The Defiant (5e Class)

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The Defiant

One Who Defies Odds

A homeless human is walking down the street minding his own business when a group of five wizards decide to rob him by putting him to sleep. When that doesn't work, one of them tries to hit him with a fireball. He swats it away with minimal effort and blows the wizards away with nothing but a shout.

A Gutsy Individual is a creature who doesn't rely on weapons or magic to dish out some damage. Although they may pick up a chair or two along the way if they feel they want to send a message. They are people with supernatural strength, speed, and stamina. They overcome the worst situations with sheer willpower.

Creating a Defiant

Quick Build

You can make a Defiant quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom, then Strength or Dexterity. Second, choose the Vagabond background.

Class Features

As a The Defiant you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per The Defiant level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per The Defiant level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Improvised Weapons
Tools: One Gaming Set of your choice
Saving Throws: Con, Wis
Skills: Choose Four from the list: Athletics, Acrobatics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Perception, Persuasion.

Equipment

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

• (a) Explorer's pack or (b) Dungeoneer Pack
• 1 Gaming Set
• (a) A simple weapon or (b) An improvised weapon
• (a) A set of common clothes or (b) A set of fancy clothes
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4x10 in funds.

Table: The The Defiant

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Unarmed Damage Die
1st	+2	Nothin’ but the Clothes on my Back!, Anything can be a Weapon, Tough as Nails	1d6
2nd	+2	Collectin Receipts, Gotta Knock a Little Harder	1d6
3rd	+2	Defiance Ethos	1d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
5th	+3	Extra Attack (x1)	1d8
6th	+3	Force of Will, Ethos Feature	1d8
7th	+3	Herculean Strength	1d8
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
9th	+4	Walk it Off	1d10
10th	+4	Ethos Feature	1d10
11th	+4	Defiant, Extra Attack (x2)	1d10
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d10
13th	+5	Back Against the Wall	1d12
14th	+5	Ethos Feature	1d12
15th	+5	Momma Said Knock You Out!	1d12
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
17th	+6	Transcendent Physiology	2d6
18th	+6	Ethos Feature	2d6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	2d6
20th	+6	Apex of Individuality	2d6

Nothin’ but the Clothes on my Back!

At 1st level, Armor was always a bit too cumbersome for an individual such as yourself, and a little speed could make all the difference. Starting at 1st level, so long as you aren't wearing armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. Additionally, when calculating your hitpoints, you add your constitution modifier twice instead of once.

You lose access to all features of the class when using armor, magic, or magical abilities outside of what’s bestowed by your unique physique and improvised weapons.

Anything can be a Weapon

At 1st level, you gain proficiency in unarmed strikes. Your unarmed strike die starts out as a d6 and changes as you gain levels in this class, as indicated in the Unarmed Strikes column of the Defiant table above. You may also use this die whenever you use an improvised weapon which now gains the throwing property with a range of 30/90ft. You may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength for attack and damage rolls involving your unarmed strikes and improvised weapons. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use your bonus action on that same turn to make a single unarmed strike attack or improvised weapon attack.

Tough as Nails

Starting at 1st level, you reduce all damage taken by 1. At 7th level, you may now reduce all damage you take by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus +1.

Collectin Receipts

Beginning at 2nd level, every time you hit a creature with an attack or get hit by another creature, you gain one stack of Collateral. Your Collateral maximum is equal to your Defiant Level + Your Wisdom Modifier (Minimum of +1). You start combat with 1 stack of Collateral. The number of Collateral you begin combat with increases by 1 at 7th level and 14th level. Your Collateral stacks last until one minute after combat ends. You will use Collateral to fuel your future class features.

Collateral Save DC: 8 + Your Wisdom Modifier + Proficiency Bonus
Collateral Attack Modifier: Proficiency Bonus + Your Wisdom modifier

Gotta Knock a Little Harder

At 2nd level, you can unleash your fighting spirit to turn the tides of battle. As a bonus action, you may spend 3 stacks of Collateral to gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• Your movement speed is doubled, you cannot be restrained, and you can move unhindered even when grappled or in difficult terrain.
• You count as one size larger for grappling, and when determining your carrying capacity and weight, you can push, drag, or lift.
• You have advantage on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws.
• You add one additional die of damage to your unarmed strikes.
• Whenever you successfully attack a creature, you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Watch The Body Tilt When You Hit the Head

At 2nd level, Your critical strike range is reduced by 1, allowing you to critically strike on a 19 or 20 for attack rolls. Additionally, before making an attack roll, you may expend 3 stacks of Collateral to aim your next attack at the target's most vital area. If the attack hits, it turns into a critical hit. If you reduce a creature's hit points to 0 when using this feature to turn an attack into a critical hit, you instead gain 2 stacks of Collateral instead of one.

