Butcher

As a human looks down at his hook, he sees the blood pooling in massive amounts from it, as well as that Scientist slumped against the wall over there. He looks in a nearby mirror splattered with blood, and sees the eyes of a madman. However, whether it's a madman or not, it is an artist, an artist of death. He smiles as he moves onto his next target.

Butchers are full of rage and take that rage out on others, stabbing ones face with a knife over and over again until you can barely recognize that it was originally a face. They are as unchained and unhinged as it comes, not knowing when to hold back. Mercy is not in the Butchers dictionary and they dare not show it if it were.

### **Unchained Predator**

Butchers can be brutal in combat. Slicing up their opponents with one or more blades. And may god have mercy on your soul if you're stuck in a room alone with a Butcher. They are predators of the highest order and your allies are likely to find you days later disfigured beyond recognition.

When dealing with a Butcher alone, you are as likely to see your friends again as you are to win the lottery. Butchers like to torment their "prey" before killing them. Slicing off each of their limbs until they are practically begging for mercy. And then, when the Butcher eventually gets bored, he decides to kill them and move on to the next unlucky soul.

### **Like a Lamb to the Slaughter**

When dealing with a Butcher, one would often know they are in danger. They see the severed limbs on the ground and the blood stains on the wall. But it could be that forward is the only way they can go. So with their weapon in their trembling hands, they trek forward.

They reach a doorway at the end of the hallway and as soon as they cross over the threshold, its too late for them. They walked right into their doom like a lamb to the Slaughter.

## **Creating a Butcher**

When making a Butcher it is crucial to remember that the Butcher is no warrior or soldier. It is their duty to destroy the hordes of undead until there is nothing left. They do not fight because it is the right thing to do or for the sake of some god's honor. They fight because it is all they can do anymore.

All they know and understand after being left for dead in the jaws of death itself only to triumph bloodied and battered is that if the undead they have survived are not eliminated entirely they will only return to continue their consumption of humanity as we know it. This does not mean the Butcher is ignorant to the complications or complexities of a situation. However, variables and theories mean nothing to them after seeing with their own eyes what their world will become if their foes are not eliminated.

#### **Quick Build**

You can make a Butcher quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Constitution, followed by Strength. Second choose the Chef Background.

## **Class Features**

As a Butcher, you gain the following Class Features.

### **Hit Points**

* **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Butcher level
* **Hit Points at 1dt level:** 8 + your Constitution Modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution Modifier per Butcher level after 1st

### **Proficiencies**

* **Armor:** Light armor, Medium armor
* **Weapons:** Sharp Melee Weapons
* **Tools:** None
* **Saving Throws:** Strength, Constitution
* **Skills:** Choose two from Intimidation, Deception, Endurance, Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Insight, Investigation, and Cooking

### **Equipment**

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

* (a) A Butcher Knife, (b) a Sickle, or (c) A Machete
* (a) A Crossbow and 20 Bolts or (b) A Handgun and 10 Bullets
* (a) Cook's Utensil's or (b) An Explorer's Pack
* A Blood Stained Apron, Trousers, and Gloves

### **Garrote**

Starting at 1st level, when you hit with a creature with a Sharp Melee weapon, you may choose to deal no damage, but instead give the target the Bleeding Condition that lasts for 1 minute. This bleed deals 3 damage to the target at the start of each of its turns, as opposed to the 1 damage it would do normally. If the target regains 1 or more hit points, this effect ends. This effect does not stack with itself.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus (Minimum of Once), regaining all expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.

### **Fighting Style**

When you reach 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following Fighting Style Feats from Defense, Dueling, Superior Technique, Thrown Weapon Fighting, and Two Weapon Fighting. You can't choose a Fighting Style Feat more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

### **Reckless Attack**

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 you advantage on Attack Rolls using Sharp Melee Weapons during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.

### **Slayer Dice**

At 2nd level, you are able to decimate your foes with your brutal force. You have a pool of dice, called Slayer Dice, equal to your Constitution Modifier, Your Slayer Die starts out a a d4, and increases over time, as shown on the Slayer Dice column of the Butcher table.

You regain one Slayer die after a short rest, and all Slayer dice after a long rest. You can expend one Slayer Die to use one of the abilities detailed at the end of the class description.

