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Barbarian

A colossal Ursin warrior, fur bristled with the chill of the high mountains, brandishes a massive hammer, his roar echoing across the valley as he confronts a marauding beast threatening his clan.   A Taur guardian, horns gleaming under the setting sun, stands firm against a tide of invaders, her battle cry stirring the hearts of her comrades as they rally to her defense.   Beneath the canopy of a dense jungle, a Repti skirmisher moves with lethal grace, his blade a blur as he dances through the ranks of foes, his hisses a promise of swift demise to all who threaten his tribe.   These warriors, though they hail from vastly different cultures and lands within Farsae, share a common bond through the primal force of their rage. This rage is not mere anger but a profound expression of their will to survive and protect. For some, it's the fierce spirit of the beast within, lending them strength and ferocity. For others, it's drawn from the very essence of the wilds, or in rare cases, the unsettling touch of void energy that twists their rage into something darker, more potent.  

Primal Essence

In the diverse lands of Farsae, where the wilderness reigns supreme, the notion of a settled, civilized life is a foreign concept to barbarians. They see strength in the untamed wild, valuing the instincts and vitality that come from living in harmony with nature. Barbarians feel confined and stifled by the structures of society, thriving instead in the open lands of their homelands - be it the sprawling savannas, dense jungles, or the icy expanses of the tundra where their tribes roam and hunt.   In the throes of battle, barbarians come into their own, entering a state of pure, unadulterated fury. This berserker rage grants them almost supernatural capabilities, allowing them to withstand grievous wounds and overpower foes with brute strength. A barbarian's rage is a precious resource, one that they can call upon only sparingly between rests, but it is often enough to see them through the most dire of conflicts.  

A Life on the Edge

The role of a barbarian within their tribe is often that of protector and warrior, standing as a bulwark against the myriad dangers that threaten their way of life. The wilderness of Farsae is unforgiving, home to rival clans, deadly creatures, and the ever-looming threat of the unknown. It is the barbarian who faces these dangers head-on, allowing their kin to live another day.   Such a life of constant vigilance and confrontation with danger makes barbarians natural adventurers. Many are used to a nomadic existence, making the transition to the life of an adventurer a seamless one. While some may yearn for the close bonds of their tribal families, they often find a new kind of kinship within the ranks of their adventuring companions, forging strong ties through shared trials and triumphs.    

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 another land 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.
Quick Build   You can make a barbarian quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the outlander background.

The Barbarian Table

LevelProf. BonusFeaturesRagesRage Damage
1st +2 Rage, Unarmored Defense 2 +2
2nd +2 Reckless Attack, Danger Sense 2 +2
3rd +2 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 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) 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
hit dice: 1d12
hit points at 1st level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier
armor proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields
weapon proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons
tools: None
saving throws: Strength, Constitution
skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
starting 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
  • spellcasting:
    class features:

    Rage

    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 all 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, when you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during that turn, but attack rolls against you are rolled with advantage until the beginning of your next turn.  

    Danger Sense

    At 2nd level, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps or spells. You do not gain this benefit if you are blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

    Survival Instincts (UA)

    (replaces Danger Sense)   You become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, or Survival. Your proficiency is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.

    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.
  • Path of the Beast
  • Path of the Berserker
  • Path of the Totem Warrior
  • Path of the Voidborn Fury

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    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. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

    Proficiency Versatility (UA)

    Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature from your class, you can also replace one of your skill proficiencies with a skill proficiency offered by your class at 1st level (the proficiency you replace needn't be from the class).

    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 (UA)

    (Replaces Fast Movement)   When a creature ends its turn within 15 feet of you, you can use your reaction to move up to half your speed to a space closer to the creature. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

    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, 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 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.
    subclass options:

    Primal Paths

    Path of the Beast

    Path of the Beast (TCE)

    Barbarians who walk the Path of Beast draw their rage from a bestial spark burning within their souls. That beast howls to be released and bursts forth in the throes of rage.   Those who tread this path might be inhabited by a primal spirit or descended from shapeshifters. You can choose the origin of your feral might or determine it randomly by rolling on the Origin of the Beast table.  

    Origin of the Beast

    d4 1d4 Origin
    1 One of your parents is a lycanthrope, and you’ve inherited some of the curse.
    2 You are descended from a legendary druid, a fact manifested by your ability to partially change shape.
    3 A fey spirit gifted you with the ability to adopt different bestial aspects.
    4 An ancient animal spirit dwells within you, allowing you to walk this path.

    Form of the Beast

    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 equal to the number rolled, potentially causing the attack to miss you.  

    Bestial Soul

    At 6th level, the feral spirit within you grows in power, 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 call on the feral spirit 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:   Climbing. 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.   Jumping. 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.   Swimming. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe underwater.  

    Infectious Fury

    At 10th level, when you hit a creature with your natural weapons while you are raging, the spirit 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 each 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

    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 Charisma 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 Totem Warrior

    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, as described in the Spellcasting section.  

    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. 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, 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 are raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 15 feet. 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. The spirit of the tiger empowers your leaps.   Wolf. While you’re raging, your friends have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of you that is hostile to you. 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 (see “Adventuring,” for rules on travel pace). 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 (see “Adventuring,” for rules on travel 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 20 feet in a straight line toward a Large or smaller target right before making a melee weapon attack against it, you can use a bonus action to make an additional melee weapon attack against it.   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.
    Path of the Voidborn Fury

    Path of the Voidborn Fury (Homebrew)

    Barbarians who follow the Path of the Voidborn Fury are exposed to the raw, unbridled energy of the Void, a being of pure of chaos and destruction. This exposure has granted them fearsome powers, allowing them to channel the Void's energy during their Rage, enhancing their abilities at the cost of their own vitality.  

    Void Embrace

    Upon choosing this path at 3rd level, your Rage is laced with the chaotic energy of the Void. When you enter Rage, you can choose to embrace the Void, causing the following effects:
  • Voidlash: Your melee attacks unleash a burst of Void energy, dealing an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target and 1d4 necrotic damage to yourself.
  • Abyssal Step: Once during your turn, you can teleport up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Each time you do, you suffer 1d6 psychic damage due to the strain on your mind.

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    Chaotic Resilience

    At 6th level, your continual exposure to the Void begins to fortify you against its deleterious effects, but not without cost:   While Void Embrace is active, you gain resistance to all forms of damage, but all healing you receive is halved.   After your Rage ends, you are blinded for 1 minute as your vision swims with lingering Void energy. You can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of your turns, ending the blindness on a success.  

    Voidborn Resonance

    Beginning at 10th level, your connection to the Void has deepened, allowing you to resonate with its chaotic energies. As a bonus action, you can activate this resonance for 1 minute. While active, any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of you takes 1d8 necrotic damage as the Void energy lashes out. Additionally, your speed increases by 10 feet, and you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws. After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.  

    Abyssal Transposition

    Starting at 14th level, once per long rest, when you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points while raging, you can instead choose to drop to 1 hit point and immediately teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Upon reappearing, you unleash a burst of Void energy in a 15-foot radius centered on yourself. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, a creature takes 2d10 necrotic damage and is blinded until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. After using this ability, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

    Created by

    Jiyao.

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