Arbalist

A half-elf on horseback looks over his shoulder and fires a shot from his hand crossbow. When the pursuers cut him off at an intersection, the chase continues on foot as he leaps off his mount and shoulders himself into a tavern, vaulting over tables to lose his tail.

Waiting for her mark to walk out into the open, a human bracing a crossbow against a boulder asks her partner what what he perceives the distance to the target is, as well as how much she should compensate for wind. All hell breaks loose as a bolt finds itself in the enemy leader's chest, the bearing of the assailant unknown.

Ripping the hinges off a door using her heavy crossbow as a battering ram, a dragonborn in splint mail bursts into the room, one bolt tearing through three men before anyone could react. As the surprised raiders charge at her with spears in hand, she redirects their weapons and throws two men aside.

An Innovation in Warfare

While the bow had long seen use in combat, the invention of the crossbow was a turning point for warfare. It delivered more penetrating power, stopping power, versatility, and ease of use to the hands of everyday martial fighters. A single bolt could go through a knight clad in platemail and still have enough energy to kill a man behind him, or stop a rampaging bear in its tracks with the proper aim. Still, others raved the crossbow for a crossbowman's ability to properly wield it without requiring the strength to draw a bowstring.

Arbalists use the advantages of their tools to further their own style. The ability of crossbows to be effective in a myriad of sizes allow an arbalist's versatility to go uncontested.

A New Class of Archer

The arrival of the crossbow brought about a new age of archery. Once, only those who dedicated significant portions of their lives to the study of the quiver could properly strike from afar; now, anyone who can afford such a weapon can enjoy the advantages of ranged combat. This opened up the opportunity for a wide variety of martially disposed individuals to try their hand at archery and apply their specific strengths and preferences to the new tool at hand.

Creating an Arbalist

What made your character decide to focus specifically on crossbows? Was the crossbow your first weapon, or did you spend time with weapon after weapon, style after style, before finally settling on the path of the arbalist?

Think about how your travels have led you to your current quest. Does your reputation preceed you as the one with perfect aim, or as the ever-sneaky hunter?

Quick Build

You can make an arbalist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity or Strength should be your highest ability score, depending on the type of crossbowman you prefer to be, followed by Wisdom or Constitution. Second, choose the folk hero or soldier background.

Class Features

As an arbalist, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per arbalist level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitiution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per arbalist level after 1st

Profeciencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, heavy crossbows

Tools: Tinker's tools

Saving Throws: Strength

Skills: Choose one from History, Insight, and Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a heavy crossbow and 20 bolts or (c) a light crossbow, 20 bolts, and a simple weapon
• (a) a simple weapon or (b) two daggers
• (a) chain mail or (b) leather and a hand crossbow
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) tinker's tools

Arbalist Abilities

Some Arbalist features require the target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Arbalist save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

Specialization

You learn to tailor your weapon to your fighting style to best augment your natural characteristics. Choose Strafer, Shooter, or Impaler, all detailed at the end of the class description.

Penetrating Power

At 2nd level, your weapon allows your bolts to tear through enemies. Once per turn, when you make a ranged weapon attack with a crossbow, you may pierce that creature and choose to make an additional attack roll at disadvantage against a creature that is directly behind the target and is within the range of your weapon. Both attack rolls count as one attack and use the same ammunition and damage rolls. You cannot pierce creatures that are Huge or larger.

At 9th level, you are able to pierce creatures of any size, as long as they are not Gargantuan.

Arbalist's Familiarity

At 3rd level, your knowledge of crossbows has ascended from use to manufacturing. You can use a set of tinker's tools to repair a crossbow or create ammunition for it. Repairing requires one hour of work, and you can build an entire crossbow with four hour's worth of work. You are also able craft a number of bolts equal to 5d4 + your proficiency modifier with an hour's worth of work and the right materials. Your DM might allow you to bestow special features on your creations given the proper materials.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Rangefinder

At 6th level, your marksman's eye is keen and trained for rangefinding. You have advantage on checks to determine distance and weather.

