Path of the Viltrumite

Level 3: Strength or Death

At 3rd level, the ideals of your kind are ingrained within your very being. While you are Bloodied, you are treated as being under the effects of your Rage, and the Reckless Attack feature is always active.

When raging in this way, you are unable to benefit from Half or Three-Quarters Cover.

Level 3: Code of Brutality

A true Viltrumite exerts their power without the shackles of restraint.

Starting from 3rd level, while you are raging, you gain 1 Brutality Point whenever you deal or take damage. You can hold a maximum number of Brutality Points equal to your proficiency bonus, and they each fade after 1 minute if not expended.

You can expend your Brutality Points to fuel specialized Brutal Techniques, all of which are detailed further in this document. You learn 3 Techniques of your choice upon gaining this feature, and 1 additional Technique when you reach 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, and 17th level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace 1 Technique you know with a different one.

If one of your Techniques forces a saving throw or casts a spell, the Save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. Spells cast through your Techniques cannot be disrupted by effects which hinder magic (such as Counterspell or Antimagic Field).

Brutal Techniques

The Brutal Techniques are presented in alphabetical order.

Aggressive Entrance

If you are hidden from a creature, you can expend 1 Brutality Point as an action to move up to 60 feet in their direction without triggering Perception checks or provoking opportunity attacks.

If this leaves you within 5 feet of the target, you can immediately make one unarmed strike against them (no action required).

Battle Savoring

Whenever you hit a Small or larger creature with an attack on your turn, you can expend 1 Brutality Point to gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Rage Damage bonus (no action required).

Starting from 8th level, you can also use this Technique whenever a Medium or larger creature hits you with an attack on their turn.

Blitzing Rush (11th-level)

Prerequisite: 11th-level Barbarian
You can expend 4 Brutality Points as an action to replicate the effects of Steel Wind Strike without requiring material components (regardless of monetary cost).

When replicating the spell in this way, you make unarmed strikes instead of melee spell attacks, and deal bludgeoning damage instead of force.

Bloody Execution

Whenever you reduce a Small or larger creature to 0 hit points, you can expend 1 or more Brutality Points to mangle their body, inflicting terror upon nearby lookers.

Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check, targeting a number of creatures within 60 feet that can see you equal to the number of Brutality Points expended.

Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw against the result of your check, becoming Frightened of you for 1 minute on a failed save.

A Frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, removing the condition on a success.

Crushing Grasp (5th-level)

Prerequisite: 5th-level Barbarian
As a bonus action, you can expend 1 or more Brutality Points to physically crush the body of a creature you are grappling. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage per Brutality Point expended on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Starting from 11th level, creatures of your size or smaller automatically fail this saving throw.

Diving Charge

If you move at least 40 feet in a straight line before coming within 5 feet of a creature, you can expend 2 Brutality Points as a reaction to make an unarmed strike against them.

On a hit, they take an extra 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 20 feet traveled in that movement.

If you render a creature Grappled with this attack as per the Brutal Blows trait, you don’t need to spend extra movement in order to drag them along with you. This lasts until they escape the grapple.

Forceful Throw

You can expend 1 Brutality Point to innately cast Catapult as an action. Starting from 5th level, you can expend multiple Brutality Points when using this Technique, treating the spell as if it had been cast with a spell slot of a level equal to the number of Points expended.

Starting from 11th level, you can attempt to choose a creature as the target, forcing them to succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be treated as an object for the purposes of the spell.

Ground Slam

Whenever you land on a surface after falling (or flying downwards) for 30 feet or more, you can expend 1 or more Brutality Points as a reaction to fiercely strike the ground, creating a shockwave that ripples outward from you.

All creatures within 15 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 bludgeoning damage per Brutality Point expended.

Starting from 8th level, the shockwave's range increases to 30 feet. Starting from 11th level, a creature that fails their save by 5 or more is also knocked Prone.

Lance of Viltrum (8th-level)

Prerequisite: 8th-level Barbarian
Whenever you make an unarmed strike, you can choose to expend 1 or more Brutality Points to turn your hand into the deadliest of blades.

The lowest number you must roll on the d20 to score a critical hit with this attack roll is decreased by 1 per Brutality Point expended; up to a minimum threshold of 17. On a hit, the attack must deal piercing or slashing damage.

The minimum threshold becomes 16 when you reach 14th level, and 15 when you reach 17th level.

Ruthless Counter (5th-level)

Prerequisite: 5th-level Barbarian
Whenever a creature within 15 feet of you misses you with an attack or takes the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Search action, you can expend 1 Brutality Point as a reaction to instantly move to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of that creature and make an unarmed strike against them.

Starting from 11th level, you can use this Technique as a reaction to a creature within 15 feet of you casting a spell.

Swift Lash

Whenever a creature comes within 5 feet of you, you can expend 1 Brutality Point as a reaction to make an unarmed strike against them. Starting from 11th level, you can expend 2 Brutality points to make the unarmed strike without expending your reaction.

Wind-Up Uppercut (11th-level)

Prerequisite: 11th-level Barbarian
If you haven’t moved on your turn, as an action, you can expend 1 or more Brutality points to concentrate all of your strength onto a single blow. Your speed becomes 0 until the end of your turn.

All creatures of your size or smaller within 15 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw, being pulled 10 feet closer to you on a failed save, or 5 feet closer to you on a successful one.

At the end of your turn, you make an unarmed strike at advantage against a creature within your reach. On a hit, the target is sent flying upwards, traveling a distance of 30 feet per Brutality Point expended.

If the target is larger than you, they can use their reaction to make a Strength saving throw, resisting this effect on a success.

Level 6: Frightful Tenacity

Starting from 6th level, your body’s resilience grows even more extraordinary.

Whenever you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can expend one use of the Rage feature as a reaction to drop to 1 hit point instead.

Level 10: Dominance Through Violence

At 10th level, assertion of your might becomes second nature. While you are raging, you are granted the following benefits:

• You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Rage Damage bonus at the start of each of your turns.

• Whenever one of your Brutal Techniques forces a creature to make a saving throw, you can expend 1 Brutality Point to give them disadvantage on the roll (no action required).

• If you have no Brutality Points left, you can use your Techniques by expending your available Hit Dice in place of the Points.

Level 14: Invincible Warrior

At 14th level, your strength breaks all laws of convention.
You are granted the following benefits:

• As a bonus action while raging, you can expend a Hit Die to gain 1d4 Brutality Points.

• Once per round, at the start of another creature’s turn, you can expend 1 Brutality Point or Hit Die to regain the use of your reaction on that round.

• If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you remain conscious until you become stable or die.

• Taking damage while at 0 hit points only gives you one failed death save.