Chainbound Warrior

Level 3: Chain Weapon Mastery

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with chain weapons — including kusarigama (chain sickle), chain flail, weighted chain, and spiked chain (see custom stats below).

You also gain the following benefits:

• Flexible Reach: When wielding a chain weapon, your melee reach increases by 5 feet.

• Entangling Strike: When you hit a creature with a chain weapon, you can attempt to grapple it as part of the same attack. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the grapple check.

• Improvised Chainfighter: You can treat chains, ropes, or manacles as improvised weapons with the properties of a weighted chain.
  
  

  Level 7: Shackled Momentum

  You’ve learned to use momentum and leverage rather than brute force.

  • Whiplash: When you take the Attack action with a chain weapon, you can make one additional attack as a bonus action. This attack deals 1d6 bludgeoning or slashing damage (your choice).

  • Deflecting Chains: While wielding a chain weapon and not wearing a shield, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you.
    
    
    

    Level 10: Chain Dancer

    You move like a whirling storm of metal.

    • Flowing Step: Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your movement if you moved at least 10 feet on your previous turn.

    • Tether Pull: When you have a creature grappled with a chain weapon, you can use a bonus action to pull it up to 10 feet closer to you. The creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier) or fall prone.
      
      
      

      Level 15: Wrath of the Shackled

      You can turn your restraint into retaliation.

      • When a creature within your chain weapon’s reach hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make one melee attack against it with your chain weapon.

      • If that attack hits, you can restrain the target until the start of your next turn (they can use their action to escape with a Strength check).
        
        

        Level 18: Master of Chains

        You have become one with your weapon.

        • You can attack creatures within your chain’s reach even if they have full cover (as long as there’s a path the chain could travel through, like bars, gaps, or openings).

        • You can have two creatures grappled at once with a chain weapon.

        • When you roll initiative and have no chain weapon drawn, you can summon a spectral chain (counts as a +2 magical weapon) for 1 minute.
          
          

          Chain Weapon Examples

          Weapon	Damage	Type	Properties
          Weighted Chain	1d8	Bludgeoning	Reach, Finesse, Versatile (1d10)
          Kusarigama (Chain Sickle)	1d6	Slashing	Finesse, Reach, Special (can grapple)
          Spiked Chain	1d8	Piercing	Reach, Finesse, Special (on crit: restrain target until end of your next turn)

Level 3: Chain Weapon Mastery

Level 3: Chain Weapon Mastery

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with chain weapons — including kusarigama (chain sickle), chain flail, weighted chain, and spiked chain (see custom stats below).

You also gain the following benefits:

• Flexible Reach: When wielding a chain weapon, your melee reach increases by 5 feet.

• Entangling Strike: When you hit a creature with a chain weapon, you can attempt to grapple it as part of the same attack. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the grapple check.

• Improvised Chainfighter: You can treat chains, ropes, or manacles as improvised weapons with the properties of a weighted chain.

Level 7: Shackled Momentum

Level 7: Shackled Momentum

You’ve learned to use momentum and leverage rather than brute force.

• Whiplash: When you take the Attack action with a chain weapon, you can make one additional attack as a bonus action. This attack deals 1d6 bludgeoning or slashing damage (your choice).

• Deflecting Chains: While wielding a chain weapon and not wearing a shield, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you.

Level 10: Chain Dancer

Level 10: Chain Dancer

You move like a whirling storm of metal.

• Flowing Step: Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your movement if you moved at least 10 feet on your previous turn.

• Tether Pull: When you have a creature grappled with a chain weapon, you can use a bonus action to pull it up to 10 feet closer to you. The creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier) or fall prone.

Level 15: Wrath of the Shackled

Level 15: Wrath of the Shackled

You can turn your restraint into retaliation.

• When a creature within your chain weapon’s reach hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make one melee attack against it with your chain weapon.

• If that attack hits, you can restrain the target until the start of your next turn (they can use their action to escape with a Strength check).

Level 18: Master of Chains

Level 18: Master of Chains

You have become one with your weapon.

• You can attack creatures within your chain’s reach even if they have full cover (as long as there’s a path the chain could travel through, like bars, gaps, or openings).

• You can have two creatures grappled at once with a chain weapon.

• When you roll initiative and have no chain weapon drawn, you can summon a spectral chain (counts as a +2 magical weapon) for 1 minute.