Warbands

As arbalests are typically a militant job, one would find themselves a part of a military or mercenary faction. These factions, or warbands as they've come to be known specialize in large scale battles, and train their members how to work together and utilize their skill sets to overcome enemy battalions.

While many warbands exists, and often share, copy, or outright steal tactics from each other, certain battle styles are inevitably attributed to makeshift warbands, used to describe battle tactics, rather than any actual specific group of arbalests.

Mercenary Groups & Military Squads

Typically, an arbalest will have spent some portion of their history as part of a mercenary troupe, or a nobles army. These ties give wandering arbalests a group to fall back on, and friends in many places, with the names of their warbands even attributing them some level of fame or recognition.

When determining the name of your Mercenary Group and Military Battalion, consider what circumstances brought lead you to join such a group. Were you the latest generation in a long line of soldiers? Are the circumstances of your life rough enough to leave you with little choice but to be a sell-sword? Was the group's name the coolest?

Path Less Traveled

It is rare for arbalests to move outside of warbands, mercenary troupes, and militaries, though not unheard of. While often banding together, so as to cover their backs through organized warfare, some arbalests seek to use their skills for self glory, or apply their tactics to a band of misfits whose skillsets cover a variety of areas. Such arbalests are considered rare, but not unheard of.

When determining your reason for wandering the world, and joining up with a band of adventurers, consider what circumstances lead you to the current situation. Was your troupe wiped out in the last battle? Were you never a member of a warband to begin with? Perhaps the band retired, leaving you and your compatriots to seek out new employment quickly.

Creating an Arbalest

As you create your arbalest character, think about two related elements of your character’s background: Where did you get your training and develop your skills, and what set you apart from the typical warriors that one would find on the battlefield? Were you a leader amidst your peers? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because of your

exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your homeland, a thirst for blood, or a desire for coin might all have been factors.

You might have experienced formal training in a noble’s army or a local militia. Perhaps you were trained in a war band, learning strategy, tactics, and military history, while working for the highest bidder. Or you might be self-taught wanderer who has developed their skills through their life experiences. Did you take up your arms as a way to escape the simple life, or were you born into the battlefield?

Where did you acquire your arms and gear? They might have been military issue or family heirlooms, or perhaps you devised them yourselves, to aid in specific situations your may have found yourself in during your skirmishes. Your equipment are now an extension of your being, the only thing preventing deaths grasp from taking you early.

Class Features

As an arbalest, you gain the following class features.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Tower Shield

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a stance that can bolster your defense at a cost to your mobility. As a bonus action, you can drop to your knees and fortify your defense. While in this stance, your AC increases by 1, and you gain the benefits of half cover, however your movement is reduced to 0, and you gain disadvantage on all dexterity saving throws.

If you are using a magic shield, your bonus to AC increases in accordance to the magic bonus of the shield, with a +1 shield giving your a +2 bonus, +2 granting a +3, and a +3 granting you a plus 4 while in the Tower Shield stance.

You remain in this stance until you are knocked unconscious, incapacitated, or dismiss the stance as a bonus action.

Arbalest Warband

When you reach the 3rd level, you can select an Arbalest Warband. This choice gives you a feature at 3rd, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Steady Aim (Optional)

At 3rd level, as a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven't moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.

Martial Versatility (Optional)

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to arbalest. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.

Twinstrike

Beginning at 5th level, you can load two bolts into your crossbow and attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Concussive Bolt

Beginning at 6th level, you can release powerful bolts designed to sway the advance of your opponents. While you are in the Tower Shield stance, you can take an action to launch an arrow with so much concussive force that it launches the target back. One creature that you launch your bolt at within 15 ft. of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 force damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed.

Aversion

Beginning at 7th level, you can ward off certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm spell with your shield. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Strategic Reposition

At 10th level, you learn to quickly and effectively reposition yourself while in a Tower Shield stance. While in a Tower Shield stance, you can move up to 10 ft. and reposition yourself without exiting the stance. Once you have done so, you can't use this feature again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Counterbolt

At 11th level you attempt to interrupt a creature's ranged weapon attack. As a reaction, you can expend one bolt or arrow to shoot the ranged weapon out of the air preventing the attack from landing. The bolt or arrow is destroyed in the process. you can use this feature after the DM rolls the dice, but before it goes into effect.

Level Bolt

At 14th level you can use your shield to steady your weapon. While in a Tower Shield stance, you add a +1 bonus to all ranged weapon attack rolls you make.

