Warped Warrior (5A)

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Adventuring means encountering strange phenomena and some are changed by it. Whether touched by an ancient dungeon trap, the energies of a ritual gone awry, a supernatural debt owed before birth, or through some other means they are permanently changed—and the mark of their transformation remains. Most people touched this way become warlocks, but some warriors choose to embrace their circumstances, leveraging their cursed gifts in a search for a cure.

Greyhawk Exposure to the Abyss or the madness of Tharizdun can warp anyone, as can the strange energies of Blackmoor.

Source Cursed Warrior Archetypes in En5ider 490 by John Krifka.

Subclass Abilities

Clawed Arm

At 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you acquire a curse that turns one of your arms into a monstrous and freakish limb. The exact nature of what your cursed arm looks like is determined by the GM and the source of your curse, but most people find it disturbing and it makes it easy to identify who you are. Attempts to sever your cursed arm and grow a healthy regular limb with Regeneration, the use of Heal, ritual magics, and even Wish fail to remove your curse.

You can use your clawed arm as a melee weapon with the finesse and light qualities that does 1d6 slashing damage. At 8th level your clawed arm’s damage increases to 1d8 slashing, and at 16th level your clawed arm’s damage increases to 1d10 slashing. When you hit a creature using your clawed arm, you can choose to grapple your target instead of dealing damage. You can still use your claw as a normal hand.

Cursed Within

Also at 3rd level, the muscles beneath your skin harden and spread across your body. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. When you reach 5th level and again at 10th, 15th, and 20th level, your Armor Class while not wearing any armor increases by 1.

Big Wield

Starting at 7th level, your clawed arm grows to outsize your body, and you are no longer able to wear heavy armor.

You are able to wield weapons sized for a Large creature in your clawed hand. Since you only have one clawed hand, you cannot uses such weapons in two hands. An oversize weapon in your hands loses the finesse and light properties. You double the damage dice of the weapon. (1d12 becomes 2d12, 2d6 become 4d6, and so on).

Finding such weapons can be hard. You can order one from a smith, but finding one as loot after defeating a Large or Huge foe like an ogre or giant is common—especially for magic weapons. An oversize weapon costs and weights ten times as much as an ordinary weapon of its kind, but the sale value is normally that of an ordinary weapon of its type.

Grabbing Arm

Beginning at 10th level, your clawed arm grasps at foes when you inflict violence with it. When you hit a target with an unarmed strike using your clawed arm, you can grapple it in addition to dealing damage.

Hauling Climb

At 10th level, you gain a climb speed equal to your land speed as long as the hand on your clawed arm is free.

Accursed Critical

Starting at 15th level, when you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike using your clawed arm you can inflict a curse on your target. The target makes a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, the creature is cursed for up to 1 minute or until you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). While cursed, you have advantage on attack rolls against the target and advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide from it.

Monstrous Transformation

At 18th level, you learn how to briefly release the power of your curse to transform yourself into a freakish abomination. You can use a bonus action on your turn or your reaction when you take damage to unleash your clawed arm’s curse, gaining the following benefits:

• Your size increases to Large. Your space and reach increases to 10 feet. If there is not enough space, you must squeeze.
• You gain 50 temporary hit points.
• Your speed increases to 50 feet and your climb speed increases to 50 feet.
• You triple the distance of any jumps you make.
• You have advantage on Strength checks and saving throws.
• You can use a bonus action to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check with advantage.
• Unarmed strikes using your clawed arm deal an extra 1d10 slashing damage. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or you end it on your turn as a bonus action. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

See Also

• Curse-Handed, a similar rogue archetype.

Designer's Notes

Another variant of oversized weapons can be found in Path of the Giant Weapon