Hunter of Yharnam

"Hunter" is a broad term for one who participates in the Hunt - a crusade to rid the world of those addled by blood and corrupted by darkness. They employ transforming trick weapons and firearms, using mobility to avoid attacks rather than shields. It is up to the Hunters to keep their regions safe from the beasts - or indeed anything else - that may pose a threat. However, as much respect as they earn for this, they are feared in equal parts, as Hunters bare the most risk of dying bloodily, being touched by Great Ones and going insane, or becoming the very thing they seek to destroy. 

You are one such Hunter, but you are different. A contract made between you and another being, or perhaps group of beings, beyond your understanding. They give you access to abilities such as mysterious, empowering runes transcribed from the ramblings of ancient gods, or a dream inhabited by a Plain Doll. 

The night is long, and you must be ready. Now go. And good hunting. 

Note: This subclass includes an optional "Blood Bullets" and "Gunpowder Visceral" feature for use if your campaign includes firearms. Additionally, while this subclass refers to the lore of Bloodborne, none of it is required to exist in your campaign for the subclass to function correctly.  

- This Fighter subclass is inspired by the video game Bloodborne. I do not own Bloodborne or any of its associated names or brands, I just like the game. -

Trick Weapons

Through tinkering, perseverance, and strange inspiration, you have learned how to make trick weapons - versatile tools of the hunt. 

 At 3rd level, gain proficiency with Tinker's Tools. 

During a long rest, you may choose two weapons with which you are proficient and make an ability check with your Tinker's Tools to combine the two weapons together. If both weapons are non-magical, the DC is 10. If one is magical and the other is not, the DC is 15. If both are magical, the DC is 20. The DM may change these DCs at their discretion. If you are combining a magical weapon with a non-magical weapon, the non-magical weapon is still counted as non-magical.  

Upon success, both weapons are transformed into one trick weapon. A trick weapon has two forms, one for each weapon used as a component, and can be transformed from one to the other. As a bonus action, you may simultaneously stow one weapon and draw the other, as you transform your weapon between forms. 

Caryll Runes

Ramblings uttered by the Great Ones, translated by Runesmith Caryll. Hunters who etch the runes into their mind can attain their wondrous strength.

At 3rd level, choose two Caryll Runes to gain the benefits of. When you increase in class level, you may swap one rune for another, if you so choose.

At Higher Levels: Pick an additional rune at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis

Rotated anti-clockwise, this rune boosts stamina.

Gain +1 to your Constitution score.

Arcane Lake

Great volumes of water serve as a bulwark guarding sleep.  

Whenever you take damage from a magic spell or effect, you can use a reaction to reduce the damage by 1d4 + your proficiency modifier.

Beast

A transcription of the roar of a labyrinth beast. 

Gain +1 to your Strength score.

Beast's Embrace

Prerequisite: 15th level in the Fighter class

Those who swear this oath take on a ghastly form. 

Your body transforms into something feral. Your hands morph into claws, and your face contorts into a beastly snarl. Your teeth sharpen into fangs, and your hair grows in excess, leaving the hair on your head in a matted mess down your back, and your body hair as wiry tufts that poke out from beneath your clothes. Your skin turns an unhealthy grey colour, and your eyes burn red with fury.

Your creature type becomes Beast.

Your unarmed strikes now deal 1d4+Strength modifier slashing damage.

Gain Darkvision to 60ft. Instead of shades of grey, you see in shades of red in darkness.

Gain immunity to necrotic damage. You may choose necrotic damage as part of your Rubbing Paper ability. 

Gain the ability to speak, read, write, and understand Abyssal.

Gain proficiency in Intimidation checks. You may use your Strength modifier for Intimidation checks.

Gain the use of the Thaumaturgy cantrip.

Your Charisma score decreases by 1 and your bestial appearance causes others to be wary in your presence. 

Once you have taken this rune, you cannot relinquish it. This rune cannot be taken if you already possess the Milkweed rune. 

Blood Rapture

Prerequisite: 18th level in the Fighter class 

A Caryll rune that transcribes inhuman sounds. "Blood Rapture" is the raw euphoria of the warmth of blood.

Add your proficiency modifier to the damage dealt by your Visceral Attack ability. 

Clawmark

The "Clawmark" is an impulse to seek the warmth of blood like a beast. 

Gain +1 to your Dexterity score.

Clear Deep Sea

Prerequisite: 10th level in the Fighter class

To you, poison is but a drop of water in an ocean. 

Gain immunity to the Poisoned condition.

Clockwise Metamorphosis

Prerequisite: 5th level in the Fighter class 

Rotated clockwise, this rune boosts vitality.

At the end of every long rest, gain temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Fighter level.

Communion

Prerequisite: 15th level in the Fighter class 

Commune with the Old Ones, beg that they might smile on you, and hope there is no further price to pay.

Gain an additional use of your Second Wind feature. 

Corruption

Prerequisite: 10th level in the Fighter class 

Several runes contain a nuance of "Blood."

