Barbarian

• Barbarian overview
• Barbarian features
• Path of the fractured
• Path of the primal spirit
• Path of the hero
• Path of the faded
• Path of the ancestors
• Path of the dreadnought

Barbarian overview

Hit Dice: 1d12 per barbarian level
Proficiency:
Light armor, medium armor, shields
Simple weapons, martial weapons
Strength, Constitution
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:

Barbarian features

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:

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.

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.

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.

Primal Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

Primal Knowledge (Optional)

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 1st level.

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.

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.

Instinctive Pounce (Optional)

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

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.

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 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 increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.

Path of the fractured

Barbarians are defined by their rage, channeling emotion to unleash brief but potent destruction on their enemies. A rare few study esoteric psychological techniques that split their rage off from the rest of their psyche, dividing their identity into two parts: ego and id. When their ego is in control, the Fractured—as these barbarians are known—are capable of a degree of self-control and cunning few other barbarians are. When they allow their id to take control, their countenance turns monstrous and their bodies swell with the power of rage made physically manifest.

Face of Rage

Starting at 3rd level, when you enter your rage, your features distort and your body swells such that your appearance completely changes. Creatures who don’t witness your transformation and have not witnessed it in the past do not recognize you. In addition, while raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:
• You can roll a 1d8 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike, and your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• When you use the attack action with an unarmed strike and are not wielding a shield, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
• You count as one size larger when determining who you can target and who can target you with grappling, and your reach with unarmed attacks increases to 10 feet.

Mask of Civility

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, or Religion. In addition, you gain proficiency with one artisan’s tool kit of your choice or learn to read, speak, and write one language of your choice.

Brains and Brawn

At 6th level, while you are not raging, you have resistance to psychic damage. While you are raging, you have resistance to all damage except psychic damage.

Cunning and Brutal

At 10th level, while you are not raging, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns to take the Disengage or Help action. While you are raging, your unarmed strikes score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Better Half

At 14th level, when you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to drop to 1 hit point instead and gain temporary hit points equal to half your maximum hit points. In addition, if you were raging your rage ends, and if you weren’t raging, you enter a rage (even if you have no remaining uses of your rage). You lose all remaining temporary hit points after 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Path of the primal spirit

Many barbarians are in tune with the natural world, but few are as mystically intertwined with it as those who walk the Path of the Primal Spirit. These barbarians forge powerful connections with the beasts and natural spirits of the world, inspiring such ethereal beings to manifest and journey with them on far-flung adventures. Barbarians who follow this path have a deep reverence for the ecological cycle of the natural world. Such barbarians are as likely to accept quests and pleas for aid from local wildlife as they are other humanoids. This respect for animals doesn’t cross into naivety—no barbarian better understands the circle of life and the delicate balance between the needs of predator and prey better than those who walk the Path of the Primal Spirit.

Primal Companion

At 3rd level, you gain a primal companion, a spirit that accompanies you on your adventures and instinctively fights alongside you. Select either the Guardian or Striker, and one of land, sea, or sky. Its in game statistics can be found on one of the following cards, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine your companion’s appearance; however, this does not affect its game statistics. Despite taking on a physical form, your primal companion does not need to breathe, eat, or sleep. You and your primal companion can communicate with one another telepathically while you are both on the same plane. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your primal companion or summon it within 30 feet of you. In combat, your primal companion shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action
it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you use a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, your companion can take any action of its choice. You can spend one minute caring for your primal companion. When you do, the spirit regains 2d6 hit points. Your primal companion regains all lost hit points at the end of a long rest. If your primal companion dies, the spirit manifests in a form of your choice the next time you finish a long rest.

Shared Rage

Also at 3rd level, while you are raging, your primal companion has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Kin to Beasts

At 6th level, you can cast the animal friendship and speak with animals spells using Constitution as your spellcasting ability. Once you cast a spell using this feature, you can’t cast either spell until you finish a short or long rest.

Skinrider’s Trance

At 10th level, you can use an action and choose your primal companion or one beast currently under the effect of your animal friendship spell to enter a trance. For the duration of this trance, you possess the chosen creature. While possessing a creature, you sense the world through the target’s senses, you have total control over its movement and actions, you use the beast’s physical statistics and abilities instead of your own, and keep your mental attributes. This possession ends if you choose to exit the trance (no action required by you), the beast you’re possessing is reduced to 0 hit points, or you and the beast are on different planes of existence. While in this trance, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own senses and cannot move or take actions. You can remain in the trance for a number of hours up to half your level in this class + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this feature to enter the trance, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Shape of the Wild

At 14th level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to choose a new form for your primal companion, causing it to transform instantaneously. When you cause your primal companion to transform in this way, its current hit points change to its new maximum hit points. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Primal Guardian
Medium (Large if Land or Sea) beast, neutral
Armor Class 12 plus PB (natural armor)
Hit Points 5 + six times your barbarian level
Speed 30 ft.; fly 45 ft. (Sky only); swim 45 ft. (Sea only)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
Saving Throws Str +2 plus PB, Con +3 plus PB
Skills Athletics +2 plus PB, Intimidation -2 plus PB x 2,
Perception +1 plus PB
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 plus PB
Languages Understands your languages but cannot speak.
Challenge equal to your PB
Protective Instinct. When the guardian’s hit points fall
below half its maximum, it’s enraged for 10 minutes, gaining
temp hit points equal to half of its maximum. While
enraged, hostile creatures within 5 feet have disadvantage
on attack rolls against creatures other than the guardian.
Vigilant. The guardian can’t be surprised.
Actions
Natural Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 plus PB,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 2 bludgeoning, piercing,
or slashing damage (based on form chosen).
Reaction
Body Block. When an ally within 5 feet of it is hit by an
attack, the guardian takes the damage instead.

