Bone Breaker (5e Class)

Bone Breaker

A tall Human with strong arms and legs grips an oncoming Orc and drives his left fist into the Orc's face, rendering him unconscious. As he spins around, he catches another charging Orc with a powerful elbow strike. He smiles wildly, for he knows that such untrained, wild combatants cannot hope to compare to his strength.

A Dwarven male in leather armor groans in annoyance as yet another untested youth comes to try to take his title as the tavern's best brawler. Standing quickly, he places his hands in front of his chest, anticipating each and every strike this new opponent may make. As his opponent rushes forward, the Dwarf ducks and drives both his fists upwards into his attacker's jaw, dropping him with almost no effort.

A rugged Half-Elf, her hair tied in a tight and effective bun dodges an oncoming Vampire as he tries to sink his fangs into her neck. With a grunt and a small shove, she forces the Vampire off of her and brings both of her fists into the Vampire's chest, smashing his chest. With a sickening smile, the Half-Elf brings her arms up and grabs the Vampire's neck, breaking it with a terrifying ease.

All these warriors are Bone Breakers. These men and women are not members of a monastic order, but are instead a rough and tumble, hardy bunch of fighters, trained and well versed in the art of turning their own bodies into the most lethal of weapons. To engage a Bone Breaker in hand-to-hand combat is to truly court death itself.

Punchers And Faces

A Bone Breaker is a master in close combat. Focusing on using their fists and legs as instruments of destruction, they turn their enemies into bloody messes.

Creating a Bone Breaker

As you create your Bone Breaker, you should consider why they developed their melee skills with fists and feet. Were they an orphaned child who was adopted by a leader of a fighting tournament? Did you learn this skills for your own entertainment or to combat boredom?

Quick Build

You can make a Bone Breaker quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score if you want to focus on using fists. Make Dexterity your highest ability score if you want to focus on Kicks. Followed by Constitution. Second, choose the soldier or hermit background.

Class Features

As a Bone Breaker you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Bone Breaker level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Bone Breaker level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Choose one gaming set
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: choose two from Athletics, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine or Sleight of Hand.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a greatclub or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a heavy crossbow and 10 bolts or (b) any martial weapon
• (a) dungeoneers pack or (b) explorers pack
• common clothes, two daggers
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Bone Breaker

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Vigor
1st	+2	Vigor, Bone Breaker Martial Arts, Bone Breaker Style	1
2nd	+2	Combat Sequences, Fighting Guards, Training Method	2
3rd	+2	Bone Breaker Style Feature, Stances (1)	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4
5th	+3	Extra attack	5
6th	+3	Shattering Blow	6
7th	+3	Bone Breaker Style Feature	7
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	8
9th	+4	Advanced Techniques	9
10th	+4	Stances (2)	10
11th	+4	Fracturing Strike	11
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	12
13th	+5	Stance Improvement	13
14th	+5	Trained Body	14
15th	+5	Bone Breaker Style Feature	15
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	16
17th	+6	Stance Improvement	17
18th	+6	Stances (3)	18
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	19
20th	+6	Breaking Master	20

Vigor

At 1st level, you can use your vigor to fuel your combat ability. You can use your Vigor to fuel some combat abilities. Whenever you spend a Vigor point it is unavailable until you take a rest, regaining half (rounded up) on a short rest and all on a long rest.

You learn the following techniques that are fueled by vigor: Bone Breaking

Bone Breaking

When you take the attack action, you can forgo an unarmed strike to force a creature within 5 feet to make a Constitution saving throw. The creature suffers one level of exhaustion on a failed save, and a limb of your choice is disabled while the creature retains that level of exhaustion. A disabled leg or wing reduces the movement of the creature by 10 feet.

