Totem Warrior Option: Monkey

[Segev]

This functions like any other animal option in the Totem Warrior. You can pick these options at the appropriate levels, and can mix and match with the other totem options.

The basic idea here is that monkeys throw things (though I deliberately don't limit it to thrown weapons; if there are non-thrown ranged attacks that utilize strength, it's intended that it should work with them), they're agile in the trees, and they have hand-like feet and tails. (This is probably obvious from the writeup, but I like to be explicit about design intent and inspiration up front when soliciting advice.)

I am interested in any balance critiques, of course, as well as any thoughts on whether they're worth taking and any synergies with other totem options at differing levels. (e.g. the eagle totem at 6th level may combine nicely with the monkey totem at 3rd level if you can find a long-ranged-enough strength-using weapon.)


Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply.

Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You gain the mobility of a monkey. You gain advantage on climb checks, and can climb at your full speed. As a bonus action, as long as you can grip a branch, rope, or similar handhold, you may jump your full jumping distance without consuming movement.

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While raging, you gain a prehensile tail, and your feet become usable prehensile limbs. You only need one of your prehensile limbs to support yourself and move normally, effectively gaining two more “hands.” When fighting with two weapons while raging, neither needs the Light property as long as you have the limbs to wield them both.

These extra limbs may represent a physical transformation (in which case any footwear transforms sufficiently to support it), or some sort of spiritual or astral projection of the monkey totem to surround your form, or any other manifestation. However it works, your equipment is not hindered in function and does not hinder your ability to use these limbs. (You still are limited to one thing per “hand” at most, however.)

This is the most recent version. It was heavily inspired by/taken from quindraco's suggested version of it below, and incorporates suggestions from luuma, Kuulvheysoon, and Arkhios. Thanks for the ideas and feedback, guys!
Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

You've developed the hurling prowess of a monkey, and learned to use your barbarian might at range. While raging, you gain the following benefits:

You may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with your ranged weapon attacks. All other requirements (such as using strength in the attack) must still be met.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
Your weapons that lack the Thrown property have the Thrown (20ft/60ft) property for you, and when you make an attack, you can draw a weapon as part of the attack.


Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You've learned to brachiate and climb like a monkey. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain advantage on ability checks made to climb or jump. When you jump while climbing, as an action or bonus action you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check's total. This extra jumping distance does not count against your movement speed for this turn. You can enter a rage as part of a bonus action you use to make this check.

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

You've developed the fabled Monkey's Grip. While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands.

[luuma]

All ties together very, very nicely, and the 6th and 14th level features are certainly worth taking. If this came out I'd pick it.

I've got a barbarian in my current campaign who's been hurling spears whenever it's required, and that's been about once per long rest - hope that helps gauge balance.

For that reason, I think you'll be able give the throwing feature a little extra juice without breaking the class. I think the wolf's advantage, the bear's global resistance, or the eagle's free dash/half disengage are all a touch more impactful in general. This throwing benefit does enable a unique ranged playstyle, but annoyingly barbarians tend to want to stand right in the frontline at all times so they can tank damage. That gives them a massive preference for melee weapons - one that they'll struggle to ignore.

I'd probably add something to let them throw while in melee at no disadvantage, but I'm sure you'll be able to dream up some better monkey business than that. Keep it up!

[Segev]

All ties together very, very nicely, and the 6th and 14th level features are certainly worth taking. If this came out I'd pick it.

I've got a barbarian in my current campaign who's been hurling spears whenever it's required, and that's been about once per long rest - hope that helps gauge balance.

For that reason, I think you'll be able give the throwing feature a little extra juice without breaking the class. I think the wolf's advantage, the bear's global resistance, or the eagle's free dash/half disengage are all a touch more impactful in general. This throwing benefit does enable a unique ranged playstyle, but annoyingly barbarians tend to want to stand right in the frontline at all times so they can tank damage. That gives them a massive preference for melee weapons - one that they'll struggle to ignore.

I'd probably add something to let them throw while in melee at no disadvantage, but I'm sure you'll be able to dream up some better monkey business than that. Keep it up!

Thanks for the feedback! I confess my initial fear is always that I'm overdoing it.

