Battle Taunt
General Feat
You know how to draw the fury of your enemies onto yourself, forcing them to face you and placing yourself in harm’s way to protect others.
Taunt. As an action or bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself that can see or hear you and has an Intelligence of 3 or higher. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Battle Taunt Save DC.
On a failed save, the target is Taunted by you for 2 rounds. This effect ends at the start of your turn 2 rounds later.
Wide Area Taunt. As a reaction, when a nonfriendly creature within 60 feet of yourself that can see or hear you is about to make an attack, cast a spell, or use another harmful ability, but before the effect is resolved, you can unleash a reckless, provoking taunt at all nonfriendly creatures within 60 feet of yourself that can see or hear you and have an Intelligence of 3 or higher. This uses up your speech or banter for that round. Each affected creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Battle Taunt Save DC.
On a failed save, a creature is Taunted by you for 3 rounds. This effect ends at the start of your turn 3 rounds later.
Once you use Wide Area Taunt, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Taunted. A Taunted creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and if it can target you with an attack, spell, or other harmful ability on its turn, it must do so if able. A nonfriendly creature that was neutral to you becomes hostile toward you while Taunted in this way. A creature Taunted in this way is angered by you, and the anger or hostility you provoke can last far beyond the Taunt’s duration, at the DM’s discretion.
Battle Taunt Save DC. When you use Taunt or Wide Area Taunt, choose Strength, Constitution, or Charisma. The save DC for that use equals 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + the chosen ability modifier, plus any bonuses granted under Battle Presence (see below).
Mind Immunity. A creature that is immune to effects that influence its mind, emotions, or behavior is immune to being Taunted by this feat.
Broken Taunt. If a Taunted creature attempts to attack you, target you, or otherwise direct a harmful effect at you and is prevented from doing so, the Taunted effect ends immediately. The creature’s anger and resentment do not, and many creatures regard being taunted as a lasting insult.
Provocation. Even on a successful save against this feat, a creature may still take long-lasting offense at the taunt, at the DM’s discretion.
Multiple Taunts. You can have a number of creatures Taunted by you at the same time equal to your Proficiency Bonus. If you would Taunt a creature while already at this limit, choose one creature currently Taunted by you. That Taunt ends immediately. You can’t use Taunt more than once per round. This limit doesn’t apply to Wide Area Taunt.
Battle Presence. You gain a +1 bonus to your Battle Taunt Save DC for each of the following that applies to you: you are raging, you are wearing heavy armor, and you are wielding a shield. You also gain a +1 bonus to your Battle Taunt Save DC against a creature affected by this feat if that creature can understand a language you speak. In addition, you gain an Intimidation-based bonus against that creature: +1 if you are proficient in Intimidation, +2 if you have Expertise in Intimidation, or +2 if you would have advantage on an Intimidation check against that creature. These Intimidation-based bonuses are noncumulative. Finally, you gain a +1 bonus to your Battle Taunt Save DC if you know or possess at least one other feature, maneuver, or spell that can compel or pressure a creature to focus on you, such as Goading Attack or Compelled Duel. This bonus can be gained only once.
Special. Any character with Rage, heavy armor proficiency, or shield proficiency gains this feat for free at character creation, or when they first gain that feature or proficiency. This feat can also be chosen normally.
Designer Note. Battle Taunt is meant to be fun, dramatic, and dangerous. It gives front line characters a true protector mechanic by redirecting danger rather than removing it, and it is strongest on characters built to survive focused pressure. It also creates emotional consequences: enemies forced to focus on the taunter may survive the fight angry, humiliated, and personally hostile, which can carry forward into future encounters. It has clear counterplay through area effects, strong Wisdom saves, Legendary Resistance, ranged attacks, and any effect that prevents enemies from meaningfully engaging the taunter.
Comments