Path of the Spiked Marauder

A more refined version of the Battlerager subclass, intended to fix its many problems.
This subclass no longer has a restriction for Dwarves only, however, Spiked Marauders & Battleragers are often seen among Dwarves, as they still have a niche in Dwarven society. If a Dwarven Spiked Marauder or Dwarven Battlerager sees a non-Dwarven Spiked Marauder then there may be conflict (at the DM's discretion).

Spiked Armor Capability

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor, and all forms of spiked shields and spiked armor. Additionally, you can enter a Rage when wearing heavy armor. However, if you do wear heavy armor, you do not gain the Fast Movement feature until you remove the armor.

While you are wearing spiked armor or wielding a spiked shield and are raging, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack with your shield/armor spikes against a target within 5 feet of you. If the attack hits, the spikes deal 1d6 piercing damage. You use your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls.

Lastly, if you are wearing spiked armor or shield, when a creature hits you with a melee attack within 5 feet of you or when you use the Attack action to grapple a creature, that creature takes piercing damage equal to your rage damage bonus, if the melee attack was non-magical or if your grapple check succeeds.

Spiked Armor Creation

Any piece of armor or shield can be converted into a spiked version, however, an individual must be proficient in these spiked versions in order to make full use of them. A spiked version of a set of armor or shield can usually be purchased or converted wherever the non-spiked versions would be sold or found (i.e. a small town smithy who sells normal shields may also sell spiked shields - this is at the DM's discretion). The spiked equipment will cost ~25gp more than the non-spiked versions (i.e. if scale mail is 50gp, then the spiked scale mail would cost 75gp, however, this is also *at the DM's discretion).

Additionally, if you are proficient with smith's tools, then you may spend 1 hour with an armor set or a shield and 25gp worth of spare or scrap metal to convert the armor set or shield into a spiked version of it. This can only be done with one item at a time. Each subsequent item would take an additional hour.

Reckless Abandon

Beginning at 6th level, whenever you use Reckless Attack on a turn, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) and can stack with each Reckless Attack. They vanish after 1 minute. If you are raging, then you also gain an additional number of temporary hit points equal to your rage damage bonus (this stacks with the Reckless Attack temp hp), and these vanish after your rage ends.

Marauder's Assault

Your training in your armor has allowed you to take advantage of your momentum. Beginning at 10th level, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action while you are raging. Additionally, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line before making a melee attack that turn, then that attack will deal an extra 2d6 piercing damage. Lastly, if you reduce a medium or small creature to 0 hit points with this attack, they are impaled upon your spikes until the start of your next turn, causing any creatures that can see or hear you within 30 feet to become frightened for 1 minute, if they fail a wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8+your proficiency modifier+your rage damage bonus+1 (i.e. at 10th level this would be 8+4+3+1 = 16; or at level 20, this would be 8+6+4+1 = 19).

Inescapable Spikes

When you successfully grapple a creature, that creature suffers damage equal to your strength modifier (on top of the rage damage bonus in the Spiked Armor Capability feature), and a creature you are grappling takes piercing damage equal to your Strength modifier whenever it attempts to escape your grapple.

Additionally, if you choose, and you have two free hands (with one hand being used for the grapple), you can use an action on your turn to restrain a creature that you are already grappling. The creature must make a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed
save the creature suffers 10d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage. On a success they take half as much damage and can attempt to break the grapple as a reaction. You add your rage damage bonus to all damage dealt by this feature if you are raging.

Lastly, if you reduce a medium or small creature to 0 hit points while grappling them, they are impaled upon your spikes until the start of your next turn, providing you with cover. A medium creature grants 3/4 cover (5 AC bonus) and a small creature grants 1/2 cover (2 AC bonus).