The Barbarian, Perfected, by Strawberry Drugcake

by HaliwaaraGMBinder

Search GM Binder Visit User Profile
The Barbarian, Perfected
A collection of official, playtest and homebrew material

Introduction

Barbarian

A tall human tribesman strides through a blizzard, draped in fur and hefting his axe. He laughs as he charges toward the frost giant who dared poach his people’s elk herd.

A half-orc snarls at the latest challenger to her authority over their savage tribe, ready to break his neck with her bare hands as she did to the last six rivals.

Frothing at the mouth, a dwarf slams his helmet into the face of his drow foe, then turns to drive his armored elbow into the gut of another.

These barbarians, different as they might be, are defined by their rage: unbridled, unquenchable, and unthinking fury. More than a mere emotion, their anger is the ferocity of a cornered predator, the unrelenting assault of a storm, the churning turmoil of the sea.

For some, their rage springs from a communion with fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain. For every barbarian, rage is a power that fuels not just a battle frenzy but also uncanny reflexes, resilience, and feats of strength.

Primal Instinct

People of towns and cities take pride in how their civilized ways set them apart from animals, as if denying one’s own nature was a mark of superiority. To a barbarian, though, civilization is no virtue, but a sign of weakness. The strong embrace their animal nature—keen instincts, primal physicality, and ferocious rage. Barbarians are uncomfortable when hedged in by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt.

Barbarians come alive in the chaos of combat. They can enter a berserk state where rage takes over, giving them superhuman strength and resilience. A barbarian can draw on this reservoir of fury only a few times without resting, but those few rages are usually sufficient to defeat whatever threats arise.

A Life of Danger

Not every member of the tribes deemed “barbarians” by scions of civilized society has the barbarian class. A true barbarian among these people is as uncommon as a skilled fighter in a town, and he or she plays a similar role as a protector of the people and a leader in times of war. Life in the wild places of the world is fraught with peril: rival tribes, deadly weather, and terrifying monsters. Barbarians charge headlong into that danger so that their people don’t have to.

Their courage in the face of danger makes barbarians perfectly suited for adventuring. Wandering is often a way of life for their native tribes, and the rootless life of the adventurer is little hardship for a barbarian. Some barbarians miss the close-knit family structures of the tribe, but eventually find them replaced by the bonds formed among the members of their adventuring parties.

Barbarian
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Rages Rage Damage
1st +2 Rage, Unarmored Defense 2 +2
2nd +2 Reckless Attack, Danger Sense 2 +2
3rd +2 Primal Knowledge, Primal Path 3 +2
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 +2
5th +3 Extra Attack, Fast Movement 3 +2
6th +3 Path Feature 4 +2
7th +3 Instinctive Pounce, Feral Instinct 4 +2
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 +2
9th +4 Brutal Critical (1 die) 4 +3
10th +4 Path Feature 4 +3
11th +4 Relentless Rage 4 +3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 5 +3
13th +5 Brutal Critical (2 dice), Bonus Feat 5 +3
14th +5 Path Feature 5 +3
15th +5 Persistent Rage 5 +3
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 +4
17th +6 Brutal Critical (3 dice) 6 +4
18th +6 Indomitable Might 6 +4
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 6 +4
20th +6 Primal Champion Unlimited +4

Creating a Barbarian

When creating a barbarian character, think about where your character comes from and his or her place in the world. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for your barbarian. Did you come from a distant land, making you a stranger in the area of the campaign? Or is the campaign set in a rough-and-tumble frontier where barbarians are common?

What led you to take up the adventuring life? Were you lured to settled lands by the promise of riches? Did you join forces with soldiers of those lands to face a shared threat? Did monsters or an invading horde drive you out of your homeland, making you a rootless refugee? Perhaps you were a prisoner of war, brought in chains to “civilized” lands and only now able to win your freedom. Or you might have been cast out from your people because of a crime you committed, a taboo you violated, or a coup that removed you from a position of authority.

Class Features

As a barbarian, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

  • Hit Dice: 1d12 per barbarian level
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per barbarian level after 1st

Proficiencies

  • Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
  • Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
  • Tools: None
  • Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
  • Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

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

  • (a) a greataxe or (b) any martial melee weapon
  • (a) two handaxes or (b) any simple weapon
  • An explorer’s pack and four javelins

Rage

In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can enter a rage as a bonus action.

