Battlerager

A Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Class.

I had not seen true carnage until I saw the battleragers of Wren running down the hills of Klefield. They roared thunderously, their helmets directed at the masses in front of them. They were outnumbered ten to one, but I pitied their enemies. How could this roaring mass be the same as the group of loyal, jolly, but smelly, friends I had met only yesterday? Where was their polite conversation and their total dedication to their leader? Sure, I had seen the spikes. I had seen them running through doors. But I had found it entertaining. Not anymore.

Delian the Bard

Running ahead of his companions, his charge helmet pointing towards the enemy, he knows he will be the first one to wrack carnage. He can still smell the blood from the last battle within his steel cage and it drives him to run even harder. The hill is steep and as he falls, he starts to smile. For now, he is a ball of spiked metal that is going to roll over some fleshy pawns that stand no chance against his onslaught.

Standing near her master, she breathes heavily. Energy is gathering below her infused power cage. She feels it sizzle. Then, a meteor appears in the sky. The enemy wizard is a powerful one. She gathers all her energy and launches herself. She shoots towards the stone and crashes into it. One win for her, zero for the great ball of stone that now lies shattered on the land.

Thrashing in his armor, he runs towards the door. The door, all of the sudden, is no more. A room greets him, filled with them bloody orcs. As they throw themselves at him, he curls up into a ball. No weapon can penetrate the block of steel that he has become. He abides his time. Then, suddenly, he is a whirling wind of spikes and gore. The room is splattered wuith the corpses of his enemy, but he is merely breathing heavily.

Rage and Carnage

While most warriors pride themselves on the perfect control they have over their weapons, the technique they display in battle, and the shining state of their armor, the battlerager wants none of that. He has learned through pain and endurance that the best way to fell an enemy is to close the distance as quickly as possible and piercing all possible spiky things you can have on your armor through its body. That works for doors as well.

And yet, a battlerager is not a mindless monster. While fueled by rage, he knows that he must take the most optimal route towards his enemy to take control of the situation. Before a battlerager closes the gap to his enemy, he is a protector, a tactician and a great ally.

Duty and Honor

Battleragers are among the most respected warriors in many societies that understand how they can use these fearless warriors. Once pledged to a commander, a king, or a soulmate, a battlerager will never forsake his mission to defend that person to the death. There is no greater pride than to die in battle while defending your ward. Except for that ward to stay alive as well. Duty comes before honor.

But honor is important. A battlerager that is on his own because of whatever reason, is a battlerager with a problem. Because a battlerager needs guidance, and without guidance he is lost. And a battlerager is either alone because he failed to protect his ward, or becausee he did something shameful. The endless quest for restoring himself to a position of honor is the only way to go, but the mind might collapse before that goal can ever be fulfilled.

The Battlerager
LevelProficiency BonusFeatureBattlerages
1st+2Battlerage, Battlerager’s Cage, Fueled by Rage2
2nd+2Ever Moving, Redirect Rage2
3rd+2Battlerager Tactics2
4th+2Ability Score Improvement2
5th+3Extra Attack, No Barriers3
6th+3Tactics Feature3
7th+3Headstrong3
8th+3Ability Score Improvement3
9th+4Crimson Spikes4
10th+4Tactics Feature4
11th+4Protective Instincts4
12th+4Ability Score Improvement4
13th+55
14th+5Tactics Feature5
15th+5Persistent Battlerage5
16th+5Ability Score Improvement5
17th+66
18th+6Brawn over Nimbleness6
19th+6Ability Score Improvement6
20th+6Perpetual MotionUnlimited

Creating a Battlerager

When creating a battlerager, you have to know which societies support such ruthless warriors. These societies almost always have a strong honor system in place. Dwarves are great examples of this, as are some orc societies. Some battleragers are very straight forward. They gain their power from their rage. Some are more magical fueled. Does the world you are going to adventure in allow such magical combinations?

After you have determined where you came from, you have to ask what your motivations are to take to the road. Are you on a mission for your charge, or have you been dishonored? Are you on your way to a war in a distant land, or are you searching for the civilization that collapsed while you were away for centuries, frozen in ice? Whatever the case might be, always keep duty and honor in mind. Even if you have straight from that path, your eternal code might interfere with some choices you might have to make while on a path to glory of infamy with your companions.

Quick Build

You can make a battlerager quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the soldier background.

Class Features

As a battlerager, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per battlerager level

Hit Points at 1st level: 12 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per battlerager level after 1st.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor (battleragers must wear a battlerager cage, which is considered a heavy armor, to use their charge helmet and spiked gauntlets)

Weapons: charge helmet, hand axe, javelin, light hammer, and spiked gauntlets (the charge helmet and spiked gauntlets must be attached to the battlerager cage in order to wield them effectively, as described below)

Tools: Choose the smith’s tool and tinker’s tools as your artisan’s tools.

