Primal Path: Path of Flame

by Subjectivesloth

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Barbarian: Path of Flame

Your rage is a violent inferno of infinite flames, brought forth directly from the only source of such power that could sate you: The Elemental Plane of Fire. You may have gained this power from time spent upon the plane, or from your heritage as a fire genasi, or even from being burned and absorbing the flame into yourself by sheer force of will. Whatever the case, your rage manifests as a vulgar and unstoppable force of nature, to be feared and respected by allies and enemies alike.

Fiery Rage

At 3rd level, when you choose this path, your rage appears as a visible, fiery aura around you. While you are raging, you have resistance to fire damage and you can add double your proficiency bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against creatures that can see you.

Burning Blade

Even when left naked and unprepared, you have the power of your fiery spirit as your weapon.

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you can summon forth a single fiery weapon in your free hand as a bonus action. The weapon can take the shape of any melee weapon you designate, and has the same properties of that weapon. If you let go of the weapon, it disappears, but you can bring forth the blade again as a bonus action.

The weapon deals fire damage, instead of its normal damage type, and sheds light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Scorch the Soul

At 3rd level, you can embed your fire in the soul of your enemies. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack using your burning blade while raging, you can cause fire to engulf that creature's soul for up to 1 minute. As a bonus action on your turn, you can cause the affected creature to take fire damage equal to half your barbarian level (rounded down).

Only one creature can be affected by this ability at one time, and the effect ends on a creature when it is applied to another. An affected creature can attempt to quell the flame as a bonus action on its turn by making a Wisdom saving throw whose DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a success, the effect ends on the target.

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Protective Flame

By 6th level, your wounds can cauterize and close themselves by the sheer force of your fiery will. While you are raging, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your rage damage bonus, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table. You can use this ability only once per rage.

Additionally, when you take fire damage while raging, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your barbarian level. These hit points disappear when your rage ends.

Elemental Immolation

When you reach 10th level, your rage grows hotter and more violent, empowering your abilities. When you inflict fire damage with your Scorch The Soul feature, that damage ignores resistance.

Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made using your burning blades.

Soul Explosion

By 14th level, You can channel your rage's fire into a single point in your body before releasing it in a powerful explosion. As an action on your turn, all creatures within 20 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw whose DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. A creature takes 8d8 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. You can use this ability only once per rage.

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Path of the Elements Flame v1.2

The primary goal of this version of the Path of Flame is to gain feedback on each of the features and the overall balance of the subclass.

Background

This subclass was one I was working on for an upcoming compendium, but it didn't quite pan out as well as I wanted it. It was originally meant to draw power from the four elements, but that left it feeling fractured and unfocused, so I have narrowed it down to the Path of Flame.

It's relatively basic in my opinion, but I'd like to see what others think. I may just be used to looking at it at this point.

I hope you enjoy this fiery barbarian!

- SubjectiveSloth
Recent Changes
  • Moved Burning Blade to 3rd level and changed it to mimic the damage of the weapon it imitates.
  • Scorch the Soul requires Burning Blade
  • Protective Flame THP changed to half barb level, instead of half the fire damage of the attack, up to 10
  • Added Elemental Immolation
  • General Formatting
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