The creature can have up to 4 levels of exhaustion and disabled limbs from this feature, and it can use its action to make a Medicine check (DC=8+strength mod+proficiency bonus) on its turn. On a success, the creature loses one level of exhaustion and one disabled limb of its choice is no longer disabled. The creature loses all levels of exhaustion from this feature and its limbs are no longer disabled after it finishes a short or long rest.

Bone Breaker Martial Arts

Starting at 1st level, you gain the following features:

Powerful Limbs

Starting at 1st level, your arms, legs, knees and elbows are instruments of destruction. You roll 1d8 for the damage of your unarmed strikes, instead of the normal damage.

Hardened Bones

Also at 1st level, your body have been conditioned with constant beatings, breaking and bruises. While not wearing armor, your AC equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Strength modifier.

Bone Breaker Save DC

Unless the ability says otherwise, the save DC for your Bone Breaker features equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + Strength or Dexterity (the one used in the attack).

Bone Breaker Style

Starting at 1st level, you choose a style of fighting, which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 7th, 15th and 18th levels.

Combat Form

Starting at 3rd level, you learn the combat form of your style, a combat sequence that mimics the movements of a specific animal.

Once you use a combat form, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend three uses of your Training Method to do so.

Combo Sequences

At 2nd level, you learn how to uses sequences to destroy your opponents in combat. Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 vigor point to make another unarmed strike against the same creature.

The maximum amount of vigor points you can spend on Combo Sequence in a single turn equals half your Bone Breaker level (rounded up).

Training Method

At 2nd level, you learn training methods, patterns of movements, conditioning techniques and other processes used during training, that grant you some benefit in combat. You start by knowing two such methods: Hardening and Power Strike. You learn more as you gain levels in this class.

You have an amount of training points equal to your Constitution modifier. You can spend your training points to use any training method you know. Unless noted otherwise, each Training Method costs 1 training point to use. You regain your training points after finishing a short or a long rest. You can also spend 2 Vigor points as a bonus action to regain 1 training point.

Hardening

You train your body by hitting yourself and your bones, allowing them to grow thicker. You can use your bonus action to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your Bone Breaker level.

Power Strike

Your method training involves hitting targets with the total weight and strength in your body. As an action, you make an unarmed attack. On a hit, you deal additional damage equal to your Constitution modifier + Bone Breaker level. At 5th level, you add three times your Constitution modifier to the damage, instead of one.

Palm Blocks

At 5th level, your develop a new training method that involves deflecting series of strikes with your palms. Until the end of your next turn, whenever you take piercing, bludgeoning or slashing damage, the damage is reduced by an amount equal to your Dexterity modifier or proficiency bonus (whichever is higher). Doing so doesn't require an action.

Fighting Guards

Also at 2nd level, you can use specific guards for different situations. Assuming a guard requires a bonus action. You can assume a guard without using a bonus action, but you have disadvantage on the first unarmed strike made on this turn.

Defensive Guard

The first time you take bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage until the end of your next turn you halve the damage.

In addition, you have advantage on the next Strength check or saving throw made until the end of your next turn against an effect that would cause you to move.

Offensive Guard

As part of the bonus action used to assume this guard, you can make one additional unarmed strike.

In addition, the first creature you hit until the end of your next turn must succeed on a Strength saving throw or is pushed 5 feet back while you move 5 feet forward, occupying its now vacant space.

Neutral Guard

You gain 1d4, that must be used until the end of your next turn. You can add this d4 to one Strength, Dexterity or Constitution check or saving throw, or to the result of one unarmed strike.

In addition, until the end of your next turn, you can use either your Dexterity or Strength for attacks and damage rolls with unarmed strikes.

Stances

Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to assume fighting stances. Choose one of the stances below. To gain the benefits of a stance, you must focus on it. You can choose to focus on a stance at the start of your turn without taking an action, and you remain in your stance until you choose to drop it, or until you assume another stance. You gain one additional stance at 10th and 18th levels.

