Path of the Dire Beast

Be it by the musing machinations of mad mages, the spreading seeds of demonic influence, or the conjunction of natural magics and an instigating impetus, the true origins of dire beasts remain a mystery to all. It is no secret though, that they are counted among the most ferocious foes of the wilds beyond civilization, with many an adventurer having met a gruesome end by such calamitous creatures. 

However, there is nothing to suggest that beasts of the wilds are the only creatures which could succumb to the mysterious mutations that result in such giant animals. People who are subjected to similar circumstances may find themselves growing angier and regressing towards primal, feral actions as their bodies evolve to reflect the changes to their psyche. 

Feral Attacker

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you grow natural weapons which can be used to make unarmed strikes.  Claws grow from your fingertips and your teeth sharpen to pointed fangs, if you don't already have either. Both are considered natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your claws, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. 

Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike using your bite, you may choose to grapple the target in addition to doing the normal damage of the attack. Make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the grappled condition. While grappled by you in this way, you cannot target another creature with your bite attack until you release the grappled target. 

Additionally, while raging, when you attack with a claw using the Attack action, you can make one additional claw attack as part of the same action.

The damage die for your claws changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 7th level, 2d6 at 11th level, and 2d8 at 15th level.

The damage die for your bite changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d10 at 7th level, 2d8 at 11th level, and 2d10 at 15th level.

Bone-Armored Defense

The boney protrusions caused by your dire mutation are sturdy enough to help you withstand blows that would otherwise cause injury. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + your Consitution modifer + half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down. You cannot use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Due to the nature of the homebrew creator on DnD Beyond, this is a single option which will need to be manually switched upon reaching level 3, level 9, and level 17 in order for the character sheet to show the correct statistics. 

Levels 17—20

Half of your proficiency bonus is 3.

Levels 3—8

Half of your proficiency bonus is 1.

Levels 9—16

Half of your proficiency bonus is 2.

Dire Rampage

Beginning at 6th level, while raging, you can go into a Dire Rampage at the start of your turn. If you do so, you gain the following benefits, which last until the end of your rage:

• You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + your Constituion modifier.
• If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn’t change.
• You can't be charmed or frightened while under the effeccts of a Dire Rampage. If you are charmed or frightened when you enter a Dire Rampage, the effect is suspended for the duration of the Dire Rampage. 
• Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Your Dire Rampage follows the normal rules for ending a rage, and is affected by other class features that affect the Rage feature. When your rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Primal Surge

While in a Dire Rampage, you can use your bonus action to make a viscious onslaught against your foes. You make three attacks: one with your bite, and two with your claws. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

Ferocious Killer

When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, hostile creatures that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be frightened by you for 1 minute. Hostile creatures within 5 feet of you make the saving throw at disadvantage. Creatures who fail the saving throw by 5 or more have their speed reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn. At the end of each of their turns, affected creatures can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, they are no longer frightened of you.

Fight or Fight Response

Starting at 14th level, when you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a claw attack against that creature. If you take damage from a creature that is further than 5 feet from you, you can use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed towards that creature. 

Additionally, whenever you fail a death saving throw or take damage while unconscious, your body reacts instinctively and lashes out in a fit of fury at the nearest living thing. If there is a creature within 5 feet of you when this happens, make a claw attack against that creature. If there is more than one creature within 5 feet of you, roll a die to determine which creature is attacked, splitting the odds as evenly as possible. If there are no creatures within 5 feet of you, your body flails violently at nothing.