Path of the Wrestler

The Barbarian Path of the Wrestler focuses on the often overlooked mechanic of grappling and introduces new mechanics that allow you to take full advantage of a grappled target without forcing you to rely on a teammate to take care of the opponent you have grappled.

Improved Grappling

While raging, you gain the following benefits:

When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a Special melee Attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this Attack replaces one of them.

The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making an improved grapple check instead of an Attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) check (the target cannot choose to make a Dexterity (acrobatics) check instead). If you succeed, you subject the target to the Grappled condition (see Conditions ). The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required).

Escaping a Grapple (Improved): A Grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check.

Moving a Grappled Creature (Improved): When you move, you can drag or carry the Grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved if the target is one or more sizes larger than you.

Combating a Grappled Creature (Improved): You have advantage on attack rolls made against a creature you are grappling and the grappled creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws.

Pinning a Grappled Creature: You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you are restrained and the creature is Stunned

Note: Upon choosing this subclass you may not take the Grappler feat as it is implemented and improved in the "Improved Grappling" ability

Wrestling Manuevers

Starting at 3rd level, your raw physical might becomes a weapon in its own right. While unarmed, you gain access to the following array of options:

Improv. You use a nearby object or grappled creature that you can carry as an improvised weapon, which deals 1d12+1d4 damage (the damage type depends on the object or creature used). When a creature is used as a weapon in this way, both the target of the attack and the creature take the damage. After taking damage in this way, the creature can make a contesting Strength (Athletics) check to attempt to break free from your grapple. It breaks free from your grapple on a succesful save.

Body Slam. After succeeding on an additional contesting Strength (Athletics) check, you slam a creature you are grappling into the ground or a nearby surface, dealing 3d8 bludgeoning damage and knocking the creature prone. Successfully damaging a creature in this way removes the creature from your grapple. The damage of this attack increases by 2d8 for each size category above medium of the targeted creature.

Haymakers. Your fists dish out massive blows, which deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit. When you take the Attack action on your turn and make an attack with your haymakers, you can make one additional attack using them as part of the same action. Critical hits with the first strike makes the second strike an automatic critical hit.

 Tackle. You attempt to tackle a creature that you are not currently grappling, dealing 1d10 bludgeoning damage. When you hit a creature with this attack, you may attempt to grapple or shove the target as part of the same attack without needing an additional action.

Tag. You swap places with a friendly creature. When a friendly creature within 5 feet of you is targeted by an attack, you can use your reaction to swap places with them, making yourself the target of the attack instead or vice versa.

Inescapable Grasp

Beginning at 6th level, your passion for combat transcends mortal bounds. While raging, you ignore immunities when attempting to grapple a creature that is immune to being grappled and creatures can not be forcibly removed from your grapples by forces that launch opponents such as Thunderwave, nor can they escape by magic means such as Misty Step or Thunder Step.

Wrestling Maneuvers also count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Tyrant Pin

Starting at 10th level, pinning a creature causes fear in the heart of nearby enemies and inspires allies to fight with a spark of your passion. While you have a creature pinned, enemy creatures that come within 30 feet of you and can see you must succeed on a WIS saving throw (DC=pinned creature’s strength score) or become frightened of you. A creature frightened in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. Also while you have an enemy pinned, allies within 30 feet of you that can see you gain a bonus to attack rolls and saving throws equal to half the pinned creature’s proficiency bonus. This effect ends after 1 minute or once the creature is no longer pinned. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Also at 10th level, creatures that are pinned by you take bludgeoning damage equal to STR+Proficiency.

Cosmic Competitor

Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to grow large enough to grapple with even the largest of foes on equal footing. When you activate rage, you can pick one creature you see and grow to that creature’s size for the purpose of being able to grapple larger creatures. If the target creature has a higher strength score than you, you can instead use its strength score when making grapple checks. This feature lasts until your rage ends or the target creature surrenders, falls unconscious, or dies. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before it can be used again.