Martial Archetype:
The Freebooter (v1.0)
Intimidation tactics are a common sight amongst the fighters of the DnD world. Examples may include war cries, face paint or fear magic, but no fighting force can match the sheer terror induced by the Freebooter. To them, once a foe is afraid, they are already dead. Freebooters combine threatening presentation with terrifying brutality to psychologically break their opponents before they can even draw a blade. Pirates, bandits and other ruffians commonly emulate this archetype.
Many Freebooters have a favorite method of intimidating their enemies. Roll on the table below for a signature display.
| d6 | Display |
|---|---|
| 1 | You chew hot coals in front of your opponents |
| 2 | You use thaumaturgy to light your eyes ablaze |
| 3 | You bend your foes weapons in front of their eyes |
| 4 | You use thaumaturgy to shake the ground, or the deck of a ship |
| 5 | You stain your teeth and mouth with animal blood before battle |
| 6 | You use thaumaturgy to make your cackling laughter boom loudly |
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. In addition, you learn the thaumaturgy cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Terrorize
Starting at 3rd level, you've become adept at striking fear into the hearts of your enemies. You have 5 brutality dice, which are d6s. A brutality die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended brutality dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another brutality die at 7th level, 10th level, 15th level and one more at 18th level. You can use these dice in a few different ways, as outlined below.
Whenever you would spend a brutality die to add or subtract it from a die roll, you may do so after the roll is made but before the outcome is determined.
Some features of this subclass will require creatures of your choice to make a saving throw. The DC for these savings throws is calculated as follows: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Art Credit: Denis Curtev
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Terrorize. Once per turn as part of your action, you can spend a brutality die to attempt to terrify a creature within 30 feet of you. The creature has to make a Wisdom saving throw, subtracting your brutality die from the total. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you. While frightened in this way, the creature takes extra damage equal to your brutality die whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of it's turns, ending the effect on a success. The creature must be able to see or hear you to use this ability.
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Gang Up. Whenever a friendly creature forces another creature within 10 feet of you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend a brutality die and subtract it from the total. The target must be able to see or hear you to use this feature.
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Terrifying Presence. Creatures of your choice treat the space 10 feet around you as difficult terrain, and cannot make opportunity attacks against creatures other than you while in it.
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Threat Display. Whenever you make an Intimidation check, you can spend a brutality die to add it to the total.
You can attempt to Terrorize a creature even if it is immune to the frightened condition. It makes the saving throw with advantage instead.
Scare Tactics
At 7th level, you have learned more ways to frighten your enemies:
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Break their Guard. Whenever you miss a creature with a weapon attack on your turn, you can spend a brutality die and reduce it from that creature's AC until the end of your turn, potentially causing that attack to hit.
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Break their Spirit. Whenever you hit a creature that is concentrating on a spell with a weapon attack, you can spend a brutality die to subtract it from the concentration check it makes.
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Break their Morale. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can attempt to Terrorize another creature within 30 feet of you as part of the attack.
In addition, creatures frightened by you subtract your brutality die from every damage roll they make.
Unstoppable
At 10th level, you remain unflinching in the face of your enemies, seemingly unable to be killed:
- Effortless Rebuff. Whenever a creature hits you with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to spend a brutality die, adding it to your AC until the start of your next turn, potentially causing the attack to miss.
- Unflinching. Whenever a creature forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend a brutality die, adding it to the total of your save, potentially changing the outcome.
In addition, when you roll a 1 on a brutality die, you can reroll the die once and take the new result.
Homebrew by u/johnyIsAwesome
Petrify
At 15th level, whenever you attempt to Terrorize a creature and it fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is stunned while it is frightened by you.
In addition, you can add your brutality die to every attack roll you make against creatures frightened by you.
Living Demon
At 18th level, you have become so utterly terrifying that your name has been etched into legend as a fiend in a mortal body. You ignore immunity to the frightened condition completely, and gain immunity to it yourself.
In addition, whenever you roll a brutality die, you can roll the die twice and take the higher result.