Ripper (Barbarian Variant)

"They spoke of a man who prowled the city at night. One who was not found once, but of whom vast and vastly grotesque evidence was acquired. Those who have witnessed his horrific works claim him to be a blur of motion, a whirlwind of death itself. Men standing proud and watchful would dissapear as you turned your eye, however briefly, replaced with a pile of gore. A knife's brief glint is all known of this man; that and the grisly work he leaves behind."

-Ajax Karmyn, Personal Journal, page 935: The Shadow of Dolques

 

 

 

Rippers do exactly as their name would suggest. With a style contrary to most other Barbarians, these oft unstable assassins dart around the battlefield, able to rip individual enemies to shreds in moments with a flurry of visceral yet surgical strikes.

Level 3: Living Whirlwind

A few basic traits are homed in all Rippers, manifesting in the following benefits:

 

You learn the two-weapon fighting style. If you already know this fighting style, you may pick another of your choice.

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and calculate the distance of running jumps using your Dexterity modifier.

When one of your Barbarian Features uses your Strength Modifier, you may choose to use your Dexterity Modifier instead. 

When you hit a creature with a melee attack, it cannot target you with opportunity attacks until the end of its next turn. 

You gain proficiency with Surgeon's Tools, Stealth, and Intimidation. If you already have proficiency in any of these, you gain expertise.

You ignore obscuring rules by smoke, mists, and similar effects. While lightly or heavily obscured by smoke, mist, or a similar effect, you are considered invisible. This Invisibility ends when you make an attack on your turn, at which point it returns at the start of your next.

When you make a thrown weapon attack towards a creature, regardless of if the attack hits, you may use a reaction to dissapear and teleport behind the creature. Alternatively, on any throw, you may target an unoccupied space with this throw and teleport there. After either teleport, the weapon will be in your hand.

Level 3: Bloodthirst Trance

As part of the Bonus Action used to enter Rage, you can choose to enter a Bloodthirst Trance. While entranced, you gain the following benefits:

 

Your movement speed increases by 5 x your proficiency bonus.

When entering within 5 feet of a creature after moving at least 5 feet in a straight line, you may make a melee attack (No Action Required). When attacking in this way, you may add your proficiency bonus to the damage roll. You may make an extra attack in this way once. You gain additional uses of this attack at level 5 and level 17. If you have additional attacks otherwise, they may qualify for this feature as well. 

The Trance last until your rage ends, or until you end it as a bonus action. You can activate Bloodthirst Trance once per rage.

Level 6: Surgical Precision

Your experience in the art of ripping people to pieces has taught you specific weak points you can aim for: Loose ends with which you can unspool your victims.

Once on each of your turns, when you deal extra damage from your Bloodlust Trance attacks to a creature, you may choose a relevant Surgical Strike to make. When doing so, roll an additional attack. If it hits, you may deal the extra damage relative to the strike and proceed with its effects. On a miss of this second roll, your attack is a normal attack. Saving throws against your Surgical Strikes have a DC Equal to 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifer (your choice). Each time you use a Surgical Strike on a creature, roll a d20. On a 20, you use the Fatal Blow of that strike. At your DM's discretion, bosses or creatures with incompatible anatomy may not be eligible for fatal blows.

 

Gut Slice. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from directly in front of them, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Slashing damage equal to half your rage damage bonus and slash their gut. While slashed, a creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws. A creature that starts its turn slashed takes 2d6 Necrotic damage. When a slashed creature ends its turn, it may make a Constitution Saving Throw. On a success, it ends this effect. Fatal Blow: You disembowel the creature, and it falls prone and incapacitated in addition to the already present effects. If the creature is healed or capable of healing itself, this effect ends.

"Favorite hand?" When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from in front of them or the direction of a limb which they are holding a weapon, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Slashing damage equal to your rage damage bonus and force them to make a Strength Saving Throw. On a failure, the creature drops their weapon and suffers disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of their next turn. On a creature attacking with natural weapons, this disadvantage still applies. Fatal Blow: You sever the creature's hand.

