Path of the Grappler (2025)

For Path of the Grappler barbarians, battle itself is a joy — a reason to fight with everything they have. They revel in smashing their enemies by turning the environment itself into a weapon. Chairs, rocks, even other foes — anything they can seize becomes a tool of destruction.

Grapple Expert

When you choose the Path of the Grappler at 3rd level, you learn to use grappling and your environment as extensions of your will.

You gain proficiency with improvised weapons.
Your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage if you are not wielding a shield. If you are wielding a shield, your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage instead.

Attacks with improvised weapons use the same damage dice (1d8 or 1d6 based on whether you are using a shield), but the damage type may change depending on the object used. Work with your DM to determine if a particular improvised weapon deals slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage.

You can pick up an improvised weapon as part of your attack. You can throw improvised weapons (excluding creatures) with a range of 20 feet (normal) and 60 feet (long range).

You ignore the movement penalty while grappling a creature that is your size or smaller.

While grappling a creature, you have advantage on attack rolls with your unarmed strikes and improvised weapons against that target.

You can attempt to grapple creatures larger than yourself. To do so, you must succeed on an Athletics check with a DC equal to 10 + 5 per size category larger than you.
(For example: grappling a Large creature as a Medium character requires a DC 18 Athletics check.)
Grappling a creature larger than you requires the use of both hands.

If you equip gloves or bracers with magical properties, your unarmed strikes and improvised weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity. This applies to other class features you possess that rely on your unarmed strikes or improvised weapon attacks.

At 10th level, the damage of your unarmed strikes and improvised weapon attacks increases to 1d10 (or 1d8 if you are wielding a shield).

Ferocity

At 6th level, you learn to channel your excitement and rage into powerful techniques called Grappler Maneuvers, which allow you to alter the flow of battle with various effects.

These maneuvers use Ferocity points. You gain 1 Ferocity point per barbarian level and you regain all expended Ferocity points after completing a short or long rest.

Signature Slams

Starting at 6th level, while you are raging, you can use your Signature Slams, special techniques that allow you to enhance your grapples and improvised weapon attacks in various ways.

The saving throw DC for your Signature Slams is calculated as:
8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.

You can choose two Signature Slams at 6th level.
You gain one additional slam at 10th level and one more at 14th level.

You can replace one of your known maneuvers whenever you finish a long rest.

Any features from Grappling Mastery apply to your Signature Slams whenever relevant.

Double Knockout

When you have a grappled target that is your size or smaller, you can spend 2 Ferocity points and use one of your attacks to grapple a second target within range. You then smash their heads together, dealing 2d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage to both targets and forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, both targets fall prone. On a successful save, they remain standing.

At 10th level, the damage increases to 2d10.

Final Flight

You use all your strength to hurl a grappled enemy across the battlefield.

You can spend 1 Ferocity point and one of your attacks to throw a target you have grappled a number of feet equal to 5 × your Strength modifier.

Make an attack roll to determine how accurately you land the throw:

• To throw them 4 × Strength modifier in feet, you must roll 18 or higher.

• To throw them 2 × Strength modifier in feet, you must roll 13 or higher.

• Throws shorter than 2× Strength modifier don’t require a roll.

If you miss, the target falls short and lands 5 feet closer to you than the intended location. On a natural 1, they fall 10 feet short instead.

If your target is two sizes smaller than you, you can throw them twice as far and don’t need to roll for accuracy.

After the throw:

• If the target hits an obstacle or creature, both take 1d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, and the target stops.

• If the target hits the ground, they must make a Dexterity saving throw.

  • On a fail: they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone.

  • On a success: they land safely and take no damage.

At 10th level, the damage from hitting an obstacle or creature increases to 1d10.

Grand Slam

When you are wielding a two-handed or versatile improvised weapon, you can spend 2 Ferocity points and use one of your attacks to slam a target with it.

The target takes 2d8 + your Strength modifier damage, using the damage type of the improvised weapon.

The target must then make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are pushed a number of feet equal to 3 × your Strength modifier, directly away from you.

If the target hits an obstacle or another creature during this movement, they stop immediately and take 1d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. If they hit another creature that has hit points, that creature takes the same damage.

If the target hits the ground, they must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. On a success, they remain standing.

If you are using The Perfect Weapon, the target you have grappled takes the initial damage dealt from this attack.

At 10th level, the initial damage increases to 2d10.

Ground Pound

You can spend 1 Ferocity point and one of your attacks to slam a grappled target into the ground.

The target takes 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.

If you release the grapple as part of this attack, you may immediately make an Unarmed Strike or Improvised Weapon attack against the target.

At 10th level, the damage increases to 1d10.

Perfect Weapon

You can wield a grappled creature as an improvised weapon, battering others with their body.

• As long as you maintain the grapple, you may spend 1 Ferocity point per attack action to use the grappled creature as an improvised weapon that deals bludgeoning damage.

  • A target equal to or larger than your size counts as a two-handed improvised weapon.

  • A smaller target counts as a one-handed improvised weapon.

Each time you attack with the grappled target:

• They take the same amount of damage dealt to the target you hit.

• You can use attacks to slam them into surfaces, such as walls or the ground.

If you use all of your attacks during your turn to attack with the grappled target, they must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are stunned until the start of your next turn or until you attack with them again.

If the grappled target is larger than you, you must spend 1 additional Ferocity point per size category larger.

Larger grappled targets deal extra damage:

• Large: +1 extra damage die

• Huge: +2 extra damage dice

• Gargantuan: +4 extra damage dice

Extra Attack

Beginning at 10th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action.
Your Unarmed Strikes / Improvised weapon attacks and your Grappling Maneuvers increase in their damage dice.

From the Top

At 14th level, you gain a jump height equal to 6 times your Strength modifier.

This is also enhanced by your Grappling Maneuvers when applicable.

As an action, and at the cost of all your movement, you may leap into the air and attempt to land on a target within 30ft.

You make an unarmed attack roll to determine if you land on the target.

• If you are currently grappling a target, you may bring them with you in which case they take damage equal to the target.

   

• If the target or you are Large or larger, you have advantage on the attack roll.

• For every 5 feet you fall before landing on the target, you add 1d8 bludgeoning damage to the attack. If you are larger than the target, add 1d12 bludgeoning damage instead.

• You take half of the damage as you land.

• If you hit you may choose to grapple the target and they must make a Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone.

• If you miss the target, only you take the half damage. If you took a grappled target with you, they take damage even if you miss and are knocked prone.

You can use this ability twice per long rest.