Barbarian
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.
The Barbarian
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Rage Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Rage (1/rest), Unarmored Defense | +2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Reckless Attack, Danger Sense | +2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Combat Challenge, Primal Path | +2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | +2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Fast Movement, Rage (2/rest) | +3 |
| 6th | +3 | Primal Path Feature | +3 |
| 7th | +3 | Feral Instinct | +3 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | +3 |
| 9th | +4 | Brutal Critical (1 die) | +3 |
| 10th | +4 | Primal Path Feature | +3 |
| 11th | +4 | Relentless Rage | +4 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | +4 |
| 13th | +5 | Brutal Critical (2 dice) | +4 |
| 14th | +5 | Primal Path feature | +4 |
| 15th | +5 | Persistent Rage | +4 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | +4 |
| 17th | +6 | Brutal Critical (3 dice), Rage (3/rest) | +5 |
| 18th | +6 | Indomitable Might | +5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | +5 |
| 20th | +6 | Primal Champion | +5 |
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 Constitutiton 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:
- Any martial melee weapon
- (a) chain shirt or (b) leather armor and five javelins or (c) a shield and any simple melee weapon
- (a) two handaxes or (b) any simple weapon
- An explorer's pack
Rage
In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. As a bonus action on your turn, you can enter a rage.
While raging you gain the following benefits while you aren't wearing heavy armor:
- You have advantage in Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When you make a weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels in this class 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 you are raging.
Your rage lasts until you stop making attacks against a creature, taking damage, or performing Strength checks for 1 minute or more. Your rage also ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if you dismiss it on your turn (no action required).
You can rage once and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. You can rage an additional number of times as you gain levels in this class increasing to two times at 5th level, and to three times at 17th level.
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.
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. To gain this benefit, you can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
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.
Combat Challenge
Starting at 3rd level, your enemies struggle to ignore the threat you pose. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you can force a creature you can see that can either see or hear you to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, it becomes marked by you until the start of your next turn. A creature marked by you can't willingly move further from you and it can't have advantage on attacks against creatures other than you. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to this effect for 1 hour.
Primal Path
At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage. Choose the Battlerager, Berserker, Storm Herald, or Totem Warrior. 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.
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. While you are raging, your movement speed increases by an additional 10 feet.
Feral Instinct
By 7th level, your instincts are so honed that you have advantage on initiative rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks. 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 and your weapon attacks using Strength score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Additionally, when you score a critical hit, you can treat one of the damage dice as having rolled the maximum result.
The number of dice you add on a critical hit increases as you gain levels in this class, increasing to two 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.
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.
Indomitable Might
Beginning at 18th level, if the total you rolled for a Constitution or Strength check was less than the value of your respective ability score, you can treat the value of your ability score as the result instead.
Primal Champion
At 20th level, you embody the power of the wilds. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.
Primal Path
Rage burns in every barbarian's heart, a furnace that drives him or her to greatness. Different barbarians attribute their rage to different sources, however. For some, it is an internal reservoir where pain, grief, and anger are forged into fury hard as steel. Others see it as a spiritual blessing, a gift of a totem animal.
Path of the Battlerager
Barbarians who follow the path of the Battlerager 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.
Bonus Proficiency
Starting at 3rd level, when you choose this path, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and smith's tools.
Spiked Armor
Beginning at 3rd level, you can affix deadly spikes onto your armor to batter your foes with. Using smith's tools and 1 hour of work (which you can perform during a short rest), you can affix spikes onto a suit of armor you are proficient with to turn it into spiked armor. While you are wearing spiked armor, you can use a bonus action to make a single melee weapon attack using your spiked armor which deals 1d4 + your Strength modifier on a hit.
Additionally, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or successfully grapple or shove a creature using your spiked armor the creature takes an additional 3 points of piercing damage, and if they are grappled they continue to take this damage at the beginning of each of their turns.
Finally, you can gain the benefits of your barbarian features such as Rage and Fast Movement while wearing heavy armor.
Bashing Charge
Starting at 6th level, you rush into battle battering all those who stand in your way. As part of the bonus action to enter your rage, or as a bonus action on each of your turns, you can take the Dash action. When you take the Dash action on your turn while you are raging and wearing spiked armor, you deal 3 points of piercing damage to all creatures of your choice whose space you pass through during your movement and they are pushed back 5 feet.
Reckless Abandon
Starting at 10th level, you charge without caution. When you use reckless attack while raging, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your barbarian level.
Spiked Retribution
At 14th level, none who try to harm you are safe from your armor's spikes. When a creature hits you with a melee weapon attack while within 5 feet of you, grapples you, targets you with a spell with a range if touch, or otherwise comes into contact with you while you are wearing spiked armor, they take 3 points of piercing damage.
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, you can make a single melee weapon attack as part of the bonus action to enter your rage or as a bonus action on each of your turns after this one. When your rage ends, you expend and roll one hit dice and reduce your hit point maximum by an amount equal to the result until you take a short or long rest. You cannot use this feature if you have no hit dice to spend.
Intimidating Presence
At 3rd level, you can frighten your foes with your imposing might. Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight) check. On a success the creature becomes frightened of you until the beginning of your next turn. Once a creature succeeds on the ability check it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Mindless Rage
Beginning at 6th level, you can't be charmed, frightened, or paralyzed while raging. If you are charmed, frightened, or paralyzed when you enter your rage, the effect is suspended for the duration of the rage and these conditions can't prevent you from entering your rage.
Shrug it Off
Starting at 10th level, you are battle hardened to the point you can ignore injuries that would fell a lesser man. When you enter a rage, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level + your Constitution modifier.
Retaliation
Starting at 14th level, when you take damage from a creature that is within your reach, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Path of the Juggernaut
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Juggernaut focus on sheer destructive might, they tear down their foes and anything that stands in their path, they barrel and break through obstacles and cover as if it were made out of paper.
Powerful Strikes
Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this path, the heft of your blows is enough to send anyone reeling. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can push them up to 10 feet back and then immediately move up to it. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Furious Momentum
At 6th level, you channel the power of your charge into your attacks. Once on each of your turns, while you are raging if you move at least 10 feet on a straight line before making a melee weapon attack you can choose to deal an additional 1d8 damage to the target for every 10 feet you moved up to a number of additional dice equal to your Strength modifier.
Additionally, you cannot be forcefully pushed or knocked prone while you are raging unless you become unconscious.
Unstoppable
Beginning at 10th level, nothing can slow you down. Your movement speed cannot be reduced while you are raging, and if an effect would reduce your speed to 0, you treat every 1 foot of movement as 2 for the duration of the effect instead.
Demolition Man
At 14th level, your attacks tear through stone and metal as if it were flesh. While you are raging, your weapon attacks gain the siege property, which means you double any damage you deal to objects and structures.
Additionally, creatures cannot benefit from half cover against your weapon attacks and your melee weapon attack rolls treat a creature's AC as being 2 lower if they are wearing armor or wielding a shield (this includes natural armor).
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.
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.
If your aura's effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
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 6 at 5th level, 8 at 10th level, 10 at 15th level, and 12 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 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.
Tundra. When this effect is activated, each creature of your choice in your aura gains 4 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 6 at 5th level, 8 at 10th level, 10 at 15th level, and 12 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 both air and water. 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.
Additionally, while your Storm Aura is active you gain the benefits of half cover.
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 a creature in your aura hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature 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 and you can push it back up to 10 feet, 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 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.
Your spirit animal has its own set of bonds, ideals, and flaws, work with your DM to determine what those are, at the DM's discretion, you may temporarily loose the benefits of features that grant you aspects of your spirit animal if you displease it until you atone for your transgression.
Bear. While raging, you have resistance to all damage except psychic damage. The spirit of the bear makes you tough enough to stand up to any punishment.
Eagle. While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, other creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you, and you can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn. The spirit of the eagle makes you into a predator who can weave through the fray with ease.
Elk. While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 15 feet. Additionally, you can attempt to shove a creature as a bonus action. The spirit of the elk makes you extraordinarily swift.
Tiger. While raging, you can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. Additionally, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line or make a long jump before taking the Attack action, you can force the attack target to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. The spirit of the tiger empowers your leaps
Wolf. While you're raging, you and your allies have advantage on melee attack rolls provided that both you and your allies are within 5 feet of the attack target. The spirit of the wolf makes you a leader of hunters.
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, dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Elk. Whether mounted or on foot, your travel pace is doubled, as is the travel pace of up to ten companions while they're within 60 feet of you and you're not incapacitated. The elk spirit helps you roam far and fast.
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 can track other creatures while traveling at a fast pace, and you can move stealthily while traveling at a normal pace.
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 the animals you chose for Totem Spirit or Aspect of the Beast 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 10 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.
Wolf. While you're raging, you can use a bonus action on your turn to knock a Large or smaller creature prone when you hit it with melee weapon attack.