Defiance Ethos

At 3rd level, you determine your type and methodology of defiance against whatever force opposes you. You may choose between The Great One or The Legendary Renegade. You gain additional features at levels 6, 10, 14, and 18.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can make an additional attack whenever you take the Attack action. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.

Force of Will

At the 6th level, your mounting frustrations at those who wield powers greater than you have allowed you to finally break through the glass ceiling. Your unarmed strikes and improvised weapon attacks can now ignore resistance and immunities. Additionally, you may choose to become resistant to your choice of Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing damage. You may choose another damage type of the three again at 11th level and another at 15th level.

Herculean Strength

At 7th level, you count as one size larger for grappling, and when determining your carrying capacity and weight, you can push, drag, or lift. Your jump distances are doubled and you no longer require any feet of movement to when jumping. Finally, your body is now immune to the negative effects of extreme heat or cold environments, and you now have advantage against any effects which cause exhaustion.

Walk it Off

At 9th level, you can treat magic like it's nothing more than cheap parlor tricks. Whenever you are affected by a status condition, an effect from a spell, or a magical effect or similar effect, you can completely ignore the effect. You can use this feature once per short or long rest. At 14th level, you can use this feature twice times per short or long rest.

Defiant

At 11th level, You may now use your Wisdom saving throw instead of any saving throw you are not already proficient in.

Back Against the Wall

You've been pushed back into a corner, and you're gonna give it everything you've got! At 13th level, when you reach half or below your maximum hit points, as a reaction, you may choose to gain the following benefits:

• You gain the benefits of the Heroism spell for the duration. The number of temporary hit points gained is equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• You gain 1 stack of Collateral at the start of each of your turns.
• Your movement speed is tripled (does not stack with Gotta Knock a Little Harder), and your jump height and distance are now equal to your movement speed.
• You Count as two sizes larger for grappling, and when determining your carrying capacity and weight, you can push, drag, or lift instead of one size larger.
• You gain a bright aura that reaches out to 10ft. You can make it whatever color you like as it is your fighting spirit.
• You deal an additional amount of damage to on all of your attacks, equal to your proficiency bonus.
• All damage you deal while in this state cannot be reduced or mitigated by any means.

These benefits last until you are healed above half your hitpoint maximum and can only use it once per long rest.

Additionally, if you witness an ally reach 0 HP, then you may enter Awakening at will as a reaction, losing all of your current Collateral stacks to move up to your movement speed toward the creature who dealt the final blow and make a single attack against them. This attack is always made with advantage, and, if successful, will count as a critical hit dealing maximum damage but not rewarding any additional Collateral.

Momma Said Knock You Out!

At 15th level, you can put your back into one strike. You can spend a number of stacks of Collateral up to your Wisdom modifier in order to add 1d10 to your strikes for every stack you spend. Due to the power of this blow, the creature hit by this will be subjected to a Constitution modifier that, on failure, sends the feature flying 10ft in the air for every stack spent before falling prone. The creature will take d6 falling damage for every 10ft they are send flying upward. On a critical strike, the creature will automatically fail the saving throw and be knocked and be unconscious until the end of your next turn, unless they take damage before then or are woken up by another creature. The additional damage from this feature cannot benefit from a critical strike.

Transcendent Physiology

At 17th level, you've trained hard, gaining a mind and body that goes beyond the mortal realm. You gain a +4 to your Constitution and Wisdom scores and increase their maximum by the same amount. Additionally, you gain the following effects:

• You may now always considered under the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell. This effect counts as non-magical.
• You may now always considered under the effects of the Water Walk. This effect counts as non-magical.
• All fall damage you take is halved.
• You can move along vertical surfaces, across liquids, and upside down on ceilings without falling during the move.

Apex of Individuality

At 20th level, you have reached the peak of your race, and it truly shows. Your body will always remain in its peak physical condition, allowing you to ignore the effects of aging. For every 10 years that passes, you only age 1 year. You also gain the following effects:

• You're immune to the charmed and frightened conditions and are unaffected by Illusion magic.
• You can no longer be blinded or deafened and can see through magical darkness and normal darkness.
• You gain 3 legendary actions. You may use these legendary actions to take an action other than the attack action as if it was your turn, move up to your movement speed, or immediately gain 5 stacks of Collateral. Otherwise, you may make a single attack when expending it. You regain these Legendary actions at the end of a long rest.

