Path of the Battlerager (2024)

Known as Kuldjargh (literally “axe idiot”) in Dwarvish, battleragers are dwarf followers of the gods of war and take the Path of the Battlerager. They specialize in wearing bulky, spiked armor and throwing themselves into combat, striking with their body itself and giving themselves over to the fury of battle.

Restriction: Dwarves Only

Only dwarves can follow the Path of the Battlerager. The battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarven society and culture.

Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign. The restriction exists for the Forgotten Realms. It might not apply to your DM’s setting or your DM’s version of the Realms.

Battlerager Armor

You gain the ability to use spiked armor (see the “Spiked Armor” sidebar) as a weapon. While wearing spiked armor, you gain the following benefits:

Raging Fists. While you are raging, you can use a bonus action to make an unarmed strike.

Barbed Strike. When you hit with your Unarmed Strike and deal damage, you can deal Piercing damage equal to 1d6 plus your Strength bonus instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike.

Iron Thorns. When a creature successfully grapples you, the creature takes Piercing damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Savage Spines. At the start of each of your turns while your Rage is active, a creature Grappled by you takes Piercing damage equal to your Strength bonus plus your Rage Damage bonus (minimum 1).

SPIKED ARMOR

Spiked armor is a rare type of medium armor made by dwarves. It consists of a leather coat and leggings covered with spikes that are usually made of metal.
Cost: 75 gp
AC: 14 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)
Stealth: Disadvantage 
Weight: 45 lb.

Reckless Abandon

When you use Reckless Attack while raging, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). They vanish if any of them are left when your rage ends.

Battlerager Charge

While your Rage is active, you can take the Dash action as a Bonus action. Immediately after you take this action and move at least 10 feet toward a creature, you can make an Unarmed Strike against the creature as part of this action.

Improved Battlerager Armor

You gain an additional +1 bonus to your AC while wearing spiked armor.

Spiked Retribution

When a creature hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes Piercing damage equal to your Rage Damage bonus if you are raging, aren’t incapacitated, and are wearing spiked armor.