Path of the Grimstone Legion

A variant to the Path of the Battlerager, incorporating aspects of the Legion of the Damned. Dwarven Subraces only, given the significant cultural context behind the Legion.

A Necessary Burden

Of all the fighting forces in the Dwarven world, there are some which shoulder the heaviest burden, combating enemies often forgotten who, given the slightest chance, would not simply conquer the Dwarves' stronghold and plunder their riches, but enslave or eradicate the race from the face of the world. One such fighting force is that of the Grimstone Legion.

Elite Dwarven soldiers, wearing unique spiked armor and fighting with almost suicidal fervour, the Grimstone Legion is based in the Underdark, home to many of the most wicked and terrible creatures that stalk the material plane. Many in Dwarven society only know of the Legion by reputation or through those they knew who undertook the Vow of the Damned, the joining ceremony for prospective recruits brave or mad enough to join the ranks. Its existence is deliberately clandestine - for the Grimstone Legion also accepts recruits from Duergar (or 'Grey Dwarf') society, a fact that many regular Dwarves might find outrageous. Moreover, the enemies that the Legion were created to destroy are often the things of nightmares, including all manner of Abberations, Drow and Demons, creatures that many in the safety of the large cities would rather forget existed at all. 

Life in the Legion

The Grimstone Legion is unique among Dwarven culture, and holds a special role within its society. Those who become dedicated to this path exile themselves from their homeland and undertake an honorary funeral to mark their death in the eyes of regular Dwarven society, with the body of an unknown deceased Dwarf being cremated in their stead. Although undertaking the Vow of the Damned is voluntary, it is regarded as an ultimately suicidal decision, to be undertaken as a grim duty to Dwarven civilization, not a path to fame and riches. Many dwarves who face execution or have committed punishable crimes end up in the Legion, with their service providing an opportunity for a form of redemption. Of course, these dwarves rarely get to enjoy this redemption, as joining the Legion is for life, with salvation and release only in death against the terrors of the Underdark.Whilst detractors have often chastised the role of criminals and Duergar into the Legion, it operates with remarkable cohesion and efficiency, the grim reality of Legion's purpose and duty leaving little room for dissent or animosity in the ranks - it matters not where they came from or their political beliefs, only their martial prowess and unwavering dedication to the cause of the Legion.This is particularly important, as the enemies the Legion faces are a threat to all dwarves, not just those of the Underdark, and so having members from all walks of life and geographical areas helps to form an adaptable and varied fighting force. 

Uniquely Equipped

As part of the Vow of the Damned, each prospective legionnaire is instructed to craft their own suit of Dvegraedikr, a suit of armor affixed with great spikes and barbs across the breastplate, gauntlets and shoulders; a dwarf is not a truly a member of the Legion until they finish. As such, every legionnaire's suit is unique, and a prize work of craftsmanship that a dwarf of the Legion would rather die than part with. It is a great dishonor to lose the armor or to fail to keep it in a good state of repair, and so each recruit is trained to maintain their own equipment -- even moreso that they are not of detriment to their comrades-in-arms. Despite this attachment, however, legionnaires are encouraged to acquire and modify superior suits of armor should they find them, equipping these armors with the same barbed spikes where possible. This flexibility ultimately ensures that the Legion does not run out of raw materials to craft new armor, particularly whilst far from the relative safety of an outpost, and that an appreciation is built for the deadly armaments of their enemies - important to ensure the Legion is never caught unprepared. Some of the more experienced legionnaires consequently possess armor they have crafted from salvaged Drow materials, carapaces from slain Ithilids, or other more ancient technologies, and adapted them to fulfill the requirements of the Legion.

Consider what modifications and improvements your Barbarian may have made to their armor over their time in the Legion.