When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you may roll 1d6 and add that to your death saving throws. However much you add to each death saving throw, you must triple that number and subtract it from your hit point maximum until seven days have passed. If your hit point maximum reaches 0 in this way, you die and cannot be resurrected by any means short of a Wish spell. 

Deep Sea

Prerequisite: 10th level in the Fighter class

This transcription of the Great Ones' inhuman voices depicts down-reaching currents.

Choose the Charmed or Frightened condition at the end of a long rest. You are immune to that condition until the end of your next long rest. 

Dissipating Lake

An augur of the Eldritch Truth. 

Gain resistance to lightning damage.

Eye

Prerequisite: 5th level in the Fighter class 

Allows one to make additional discoveries.

Gain proficiency on Perception checks. Gain Darkvision to 60ft. 

Fading Lake

Overcome this hindrance, and seek what is yours.

Gain resistance to fire damage.

Formless Oedon

Prerequisite: 18th level in the Fighter class

Oedon exists only as a murmuring voice, seeking precious blood.

You may apply the damage type of your Rubbing Paper ability to your weapon twice per long rest. 

Great Deep Sea

Prerequisite: 10th level in the Fighter class

The Greatness of the Deep Sea resides within you.

When you suffer a critical hit, as a reaction, you can turn that attack into a normal hit. Any effects triggered by a critical hit are cancelled.

You must use this ability after the attack hits but before the damage is rolled. 

You can use this ability once per long rest.  

Great Lake

Prerequisite: 15th level in the Fighter class

This transcription of the Great Ones' inhuman voices ripples like a watery reflection.

Once per long rest, use a bonus action to become resistant to all damage until the start of your next turn. 

Guidance

Prerequisite: 15th level in the Fighter class

When Ludwig closed his eyes, he saw darkness, or perhaps nothingness, and that is where he discovered the tiny beings of light.

When gaining temporary hit points using your Invigorating Slaughter ability, you may gain all the bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you dealt that round as temporary hit points, regardless of the creature type. 

Heir

Prerequisite: 18th level in the Fighter class

There is sentimentality in the warmth of blood. 

After you execute a Visceral Attack, add 1d6 to your next attack roll. 

Hunter

These watchmen admonish those who have become addled with blood. 

You may go 48 hours before requiring a long rest. After this time has passed, you will gain exhaustion at a normal rate. 

Impurity

Crush all vermin without hesitation.

When regaining hit points from healing spells cast by another creature, add your proficiency modifier to total hit points regained.

Lake

Prerequisite: 5th level in the Fighter class

This rune means "Lake," and those branded by it enjoy augmented defence.

Whenever you take damage from a non-magical weapon, you can use a reaction to reduce the damage by 1d4 + your proficiency modifier.

Milkweed

Prerequisite: 15th level in the Fighter class

Those who swear this oath become a Lumenwood that peers towards the sky, feeding phantasms in its luscious bed.

After accepting this rune, your skin becomes a pale blue-white, your eyes become a solid black, and tendrils protrude from your wrists and wrap around your arms. Your hair turns a pure white and floats gently around your head, as if it was underwater.

Your creature type becomes Celestial. 

Your unarmed attacks do 1d4+Wisdom modifier radiant damage and have a reach of 10ft as you may use the tendrils protruding from your arms to make attacks. You may also use these tendrils to reach, pick up, interact with, and carry objects. These tendrils can support up to half your carry weight. 

Gain Darkvision to 60ft. Instead of shades of grey, you see in shades of pale blue in darkness. 

Gain immunity to radiant damage. You may choose radiant damage as part of your Rubbing Paper ability. 

You are able to read, write, speak, and understand Celestial.

Gain proficiency in Insight checks.  

Gain the use of the Prestidigitation cantrip.

Your Charisma score decreases by 1 and your strange appearance causes others to be wary in your presence. 

Once you have accepted the Milkweed rune, you cannot relinquish it. This rune cannot be taken if you already possess the Beast's Embrace rune.

Moon

Prerequisite: 5th level in the Fighter class

The Great Old Ones who inhabit the nightmare are sympathetic in spirit, and often answer when called upon. 

After reducing another creature to 0 HP, add 1d4 to your next attack roll. 

Oedon Writhe

Prerequisite: 18th level in the Fighter class

Human or not, the oozing blood is a medium of the highest grade.

After performing a Visceral Attack, add 1d6 of your Rubbing Paper damage type to your next damage roll. 

Radiance

Prerequisite: 10th level in the Fighter class

Pity the impurity of vile blood. 

When targeted by an effect would normally roll one or more dice to restore hit points, you can instead use the highest number possible for each die. 

You may use this ability once per long rest. 

Stunning Deep Sea

To memorise this rune is to reject rapid poison.

Gain resistance to poison damage.

Hunter's Mark

Dangling, upside down rune etched into your mind. The symbol of a Hunter. 

