Mystical snipers who weave magic into their projectiles to produce supernatural effects.
You learn useful techniques both magical and mundane.
Cantrips. You initially gain one cantrip of your choice from the Druid or Wizard spell lists, and you gain another cantrip of your choice from either spell list when you reach Fighter levels 7 and 10.
You use your choice of Intelligence or Wisdom as your spellcasting attribute for these cantrips, chosen when you gain this feature. You can replace one of these cantrips with one you don't know from either spell list each time you gain a level in this class.
Esoteric Aim. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, you can use your choice of Intelligence or Wisdom for the attack and damage rolls.
Proficiencies. You gain proficiency with your choice of two of the following: Animal Handling, Arcana, Herbalism Kit, Nature, Survival, Woodcarver's Tools.
When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, you can declare it to be an Esoteric Shot.
If you do, choose a damage type from Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Radiant, Psychic, or Thunder. The weapon or ammunition used is surrounded by a magical effect matching the chosen damage type, and if the attack hits its damage is changed to that type.
Additionally, your attack roll ignores Half and Three-Quarters Cover as well as Disadvantage due to Long Range.
When you hit with an Esoteric Shot and have at least one remaining attack granted by your Extra Attack feature, you can Empower the shot if you forgo one or more of those remaining attacks.
If you choose to use one of your Shot Effects, the option you choose describes how it improves when Empowered. If you do not choose to use a Shot Effect, for each remaining attack you forgo you deal extra damage equal to the weapon's damage dice, and these additional damage dice are doubled if the triggering Esoteric Shot scored a Critical Hit.
You learn how to enhance the magic of your Esoteric Shots in various ways. When you hit with an Esoteric Shot, instead of resolving the attack normally you can choose to expend a use of this feature to resolve one of your known Shot Effects. Each Shot Effect describes what it does, and what benefit it gains from being Empowered.
Known Shot Effects. You choose two of the following options to know when you gain this feature. You choose one additional option when you reach Fighter level 10, two additional options when you reach Fighter level 15, and one additional option when you reach Fighter level 18. Whenever you gain a new option, you can also replace a previously chosen option with a different one. You cannot choose an option you already know a second time.
*Banishing Shot. Your shot can temporarily banish a foe.
*Beguiling Shot. Your shot beguiles with cupid-like charm.
*Bursting Shot. Your shot bursts with flattening force.
*Corroding Shot. Your shot coats a target with a caustic corrosive.
*Deafening Shot. Your shot explodes with deafening noise.
*Enfeebling Shot. Your shot bestows a curse of debilitating weakness.
*Freezing Shot. Your shot encases its target in a block of ice.
*Grasping Shot. Your shot creates entangling brambles.
*Igniting Shot. Your shot engulfs its target in flames, which can spread.
*Piercing Shot. Your shot can pass through obstacles to strike multiple creatures.
*Seeking Shot. Your shot chains, seeking multiple targets.
*Shadowing Shot. Your shot clouds eyes with illusory shadows.
Saving Throws. If a Shot Effect requires a saving throw, the save DC equals 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + either your Intelligence modifier or your Wisdom modifier (your choice).
Uses. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. As a Bonus Action you can activate a use of your Second Wind feature to regain a use (instead of regaining Hit Points), and you regain all uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Prerequisite: The target is a creature.
Damage. This Esoteric Shot deals no damage.
Effect. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be transported to a harmless demiplane, normally until the end of their next turn. While banished in this way, the target's Speed is 0, and it has the Incapacitated condition. At the end of the last turn of the target's banishment, the target reappears in the space it vacated or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, a successfully banished target remains banished for one more of their turns.
Prerequisite: The target is a creature.
Damage. This Esoteric Shot deals no damage. Additionally, the weapon or ammunition reappears in your hand, unconsumed.
Effect. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. If the target fails their save, they become Charmed by either you or a willing ally of yours that both you and the target can see. The condition ends if the target finishes a Long Rest, or if you or your allies attack or deal damage to the charmed target, or force them to make a saving throw, or the effect is dispelled.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, this effect's Save DC is increased by 1.
Prerequisite: You chose Force damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. The target takes the attack's damage. Then, a burst of Force energy is released and each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere (including the target) must make a Constitution saving throw. Large or smaller creatures that fail their save gain the Prone condition, and take half the attack's damage. Unattended objects in the area take the attack's damage and are scattered away from the point of impact.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, roll the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage.
Prerequisite: You chose Acid damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. The target takes the attack's damage. Then, a magical corrosive splashes from the point of impact in a 5-foot-radius sphere, dousing all objects and all creatures (including the original target) that fail a Dexterity saving throw. Each doused target takes half the attack's damage now, and will take 2d4 Acid damage at the end of their next turn (or Initiative 0 in the case of inanimate objects).
As a Utilize action, a creature within reach of a doused target or a 5-foot section of a doused object can neutralize the magical corrosive to prevent them from taking further Acid damage.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, the Damage Threshold of each affected object is considered to be 3 lower for purposes of resisting the Acid damage of this effect, and doused targets take 2d4 Acid damage for one additional turn.