I like the idea of letting them attack without disadvantage with a ranged weapon while next to an enemy. I'll think about whether there're any other interesting ideas I could do with that. To be fair, it would be quite the corner case to have a valid strength-based weapon they could attack with within 5 ft. and not attack with as a melee weapon. Darts, perhaps.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Maybe expand which weapons can be thrown? If there's a throwing barbarian subclass, I want to be able to do that infamous sword toss, you know?

Give 2 handed weapons 15 ft range, one handed 30, light 60? No idea, just throwing out ideas.

Yes, it could get silly, but this is D&D, dammit.

[luuma]

Thanks for the feedback! I confess my initial fear is always that I'm overdoing it.

I like the idea of letting them attack without disadvantage with a ranged weapon while next to an enemy. I'll think about whether there're any other interesting ideas I could do with that. To be fair, it would be quite the corner case to have a valid strength-based weapon they could attack with within 5 ft. and not attack with as a melee weapon. Darts, perhaps.

Oh, I just mean so they can tank hits from one foe while hurling spears at someone else!

[Arkhios]

I'm not sure I like the prospect of growing a tail while raging. Even the 14th level Eagle totem doesn't say you grow wings while raging, it merely grants you a fly speed used in short bursts.
I would say that, essentially it merely makes you so good at jumping, that it almost seems like you're flying (which, RAW, you are, but you get the idea). Also, in the same vein, I'm a bit iffy about actual transformation. I know humans can learn to use their feet to remarkable things, even to manipulate fine objects, if given enough time and incentive to practice.

Other than that, it sure does seem to tie into a coherent whole.

IIRC, there was this guy who was born entirely without arms, but had perfectly normal legs, and they learned to drive a car with only their legs (with some aiding equipment of course), as well as to use utensils with their feet, while eating their food. Sure, they had no other choice but to adapt or perish, but honestly, I believe anyone could learn to do the same if they really wanted.

Anyway, I see the Totem Warrior Barbarian being more primal or at most shamanistic, less magical or outright mystical. Even though they can cast a few spells, they can do so only as rituals, and it's a bit on the grey area if they are to be treated as magic in the same sense as when someone casts spells using spell slots.

Think of them like native americans or some other people of ancient cultures who adopted certain aspects of animals, while still being simply humans.

[Segev]

I'm not sure I like the prospect of growing a tail while raging. Even the 14th level Eagle totem doesn't say you grow wings while raging, it merely grants you a fly speed used in short bursts.
I would say that, essentially it merely makes you so good at jumping, that it almost seems like you're flying (which, RAW, you are, but you get the idea). Also, in the same vein, I'm a bit iffy about actual transformation. I know humans can learn to use their feet to remarkable things, even to manipulate fine objects, if given enough time and incentive to practice.

Other than that, it sure does seem to tie into a coherent whole.

IIRC, there was this guy who was born entirely without arms, but had perfectly normal legs, and they learned to drive a car with only their legs (with some aiding equipment of course), as well as to use utensils with their feet, while eating their food. Sure, they had no other choice but to adapt or perish, but honestly, I believe anyone could learn to do the same if they really wanted.

Anyway, I see the Totem Warrior Barbarian being more primal or at most shamanistic, less magical or outright mystical. Even though they can cast a few spells, they can do so only as rituals, and it's a bit on the grey area if they are to be treated as magic in the same sense as when someone casts spells using spell slots.

Think of them like native americans or some other people of ancient cultures who adopted certain aspects of animals, while still being simply humans.
Valid concerns, and I understand the distinctions you're drawing. I couldn't think of a way to get the "use feet as hands" thing to work usefully without the tail, unfortunately. I'm open to alternate suggestions for a level 14 feature, but the full purpose of this is to let you dual-wield greatswords if you want to, or similarly spectacular feats. (Would still need to dip Fighter for the TWF style to get to add the strength to damage on that extra attack, though.)

@luuma: Good point; I always forget that you suffer the disadvantage for having someone next to you, not for attacking someone next to you.

@PMKuulvheysoon: Adding the Thrown property to melee weapons might be neat, yeah. I like that. I may steal your mechanic idea outright, or I might tweak the ranges a bit.