The Great One

Greatness isn't born, it's made. You've resolved to become the best of them all. It doesn't matter how much they dish out when take it and give it right back!

On the Grind

At 3rd level, on your quest for greatness, you've decided to focus on improving yourself and learning from the competition. Now you begin to reap the fruits of your progress. Through expanding stacks of Collateral, you can perform superhuman feats that many men could only dream of. Initially, you can learn 3 of these techniques and obtain a new two new techniques with each new subclass feature you obtain. At Level 18, you have access to all of these techniques means you can use any of them, albeit you may only have a maximum of 10 prepared at a time, being able to switch them out during a long or short rest.

Techniques

Try me: You've shown just how capable you are as a person, overcoming anything that stops your progression forwards. When being targeted for an attack, you can expend an 2 stacks of Collateral against the creature if they can see you to instill a primal sense of fear and doubt in their mind. Make a Contested Intimidation check against the Creature's Insight. On a failure, they lose the attack they were about to perform, hesitating to dare strike you and receiving a penalty to their subsequent attacks on that turn against you equal to your proficiency bonus. On a success, if their attack does hit you, you reduce the damage by an amount equal to your Wisdom Modifier, maintaining your posture even if your intimidation failed.

You Can Have This Back: Whenever a creature targets you with any ranged projectile, you may attempt to catch it and send it right back. As a reaction, you may spend 2 stacks of collateral to reduce the damage by an amount equal to a d10 + your Level + Your Dexterity Modifier. If the damage is reduced to 0 you can catch the projectile. If you catch the projectile, you can make a ranged (20/60) Unarmed Strike with the projectile as part of the same reaction. You are considered proficient with this ranged weapon attack. For every additional stack of collateral expended, you may add an additional d10 to your roll.

Fight Back!: Whenever a creature successfully lands a melee attack against you, as a reaction, you may spend 1 stack of collateral to strike them back with your own melee attack. On a critical hit with this attack, you instead deal maximum damage as you show them how it's done!

Outnumbered NOT Outmatched!: Whenever there is more than 1 enemy within 5ft of you, as a reaction, you may spend 3 stacks of collateral to gain an adrenaline rush as your fight or flight kicks in. For the next minute, so long as more than 1 enemy is adjacent to you, enemies cannot gain advantage on their attack rolls against you. You gain an additional number of reactions for every enemy within 5ft of you to a maximum of +4 and reduce all damage received to a maximum of +5 for every enemy within range of you. These benefits only persist so long as there is more than 1 creature within 5ft of you. You may only use this technique once per short rest.

Drop it!: Whenever a creature makes an attack against you with a melee weapon, as a reaction, you may spend 2 stacks of collateral to make an unarmed strike against them, striking before they hit you. On a successful hit, you force them to make a strength-saving throw, being disarmed of the weapon on a failure and making the attack fail. If this attack critically strikes, they are instead automatically disarmed of the weapon reeling from your blow.

Cheap Shot: Whenever you make an unarmed strike against a creature, you may spend 1 stack of collateral to hit 'em where they least expect it. On a successful hit, you force them to make a constitution saving throw, being stunned until the end of your next turn on a failure.

Interruption: Whenever you see a creature attempting to cast a spell, take the disenguage action, or move out of your attack range, you as a reaction, you may spend 1 stack of collateral to make a single attack against them. On a hit, instead of dealing damage, you cancel whatever action they attempted to perform and reduce their movement speed to 0 until the end of their turn.

Victory Rush: Whenever a hostile creature within 5ft of you has their hit points reduced to 0, you may spend 1 stack of Collateral to gain temporary hit points equal to 2 + Half of your Defiant level which lasts until you take a short or long rest. These temporary hit points can stack.

Strike First: At the start of combat, before initiative is rolled, you may spend 1 Collateral to move up to your full movement speed. If you end your movement within 5ft of a hostile creature, you gain a bonus to your intuitive equal to your wisdom modifier, and your first action taken against that creature will gain advantage.

Against all Odds: At the start of your turn, you may use your action to spend 5 stacks of Collateral and assume a defensive posture. While in this state, your movement speed is reduced to 0, and you must spend your action on each subsequent turn to maintain this state. This state allows you to reduce all damage taken by half and grants the benefit of the dodge action. You may end this state at any time at the start of each of your subsequent turns.

Come Get Some!: As a bonus action, you may spend 1 stack of Collateral to taunt a creature into attacking you. They must make a wisdom saving throw against your Collateral DC and on a failure, for the next minute, they must either take the attack action against you or waste their action bad eyeing you. Creatures affected remake the saving throw at the start of each of their turns. For every additional stack of Collateral spent, you may target 1 additional creature.

