The Marksman Light flashes from the barrel of a dwarf's pistol as a hail of bullets assails her foes. She kicks over a table and takes cover, then quickly fires a warning shot before leaping out of the window. Taking a deep breath, an elf in form fitting leather draws his bow. Down in the valley an orc guard is silently dispatched by a whistling arrow. He never knew what hit him.

Silently counting down with his fingers, a human readies his crossbow in front of a door. Suddenly, he kicks the door open as his allies stream inside. The bandits within were dead before they could draw their swords. Accuracy and Speed Marksmen devote themsleves to the mastery of ranged combat, making them deadly at a distance and hard to hit. Controlling the battlefield with well placed shots and effective use of cover allows them to protect their allies and stay out of danger without ever letting the enemy out of their sight. Some marksmen take the term "ranged combat" very seriously, preferring to stay far away from danger and taking their time to make every shot count. Others step right into the fray, confident in their ability to aim fast and shoot first or create space when necissary. Dedication and a sharp eye Not everyone who picks up a bow is destined to be a sharpshooting marksman. Even the most well trained fighters cannot match the accuracy of someone with the natural talent for marksmanship who has dedicated their life to honing their accuracy under pressure. Most marksmen eventually find themselves invloved with adventure. Their rare talents lend themselves to dangerous endeavors, and many are willing to pay for that talent. Marksmanship is a skill best suited for group combat, lending support to friendly melee fighters who keep the enemy at a safe distance, so marksmen can usually be found in the company of likeminded adventurers. Creating a Marksman The most important question to answer when creating a marksman is where did you recieve your training? Even the most talented sharpshooter needs to refine their abilities before they are ready to set out on an adventure. Did you decide to dedicate yourself to training, or did someone else recognize your inate talent and take you under their wing? Maybe you gained your inhuman accuracy while perfoming as a knife thrower in the circus. Maybe you trained with an elite military guard. Perhaps you dedicated your childhood to the firing range. Are your weapons military issue or just what you could find? Perhaps you inherited your father's bow or your grandmother's custom pistol.





Quick Build You can make a Marksman quickly by following these suggestions. First, make dexterity your highest ability score. Your next-highest should be intelligence. Second, choose the soldier background.







































Marksman Table Level Proficiency

Bonus Features 1st +2 Deadly Accurate, Quick Draw, Scavenger 2nd +2 Covering Fire, Take Cover 3rd +2 Archetype Choice 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 Extra Attack, Perfect Reload 6th +3 Archetype feature 7th +3 Evasion 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 Keen Eye 10th +4 Archetype feature 11th +4 Extra Attack 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 13th +5 Improved Quickdraw 14th +5 Battle Hardened 15th +5 Concealed Carry 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 Archetype feature 18th +6 Perfect Draw 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 Perfect Marksman

Class Features As a Marksman you gain the following features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d6 per Marksman level

1d6 per Marksman level Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier

6 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Marksman level after 1st. Proficiencies Armor: Light Armor, Bullet Proof Vests

Light Armor, Bullet Proof Vests Weapons: Shortbows, Longbows, Light Crossbows, Heavy Crossbows, Hand Crossbows, Daggers, Darts, Hand Axes, Light Hammer, Short Swords, Firearms

Shortbows, Longbows, Light Crossbows, Heavy Crossbows, Hand Crossbows, Daggers, Darts, Hand Axes, Light Hammer, Short Swords, Firearms Tools: Tinker's tools Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence

Dexterity, Intelligence Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Atheletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Survival Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a pistol and 24 bullets or (b) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts

(a) a Bullet Proof Vest or (b) Leather Armor

(a) Burgaler's Pack (b) an explorer's pack

(a) a Short Sword or (b) Two Daggers

Tinker's Tools Deadly Accurate At first level, your training and talent for accuracy give you a mastery of combat styles that utilize ranged and thrown weapons. You gain the following benefits when you are wearing light armor, no armor, or a bullet proof vest and you are weilding only weapons with the ranged or thrown property. When you take the attack action and attack with a ranged or thrown weapon with the light property that you are holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different ranged or thrown weapon wuth the light property that you are holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless the modifier is negative.

(alternate wording) When using two weapon fighting, one or both of the weapons can have the ranged property

Double the normal range and long range of any ranged or thrown weapon you are wielding.

Ranged weapon attacks you make ignore half cover and treat three-quarters cover as if it were half cover.

Scavenger At first level, your experience in the field means that you can always seem to find just enough ammunition. When you take a short or long rest, you may add one of the following to your inventory: 2d8 arrows

2d8 cross bow bolts

2d8 bullets Quick Draw At 2nd level, your fast reflexes and sharp senses allow you to get into the fight quickly and strike first. Unless you are surprised you may draw a ranged weapon or thrown weapon and make one ranged attack at disadvantage before initiative is rolled. You may use this feature twice before you finish a short or long rest. Covering Fire Starting at second level, you can use your precision with ranged weapons to protect yourself and your allies. When you are able to make a ranged attack against a creature, you may choose to forfeit that attack in order to impose disadvantage on the next attack roll that creature makes before the start of your next turn. Marksman Archetype At third level, you dedicate yourself to a specific archetype of marksmanship: Deadeye, Triggerman, Operator. Your archetype grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 17th level.

