Outlaw

---

---

Overview & Creation

Information is valuable, especially in combat. Outlaws specialize in collecting as much information about their opponents as they can while revealing as little information about themselves as possible. They analyze their targets, looking for weaknesses that they could exploit. Outlaws find the metaphorical (sometimes literal) cracks in the armor of the problems they face and dig their knives deep into them. They also deceive and vanish from their opponents, keeping their true intentions hidden. Outlaws thrive in the dichotomy of being unknown to their foes while simultaneously knowing everything about them. A Outlaw’s area of expertise falls into three categories: the Bandito, the Cutthroat, the Desperado, and the Knifeslinger.   The Bandito dedicates themself to being as dexterous as possible, in all aspects. For them, it is as if time worked a little slower. Banditos make quick work of intricate tasks that would take much longer for ordinary people, like picking locks, scaling buildings, or shuffling cards. A Bandito’s hands are as swift as they are deliberate. Banditos also possess the ability to separate themselves from their work, they could take a bounty on their mother and chalk it up to being “just business”.   The Cutthroat is a professional and a provider of services. They treat bounties and the like as jobs, and they have the right tools for it. Cutthroats are not only precise about killing, but also every step that leads up to it. From infiltration, to disguise, to getting the jump on their target Cutthroats do it all (and without suspicion if they’re skilled enough). Because bounty hunting is their profession, Cutthroats conduct their business as so. They will not “kill some bloke who stole my money!” but they will happily eliminate a party guilty of petty theft, for the right price of course.   The Desperado strikes a balance between risk and reward. For them, good fortune when they need it is very well worth the potential bunders afterward. Desperados are able to succeed in even the most unlikely of circumstances, using their wit to decipher the best moment to push their luck. They’re also well versed in the dimensions of firearms and through their understanding are able to load and smuggle them with ease. Desperados favor the pistol, and are able to use them to exploit their opponents in a similar fashion to their Outlaw siblings.   The Knifeslinger is the most specialized of the Outlaw focuses. They do one thing and they do it very well, sling knives. Be it at a range or up close, Knifeslingers are at their most natural with daggers in their hands. They are equally confident in throwing their daggers as they are in slashing with them. The motions and techniques of close-quarters, personal combat are second-nature to the Knifeslinger. Their familiarity with dynamics of combat allows them to react faster and grants them the ability to instill panic into their enemies.

---

Class Features

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’ tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 6th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies (in skills or with thieves’ tools) to gain this benefit.

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Outlaw table.

Thieves’ Cant

Beginning at 1st level, during your criminal training you learned thieves’ cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves’ cant understands such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly. In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.

Cunning Action

Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can use a bonus action on each of your turns in combat to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Outlaw Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you emulate in the exercise of your Outlaw abilities: Bandito, Cutthroat, Desperado, or Knifeslinger, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores o f your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an explosion or cannonfire. 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.

Reliable Talent

By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Blindsense

Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

Slippery Mind

By 15th level, you have acquired greater mental strength. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Elusive

Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren’t incapacitated.

Stroke of Luck

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

---

Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• a duster

• revolver

• 20 pistol ammo

• two daggers

• (a) derringer and 20 pistol ammo or (b) two additional daggers

• (a) a burgular’s pack or (b) an explorer's pack

---

Subclass Options

Outlaws usually have many features in common, including their emphasis on perfecting their skills, their precise and deadly approach to combat, and their increasingly quick reflexes. But different outlaws steer those talents in varying directions, embodied by the Outlaw archetypes. Their choice of archetype is a reflection of their focus. Not necessarily an indication of your chosen profession, but a description of your preferred techniques.

---

Bandito

The elusive thief

Fast Hands

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.

Second-Story Work

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to climb faster than normal; climbing no longer costs you extra movement. In addition, when you make a running jump, the distance you cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Supreme Sneak

Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Ruthless

By 13th level, you feel no compassion for your enemies (or if you do you don’t show it). If you don’t already have it you gain proficiency in intimidation and you can no longer be charmed. Along with this you’ve learned to spare no one, not even the defenseless. When you make attack an incapacitated target double the sneak attack dice you use for your damage roll.

Thief's Reflexes

When you reach 17th level, you have become adept at laying ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take two turns during the first round of any combat. You take your first turn at your normal initiative and your second turn at your initiative minus 10. You can’t use this feature when you are surprised.

