Path of the Velociraptor

In ancient times, velociraptors used speed, stealth and intelligence to hunt down their prey. Masters of hunting in packs, they ambushed their prey by leaping at targets and holding them down, using this advantage to inflict deadly wounds. These dinosaurs were more than just bloody carnivores - they were fiercely protective of their young, and evidence has shown that packs of velociraptors would help to to raise a single young member of their pack.

Path of the Velociraptor Barbarians embody the cunning, loyalty, and speed of the dinosaurs they gain their name from - striking fast, preferring a pack, and holding their enemies down to strike vital spots. Their rage has allowed them to take on the physical characteristics of the Velociraptor, gaining colorful feathery plumage around their bodies and sharp talon-like claws to grip enemies. 

Cunning Focus

Your rage takes on the focused hunting style of the raptor. Starting at 3rd level, while raging, you gain the following benefits:

-If both of your hands are empty when you rage, your hands turn into sharp, talon-like claws for gripping opponents. You can use these claws as weapons if you do not have any non-improvised weapons or a shield equipped, using your Dexterity modifier for your claw's attack and damage rolls. These claws deal 1d10 piercing damage on a hit, and deals extra damage equal to your Rage Damage. If you land a claw attack against an opponent,  you may use your bonus action to attempt to grapple the opponent struck by your claws. You cannot equip a shield while your hands are transformed into claws. Attacks made with these claws may benefit from the Reckless Attack feature.

-You may use your Dexterity Modifier instead of your Strength Modifier when making Athletics checks for grappling. You have advantage on Athletics checks made for grappling.

-You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

-Your rage does not end from not attacking creatures while you are attempting to hide.

-When you take this subclass at 3rd level, gain proficiency in Stealth and Survival. 

Starting at level 6, damage from your claws counts as magical.

 

 

Pack Beatdown

Honing your pack instincts, you have trained in the art of pinning down your opponents in a way that allows your allies to strike. Starting at 6th level, when you successfully grapple an opponent, or as a bonus action while you already have an creature grappled, you may call for a another willing creature to use their reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the grappled creature. The called creature must be within their own melee weapon reach to make the attack.

Mortal Wounds

As well, at 6th Level, your strikes against disadvantaged foes focus on striking key vital locations, slowly draining their vitality and strength. When you land a claw attack while having advantage, the creature hit begins to bleed. This bleed causes the target to take damage equal to the rage damage bonus for your level at the start of each of their turns. This effect can stack on the same target. The bleed is removed if the target regains hit points. 

Cunning Leap

Imitating the leap of the velociraptor, you have trained your legs to leap towards enemies. Starting at level 10, as a special melee attack, you may leap a distance equal to your movement speed towards a target creature, and make a contested athletics check using your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to knock the target prone. If the target is knocked prone this way, you may immediately grapple it if you have a free hand. 

You may only use the special melee attack granted this way while raging. You can use this attack a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, regaining all uses on a long rest. 

Clever Girl

Some creatures think that they can outsmart or overpower your attempts to take them down - your cunning can prove them wrong. Starting at level 14, when a creature succeeds on an Athletics or Acrobatics check to avoid being grappled by you, or the attack from your Cunning Leap feature, you may use your reaction to make a claw attack against that creature. If the attack hits, the creature automatically fails the check made to avoid your grapple of Cunning Leap feature. 

Once you use this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you use it again. 

 You also gain the ability to hold creatures down even if they are immune to prone. You ignore prone immunity when using your Cunning Leap feature, and can grapple creatures regardless of size. If they are more than one size larger than you, you halve their movement speed instead of reducing it to zero, and move with them when they move. 

As well, at Level 20, you may replace the Strength increase from Primal Champion with Dexterity: Increasing your Dexterity by 4 and your Maximum Dexterity by 4.