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

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

  • A charge helmet and a set of spiked gauntlets
  • A suit of battlerager armor
  • An explorer’s pack and both smith’s tools and tinkerer’s tools

Battlerager Features

The following are all the battlerager features for levels 1 to 20.

Battlerage

Level 1 Feature

With great determination, you start running towards your enemy while rage takes over your body. On your turn, you can enter a battlerage as a bonus action.

While battleraging, you gain the following benefits if you are wearing battlerager armor:

  • You have advantage on all Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
  • You gain 20 feet bonus to your movement.
  • You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
  • As part of the attack action, you can spend a rage point to deal +2 damage on your attacks until the start of your next turn. This damage increases to +3 at 9th level and finally to +4 at 16th level.

If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your battlerage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your battlerage on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have used your battlerage feature the number of times shown for your battlerager level in the Battlerages column of the Battlerager table, you must finish a long rest before you can battlerage again.


Battlerager’s Cage

Level 1 Feature

You can wear heavy battlerager armor, called a Battlerager’s Cage. This armor resembles a mass of spikes attached to a solid and heavy piece of plate armor that is so uncomfortable that if you have not trained as a battlerager, it will halve your maximum hit points. You, however, are so comfortable within your armor that you can sleep in it without gaining a point of exhaustion. You even prefer this above taking it off. This armor includes two spiked gauntlets and a charge helmet.

Your Battlerager Cage grants you an armor class of 18. You have disadvantage on stealth checks while wearing this armor and you cannot add your Dexterity modifier to your armor class. Unless you are not wearing your spiked gauntlets, you cannot use a shield.

The spiked gauntlets are considered light weapons and therefore can be wielded as an offhand weapon. They deal 1d8 bludgeoning or slashing damage. This damage increases to 1d10 at 7th level and to 1d12 at 13th level. As a battlerager, you can add your strength modifier to your offhand attacks using this weapon.

The charge helmet deals 2d8 bludgeoning or piercing damage. This damage increases to 2d10 at 7th level and to 2d12 at 13th level and is considered to be wielded as a light weapon. You cannot use the charge helmet unless you move at least 10 feet towards your target before the attack and never more than once on your turn. It cannot be used as an offhand weapon but can be used in combination with other weapons as part of your attack action if you have more than one attack.


Fueled by Rage

Level 1 Feature

You fuel your rage with an inner reserve of power. You have a number of rage points equal to your battlerager level plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Some battlerager features require you to spend ragepoints. You can spend as many ragepoints on your turn as you wish but never twice on the same feature. You can never spend your rage point while not battleraging.

Additionally, you regain 1 rage point when you reduce at least one target to 0 hit points on your turn.

You regain all your ragepoints after a long rest.


Ever Moving

Level 2 Feature

You can stand up from prone by using only 5 feet of movement.

In addition, you are not hampered by difficult terrain either.


No Barriers

Level 2 Feature

While battleraging, you deal double damage against objects when using your charge helmet.


Battlerager Tactics

Level 3 Feature

You choose the battlerager tactics that suit your way of fighting in your cage most perfectly. Choose Battle Forged, Cage Forged, Power Forged, or Rage Forged, all detailed at the end of the class description. The tactics that you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.


Ability Score Improvements

Level 4 Feature

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.


Extra Attack

Level 5 Feature

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.


Redirect Rage

Level 5 Feature

At the start of your turn, you can spend 1 rage point to gain the following benefits:

  • While battleraging and making a charge helmet attack, you gain advantage on the attack.
  • You can use a bonus action to disengage.

These benefits last until the end of your turn.


Headstrong

Level 7 Feature

You can spend 2 ragepoints to gain advantage on a saving throw against a charm or fear effect.

In addition, when you are under the influence of a charm or fear effect, you gain advantage on saving throws to end the effect.


Crimson Spikes

Level 9 Feature

Your fury returns your health to you. Any time your roll a natural 20 when making an attack with either your charge helmet or your spiked gauntlets, you regain a number of hit points equal to half your battlerager level plus your Constitution modifier.

When you reach 13th level, your roll needs to be a natural 19 or 20. At 17th level, the roll needs to be a natural 18, 19, or 20.


Protective Instincts

Level 11 Feature

You are born a protector. You gain the following benefits:

  • When an ally is reduced to 0 hit points in battle and the creature that did it is within your movement range, you can take a reaction and spend 2 ragepoints to move and make a single charge helmet attack against that creature. You do not provoke opportunity attacks when doing so.
  • When an ally within 5 feet of you suffers damage from a melee attack, and you can get next to your ally and the attacker by moving no more than 10 feet, you can take half that damage as a reaction.

