Barroch “Meatgrip” Muldoon
Lifts First | Thinks Never | Strongman of the Scarlet Chain
“He ain’t the main act. He ain’t even got a voice no more. Just a smile, a tether, and a one-way trip through yer party’s frontliner.”
🎤 Mirthos “The Velvet Noose” — the undead ringmaster puppeteer
🌀 Silka “Spindle-Limbs” Kreel — the flexible dagger you didn’t see comin’
📜 Want the full bloody ticket? It’s punched here: The Circus That Sets Up Without Askin’
Stat Block – Barroch (5e-Compatible)
CR: 8
Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Alignment: Neutral (Puppeted by Mirthos)
Role: Melee Juggernaut / AoE Disruptor / Crowd-Pusher
Tactical Theme: Raw muscle controlled like a circus bull — used to break formations, slam clustered players, and make the battlefield unsafe for anyone standing still.
Core Stats
AC: 18 (Chain-Wrapped Physique, natural armor)
HP: 147 (14d10 + 70)
Speed: 30 ft.
Saving Throws: STR +5, CON +8
Skills: Athletics +10, Intimidation +5, Acrobatics +3
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing from non-magical weapons
Condition Resistances: Stunned, Grappled, Restrained
Senses: Passive Perception 12
Languages: Common, performs pantomime (hasn't spoken since the tether)
Special Abilities
🪓 Meatgrip Smash (Recharge 5–6)
Barroch lifts a random large object from the arena (anvil, beam, bench, cannon) and hurls it in a 30-ft line.
All creatures in the path must make a DC 16 DEX save or take 4d10 bludgeoning and be knocked back 15 feet
On success, take half and no knockback
Object lands behind last target as difficult terrain
🧱 Momentum Over Muscle (At-Will)
If Barroch moves at least 15 feet in a straight line before attacking, he deals +2d6 damage and the target must succeed a DC 15 STR save or be shoved prone or pushed 10 ft (GM choice).
🤝 The Friendly Grab (1/Turn)
Barroch grins and “hugs” a player from behind — literally picks them up.
DC 16 STR save or be hoisted like a dumbbell
While held, the player can’t move, attack, or cast spells with somatic components
Barroch can throw them up to 30 feet (no damage, but prone and humiliated)
🧵 Tethered Puppet (Passive Effect)
While tethered by Mirthos:
Gains +2 to all damage rolls
Automatically succeeds on STR saves
If Mirthos is incapacitated, Barroch collapses mid-move, takes 2d8 psychic damage, and acts last for the next 2 rounds
💥 Multiattack
Barroch makes two attacks with his chain-wrapped fists or weaponized prop.
Fist/Prop Slam: +5 to hit, 2d6 bludgeoning
If both attacks hit the same target, target must succeed DC 15 CON save or be stunned until the start of their next turn
Equipment
Chain-Knit Torso Wraps: Heavy, enchanted muscle-wrapped links that double as punching weight. If removed, Barroch loses resistance and 2 AC.
Circus Cannon (Ranged Prop): Only usable with Meatgrip Smash. One-use per fight unless the GM replenishes stage hazards.
Red Thread Harness: Thick chestpiece holding the tether anchor. Breakable (AC 17, HP 15) — severing it drops him to 0 HP but leaves him unconscious, not dead.
📌 “He ain’t tryin’ to kill ya. He’s tryin’ to impress the crowd. Problem is, the crowd’s in his head — and it’s always cheerin’ for blood.”
👉 Ready to wreck your party’s formation? Drag Barroch into the fray and throw chairs while yer at it. More chaos awaits at the Tavern Toolshed, or check out Player Builds & NPCs for tank-bustin’ contenders who might just stand toe-to-toe.
How Barroch Fights
“He don’t hit hard ‘cause he’s mad. He hits hard ‘cause he don’t know any other way.”
Barroch ain’t clever. He ain’t cunning. But he’s got one trick he plays real well: momentum. His power is in his movement, his mass, and the chaos he causes just by bein’ in the wrong place at the right time. He breaks spacing. He wrecks formations. And if yer table ain’t careful, he’ll leave yer rogue in a wall and yer wizard cryin’ under a cannon.
His Combat Priorities:
Charge and disrupt. Break up tightly packed groups immediately
Punish clustered tactics. His Meatgrip Smash ain’t subtle, but it works
Target the smallest or loudest creature first. He doesn’t know why — he just likes the applause
Be mobile. His damage spikes when he moves 15+ feet
Tactics Breakdown:
First Round:
Charges the center of the group with Momentum Over Muscle
Picks someone up with Friendly Grab for a laugh (and tactical nightmare)
Starts grinning. That’s how ya know it’s too late
Mid-Fight:
Uses Meatgrip Smash to knock players across the tent
Focuses on knocking down support characters to break synergy
Moves a lot — he’s always recharging that damage boost
Final Rounds:
Grows more erratic. Starts throwing random objects whether they help or not
May try to leave the fight area — not to escape, just because “the crowd told him to”
If Mirthos drops: Barroch falls hard, twitches... then slumps. He ain’t dead. He’s just off.
How to Use Barroch In Your Campaign
Barroch ain’t a planner’s enemy. He’s a punishment for the overplanned. That’s his real strength: turning clean fights into brawls, messes, furniture-breaking chaos. He’s a beautiful disaster.
He works best in:
Tight indoor fights with props, balconies, or crowds
Boss arenas where space is a weapon and structure matters
Encounters that need a pace shift — Barroch makes everything go fast and loud
Where to Place Him:
As the frontman of a boss trio (Mirthos + Silka + Barroch)
As a traveling circus challenge fight — maybe a “friendly” performance gone wrong
As a captured freak the party sets loose (to their regret)
As a misdirected summoned creature — pulled in by accident, left grinnin’ and swinging
When to Use Barroch (and When Not To)
“If yer players love careful movement and clean spell ranges, Barroch’s gonna give ‘em heartburn.”
Ideal Times to Use Barroch:
When the party clusters up too often
When the battle needs a wildcard
When the group is leaning too hard on squishy DPS
When yer players like big moments and bold moves
When to Hold Back:
If the terrain doesn’t support charging or flinging
If you’re running tactical puzzle-style combat
If yer party hates being shoved or moved without consent
If you just used Silka, and the players are already recovering from positional trauma
Campaign Integration Ideas
The “Friendly Match” Gone Wrong: Barroch challenges the strongest party member to a feat-of-strength show. Then the tether tightens… and the walls come down
The Caged Beast: Found behind bars, smiling. “Ya wanna see what I can lift?”
The Living Cannonball: The tent literally launches him across the battlefield
He Carries the Tent Props: Not for effect. It’s just where the weapons are
Mike’s Word on Meatgrip
“He don’t talk much. Smiles a lot. I think he believes he’s helpin’, lad. He once threw a warhorse through a temple window ‘cause someone said ‘Break a leg.’ He ain’t evil. He’s aimless. And now he’s got a leash made of magic an’ a mind like a half-squashed turnip. And he’s comin’ fer yer bard.”
📌 “He don’t need to hit hard, lad. He just needs to move. Let him loose and yer map becomes a memory.”
👉 If yer ready to toss yer encounter balance out the tent flaps, Barroch’s yer lad. Break more things with the rest of the Tavern Toolshed or find ways to punch back at nightmares with GM Wisdom. And if ya get flattened? Well. Ya were standin’ still.
