Arbiter (5e Class)
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Arbiter[edit]
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An Arbiter is a force of absolute resolve—where words and fists are weighed with equal severity. Some serve as wandering judges, others as enforcers of ancient oaths. Their body is their weapon; their will is their armor.
Creating a Arbiter[edit]
- Quick Build
You can make an Arbiter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, choose explorer’s pack and simple robes.
Class Features
As a Arbiter you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Arbiter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Arbiter level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Charisma
Skills: Expertise in Insight; Choose two from Athletics, History, Intimidation, Religion, Survival
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Simple robes or (b) Commoner's Clothes
- (a) Explorer's pack or (b) Priest's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 1d4 x 4 gp in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Unarmored Defense, Conditioned Fists |
| 2nd | +2 | Inevitable Judgment |
| 3rd | +2 | Judgment Path |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Verdict Strike |
| 6th | +3 | Unyielding Resolve |
| 7th | +3 | Judgment Path Feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Kneel Before Judgment |
| 10th | +4 | Judgment Path Feature |
| 11th | +4 | Immutable Authority |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Ultimatum |
| 14th | +5 | Unyielding Resolve Improvement, Kneel Before Judgment Improvement |
| 15th | +5 | Judgment Path Feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Iudex Adest |
| 18th | +6 | Judgment Path Feature |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Final Verdict, Balance of Judgement |
Unarmored Defense[edit]
You need no armor when your body is tempered by endurance and principle. Your stance alone deflects danger, your form unshaken by blade or blow.
Beginning at 1st level, while not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.
Conditioned Fists[edit]
Years of discipline have turned your fists into instruments of finality. Every strike speaks a sentence, and your hands are fluent in consequence.
Beginning at 1st level, your unarmed strikes deal increasing damage:
- 1st–5th: 1d6 + StrMod + Prof
- 6th–10th: 1d8 + StrMod + Prof
- 11th–15th: 1d10 + StrMod + Prof
- 16th–20th: 2d8 + StrMod + Prof
Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity.
Inevitable Judgment[edit]
When your foe stumbles, your judgment finds them. Every hesitation, every exposed weakness, invites your retribution like gravity invites the stone.
Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a prone, restrained, stunned, or incapacitated creature, deal bonus damage equal to your Arbiter level.
'Judgment Save DC' = 8 + Proficiency + Charisma Modifier
Judgment Path[edit]
At 3rd level, you walk one of the sacred paths of an Arbiter — the lens through which your authority manifests. Whether through endurance or invocation, your path defines your sentence upon the world.
Grants features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels.
-Path of the Temple
The body is the sanctum of law. The sentence is delivered with presence alone.
Defensive/tank subclass. Focuses on Grit-based mitigation, unshakable defense, and battlefield presence. Uses Constitution for scaling survivability and stability, turning the Arbiter into an immovable judge.
-Path of the Disciple
To speak with divine conviction is to reshape the world.
Magic cannon subclass. Uses Charisma as a spellcasting stat, centered around bursts of verbal force, radiant/force damage, and limited magical utility. Inspired by gospel-like declarations and divine authority.
-Path of the Crucible
To judge sin, one must walk through fire unscathed.
Self-sacrificing bruiser subclass. Trades personal HP to empower powerful effects—burning grit for offense and defense simultaneously. Ideal for players who want a “berserker judge” theme without rage.
-Path of the Shackled
Oaths are binding. And so are you.
Grapple/control subclass. Uses force bindings or chains to restrain enemies. Focuses on battlefield lockdown, body-control, and “anchoring” foes. A mix of mobility denial and resilience.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, increase one ability score by 2 or two by 1 (max 20).
Verdict Strike[edit]
When your voice lashes out, powered by sheer authority. It strikes like a verdict made manifest—rattling bone, disrupting will, and stilling even the loudest tongues.
At 5th level, you speak words judgment as an action to strike a target within 30 feet. Make a Charisma-based spell attack. On hit: 2d8 thunder damage. You can use this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 14th level, damage becomes 5d8 force damage. You can use this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), regaining one use per short rest, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Unyielding Resolve[edit]
Your conviction is not a feeling. It is a force. Where others falter beneath manipulation or dread, your will simply refuses. There is no space in your soul for surrender.
At 6th level, as the ultimate authority when mediating between clashing wills, your resolve is immovable. When you fail a Charisma save, you may choose to succeed instead (1/long rest).
At 14th level, you may use this twice per long rest.
Kneel Before Judgment[edit]
With one motion—brutal, precise, and dismissive—you bring your target low. Not out of cruelty, but as a formality. They must kneel, because you will be heard.
At 9th level, when an Arbiter stands before you, you drop. Once per short rest, when adjacent to a same-size or smaller creature, you may force a Constitution save (DC = 8 + StrMod + prof) to knock them prone and prevent standing until end of their next turn. Bonus action: unarmed strike against them.