While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:

  • You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

  • When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table.

  • You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have raged the number of times shown for your barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian table, you must finish a long rest before you can rage again.

Unarmored Defense

While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

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 melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.

Danger Sense

At 2nd level, you gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger.

You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Primal Knowledge

When you reach 3rd level and again at 10th level, you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice from the list of skills available to barbarians at 1 st level.

Primal Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage. The Path of the Berserker is detailed at the end of the class description, and additional primal paths are available in other sources. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

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.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Extra Attack

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

Fast Movement

Starting at 5th level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.

Instinctive Pounce

Beginning at 7th level, as part of the bonus action you take to enter your rage, you can move up to half your speed.

Feral Instinct

By 7th level, your instincts are so honed that you have advantage on initiative rolls.

Additionally, if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren’t incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn, but only if you enter your rage before doing anything else on that turn.

Brutal Critical

Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. This increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.

Relentless Rage

Starting at 11th level, your rage can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points while you’re raging and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.

Brutal Critical

At 13th level, you can roll two additional weapon damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

This increases to three additional dice at 17th level.

Bonus Feat

When you reach 13th level, you may select yourself a Bonus Feat. Bonus Feat Pool is pinned in #ordo-patch-notes. If a Bonus Feat includes and ASI, you do not gain that ASI.

Persistent Rage

Beginning at 15th level, your rage is so fierce that it ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it.

Brutal Critical

At 17th level, you can roll three additional weapon damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

Indomitable Might

Beginning at 18th level, if your total for a Strength check is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.

Primal Champion

At 20th level, you embody the power of the wilds. Your Strength and Constitution scores and their maximum possible scores both increase by 4.

Primal Paths
Name Source Page
Ancestral Guardian Xanathar's Guide To Everything 7
Battlerager Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide 8
Berserker Player's Handbook 9
Cursewrought The Finger 10
Juggernaut Matthew Mercer 11
Storm Herald Xanathar's Guide To Everything 12
Symbiote Blackhando 13
Totem Warrior Player's Handbook 14
Wild Soul Revised UA by ItzJes♤ 15
Zealot Xanathar's Guide To Everything 18

Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Some barbarians hail from cultures that revere their ancestors. These tribes teach that the warriors of the past linger in the world as mighty spirits, who can guide and protect the living. When a barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid.

Barbarians who draw on their ancestral guardians can better fight to protect their tribes and their allies. In order to cement ties to their ancestral guardians, barbarians who follow this path cover themselves in elaborate tattoos that celebrate their ancestors’ deeds. These tattoos tell sagas of victories against terrible monsters and other fearsome rivals.

Ancestral Protectors

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, spectral warriors appear when you enter your rage. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit with an attack on your turn becomes the target of the warriors, which hinder its attacks. Until the start of your next turn, that target has disadvantage on any attack roll that isn't against you, and when the target hits a creature other than you with an attack, that creature has resistance to the damage of the target’s attacks.

Spirit Shield

Beginning at 6th level, the guardian spirits that aid you can provide supernatural protection to those you defend. If you are raging and a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by 2d6.

When you reach certain levels in this class, you can reduce the damage by more: by 3d6 at 10th level and by 4d6 at 14th level.

Consult the Spirits

At 10th level, you gain the ability to consult with your ancestral spirits. When you do so, you cast the Augury or Clairvoyance spell, without using a spell slot or material components. Rather than creating a spherical sensor, this use of Clairvoyance invisibly summons one of your ancestral spirits to the chosen location. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

After you cast either spell in this way, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Vengeful Ancestors

At 14th level, your ancestral spirits grow powerful enough to retaliate. When you use your Spirit Shield to reduce the damage of an attack, the attacker takes an amount of force damage that your Spirit Shield prevents.

Path of the Battlerager

Known as Kuldjargh (literally "axe idiot") in Dwarvish, battleragers are followers of the gods of war and take the Path of the Battlerager. They specialize in wearing bulky, spiked armor and throwing themselves into combat, striking with their body itself and giving themselves over to the fury of battle.

