Fighter Archetype: Death-Chaser, a fighter archetype for 5e.

What is a Death-Chaser?

Many warriors train for years of their life in order to obtain one goal; A beautiful death. You are a Death-Chaser. You differ from a Barbarian in that your discipline is what guides you towards your fate, rather than your rage - you understand that the only way to face a beautiful death is to create beautiful carnage. Your blade is a paintbrush with which you will orchestrate in gore your one, final masterpiece, and you have practised it with unwavering dedication.

A Death-Chaser has a mixture of martial discipline and reckless revelry which makes them a truly awe-inspiring force on the battlefield. Often, a Death-Chaser will have been raised in a society that has deeply engrained this philosophy within them, but a Death-Chaser may have come to this conclusion on their own, either through revelling in the glory of combat, or through personal nihilism. Either way, Death-Chasers are often paradoxically hard to kill for this very reason.

Death-Chasers will only use ranged weapons as a last resort, or as part of a cowardly military strategy as part of an absolute necessity. Unlike other Fighter subclasses, many Death-Chaster features are not as potent with ranged weapons.

Death Ballad

At 3rd level, after choosing this archetype, when you are reduced to half of your hit point maximum, you may use your reaction to enter a Death Ballad. Whilst in a Death Ballad, you receive several benefits:

You may use your bonus action to move your speed towards a hostile creature you can see.

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may roll 1d10. Both you and the creature take the result in the same damage type as your weapon. The damage you take ignores resistances or immunities. At 10th level, this damage increases to 2d10.

Any creature that makes an attack of opportunity against you suffers damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

This Death Ballad lasts for one minute, and ends if you are reduced to 0 hit points. Once you have entered a Death Ballad, you may not enter another Death Ballad until the end of a short or long rest. You gain one more use of Death Ballad per short or long rest at 7th level, and another at 15th level.

Lead By Example

Starting at 7th level, you may add your Strength, Consititution or Dexteirty modifier (whichever is highest) to any Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to inspire others to rally to a cause or stand their ground in the face of danger.

Witness Me

Starting at 10th level, when you enter a Death Ballad you may let out a terrifying battle cry. Each creature that can hear you within 60ft must make a Wisdom Saving Throw, contested by a Strength (Intimidation) check. Any creature that loses the contest has disadvantage on all attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.

A creature that is immune to the Frightened condition will not be effected by this feature.

I'm Taking You With Me

Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points you may expend one of your Death Ballad uses and your reaction in order to make a melee attack against a creature within your reach.

If this attack hits, you may choose to instantly fail a death saving throw. If you do so, the attack becomes a critical hit.

Tonight, We Dine In Hell

Starting at 18th level, you gain another use of your Death Ballad when you reduce an enemy to 0 hit-points, score a critical hit, or are returned to 1 hit point after failing at least two death saving throws whilst unconscious.