Previous posts in this series:
The Wild (wilderness exploration)
The Dark (dungeon exploration)
Recuperation (resting and downtime)
It’s time to share some classes! This post marks the beginning of a series redesigning the classes of fifth edition to line up with our design goals for Hundred Dungeons. Across all classes, we want to:
Simplify in-game decision points
Condense the 20 levels down to 10 that cover a similar spread of power
Work in more “always on” features
Balance the pillars (which means removing some combat stuff and replacing it with features that showcase exploration and social activity)
So, let’s get to it, beginning with our take on a culturally-neutral monk class: the Acrobat!
ACROBAT
The acrobat is a poised and limber figure, trained in body and mind to overcome physical obstacles with grace and endurance. An acrobat often uses their own body in place of equipment, leaping where other adventurers run.
Whether they swing on the chandelier or meditate to balance energy and withstand incredible force, an acrobat’s true skill is in making the impossible look easy.
Ability Increase: Dexterity
Skills: Escape Restraints, Vaulting, Simple Weapons
…and one skill of your making
Hit Dice: d8
Starting Hit Points: 8 + Constitution score
Starting Gear:
Backpack
Pouch
Quarterstaff
Caltrops (bag of 20)
Rope (50 ft.)
30 silver
EXPLOITS
UNARMED STRIKE
Level 1
Your unarmed and improvised attacks are skilled, use either Strength or Dexterity, and you treat both as attacks with simple weapons that have the trait Light. Unarmed attacks can be Dual Wielded this way.
DEFT MOVEMENT
Level 1
While not wearing armor or wielding a shield, add double your Dexterity score to your defense and increase your speed by 10 feet × your renown.
ACROBATIC TRADITION
Levels 2, 4, & 6
Choose Athlete, Martial Artist, or Swashbuckler. Your Acrobatic Tradition grants unique exploits at levels 2, 4, and 6.
Athlete, Level 2: Your horizontal and vertical jump distances are doubled. In Combat, you move that distance once airborne, regardless of your remaining movement.
Athlete, Level 4: You gain the skills Climb, Bull Rush, and Tumble.
Athlete, Level 6: You gain 5 additional load slots, and you can grapple creatures up to Huge size.
—
Martial Artist, Level 2: You can step 5 feet further than an enemy’s reach before you provoke opportunity attacks.
Martial Artist, Level 4: You gain the skills Insight, Intimidation and Iron Fists.
Martial Artist, Level 6: You don’t provoke attacks. You don’t activate hazards or traps that trigger by a creature entering a specific space.
—
Swashbuckler, Level 2: Choose a simple or martial weapon. You’re skilled with it, use either Strength or Dexterity, and you treat it as if it had the trait Light.
Swashbuckler, Level 4: You gain the skills Duelist’s Charm, Swingline, and Tumble.
Swashbuckler, Level 6: Your provoked attacks are mighty, and provoked attacks against you are weak.
DEFLECT MISSILES
Level 3
When a ranged weapon attack hits you, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage. Spend as many of your hit dice as you wish, roll them, and reduce the damage by the total result.
If the damage is reduced to 0, and the weapon or ammunition is small enough to hold in one hand, you may use your reaction to catch and throw it. If you do, make a ranged improvised attack with it.
STALWART
Level 3
You recover two levels of exhaustion during a long rest instead of one, and end one of the following conditions affecting you: charmed, frightened, incapacitated, poisoned, slowed, or stunned.
Stunning Strike
Level 4
Once on your turn, when you hit a beast, fey, giant, or humanoid with an unarmed attack, the target uses Constitution at 10 + double your renown or is stunned until the end of its next turn.
Flurry of Action
Level 5
You can use up to three quick actions on your turn in Combat.
ACROBATIC MASTERY
Levels 7 & 9
Choose Ascetic, Daredevil, or Soul of Elements. Your Acrobatic Mastery grants unique exploits at levels 7 and 9.
Ascetic, Level 7: You no longer need food and water, and you don’t age.
Ascetic, Level 9: You can cast the spell astral projection, targeting only yourself. It replenishes when you finish a long rest.
—
Daredevil, Level 7: You’re resistant to falling damage. When you fall prone, you may immediately stand up if your speed isn’t 0.
Daredevil, Level 9: When you suffer damage outside of Combat from a source you can see, and aren’t incapacitated, you only suffer half that damage.
—
Soul of Elements, Level 7: When you make an unarmed attack, you may choose cold, fire, acid, poison, or thunder. Your attack inflicts damage of that type.
Soul of Elements, Level 9: You are immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition. You have resistance to cold, fire, acid, and thunder damage.
RESOLUTE MIND
Level 7
Concentrate to become immune to the charmed, frightened, and stunned conditions.
EVASION
Level 8
When you use Dexterity or Constitution to avoid an effect that inflicts half damage on a success, you take no damage if you succeed, and only half damage if you fail.
UNDAUNTED
Level 10
You have immunity to the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, slowed, stunned, and surprised. If a source would inflict less than 10 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage to you, you instead take none.
NEXT TIME
We’ll be delving into the Bard in the next post. Get ready!
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Hundred Dungeons is created and written by Graham Ward © 2023
Permission granted to copy for personal use only.
THE ACROBAT
| EXP Required | Acrobat Level | Hit Dice | Exploits | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renown 1 | +1 Dexterity | Daring Athlete | ||
| — | 1 | 1d8 | Unarmed Strike, Deft Movement | |
| 2 | 2 | 2d8 | Acrobatic Tradition | |
| 3 | 3 | 3d8 | Deflect Missiles, Stalwart | |
| 4 | 4 | 4d8 | Acrobatic Tradition, Stunning Strike | |
| Renown 2 | +1 to any ability score | Disciplined Warrior | ||
| 5 | 5 | 5d8 | Flurry of Action | |
| 6 | 6 | 6d8 | Acrobatic Tradition | |
| 7 | 7 | 7d8 | Acrobatic Mastery, Resolute Mind | |
| Renown 3 | +1 to any ability score | Hard As Diamond | ||
| 8 | 8 | 8d8 | Evasion | |
| 9 | 9 | 9d9 | Acrobatic Mastery | |
| Renown 4 | +1 to any ability score | Master of Body and Mind | ||
| 10 | 10 | 10d8 | Undaunted |