Take Cover Starting at 4th level, you are skilled in positioning yourself in cover so that you are harder to hit. If you did not use any movement on your previous turn you are considered to have Half Cover. If you already have Half Cover from a source other than this feature you are considered to have Three-Quarters cover. If you already have Three-Quarters Cover from a source other than this feature you are considered to have Total Cover. Ability Score Improvement 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. Alternatively, you can choose a feat (see Chapter 6 for a list of feats). Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 13th level in this class.

Perfect Reload Beginning at 5th level, you can ignore the loading property of ranged weapons and the reload property of firearms with the light property. Evasion Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. 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. Keen Eye Starting at 9th level, your highly trained eyes don't miss much. You have advantage on perception checks to locate a hidden creature and you do not have disadvantage when making a ranged attack against a prone creature. Concealed Carry Starting at 11th level you have mastered the art of concealing your weapons. If a creature wants to search you for hidden weapons they must make an investigation check. The DC of the investigation check is 8 + your proficiency + your dexterity modifier. If they succeed they discover your weapons, otherwise they remain undetected. Improved Quick Draw Starting at 14th level, you may use your quick draw ability three times instead of two before finishing a short or a long rest. In addition, you may also move up to your movement speed and take the hide action when you use the quick draw feature. Battle Hardened Starting at 15th level, Your experience on the battle field grants you proficiency in Wisdom saving throws Perfect Draw Beginning at 18th level, you no longer have disadvantage on your Quick Draw. In addition, you may now make two ranged attacks instead of one when you use the quick draw feature. Perfect Marksman At 20th level, you have mastered the art of Marksmanship. If your ranged attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Marksman Archetypes While all marksman focus on accuracy and precision, most Marksman eventually specialize in a particular area of skill that allows them to use their weapons in particularly astonishing ways Triggerman The operator specializes in close-quarters combat, preferring to step directly into the fray. They prefer to surpise their enemies and overwhelm them with speed and precision. Unshakable Focus At 3rd level, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Body Armor Additionally at 3rd level, your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your level when you gain this feature. Whenever you gain a level of Marksman thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 1 hit point. Fast Breach Starting at 6th level, you are able to gain the element of surpise when opening doors. If you are able to open a door, as an action you may choose to breach that door instead of opening it. When you do, the door is destroyed and you move 5 feet through the door. Any hostile creature within 30ft of the door must make a wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency score + your intelligence modifier. Any creature that fails this saving throw is surprised, even if they were aware of you. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier. All uses of this ability recharge after finishing a short or long rest. Dual Wielder Starting at 10th level, you may add your dexterity modifier to your damage rolls when you attack using your bonus action with the deadly accurate feature. Hail of Bullets Starting at 15th level, you may use your action to unleash a barrage of attacks. As an action, you force every creature within 10 feet of you to make a dexterity saving throw equal to 8+dexmod+proficiency. Each creature within range takes 2d8 piercing damage or half as much on a success. You may not use this feature again until you finish a short rest. Sniper Deadeye marksman are patient and wait for the perfect shot. They prefer to stay out of the fray so they can dedicate all of their focus to their aim. Improved Critical Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your ranged weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. The Eyes of a Predator Additionally at 3rd level, you gain darkvision up to 120ft if you did not have darkvision already. If you already had dark vision it increases to 300ft. Deep Breath Starting at 6th level, you may use your bonus action to take a calming breath. After doing so, gain advantage on all ranged attacks you make this turn. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier. All uses of this ability recharge on a short or a long rest. Shot from the Dark Starting at 7th level, you may cast the spell "Pass Without Trace" without any spell components. Once you use this feature you may not do so again until you finish a long rest. One Shot, One Kill Starting at 15th level, if you hit with your first attack on your turn it is a critical hit. Deadeye Triggermen are calm and collected in the face of combat, aware of their surroundings, and always get their man. Quick on the trigger and unrelentingly accurate, they pursue their target until it is dealt with. Unyielding Precision Starting at 3rd level, you can hound your target by holding your aim. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn. You have advantage on attacks made against the marked creature, and you have disadvantage on attacks against any other creature. In addition, if the marked creature targets any creature other than you with an attack you may use your reaction to make an attack against the creature so long as you can see it. One Hundred Yard Stare Additionally at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill and insight checks to read your facial expressions or tone have disadvantage. Sidestep Starting at 7th level, once per turn when you take damage you may roll 1d8 and reduce the damge you take by the amount you roll. Vantage Point Starting at 10th level, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Rapid Fire Starting at 15th level, you may make an additional attack each turn if at least one attack is against a marked creature when you take the attack action.