Briar Champion (5e Subclass)

Briar Champion

Fighter Subclass

In the shadowed underbrush of ancient forests and wild, tangled hedgerows, the Briar Champions forge their path. These fighters harness the unyielding nature of thorns and brambles, turning the very land into both shield and spear. Where they tread, the ground whispers and weaves into barbed defenses at their command, and their enemies find themselves ensnared by the land's sharp embrace.

Thornweaver's Strike

At 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, you learn to channel the essence of the wilderness, infusing your strikes with the piercing power of brambles and thorns. You gain the following abilities :

• Briar Arrows : As a bonus action, you can conjure a quiver of thorn arrows, which last for 1 minute or until you dismiss them (no action required). These arrows can be used with any bow you wield. When you hit a creature with a briar arrow, the target takes an extra 1d4 piercing damage, and its movement speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. This effect symbolizes the entangling and hindering nature of brambles.

• Thorned Strikes : When you make a melee attack with a weapon, you can choose to imbue it with thorny energy. On a hit, you deal an additional 1d4 piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or have its speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after you finish a long rest.

Bramble Bond

Starting at 3rd level, your connection to the natural world allows you to form a bond with the land, summoning brambles and thorns to protect you and ensnare your foes. You gain the following benefits :

• Bramble Armor : As a bonus action, you can cause thick, thorn-covered brambles to envelop your armor or skin, providing you with additional protection. For 1 minute, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to +1. While Bramble Armor is active, any creature that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d4 piercing damage from the brambles. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after you finish a long rest.

• Entangling Ground : You can use your action to cause brambles to rapidly grow in a 10-foot radius centered on a point on the ground that you can see within 30 feet of you. The area becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute. Any creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling brambles until the end of its next turn. After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Thornwalker's Grace

By 7th level, your affinity with the thorned and brambled paths has honed your movements to a perfect blend of elegance and danger. You gain the following benefits :

• Path of Thorns : Your movement is unimpeded by natural difficult terrain, including brambles, thickets, and similar obstacles. Furthermore, when you move through such terrain, you can choose to leave a trail of thorns in your wake. For the next minute, the path you traveled becomes difficult terrain for your enemies, potentially slowing their pursuit or complicating their movements during battle.

• Evasion Amidst Thorns : You've learned to use the dense brambles and thorny underbrush to your advantage, allowing you to swiftly dodge away from danger. When you are hit by an attack or fail a Dexterity saving throw while you are in natural terrain (forests, jungles, groves, etc.), you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you or to succeed on the saving throw instead. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Briarheart Resilience

At 10th level, the very essence of the thicket runs through your veins, imbuing you with remarkable resilience and the ability to recover from wounds that would fell lesser warriors. You gain the following benefits :

• Thorned Vitality : Whenever you take a short rest, you can channel the rejuvenating power of brambles and thorns. You regain extra hit points equal to 1d8 + your Constitution modifier when you spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points during a short rest. This represents the life-giving force of the wilderness aiding in your recovery.

• Briarheart's Endurance : Your bond with the brambles strengthens your resolve and fortitude. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, reflecting your adaptation to the harsh, toxin-laden aspects of the wild. Additionally, once per long rest, if you would be reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. When you use this feature, brambles and thorns erupt from your skin, causing any creature within 5 feet of you to take 1d10 piercing damage (no save).

Thorns of Destiny

At 15th level, your mastery of the thorned path allows you to choose between two pinnacle abilities, each symbolizing a different aspect of your combat expertise. Once you choose, your decision cannot be changed.

Precision - Razorvine Focus

• Razorvine Focus : Your attacks become incredibly precise, cutting to the very essence of your foes. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an additional 2d6 piercing damage and ignore the target's damage resistances or immunities to piercing damage. Furthermore, if the target is a creature that can bleed, it starts bleeding for 1d4 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. The bleeding can be stopped by any magic that heals hit points or by a successful DC 15 Medicine check.

Lethality - Brambleheart Fury

• Brambleheart Fury : You unleash the wild, untamed power of brambles and thorns with every strike, devastating your foes with raw force. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks to make a Brambleheart Strike. This strike channels the fury of the wilderness, dealing an additional 3d6 piercing damage to the target and forcing any creature within 5 feet of the target to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, whichever is higher) or take 1d6 piercing damage from flying thorns.

Crown of Thorns

At 18th level, your chosen path culminates in a powerful manifestation of your bond with the bramble and thorn, enhancing your abilities with either unmatched precision or devastating lethality. Depending on the choice made at level 15, you gain one of the following features :

Precision - Razorvine Perfection

• Razorvine Perfection : Your ability to target vital points reaches its zenith. Whenever you use your Razorvine Focus to deal additional damage, the bleeding effect increases to 1d6 piercing damage at the start of each of the affected creature's turns, and the creature suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls while bleeding. Additionally, any time you attack a bleeding creature, you gain advantage on the attack roll, as you exploit the wounds you've already inflicted. This represents your unparalleled mastery over causing and exploiting injuries.

Lethality - Brambleheart Storm

• Brambleheart Storm : Your Brambleheart Fury evolves into a devastating maelstrom of thorns. When you use your Brambleheart Strike, the additional piercing damage increases to 4d6, and the radius of the effect expands to 10 feet. Moreover, creatures failing their Dexterity saving throw against the flying thorns are also restrained by brambles until the end of your next turn, symbolizing your capacity to not only inflict grievous wounds but to control and dominate the battlefield with your lethal prowess.

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