Path of the Ancestral Guardian
Not all Barbarians are savages who revel in bloodlust. Some walk a Path of spiritual connection. Those who walk the Path of the Conduit form bonds with spirits who have passed from the mortal plane. Some stand as guardians of their ancestral tombs, others channel the power of legendary warriors, and others open themselves up to the power of any local spirit.
You learn certain Exploits at the Barbarian levels noted in the table below. These don't count against your number of Exploits Known and can't be switched upon gaining a level.
As a bonus action, you can expend a use of Rage to enter into a state of spiritual ecstasy and give control of your body over the spirits that you commune with. For the next 10 minutes, when you make an ability check that uses your Intelligence or Wisdom, you gain a bonus to your roll equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1). This state of spiritual ecstasy ends early if you enter a Rage, if you fall unconscious, or you use a bonus action on your turn to end it.
When you Rage, the Spectral Warriors that you commune with come to your aid, and remain with you for the duration of your current Rage. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can send these Spectral Warriors to harry that creature. Until the start of your next turn, the Spectral Warriors swirl around that creature, and it has disadvantage on any attack roll that it makes against targets other than you, and if it hits a creature other than you with an attack, its target has resistance to the damage dealt by that attack. These Spiritual Warriors return to you if their target dies, or if your Rage ends.
You can call on your Spectral Warriors to protect your allies. When another creature that you can see within 30 feet takes damage while you are Raging, you can use a reaction to order your Spectral Warriors to intercept the attack, reducing the triggering damage by three rolls of your Exploit Die. If your Spiritual Warriors are currently harrying an enemy when you use this reaction, the effects end for that creature.
Your ability to conduct spiritual power has grown. While you are in a state of ecstasy from Conduit of Spirits, you can cast clairvoyance or commune without expending a spell slot or material components. However, after you finish casting either of these spells, your state of spiritual ecstasy ends. When you cast clairvoyance in this way, the spell summons an invisible spirit you are communed with, and when you cast commune, you consult your bonded spirits for information.
Your powerful connection to the spiritual world allows the long-dead warriors bound to you to once again strike at the living. When you use Spiritual Ward to reduce the damage of an attack, the attacker takes force damage equal to the amount of damage reduced by your Spiritual Ward.
Ancestral Guardian Exploits
3rd-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureYou learn certain Exploits at the Barbarian levels noted in the table below. These don't count against your number of Exploits Known and can't be switched upon gaining a level.
| Barbarian Level | Exploit |
|---|---|
| 3rd | heroic fortitude, rustic intuition |
| 5th | arresting critical, thunderous blow |
| 9th | mythic resilience |
Conduit of Spirits
3rd-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureAs a bonus action, you can expend a use of Rage to enter into a state of spiritual ecstasy and give control of your body over the spirits that you commune with. For the next 10 minutes, when you make an ability check that uses your Intelligence or Wisdom, you gain a bonus to your roll equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1). This state of spiritual ecstasy ends early if you enter a Rage, if you fall unconscious, or you use a bonus action on your turn to end it.
Spectral Warriors
3rd-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureWhen you Rage, the Spectral Warriors that you commune with come to your aid, and remain with you for the duration of your current Rage. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can send these Spectral Warriors to harry that creature. Until the start of your next turn, the Spectral Warriors swirl around that creature, and it has disadvantage on any attack roll that it makes against targets other than you, and if it hits a creature other than you with an attack, its target has resistance to the damage dealt by that attack. These Spiritual Warriors return to you if their target dies, or if your Rage ends.
Spiritual Ward
6th-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureYou can call on your Spectral Warriors to protect your allies. When another creature that you can see within 30 feet takes damage while you are Raging, you can use a reaction to order your Spectral Warriors to intercept the attack, reducing the triggering damage by three rolls of your Exploit Die. If your Spiritual Warriors are currently harrying an enemy when you use this reaction, the effects end for that creature.
Greater Conduit
10th-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureYour ability to conduct spiritual power has grown. While you are in a state of ecstasy from Conduit of Spirits, you can cast clairvoyance or commune without expending a spell slot or material components. However, after you finish casting either of these spells, your state of spiritual ecstasy ends. When you cast clairvoyance in this way, the spell summons an invisible spirit you are communed with, and when you cast commune, you consult your bonded spirits for information.
Vengeful Spirits
14th-Level Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) FeatureYour powerful connection to the spiritual world allows the long-dead warriors bound to you to once again strike at the living. When you use Spiritual Ward to reduce the damage of an attack, the attacker takes force damage equal to the amount of damage reduced by your Spiritual Ward.
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