and resilient to the dangers of the wild.

Thematically, the Trophy Hunter Ranger can be seen as a character who views their hunts as a way to collect stories and trophies, each one a representation of their mastery over nature’s deadliest creatures. They are more than mere hunters; they are artisans who craft their tools and trophies from the remains of their foes, imbuing these creations with the power of the beast within. They might be seen as mystical hunters who follow a code of honor, ensuring that every trophy collected has a story behind it—be it from a beast that was slain or one that was persuaded to surrender its power willingly.

Thematic Uses and Examples

• The Beast-Slaying Veteran: A seasoned hunter who has faced countless dangers and wears the trophies of fallen creatures as a testament to their prowess. A gory but honored trophy from a fearsome owlbear might grant them temporary resistance to bludgeoning damage, or a great bear's claw could be used to boost their strength in battle.

• The Shamanistic Protector: A ranger who views each trophy not as a symbol of domination, but as a respectful bond with nature. For example, after a successful negotiation with a dire wolf, they might craft a trophy that gives them a bond with the pack, gaining enhanced tracking abilities or the capacity to command the loyalty of lesser beasts.

• The Mercenary Collector: A cold-hearted hunter who views the collection of trophies as a means to gain personal power and prestige. With each new creature, they gather its strengths to make themselves a formidable force, using the power of a wyvern’s venom to resist poison or wielding a dragon’s scale for added protection against fiery attacks.

• The Arcane Beastmaster: A ranger with an affinity for magic who incorporates their trophies into their spellcasting. Perhaps the feathers of a griffon, once woven into a cloak, might grant the Trophy Hunter the ability to cast Fly, or the essence of a fey creature’s glamour might be imbued into their weapons, granting them a temporary ability to charm enemies.

In combat, the Trophy Hunter can swap between various abilities based on the trophies they've collected, offering them a flexible, thematic approach to overcoming challenges. Their powers evolve with each new victory, making them versatile and adaptable in any situation.

Level 3: Trophy Hunter Feature

3rd-level Trophy Hunter Feature

Trophy Hunters have the unique ability to craft trophies from materials willingly given by creatures or harvested from beasts and monsters they’ve defeated. Using an array of materials—dyes, tanning oils, jewels, precious metals, tinctures, embalming agents, etc.—they imbue these trophies with the strength of the creature in a bonding ceremony. The cost for crafting a trophy is calculated as 25 gp x CR². This process requires either direct involvement in the creature's defeat (the player dealt damage to it) or the creature’s voluntary cooperation (gained through successful Persuasion, Animal Handling, or Intimidation). Previously discarded trophies cannot be reused.

The time needed to gather materials for crafting is determined by the DM. However, the crafting and bonding ceremony takes ((One Day x CR) / number of craftsmen) to complete, and the Trophy Hunter must be involved in the process. Multiple trophies may be crafted from a single creature.

Once bonded with a trophy, the Trophy Hunter can substitute one of their own attributes, Armor Class, saving throw, resistance, immunity, or initiative for a corresponding roll chosen from the creature’s stat block.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses after a long rest.

Level 3: Trophy Magic

3rd-level Trophy Hunter Feature

You learn the Shillelagh cantrip if you don’t already know it. This spell can be cast on any weapon that is created as a trophy.

You also learn an additional spell of 1st level or higher when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Trophy Hunter Spells table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Trophy Hunter Spells

Ranger Level	Spells
3rd	Protection from Evil and Good
5th	Enhance Ability
9th	Magic Circle
13th	Charm Monster
17th	Hold Monster

Level 7: Defensive Tactics

7th-level Trophy Hunter Feature

As an action, you can use an action from one of your trophies from the bestiary.

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.

Level 11: Mighty Trophy Action

11th-level Trophy Hunter feature

Your Trophy Action grows mightier in the following ways:

• Legendary Actions can now be used.
• If the creature from which the trophy derives is limited in the number of times that an action can be used then the character is also limited in the same way.
• The number of Trophy Actions and Mighty Trophy Actions are limited and equal to your proficiency bonus: this is refreshed on short rests.

Level 15: Trophy Lodge

15th-level Trophy Hunter feature

You can cast Magnificent Mansion once per day.

The mansion is decorated according to your desires. Servants may take on the appearance of any trophy that you have.