Wolf Lord
In the woods, a woman is tracking a deer. She cannot see it herself, but her wolf can smell it. They sneak up on the creature and the woman looses an arrow. It misses the heart and the deer bolts, but her wolf is on it before it gets more than a few yards and finishes what the arrow started.
A man patrols the castle with his Mastiff. The two of them seek out every nook and cranny; every shadow that might hide a threat. They work with such fluidity that he never has to says a word to his companion. His years of experience works in tandem with his companion's heightened senses to keep the castle safe from thieves and assassins.
The half-orc rides into battle atop a huge wolf; the pair of them howling wildly as they charge towards the enemy lines before colliding with them in a flash of teeth and steel.
Canis Familiaris
Wolf Lords are warriors who dedicate their lives to their canine companions. Although they are called "Wolf" Lords, they are not limited to wolves, and many have chosen domestic breeds to be their companions, especially those who spend a great deal of time in cities where wolves are not comfortable.
Through chance or by design, a Wolf Lord becomes bonded to their canine through a powerful psychic link, which only grows stronger with time. The pair almost appear to share the same mind, resulting in the canine gaining higher Intelligence, while the Lord becomes able to sense what their companion senses.
However, this bond comes at a cost. Should one die and the other live, their energy will be drained quickly and they will pass on if their companion is not restored to life in one way or another.
Creating a Wolf Lord
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Quick Build
You can make a wolf lord quickly by following these suggestions. First, put either Strength or Dexterity as your highest ability score, depending on which archetype you wish to pursue, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Outlander background.
Class Features
As a wolf lord, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per Wolf Lord level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Wolf Lord level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Investigation
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a longsword or (b) a shortsword
- (a) a longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) any martial melee weapon
- (a) Leather armor or (b) a chain shirt
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
The Wolf Lord
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Canine Companion |
| 2nd | +2 | Enhanced Handling |
| 3rd | +2 | Wolf Lord Archetype, a Talent For Archery |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Bearing the Pain |
| 7th | +3 | Shared Senses, Telepathic Link |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Greatest Ally |
| 10th | +4 | Canine Extra Attack, Natural Predator |
| 11th | +4 | Strength of the Bond |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Greatest Weapon |
| 14th | +5 | Combat Ready Duo |
| 15th | +5 | Timeless Bond |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Feral Sense |
| 18th | +6 | Man's Best Friend |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | The Alpha |
Canine Companion
Wolf Lords start with a canine companion. The canine gains 1d8 Hit Points per wolf lord level. The four classifications of canine; Wolf, Large Dog, Medium Dog, and Small Dog, are listed at the end of the class description.
Canines follow directly after the Wolf Lord in the Initiative order.
Canines start out with proficiency in light armor, and gain 1 point of Intelligence for every other wolf lord level. They gain proficiency points and ability points when the wolf lord does, but cannot trade in the ability score increase for feats.
When either the wolf lord or their canine is killed, the survivor's hit point maximum is permanently reduced by half until their companion is brought back to life. If they have not been restored to life within three days, the survivor will perish as well.
Enhanced Handling
At 2nd level, wolf lords now think like canines do, and can pick up on the subtle body language and cues they use to communicate. When attempting an Animal Handling check on a canine, add your wolf lord level to the result. This only applies to dog-like creatures; mundane or magical.
Wolf Lord Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype to focus your skills into. Choose Hunter, Warrior, or Vanguard, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.
A Talent For Archery
Additionally 3rd level, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls made with bows. This increases to +4 at 10th level.
Ability Score Increase
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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Bearing the Pain
When you reach 6th level, during a short rest you and your canine companion can swap your current hit points with each other instead of spending hit die. If it were to exceed either hit point maximum, the overflow is added as temporary hit points.
Telepathic Link
Additionally at 7th level, you and your companion's minds have become telepathically linked. Any psychic damage taken is now split evenly between you and your companion. The link only works while you are both on the same plane of existence.
Greatest Ally
At 9th level, you can add your wolf lord levels to your either your companion's attack or damage roll, up to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Must be declared before the attack roll.
Canine Extra Attack
When you reach 10th level, your canine companion can attack twice, instead of once, whenever it takes the Attack action.
Natural Predator
Also at 10th level, your heightened senses can now pick out additional weaknesses in your enemies. Your weapon attacks now score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Strength of the Bond
When you reach 11th level, the link between you and your companion has leaked into your attacks. Both you and your companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Greatest Weapon
When you reach 13th level, when taking the Attack action, you can elect for your companion to instead make two additional attacks on their turn.
Combat Ready Duo
At 14th level, when rolling for initiative, you can add your companion's Dexterity modifier to the roll.