---

Cutthroat

The professional killer

Professional Practices

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with two of the following tool sets: disguise kit, forgery kit, or poisoner’s kit.

Collecting Aces

Starting at 3rd level, your experience with bounties and deals has netted you with the ability to collect critical information about your targets. Spending one hour studying a target grants you one Ace. An Ace is a potential vulnerability of your target which you’ve taken note of. You can collect a maximum of three Aces on a single target and you can have up to two targets at a time. Any Aces you collect from a third target causes you to lose all Aces on your first target. When making an attack roll against a target which you have collected Aces for, you can spend an Ace to grant yourself advantage on the attack roll (the Ace you spend must have be collected from the target of your attack). You gain additional uses for Aces at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Innovating Intelligence

Starting at 9th level, you can use Aces to do more than exploit the combative vulnerabilities of your targets. When using a disguise kit for the purposes of deceiving or emulating your target, you can spend an Ace to gain advantage on your ability check made in relation to the disguise kit. When using a forgery kit for the purposes of deceiving or emulating your target, you can spend an Ace to gain advantage on your ability check made in relation to the forgery kit. When using a poisoner’s kit for the purposes of poisoning your target, you can spend an Ace to gain advantage on your ability check made in relation to the poisoner’s kit.

Improved Aces

At 13th level, your ability to gather, document, and comprehend the critical information that your target reveals has vastly improved. You can now collect a maximum of five Aces on one target and you can now have up to three targets at a time. Additionally, you now collect two Aces on your target per hour. You must still spend an entire hour studying your target to collect Aces for that hour. For example, if you had four Aces on a target, you would still need to spend an entire hour studying your target to reach your maximum of five Aces.

Perfectly Executed

At 17th level, your tendency for careful planning and rigorous research has granted you the ability to land that one perfect strike. When you successfully hit a target of whom you have collected Aces in a way which grants you Sneak Attack, you may spend a number of Aces (collected from that target) to add additional Sneak Attack dice equal to the amount of Aces spent (these dice are not doubled for critical hits).  

---

Desperado

The swift risk-taker

Gun Smuggler

By 3rd level, you’ve learned how to conceal your weapons well enough that those that would want to take your weaponry (or even want to know whether your carrying a weapon) have a hard time finding where you’ve hidden them. You have advantage on any Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks made to conceal firearms.

Speed Loader

At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to reload quickly so as not hinder yourself in a gunfight. You can use your bonus action to reload a firearm.

Pistolero

By 9th level, you’ve learned how to take advantage of your ability with a pistol in order to give yourself an edge, even in less than favorable circumstances. As long as you are using a firearm that uses the pistol ammo type, you don't need advantage on your attack roll to use your Sneak Attack even if no ally is within 5 feet of the creature you are attacking, and even if you have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for the Sneak Attack class feature still apply to you.  

Risky Gambit

By 13th level, you’ve learned how make risky decisions that could pay off in spades, with the knowledge it may beset you soon enough. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you can choose to make it with advantage. If you use this feature, the next ability check, attack roll, saving throw you make must be made with disadvantage. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and you regain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.

Dark Horse

Starting at 18th level you’ve learned to pull yourself up, even if the odds are stacked against your favor in order to come out on top even in unlikely circumstances. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw with disadvantage you may add your Charisma modifier to the roll.  

---

Knifeslinger

The sly blademaster

Knife Juggler

Starting at 3rd level, using your bonus action you can make a ranged dagger attack against an enemy.

Tactical Instincts

Starting at 3rd level, your unmistakable confidence propels you into battle. You can add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls. In addition, you don't need advantage on your attack roll to use your Sneak Attack if no creature other than your target is within 5 feet of you. All the other rules for the Sneak Attack class feature still apply to you.

Strike of Panic

Beginning at 9th level, when you make an attack with a dagger you can force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (min. 1). You regain all uses of this feature after a long rest.

Flurry of Blades

By 13th level, when you're wielding your blades, your hands move in a flurry of motion. You can use your action to make either melee or ranged dagger attacks against all enemies within 15ft of you. You must have a separate dagger for each ranged attack, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.

Right Between the Eyes

By the time you’ve reached 17th level, your deadliness and accuracy with a dagger has reached its peak. When you successfully make a dagger attack using the Knife Juggler feature the enemy must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). You roll a number of dice equal to half the sneak attack dice you roll, for damage. On a failed saving throw they take full damage, on a successful saving throw they take half damage.