Battlerager Armor

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use spiked armor as a weapon.

While you are wearing spiked armor and are raging, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack with your armor spikes against a target within 5 feet of you. If the attack hits, the spikes deal 1d4 piercing damage. You use your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls.

Additionally, when you use the Attack action to grapple a creature, the target takes 3 piercing damage if your grapple check succeeds.

Reckless Abandon

Beginning at 6th level, when you use Reckless Attack while raging, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). They vanish if any of them are left when your rage ends.

Battlerager Charge

Beginning at 10th level, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action while you are raging.

Spiked Retribution

Starting at 14th level, when a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes 3 piercing damage if you are raging, aren't incapacitated, and are wearing spiked armor.

Path of the Beast

Form of the Beast

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, when you enter your rage, you can transform, revealing the bestial power within you. Until the rage ends, you manifest a natural weapon. It counts as a simple melee weapon for you, and you add your Strength modifier to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with it, as normal.

You choose the weapon’s form each time you rage:

Bite.

Your mouth transforms into a bestial muzzle or great mandibles (your choice). It deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you damage a creature with this bite, you regain a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus, provided you have less than half your hit points when you hit.

Claws.

Each of your hands transforms into a claw, which you can use as a weapon if it’s empty. It deals 1d6 slashing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you attack with a claw using the Attack action, you can make one additional claw attack as part of the same action.

Tail.

You grow a lashing, spiny tail, which deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit and has the reach property. If a creature you can see within 10 feet of you hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swipe your tail and roll a d8, applying a bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Bestial Soul

Beginning at 6th level, the feral power within you increases, causing the natural weapons of your Form of the Beast to count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

You can also alter your form to help you adapt to your surroundings. When you finish a short or long rest, choose one of the following benefits, which lasts until you finish a short or long rest:

You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe underwater.

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

When you jump, you can make a Strength (Athletics) check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check’s total. You can make this special check only once per turn.

Infectious Fury

At 10th level, when you hit a creature with your natural weapons while you are raging, the beast within you can curse your target with rabid fury. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus) or suffer one of the following effects (your choice):

The target must use its reaction to make a melee attack against another creature of your choice that you can see.

Target takes 2d12 psychic damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Call the Hunt

At 14th level, the beast within you grows so powerful that you can spread its ferocity to others and gain resilience from them joining your hunt. When you enter your rage, you can choose a number of other willing creatures you can see within 30 feet of you equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of one creature). You gain 5 temporary hit points for each creature that accepts this feature. Until the rage ends, the chosen creatures can use the following benefit once on each of their turns: when the creature hits a target with an attack roll and deals damage to it, the creature can roll a d6 and gain a bonus to the damage equal to the number rolled.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Path of the Berserker

For some barbarians, rage is a means to an end—that end being violence. The Path of the Berserker is a path of untrammeled fury, slick with blood. As you enter the berserker’s rage, you thrill in the chaos of battle, heedless of your own health or well-being.

Frenzy

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can go into a frenzy when you rage. If you do so, for the duration of your rage you can make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action on each of your turns after this one. When your rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Mindless Rage

Beginning at 6th level, you can’t be charmed or frightened while raging. If you are charmed or frightened when you enter your rage, the effect is suspended for the duration of the rage.

Intimidating Presence

Beginning at 10th level, you can use your action to frighten someone with your menacing presence. When you do so, choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the creature can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to extend the duration of this effect on the frightened creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends if the creature ends its turn out of line of sight or more than 60 feet away from you.

If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can’t use this feature on that creature again for 24 hours.

Retaliation

Starting at 14th level, when you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

Path of the Cursewrought

You have been riddled with curses, whose magics have seeped into your very being. Whether this corruption came from a vindictive cabal of witches, or as a result of your trespassing on forsaken grounds, you cannot escape the arcane darkness that dwells within you.

Barbarians who follow the Path of the Cursewrought are outcasts, seeking either redemption and purification, or revenge. Through their fury, they have learned to transform their curses into weapons, spreading them like a pestilence to their enemies, and crushing all those who stand in their way.