In addition, your stances gain improvements at 13th and 17th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

At 5th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Shattering Blow

At 6th level, the first creature you hit with an unarmed strike on your turn takes 1d6 additional bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (your choice). In addition, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Advanced Techniques

Starting at 9th level, you can spend your vigor in the following advanced techniques:

Daze

When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 vigor point to try and daze that creature. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target have a -2 penalty to its AC and Dexterity saving throws, and can't use reactions. It also can only use actions or bonus action in each turn, not both. In addition, the dazed creature can't make more than one melee or ranged attack per turn.

The creature is dazed for 1 minute, but it can make another saving throw in each turn to end the effect.

Quicken

You can spend 1 vigor point as a bonus action to quicken yourself. Until the end of your next turn, you gain a bonus of +2 to your AC and have advantage on Dexterity saving throws. In addition, you can make one unarmed strike, in addition to any that you can normally do, until the end of this turn.

You can quicken yourself as part of the same bonus action used to assume a guard.

Frighten

As a bonus action, you can spend 1 vigor point to intimidate creatures within 30 feet of you. The targets must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn.

Fracturing Strike

At 11th level, your strikes can pulverize your enemies bones. Whenever you target a creature with your Shattering Blow, you can cause one of the following effects bellow:

Knee Fracture

The target's movement speed is halved until the end of your next turn.

Ribs Fracture

The first time the creature takes bludgeoning damage in each turn causes additional 1d6 piercing damage from the puncturing of the organ. This effect lasts until the creature regain at least 1 hit point.

Head Fracture

The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or is stunned until the end of your next turn.

Spine Fracture

The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or is knocked prone and have its movement speed reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.

Sternum Fracture

The target takes additional 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

Trained Body

Starting at 14th level, you can spend 1 Training point as a bonus action to end one of the following conditions affecting you: frightened, paralyzed, prone (you instantly get up), stunned and grappled.

Breaking Master

Starting at 20th level, you reach the maximum level of skill in this combat art. Your Strength or Dexterity and your Constitution increase by 2, to a maximum of 22.

In addition, whenever you can use the Combat Form of your chosen style at will.

Stances

The following stances are presented in alphabetical order. If you are unconscious you lose the benefit of your stance.

Bloodied Fists Stance

You add your Constitution modifier to the damage of one of your unarmed strikes on your turn. At 9th level, you can add this bonus to the first two unarmed strikes made on your turn. At 17th level, to the first three unarmed strikes made on your turn.

Endurance Stance

At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier. At 9th level, you add your Constitution modifier to Death saving throws (this benefit functions while you are unconscious). At 17th level, whenever you have less hit points than your Bone Breaker level, you regain 1 hit point at the start of each turn.

Predator Stance

You keep your body ready to finish off already terrorized individuals. Whenever a creature ends its turn within 10 feet of you and is frightened, you can move towards that creature as a reaction and make an unarmed strike. The range increases to 15 feet and you can make two attacks as part of your reaction at 9th level. The range increases to 30 feet and you can make three attacks at 17th level.

Mental Stance

You are immune to the frightened and charmed condition while in this stance. At 9th level, you can use your action to end this condition on a friendly creature within 10 feet. At 17th level, you can give advantage on saving throws against these conditions to creatures within 30 feet, as a reaction.

Resilience Stance

You add your Constitution modifier as a bonus to all your saving throws. At 9th level, whenever you make a saving throw to reduce the damage of an effect to half, you take no damage on a success. At 17th level, whenever you make a saving throw to reduced the damage to half and fail, you take only half damage.

Supernatural Resistance Stance

You have advantage on saving throws against spells. At 9th level, you have resistance to the damage of spells. At 17th level, you can use your Trained Body feature to end the effect of one spell active on you.

Bone Breaker Styles

Aggressive Style

Bone breakers that seek the aggressive style embody the true nature of the bone breaker's style of fighting. Using hard punches and brutal kicks, these fighters rip and tear trough their enemies, leaving a battered and bloodied mess behind.

