Bandit

A lone man walks into a bandit camp. He looks to his left, then to his right, and finally to the large group of men standing before him. Despite being completely outnumbered and surrounded, he smirks, confident in his abilities. As he draws his machete, an axe suddenly flies into his head, crushing his skull and killing him in an instant. Their leader lets out a hearty laugh, as their numbers seemed to be more than enough a match for his overconfidence.

A group of three Survivors is driving down a long road in a forest, no particular destination in mind, just somewhere away from the hell they just went through. Just as it's nearing the forest's edge, they see a man clutching his side in front of their car, pleading for help. The man looks to be injured and is bleeding. The car slows down and the men get out. And as soon as they do, half a dozen more men jump out of the trees and attack. It is isn't long before the Bandits finish off the three survivors and loot their vehicle. They then move to a different location to wait for their next targets.

Bandits are daring men and woman who live on the fringes of the sane and insane. They combine their grandstanding courage, and aptitude with weapons to set themselves apart from other combatants. Bandits may be boastful, but are also more than willing to prove that their grand claims are rooted in reality.

### **Element of Surprise**

Bandits love the element of Surprise, swooping in when their enemies least expect it and taking them all out before they even know what's going on. They like to attack in the dead of night when their enemies can't see them coming and will strike at the most opportune moment. Perhaps when a few of them wander away from the camp. The Bandits will rush out of the forest and slaughter the lot of them. The few that left earlier would soon return to find their comrades in arms dead on the ground and a couple of bandits aiming their crossbows at them. They will last about as long as their allies did and then the Bandits can loot their camp of anything useful they might find.

### **Vicious and Avaricious**

Bandits make their living traveling from one place to another, taking whatever looks valuable along the way. If a spot is particularly prosperous, they might set up a camp and live there for awhile, defending it from invaders. But having a home to return to won't stop them from achieving their goal: resources. Willing to steal it, destroy homes, and even murder friends for it, greed is the driving force behind a bandit's ambition.

## **Creating a Bandit**

Should you decide to walk the path of a bandit, think about a few things first. How did you end up in this situation? Did you willingly decide to ambush and steal, or were you forced to because food and resources are scarce in the current situation? And how long have you been doing it? Since the apocalypse began? Or did you only start a few months or years in? Also think about how it works with your character's background. It is unlikely that an Police Officer or Military Soldier would be a bandit, whereas someone who was Unemployed could have been forced to steal to avoid starving.

#### **Quick Build**

You can make a Bandit quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the criminal background.

## **Class Features**

As a Bandit you gain the following class features.

### **Hit Points**

* **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per Bandit level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 1d10 + Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Bandit level after 1st

### **Proficiencies**

* **Armor:** Light armor, medium armor
* **Weapons:** Blunt Melee Weapons, Bows, Crossbows
* **Tools:** Thieves' tools
* **Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity
* **Skills:** Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Endurance, Firearms, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival

### **Equipment**

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

* (a) A Blunt Melee Weapon of your Choice or (b) A Machete
* (a) A Handgun and 10 Bullets or (b) A Crossbow and 20 Bolts
* (a) A Recurve Bow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) Two Knives of your choice
* A Burglar's Pack and a Pocket Knife

### **Growing Infamy**

Beginning at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficiency in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. When you make an Attack on your turn, you can attempt to demoralize one creature you can see within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight). If successful, the target is frightened of you for 1 minute. They can repeat the save until they succeed or 1 minute has passed. Otherwise, the target can't be frightened by you in this way for 1 hour. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), regaining all expended uses when you complete a long rest.

### **Fighting Style**

When you reach 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following Fighting Style Feats from Archery, Defense, Dueling, Superior Technique, Thrown Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Fighting, and Unarmed Fighting. You can't take a Fighting Style Feat more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

### **Improved Critical**

Beginning at 2nd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. This changes to a roll of 18-20 when you reach 18th level.

### **Bandit Road**

At 3rd level, you chose a Road. Choose between Brigand, Pirate, Marauder, and Chief. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.

### **Ability Score Improvement**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 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.

### **Ambush**

When you reach 5th level, you can Ambush your enemies and attack when they least expect. When you take the attack action against an enemy that cannot see or hear you, your attack does an extra 1d6 damage if it hits.

This increases to an extra 1d8 at 10th level, 1d10 at 14th level, and 1d12 at 18th level. If you do this at the beginning of combat, your target counts as Surprised. You can do this a number of times equal to your Dexterity Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus (Minimum of Once), regaining all expended uses when you complete a long rest.

### **Extra Attack**

Upon reaching 5th level, when you take the Attack action, you can make an additional attack as part of the same action. You can make a third attack at 11th level.

### **Action Surge**

Starting at 7th level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

### **Brutal Critical**

Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a Critical Hit with a Melee Attack.

This Increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.

### **Indomitable**

Beginning at 11th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.

### **Blazing Storm**

Starting at 20th level, you channel the heat of the desert into your weapons, all your melee attacks dealing an extra 1d8 fire damage.

## **Maneuvers**

Below are a list of all the Maneuver options you get as a part of the *Superior Technique* Fighting Style, as presented in alphabetical order:

### **Ambush**

When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can expend one superiority die and add the die to the roll, provided you aren't incapacitated.

### **Bait and Switch**

When you're within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn't incapacitated. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Roll the superiority die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.

### **Brace**

When a creature you can see moves into the reach you have with the melee weapon you're wielding, you can use your reaction to expend one superiority die and make one attack against the creature, using that weapon. If the attack hits, add the superiority die to the weapon's damage roll.

### **Commander's Strike**

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

### **Commanding Presence**

When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check.

### **Disarming Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.

### **Distracting Strike**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.

### **Evasive Footwork**

When you move, you can expend one superiority die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.

### **Feinting Attack**

You can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature this turn. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

### **Goading Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

### **Grappling Strike**

Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and then try to grapple the target as a bonus action. Add the superiority die to your Strength (Athletics) check.

### **Lunging Attack**

When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

### **Maneuvering Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.

### **Menacing Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

### **Parry**

When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier.

### **Precision Attack**

When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.

### **Pushing Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.

### **Quick Toss**

As a bonus action, you can expend one superiority die and make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the superiority die to the weapon's damage roll.

### **Rally**

On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma modifier.

### **Riposte**

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

### **Sweeping Attack**

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

### **Tactical Assessment**

When you make an Intelligence (Investigation), an Intelligence (History), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can expend one superiority die and add the superiority die to the ability check.

### **Trip Attack**

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target down. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

## **Multiclassing**

* ***Prerequisites.*** To qualify for multiclassing into the Bandit class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
* ***Proficiencies.*** When you multiclass into the Bandit class, you gain the following proficiencies: Blunt Melee Weapons, Crossbows, light armor