Curse Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Constitution modifier

Ragecurse

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack while you're raging, you can use your bonus action to attempt to inflict a curse on the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Curse save DC or be cursed until your rage ends. This curse applies one of the following effects of your choice:

  • The target's AC is reduced by 2.
  • The target has disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.
  • The target can't regain hit points and has disadvantage on death saving throws.

A creature can only be affected by one of your curses at a time.

Starting at 10th level, a creature cursed by you also takes twice the amount of additional Rage Damage when you hit it with a melee weapon attack.

Aegis Black

By 6th level, you possess a profound bulwark against darkness. You have resistance to necrotic damage, and have advantage on saving throws against necromancy spells and effects that would curse or possess you.

Furybane

Starting at 10th level, whenever you enter a rage, you can cast the spell Bane as a part of that action without using a spell slot. You can concentrate on this spell even while you're raging.

Spiteful Curse

At 14th level, whenever a creature hits you with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to attempt to curse that creature with your Ragecurse. If the attacker fails its saving throw, it also takes 2d8 necrotic damage.

Path of the Juggernaut

Juggernaut barbarians are siege engines in their own right, able to stand their ground and move their foes into positions of weakness. While raging, they make any battlefield their domain, shoving foes over mountainsides and destroying even the strongest structures with their attacks.

Thunderous Blows

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, your rage instills you with the strength to batter around your foes, making any battlefield your domain. Once per turn while raging, when you damage a creature with a melee attack, you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure, you push the target 5 feet away from you, and you can choose to immediately move 5 feet into the target’s previous position.

Stance of the Mountain

You harness your fury to anchor your feet to the earth, shrugging off the blows of those who wish to topple you. Upon choosing this path at 3rd level, you cannot be knocked prone while raging unless you become unconscious.

Demolishing Might

Beginning at 6th level, you can muster destructive force with your assault, shaking the core of even the strongest structures. All of your melee attacks gain the siege property (your attacks deal double damage to objects and structures). Your melee attacks against creatures of the construct type deal an additional 1d8 weapon damage.

Overwhelming Cleave

Upon reaching 10th level, you wade into armies of foes, great swings of your weapon striking any who threaten you. When you make a weapon attack while raging, you can make another attack as a bonus action with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.

Unstoppable

Starting at 14th level, you can choose to become unstoppable when you enter a rage. If you do so, for the duration of the rage your speed cannot be reduced, and you are immune to the frightened, paralyzed, and stunned conditions. If you are frightened, paralyzed, or stunned, you can still take your bonus action to enter your rage and suspend the effects for the duration of the rage. When your rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Path of the Storm Herald

Typical barbarians harbor a fury that dwells within. Their rage grants them superior strength, durability, and speed. Barbarians who follow the Path of the Storm Herald learn instead to transform their rage into a mantle of primal magic that swirls around them. When in a fury, a barbarian of this path taps into nature to create powerful, magical effects.

Storm heralds are typically elite champions who train alongside druids, rangers, and others sworn to protect the natural realm. Other storm heralds hone their craft in elite lodges founded in regions wracked by storms, in the frozen reaches at the world’s end, or deep in the hottest deserts.

Aura Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Constitution modifier

Storm Aura

When you select this path at 3rd level, you emanate a stormy, magical aura while you rage. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover.

Your aura has an effect that activates when you enter your rage, and you can activate the effect again on each of your turns as a bonus action. Choose desert, sea, or tundra. Your aura's effect depends on that chosen environment, as detailed below.

You can change your environment choice whenever you gain a level in this class.

  • Desert. When this effect is activated, all other creatures in your aura take 4 fire damage each. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 5 at 5th level, 6 at 10th level, 7 at 15th level, and 8 at 20th level.

  • Sea. When this effect is activated, you can choose one other creature you can see in your aura. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 1d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d6 at 10th level, 3d6 at 15th level, and 4d6 at 20th level.

  • Tundra. When this effect is activated, each creature of your choice in your aura gains 3 temporary hit points, as icy spirits inure it to suffering. The temporary hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 4 at 5th level, 5 at 10th level, 6 at 15th level, and 7 at 20th level.

Storm Soul

At 6th level, the storm grants you benefits even when your aura isn't active. The benefits are based on the environment you chose for your Storm Aura.