At 7th level, while taking a short or long rest, you may choose to mark the place you are resting with a lantern. This ritual takes 1 hour, and at its conclusion, a spectral lantern hanging from a short post will rise from the ground, shedding dim light for 5ft. Only you can see this lantern, and the light it sheds. Only one lantern can exist at a time. When you create a new lantern, the previous lantern ceases to exist. This ritual cannot be completed while in the Hunter's Dream. 

As an action, you may concentrate on the Hunter's Mark. When you begin concentrating on this mark, your movement speed is reduced to 0, you cannot take actions or reactions, and automatically fail and Strength and Dexterity saving throws until the beginning of your next turn. If you take damage before the beginning of your next turn, you must make a concentration check (as if you were concentrating on a spell) to keep concentrating on the mark. At the beginning of your next turn, you and up to six other willing creatures within 60ft of you will be instantly teleported to the last place you marked with a lantern. Additionally, until you step outside of the light of the lantern, you are affected by the Sanctuary spell. No other creature is affected by the Sanctuary spell, and you will always appear within 5ft of the lantern.

You may use this ability once per long rest. You will not be teleported if you and the lantern are on different planes of existence. 

Invigorating Slaughter

Bathing in the blood of your prey fills you with vigour.

At 7th level, at the end of your turn, if you dealt damage to another creature with a melee attack, you may gain temporary hit points equal to half of the bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage you dealt with melee weapon attacks that turn as the blood of your enemy covers you and rallies your strength. 

If you dealt damage to a creature of the aberration, beast, or monstrosity type, gain temporary hit points equal to the bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage you dealt that turn with melee weapon attacks. 

This effect does not work on creatures that do not have blood. 

You may use this ability once per long rest. 

Transformation Attack

What a versatile tool indeed.

At 10th level, you may perform a transformation attack with your trick weapon.

Once per turn, when you take an additional attack granted by your Extra Attack ability, you may first choose to transform your trick weapon without using a bonus action. 

The Hunter's Dream

While you sleep, you have gained access to a strange yet safe place a Doll calls The Hunter's Dream.

At 10th level, during a long rest, you may choose to enter the Hunter's Dream.

While in the Hunter's Dream, you do not need to eat or drink, and you are the only one present as far as you can tell, save for the Doll. The Hunter's Dream takes the form of a small wooden hut surrounded by a cemetery. Around the edge of the cemetery is a tall metal fence, and beyond the fence is an endless expanse of mist, with columns rising in the distance. A single moon hangs low in the sky. This cemetery contains hundreds of headstones, but does not contain any herbs or plants other than grass. Within the hut you will find a small desk, a rocking chair, a fireplace, and empty bookshelves.

You will take all of your inventory with you to the Hunter's dream, and will be accessible throughout your stay. Within the Hunter's Dream, you may create trick weapons, replace your Caryll Runes, use your Tinker's Tools, or perform any non-strenuous activity such as reading or writing in a journal. 

Alternatively, you may choose to commune with a being known as the Doll while in the dream. She is a medium construct, dressed in plain but carefully made clothes, with white hair, eyes with white irises, and a white, porcelain face. You may ask her up to three questions that can be answered with a yes or no, which she will answer correctly. The Doll is a source of great knowledge and wisdom, but is not omniscient, and may give "unclear" answers if she cannot answer the question accurately. The DM decides the extent of the Doll's knowledge. If you choose commune with the Doll in this way, you will be unable to undertake any other actions while in the Hunter's Dream, and will awake at the end of your long rest after you receive the answer to your final question. You will awake in this way even if you only ask one question. 

You may undertake activity, or you may commune with the Doll, but not both during one dream. 

You will awake from the Hunter's Dream at the end of your long rest, having gained the normal benefits of a long rest. Any activities undertaken while in the Hunter's Dream will carry over into the real world. For example, if you read a book, you will retain the knowledge gained from that book, or if you created a trick weapon, that weapon would be present upon waking up.

Rubbing Paper

Additional tinkering has lead you to discover the miracle of elemental rubbing paper.

At 15th level, at the end of a long rest, choose between fire, lightning, frost, poison, or acid damage.

As a bonus action, you may apply the rubbing paper to your weapon to convert the weapon's base damage type into the selected damage type until the end of your next turn. 

If applied to a trick weapon, both forms of the trick weapon will convert from their base damage type to the type of the rubbing paper.

You may use this ability once per long rest. 

Visceral Attack

You learn how to exploit the weaknesses of foes when they are staggered.

At 18th level, when a creature within melee range makes an attack against you or another creature and before you discover if the attack hits, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the creature's then attack misses, they are Incapacitated and their movement speed is reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.

Then, once on your next turn, you may deal an additional 2d12 + Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever's higher) + proficiency modifier of necrotic damage if the creature is an aberration, beast, or monstrosity, or an extra 2d8 + Strength or Dexterity modifier + proficiency modifier necrotic damage if it is not. 

You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Regain all uses at the end of a long rest. 

Dexterity

Use your Dexterity score to determine Visceral Attack damage. 

Strength

Use your Strength score to determine Visceral Attack damage.