Persistent Battlerage

Level 15 Feature

Your battlerage ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it.


Brawn over Nimbleness

Level 18 Feature

You gain proficiency in the athletics skill. If you already had proficiency in the athletics skill, you gain expertise instead, adding twice your proficiency bonus to any athletics check.

In addition, when you make a Dexterity saving throw, you can spend two ragepoint to make a Strength saving throw instead, representing that you shrug of the pain with brawn rather than with getting out of the way.


Perpetual Motion

Level 20 Feature

Your battlerage ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it. You regain half your rage points after a short rest.

In addition, while battleraging, you gain the following benefits:

  • You are immune to effects that lower your movement speed. When an effect would reduce your speed, it instead fails to do so.
  • When you move at least 10 feet and attack a vertical surface with your charge helmet, then, if you destroy the surface in such a way that you can move through, it is as if you had not made that attack.
  • You can run through a square occupied by an enemy creature after you attacked it with your charge helmet and continue your movement without provoking an opportunity attack.
  • You can use your battlerage feature an infinite amount of times per day.

Battlerager Tactics

Battleragers are forged in the fires of battle. But there is more than one way in which this is done. From having your battlerager cage being modified with electrical circuits or magical seals of lightning, to having more overlapping plates that allow for better defense. From allowing your battlerage to use your armor even more effectively, to having bigger spikes to deal more damage. These are the ways that allow you to be unique amongst your kin.

Optional Level 1 Features
Unlisted on ‘The Battlerager’ table are possible level 1 features. Though the class isn’t designed around a level 1 feature, I have added these for all classes in my own campaigns. This way, you can embrace the type of battlerager you want to be from the start.

Battle Forged

Protection is your main goal. Your battlerager cage is a bastion of defense, impenetrable for your enemies and a shield for your ward. You feel secure within you’re armor and can handle anything that comes your way.

To protect your ward, you rush across the battlefield, using your charge helmet as you main weapon. Your helmet is the part of your armor that is either the most pristine, most destructive, or most intimidating part of your battlerager’s cage.


Getting In There

Level 1 Feature (optional)

Your first charge helmet attack in combat deals an additional 1d4 piercing damage.


Battle Cage

Level 3 Feature

You know how to use your battlerager cage for defense. As a bonus action and by spending one ragepoint , you can use the Dodge action.


Charge tactics

Level 3 Feature

When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with your charge helmet, you reroll for damage with that die and add the 1 or 2 to the new result.


Bulwark of Spikes

Level 6 Feature

Whenever you are hit by a melee attack, you can use a ragepoint to take only half damage and deal piercing damage equal to half your battlerager level against the attacker. When you deal damage this way, you also gain Blood Rush until the end of your next turn.

While you have Blood Rush, you deal additional damage on all your weapon attacks equal to your proficiency bonus.


Last Man Standing

Level 10 Feature

If you drop to 0 hit points while you’re battleraging and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. You can spend three ragepoint to give yourself advantage on these rolls. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.


Charging Bull

Level 14 Feature

While Battlerage is active, you can use your charge helmet to push your target away. As an action and by spending 5 ragepoints, make a charge helmet attack.

If you hit your target, it must make a strength saving throw versus DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, you deal an additional number of d6s of damage equal to half your level and push your target 15 feet. On a succesful saving throw, the additional damage is halved and you don’t push your target.

You can move with your target if you want and you can still make use a bonus action to make one spiked gauntlet attack.


Cage Forged

You sleep in your cage, you bath in your cage, and you ARE your cage. The shell of stinking, sweaty metal has become one with your body (almost) and you have adapted a crust of thick skin yourself as well. Sometimes, you forget that your hands are lethal spikes. Most times, you have perfect control over all aspects of your cage and know very well where those spikes belong: In the bodies of your enemies.

Party Crasher

Level 1 Feature (optional)

When you would take falling damage, you take only half and you always land on your feet if you fall at least 10 feet.


Cage Born

Level 3 Feature

You almost become one with your battlerager cage. You skin has become hard as steel. You gain the following benefits:

  • While wearing your armor you do not suffer disadvantage on your stealth checks.
  • While not wearing armor (which is NEVER!), you have an armor class of 13 plus your Constitution modifier.

Unstoppable Progression

Level 3 Feature

When you make a charge helmet or spiked gauntlet attack, you score a critical hit on a 19 or a 20.

In addition, your battlerager cage comes so natural to you. You increase your speed while battleraging by an additional 10 feet.