Timeless Bond
When you reach 15th level, the bond between you and your companion has grown strong enough to prevent either of you from being aged magically. Additionally, you and your companion suffer none of the frailty of old age.
Feral Sense
At 17th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight against creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
Additionally, you are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.
Man's Best Friend
When you reach 18th level, when you and your companion are resting within 5 feet of each other, you gain long rest benefits from a short rest, and gain temporary hit points equal to your wolf lord level. As normal, these hit points do not stack with your Bearing the Pain feature.
Additionally, if only one of you takes a long rest, the other gains the benefits of a short rest, as long as they are not in combat.
The Alpha
At 20th level, your bond with your companion has evolved into a usable power. As an action, you and your companion can strengthen your connection, and function as a single form.
Your companion's physical form becomes petrified, and you gain the following effects for the duration:
- You can use the higher of you or your companion's modifiers for any check, save, attack or damage roll
- Your critical range increases to 18-20 (or higher if you already have an extended range)
- You gain additional AC equal to your proficiency modifier
- While in this form, you have resistance to all damage except psychic damage.
Each minute spent in this form adds one level of exhaustion to both you and your companion, and the form lasts until you end it as a bonus action. You can use this feature three times per long rest.
Wolf Lord Archetypes
Different wolf lords choose to pursue paths that allow them to better reflect their more canine natures.
Hunter
Hunters are masters of studying, tracking, and subduing prey in their own home turf. Whether that be a vast open swathe of plains, a frozen tundra, or even narrow alleyways and tight streets of cities.
Tracker
At 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency in the Wisdom (Survival) skill if you do not already have it.
Hunter's Quarry
Also at 3rd level, you learn the finer arts of hunting. By either studying a creature for one hour, or spending four hours gathering information about them, you can then designate that creature as your quarry.
When making Dexterity (Sleight of Hand, Stealth), Intelligence (Investigation), or Wisdom (Insight, Perception, Survival) checks related to your quarry, double your proficiency bonus if your are proficient in the associated check, or add half if you are not.
At 9th level, you can mark up to three creatures to be your quarry. This increases again to five creatures at 13th level.
Home Turf
At 7th level, you can spend a full day studying a neighborhood in a city, or ten square miles of wilderness terrain. This area becomes your home turf.
While on your home turf, creatures have disadvantage on all opposing Dexterity (Sleight of Hand, Stealth), Intelligence (Investigation), or Wisdom (Perception) checks against you, or items you have hidden within your home turf.
At 17th level, the area you can call your home turf increases to encompass a whole city, or a one hundred square mile area of wilderness terrain.
You can only have one area of home turf active at one time
Specialised Subdual
When you reach 10th level, when either you or your companion bring a creature to 0 hit points, you may choose whether to kill or disable it.
If you choose to disable it, you can call upon your experience as a hunter to secure and transport the creature, provided there are suitable materials to grant the means.
Master Interrogator
At 15th level, when attempting to gather information, you can add half your proficiency bonus to all Charisma checks you are not proficient in. If attempting this on your hunter's quarry, or someone closely associated with them, you gain advantage on the check.
Home Advantage
When you reach 18th level, your movement speed on your home turf increases by 10 feet, and your climbing or swimming speed is no longer halved.
Additionally, you have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks while on your home turf.
Warrior
Wolf lord warriors are not only known for their fighting prowess, but also for their individual signature weapons of choice.
Weapon of Choice
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, choose one melee weapon you are proficient with.
Attacks with this type of weapon add your proficiency bonus to its damage, and you cannot be disarmed or pick-pocketed of this weapon while you aren't incapacitated.
Should you choose so, you can spend one month retraining yourself with a different weapon of choice.
Shock and Awe
Starting at 7th level, once per round when you take a creature to zero hit points with your weapon of choice, you can roll to attack it one additional time as a reaction.
On a hit, all hostile creatures within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against the dice roll, plus your proficiency modifier as DC. On a failed save, the creatures become stunned until the end of your next turn.
Follow Through
At 10th level, whenever you hit a creature with your weapon of choice, it must make a Strength saving throw, or Strength (Athletics) check against a DC determined by the ability with which you attack. If the creatures fails the save or check, they are knocked prone.
Save DC
You can then use your bonus action to attack the prone creature with your weapon of choice.
Devastation
Starting at 15th level, your weapon of choice does one additional die of damage.
Whenever you take a creature to zero hit points with an attack from your weapon of choice, you can make an additional attack with it against another creature within reach.
I Think Not
When you reach 18th level, if you roll a 1 on an attack roll with your weapon of choice, you can immediately reroll the attack with advantage.