[Arkhios]

Valid concerns, and I understand the distinctions you're drawing. I couldn't think of a way to get the "use feet as hands" thing to work usefully without the tail, unfortunately. I'm open to alternate suggestions for a level 14 feature, but the full purpose of this is to let you dual-wield greatswords if you want to, or similarly spectacular feats. (Would still need to dip Fighter for the TWF style to get to add the strength to damage on that extra attack, though.)

While I understand the appeal, I must ask, how would such a character stand if they were using both their arms and legs to dual wield greatswords. I really can't think of anything but a very comical mental image. Surely the monkey totem would be useful in more places than in jungles or other places with lots of stuff hanging from the ceilings.

However, I would say that being able to climb without hands would be a pretty amazing ability, and perhaps even a climb speed equal to your base speed, as long as they end their movement on a surface that can support them while not moving, or they fall. At least the latter part would be somewhat in line with the Eagle totem equivalent.

Perhaps you could grant the monkey barbarian an ability that in their hands two-handed weapons had a "reverse versatile" (name WIP) property, so that they can be held in one hand if you're medium or two-handed withoud disadvantage if you're small, but with a one step lower damage die. a 2d6 or 1d12 would become a d10, for example. I'd say this would make the totem especially appealing to small barbarians who wish to use a two-handed heavy weapon and use GWM.

[quindraco]

My suggestion, based on reading the feedback thus far, and then incorporating my own opinions (as a bonus, now the L14 benefit actually buffs the weapons you were throwing with the L6 benefit):

Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply.

Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain advantage on ability checks made to climb or jump. When you jump while climbing, as an action or bonus action you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check's total. You can enter a rage as part of the same bonus action you use to make this check.

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands.

[Segev]

While I understand the appeal, I must ask, how would such a character stand if they were using both their arms and legs to dual wield greatswords. I really can't think of anything but a very comical mental image. Surely the monkey totem would be useful in more places than in jungles or other places with lots of stuff hanging from the ceilings.I was actually picturing either standing on one foot and holding a greatsword with the other foot and bracing it with the tail, or balancing on the tail, possibly with it coiled beneath you, possibly with it just being improbably balanced. I admit it could be silly-looking.


However, I would say that being able to climb without hands would be a pretty amazing ability, and perhaps even a climb speed equal to your base speed, as long as they end their movement on a surface that can support them while not moving, or they fall. At least the latter part would be somewhat in line with the Eagle totem equivalent.

Perhaps you could grant the monkey barbarian an ability that in their hands two-handed weapons had a "reverse versatile" (name WIP) property, so that they can be held in one hand if you're medium or two-handed withoud disadvantage if you're small, but with a one step lower damage die. a 2d6 or 1d12 would become a d10, for example. I'd say this would make the totem especially appealing to small barbarians who wish to use a two-handed heavy weapon and use GWM.Hm. I think quindraco touches on this below:


My suggestion, based on reading the feedback thus far, and then incorporating my own opinions (as a bonus, now the L14 benefit actually buffs the weapons you were throwing with the L6 benefit):

Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply.Ah, adding the ability to draw a thrown weapon without requiring an object interaction is a good touch. I do think luuma's notion that you can attack at range while adjacent to an enemy without disadvantage on the attack roll might also be a good touch. It lends itself to the barbarian still being in the front lines even if he's not attacking the thing right in front of him.


Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain advantage on ability checks made to climb or jump. When you jump while climbing, as an action or bonus action you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check's total. You can enter a rage as part of the same bonus action you use to make this check.I like this, except part of the purpose of how I worded it before was to actually let it be a sort of "special dash" action. I do like the mechanic, though, as it it gives more jumping distance.


Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands.I was set to dislike this, because it didn't feel very "monkey" to me even though it results in the same effect, but then I remembered that 3e's feat that let you wield oversized weapons was called "Monkey Grip." This actually makes a fair bit of sense in that context.

I'm going to rewrite these here with my own thoughts and tweaks. Thanks for them; they're good refinements, and I just want to modify them a little:

Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply. You do not suffer disadvantage for making a ranged attack while raging with an enemy within five feet of you if the attack uses your Strength to determine its damage.

Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain advantage on ability checks made to climb or jump. When you jump while climbing, as an action or bonus action you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check's total. This extra jumping distance does not count against your movement speed for this turn. You can enter a rage as part of a bonus action you use to make this check.

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands.

