Monster Slayer Revised

Across the realms, in cities where lantern light dances on cobblestone and in forests where the wind whispers through gnarled trees, there are stories told in hushed voices of hunters who walk between the worlds of men and monsters. These are the Monster Slayers: relentless, patient, and deadly. They are the ones who track creatures that dwell in shadow, the unseen predators that prey upon the innocent, the cunning horrors that legends whisper about around firelight.

 

Some say a Slayers’ eyes can pierce through illusions, seeing the true form of beasts that shift and deceive. Others claim their weapons are enchanted by the hunter’s own will, cutting through resistances that would halt any ordinary blade. In every corner of the realms—from storm-lashed coasts to sun-scorched plains—Monster Slayers strike unseen, leaving no trail, and yet the world is safer because they have passed.

 

Every hunter carries their own story: a lone figure confronting a vampire lord beneath a shattered cathedral, a duo standing against a marauding chimera across a mountain pass, a hidden shadow in the capital city stopping a spellcaster whose very presence warped the streets with fear. Though their methods differ, their purpose is singular: to hunt, wound, and finish the monsters that threaten the realms.

 

But the path is perilous, for the greater the hunter, the greater the darkness they must face—not only in the creatures they pursue, but within themselves. In the end, the Monster Slayer knows the cruelest truth: in a world teeming with monsters, the only monster they cannot defeat is themselves.

 

Monster Slayer Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Monster Slayer Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Monster Slayer Spells

Slayer’s Quarry

 When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can mark it as your quarry.

• The mark lasts until the creature dies or you finish a long rest.
• First time each turn you hit your quarry with a Slayer Weapon you deal an extra +1d6 damage with the same type as the weapons. (scales to 2d6 at 11th, 3d6 at 15th).
• First attack you make against your quarry each turn you get a bonus to attack rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum +1).
• If the quarry is a monster, you have advantage on Survival checks to track it.

 

 

Slayer’s Arsenal

Choose 1 melee and 1 one-handed ranged weapon as your Slayer Weapons.

• You can draw or stow both Slayer Weapons on your turn.
• When you take the Attack action with your melee Slayer Weapon, you can make one attack with your ranged Slayer Weapon as a bonus action.
• Attacks with Slayer Weapons against your quarry deal +1 damage (scales to +2 at 11th, +3 at 15th).

 

Slayer’s instincts

 

• Lie to Me. Advantage on Insight checks to tell if a creature is hiding its identity or intentions.
• Unmask the Beast. On a successful Insight check, you privately see the creature’s true form without alerting it.
• Hunter’s Wound. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, it cannot benefit from invisibility or illusion magic against you until it finishes a long rest or dies.
• Magical Slayer Weapons. Attacks you make with your Slayer Weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities.

Monster hunter’s vigilance

 

• Preemptive Strike – Not Just the Soul. If a creature casts a spell on you during a surprise round, Or makes an attack targeting your character, you can use your reaction to make one melee or ranged attack with a Slayer Weapon against that creature before the spell resolves.
• If the attack hits, the spell fails, and the creature becomes wounded by your 7th-level ability.
• Wounded creatures affected this way cannot cast cantrips or 1st–2nd level spells until they finish a long rest or die.
• Spell Attacks & Saving Throws. If a creature casts a spell that requires an attack roll while you are surprised, the spell is made with disadvantage.
• If it requires a saving throw, you have advantage on that save.
• Hurt the Body. If your Preemptive Strike hits a creature that cannot cast spells:
• The creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls against any target except you until it exits combat with you.
• The creature is vulnerable to damage from your Slayer Weapons until the end of your next turn.

Hunter becomes the Hunted

 

Lingering Wound. Any creature wounded by your Hunter’s Wound:

• Cannot regain hit points while in combat with you.
• Out of combat, all healing they receive is halved.

Precision Strike. You score a critical hit on a 19–20 against any creature marked as your quarry.

Dispel Strike. Any attack you make against your quarry removes any lingering magical effects (buffs, spells, or similar).

Bleeding Out – Unique Surprise Round.

• When you leave combat with a creature marked as your quarry, that creature enters a bleeding out state.
• When you re-engage that creature:
• Its speed is reduced to 0.
• It has disadvantage on all attack rolls.
• It can only cast spells above 6th level (no cantrips).
• At the start of this round, you may immediately roll a d20 against the creature:
• Cool story gimmick: If you allow the creature to speak its last words first, you gain advantage on this roll.
• If the roll is below 15, the creature is reduced to 0 hit points and dies.
• If the roll is 15 or higher, the creature dies and its soul is destroyed, preventing resurrection by any means except the Wish spell.