Menagerie of Might
The animal kingdom contains creatures as vast, exotic, and bizarre as any monster. Totemic attunement to a few terrestial mammals allows barbarians following the Path of the Totem Warrior to gain the powers of some of the most noble, powerful animals known to human culture, but the world offers so much more. This supplement contains a dozen additional totem options for these mighty warriors to choose, with creatures of great cultural, symbolic, or ecological importance.
In short, if you follow the Path of the Totem Warrior from the Player's Handbook, you have access to the options presented here. For a version of this content with features organized by level, click here.
Elephant
Totem Spirit. While you're raging, any 5-foot space of difficult terrain that you enter ceases to become difficult terrain for any creature that passes through it after that point. This effect occurs even if the difficult terrain is created by magic. The spirit of the elephant tears through snarls of vegetation and rubble.
Aspect of the Beast. You have tremorsense in a 10-foot radius around yourself. You can sense the general location of thunder damage dealt, earthquakes, storms, and burrowing creatures within a number of miles equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Totemic Attunement. When a creature falls prone within 5 feet of you while you're raging, you can use your reaction to make a special unarmed strike by stomping on that creature. You are proficient in this attack, which deals damage equal to 2d8 + your Strength modifier in bludgeoning damage.
Fox
Totem Spirit. While raging, you can move up to 5 feet in any direction when a creature misses you with a melee attack. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spirit of the fox makes you swift and evasive.
Aspect of the Beast. You have advantage on checks and saves against illusions, and gain proficiency in Insight. The tricksy fox knows when it is being fooled.
Totemic Attunement. While you are raging, when you make a Charisma check or saving throw, you can replace the number you roll with your barbarian level.
Gorilla
Totem Spirit. When you fail an ability check or saving throw while raging, you can use your reaction to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allied creatures within 10 feet of you. This bonus cannot exceed your Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The spirit of the gorilla makes you a competent leader that never fails its troop.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the threatening bulk of a gorilla. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and gain proficiency in Intimidation.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, your reach for making melee weapon attacks is 10 feet, rather than 5. A weapon with the reach property does not increase this reach further.
Locust
Totem Spirit. While raging, you have advantage on saving throws to avoid being charmed, frightened, deafened, or blinded. The spirit of the swarm gives you the independent resilience of a million eyes, ears, and minds.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the plasticity of a swarm. You can squeeze through spaces large enough for creatures two sizes smaller than you, rather than one.
Totemic Attunement. Whenever you damage a creature while raging, it loses any temporary hit points it has, and you gain half that many temporary hit points. When you damage a creature that has no temporary hit points while raging, its maximum HP is reduced by an amount equal to your rage bonus damage until the creature finishes a short or long rest.
Mole
Totem Spirit. While raging, you can use an action to gain a burrowing speed equal to half your normal speed until the end of your turn. This action is considered an attack for the purposes of maintaining your rage. The spirit of the mole lets you burrow through earth and stone.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the senses of a mole, and have tremorsense in a range of 30 feet.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, you can replace one of your weapon attacks with a special melee attack (which you are proficient in) that does no damage. If it hits, the target makes Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, the target is paralyzed until the start of its next turn. Moles can produce paralyzing venom, and its spirit gives you the same power on grander scale.
Mule
Totem Spirit. While raging, you can't be moved against your will, and you have advantage on Constitution checks and saving throws. The spirit of the mule makes you obstinate and enduring.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the stamina of a mule. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift, and you have advantage on saving throws inflicted by a forced march.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, you ignore difficult terrain and any effect, both magical and nonmagical, that reduces your movement, so long as the effect does not reduce your movement to 0.
Peacock
Totem Spirit. While raging, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on a melee attack made against you. If it misses, you can cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice other than the attacker that is within 5 feet of you. The spirit of the peacock shines with dizzying elegance.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the splendor of a peacock. You add an amount equal to your rage bonus damage to your Charisma checks.
Totemic Attunement. The first creature you damage on each of your turns is charmed by you until the start of its next turn. The beauty of your rage dazzles your enemies.
Ram
Totem Spirit. While raging, you have advantage on saving throws against effects that would knock you prone, move you against your will, or stun you. You also have resistance to cold damage while raging. The spirit of the ram fills you with its sure-footed resilience.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the balance of a mountain sheep. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and have advantage on checks to maintain your grip and footing while climbing.
