Ranger Archetype
Comments from the Thumb: Here it is, the third Monster Hunter subclass! This one is based on the insect glaive.
Insect Glaivemaster
Far outside of civilization, in the dense jungles and arid deserts of the far East, the Insect Glaivemasters make their home. Rangers of this order carry masterfully carved glaives, which they can use with deadly efficiency. Each of them forms a special bond with an animal companion, but they are no ordinary beastmasters. Their companions, specially bred since ancient times, are cat-sized flying insects that form magical blood bonds with their masters. These insect companions, called kinsects, can drain the vitality of a creature with their bites, healing themselves in the process. When an Insect Glaivemaster comes of age, she embarks on a lifelong journey. Her goal: to protect the fringes of society from the monstrous denizens of the wilds.
Kinsect
When you reach 3rd level, you gain a cat-sized, flying beetle companion, called a kinsect, that forms a unique bond with you. Statistics for your kinsect are presented at the end of this section.
Add your proficiency bonus to your kinsect’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. The kinesect uses your spell save DC for the saving throw of its bite attack.
The kinsect obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative, though it doesn’t take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can telepathically command your kinsect where to move (no action required by you).
You can use your bonus action to telepathically command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action. Starting at 11th level, it makes two attacks, rather than one, when you command it to take the Attack action.
While traveling through your favored terrain with only your kinsect, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
If your kinsect dies, you cannot get a new one. Instead, you can resurrect it with maximum hit points using a special blood ritual, which takes 10 minutes to complete.
Glaive Specialty
At 3rd level, you have mastered the unique fighting style of the Glaivemasters. Glaives, quarterstaves, pikes, halberds, and spears count as finesse weapons for you.
Pole Vault
At 7th level, you learn to use your polearm to assist in your movement. If you are holding a glaive, quarterstaff, pike, halberd, or spear, your long jump is up to your movement speed and your high jump is up to half your movement speed.
Additionally, if you hit a creature up to one size category larger than you with an attack using a polearm during or immediately after a jump, it must make a Strength saving throw (DC equals your spell save DC). On a failure, the creature is knocked prone. On a success, it has advantage on future saves against this ability.
Transfer Essence
When you reach 11th level, your kinsect learns how to share its vampiric powers with you. As a bonus action when your kinsect is in physical contact with you, you can command it to use its action to inject you with a special healing chemical. The kinsect loses all temporary hit points it has gained from its bite attack, and you regain lost hit points equal to that amount.
Kinsect Synergy
Starting at 15th level, as a bonus action, you and your kinsect can enter a state of increased harmony for 1 minute. Until the end of this duration, both you and your kinsect gain the following benefits:
- You can make an additional attack when you take the Attack action.
- Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
- Whenever you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can use your reaction to halve the damage taken.
You must complete a long rest before using this feature again.
Kinsect
Tiny beast, neutral
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 7 (2d4 + 2)
Speed 20 ft., fly 35 ft. (hover)
Str 14 (+2) Dex 13 (+1) Con 13 (+1)
Int 4 (-3) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 4 (-3)
Saving Throws Dex +3
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages –
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+1) piercing damage and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 8 (3d4) necrotic damage on a failed save, or no damage on a successful one. The kinsect then gains temporary hit points equal to the amount of necrotic damage dealt.
Sidebar: Revised Ranger
This archetype makes use of the SRD ranger class. If you wish to use it with the revised ranger, you gain the Extra Attack feature at 5th level.
Changelog: 1/23/17: Revised Ranger sidebar: added
Kinsect (feature): Kinsect’s bite uses your spell save DC, Kinsect attacks twice at 11th level
Kinsect (stats): Tiny size, 13 Dex (other stats changed to reflect this) can hold up to 12 temporary hit points, deals 3d4
Kinsect Synergy: Reaction to reduce damage now halves damage and works on magical damage
Glaive Specialty: +2 on attack rolls removed
Pole Vault: DC changed to match your spell save DC
2/1/17: Kinsect (feature): Hit point reduction for reviving your kinsect removed