Prerequisite: You chose Thunder damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. The target takes the attack's damage. Then, each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere (including the target) must make a Constitution saving throw. Creatures that fail their save gain the Deafened condition, and cannot take Reactions until the start of their next turn. Creatures that cannot hear automatically succeed on their saving throw.
Creatures that are Deafened in this way can repeat their saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the condition on themselves on success.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, roll the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage, and the radius of the sphere is increased by 5 feet.
Prerequisite: You chose Necrotic damage for this Esoteric Shot, and the target is a creature.
Damage. This Esoteric Shot deals no damage initially.
Effect. The target becomes cursed. While cursed in this way, the creature takes 1d8 Necrotic damage at the start of their turn, and the target deals half damage with weapon attacks and Unarmed Strikes.
Creatures that are cursed in this way can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of their turns, removing the curse from themselves on success. The curse can also be ended by Remove Curse and similar abilities.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, the Save DC of the first saving throw made against this effect is increased by 1, and the Necrotic damage a cursed target takes in subsequent turns is increased by 1d8.
Prerequisite: You chose Cold damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. This Esoteric Shot deals no damage, but can cause exhaustion.
Effect. The target is encased in a block of ice. While encased in this block of ice, the target has Total Cover, and if the target is a creature they also have the Paralyzed condition. At the end of each of its turns, an encased creature can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the ice shatters, freeing the target and ending the effect. An encased creature takes a level of exhaustion at the end of each minute they remain within the ice.
The block of ice is an object with AC and Hit Points equal to 10 plus your Proficiency Bonus, Vulnerability to Fire damage, and Immunity to Cold, Poison, and Psychic damage. It breaks apart and melts away when it is reduced to 0 Hit Points, freeing the target and ending the effect.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, this effect's Save DC is increased by 1.
Prerequisite: You chose Poison damage for this Esoteric Shot, and the target is a creature.
Damage. This Esoteric Shot deals no damage initially.
Effect. The target becomes entangled by thorny brambles, and so does each other creature within a 5-foot-radius sphere that fails a Dexterity saving throw. The target and creatures that fail their save gain the Restrained condition. While Restrained in this way, a creature's space and each adjacent space is Difficult Terrain due to the writhing brambles, and they take 1d6 Poison damage and 1d6 Slashing damage at the end of each of their turns.
As a Utilize action, a Restrained creature or another creature within reach can make a Strength (Athletics) check against this effect's save DC to tear away the brambles and remove the Restrained condition. A creature that fails their check takes 1d6 Poison damage and 1d6 Slashing damage, and then becomes Restrained by the brambles if they are not already. This effect ends and the brambles wither away when there are no creatures Restrained by it.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, this effect's radius is increased by 5 feet and its initial Save DC is increased by 1.
Prerequisite: You chose Fire damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. The target, all unattended objects, and also all other creatures that fail a Dexterity saving throw in a 5-foot-radius sphere take the attack's full damage. Flammable objects ignite and become affected by the Burning hazard. Creatures other than the target that succeed on their saving throw take half damage only.
If not extinguished, flames caused by this effect might spread the Burning hazard to other nearby flammable objects.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, the radius of the sphere is increased by 5 feet, and roll the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage.
Prerequisite: You chose Radiant damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. Starting from just before the point of impact with the initial target, the shot becomes partially insubstantial and keeps going in a straight line 5 feet wide and 20 feet long, passing harmlessly through objects and cover.
Every creature along this line must make a Charisma saving throw. If the initial target was a creature, they automatically fail this save. Creatures that fail their saving throw take the attack's full damage, and emit Dim Light in a 10-foot radius until the end of your next turn. While a creature emits light in this way, they cannot benefit from the Invisible condition, and attack rolls against them have advantage if the attacker can see the light.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, the length of this effect's line is increased by 10 feet, and affected creatures emit Dim Light for 1 additional turn.
Prerequisite: You chose Lightning damage for this Esoteric Shot.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. Choose a second target within 15 feet of the first target, then choose a third target within 15 feet of the second target. You do not have to be able to see the additional targets, but there cannot be total cover between a target and the next target, and you cannot choose the same target twice. All the targets except the first must make a Dexterity saving throw. The first target and all targets that fail their save take the attack's full damage, and cannot make Opportunity Attacks until the start of their next turn.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, you may choose an additional target within 15 feet of the prior target, subject to the same targeting restrictions.
Prerequisite: You chose Psychic damage for this Esoteric Shot, and the target is a creature.
Damage. Roll the attack's damage normally.
Effect. The target takes the attack's damage. Then, each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere (including the target) must make an Intelligence saving throw. Creatures that fail their save take half the attack's damage and gain the Blinded condition. Creatures that do not have eyes or that can see through magical darkness automatically succeed on their saving throw.
Creatures that are Blinded in this way can repeat their saving throw at the start of each of their turns, ending the condition on themselves on success.
Empowered. For each attack you forgo, roll the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage.