Viking Raider (5e Class)

Viking Raider

Barbarian Variant

Savage axes, walls or shields, ships with dragon heads. All part of what makes a Viking a Viking. On the field of battle a viking is a worthy adversary, but at home a caring parent and skilled and hard worker. Viking raiders are fierce warriors who came from the snowy wastes of the north, to loot and plunder villages and cities, explore new lands and settle far regions. They are a combination of pirates, pathfinders and warriors, who are loyal to their clans and fearful of the gods they devote.

Religion is a great part of the viking culture. They made sacrifice to honor their gods, or appease their anger; to ask for good crops or safe passage on the seas; and, each kill they achieve in the battlefield is a prayer to Odin, who rejoices in the carnage, as it fills the ranks in the valhalla armies. Viking raiders worship the Æsir Pantheon, but most of all Njordr and Ægir (marine gods), as well as Thor and Freyr.

Despite the combat prowess and appearance of savagery, most days, in a day by day routine of a viking raider, they are simple farmers and merchants, living a calm life in the countryside, working the land to provide for their families, and having a generally mundane life. But in the summer, when the ice starts to melt, they sail south or even to other planes like the material plane to find new treasures or to raid old grounds. That's not the perception, however, of other civilizations. Communities outside of the viking's homelands are terrified of them. They are referred to as northmen in hushed voices. They are seen as terrible and merciless pirate in the North Sea, who can sail quickly and arrive unexpected with their Drakkar ships, unleashing unexpected raids, that seed great fear into the enemy's hearts

They are more than that however. In their own lands, viking raiders are treated as honored heroes and with utmost respect. These sailors are recognized as cunning navigators, that can reach also very far lands.

Creating a Viking Raider

Viking Raiders by James Ives

When creating a character, these are some questions that can aid your construction. What motivated you to join the viking raids? Are you looking for gold, fame or revenge? Do you seek new lands for curiosity, or to claim new territories to settle and build viking communities?

Most vikings in the world live in the north along the coast, congregating into villages controlled by an earl (jarl). How is your relation with your earl? Is he fair and just, or a tyrant you plan to replace? He is a brave and courageous warrior, or a coward, who just have enough gold and nobility to buy loyalty of its subjects?

Viking raiders are divided in several warbands, chiefdoms and fiefs, which makes conflicts between warring clans constant. What is your clan's name and notable members? Who are their allies? Their enemies? Are you loyal to your clan, or do you hold some grudge towards them?

Viking raiders have many laws in their homelands and fight with the ferocity of the northwinds itself. For this reason, it is common for vikings to adopt a Lawful alignment. There are some exceptions - the Berserkers, for instance, are savage and uncontrollable beasts of a warrior, who favor the Chaotic alignment. On the good-evil axis, viking raiders are varied. Some have noble and kind hearts, others are cruel and heartless, which makes easy to find vikings in all alignments.

Quick Build

You can build your character quickly by following these suggestions: First, Strength is your higher score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Folk Hero or the Sailor backgrounds.

Barbarian Variant

This class is a variant from the core Barbarian class, from the Player's Handbook, and it is meant to be used with the subclasses meant for that class.

Adaptation

This is an adaptation from a 3.5e homebrew. For the 3.5e version, look at [1]

Class Features

As a Viking Raider you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Viking Raider level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Viking Raider level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Vehicles (sea)
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) a greataxe or (b) any martial melee weapon
• (a) two handaxes or (b) any simple weapon
• An explorer's pack and a shield.

Table: The Viking Raider

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Rages	Rage Damage
1st	+2	Rage, Unarmored Defense, Sea Legs	2	+2
2nd	+2	Improved Feint, Danger Sense	2	+2
3rd	+2	Primal Path	3	+2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	+2
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Dirty Fighting (+1d6)	3	+2
6th	+3	Path feature	4	+2
7th	+3	Evasion, Unnatural Dodge	4	+2
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	+2
9th	+4	Jotun's Influence, Breakpoint (Optional)	4	+3
10th	+4	Path feature	4	+3
11th	+4	Dirty Fighting (+2d6)	4	+3
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	+3
13th	+5	Battle Cry, Breakpoint (x2) (Optional)	5	+3
14th	+5	Path feature	5	+3
15th	+5	Tireless Rage	5	+3
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	+4
17th	+6	Greater Rage, Dirty Fighting (+3d6), Breakpoint (x3) (Optional)	6	+4
18th	+6	Elusive	6	+4
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	6	+4
20th	+6	Blessing of the Gods	Unlimited	+4

Rage

In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can enter a rage as a bonus action.

While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have raged the number of times shown for your barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian table, you must finish a long rest before you can rage again.

Unarmored Defense

Vikings are trained from a very young age to fight, becoming able to defend themselves in battle. At 1st level, while not wearing armor your AC it's 10 + Strength or Dexterity modifier + Constitution modifier.

Sea Legs

The time you've spent on a rocking boat have trained your equilibrium. At 1st level, you have advantage on any ability checks made to keep your balance, and on checks or saving throws against effects that would knock you prone, plus gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Improved Feint

At 2nd level, you have become a tricky warrior, using cunning and deceptiveness to win your fights. You can use your bonus action on your turn to attempt to feint. You can choose to make a Charisma (Deception), (Performance) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand), contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight), using your bonus action.

On a success, you have advantage on your next melee weapon attack made against that creature until the end of your turn.

Danger Sense

At 2nd level, you gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren't as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger.

You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Primal Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

You can choose from the Paths available to the Barbarian class. Some work with a few differences, as shown below.