Stopping Power

Starting at 9th level, your bolts are able to stagger enemies. Once per turn, if you hit with a ranged attack, you may force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, it is staggered. A staggered creature cannot take reactions and their speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. Once you do this to a creature, it is immune to this effect until you take a short or long rest. Attacks meant to stagger cannot pierce due to the different kind of bolt used.

At 14th level, staggering a creature also knocks it back 5 feet.

Tight Grouping

By 11th level, constant practice has honed your sharpshooting skills. When you miss a ranged attack roll against a creature or object you hit in the current or last round, you may choose to hit instead. After invoking this feature, you must take a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Skewer

Beginning at 17th in this class, you are such an expert at your weapon that you know exactly how to craft and aim it to deliver your means of punishment. Once per long rest, when you pierce a creature using your Penetrating Power feature, the primary and any secondary targets are subject to the effects of Stopping Power.

This does not count towards the number of times you can use these features during your turn.

Through-and-Through

Starting at 18th level, you no longer incur disadvantage when making an attack roll against secondary targets while using your Penetrating Power feature.

Specializations

The crossbow is only an extension of its wielder, who vary from fleet-footed speedsters to hulking brutes.

Strafer

A Strafer's swiftness enables quick maneuvers and dextrous feats of acrobatics in order to place a bolt in just the right place.

Deftness

Starting when you choose this specialization, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws
• You are proficient in one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Performance, or Sleight of Hand
• You are able to load a crossbow with with a hand that is holding something
• When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
• You may take the Disengage action as a bonus action

Strafe

At 5th level, for every 10 feet you move, you gain a 1d4 strafe die to a maximum of twice your proficiency modifier. You lose all strafe dice at the start of your next turn. You may spend these dice in a number of ways:

• When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you may roll any number of strafe dice and add the result to the damage roll
• When you are damaged by an attack or spell that targets only one creature, you may spend a strafe die to move 1d4 x 5 feet as a reaction. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks from the source of the damage.
• When you take damage, as a reaction, you may choose to roll any amount of strafe dice and reduce the incoming damage by the result.

Float Like a Butterfly

When you reach the 7th level, when you make a Dexterity saving throw, you may roll a number of strafe dice up to your Dexterity modifier and add them to the roll. If you succeed by 5 or more, you instead take no damage.

Cat's Grace

At 13th level, falls from 30 feet or less incur no damage and you do not fall prone unless you are grappled, restrained, or incapacitated. Also, if you are prone, you only spend 5 feet of movement to stand.

Freerunner

Starting at 15th level, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action. When you do so, nonmagical difficult terrain does not reduce your speed and you gain a climb speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, while dashing, you are able to traverse through low obstacles such as carts and large boulders as if they did not exist, opportunity attacks against you are made at disadvantage, and any saving throw you make against a triggered trap or similar effect are made at advantage.

Sting Like a Bee

When you reach 20th level, when you take the Attack action, you may draw and fire up to four loaded crossbows in your inventory, dropping each of them to the ground as you use them except for the last. You can do this once per long rest.

Additionally, if you spend a strafe die as a reaction, you may make one weapon attack as part of that reaction.

Shooter

The crossbow has allowed a sharpshooter to be able to stay still and hidden for lengths of time, only needing a twitch of a finger to loose a bolt.

Patience

When you choose this specialization, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws
• You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Stealth, Investigation, Nature, or Survival
• You add your proficiency modifier to Dexterity (Stealth) checks if you have not moved last turn. If you already add your proficiency modifier, you add twice that amount instead.
• You can use your bonus action to Hide
• You can make out details from far away as if they were half the distance

Marksman Adept

Beginning at 5th level, the normal and maximum ranges of a crossbow you wield is doubled.

