Dreadbound 2.0

Some warriors inspire courage. A Dreadbound inspires something far more primal.

Dreadbound fighters possess an unnerving presence that can break an enemy's resolve before the killing blow is ever struck. Whether born from brutal experience, an infamous reputation, supernatural influence, or simply an overwhelming force of will, something about a Dreadbound tells every instinct in their enemies that they are standing too close to something dangerous.

A Dreadbound does not cast spells to create fear, nor do they draw upon a reserve of supernatural energy. Instead, they dominate the battlefield through presence, pressure, and violence. Enemies confronted by a Dreadbound are forced into Dread Choices: recoil from the threat before them or stand their ground and risk giving the Dreadbound an opening.

As battle continues, that pressure spreads. A retreat becomes panic. A fallen warrior shakes the resolve of those still standing. The Dreadbound learns to recognize these moments of hesitation and exploit them, pursuing retreating enemies and feeding upon the fear taking hold around them.

The most experienced Dreadbound can sense fear almost as if it were tangible. When enough terror has accumulated during a battle, they can taste it in the air and draw upon the life force of those whose resolve they have already broken.

A Dreadbound does not need every enemy to run.

They only need them to understand that they should.

Dreadful Presence

Starting at 3rd level, your presence on the battlefield becomes deeply unsettling to those who stand against you.

Once per round, when a hostile creature you can see starts its turn within 10 feet of you, you can force that creature to make a Dread Choice, provided it can see or hear you.

The creature chooses one of the following:

Recoil. The creature immediately moves 5 feet directly away from you, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of the turn. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If the creature cannot move at least 5 feet directly away from you, it cannot choose this option.

Hold Ground. The creature remains where it is, but it cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

A creature that is immune to the frightened condition is immune to your Dreadful Presence.

In addition, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient in Intimidation, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make using that skill.

When you make an Intimidation check, you can use Strength in place of Charisma.

Predator's Instinct

Starting at 7th level, you instinctively recognize what an enemy's response to your presence reveals about it.

When a creature makes a Dread Choice caused by one of your Dreadbound features, note its distance from you. At the end of that creature's turn, you gain one of the following benefits until the end of your next turn:

Fleeing Prey. If the creature is farther from you than it was when it made its Dread Choice, your walking speed increases by 10 feet while moving toward that creature, and nonmagical difficult terrain does not cost you extra movement while moving toward it.

Standing Prey. If the creature is no farther from you than it was when it made its Dread Choice, you have advantage on the first weapon attack roll you make against that creature before the end of your next turn.

You can gain a benefit from Predator's Instinct only once per round.

Panic Spreads

Starting at 10th level, seeing an ally fall before you can cause fear to spread through the enemy ranks.

Once per turn, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points while it is within 10 feet of you, you can choose another hostile creature within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you.

The chosen creature must immediately make a Dread Choice, even if it is outside the range of your Dreadful Presence.

Recoil. The creature immediately moves 5 feet directly away from you, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If the creature cannot move at least 5 feet directly away from you, it cannot choose this option.

Hold Ground. The creature remains where it is, but it cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

A creature immune to the frightened condition is immune to this effect.

In addition, you are immune to the frightened condition.

Taste of Fear

Starting at 15th level, prolonged exposure to the fear surrounding you allows you to sense weakness almost as if it had a taste.

After hostile creatures have made a total of three Dread Choices caused by your Dreadbound features during the current combat, Taste of Fear becomes available to you for the remainder of that combat.

As an action, choose one creature within 30 feet of you that has made at least one Dread Choice during the current combat. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your Dread save DC.

On a failed save, the creature takes 8d8 necrotic damage. You then choose one of the following effects:

Consume the Fear. You gain temporary hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt by the initial 8d8 damage.

Turn the Fear. You redirect the stolen life force back into the creature, causing it to take an additional 2d8 necrotic damage.

On a successful save, the creature takes half of the initial 8d8 necrotic damage, and neither additional effect occurs.

If combat ends while you still have any temporary hit points granted by Consume the Fear, the lingering weight of that stolen dread takes a toll on you, and you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Once you use Taste of Fear, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

If combat ends before you use Taste of Fear, the accumulated Dread Choices are lost.

Living Dread

At 18th level, your presence becomes so terrifying that creatures affected by your Dread become fixated upon you out of fear for their own lives.

The range of your Dreadful Presence increases from 10 feet to 20 feet.

Whenever a creature makes a Dread Choice caused by one of your Dreadbound features, it becomes Fixated on you until the start of its next turn.

While Fixated on you, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you.

In addition, when a Fixated creature attempts to choose Recoil as its Dread Choice, it must first make a Wisdom saving throw against your Dread save DC.

On a successful save, it may choose Recoil normally.

On a failed save, its fear prevents it from turning away from you, and it must choose Hold Ground instead.

While a creature is Fixated on you, the first attack roll made against it by a creature other than you has advantage, as its attention remains locked upon you.

A creature immune to the frightened condition is immune to becoming Fixated by this feature.