Variant Reckless Attack

[Bannan_mantis]

So I've been doing things in 5e to try and make martials a bit more interesting to play by essentially giving them a larger variety of options in combat. With this I've been thinking of doing something for the barbarian that allows them to feel a bit more like a juggernaut in combat and to give them more things to do. So for this I've given the following variant rules for reckless attack, I've also removed the strength attack prerequisite so dexterity barbarians can gain these combat options too

Spoiler: Reckless Attack

Show

Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives your attack an additional effect of your choice, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn. You can choose one effect when you use this and the effects you can choose are as follows:

- You gain advantage on your attack roll

- You gain a bonus to damage equal to your proficiency bonus

- You gain a bonus to damage equal to half your proficiency bonus and if your target is size huge or smaller they must make a strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from you, if they hit a wall or obstacle during this movement they take an additional amount of damage equal to half your proficiency bonus

- Your target must be of size huge or smaller and if they are they make a strength saving throw or be knocked prone

- You can move half your movement speed before making an attack

Do you think the effects are balanced between each other? I wanna make sure they're all roughly on par with advantage on your attack as that's the baseline and what the original reckless attack gave you. Also I'm possibly thinking of you learning these effects individually over time rather than having all 5 options right when you get reckless attack.

[clash]

I'm assuming the advantage on attack roll, applies to all attack rolls for the turn just as the original ability does. Do each of the other abilities apply to every attack or can you choose your effect with each attack?

[Amechra]

This feels a little messy - especially since it gives you two options which boil down to "deal bonus damage on your attacks equal to your proficiency bonus". Plus, none of those really feel like options - I'd go for the "knock prone" and "shove back" uses before anything else, because they basically beat out everything else. Plus, adding your proficiency bonus as a bonus to anything other than d20 rolls is a dangerous path to follow - it makes it much easier to dip into the class and reap the benefits. Seriously, currently this would make the Barbarian a good dip for the Warlock, because by the text you can apply your version of Reckless Attacks to spell attacks (like, say, Eldritch Blast).

Also, seriously, Barbarians are the Strength class in the same way that Monks are the Dexterity class - they don't support the other ability score for thematic reasons. Barbarians actually have quite a bit of support when it comes to doing alternate things in combat - they get Advantage on Strength checks while raging, making them naturally good at grappling and shoving. Combine that with the replacement for Fast Movement that the class features UA introduced (it lets you dash up to a creature that ends their turn within 15ft as a reaction - it lets you keep pace with faster party members, or follow an enemy who tries to run away), and you actually have quite a bit of mundane battlefield control.

My preferred solution (that I'm still fiddling with):
• Replace the +2/+3/+4 to damage from Rage with +1d4/+1d6+1d8.
• Whenever you Rage and successfully grapple or shove someone, you can roll your Rage die and deal that much Bludgeoning damage.
• Whenever you Reckless Attack and successfully grapple or shove someone, you deal Bludgeoning damage to them equal to your Strength modifier.
• Give the Barbarian more features at higher level - extra uses of Rage/a bit more Rage damage/Brutal Critical are not worth a full level's worth of features. Increasing carrying capacity and increasing the size of monsters you can grapple and shove is kinda the minimum I'm expecting.

The first bullet point doesn't add too much damage, but it does make Barbarian crits feel even better. The second and third bullet points make grappling and shoving more attractive options - it will also increase the number of Barbarians who go for Shield Master and Tavern Brawler, which is a good thing in my mind. The fourth bullet point is because Barbarians have no issues at earlier levels, but much like Monks they start dropping behind somewhere in mid-Tier 2.

[Bjarkmundur]

Found this through the compendium. I absolutely love this. Reckless attack is a great place to add some tactical choices to the Barbarian.