Extra Attack

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

Dirty Fighting

At 5th level, when you hit a creature with an attack made with advantage after a feint, you cause additional +1d6 damage. This damage increases to +2d6 at 11th level, and +3d6 at 17th level.

Unnatural Dodge

Starting at 7th level, you can react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. You can take your turn normally when you are surprised.

In addition, enemies don't have advantage on attacks against you for being unseen, as long as they aren't invisible. You don't gain this benefit if you are incapacitated or immobilized.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Breakpoint (Optional)

This 9th level feature replaces the features Jotun's Influence. You gain no benefit from the replaced feature and don't qualify for anything in the game that requires it.

You can roll an additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage of a critical hit with a melee weapon.

If you have chosen this feature, you can also replace the Battle Cry feature to roll two additional dice at 13th level. If you have chosen this feature twice, you can replace Greater rage to roll three additional dice at 17th level.

Jotun's Influence

At the 9th level, the Viking gains knowledge of the accursed children of the trickster god; Loki who have influence the world and it's people in their nature. Now, you may channel their most minor aspects when you battle against your many foes, choose one of the following features.

Aspects of Fenrir

You gain a dense coat of fur akin to the great wolf whilst your muscles' bulge with overwhelming might as your weapons now bite with tooth-like sharpness. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Viking Raider level + your Constitution modifier.

While you have these temporary hit points, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 with your melee weapon attacks.

Aspects of Jormungandr

Your body is covered strange and coarse scales like the legendary sea-serpent whilst you feel lithe and smooth as your weapons seemingly drip with a savage poison. You can add your Constitution, rather than your Dexterity, to your unarmored AC.

In addition, whenever you score a critical hit, you cause additional damage equal to half the damage dealt. That damage is poison and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be poisoned until the start of your next turn.

Aspects of Hel

You garner a deathly appearance like a decay corpse like the goddess of Hel where you feel like you can siphon the life from your opponents. Whenever you cause damage to a creature, you can choose to deal necrotic damage, instead of the normal damage.

In addition, when you cause necrotic damage to a creature on a critical hit, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Improved Dirty Fighting

At 11th level, after feinting successfully, you can take the Disengage action, or attempt to Shove or Grapple the target as part of the same bonus action. The shove or grapple attempt are made at advantage.

Battle Cry

At 13th level, you can unleash a powerful battle cry, that strikes fear in the hearts of your enemies. As an action, you can force all hostile creatures in a 30-foot radius to make a saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the target is frightened of you, until the end of your next turn.

Creatures with a CR or a Wisdom score higher than your Viking Raider level automatically succeed on the check.

Tireless Rage

Beginning at 15th level, your rage is so fierce that it ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it.

In addition while raging, you can choose to suppress the effects of exhaustion for the duration of the rage. If you do so, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion at the end of the rage.

Greater Rage

At 17th level, when you enter in rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you can choose to turn it into a greater rage. While in greater rage, you gain the following benefits:

• Your Strength and Constitution score raise to 26 for the duration.
• You have resistance to all damage types.
• You have advantage on all saving throws.

This benefit lasts for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can' t use it again until you finish a long rest, and you suffer a level of exhaustion.

Elusive

Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Blessing of the Gods

At 20th level, you gain the power of the gods. Choose one of the following gods: Thor, Odin, Loki, Sif, or Heimdall. You gain the power correspondent to the chosen god. You cannot change the power after choosing it.

Thor

Your weapons are infused with the power of thor. All melee weapons you wield gain the thrown (20/60) property, or double the thrown distance if they already have this property, and return to your hand after each attack.

In addition, once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack from a melee weapon or unarmed strike, you cause additional 2d6 thunder damage to the target, that is knocked 10 feet back.

Finally, on a critical hit against a giant, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the damage dealt, or is reduced to 0 hit points.

Odin

You are gifted with the wisdom of the allfather. Your Wisdom score increases in 4, up to a maximum of 24.

In addition, you can cast a spell of 5th-level or lower from any spell list. When you cast the spell, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Loki

You are a master trickster. You can cast dimension door, blur and mirror image each once, without spending a spell slot. When you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Sif

You are imbued with the power of war. You have resistance to slashing, piercing or bludgeoning damage from non-magical attacks. While raging, you gain resistance to cold, fire and lightning damage instead.

In addition, you can give yourself a bonus of +10 to an attack roll you make. Once you do it, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Heimdall

You channel the all seeing powers of Heimdall. You have truesight up to a range of 30 feet.

In addition, when you finish a short or a long rest, roll a d20 and record the number rolled. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with this foretelling roll. You must choose to do so before the roll.

Once you use your foretelling roll once, it is spent. When you finish a short or a long rest, you lose any unused foretelling rolls.

Primal Paths

Path of the Berserker

This is a buffed version of the official Berserker. Works exactly as shown on the PHB, with the following differences:

Frenzy

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can go into a frenzy when you rage. If you do so, for the duration of your rage you can attack one additional time whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. You can only make melee attacks while in a Frenzy.

When the rage ends, you must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 15. On a failed save, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion. Regardless of failure or success, the DC raises by 5.

The DC returns to 15 when you finish a long rest.

Intimidating Presence

Add the following line below:

While raging, you can use your Intimidating Presence as a reaction whenever a hostile creature moves within 30 feet of you or start its turn within that range.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the viking raider class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength, 13 Constitution.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the viking raider class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, shields simple weapons, and martial weapons.

Restriction. You can't multiclass into the barbarian class.

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