Circular Kick

Starting at 1st level, once per turn you can forgo one of your attacks to make a circular kick, targeting two creatures at once. Make an unarmed strike. On a hit, you deal the damage of your attack, and can cause damage equal to your unarmed strike die to another creature within 5 feet (without any modifiers, only the die). The damage is bludgeoning.

Aggressive Style Guard

Also at 3rd level, you learn the guard specific to your style:

Cruel Strikes. While in this guard, until the end of your next turn, you score critical hits with a 19-20 with your unarmed strikes.

Raging Tiger Combat Form

Starting at 3rd level, you unlock the fighting style who bears the spirit of the Aggressive Style, mimicking the ferocity of the tiger. As a bonus action, you can enter the Tiger Combat form for 1 minute.

For the duration, the first time you hit a creature with an unarmed attack in each turn forces the target to make a dexterity save or take an extra 1d4 slashing damage. The additional damage becomes 1d6 at 5th level and 1d8 at 9th level.

In addition, whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can choose to cause either slashing or bludgeoning damage.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Aggressive Style Training Method

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following training method:

Power Stance. If you haven't moved on your turn, you can spend 1 training point to adopt a deep and powerful striking stance. Doing so reduces your movement speed to 0, but gives you advantage on your next unarmed strike made until the end of your turn.

Powerful Muscles

Starting at 7th level, if your total for a Strength check or saving throw is less than your Bone Breaker level, you can use your level in place of that total.

Aggressive Master

Starting at 15th level, you reach the full potential of your aggressive style. Whenever you roll a 1 or a 2 on an unarmed strike damage die, you can reroll the die. You must use the new roll.

In addition, whenever you spend your vigor on your Combo Sequences feature, you deal additional damage equal to twice the amount of vigor points spent.

Defensive Style

Bone breakers who adopt the defensive style understand that preventing their own bones from breaking is important as shattering those of their opponents. They use deep stances and closed guards, bracing for impact after each strike they receive, and can even offer some limited protection to their allies.

Hard Block

Starting at 1st level, your blocks to attacks are painful as attacks itself. As a reaction after taking damage from a melee weapon attack, you can reduce the damage taken by 1d6. If you reduce the damage to 0, the attacker must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or take bludgeoning damage equal to the damage it would cause before the damage reduction. This increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level and 4d6 at 17th level.

Defensive Style Guard

Starting at 3rd level, you learn your specific style guard:

Limb Wall. You raise your forearms, elbows and knees on a powerful defense. You add +2 to your AC against the first attack made against you until the end of your next turn.

Sheltered Turtle Fighting Form

Starting at 3rd level, you learn the fighting form of your defensive style, shielding yourself from attacks as a turtle hidden in its shell. You can start this fighting form as a bonus action.

While in this form, whenever you use your Defensive Guard or the Limb Wall, it affects all attacks made until the start of your next turn, instead of just the first.

In addition, you gain a number of special reactions in each turn equal to your proficiency bonus. You can only use these special reactions to use your Hard Block feature.

This fighting form last for 1 minute, until you are incapacitated or until you die. Once you use it, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Defensive Style Training Method

Starting at 3rd level, you learn the training method from your chosen style:

Pushing Block. After using your hard block, you can spend 1 training point to knock your target 10 feet back as part of the same reaction.

Guardian Warrior

Starting at 7th level, you can lend your defensive capabilities to your allies. You can use your Hard Blocks to protect a creature within 5 feet of you.

You can use Hard Blocks in this manner a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, regaining your uses of this feature after a long rest.

Defensive Mastery

At 15th level, you reach the true potential of your style. Whenever a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw, or take the damage of its own attack. The damage is bludgeoning.

Interceptive Style

The interceptive fist style focus on delivering strikes at the same time that your opponents, blocking their attacks with your own, focusing on an aggressive style of combat that never truly retreats or defends. This style is the embodiment of the old adage the best defense is a strong offense.

