Monster Hunter Subclass Guide For Grim Hollow (D&D 2024)

Analysing the carver, devourer, occultist and trapper guilds.

In the lands of Etharis, where monsters threaten communities, guilds of monster hunters have arisen. Each has developed unique methods for killing monsters and while the job is undesirable, someone has to do it.

The monster hunter is a 3rd party class for D&D, created by Ghostfire Games and available in the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide. There are 4 subclasses available to choose from, known as guilds:

Carver guild – Fearless monster hunters that rely primarily on their strength with the sword.
Devourer guild – Consume parts of the monsters they defeat to grant themselves powers.
Occultist guild – Wield magic and specialise in nullifying spellcasting monsters.
Trapper guild – Stealthy hunters that lay traps for monsters.

But which of these subclasses is the best for your character? And which is the most powerful? My article is here to analyse all the monster hunter subclasses for D&D 2024 and answer these questions while giving some advice on tactics along the way.

Carver

What are they?

Primarily melee combatants, carvers work best when toe-to-toe with their enemy. They are fierce and unflinching warriors, fearing no one and no thing.

Key abilities

Equipped for battle (lv3)

Become proficient with heavy armor allowing you to focus completely on strength over dexterity for harder hitting attacks while maintaining strong defence.

Close quarters (lv3)

You can deal some extra damage (1d6) when you hit a creature with a melee attack by using your reaction. This will also cause the target to have disadvantage on its next attack roll.

You might notice that this conflicts with studied response as both require your reaction. This will be less damage but does have advantages.

For a start, it’s guaranteed damage. There are no guaranteed hits with studied response. This also imposes disadvantage. This will also allow you to affect creatures that may be casting spells or using non-attack abilities too. Still, with studied response’s regularity of opportunities and the ability to use it again on a miss, this feels like a big conflict in features.

Know your enemy (lv7)

Advantage against the frightened conditions, immunity to frightened against creatures in your monster grimoire and the ability to end frightened on allies are all pretty good against a fairly common condition. Just make sure your monster grimoire is filled with creature types you’re likely to face and that may be likely to cause the frightened condition. Dragons could be a good option here.

Terrorize the terrors (Lv10)

You can attempt to cause the frightened condition on those you hit. This only works on attacks made as part of a reaction (so primarily, studied response). This means you should be able to use this most turns, but will have little control over who you affect.

This only lasts until the start of your next turn though, so works best on the first attack that creature makes (so frightened affects all their attacks instead of just some). It also conflicts with using your reaction on close quarters and may make that redundant as this will cause disadvantage on all attacks, not just the next one.

Deadly redirect (Lv15)

This let’s close quarters deal 3d6 damage and gives disadvantage on all attacks rolls until your next turn. This brings it more in line with studied response which may allow you to focus damage a little more.

Average damage here is 10.5. Compare this to a greatsword with 20 strength which averages 12 damage (but with the chance of a miss, but likely multiple chances to make that attack) and the 2 options become very comparable now.

I’d likely favour deadly redirect at this point for the focus damage and because disadvantage is imposed automatically rather than with a saving throw, but both are fine options. It’s just a shame they overlap so heavily making one or the other redundant.

Controlled footwork (Lv18)

You can take a reaction twice in a round. This means close quarters and studied response can both be used in the same round. Or either can be used twice. They remain in conflict with one another, but this is the equivalent of an extra attack which is potent.

What are they good at?

Melee combat primarily. With heavy armor, they can focus on high damage weapons or a sword and shield approach for more protection and wade into close combat. Being able to frighten enemies allows them a bit of battlefield control while focusing on dealing as much damage as possible.

How effective are they?

Individually, the carver’s features are pretty good, but there’s a complete conflict between the use of studied response and close quarters that means they’re pretty incompatible. This makes some of the carver’s features redundant.

Despite this, they remain a decent option as a melee warrior, especially against frightening foes. They also have a decent amount of nullification in their arsenal as well. All of this makes them a solid, but unremarkable option.

Score: 3/5

Devourer

What are they?

Devourers quite literally consume the remains of their monstrous foes to absorb the powers they fight against, enabling them to more capably take down these foes in the future. This does have unintended consequences, such as the development of a somewhat monstrous appearance, but the ends justify the means right?

Key abilities

Alchemical gastronomy (lv3)

Proficiency with alchemist’s supplies and cooking utensils enables some of your other features, but is mostly a bit of a ribbon feature.

Transmuting metabolism (lv3)

You can carve up portions of monstrous flesh and sinew and consume it as a bonus action, granting you a temporary benefit like flight, acidic blood, invisibility, natural weapons and so on.

More intelligence will mean more simultaneous transmutations so it’s worth investing in. I did check, and all creature types are featured here. This means that whatever you slay will be able to enhance you, but your options on what enhancements you can take will be more limited. Most mutations work for 3 types of creatures so there is variety. I think all creature types feature at least 3 times other than humanoids (which only feature once).