Field Dressing

At 15th level, you finish you medical training. So long as you have a healer's kit, you can use an action to heal one creature within 5 ft. of you a number of hit points equal to 3d10 + their constitution modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency modifier, regaining all expended uses after completing a long rest.

Deadly Volley

Starting at 18th level, you can use your action to make three fast attacks, targeting one creature. A target affected by this must roll a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the target is stunned for a number of rounds equal to your Dexterity modifier. On a successful one, takes only half damage and suffer no other effects. You can use this feature twice, regaining all your uses after finishing a long rest.

Precision Kill

At 20th level, you have mastered your aim and can fire your bolts true. As an action you can make a single ranged weapon attack against one creature you can see within range. If the target has 75 hit points or fewer, it dies. Otherwise, the creature suffers regular damage from the attack.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Arbalest Warband

An arbalest warband is a battle group an arbalests chooses to learn specialized combat tactics. Different arbalests choose different approaches to combat. The arbalest warband you choose to emulate reflects your approach.

Bayonet

At 9th level, you can mount any sword or dagger to the end of a crossbow, if a target comes within 5 feet of you you can use a reaction to hit them with the bayonet it deals the damage that the sword or dagger does. this reaction can only be used once per long rest. Bayonets cannot be used on weapons with the heavy property.

Grit of Steel

At 13th level, while you are in a Tower Shield stance, if an attacker that you can see within 15 ft of you hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Shield Wall

At 17th level when you and your guard initiate the Tower Shield stance within 5 feet of each other it grants three quarters cover instead of half cover to both of you. Additionally any allies who are attacked within 5 feet of you while you are between the source of the attack and them in Tower Shield stance benefit from your cover.

Band of Firearms

Realizing the advancements in ranged weaponry and the innovations that warriors were incorporating, the Avaunt Warhawk Warband dropped their crossbows and incorporated firearms into their tactics and battle style. This advancement has boosted the fame and recognition of the Avaunt Warhawks, and has lead to many Arbalest Warbands to adopt the new technologies.

Band of Monster Hunters

trained as a Monster Hunter, you are an expert at tracking and defeating supernatural threats. Typically mentored by an older, more experienced Monster Hunter, you learn to overcome a variety of unnatural threats, including those of the undead, lycanthropes, and other creatures that haunt the night.

Warding Skills

At 3rd level, you learn to simple magical spells to aid you in your work. You can cast detect magic and protection from evil and good, once each, regaining the use of each spell upon completion of a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Monster Mark

At 9th level, you can focus your ire on one foe, increasing the harm you inflict on it. As a bonus action, you designate one creature you can see within 60 feet of you as the target of this feature. You know where the marked creature is for as long as they are marked and they are on the same plane of existence as you.

Additionally, while you are in a Tower Shield stance, you gain advantage on all attack rolls against a marked creature.

This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest. It ends early if you designate a different creature.

Prepped Defense

At 13th level, you learn to protect yourself from the monsters of the night. You gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against creatures marked by your Monster Mark feature.

Monster Ward

At 17th level, you gain the ability to counterattack when a monster tries to sabotage you. If a marked target of your Monster Mark feature forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against the quarry. You make this attack immediately before making the saving throw. If the attack hits, your save automatically succeeds, in addition to the attack’s normal effects.

Band of Parabolt Arcanists

Utilizing magic to enhance their combat tactics, Parabolt Arcanists are arbalests who, through study of magic and elven technique, have deduced a means of utilizing magic to enhance their combat capabilities, sometimes forgoing their crossbows, and firing ranged spells from behind their shields, and other times, enchanting their bolts to do better damage.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Arsonist's Kit

Beginning when you select this warband at 3rd level, you learn to create an arsonists kit. An arsonist's kit's components cost a total of 5gp take 1 hour to assemble. The kit has ten uses.

As a free action, you can expend one use of the kit to lite a ranged projectile on fire. The projectile deals an additional 1d6 fire damage, and is consumed upon use.

Alchemical Concoction

Also at 3rd level, your training has taught you the recipe to the alchemist's most volatile creation. During downtime, you can spend two hours, and 45gp to brew and bottle an alchemist's fire.

Explosive Arrows

At 9th level, you learn to readily create impact explosives. Whenever you make an attack with a weapon that has the Ammunition property, you can set the ammunition to be explosive. On impact, the bolt explodes, dealing 1d6 fire damage to all creatures within a 5 ft. radius. You can use a number of these bolts equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended bolts after completing a long rest.