Battle Hardened

Level 6 Feature

You have suffered enough damage from a diversity of sources that you gain resistance to either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage while you are battleraging.

At 13th level, and again at 17th level, you can pick an additional type of resistance from the list.


Quick Succession

Level 10 Feature

By spending 1 ragepoint, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack Action on your turn.


Second Skin

Level 14 Feature

Your cage is so personalized, that you have to spend an hour to take it off or put it on. While wearing your cage, you have the following benefits:

  • When you deal extra damage with your ragepoints on your Battlerage feature, the extra damage is doubled.
  • It provides an armor class of 20 instead of 18.

Power Forged

Your cage is powered by divine or arcane arts, or even by technology. Whatever the case might be, light shines from its circuits, gently pulsing. Unless you slide those plates across the marks of power, of course. You are at the center of a piece of armor that can be used to conduct electricity. And sometimes, you can even use it to launch yourself through the air.

Supercharged

Level 1 Feature (optional)

When you take lightning damage, you can use your reaction and spend a rage point to do one of three things:

  • Activate battlerage immediately.
  • Deal lightning damage on your next succesful attack equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Regain 2 ragepoints (effectively 1).

You regain the use of this feature when you finish a long rest.


Powered Cage

Level 3 Feature

You have resistance to lightning damage and your maximum number of ragepoints increases by 2.


Quick to React

Level 3 Feature

You have the following benefits:

  • You have advantage on initiative rolls.
  • You cannot be surprised while you are conscious.
  • When you use the ready action, you can spend 1 ragepoint to gain advantage on a d20 roll during that action.

Charged Attacks

Level 6 Feature

Your weapons become charged with electricity. You have the following benefits:

  • On each of your attacks, you can choose to deal lightning damage instead of your normal damage with your charge helmet and spiked gauntlets.
  • On one of your charged attacks, you deal an additional 1d8 lightning damage. This increases to 1d12 at 13th level.
  • When you score a critical hit (even when not using your Charged Attacks feature), you deal an additional 1d8 lightning damage. This increases to 1d12 at 13th level.

Powered Flight

Level 10 Feature

At the start of your turn, you can create a field of electricity around you that can lift you into the air. You gain a flying speed of 60 feet. You must decide at the start of each of your turns to keep flying. If you stop flying, you simply fall if you haven’t landed yet.

You can fly for up to 1 minute. You regain the use of this feature when you finish a long rest.


Raging Power

Level 14 Feature

You can spend 5 ragepoints to cast either Haste or Lighting Bolt, both as if you used a 3rd level spell slot. You can only cast Haste on yourself. These are the only spells you can cast while battleraging and they are powered by you anger. The DC for the Lightning Bolt is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.


Rage Forged

Your cage expresses your rage. Spikes that are overly large protrude in every angle. And you are at the center of this ball of spiked fury that crosses a battlefield like it was a living cannonball.

No Time To Die

Level 1 Feature (optional)

You have a +2 bonus on your death saving throws.

In addition, when you roll a 19 or 20 on a death saving trow, you will instantly become conscious once more with a number of Hit Points equal to your battlerager level.


Rolling Fury

Level 3 Feature

While moving, you can go prone and stand up from prone without loosing any speed.

In addition, while moving,you do not provoke opportunity attacks (unless you want to).


Spiked Cage

Level 3 Feature

Because your cage has more spikes on it than it should have, you gain the following benefits:

  • The first spiked gauntlet attack on your turn that hits deals an additional 1d6 points of slashing damage. This increases to 2d6 at 9th level and to 3d6 at 13th level.
  • If you hit with your spiked gauntlets on an opportunity attack, you deal an addtional 1d6 of slashing damage. This increases to 2d6 at 9th level and to 3d6 at 13th level.

Trash Tactics

Level 6 Feature

When you grapple a target, you automatically deal your spiked gauntlet damage if you succeed. At the start of each of your turns, as long as you are still grappling, you can spend a ragepoint to automatically deal this damage again. You also have advantage on attacks against your grappled target.


Path of Blood

Level 10 Feature

While battleraging and moving, you can spend 1 rage point to deal 1d10 piercing damage to every creature you pass, but never more than once on a single creature.

The piercing damage increases to 2d10 at 13th level and to 3d10 at 17th level.


Unfailing Anger

Level 14 Feature

Your rage makes you an unrelenting monster. You gain the following benefits:

  • If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can continue to attack unless you fail your death saving throws as normal. At the start of your turn, you are healed for a number of Hit points equal to 1d8 + your Constitution modifier.
  • If you are grappling, you become resistant to all damage.
  • While you are moving, for every opportunity attack that hits you, you regain one rage point.

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