Barbarian
Barbarians are mighty warriors powered by primal forces of the multiverse that manifest as Rage. More than a mere emotion - and not limited to anger - Rage is an incarnation of a predator's ferocity, a storm's fury, and a sea's turmoil.
Some Barbarians personify their Rage as a fierce spirit or revered forebear. Others see it as a connection to the pain and anguish of the world, as an impersonal tangle of wild magic, or as an expression of their own deepest self. For every Barbarian, their Rage is a power that fuels not just battle prowess, but also uncanny reflexes and heightened senses.
Barbarians often serve as protectors and leaders in lower class communities. They charge headlong into danger so those under their protection don't have to. Their courage in the face of danger makes Barbarians perfectly suited for adventure.
The great tragedy of Barbarians, forced into servitude or made outcasts, is a secret the upper-class spellcasting community keeps. Rage taps into the very same forces Sorcerers count as their origins. Every Barbarian could be a Sorcerer given the same education in magic. But to learn magic is expensive, and halves their effectiveness - for no spell can be cast nor continue while Raging. Barbarians instead continue down a primal path away from the core of society.
The very existence of a Barbarian creates conflicts.
Barbarians on this path are perceived as violent weapons ready to strike - not welcome in polite society. A Berserker's Rage is their true self frenzying through a facade they wear otherwise. They thrill in the chaos of battle out of control - ceded to their empowering fury. Path of the Storm Herald: They could have been storm sorcerers, instead, their emotions call upon a mantle of primal magic that swirls around them. When the weather is rough, they balance it out to protect their kin. Or perhaps they use it as a cover to take what they want. Path of the World Tree - Trace the Roots and Branches of the Multiverse
Barbarians following this path connect directly to The Weave through their Rage - perceiving it as the cosmic tree Yggdrasil. They may well be correct too. Yggdrasil grows among the Outer Planes, connecting them and the Material Plane. These Barbarians draw on the tree's magic for vitality and as a means of dimensional travel. Path of the Wild Heart - Walk in Community with the Animal World
Barbarians who follow this path are viewed as kin to animals. Wild Hearts learn to communicate with animals, hear their plight, and bear the Rage of the Wilds as their own - filling them with supernatural might. Path of Wild Magic: Again, if they were properly educated, these would be wild magic sorcerers. Wild Magic Barbarians build their communities in the Feywild analogues to their cities, where they become susceptible to the plane's beauty, intense emotion, and rampant unpredictable magic eager to manifest. Path of the Zealot - Rage in Ecstatic Divinity
Barbarians walking this path receive boons from a divine source - much to the dismay of the Cleric Domains. Zealots experience their Rage as an ecstatic episode of divine union infusing them with power.
Subclasses
Path of the Ancestral Guardian: When you fall outside the "accepted lines" of society you run the risk of being completely forgotten at the moment of your death. These barbarians tattoo the names of their fellows, and ancestral vagabonds, onto their body so they might be remembered forever. Those ancestral spirits can then be called back to the material plane to aid them. Path of the Battlerager: New Underdark, the mining guild's settlement deep underground is where these come from. Dwarves taught others the way of the battlerager. Sometimes in total darkness for days on end, these barbarians specialize in wearing bulky, spiked armor so they can literally throw themselves into combat, striking with their body itself and giving themselves over to the fury of battle. Path of the Beast: Citizens who catch lycanthropy or similar were traits can get treated in the new world. For those who are turned away, or can't afford it, the path of the beast can teach them how to control it. Path of the Berserker - Channel Rage into Violent FuryBarbarians on this path are perceived as violent weapons ready to strike - not welcome in polite society. A Berserker's Rage is their true self frenzying through a facade they wear otherwise. They thrill in the chaos of battle out of control - ceded to their empowering fury. Path of the Storm Herald: They could have been storm sorcerers, instead, their emotions call upon a mantle of primal magic that swirls around them. When the weather is rough, they balance it out to protect their kin. Or perhaps they use it as a cover to take what they want. Path of the World Tree - Trace the Roots and Branches of the Multiverse
Barbarians following this path connect directly to The Weave through their Rage - perceiving it as the cosmic tree Yggdrasil. They may well be correct too. Yggdrasil grows among the Outer Planes, connecting them and the Material Plane. These Barbarians draw on the tree's magic for vitality and as a means of dimensional travel. Path of the Wild Heart - Walk in Community with the Animal World
Barbarians who follow this path are viewed as kin to animals. Wild Hearts learn to communicate with animals, hear their plight, and bear the Rage of the Wilds as their own - filling them with supernatural might. Path of Wild Magic: Again, if they were properly educated, these would be wild magic sorcerers. Wild Magic Barbarians build their communities in the Feywild analogues to their cities, where they become susceptible to the plane's beauty, intense emotion, and rampant unpredictable magic eager to manifest. Path of the Zealot - Rage in Ecstatic Divinity
Barbarians walking this path receive boons from a divine source - much to the dismay of the Cleric Domains. Zealots experience their Rage as an ecstatic episode of divine union infusing them with power.
Core Barbarian Traits
Primary Ability | Strength |
Hit Point Die | d12 per Barbarian level |
Saving Throw Proficiencies | Strength and Constitution |
Skill Proficiencies (choose 2) | Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, or Survival |
Weapon Proficiencies | Simple and Martial weapons |
Armor Training | Light and Medium armor and Shields |
Starting Equipment (A or B) | A) Greataxe, 4 Handaxes, Explorer's Pack and 15 GOLD
B) 75 GOLD |
Type
Illicit
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