  • Desert. You gain resistance to fire damage, and you don’t suffer the effects of extreme heat, as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Moreover, as an action, you can touch a flammable object that isn't being worn or carried by anyone else and set it on fire.

  • Sea. You gain resistance to lightning damage, and you can breathe underwater. You also gain a swimming speed of 30 feet.

  • Tundra. You gain resistance to cold damage, and you don’t suffer the effects of extreme cold, as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Moreover, as an action, you can touch water and turn a 5-foot cube of it into ice, which melts after 1 minute. This action fails if a creature is in the cube.

Shielding Storm

At 10th level, you learn to use your mastery of the storm to protect others. Each creature of your choice has the damage resistance you gained from the Storm Soul feature while the creature is in your Storm Aura.

Raging Storm

At 14th level, the power of the storm you channel grows mightier, lashing out at your foes. The effect is based on the environment you chose for your Storm Aura.

  • Desert. Immediately after entering rage, you can use your reaction to force creatures in the radius of your aura to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creatures takes fire damage equal to your Barbarian level.

  • Sea. When you hit a creature in your aura with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone, as if struck by a wave.

  • Tundra. Whenever the effect of your Storm Aura is activated, you can choose one creature you can see in the aura. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or its speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn, as magical frost covers it.

Path of the Symbiote

Some barbarians derive their power from a source originally alien to their body, which gradually becomes a part of them. Their rage isn't truly a reflection of any kind of primal anger, or hatred of the world; rather, it is them controlling the power of the parasite that lives inside of their body.

There are many beings which could grant a barbarian such powers, either through their anatomy alone or from some sort of magical abilities. Some examples include an oblex that was too weak to fully devour the body, a mind flayer tadpole that was unable to reach the brain, or some sort of demonic mutation that gained a faint bit of sapience.

Symbiote Shell

When you choose this path, at 3rd level, you form an organic shell around your body when you enter a rage. For the duration of your rage, you gain the following benefits:

  • Your AC increases by 1 provided you aren't wearing armor.

  • Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage. When you take the Attack action and make an unarmed strike while not wielding a shield, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike.

Your symbiote shell might be obvious at a glance, such as black armor-like covering around your body that enlarges your teeth and gives you a threatening look, or it might be something more subtle, such as your fingernails (or fingers) turning into scythe-like blades.

Morphic Techniques

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your symbiote's unnatural anatomy to perform various horrifying techniques. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can use one of the following techniques. If a technique requires a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.

Choking Limb. Your arm wraps around the creature's neck, or your claws dig into its throat extremely deeply. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or it is grappled by you. While a creature is grappled in this way, it cannot breathe.

Primal Fling. Your arm's muscles expand to be larger than your body, and allow you to toss the creature. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or be thrown up to 15 feet away from you. A Large or larger creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw.

Warshaper

Starting at 6th level, your symbiote begins to define itself more clearly, granting you a new ability. Choose one of the following features:

Expanded Biomass. While raging, you count as one size larger for the purpose of grappling, and a creature only automatically succeeds on its saving throw against your Primal Fling if it is Gargantuan.

Warped Reach. While raging, your unarmed strikes have the reach property. Additionally, you can grapple and shove creatures that are 10 feet away from you. If you successfully grapple a creature that is further than 5 feet away from you, you immediately pull it to be within 5 feet of you.

Alien Strikes

Additionally, at 6th level, the otherworldly nature of your shell makes your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity. While raging, your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 + your Strength modifier damage.

Once you gain this feature, you may choose to deal slashing, piercing or bludgeoning damage with your unarmed strikes while raging. You can use a bonus action to change the damage type.

Apex Predator

By 10th level, your connection to your parasite influences your mind, making you think and act like it does. Other creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to read your emotions or tell if you're lying, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track a creature without all of its hit points. Also, while raging, your unarmed strikes deal 1d10 + your Strength modifier damage of your chosen damage type.

Healing Factor

At 14th level, your flesh has fully fused itself with your symbiote, making it regenerate at unnatural speeds. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Additionally, if you put a severed body part of yours back in place as an action, the part reattaches.