[Arkhios]

Hm. I think quindraco touches on this below:

They sure did. And well. I'm glad I was too tired to try and come up with a concrete wording, as I probably couldn't have come up with better myself.


Monkey Totem
A set of animal totem options for the Totem Warrior Barbarian
Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply. You do not suffer disadvantage for making a ranged attack while raging with an enemy within five feet of you if the attack uses your Strength to determine its damage.

Aspect of the Beast
6th level monkey option

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain advantage on ability checks made to climb or jump. When you jump while climbing, as an action or bonus action you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check's total. This extra jumping distance does not count against your movement speed for this turn. You can enter a rage as part of a bonus action you use to make this check.

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands.

These all seem very good in my opinion. So good in fact, that my first and still favourite Pathfinder (Society) character, a halfling barbarian wielding a ridiculously large hammer (A maul in 5th edition context) would, if converted to 5th edition, definitely pick at the very least the Monkey Totemic Attunement.

[Segev]

Hm. To stick with the theme from the third level feature, would it be too much to add throwing to melee weapons with Totemic Attunement?

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands. You may treat melee weapons without the Thrown property as if they had the Thrown property; they gain a range of 10/20 ft.

[Arkhios]

Hm. To stick with the theme from the third level feature, would it be too much to add throwing to melee weapons with Totemic Attunement?

Totemic Attunement
14th level monkey option

While you're raging, you don't suffer disadvantage while wielding a Heavy weapon due to being Small, Two-Handed weapons don't require two hands for you to use, and Versatile weapons you are wielding in one hand deal damage as though you were holding them in two hands. You may treat melee weapons without the Thrown property as if they had the Thrown property; they gain a range of 10/20 ft.

I don't think so. I think you could even add it to 3rd level.

[Segev]

I don't think so. I think you could even add it to 3rd level.

So something like this?

Totem Spirit
3rd level monkey option

While raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply. You may make ranged attacks with melee weapons that use Strength; if they do not have the Thrown property, you may treat them as having the Thrown property and a range of 10/20 ft. You do not suffer disadvantage for making a ranged attack while raging with an enemy within five feet of you if the attack uses your Strength to determine its damage.

Moving it to 3rd level is actually a good idea if it's not too overloaded; it supports the 14th level feature still letting you work with ranged barbarism, but keeps the ranged barbarism enabling all in one package so that you can freely mix and match with other totems at level 14 if you want.

[luuma]

So something like this?

Totem Spirit
[I]3rd level monkey option[/IWhile raging, you may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with ranged attacks, and you can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. All other restrictions (such as the attack using Strength) apply. You may make ranged attacks with melee weapons that use Strength; if they do not have the Thrown property, you may treat them as having the Thrown property and a range of 10/20 ft. You do not suffer disadvantage for making a ranged attack while raging with an enemy within five feet of you if the attack uses your Strength to determine its damage.

Moving it to 3rd level is actually a good idea if it's not too overloaded; it supports the 14th level feature still letting you work with ranged barbarism, but keeps the ranged barbarism enabling all in one package so that you can freely mix and match with other totems at level 14 if you want.]

Sounds nice, though it's getting a touch verbose now with all our suggestions! I'd also note that the range should be 20ft/60ft - this is the range that an improvised weapon has, and all weapons can be used as improvised weapons. I think I'd reformat it like:

You train with the hurling prowess of a monkey. While raging, you gain the following benefits

You may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with your ranged weapon attacks.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
Your weapons that lack the Thrown property have the Thrown (20ft/60ft) property for you, and when you make an attack, you can draw a weapon as part of the attack.

[Segev]

]

Sounds nice, though it's getting a touch verbose now with all our suggestions! I'd also note that the range should be 20ft/60ft - this is the range that an improvised weapon has, and all weapons can be used as improvised weapons. I think I'd reformat it like:

You train with the hurling prowess of a monkey. While raging, you gain the following benefits

You may use any Barbarian class features that require a melee attack with your ranged weapon attacks.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
Your weapons that lack the Thrown property have the Thrown (20ft/60ft) property for you, and when you make an attack, you can draw a weapon as part of the attack.