Incendiary Chant

At 13th level, you learn to use limited magic to bring forth even more fire. You can cast fireball and wall of fire, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can't cast it again with this feature until you finish a short or long rest.

Continual Flame

When you reach the 17th level, your work with the arsonist's kit has lead you to the discovery of many effective combinations of materials and chemicals to bring about the worst of burns. Whenever you deal fire damage to a creature, the creature catches on fire, taking 1d10 fire damage on the start of their turn. The burning lasts for one minute, or until a creature takes an action to douse the fire.

Band of Soulbolts

Not much is known about members of the Soulbolt warbands, and to many it is a mystery how they function. The relatively rare style of warbands seems comparable to others on sight, but through strong mental training have unlocked the ability to create bolts with psionic energy.

Psychic Bolts

Also at 3rd level, You can manifest your psionic power as shimmering bolts and arrows of psychic energy. Once per round, whenever you make a Ranged Weapon Attack, you can manifest a psychic bolt into the weapon, and use it as ammunition.

This magic bolt acts as a regular bolt for the purposes of determining damage, however the bolt deals psychic damage as opposed to piercing. The bolt vanishes immediately after it hits or misses its target, and it leaves no mark on its target if it deals damage.

After you attack with the bolt, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack as a bonus action on the same turn.

Psionic Missile

Starting at 9th level you can create multiple bolts of psionic energy to target those you will. As an action, You create five shimmering darts of psionic force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within 120 ft. of you. A dart deals 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you have completed a long rest, unless you expend a Psionic Energy die to cast it again.

Psionic Defense

At 13th level, you can improve your defense with psionic walls. When you enter into a Tower Shield stance, you create psionic barriers to the left and right or you. These barriers always appear on you sides forming a strait line, and can appear in any orientation you choose, as a horizontal or vertical barrier or at an angle as displayed on the right.

These barriers count as half cover for those who stand within the spaces, and grants them a +1 to ranged weapon attacks.

Psychic Bind

When you reach the 17th level, your ability to restrain creatures with your mind is matched by few. You can cast either the hold person or hold monster spell, requiring no components, and your spellcasting ability for the spell is Intelligence. On each of your turns while you concentrate on the spell, including the turn when you cast it, you can make one attack with a weapon as a bonus action.

Once you cast the spell with this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a Psionic Energy die to cast it again.

Statblocks

Sometimes when at the table, one may wish to interact or compete with arbalests that are not actual players. The following section includes several statblocks for arbalest NPC's

Arcane Arbalest

Medium Humanoid (Any Race), Any Alignment

---

• Armor Class 17 (Scale mail, shield)
• Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)

---

• Skills Arcana 5, Perception +2
• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages any one language (usually Common)
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

---

Pack Tactics. The arbalest has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the arbalest's allies is within 5 feet of the arbalest and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Spellcasting. The arbalest is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost

1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, expeditious retreat, magic missile, sleep

2nd level (3 slots): blur, dragon's breath, invisibility, warding wind

3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball

Trigger Finger (1/Turn) The arbalest deals an extra 8 (3d4) damage when it hits a target with a ranged attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5ft. of an ally of the arbalest that isn't incapacitated and the thief doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Actions

Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Ray of Frost (Cantrip). Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d8) cold damage, and the target's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of the arbalest's next turn.

Monster Meister

Medium Humanoid (Any Race), Any Alignment

---

• Armor Class 17 (Scale mail, shield)
• Hit Points 90 (12d8+36)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)

---

• Skills Perception +3, Survival, +3
• Senses passive Perception 13
• Languages any one language (usually Common)
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

---

Pack Tactics. The monster meister has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the monster meister's allies is within 5 feet of the monster meister and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Shielded Mind. The monster meister's thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means.

Trigger Finger (1/Turn). The monster meister deals an extra 8 (3d4) damage when it hits a target with a ranged weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5ft. of an ally of the monster meister that isn't incapacitated and the thief doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Monster Slayer (1/Day). When the monster meister lands an attack against a monstrosity, undead, ooze, or abberation that deals Trigger Finger damage, the trigger finger dice rolled is doubled.

Actions

Multiattack. The monster meister makes three heavy crossbow attacks. If it has a dagger drawn, it can also make a dagger attack.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage.

Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Starting Equipment

When you create your arbalest, you receive equipment based on a combination of your class and background. You can however choose to instead start out with a number of gold pieces based on the following chart and spend the gold on items from the equipment lists in Chapter 5 of the Players Handbook.

Multiclassing

Multiclassing can allow you to gain levels in multiple classes. The following information will help you with multiclassing into the arbalest class.