Fist of Interception

Starting at 1st level, when a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction to make an attack against that creature if it is within reach. If the result on your attack is higher than his, you can make one attack against the creature and the damage of its attack is halved.

When you use this ability, the number of attacks you can make as part of the Attack action is reduced in 1 until the end of your next turn.

Interceptive Guard

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an specific guard from your style.

Opportunist Guard. Until the start of your next turn, when a creature makes a melee weapon attack against you and misses, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against a creature, if it is within reach.

You can use your Dexterity, instead of Strength, for attacks and damage rolls when assuming this guard.

Flying Crane Combat Form

At 3rd level, you move your palms with speed and precision, flapping them as wings of a crane while you parry incoming strikes. As a bonus action, you assume the Flying Crane combat form.

When a creature make an attack against you, you can add your Dexterity modifier to your AC, without using any reaction. If the attack is a melee attack and you take no damage from it, you cause damage to the attacker equal to your Dexterity modifier.

In addition, while in this combat form you can use your Dexterity, instead of Strength, for attacks and damage rolls with unarmed strikes.

Interceptive Fist Training Method

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following additional training method:

Interception. When a creature damages you with a melee attack, you can spend one training point as a reaction. When you do so, you reduce the damage taken by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Bone Breaker level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can make a unarmed strike against the attacker, as part of the same reaction.

Multi-attack Defense

Starting at 7th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

Interception Master

Starting at 15th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage. You can use Interception as part of the same reaction used on interception master.

Versatile Style

The versatile style teaches that the warrior must adapt and flow on the battlefield, adopting different tactics and strategies in each battle, instead of relying solely on the strength of fists and toughness of the body. These bone breakers are unpredictable and shape themselves to the combat like water on an empty cup.

Adaptable Combat

Starting at 1st level, when you use your Neutral Stance, its benefits last for 1 minute. You still must enter in the stance again if you want to gain another d4, but you can take longer to spend the die gained.

In addition, while in the Neutral Stance, you can add your proficiency bonus to attacks with melee improvised weapons, if you can't already, and can use your Dexterity to attack with any melee weapons that lack the heavy or two-handed property.

Moreover, if an weapon damage die is lower than your unarmed strike die, you can use that die instead.

Versatile Guard

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an specific guard from your style.

Elusive Movement. As part of the bonus action used to assume this form, you can distract your opponent. Make a Dexterity (Performance) check contested by the targets Wisdom (Insight). If you win, you can impose disadvantage on the next attack made by that creature against you until the end of your next turn, or gain advantage on your next attack roll made on this turn.

Crazy Monkey Combat Form

At 3rd level, you can cause your movements to become erratic and deceptive like those of a monkey. As a bonus action, you can enter the monkey combat form for 1 minute. When you enter the combat form, you can choose to take any action of your choice as part of that bonus action.

For the duration, whenever you take any action that is not the Attack action, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. Starting at 5th, you can take two actions that are not the Attack action, instead of one in each turn while this form is active.

In addition, for the duration, you can use your Dexterity for attacks and damage rolls with unarmed strikes while the form is active.

The form ends earlier if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Versatile Style Training Method

Also at 3rd level, you learn the following training method:

Unpredictable Combo. When you take any action that is not the Attack action, you can spend 1 training point to use your Combo Sequence feature even if you haven't hit an attack. The Combo Sequence additional attacks are made after you have taken the action, and you must spend vigor points to make the attacks as normal.

Adaptable Resilience

Starting at 7th level, you add half your proficiency bonus to any Saving Throw that doesn't already add your proficiency.

Sudden Action

Starting at 15th level, you can use a reaction to move 30 feet without taking an opportunity attack and taking an Action of your choice. This reaction can be taken at the start or the end of any turn, including your own.

Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Bone Breaker class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 or Dexterity 13, Constitution 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Bone Breaker class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, martial weapons, gaming set.

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