The features are generally quite good and a bonus action is a small sacrifice, especially for a monster hunter. Some things like regeneration and resistance are universally useful. Others may be more situational or depend on your character build like telepathy or acumen. Largely though, I don’t think it’ll be hard for you to find a use for the majority of these transformations making this a solid and adaptable buff, albeit one heavily influenced by the enemies you face.

Synchronized response (lv7)

Your studied response allows you to attack with your reaction most turns, so an extra d6 damage to this is a decent damage buff. It also encourages using transmuting metabolism each combat.

Gnawing hunger (lv10)

Temporary hit points 1-5 times per short rest is decent, especially as there’s no extra action economy required. If you’re able to make short rests between most encounters, and your intelligence is high enough, you can be adding on temporary hit points most turns in combat (as long as you’re being damaged between uses).

The temporary hit points are dependant on the damage dealt. High intelligence will help again here because of your level 5 class feature, as will wielding two handed weapons and finding other ways to enhance your damage. In fact your reaction attacks may be slightly more potent because of synchronized response, making this a good option for gaining the temporary hit points.

Alchemical decoctions (Lv15)

You can now make potions that offer the same benefits as your consumed monster portions. This means they can be saved up for opportune moments, or shared with the party. I’d try and have slightly more situational (but still important) mutations saved as potions, with more broadly useful options available from monsters you kill. But you may just really want a certain mutation available for a tough battle, in which case, you can make that a potion.

Acquired taste (Lv18)

1 more monster portion that can be consumed is good and advantage on your reaction attack will make you more reliable at hitting. Both of these are good and another good reason to always be eating a portion for a combat encounter.

What are they good at?

Devourers tend to be better in close combat. Not only do they gain temporary hit points when hitting an enemy in melee range, but their mutations also tend to lean more into close combat. This is not only due to resiliency features like damage resistances, but also things like acid blood (which damages nearby enemies), natural weapons (which rely on close combat) and enhancements to strength-based attacks.

Not all mutations are combat-focused though. Things like flight, invisibility and acumen all have utility applications that make devourers a little more capable outside of combat too. However, the random nature of what mutations you can use, can make this unreliable too.

How effective are they?

Devourers are a little tricky to assess. In theory, their features are broadly pretty good. If mutations could more easily be chosen, then I think I’d rate them quite highly. The issue is that your mutations are largely limited by what you kill and this makes them difficult to rely on.

Having said that, most mutations have fairly broad applications and have multiple ways to get them. This means there is flexibility in the system and your mutations will often be useful. Just maybe not useful in the ways you really wanted them to be.

Score: 3/5

Occultist

What are they?

Monster hunters that wield both spells and swords to slay monsters. They are also experts at killing mages and spell-wielding creatures.

Key abilities

Acolyte of the occult (Lv3)

You gain proficiency in the arcana skill which is a perfectly decent knowledge skill, but only a minor boon.

Spellcasting (lv3)

You gain the ability to cast spells, with a ceiling of level 4 spells making you a 1/3 caster (much like an eldritch knight or an arcane trickster).

Spellcasting and swordsmanship can be a tricky balance to get right. Unlike fighters though, your action isn’t quite as precious for attacks as extra attack doesn’t kick in until level 11. Instead, you’ve got a reaction being used for an attack.

Even so, it’s rare that cantrips will outperform your attacks in combat. This means I’d rely on damage dealing cantrips less and perhaps go for utility or maybe an AoE option like thunderclap (since you’ll often be in the middle of multiple enemies). The exception here is true strike which is brilliant for a level 3-10 monster hunter as it’ll enhance the damage of your single attack without getting in the way of extra attacks.

For levelled spells, you’ll either need something more potent than your attacks (like fireball), that can be cast as a bonus action (like misty step) as your bonus action is rarely in demand, or spells that can be cast outside of combat.

Arcane interference (lv3)

Advantage on saving throws against spells cast by monsters in your monster grimoire is pretty good, but potentially situational. However, the ability to use studied response in response to a spell being cast can be very useful. It’ll help you focus fire on those pesky spellcasters and might even allow you to do something problematic for them like push them out of range or topple them so their spell attack has disadvantage.

Mage hunter (lv7)

Humanoid spellcasters are now part of your monster grimoire, which is very handy. And since all elves and tieflings and a bunch of other species all have innate spellcasting (at least the standard versions), then technically they’re all in your monster grimoire.

This also affects arcane interference which means a lot of the spells now hurled against you, will do so facing your advantage.

On top of this, you now become great at breaking concentration which can be very useful for ending nasty spell effects.

Occult knowledge (lv10)

I believe there’s a hang up here from the 2014 rules as all spellcasters can cast rituals in the 2024 rules anyway. However, a couple of free ritual spells is useful for some extra utility. Spells like find familiar, detect magic and leomund’s tiny hut are all useful options. In fact, I’ve got a bunch of advice about this in my ritual spells guide.

However, I do think there’s an unintentional exploit here. There’s no mention of what level spell you can learn. And because rituals don’t require a spell slot, technically you can grab Rary’s telepathic bond (level 5 spell) or forbiddance (level 6 spell) and cast those as rituals. I’d probably rule that you’re limited to learning spells of the spell level you can normally learn spells for, but it’s an interesting exploit if your DM allows it.