### **Butcher Path**

At 3rd level, you chose a path. Choose between Path of the Violent, Path of the Vengeful, or Path of the Forsaken. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th level, 11th level, 14th level, and 18th level.

### **Ability Score Improvement**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### **Extra Attack**

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

### **The Only Thing They Fear is You**

At 7th level, you are immune to the frightened condition. You can inflict fear onto another creature within 30 feet that you can see. The creature takes a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC = 8 + your Wisdom Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus). On a failure, the creature is Frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If a creature succeeds it cannot be affected by this skill for 24 hours.

You can use this feature twice, regaining all expended uses after you complete a short or long rest.

### **Rupture**

Starting at 9th level, you are able to dig your sharp blade into the flesh and rip into internal organs, gaining the following benefits:

* You can use your action to make a special attack with your blade, if you hit, you deal damage as normal and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or receive the Bleeding Condition. This effect causes the creature to bleed for 1 minute, dealing 1d4 damage to the target at the start of each of its turns. If the target regains 1 or more hit points, this effect ends. This effect does not stack with itself.
* The damage you deal from Garrote now does 4 damage rather than 3.

### **Hemorrhage**

Starting at 13th level, you have found a way to open the wounds of your victims further, gaining the following benefits:

* When you hit with a bleeding creature with a hook weapon, you may choose to deal no damage, but instead force the target to make a Constitution saving throw at disadvantage, or the damage from any bleeding it is suffering is doubled for the remaining duration of that bleed. This effect does not stack with itself. This feature can be used a number of times equal to 1 + your Strength Modifier (minimum of Once). Regaining all expended uses after you finish a long rest.
* The damage you deal from Garrote now does 5 piercing damage rather than 4.
* The damage you deal from Rupture now does 1d6 piercing damage rather than 1d4.

### **Spill the Blood**

When you reach 17th level, you are now a master of making your enemies bleed to death with no remorse, and you gain the following benefits:

* You can use your action to cause any Garrote or Rupture bleed currently affecting a creature to immediately deal 5 times their normal damage, then end. You must finish a long rest before you can use this effect again.
* The damage you deal from Garrote now does 6 piercing damage rather than 5.
* The damage you deal from Rupture now does 1d8 piercing damage rather than 1d6.

### **Too Angry To Die**

At 20th level, when you drop to 0 HP or lower you can make a Constitution Saving Throw DC = 15. On failure you will begin taking Death Saving Throws instead. If you succeed you drop to 1 HP instead. After you have succeeded a Saving Throw for this ability previously you roll with advantage the next time you use this ability until you take a long rest or fail the Saving Throw.

## **Slayer Die Abilities**

Below are the different abilities you gain from spending your Slayer Die as presented in alphabetical order:

* **Blood Punch.** When you make an unarmed attack, you may spend a slayer die. On a hit, add an extra die of damage to the damage it deals, and every hostile creature within 5 feet also takes this damage.
* **Bountiful Power.** As an action, you may spend one slayer die, and roll it. Add this to either your Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity score for the next minute. This cannot grant you extra slayer die.
* **Glory Kill.** When you reduce a creature to half its Hit Point Maximum or below with a melee attack, you may spend a slayer die and force them to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution Modifier + your Proficiency Bonus). On a failure, they are immediately dropped to 0 Hit Points and die, and you gain temporary Hit Points equal to your **Butcher** level, which last until you lose them or take a short or long rest.
* **Made to Fight.** When you are hit by an attack, you may spend a slayer die, and roll it. You regain Hit Points equal to the number rolled + your Constitution modifier.
* **Quick Step.** When you move, you may spend a slayer die to gain extra movement equal to your Slayer Die + your Dexterity Modifier. This movement cannot be split, and if you do not use it when you get it, you lose it.
* **Slaughter.** When you hit a creature, you may spend a slayer die no more than once, and roll it. Add the result to the damage dealt.
* **Unbroken.** As an action while you are suffering from a condition, you can spend a slayer die, and reroll the save which inflicted this condition, adding the slayer die to the result, ending the condition on a save. You can't be unconscious to use this ability.

## **Multiclassing**

* ***Prerequisites.*** To qualify for multiclassing into The Butcher class, you must meet these prerequisites: Constitution or Strength 13 or Higher.
* ***Proficiencies.*** When you multiclass into The Butcher class, you gain the following proficiencies: Sharp Melee Weapons.