Path of the Totem Warrior

The Path of the Totem Warrior is a spiritual journey, as the barbarian accepts a spirit animal as guide, protector, and inspiration. In battle, your totem spirit fills you with supernatural might, adding magical fuel to your barbarian rage.

Most barbarian tribes consider a totem animal to be kin to a particular clan. In such cases, it is unusual for an individual to have more than one totem animal spirit, though exceptions exist.

Spirit Seeker

Yours is a path that seeks attunement with the natural world, giving you a kinship with beasts. At 3rd level when you adopt this path, you gain the ability to cast the Beast Sense and Speak with Animals spells, but only as rituals.

Totem Spirit

At 3rd level, when you adopt this path, you choose a totem spirit and gain its feature. You must make or acquire a physical totem object – an amulet or similar adornment – that incorporates fur or feathers, claws, teeth, or bones of the totem animal. At your option, you also gain minor physical attributes that are reminiscent of your totem spirit. For example, if you have a bear totem spirit, you might be unusually hairy and thick-skinned, or if your totem is the eagle, your eyes turn bright yellow.

Your totem animal might be an animal related to those listed here but more appropriate to your homeland. For example, you could choose a hawk or vulture in place of an eagle.

  • Bear Your body is imbued with the strength of the bear, which shall eventually stand to all punishment. While raging, you have resistance to all damage apart from Psychic damage.

  • Eagle While you're raging, other creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against being blinded and ending the blinded condition. When you move while grappling a creature, your speed is halved only if the creature is larger than you.

  • Elk While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 20 feet and you can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn.

  • Tiger While raging, you can use your bonus action to pounce on a space within 15 feet of you. All creatures within 5 ft of you (including you) must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be knocked prone.

  • Wolf While you're raging, your allies have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of you.

Aspect of the Beast

At 6th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected at 3rd level or a different one.

  • Bear. You gain the might of a bear. Your carrying capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled, and you have advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break objects.

  • Eagle. You gain the eyesight of an eagle. You can see up to 1 mile away with no difficulty, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 100 feet away from you. Additionally, you have advantage your Wisdom (Perception) checks and dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks.

  • Elk. Whether mounted or on foot, you have advantage on Stealth checks. The elk spirit helps you roam quietly.

  • Tiger. You gain proficiency in two skills from the following list: Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, and Survival. The cat spirit hones your survival instincts.

  • Wolf. You gain the hunting sensibilities of a wolf. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks when you are tracking down a creature.

Spirit Walker

At 10th level, you can cast the Commune with Nature spell, but only as a ritual. When you do so, a spiritual version of one of your Totem Animals appears to you to convey the information you seek.

Totemic Attunement

At 14th level, you gain a magical benefit based on a totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected previously or a different one.

  • Bear While you're raging, any creature within 5 feet of you that's hostile to you has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you or another character with this feature. An enemy is immune to this effect if it can't see or hear you or if it can't be frightened.

  • Eagle While raging, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.

  • Elk While raging, you can use a bonus action during your move to pass through the space of a Large or smaller creature. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength bonus + your proficiency bonus) or be knocked prone and take bludgeoning damage equal to 1d12 + your Strength modifier.

  • Tiger While you're raging, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line toward a target up to one size larger than you right before making a melee weapon attack against it, you can use a bonus action to make an additional melee weapon attack against it.

  • Wolf While you're raging, you can use a bonus action on your turn to knock a creature up to one size larger than you prone when you hit it with melee weapon attack.

Path of The Wild Soul

The realm of the Feywild abounds with beauty, unpredictable emotion, and rampant magic. A barbarian exposed to this realm feels emotions powerfully and magic saturates their body. When a barbarian who follows this path rages, it is a bellowing roar for freedom, an explosion of expression, manifesting in unpredictable ways.

Lingering Magic

At 3rd level, your body reacts to the presence of magic. You can cast the Detect Magic spell without using a spell slot or components. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You faintly glow a color corresponding to the school of magic you detect (you choose the colors).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Wild Surge

Starting at 3rd level, magic erupts from you as you rage. When you enter your rage, roll on the positive Wild Magic Surge table to determine the magical effect produced. Once your Rage ends, you roll on the Negative Surge table. Some Path of the Wild Soul features require a savingthrow. For those features use the Surge Save DC.