Additionally, you can better place your shots on slow moving targets. Once per turn, when you hit a creature that has moved 20 feet or less with a ranged weapon attack, you deal an extra 3d6 piercing damage to it. This damage is increased to 3d8 at 10th level, 3d10 at 15th level, and 3d12 at 18th level.

Suppressive Fire

Starting at 7th level, your enemies start to fear your deadly accuracy. Once per short or long rest, when you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, they must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened. A creature frightened in this way can only take the Dash action towards the nearest cover or the Dodge action if they cannot. As long as the target is frightened in this way, ranged weapon attacks against it have advantage and apply the damage from Marksman Adept. The target can attempt another saving throw at the end of its turns. On a success, they are no longer frightened and are immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Spotter

At 13th level, the assistance of a second set of eyes helps you to more favorably hit your target. You and a friendly creature within 5 feet of you that you can understand can spend 1 minute zeroing in on a target. You can then direct that creature to use its action to make a Wisdom (Perception) check. That number is added to your next attack and damage roll. Your ally must keep using their action to make a new check every time you attack in this way.

You and your ally must spend another minute to zero in on your targets if you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell).

Counter Sniper

When you reach 15th level, you have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks to find evidence of places recently used for hiding as well as Wisdom (Perception) checks to determine the source of hidden ranged attacks.

Additionally, you do not gain a level of exhaustion for the first 48 hours you do not eat or take a long rest. You can do this once per 7 days.

One Shot

By 20th level, when you hit a creature that has 100 hit points or less, their hit points immediately drop to 0. You can do this once per long rest.

Impaler

The Impaler takes full advantage of the crossbow's ability to rip through his or her enemies, repositioning them to line up the most effective shot.

Power

When you choose this specialization, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws
• You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Athletics, Animal Handling, Intimidation or Persuasion
• You gain proficiency with heavy armor and shields
• When you make an attack with a crossbow against a creature within 10 feet of you, you may choose to add your Strength modifier, in place of Dexterity, to the attack and damage rolls.
• You do not incur disadvantage when firing a crossbow within 5 feet of a hostile creature. Piercing a creature in this way removes disadvantage on attack rolls for secondary targets.

Bowman's Greatclub

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Also, you are considered proficient with improvised melee weapon attacks using your crossbow.

Additionally, when you shove a creature, you may reposition it any where within 5 feet of you or its original location.

At 14th level, you add your proficiency modifier to checks made to shove a creature. If you already add your proficiency modifier, you add twice that amount instead.

Give and Take

At 7th level, being in the thick of combat in order to maximize your piercing potential does not bother you in the slightest. When you take damage, you gain 1 retaliation point. You can use your reaction to reduce incoming damage by the amount of points you have. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can shove the attacking creature as part of the reaction if you are able to do so. The maximum amount of points you can have is equal to your Arbalist level + your proficiency bonus. You lose all points if you do not attack or are not attacked for one minute, but they are not spent if used to reduce incoming damage.

Respond in Kind

By 13th level, you actively retaliate against those harming you. You can spend retaliation points to augment your abilities in different manners. You may use as many options as you have points for.

• Spending 6 points when using your Penetrating Power feature allows you to pierce one more secondary target.
• Spending 1 point as an action heals you for 1 hit point. You may spend any amount of points you have in a single action.

More than Equal

Beginning at 15th level, you gain more options regarding spending retaliation points.

• Spending 12 points when using your Stopping Power feature staggers the creature as long as it hits. You can spend an additional 3 points to reduce the target's speed by another 10 feet.
• Spending 15 points as a bonus action grants you advantage on your next ranged attack roll.

Juggernaut

By 20th level, once per long rest as a bonus action, you enter a heightened combat state. You gain 10 retaliation points and the following abilities for the next minute:

• You are able to shove as a bonus action.
• You ignore the loading property of crossbows
• You gain 1 retaliation point at the end of each turn
• Spending any amount of points allows you to add that number to your next damage roll