Popliteal Artery. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from behind, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Slashing damage equal to your rage damage bonus  and slash the back of their knee. The creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw or have its movement speed reduced to 0, regaining 5 feet of movement at the start of each of its turns, as its knee gives out when applied too much pressure. While its speed is at least halved by this effect, the creature has disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity Saving Throws. On a success, its speed is reduced by 15 feet. Fatal Blow: You rip the muscles and artery severely enough that the creature falls prone and its movement speed remains 0 until it receives healing. The creature takes 2d6 Necrotic Damage at the start of each of its turns while this is happening.

Between the Ribs. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from either of their flanks, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Piercing damage equal to half your rage damage bonus and force the creature to make a Dexterity Saving Throw. On a failure, you jam your weapon between their ribs. You leave the weapon used in them, and while it remains in them, they have disadvantage on all attack rolls and Saving throws made to maintain concentration until they use an action to remove the weapon, taking 3d6 Slashing Damage for each round it ended with your weapon embedded in it when they do so. You may, on your next turn, remove the weapon from the creature yourself replacing an attack, dealing the potential damage maximized. Fatal Blow: You reduce the creature to 0 hit points, as you pierce its heart or some other vital organ.

Throat Slash. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from directly in front of it, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Slashing damage equal to half your rage damage bonus and slash its throat. The creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw or be unable to speak or perform verbal components of spells until it receives healing, receiving 1d6 Necrotic damage at the end of each of its turns. Fatal Blow: The creature falls prone, and is reduced to 0 Hit Points at the end of your next turn as it bleeds out swiftly.

Reach Around. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from behind, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Piercing damage equal to your rage damage bonus  and immediately grapple them. While grappled in this way, the creature cannot speak, and you have advantage on attack rolls and may make your Bloodlust Trance attacks without extra movement. When a creature contests your grapple, you may use your Acrobatics bonus instead of Athletics when rolling to maintain the grapple. Fatal Blow: You can choose to slit the creature's throat, instantly reducing it to 0 Hit Points.

Now You See Me. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature from directly in front of it, you may deal an extra amount of d6s of Slashing damage equal to half your rage damage bonus and slash its eyes. The creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for one minute, able to make a Constitution Saving Throw at the end of each of its turns. Alternatively, if it receives any magical healing, the effect ends immediately. Fatal Blow: The creature is blinded permanently unless it has its sight restored by a spell or effect which regrows limbs. At the DM's discretion, you can alternatively instantly kill the creature.

Hush Now. When you deal Bloodlust Trance damage to a creature that is restrained, grappled by a creature other than you, incapacitated, or prone, you can make it a critical hit. Fatal Blow: You can choose to instantly reduce them to 0 HP in a way of your choosing.

Level 10: Home Where the Black Heart Is

Your mystical connection to murder allows you to bring your natural habitat wherever you go, and make the most of it at that. 

When you Rage and activate Bloodlust Trance, you can choose to cast Fog Cloud (no action required). You can move it at the start of each of your turns to a place of your choosing within 120 feet. Your allies suffer no disadvantages from this cloud. It can be dispelled at will (No action required), with a strong gust of wind similarly to the regular spell, and automatically dispels when you leave Bloodlust Trance. 

Additionally, when you teleport to a creature with Living Whirlwind, you may activate Rage and Bloodlust Trance as part of that same attack, and also as part of that same attack make one melee attack which may benefit from your Bloodlust Trance.

Level 14: Paragon of Murder

Many Rippers by now consider them Swift Death's carnate form, as you begin to fully master the art of murder.

You gain the following additional benefits while in Bloodthirst Trance:

You gain Advantage on all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability checks and saving throws.

You may use Surgical Strike options with all your additional attacks from Bloodthirst Trance.

When you reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points, regain Hit Points equal to your level and restore your action and movement. This can only happen once per turn.

Additionally, your Surgical Strikes now perform Fatal Blows on a roll of a 19 or 20 on the dice.