Path of the Arborous
While barbarians often find themselves respecting and
emulating aspects of nature, especially the ferocity of its
predators, some barbarians find a deeper connection. Those
who follow the Path of the Arborous attempt to become one
with its trees and plants, preferring the peace that it offers
when violence is unneeded. Even so, just as treants and
dryads will protect their homes to the death, they are capable
of war when the need does arise. Their hides, tough as bark,
and arms strong but flexible enough to crush and restrain,
provide all the defense they need against most aggressors. A
barbarian often follows this path when they have spent a large
period of their life in forests or wilderness, and sometimes
gain its abilities as a gift of fey or druidic magic.
New Growth
Beginning when you choose this path at 3rd level, your body
expands into a lumbering version of yourself, covered with
vines, bark, and leaves. Your size becomes Medium if it wasn't
already, and your height increases to anywhere up to just over
8 feet tall.
Tangled Branches
Starting at 3rd level, your limbs can thicken and twist into
powerful weapons. While you're raging, your arms and legs
transform, becoming like thick branches or ropes of vines. You
can use these limbs as natural weapons, which you can use to
make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal
bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier.
You also have a special attack you can make with your limbs
once per turn with the Attack action. When you do so, you can
force up to two creatures within your reach--each requiring a
free hand--to make a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 +
your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure,
the creature is grappled by you.
While grappling a creature in this way, you can use a bonus
action to subdue them, causing them to become restrained
until the grapple ends. A creature can use an action on its turn
to attempt to end this grapple for itself or another creature
within 5 feet of it by making a successful Strength check
against your DC.
Sprawling Roots
At 6th level, while you're raging, as a bonus action you can ram
one of your arms into the ground and have a wave of writhing
roots or vines explode forth from you. Creatures of your
choice within 15 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity
saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Strength modifier) or be pulled up to 10 feet towards you and
have their speed halved until the start of your next turn. You
can use this ability only once per rage.
Also, your natural weapons count as magical for the
purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to
nonmagical attacks and damage.
Venerate the Verdure
At 10th level, you can communicate with and give simple
commands to plants with 30 feet of you as if by the speak with
plants spell.
Overgrowth
Beginning at 14th level, when you enter a rage, you can have
your form become Large, if you weren't already larger. Your
size doubles in all dimensions, and your weight is multiplied
by eight. While you are Large in this way, you gain the
following benefits:
Your natural weapons deal an additional 1d8 damage.
Your Sprawling Roots feature can target creatures within
30 feet of you.
Creatures restrained by your Tangled Branches feature
take 2d8 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of their
turns.
Comments