Any Adventurer Can Become a Warhammer Slayer in 5E D&D

Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted borrow some inspiration from the Warhammer Fantasy universe and share ideas about the dwarven slayers of the setting. In the video they consider various fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons options to recreate the iconic dwarf warrior for 5E D&D. I used to play Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay decades ago and definitely recall these berserkers from their appearance right on the cover of the rulebook. While we planned the video and did some research, what really captured my attention is the process to become a dwarf slayer and how they take a name from the ferocious creatures they slay. In my imagination any 5E D&D character might aspire to become such a slayer. Instead of marking out a character path to simulate these slayers I think it might be fun and interesting to come up with some special goals and rewards for adventurers who dedicate the entire fiber of their being to the hardest and most destructive life of battle that they can possibly find.

Choose your doom and slay your hated foe

Would you be surprised to learn the idea of a Slayers campaign already percolates in my imagination? I love themed campaigns for 5E D&D and a party of hopeful Slayers sounds like a blast. In this scenario a Dungeon Master can collaborate with players during session zero to determine the type of creature each character aims to slay. Something in each character’s backstory gives them an intense loathing for a particular creature type, which caused severe trauma in their life. In response these characters are doomed to slay as many of the hated foes as possible before earning a glorious death themselves. There’s plenty of fantastic story elements to incorporate from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay too.

To become a Slayer, the character must make a sacred excursion towards a holy shrine called a Slayers Keep located in a treacherous region. There is a Slayers Keep for each creature type. There the character ritually shaves their head save for a single fearsome crest they dye a bright color and stiffen with a special unguent. The larger the crest, the deadlier the Slayer. After the ritual, the character carves their name on an obelisk alongside those of other Slayers. After the occult expedition the character sets out into the perilous world seeking deadly combat against hated enemies and against staggering opposition.

If a character completes these tasks they earn the title of Slayer specific to the shrine where they undertook the rituals. In addition to the benefits detailed below, whenever a Slayer encounters a chosen foe the can see within 60 feet they must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or feel compelled to use their action to attack the creature. The Slayer takes 1d8 psychic damage if their turn ends and they have not attacked the creature.

Each type of Slayer also has a benchmark for kills. Once a character reaches this benchmark they gain an additional benefit, shown below.

Alienslayer

Whenever you reduce an aberration to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra psychic damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the psychic damage dealt.

15 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against aberrations and saving throws against effects from and spells cast by aberrations.

Wildslayer

Whenever you reduce a beast to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

50 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against beasts Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track beasts.

Heavenslayer

Whenever you reduce a celestial to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra radiant damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the radiant damage dealt.

15 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against celestials and saving throws against effects from and spells cast by celestials.

Golemslayer

Whenever you reduce a construct to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

25 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against constructs and you are immune to any spell or effect that would alter your form.

Wyrmslayer

Whenever you reduce a dragon to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

10 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against dragons and you gain resistance to one damage type of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning or poison.

Aetherslayer

Whenever you reduce an elemental to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra force damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the force damage dealt.

30 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against elementals and saving throws against effects from elementals.

Mythslayer

Whenever you reduce a fey to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra force damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the force damage dealt.

15 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against fey and saving throws against effects from and spells cast by fey.

Daemonslayer

Whenever you reduce a fiend to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra necrotic damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

50 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against fiends and saving throws against effects from and spells cast by fiends.

Titanslayer

Whenever you reduce a giant to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

25 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against giants and whenever you hit a giant it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Folkslayer

Select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs). Whenever you reduce a selected humanoid to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

100 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the chosen humanoids and saving throws against effects from and spells cast by the chosen humanoids.

Freakslayer

Whenever you reduce a monstrosity to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal extra weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the extra damage dealt.

60 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against monstrosities and saving throws against effects from monstrosities.

Goopslayer

Whenever you reduce an ooze to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal force weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the force damage dealt.

60 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against oozes and oozes have disadvantage on their attack rolls against you.

Greenslayer

Whenever you reduce a plant to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal fire weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the fire damage dealt.

25 Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against plants and you can always spot them regardless of Stealth of features like False Appearance and Plant Camouflage.

Corpseslayer

Whenever you reduce an undead to 0 hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. On your next attack you can spend one of your Hit Dice to deal necrotic weapon damage equal to the result of the roll and you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.

200Slain. You gain advantage on attack rolls against undead and undead within 30 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead.

Ready to become a Slayer?

I had a lot of fun coming up with this concept and I am curious to expand on it for 5E D&D games. The bookkeeping part of tracking your creature type kills feels too noodly but it’s a start! Are there any creature types your character hates with a passion? Would they make the perilous journey to a Slayers Keep and doom themselves with a vow to slay these loathsome foes on sight? Would you like to see this idea expanded? Let me know!