Totemic Attunement. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack while raging, you can choose to knock that creature 5 feet away from you and occupy the vacated space. This shift does not expend movement or provoke opportunity attacks.
Serpent
Totem Spirit. While you're raging and have at least one free hand, you can attempt to grapple a creature as a bonus action. The spirit of the snake accelerates your strikes made to capture prey.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the venomouse touch of a snake. You have proficiency in poisoner's kits.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, any creature grappled by you takes 1d6+ your Strength modifier + your rage bonus in bludgeoning damage when it starts its turn. The constricting power of the snake crushes your enemies.
Shark
Totem Spirit. While raging, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier whenever you damage a creature that doesn't have all its hit points with a melee attack. The spirit of the shark makes you ferocious at the smell of blood.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the swiftness and senses of a shark. You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, can breathe underwater, and creatures that do not have all their hit points cannot hide from you.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, the first enemy you damage with a melee weapon attack each turn has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the end of its next turn. An enemy is immune to this effect if it can't see or hear you or if it can't be frightened.
Tiger
Totem Spirit. While raging, you can Search for hidden enemies as a bonus action, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. The spirit of the tiger hones your ability to find enemies and prey to a razor's edge.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain proficiency in two skills from the following list: Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. The cat spirit hones your survival instincts.
Totemic Attunement. While you're raging, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line toward a Large or smaller target right before making a melee weapon attack against it, you can use a bonus action to make an additional melee weapon attack against it.
Toad
Totem Spirit. While raging, you gain the poisonous skin of a frog. You can use your reaction to inflict the poisoned condition on any creature that touches you, grapples you, or hits you with a natural weapon. This poison lasts until the end of the creature's next turn.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the crural strength of a toad. The height and length of your high and long jumps are doubled.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, any creature you damage is pulled 15 feet straight towards you. The spirit of the toad snatches your foes and draws them in.
Tortoise
Totem Spirit. While you are raging and not wearing armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage done to you from both magical and nonmagical weapons is reduced by 3. The spirit of the tortoise grants you its incredible resilience.
Aspect of the Beast. You suffer none of the drawbacks of old age, and you can't be aged magically.
Totemic Attunement. The amount of weight that you can push, drag, lift, and carry quintuples while you are raging. Your AC when not wearing armor also becomes 18, unless it is already higher. You can still use a shield and gain this benefit. The spirit of the tortoise carries the world on its back, and so must you.
Whale
Totem Spirit. When you rage, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution score, which last until your rage ends. While you have those temporary hit points, you have resistance to cold and fire damage. The spirit of the whale protects you from the elements.
Aspect of the Beast. You gain the senses of a whale. Whenever you aren't deafened, you have blindsight out to a range of 60 feet, and gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Totemic Attunement. While raging, you are under the enlarge effect of the enlarge/reduce spell. You also count as one size larger than your enraged size for the purposes of determining which creatures you can grapple and shove.
Combination Totems
You are not bound to a single totem animal, and as-written, barbarians associate with many beasts. This is not always the case, and many barbarians choose a single animal and stick with it. The flavor may be more evocative if you channel one type of animal spirit, a single totem that you personify.
The power of reflavoring (replacing one concept with another in the game world but leaving mechanics the same) permits even more totem animals. Below are several combinations of totem features that evoke new animals without adding additional mechanics.
Reflavored Totem Animals
| Totem | 3 | 6 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albatross | Eagle | Elk | Eagle |
| Ant | Wolf | Locust | Shark |
| Boar | Bear | Tiger | Elk |
| Cheetah | Elk | Tiger | Tiger |
| Crocodile | Shark | Tiger | Serpent |
| Hornet | Locust | Serpent | Eagle |
| Kangaroo | Eagle | Toad | Tiger |
| Lion | Gorilla | Wolf | Tiger |
| Lobster | Tortoise | Tortoise | Serpent |
| Monkey | Gorilla | Fox | Gorilla |
| Orca | Wolf | Whale | Shark |
| Ox | Ram | Mule | Tortoise |
| Rabbit | Fox | Toad | Mule |
| Rat | Fox | Locust | Shark |
| Rhinocerous | Bear | Bear | Wolf |
| Scorpion | Serpent | Serpent | Locust |
Team: Leila, Anastasia Bulgakova
Search for the Black Toad, Penny Golledge
Untitled, Sophie Willkins