Magical aegis (Lv15)

Extending your protection from magic in an aura to allies is really useful, especially as humanoid spellcasters are included in this and you have a few different creature types as well.

A free casting of counterspell plus having it as a known spell is useful, but be aware that it conflicts with studied response. It’s particularly good against NPCs though as although it won’t expend a spell slot, it will expend uses of spells that are once or 3 times per day (which most creatures specify in their spellcasting stat block now).

Arcane response (Lv18)

It’s not hard to use studied response and this will give you a very potent ranged attack to use. It also means you can cast 2 levelled spells per round (one on your turn and one as a reaction). You could even use something like Tasha’s hideous laughter or hold person, which will occur before the enemy spell is cast, and stop them casting the spell altogether.

What are they good at?

Dealing with spellcasters and combining weapons and spellcasting. Because of the spells they possess, occultists make a good utility option as well as generally being able to deal more damage than the average monster hunter (at least while spell slots are available).

How effective are they?

Occultists are quite good. While some aspects of their features are technically situational, spellcasters are not hard to come by and are usually problematic when you do. They weave spells into their repertoire quite nicely and even just having things like true strike and thunderclap available are big boons.

On top of this is the ability to easily disrupt spellcasters. Striking them before a spell can be enough sometimes to prevent or hamper a spellcasting opportunity which can be really useful. You can also invoke disadvantage on concentration tests and are resilient to many spells that will be thrown at you (and can extend this benefit to allies).

All of this makes the occultist a pretty strong subclass and a great option for players that want to weave martial prowess with spellcasting acumen.

Score: 4/5

Trapper

What are they?

Trappers operate more like traditional hunters. They lay traps, hide out of sight and strike at the most opportune moment. They’re prone to more stealth and less brute force than other monster hunter guilds.

Key abilities

Sneaky and crafty (lv3)

Proficiency in stealth and tinker’s tools are fine ribbon features, with stealth being particularly useful.

Trapper gadgets (lv3)

You can create trapper gadgets. There are some useful things here, but it requires planning. Extra damage on ammunition and the ability to restrain a creature are the most useful. Preventing healing is useful if you know you’re up against something that can heal while a terrain cloak is a great piece of stealth equipment.

I find runic bombs a bit disappointing. Creatures can move away from the area if needs be and there are many ways to avoid using standard damage types that this just feels inferior. Even elemental ammunition will do this. An occultist can also do this much more easily with true strike, for example. Obviously it will help allies too, but it does feel a little underwhelming.

If you are going to play a trapper though, a high intelligence will be important to aid chances of success with some of these gadgets.

Ambusher’s advantage (lv7)

You add your intelligence modifier to initiative rolls and can’t be surprised by creatures in your monster grimoire. High initiative is always great, I’d just make the most of your early turns (or grab the alert origin feat so you can grant them to others like a fireballing wizard).

Agile response (lv10)

Studied response gets way better by imposing disadvantage on an attack and getting to move away. This is particularly useful against hard hitting, multi-attack enemies. Your movement might be just enough to get you out of range of a follow up attack and imposing disadvantage increases the chances of a miss too.

Monster-hide armor (lv15)

These are some really strong enhancements to your armor. +2 AC is hard to turn down. And if you’re relying on stealth, removing the disadvantage on stealth rolls that half plate would impose is worth an extra AC too. All the options are good though. The hard part is picking which 2 to choose, though I’d maybe say damage resistance will be less consistently useful in most cases.

Rapid tinkerer (lv18)

You can basically make more trapper gadgets more quickly without the gold cost (at least twice per long rest). This means you should have more trapper tools available for you to wield at any one time.

What are they good at?

Ranged attacks and stealth. They make decent melee warriors too, but trappers are best at preparing for an attack and shooting from cover. If you can, surprising the enemy for early attacks too.

How effective are they?

Trappers are fairly decent with the level 7, 10 and 15 features all being quite strong options. Trapper gadgets are good, but can get a bit fiddly and you have limited uses here. Still, if in doubt, get your enemies restrained with the scorpion anchor and you can nullify your enemies a bit.

Monster-hide armor is a really good feature, but kicks in too late for many characters, which is a shame. But if you like sneaking about, making attacks early in combat and being able to avoid enemy attacks more easily, then trappers make a decent option.

Score: 3/5

Which monster hunter subclass is best?

All monster hunter subclasses are decent options, though in my opinion, the occultist is the best of the lot. With the support of magical powers and the ability to deal with problematic spellcasters (including the non-monstrous kind), they feel like the strongest option to me. This is especially the case when supplementing attacks with things like true strike for even more power.

Other subclasses can lean a little into slightly situational features, like devourers and their mutations. Carvers on the other hand, have some great features, but many of them conflict with one another for use of your reaction, limiting their effectiveness. Trappers feel a little fiddly at early levels, but increase in power as you gain levels. But their best feature kicks in quite late (at level 15) making it a bit too late for most characters.

Overall, monster hunters have a decent and balanced set of subclasses, all of which can fit quite nicely into any party setup.

What do you think of the monster hunter’s subclasses? Let me know in the comments below.