Barbarian Path
Path of the Forgewrought
Some barbarians choose their path — others are built for it. The Path of the Forgewrought is for warriors who've undergone dreadful modifications, replacing flesh with fire and steel to become a mighty war machine. Their augmentations may be mild or sweeping, and voluntary or coerced, but they are always defining.
Forgewrought barbarians hold no particular allegiance, just as the stories of their creation can be widely varied. Nobles very rarely find themselves subjected to such modifications, though, as power and wealth go far to protect a warrior from the augmentation table.
Path of the Forgewrought Features
| Barbarian Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Routine Maintenance, Augmented Rage |
| 6th | Emergency Maintenance |
| 10th | Forgecraft Assistance |
| 14th | Enhanced Augmentations |
Routine Maintenance
When you adopt this path at 3rd level, you gain the knowledge and skills to maintain your augmentations. You gain proficiency with blacksmith's tools, or another tool of your choice if you're already proficient.
Augmented Rage
Also at 3rd level, you undergo major modifications to your body. Select two modifications at 3rd level and another at 6th level. All your modifications have a base effect and an additional effect while you are raging. The first time you take a long rest after leveling up in this class, you can remove one augmentation you have and replace it with another.
Iron Fist
You modify your arms, replacing them with metallic fists of tremendous power. Your iron fists count as simple melee weapons with the light property, with which you can make unarmed strikes, and deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit.
Raging Fist. While you are raging, when you hit an enemy with your iron fist, you can make one additional attack with it as a bonus action.
Integrated Weapon
You build a weapon into your body, incorporating it into one of your limbs directly. This weapon must not have the Two-Handed or Heavy properties, and you must be proficient with it. You can't throw the weapon or be disarmed of it, and you have advantage on any ability checks to conceal it. It still requires a hand to wield as normal. You can draw or stow it as a bonus action, or as part of entering your Rage.
Spring-Loaded Attack. While you are raging, your integrated weapon deals an additional die of damage on the first attack after you draw it.
Armor Plating
You attach additional armor plating directly to your body. If you're not wearing armor, this gives you a +1 bonus to your AC; if you're wearing armor, its AC is increased by 1. While wearing this armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC. If you have access to blacksmith's tools, you can change your suit of integrated armor with 1 hour's work as part of a long rest.
Armored Assault. When you enter your rage, you gain temporary hit points equal to 1 + your Barbarian level.
That Sounds Uncomfortable?
If your table applies penalties to characters who sleep in armor, don't do so for a Forgewrought with Armor Plating. They're built for this, after all.
Magma Core
You embed a volcanic power source directly within your body, fueling yourself with magma. You gain resistance to fire damage, and when you make a weapon attack, you can choose for the attack to deal fire damage instead of its normal damage type.
Volcanic Spray. While you are raging, you can cause an eruption of lava to fly off your weapon. Once on each of your turns when you hit an enemy with a weapon attack, you can choose to deal an additional 1d6 fire damage to the target and to another creature within 5 feet of it.
Voltaic Jet
You attach powerful spark generators to your legs. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and your jumping distance is doubled.
Voltaic Leap. When you enter your rage, you can activate your jet to take off in a blast of electricity. Every creature within 5 feet of you takes 1d4 lightning damage. If you then jump at least 10 feet, every creature within 5 feet of where you land also takes 1d4 lightning damage.
Launcher Rods
You attach pneumatic rods to your arms, giving yourself tremendously powerful throwing ability. Your normal range for all thrown weapons is doubled.
Power Throw. While you are raging, you can overexert your launcher rods to hurl a thrown weapon at tremendous force. When you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can choose to increase its normal range to be equal to its long range. If the attack hits, it deals 2d6 additional damage of the weapon's type, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can do this once, regaining the ability the next time you rage.
Emergency Maintenance
At 6th level, you modify your body for extraordinary resilience. When you suffer damage that would drop you to 0 hit points, you can make a blacksmith's tools check with a DC equal to 10 or half the damage dealt, whichever is higher. On a success, you drop to 1 hit point instead. You can do this once, regaining the ability after a short rest.
Forgecraft Assistance
At 10th level, you learn to apply your own modifications to others. Over a long rest, you can construct a portable version of any of your current augmentations, which you can attach to a willing creature as an action. The augmentation functions for 1 hour, after which it becomes inoperative. Before you can construct another, you must remove the first as an action, dealing 3d8 necrotic damage to the creature in the process.
The recipient only gains the augmentation's basic effect, not any added effects triggered during rage.
Enhanced Augmentations
At 14th level, you can tailor your augmentations, enhancing their power. Any augmentations you have receive an additional bonus.
- Iron Fist. Your Iron Fist's damage increases to 2d4.
- Integrated Weapon. Your Spring-Loaded Attack's bonus damage increases to two additional dice.
- Armor Plating. Your Armor Plating's AC bonus increases to 2.
- Magma Core. Your Volcanic Spray's damage increases to 2d6.
- Voltaic Jet. Your Voltaic Jet's movement speed bonus increases to 20 feet, and your Voltaic Leap's damage increases to 2d4.
- Launcher Rods. Your Power Throw's bonus damage increases to 4d6.
Portable augmentations created through your Forgecraft Assistance don't get this bonus.
Magic Hands
A character might choose to build around Iron Fists for their primary weapon, and run into some trouble once they start needing magical weapons. This is a common pitfall for archetypes that add natural weapons. In a pinch, you can use Magma Core to make your fists deal fire damage. Longer-term, I'd suggest DMs offer an Iron Fists character appropriate magical items to address this.
Path of the Forgewrought quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this path to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You howl with pain when you activate your augmentations. |
| 2 | Your body is studded with hoses and pneumatic tubes. |
| 3 | Sometimes when you provide Forgecraft Assistance, you accidentally call it Forgecraft Assimilation. |
| 4 | Your blood is black, with a sludgy texture. |
| 5 | Your voice alternates between yells of fury and a robotic monotone. |
| 6 | After using your augmentations, you skin is fiery-hot to the touch. |
Change Log
v0.1
- Rough Draft
Credits & References:
Path of the Forgewrought created by somanyrobots | Discord | Patreon
Art
Koth, Fire of Resistance, by Eric Wilkerson © Wizards of the Coast LLC
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Fan Content Policy
This work is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.