Fervent Dedication

Given the scope of the threats they face, dwarves of the Grimstone Legion are trained to fight with every tool at their disposal, but none so more importantly than the spiked armor they wear. Legionnaires are shown the importance of using the armor not just for protection, but also as a deadly weapon that can impale, trample and eliminate deadly threats. Using this armor has thus given way to a particular style of fighting associated with the Legion, consistent with the legendary rages of Beserkers and Barbarians of all cultures. Legionnaires are encouraged to hate and despise their enemies, to throw aside their sympathies and to show no mercy. The rationale is that such sentiments distract from the vital task at hand - the battle against these creatures is no war of honor, but a bloody war for survival in which nothing is gained from exercising restraint.

Fighting with strength, ferocity and speed, but also fervor and unstoppable determination, means that very few enemies of the Legion can withstand a coordinated charge of fully armed legionnaires. Even if isolated and disarmed of axe and hammer, each legionnaire is incredibly hard to pin down and kill - life in the Legion is a death sentence that each dwarf gladly understands, and so it is very rare to ever capture a legionnaire alive before they escape or cause enough devastation that their capture is no longer viable.

Hatred of Mind Flayers

Above all of the Legion's enemies, perhaps the most deadly, and certainly the most hated are the Ithilids and their servants, or 'Mind Flayers' in the common tongue. These fouls creatures would see every last dwarf enslaved and their propensity for mind-altering magic places them directly at odds with a culture that places less stock in restricting their impulses for wealth, glory and pride. More than this, however, is hatred born from the history between the Duergar recruits and their direct enslavement at the hands of these abominations. As a result of their time spent imprisoned, Duergar recruits are the most eager to destroy these creatures, and often the best suited to, owing to their innate grasp of Psionics and magical defenses caused by countless years of Ithilid subjugation and experimentation.

Destruction of a Mind Flayer colony is celebrated above all other victories, with modest but joyous feasts and the enjoyment of Geldstout taking place when back in the safety of Hhemgarrak, the Legion's stronghold.

 

Vow of the Damned

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you undertake the vow of the damned, condemning yourself to death in the eyes of Dwarven society and being born anew in the Grimstone Legion.

As part of this vow, you are bestowed with a suit of studded leather or scale mail fitted with rivets to accommodate metal spikes. As part of a long rest, you can use your Smith's tools and spend 25gp to remove and affix these metal spikes to another suit of light or medium armor. If affixed to a magical suit of armor, the spike damage becomes magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities.

Whilst you are raging and wearing this special suit of spiked armor, you can make a single attack with the spikes on your armor as a bonus action. The damage for this attack equals 1d4  + your Strength Modifier + your Rage Bonus, and deals piercing damage. The damage die increases as you gain levels in this class (1d6 at 5th level, 1d8 at 10th level, 1d10 at 15th level, and 1d12 at 20th level).

In addition when you grapple, or are grappled by, a creature of size huge or smaller, the creature takes 1d4 piercing damage at the end of each of its turns that the grapple is maintained. 

Self-sufficient

Dwarves of the Legion are required to be entirely self-sufficient when it comes to the upkeep of their equipment and armor; failure to maintain one's armor is seen as a dereliction of duty. At 3rd Level, you gain proficiency in Smith's tools.

Reckless Destruction

As a soldier already marked for death, you throw yourself into battle without care for your own safety.

Starting at 6th Level, when you make an attack using your Reckless attack feature, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution Modifier, and can move up to half your movement speed towards an enemy you can see within 30ft.

Imposing Spikes

At 10th level you have made modifications to make your spiked armor look even more intimidating. 

You gain proficiency in Intimidation whilst you are wearing the armor. You can add double your proficiency bonus to any intimidation check made against a creature that you have already dealt damage to with your spikes. 

 

Retaliatory Measures

Starting at 14th level, you have mastered the ability to use your armor as a weapon against those that strike you.

Any creature within 5ft of you that hits you with a melee attack whilst you are wearing your spiked armor takes piercing damage equal to your Rage damage bonus.

In addition, whilst you are raging, if you move 10ft or more in straight line towards a creature before making an attack with your spikes, you can force the creature to make a Dexterity Saving Throw or take an extra 1d10 piercing damage. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Strength Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. You can deal this extra damage no more than once per turn.