Stay Down or Else...: As an action, you can spend 3 stacks of Collateral to make a single melee attack against a creature you can see. On a hit, you don't deal damage to the creature, but you instead force them to make a Charisma Saving throw. On a failure, the creature is incapacitated for the next minute or until another creature wakes them up. The creature affected by this technique remakes its saving throw at the start of each of its turns but can choose to fail. If the creature saves against the effect until the end of your next turn, you treat their AC as a 10.

Warrior's Intuition

Starting at 6th level, you've honed your fighting prowess enough to develop a 6th sense of sorts for combat, never letting the competition get the better of you. You can no longer be surprised at the start of combat, and you increase your passive perception by 5. You also gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you already had proficiency, gain expertise instead. Additionally, as a bonus action, you can analyze a creature to learn more about what it could do in a fight. Make a contested Insight check against their Deception. On a success, you may choose to learn one aspect about them from one of the following:

• Learn about their Resistances and Immunities, if any.
• Learn about any Vulnerabilities they may have, if any.
• Learn about a potential weakness from a narrative standpoint (at GM's discretion).
• Learn if they have a higher score than you in your choice of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
• Learn about any weapons or items they may have on them or are concealing
• Learn the current hit points of the creature.
• Learn what the creature's AC is.
• Learn what saving throws the creature has. (Does not reveal the modifiers of the saving throws only which they have)
• Learn what alignment the creature is.
• Learn if the creature is a spellcaster, has KI, or any similar nonmundane resource. You may also instead choose to learn how much of said resource the creature has if you've already identified that they have it.
• Learn about any legendary actions or reactions the creature may possess.
• Learn about 1 feature (or a random feature at GM's discretion) the creature possesses.

For every additional 5 that you roll above the creature on the opposed check, you may choose to gain more information about the creature by picking from the aspect types. You may use this once per creature every combat encounter and once per short rest on a creature if used outside of combat.

Mightier Than Thou

At 10th level, Whenever a creature damages you and the damage dealt is no greater than your Defiant level + Your Constitution modifier, you may instead choose to take no damage from the attack. If the source of damage would have any additional effects you still incur them or must still make the appropriate save. You may use this feature three times per long rest.

Paragon of Physical Prowess

At 14th level, you gain proficiency in all skills associated with strength and dexterity and you may switch between using either strength, dexterity, or Constitution as your primary modifier when using any skills or ability checks associated with them. This does effect does not apply to saving throws. Finally, whenever you roll below an 8 for any skill or ability checks with strength, dexterity, or constitution, you may instead choose to take an 8 as your minimum roll. You may use this feature three times per short rest.

Thrice Setting Sun

At 18th level, The first time you are brought to 0 hit points, you immediately gain half of your maximum hit points as temporary hit points and are brought back to 1 hit point, cleansing you of all negative features, effects, or spells. These temporary hit points last until the end of combat. The second time you are brought to 0 hit points, you are brought back to 1 hit point, and until the end of your next turn, you cannot be brought to below 1 hit point. Finally, the third time you are brought to 0 hit points, you are instead brought back to 1. This feature will not stack with any other similar features and always activates before them. You may only benefit from this feature once per long rest.

Legendary Renegade

You don't know the meaning of the word surrender, and why would you? History is decided by the winners, after all. No sin is too heinous, and nothing is sacred. Not even divine retribution will stop you from doing what you want.

Treacherous Cunning

Starting at 3rd level, you've decided to double down on taking down your opponents by any means necessary. Through the use of stacks of Collateral, you can perform exploits to sabotage your enemies and tip the scales in your favor. Initially, you can learn 3 of these exploits and obtain two new exploits with each new subclass feature you obtain. At Level 18, you have access to all of these exploits, allowing you to use any of them, albeit you may only have a maximum of 10 prepared at a time, being able to switch them out during a long or short rest.

Exploits

Blood in the Water: Whenever you critically strike or deal damage to a creature with a damage type that it is vulnerable to, you may spent 1 stack of collateral, to make one additional attack that turn. You may also instead grant this effect to another creature of your choice within your movement speed. If done in this manner, that creature may, instead of making one attack, cast a spell.

Do em dirty:

You Can Have This Back:

Fight Back!:

Outnumbered NOT Outmatched!:

Drop it!:

Cheap Shot:

Interruption:

Victory Rush:

Strike First:

Against all Odds:

Come Get Some!:

Stay Down or Else...:

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Starting at 6th level,

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At 10th level,

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At 14th level,

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At 18th level,

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Gutsy Individual class, you must meet these prerequisites: You cannot multiclass into this class.

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