Mighty Maneuvers of Mettle! Barbarian Maneuver Jam

[Abracadangit]

I don't have a maneuver to add (sadness) but this thread is pure gold. I love it!

I don't play barbarians (ever), but this makes me want to.

Hey - thanks! This is what I'm talking about. Barbs as written are fun in some ways, but they also feel kind of oblique to what the fantasy of playing a barb should be. I could make this argument for a handful of classes, but Barbarians in particular seem to really have this problem. Time for an upgrade.

Tavern Tricks

When you are in a barroom brawl, you may break an improvised weapon (such as a stool, bench, or platter) over someone's head. Instead of doing damage you may spend a rage die to either knock your target unconscious or stun him for a round.

Your DM may permit you to do this in other situations that make sense, but in a combat that poses actual challenge then stun will be the only option you may use.

All for it. I find it so bizarre that the only way to get legit improvised weapon proficiency is that one feat that almost no one ever takes. At least throw some abilities in there that let people use them in fun & interesting ways! One of these days Thief & Assassin will get a divorce, and then Assassins will be proficient in improvised & and able to use them for sneak attacks. One day!

Some new ones to throw onto the pile:

Catch & Heave
Execution Time: 1 reaction, taken when a target misses you with a melee weapon attack
Range: 5 feet
Req: At least one free hand
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

As an opponent misses you with their attack, you catch their arm with your open hand and reel them in. When a creature that is either your size category or smaller misses you with a melee weapon attack, you may expend a Rage Die to immediately make a Strength (Athletics) check, contested by the enemy's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, you are now grappling the enemy with your free hand.
Upswinging: If you expend 2 or more Rage Dice, you may use this maneuver on an opponent that is 1 size category larger than you.

Spinning Piledriver
Execution Time: 1 action
Range: 5 feet
Req: Target must already be grappled
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

You jump into the air with your opponent, and smash them back into the ground with bone-shattering force. While grappling a creature that is either your size category or smaller, you may expend a Rage Die to make a special Strength (Athletics) check, adding the total from the Rage Die as a bonus. You then immediately make a high jump, to a number of feet equivalent to your roll, and then smash back down to the ground, dealing 1d6 bludgeoning damage to the target and an additional d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 additional feet in your jump (i.e. 10 feet grants you +1d6, 20 feet grants you +2d6, and so on).

Instead of making the jump, you may instead jump off of a high surface or ledge, and use the fall distance in place of your jump distance. Using the maneuver in this way still requires one Rage Die to initiate the maneuver. Upon landing, the damage from this maneuver replaces any fall damage the target creature would have taken instead, and you take no damage from the fall.
Upswinging: If you expend 2 or more Rage Dice, you may use this maneuver on an opponent that is 1 size category larger than you.

I think the Spinning Piledriver requires more fine-tuning, but you guys get the idea, I think.

Also trying to lock down the Rage Die generating mechanic--

--You receive one Rage Die the first time you either hit with a melee weapon attack using Strength, or succeed in a grapple, shove, or knock down attempt, during your turn.
--You receive one Rage Die the first time you are hit with a melee weapon attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage in a round. (Courtesy Mjolnirbear)
--You can expend 1 Hit Die to gain 1 Rage Die, so long as you haven't already gained a Rage Die during your turn through one of the other two methods. If you gain a Rage Die in this way, you cannot gain a Rage Die through one of the other two methods until the start of your next turn.

Option 3 is to give Barbs a way to use these moves outside of combat, which will be rare but at least now people have the option. And you won't generally be getting more than 2 Rage Dice in a turn this way, which seems like an okayish recharge rate (but I'm totally open to arguments to the contrary).

[Pex]

Furious Focus
Execution Time: Instantaneous
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

After you roll an IN, WI, or CH saving throw but before you know the result you may expend and roll a rage die to add its value to your saving throw.

Give The Finger
Execution Time: Reaction
Range: Self
Req: Failed an IN, WI, or CH saving throw having used Furious Focus
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

After failing an IN, WI, or CH saving throw where you used Furious Focus, expend two rage dice. You are considered to have made the saving throw. If there are secondary effects even when you make the saving throw, such as half damage, you do not suffer the secondary effects.

[Abracadangit]

Furious Focus
Execution Time: Instantaneous
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

After you roll an IN, WI, or CH saving throw but before you know the result you may expend and roll a rage die to add its value to your saving throw.

Give The Finger
Execution Time: Reaction
Range: Self
Req: Failed an IN, WI, or CH saving throw having used Furious Focus
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

After failing an IN, WI, or CH saving throw where you used Furious Focus, expend two rage dice. You are considered to have made the saving throw. If there are secondary effects even when you make the saving throw, such as half damage, you do not suffer the secondary effects.

Ha ha! You're a wizard, Pex. Or to be more precise, a barbarian.

Here's one with Benkei-from-Tale-of-the-Genji vibes, almost like the philosophical opposite of Freedom of Movement:

Immovable Object
Execution Time: Action
Range: Self
Req: None
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

With a stomp and a shift of your weight, you root yourself to the ground, like an unyielding mountain of muscle. You expend 2 Rage Dice to begin the maneuver, and until the start of your next turn, you gain the following benefits:

--You cannot be pushed or pulled from the square you occupy, and you cannot be knocked prone. If an enemy attack or ability would cause these effects, you still roll the save for purposes of calculating damage or other conditions, but even if you fail the throw, you cannot be moved from your square or knocked prone.
--If an enemy enters your reach, you may use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity.
--If an enemy attempts to move through your square, they have to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, contested by your Strength (Athletics) check. If they succeed, they move through your square, but if they fail, they remain in the previous square and their movement is reduced to 0.

Next stop: "Unstoppable Force" maneuver.

[Baine]

Here's one I thought of, although it's more of an upgrade/higher level version of some of the others:

Teach Them Fear
Execution Time: 1 reaction, taken when you drop a creature to 0 hit points or score a critical hit
Range: 30 feet
Req:
Duration: Instantaneous
Class: Barbarian

As Howl/Menace, except it works on creatures normally incapable of being frightened.

Thoughts? What level do you think this should be gated at?