Mad Warrior

Knee deep in the bodies of the fallen, the horrors of war and battle have left your mind shattered and unstable. Though a Mad Warrior's mind may be broken, they're body and spirit are not; The skills you have a acquired and sharpened are now fueled by a madness too potent to comprehend. Perhaps a second entity has taken root in your psyche and only shows its face at the first sign of danger, or perhaps a more vicious survival instinct was exchanged at the cost of your social and mental capabilities. Madness can take many forms, but nonetheless; When the dogs of war are let off their chains, may the gods show mercy to those who stand in their way.

 

The Mad Warrior Fighter is a very rushdown heavy, headfirst style subclass inspired by characters such as Guts from Berserk or Berserker from Fate/Zero. Fear and hesitation are foreign concepts to the Mad Warrior which focuses on its use of its "Vile Armaments" and "Mad Tactics" to get close to the enemy and throw all caution to the wind, hacking and slashing until one of your health points drops to 0.

Vile Armaments

The corruption of madness that afflicts your mind permeates into the very weapons you wield. You have a number of Vile Points equal to 6 + your Proficiency Bonus. 

You can spend these points through the alteration of your Vile Armaments or use of Mad Tactics. All Vile Points not affected by Vile Armaments are restored at the end of long rest. Additionally, you may also redistribute any Vile Points affected by Vile Armaments at the end of a long rest.

Whenever you finish a long rest, you may touch a weapon of your choice and infuse it with an additional elemental damage type (1d4) or a new weapon property so long as the added property does not contradict an already present effect such as giving a heavy weapon the light property. Weapon properties can also be removed but at the cost of two Vile Points. A single weapon can only be infused with one additional damage type and a number of Vile Points up to a max of four. The Special, Versatile, Loading, and Ammunition properties cannot be altered, as well as the two handed property on ranged weapons that logically require it. 

Additionally, you may also touch a shield after a long rest and infuse a Vile Point to increase the AC by one, up to two times. 

Vile Machination

At the discretion of your DM, the Special Property may be removed, added, or altered on a weapon of your choosing, however, no further alterations can be made to the affected weapon.

Mad Tactics

Your loss of reason and sanity allows you to fight with inhuman capabilities that would kill a normal person. You learn three Mad Tactics at 3rd level and an additional tactic at 7th, and 10th level. Some of your Mad Tactics require your target to make a saving throw to resist the tactics effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Mad Tactics save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

Mad Tactics:  

Bone Breaking Strike - As a bonus action, you can use a Vile Point to attempt an additional attack with enough force to shatter your arm. If the attack hits, roll 2d8 and add the damage to the strike while taking half the added damage yourself rounded down. 

Pain Means Nothing - Physical pain is no longer of consequence to you. Using two Vile Points ,as a reaction, you can use half of your movement to charge headfirst into an incoming attack and shrug it off for half damage.

Vile Acquisition - You feel the blinding urge to destroy your enemy with their own weapon. As a bonus action, you can use a Vile Point to grapple the enemy and steal their weapon. On a success, the stolen weapon acts as a temporary Vile Armament for 1 minute and has an additional elemental damage type of your choice (1d4).

Tendon Ripping Charge - Using all the strength in your legs that you can muster, you stampede forth with tremendous force. If you take the dash action on your turn, you can use two Vile Points to attempt to grapple an enemy and drop them to the dirt. On a success, you move an additional distance equal to  half your movement and shove the enemy, knocking them prone. 

Dislocate - There is no escape from the inevitable. Whenever an enemy provokes an opportunity attack, you can use a Vile Point to attempt to grapple the target and pull something out of its socket. On a success, you forcefully drag the enemy back into the fight.

Unrivaled Bloodlust - You hunger so violently to see your enemy's demise, your weapon shatters from the ungodly amount of force of your assault . As an action, you can use three Vile Points to make a ferocious attack that can score a critical on a 19 or 20. On a success, the attack is guaranteed maximum damage but your weapon is completely destroyed thereafter. 

Brutalizing Skull Bash - Either the enemy's skull breaks first, or you break your own trying. As an action, you can use two Vile Points to attempt to head-butt your enemy. This counts as an unarmed strike and does 1d6 bludgeoning damage. On the first attempt, the enemy must make a constitution saving throw, and on a successful hit, you can make an additional attack equal to the number of extra attacks you have with the number of damage die increasing for each consecutive attack. On any failure after the first attack, you can expend as many Vile Points as necessary to reattempt the attack until the last extra attack is successfully reached.

 

Roar of Insanity

You release a portion of your innate madness in a dark wave of tainted energy. As an action, you attempt to bolster your forces while striking fear in the enemy with violent war cry. All enemies within 60ft of you must make a DC 15 WIS saving throw or be frightened until the start of your next turn. While frightened the enemy's speed is reduced to 0. 

Additionally, up to 4 willing allies within 30ft of you allow your madness to wash over them. For 1 minute, you and any willing allies gain advantage on attack rolls, but attack rolls against you also have advantage.

This feature can only be used once per long rest.

Affliction of the Mind

A mind stricken with madness may not have castle walls to defend itself, but one should tread lightly if they dare to enter. You have disadvantage on any INT or WIS saving throws involving being charmed or mind controlled.

At the start of each of your turns that you are possessed or otherwise controlled by a will that is not your own, instead of attempting to free yourself from the foreign power, you can shape your mind into a deadly iron maiden to torment your foes. For each turn that you forgo the saving throw, madness lashes out against the mind of your enemy for 1d10 psychic damage. Additionally, if you are within 5ft of the enemy controlling you, you can use a Vile Point to attempt the saving throw with advantage. If you successfully wrangle free from the enemy's control, you can use your reaction to make an attack against that creature.

Predatory Intuition

Though your mind may be a hazy ruin of what once was, your body still recognizes danger. You gain proficiency with the Perception skill if you are not already. Any Perception check made to locate an enemy has advantage. Additionally, you are immune to being surprised.

Defiance of Logic and Reason

If someone falls so deep into madness they can no longer perceive death, can Death itself even perceive its grasp over them? If your health points drop to 0 but you are not killed outright, you can use this feature as a last ditch effort to tear the enemy apart before you bite the dust. Once this feature is used, you can no longer be healed or resurrected by any means with the exception of the Wish spell.

At the start of each of your turns, you automatically move 30ft in the direction of the enemy creature that felled you until you are within 5ft of them. Using your death saving throws, you take the attack action as you attempt to drive the enemy to its grave. If you should take any damage while in this state bordering life and death, you instantly use up a death saving throw to climb to your feet and draw your weapon once more. Once your three death saving throws are used, the player character crumbles into dust, having fought until the literal end.