Immutable Authority[edit]
Your presence alone unsettles the guilty and steels the innocent — it is no longer a question of if you will prevail, only when.
At 11th level, you roll initiative, choose one creature you can see. That creature has disadvantage on saving throws against your Arbiter class features until the end of your next turn.
Additionally, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage of your Verdict Strike.
Ultimatum[edit]
With a single utterance, you bring the weight of finality. The battlefield stills, the air sharpens, and your foe understands: their moment of defiance is over.
At 13th level, once per short rest, you can unleash a declaration of absolute authority at a creature you can see within 60 feet. The target must make a saving throw against your Judgement Save DC or be subject to one of the declaration's effects. On a success, it is affected until the start of its next turn.
-Fall, the target must succeed a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone until start of your next turn.
-Silence, the target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be silenced (cannot speak or use verbal components) until the start of your next turn.
-Suffer, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take additional 4d8 force damage.
Iudex Adest[edit]
With a word, the judge is present, as you collapse the distance between sentence and execution. Whether across a battlefield or a throne room, the Arbiter is always present where judgment is due.
At 17th level, when you use Verdict Strike or Ultimatum, you may immediately teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target you affected.
This movement does not consume your movement for the turn and does not provoke opportunity attacks.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) per long rest.
This feature does not break grapple or trigger reactions.
Balance of Judgment[edit]
You are the fulcrum upon which all judgment tilts. Tke rhythm of battle bends to your decree, and your sentences echo without pause.
At 20th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack while they are affected by your Ultimatum, you may unleash Jeopardy as a free action.
Choose another creature within 30 feet that you can see. That creature is immediately affected by Ultimatum, without expending a use.
You may also teleport adjacent to the new target as part of this effect.
Once you use Jeopardy, you cannot do so again until the start of your next turn.
Paths of Judgment[edit]
Path of the Body of Steel[edit]
You have become an unstoppable force, your body no longer merely survives, it endures beyond reason.
Gain access to a Grit Point pool, the maximum is equal to Proficiency + Constitution Modifier.
- Iron Constitution
Your body has learned to defy failure through persistence alone. When others would drop, you remain standing — if only to glare back at fate. Every wound is repurposed, every sickness denied entry.
At 3rd level, when you take damage, you can spend any number of Grit Points as a reaction to reduce the damage by (number of points spent)d4 + proficiency bonus.
Additionally, you can now stand from prone without expending movement, and you gain resistance to poison damage and advantage against being poisoned.
- Reinforced Body
You stand unshaken while others fall back. With each blow, your body absorbs impact like bedrock, and your stance grows ever harder to move.
At 7th level, whenever you reduce incoming damage with Grit, you may heal 1d4 HP when using Grit.
Additionally, your Unarmored Defense is replaced and your AC is now, 10 + Constitution modifier + Constitution modifier.
- Undying Engine
Where others collapse, you recenter. Through sheer focus and conditioning, your flesh mimics the function of machines: efficient, determined, and impossible to permanently shut down.
At 10th level, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.
Additionally, once per long rest, you have advantage against Constitution saving throw.
- Living Fortress
When you plant your feet, the world takes notice. Movement becomes a choice you lend to the moment. Your body exudes mass, permanence, and certainty—just by being still.
At 15th level, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Arbiter level at the start of each combat.
Additionally, if you didn’t expend any movement last turn, you have resistance against all forms of forced movement, grapple, restrained, and being knocked prone.
- Absolutely Unfaltering
You do not fall. Not from fear, nor poison, nor the finality of a mortal blow. Where another would fade, you remain—cracked, bleeding, gritted—still here. The last witness. The final voice.
At 18th level, You remain conscious while above 0 HP, even if an effect would render you unconscious.
Additionally, once per long rest, when reduced to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 HP and lose all Grit.
Path of the Disciple[edit]
(In Progress: Magic-based subclass focused on bursts of damage and internal power. Spread the Gospel) Text
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At 3rd level,
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At 7th level,
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At 10th level,
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At 15th level,
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At 18th level, Ultimatum: Mortem = Power Word Kill equivalent?
Path of the Crucible[edit]
(In Progress: Sacrifice-based subclass focused on self-damaging higher damage output. My blood shall be your sentence.) Text
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At 3rd level,
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At 7th level,
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At 10th level,
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At 15th level,
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At 18th level,
Path of the Shackler[edit]
(In Progress: Grappling-based subclass focused on disadvantaging and disabling your opponent. My judgement stops you) Text
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At 3rd level,
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At 7th level,
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At 10th level,
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At 15th level,
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At 18th level,
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To multiclass into Arbiter, you must have a Strength score and Charisma score of 13 or higher.
Proficiencies. You gain no additional proficiencies when multiclassing into Arbiter.
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