Holy Slayer (5A)
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This is a Rogue subclass for 5A.
Holy Slayers watch over the flock of the faithful and deal with those posing a danger to the community. With divinely inspired skill and power they operate in the shadows, only to emerge to dramatically strike out at enemies.
Greyhawk The Scarlett brotherhood is by far the most well-known Holy Slayers of the Flanaess. If others exist they are a closely-guarded secret. Holy Slayers are known to exist in Baklunish lands but these rarely enter the main part of the Flanaess.
Divine Classes
There are many sources of power in all the many worlds, but the most well-known and most respected is that of the divine. Some call this miracles, some say its astral magic, everyone agrees the healing and enhancements are nice. Clerics and Paladins are the masters of this magic, but others practice it as well in certain subclasses such as the barbarian Zealot, bard Chanter, fencer Legate, rogue Holy Slayer and Saint of Sinners, sorcerer Divine Soul, warlock Celestial Patron, and wizard Astral Magic and Theurgist.
Subclass Features
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.
Cantrips
You learn three cantrips: Guidance and two other cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn another cleric cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots
The Holy Slayer Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Cure Wounds using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level paladin spells of your choice from the paladin spell list. The Spells Known column of the Holy Slayer Spellcasting table shows when you learn more paladin spells of 1st level or higher. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the paladin spells you know with another spell of your choice from the paladin spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
| Rogue Level |
Cantrips Known |
Spells Known |
Spells per Day | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 3rd | Guidance +2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | Guidance +2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | Guidance +2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | Guidance +2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | Guidance +2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | Guidance +2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | Guidance +2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | Guidance +3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | Guidance +3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | Guidance +3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | Guidance +3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | Guidance +3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | Guidance +3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | Guidance +3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | Guidance +3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | Guidance +3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | Guidance +3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | Guidance +3 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your paladin spells. The power of your spells comes from your devotion to your deity. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric or paladin spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Option: Evil Holy Slayers
As an option, a Holy Slayer of evil alignment casts spells differently. Replace any radiant damage done by a paladin spell with necrotic damage.
Silent Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you can substitute any verbal component of a cleric cantrip or paladin spell you cast with a material component, your holy symbol.
Rogue Guidance
Starting at 9th level, when you cast Guidance, you can choose one of these additional benefits.
- If you cast Guidance on another creature, you can select one language, skill, tool, or vehicle you are proficient in. As long as the spell lasts, the selected creature gains that proficiency. You cannot share expertise this way and this has no effect if the target is already proficient in your selection.
- If you cast Guidance on yourself, select any one language, skill, tool or vehicle of your choice. As long as the spell lasts, you gain that proficiency. You cannot select a proficiency you already have.
- The target gains the benefit of a set of tools you select (most commonly thieves tools) without actually needing to have these tools at hand.
In addition you can cast Guidance using your Cunning Action.
Universal Guidance
At 13th level, Guidance spells you cast have a duration of 10 minutes and no longer requires concentration.
Spell Thief
At 17th level, you gain the ability to magically steal the knowledge of how to cast a spell from another spellcaster. Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell's effect against you, and you steal the knowledge of the spell if it is at least 1st level and of a level you can cast (it doesn't need to be a paladin spell). For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it using your spell slots. The creature can't cast that spell until the 8 hours have passed. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Designer's Notes
Mechanically, this is a divine conversion of the Arcane trickster, a simple project to gain some skill working with 5E rules. It could definitely use a new capstone. The paladin spell list fits remarkably well, but it is obviously weaker than the wizard spell list.