Primal Striker
Medium Beast, neutral
Armor Class 12 plus PB (natural armor)
Hit Points 5 + four times your barbarian level
Speed 40 ft.; fly 60 ft. (Sky only); swim 60 ft. (Sea only)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
Saving Throws Dex +2 plus PB, Wis +1 plus PB
Skills Perception +1 plus PB, Stealth +2 plus PB
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 plus PB
Languages Understands your languages but cannot speak.
Challenge equal to your PB
Flyby (Sky Only). The striker doesn’t provoke opportunity
attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
Aquatic Assault (Sea Only). While the striker is
submerged in water it has advantage on natural weapon
attacks made against other creatures without a swim
speed submerged in water.
Enraged Strikes. While you are raging, the striker’s
natural weapon attacks gain a damage bonus equal to
your Rage Damage.
Actions
Natural Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 plus PB,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + PB bludgeoning, piercing,
or slashing damage (based on form chosen).
Reaction
Harry (Land Only). When a creature within 5 feet of the
striker is attacked, the striker gives that attack roll advantage.

Path of the hero

The Path of the Hero is a journey into legend, as the barbarian seeks fame and glory through feats of great daring and herculean strength. Your deeds and very reputation stir courage in the hearts of your companions and those you champion.

Heroic Presence

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, your formidable presence emboldens your allies. When you enter your rage, choose up to six friendly creatures within 30 feet of you (including yourself) to gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. Additionally, you may add your Strength modifier instead of your Charisma modifier to Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion checks.

Undaunted Resolve

Beginning at 6th level, your might becomes unmatched. You have resistance to all damage while you have temporary hit points gained from your Path of the Hero features.

Bolstering Tale

By 10th level you have accomplished many great victories and feats of strength. You can spend 10 minutes telling a tale of your prowess. When you do so, choose up to twelve friendly creatures (including yourself) who can hear and understand you. Each
creature becomes immune to being frightened for one hour. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Avatar of Strength

At 14th level you become a paragon of mortal strength.When you would gain temporary hit points from your Path of the Hero features, the temporary hit points are doubled. While creatures have temporary hit points gained from your Path of the Hero features, they have advantage on attack rolls against any hostile creature within 5 feet of you.

Path of the faded

Great power hides within the Mists of Akuma
and you are not afraid of calling on it to lay
waste to your foes.
Faded
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level,
a dark mist weeps off your body when you
rage, sapping the strength of your enemies. For
the duration of your rage, whenever you take
damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of
you, that creature takes an amount of necrotic
damage equal to your proficiency bonus. When
your rage ends, you suffer a level of the misted
condition.
These levels of the misted condition dissipate
at a rate of one level per long rest and
they cannot trigger your death and transformation
into adeddo-oni; instead, any misted levels
beyond the 7th count as levels of exhaustion
that are removed when you take a long rest.
Fearless
Beginning at 6th level,
you cannot be frightened.
Master of the Mists
Beginning at 10th
level, whenever you
rage you may
choose an
attribute other
than Dignity. For
the duration of your
rage, this attribute uses
your Haitoku score
instead of its normal score.
You cannot be transformed
into adeddo-oni by
accumulating levels of the
misted condition.
Striker of the Mists
Starting at 14th level, while you are raging the
damage of your melee weapon attacks increases
by your proficiency bonus. You cannot withhold
any damage when damaging a
creature below 0 hit points.

Path of the ancestors

While other barbarians lose themselves to their fury, the Path of the Ancestors channels the power of the ancient spirits of a tribe through rage. When the rage takes you, the spirits of the ancients flow through your body, granting you their strength and wisdom. Barbarians on the Path of the Ancestors are often leaders, or respected advisors, with the strength to bring greater tempers to heel.

Wisdom of the ancients

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, when you rage, the spirits of your ancestors inhabit your body and lend you their might. You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spiritual leader

Beginning at 6th level, you can cast calm emotions once. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. The save DC for this spell is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Wrath of the ancients

Beginning at 10th level, while raging, your melee weapon attacks deal additional psychic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Unfettered soul

Starting at 14th level, while raging you are under the effect of a freedom of movement spell. You don’t need to concentrate to maintain this effect.

Path of the dreadnought

You are a merciless, destructive and unstoppable force. When it comes to fighting, you are at the forefront. A dreadnought generally approach combat in the most direct way possible, rarely carrying only one gun and leaving a path of devastation behind. In the midst of battle, you are capable to take a great deal of punishment while dealing out far more to any who dares to go against you.

Juggernaut

Starting when you select this path at 3rd level, when you are targeted by an attack or a spell while you're raging, you can use your reaction to gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your rage damage until the end of this turn. Additionally, you gain advantage in saving throws against being knocked prone or moved against your will.

Draw Fire

At 6th level, you can use your reaction to distract opponents and convince them that you are the most dangerous target in the area. Choose one creature that you can see within 15 feet of you which is attacking one friendly creature. If the creature can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC equals to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or attack you instead.

Body Guard

At 10th level, while you're raging, any creature within 5 feet of you that's hostile to you have 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.

Devastating Rage

At 14th level, when you have half or less hitpoints while raging, you can add your Rage Damage bonus to attack rolls.