Surge Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Constitution modifier

Magical Overload

At 6th level, Once per turn while you are raging when you hit a creature capable of casting at least one spell with a melee attack, you can either expend their lowest level spellslot (or a single lowest level use of their innate spellcasting if the creature does not use spellslots).

If the creature cannot use spell slots, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your Wild Surge DC. On a failure, the target can only use Action, Bonus Action or Reaction on their next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Arcane Rebuke

At 10th level, magic provides aid to you. When targeted by a spell or a magical effect that forces a saving throw you can use your reaction to gain a d6 bonus to that save and force the creature to take damage equal to the d6 roll

Chaotic Fury

At 14th level, you become a wellspring of wild magic while you are raging. As a bonus action, you can reroll on the Positive Wild Surge table, replacing your current effect with the new one.

Positive Surges
d8 Positive Surge
1 The Feywild flows trough you and quickens your movement. Until the start of your next turn, your speed is increased by 20.
2 Plant life temporarily grows around you and follows your movement. Until your rage ends, the ground within a 10 feet of you is difficult terrain. This terrain affects only hostile creatures and moves with you.
3 The perception of time has slowed around you due to the surge, making you as nimble as a Fey. For one minute, you can use your dash as a bonus action and it doesn't trigger opportunity attacks.
4 Arcane energy enshrouds you in order to protect you from harm. Until your rage ends, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC.
5 Your surge of energy causes everyone around you to experience your surge. Every creature within 15 feet of you rolls on the Wild Surge tables. If the creature is friendly towards you, they get to roll for a positive effect and all other creatures roll for a negative effect.
6 Arcane energy taps into the minds of those around you. Each creature within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or you see a glimpse of the creature’s thoughts, learning how it plans to attack you. As a result, all creatures that fail the save has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn.
7 Your connection to the Feywild calls forth sprites from there. Roll a 1d4 to determine how many Sprites appear. The Sprites are friendly to you and your allies, obey your verbal commands and act on your turn.
8 A beam of brilliant light lances from your chest in a 5-foot-wide, 60-foot-long line. Each creature in the line must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 radiant damage and be blinded until the start of your next turn.
Negative Surges
d8 Negative Surge
1 The magic of the Feywild implodes your body. You take 1d8 force damage for every Barbarian level and must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished to the Feywild for 1 minute.
2 The powers of the Feywild try to condense your body into something tiny. Roll a Wisdom saving throw or turned into a Sprite. This effect lasts for 1 minute and replaces your rage. While in this form, the Sprite's hit points is half your normal maximum hit points.
3 Your surge of energy causes everyone around you to experience your surge. Every creature within 15 feet of you rolls on the Wild Surge tables. If the creature is hostile towards you, they get to roll for a positive effect and all other creatures roll for a negative effect.
4 Your desire for a stronger opponent is manifested into your foes. All hostile creatures with 15 feet of you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for 1 minute.
5 You mind cannot handle the power surging through your body. Until the start of your next turn, you are frightened of the nearest creature you see for 1 minute. You can make a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of your turns, ending the effect on a success.
6 Your mind is only focused in combat and friendly creatures can only see you as a floating pebble. During the duration of your rage, you are unable to understand or speak any languages. You are considered as a construct to your allies.
7 You feel a calming wave sweep over you. You must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or lose your rage.
8 The power of The Feywild overcomes your physical strength and slows your movements. Until the start of your next turn, your speed is reduced by 20.

Path of the Zealot

Some deities inspire their followers to pitch themselves into a ferocious battle fury. These barbarians are zealots – warriors who channel their rage into powerful displays of divine power.

A variety of gods across the worlds of D&D inspire their followers to embrace this path. Tempus from the Forgotten Realms and Hextor and Erythnul of Greyhawk are all prime examples. In general, the gods who inspire zealots are deities of combat, destruction, and violence. Not all are evil, but few are good.

Divine Fury

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can channel divine fury into your weapon strikes. While you're raging, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your Barbarian level. The extra damage is necrotic or radiant; you choose the type of damage when you gain this feature.

