Roguish Archetype
At 3rd level, a rogue gains the Roguish Archetype feature. The following option is available to a rogue in addition to those offered in the Player's Handbook, the Boogeyman also known as Baba Yaga.
Boogeyman (Baba Yaga)
As an Boogeyman, a professional hitman, or a deadly assassin, you're a man-made walking nightmare who stalks those who cower in the light. You rely on quick adaptive strikes, cunning with mind and body to overpower or out-maneuver your enemies. You excel at killing those less quick or strategic, using all and every feature of the battlefield to your advantage. Your accomplishments and kills that dot the scene of your work often leave men cowering in fear, grinning with impression, or amicable with respect.
Boogeyman Features
| Rogue Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Assassin by Name, Point Blank Combat, Improvisational Combat |
| 9th | Executor's Stride |
| 13th | Merciless Termination |
| 17th | Opening Massacre |
Assassin by Name
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you don a professional name to act as your persona over your own, whether or not it is your true name or not is up to you. Whenever you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check to frighten or dissuade a hostile creature, you can treat a roll of 13 or higher on the d20 as a 6 as if you had rolled it.
Reference
John Wick (2014) | "Yeah, I'm Thinking I'm Back!" | 1080p
This is because Wick is a severely badass foe, but often fails to dissuade the enemy's attack regardless, getting into combat.
Point Blank Combat
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a fighting capability unlike any others with your ranged weapons. As a bonus action, you can make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against a creature within reach you can see that isn't incapacitated, contested by the creature's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
If you succeed, this creature does not impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls while in close range combat and you can use your sneak attack against the target even if you don't have advantage on it, but not if you have disadvantage on it. If you fail you do not acquire said benefits. Said benefits last until the end of your turn.
In addition, creatures do not impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls in close range combat if they are afflicted with the following Conditions: Grappled, Prone, or Restrained.
Reference (Parabellum)
Gif taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRm4MrALBi0 | John Wick Throwing Knives Scene |
Self explanatory reference. In addition, there are scenes in the movies where he battles combatants for use over attempting to fire their guns in close combat, mostly met by arm-maneuvers battling over aiming the sights. The sneak attack against the target mostly means a point-blank shot to their face or body.
Improvisational Combat
At 3rd level, you gain a finesse with weapons not often wielded by assassins at your status, but are often just as efficient with them. You gain proficiency with improvised weapons, and you can treat them as Finesse weapons.
Reference
John Wick 2 - With a Pencil
Wick uses books, antique knives, chucks empty rifles, and even impales people with a fucking pencil.
Executor's Stride
At 9th level, You do not count Objects or similar physical obstacles as difficult terrain.
In addition, when you move more than half your movement on your turn and make a melee attack using your sneak attack against a target, you can impose an additional effect against it using half your attack roll result + 5 as the DC.
- It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- It must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away.
- It must succeed a Constitution saving throw or have its speed reduced by 15 feet until the end of its next turn.
Reference
Judo Techniques in John Wick 2
Movement is pivotal to Wick as he battles with his opponents. This ability represents Wick's prowess by moving on the battlefield, and can present players with additional attack or support options while outputting damage, and should be used in tandem with clever battlefield positioning or maneuvering.
Merciless Termination
Starting at 13th level, you can use a bonus action to make your next melee attack roll with advantage. On a hit you deal double the amount of Sneak Attack's damage die (quadrupling on a critical hit), but the target creature cannot drop below 1 HP from this attack.
If the damage would drop the target creature below 1 HP, it must make a Wisdom saving throw with the DC being the result of the attack roll. On a failure the target is frightened of you as long as they remain at 1 HP.
Once you use this feature, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Reference
Gif taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7 | John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) - Hall of Mirrors Scene (9/10) | Movieclips
This is just in general a cool ability to shut down a single target during an intense conflict. Viewer discretion is advised.
Opening Massacre
Starting at 17th level, you herald into fights an initiator of death.
As an Action on your turn during the first round of combat, you can make an amount of attacks equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1) against different targets other than ones you have previously attacked during this turn. These attacks can benefit from your Sneak Attack even if you have used it this turn, but you can't use your Sneak Attack against the same target more than once in a turn.
Once you use this feature, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Reference
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) - Museum Fight Scene (8/10) | Movieclips
An intense play done by the Wick in the first round of combat. It presents an interesting beginning action to a combat that plays out immense damage onto opponents.
Credits
- John Wick Fanart Cover
- Movie Clips in appropriate References.
- John Wick Fanart with Dog
- Homebrew by TTM | u/tranborg
Reference
Portions of Movie Clips to tie in to the origin of the Mechanics. These have nothing else to do with the brew's abilities.