Having thought overnight about it, I think your way of writing it is the clearest. I am not thrilled with breaking "Totem Warrior format" by writing one animal totem entry out like bullet points, but it's really just an organizational thing ,and if they're not unbalanced, then organizing them, even in a structure that makes it look "bigger" than other options, is still a good idea.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[Arkhios]

After a few days of thinking, I still can't shake off the feeling that there's still something "off" in that first bullet point. I can't really put a finger on it, but I feel it could be worded a bit more evocatively still.

Also, there's a small 'R' in Arkhios between 'A' and 'K' :smalltongue:

[Segev]

After a few days of thinking, I still can't shake off the feeling that there's still something "off" in that first bullet point. I can't really put a finger on it, but I feel it could be worded a bit more evocatively still.Do you only mean the first bullet point in the level 3 feature, or the whole level 3 feature? And do you mean "evocatively" as in "make it sound cooler," or do you mean it more in the sense that there might be cleaner terminology to use to get across the idea?

I could list the features, specifically, that now work with ranged weapons, but that would get wordy and not be very future-proofed, especially since this is part of the Totem Warrior archetype and is the most easily expanded of the Barbarian archetypes, so new "with melee attacks" totem beasts might come up later.

Mentioning "barbarian features that only work with melee attacks" is kind-of awkward; might that be what's bothering you about it? (It does feel inelegant to me, though I can live with it if I can't think of anything better.) The only other way I can think to do it would be to say something like, "Your ranged attacks count as melee attacks, though they still use the same ability scores they normally would and their range limitations apply as normal." This would actually automatically accomblish the first and second bullet points - ability to use "melee only" Barbarian features with ranged attacks, and not provoking AoOs when making ranged attacks - though without explicitly listing the benefits, it leaves it open to a lot of interpretation that might leave out specifically-intended perks. But it also opens up possible interpretations and applications I hadn't thought of yet.

Let's try this wording on:

(Monkey) Totem Spirit
Your ranged attacks now count as melee attacks, though they still use the same ability score and ranges they normally would. Among other things, this enables you to use certain Barbarian class features with ranged attacks, and prevents you from suffering Disadvantage for making such attacks with an enemy within five feet of you. In addition, you may treat any melee weapon as having the Thrown tag and a range of 20/60 ft, and you may draw your weapons as part of making an attack with them.


Also, there's a small 'R' in Arkhios between 'A' and 'K' :smalltongue:Woops! Sorry about that. Fixed. ...er, I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!

[Arkhios]

Yeah, I would say it's the 3rd level feature's first bullet point that feels awkwardly worded, as you put it. By evocative I mean that with a single wording the rule could be realised in more than one way, portrayed in a way that could be seen intentional.

I guess it could be worded along these lines:

Ranged attacks with melee weapons count towards maintaining rage on your turn.

You see, most weapons that can be thrown are categorically melee weapons (dart, I believe, is the only exception to this).

[luuma]

Yeah, I would say it's the 3rd level feature's first bullet point that feels awkwardly worded, as you put it. By evocative I mean that with a single wording the rule could be realised in more than one way, portrayed in a way that could be seen intentional.

I guess it could be worded along these lines:

Ranged attacks with melee weapons count towards maintaining rage on your turn.

You see, most weapons that can be thrown are categorically melee weapons (dart, I believe, is the only exception to this).

I imagine the feature's also meant to work with rage damage and reckless attack?

[Segev]

Yeah, I would say it's the 3rd level feature's first bullet point that feels awkwardly worded, as you put it. By evocative I mean that with a single wording the rule could be realised in more than one way, portrayed in a way that could be seen intentional.

I guess it could be worded along these lines:

Ranged attacks with melee weapons count towards maintaining rage on your turn.


I imagine the feature's also meant to work with rage damage and reckless attack?

Yeah, ranged attacks already maintain rage. It doesn't say you have to attack in melee to maintain rage. Only that you must attack.
It ends early if ... your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn

The intent of this feature is to allow Reckless Attack, the rage damage bonus, Brutal Critical, and anything else I might be missing that specifies "melee attack" be usable with ranged attacks, as well, not to just let ranged attacks maintain rage (which they do without this feature already).


You see, most weapons that can be thrown are categorically melee weapons (dart, I believe, is the only exception to this).True! But if you throw them, without this feature, they don't get the extra die from brutal critical, they don't get advantage from reckless attack, and they don't get the Rage Damage Bonus.