Warrior of the Gods

At 3rd level, your soul is marked for endless battle. If a spell, such as Raise Dead, has the sole effect of restoring you to life (but not undeath), the caster doesn't need material components to cast the spell on you and you dont suffer any ill effects from the spell (Your race still changes if you were reincarnated).

Fanatical Focus

Starting at 6th level, the divine power that fuels your rage can protect you. If you fail a saving throw while raging, you can reroll it, and you must use the new roll. You can use this ability only once per rage.

Zealous Presence

At 10th level, you learn to channel divine power to inspire zealotry in others. As a bonus action, you unleash a battle cry infused with divine energy. Up to ten other creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you that can hear you gain advantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Rage Beyond Death

Beginning at 14th level, the divine power that fuels your rage allows you to shrug off fatal blows.

While you're raging, having 0 hit points doesn’t knock you unconscious. You still must make death saving throws, and you suffer the normal effects of taking damage while at 0 hit points. However, if you would die due to failing death saving throws, you don’t die until your rage ends, and you die then only if you still have 0 hit points.

Credit

Creator:

This document was made by StrawberryDrugcake

Artists:

  • Howling in the Night: Dragon Dead Fire Weapons Drawn Axe/Sword Fantasy Art by Young-june Choi https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/a1/31/c6a131f6fd5eefe39c9ee0f692a4aab2.jpg

  • Bacchus the destroyer by Rob-Joseph https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/02/27/70022759f8f762c2c409b3a99d2845af.jpg

  • Swamp by AdamPaquette https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/aa/80/44aa802a8be573694c075fba24ae8808.jpg

  • Path of the wildman by Blackbando12 https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/blackbandos-homebrew/images/5/59/Path_of_the_wildman.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171102182239

  • Warrior, Barbarian by Magic the Gathering© https://www.wallpaperflare.com/static/11/683/711/warrior-barbarian-magic-the-gathering-fantasy-art-wallpaper-preview.jpg

  • The Ancestral Guardian., Farri Lensen https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/015/874/620/large/farri-lensen-mohrenn-fin.jpg?1550002553

  • Dwarf Slayer by Games Workshop© https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/0/08/Dwarf_Slayer.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20150713205319

  • Female Human Barbarian by Lawrence Enriquez https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/84/77/1e84775dab15edf62d51aa7c14d07ac9.jpg

  • Orc Berserker by Veli Nyström https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/918/303/20161107100048/smaller_square/veli-nystrom-portfolio-deranged-marauder.jpg?1478534449

  • Kangrinboqe Warrior by yinyuming https://i.pinimg.com/originals/24/30/52/243052a70d10c6748d4cf4dde5b108e4.jpg

  • David Bowie by James Cochran https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/01/12/15/bowiebolt.jpg?w968h681

  • Savage Avengers cover #3 cover art by David Finch https://media.comicbook.com/2019/04/savage-avengers-3-1167927.jpeg

  • Takkar the Apex Predator by Naomi Savoie https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7e/d5/f5/7ed5f532817eef6f7fb940b69f09ea0a.jpg

  • Barbarian killing monsters by aamirsabir https://i2.wp.com/www.ultrahdwalls.com/wp-content/uploads/wallpapers/fantasy/fantasy1/fantasy-girls-barbarian-killing-monsters-hd-wallpapers.jpg?fit=1920%2C1200&ssl=1

  • Feywild by The Great Caboose https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mortal-affairs/images/f/f6/Feywild.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180122223306

  • My inner barbarian by Earth https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c4/3b/91/c43b91f6fc8530f083e7c238038a52de.jpg

Embrace

the wild

The Barbarian, Perfected is a collection of both official, playtesting and homebrew material that aims to make the class into the most enjoyable experience for all who select it for their DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game.

Use this book as a reference point for improving your campaigns and one-shots with a huge variety of gameplay options.

This book also contains playtesting material from Unearthed Arcana® which includes class features and subclasses of which some have been altered in order to not contradict with each other. Good luck and keep the rage going!

Made by and for the Haliwaara Discord® server.

WWW.GMBINDER.COM

****

WWW.GMBINDER.COM

 

This document was lovingly created using GM Binder.


If you would like to support the GM Binder developers, consider joining our Patreon community.