Additionally, whenever you take damage from a creature, you can use your reaction to make one attack with your weapon of choice against them. If this attack takes the target to zero hit points, your reaction is not consumed.
You can use this feature a total number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per short rest.
Vanguard
Wolf lords who choose the vanguard archetype are watchful guardians that hold little regard for their own lives.
Leader of the Pack
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, it deals an additional 2 points of damage for each other hostile creature within 5 feet of you.
Resilient Wolf
Additionally at 3rd level, you gain a bonus +2 to your AC, and your canine companion gains a +2 to their attack rolls, as long as your hit points are below half your maximum.
Wolf-like Reflexes
At 7th level, you can add your proficiency bonus to initiative rolls.
Additionally, as a reaction you can add your Dexterity modifier to your AC when hit with an attack, potentially causing the attack to miss.
Recovering Wolf
When you reach 10th level, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to twice your proficiency modifier.
Fangs of the Wolf
Starting at 15th level, when you hit with an opportunity attack, deal additional damage equal to your wolf lord level.
Additionally, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the remainder of the turn.
Immortal Wolf
At 18th level, if your hit points are reduced to 0 and you aren't killed outright, you can use your reaction to make five melee attacks before falling unconscious, and cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Canine Classifiactions
Wolf
Meduim, Matches Wolf Lord Alignment
- Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 1d8 per Wolf Lord level
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages Understands all languages the Wolf Lord speaks, but cannot speak itself
Keen Hearing And Smell. Has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Pack Tactics. Has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Only a Fool Would Challenge the Pack. The wolf's AC increases by 1 for every two allied creatures within 10 ft., including the Wolf Lord. The Wolf Lord also gains this benefit.
Pack Protector. When an enemy attacks an ally, the next attack made by the wolf against that enemy has advantage, and does an additional +2 damage.
Full Moon Kinship. The wolf can always tell if there is a werewolf within 60 ft., no matter what form they are in, and they tend to be peaceful towards the wolf and Wolf Lord unless provoked otherwise.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d4+2 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Large Dog
Large, Matches Wolf Lord Alignment
- Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 1d8 per Wolf Lord level
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Skills Perception +4
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages Understands all languages the Wolf Lord speaks, but cannot speak itself
Keen Hearing and Smell. Has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Imposing Size. The dog gains advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Disarming. The dog gains advantage on Strength checks to disarm creatures.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6+3 piercing damage. If the target is a medium sized or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be grappled.
Big Bark. Let out a thunderous bark, letting enemies know of your presence. All hostile creatures within 30 ft. must make a DC 10 + the dog's Strength modifier Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, each creature who failed takes 1d10 thunder damage per level of the Wolf Lord, and become deafened for a number of rounds equal to the dog's strength modifier.
Medium Dog
Medium, Matches Wolf Lord Alignment
- Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 1d8 per Wolf Lord level
- Speed 35 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
- Skills Perception +3
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Languages Understands all languages the Wolf Lord speaks, but cannot speak itself
Keen Hearing and Smell Has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Guard Dog. Stealth checks and surprise attacks cannot be made with advantage against either the dog or the Wolf Lord while the dog isn't incapacitated.
Living Lie Detector. Gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks.
Trap Finder. Gain advantage on any check to locate traps.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d4+2 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Small Dog
Small, Matched Wolf Lord Alignment
- Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 1d8 per Wolf Lord Level
- Speed 45 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
- Skills Perception +4
- Senses passive Perception 14
- Languages Understands all languages the Wolf Lord speaks, but cannot speak itself
Keen Hearing and Smell. Has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Small and Adorable. The dog gains advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4-2 piercing damage.
Yipp Yipp. The dog musters all its strength and lets out its loudest bark, healing all allied creatures within 30 ft. for 1d6 + the dog's Charisma modifier. This ability can be used a number of times equal to the Wolf Lord's proficiency modifier per long rest.
Best Seat in the House. The dog mounts the Wolf Lord and rides on their shoulder as an action. While mounted, both the dog and Wolf Lord are immune to being charmed or frightened, and gain resistance to psychic damage. Additionally while mounted, Charisma checks or saves are made using the higher of either the dog or Wolf Lord's modifier.
Dog Armor
All canine companions have a natural AC based off their Dexterity scores, but are proficient in Light armor, and barding can be purchased for them.
| AC | Barding |
|---|---|
| 11 + Dex | Padded |
| 11 + Dex | Leather |
| 12 + Dex | Studded Leather |
CREDITS
Anonymous (as far as I am aware) D&D Wiki user for the original: Wolf Lord 5e Class