Barbarian: Path of the Depths

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Overview & Creation

THIS IS UNOFFICIAL MATERIAL These game mechanics are usable in your campaign if your DM allows them but not refined by final game design and editing. They aren’t officially part of the Dungeons & Dragons game and aren’t permitted in D&D Adventurers League events unless otherwise stated. To use this content, toggle the partnered content on in the character builder.

Encounters with the terrors of the deep can break the minds of the weak-willed, but some forge their trauma into weapons never seen above the waves. The barbarian who walks this path has survived such an encounter and has gained extraordinary abilities from the experience.

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Class Features

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Rages	Rage Damage
1st	+2	Rage, Unarmored Defense	2	+2
2nd	+2	Reckless Attack, Danger Sense	2	+2
3rd	+2	Primal Path, Primal Knowledge (Optional)	3	+2
4th	+2	Abiliy Score Improvement	3	+2
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Fast Movement	3	+2
6th	+3	Path Feature	4	+2
7th	+3	Feral Instinct, Instinctive Pounce (Optional)	4	+2
8th	+3	Abiliy Score Improvement	4	+2
9th	+4	Brutal Critical (1 die)	4	+3
10th	+4	Path Feature, Primal Knowledge (Optional)	4	+3
11th	+4	Relentless Rage	4	+3
12th	+4	Abiliy 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	Abiliy Score Improvement	5	+4
17th	+6	Brutal Critical (3 dice)	6	+4
18th	+6	Indomitable Might	6	+4
19th	+6	Abiliy Score Improvement	6	+4
20th	+6	Primal Champion	Unlimited	+4

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:

• You have advantage on 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, 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.  

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.  

Primal Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage. Choose the Path of the Berserker or the Path of the Totem Warrior, both detailed at the end of the class description. 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.

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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

 

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Subclass Options

Gift of the Drowned Ones

  At 3rd level when you adopt this path, you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and gain the ability to breathe underwater.  

Dredge Line

  Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you manifest an extra appendage when you enter your rage. This weapon can appear as a kraken tentacle, a giant anchor, preternatural jaws, or something else based on your history.   As a bonus action, you can use this appendage to strike at one creature of your choice that you can see within 15 feet. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be pulled up to 10 feet in a straight line towards you.  

Ghostwater Dive

  Beginning at 6th level, you can burst into water then materialize somewhere else as an action. You magically teleport along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Before or after teleporting, you can make one attack, as part of your action. Moving in this way does not provoke opportunity attacks.  

Manifestations of the Deep

  At 10th level, you can manifest additional adaptations of the deep. Select one of the below adaptations you manifest, during a long rest you may replace your chosen manifestation with a new option from this list.  

Eyes of the Deep

You gain the ability to use Echolocation. When you do so, you cast the true seeing spell, without using a spell slot or material components. After you cast a spell in this way, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Arms of the Deep

While raging, you now manifest two magical appendages, which may be tentacles, chains and anchors, animated rigging, or another grasping arm of your choice. When you use your dredge line ability, you can attempt a grapple with each of your appendages.

Heart of the Deep

Now on your turn, you can use a bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d12 + your barbarian level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Soul of the Deep

You are now immune to all effects that would cause you to be charmed or frightened.

Armor of the Deep

Your skin hardens increasing your Armor Class by 1.  

Depth Charge

  At 14th level, when you use your ghostwater dive ability, you can choose to appear with a wave of tidal force. When you appear all creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save a creature takes 3d6 force damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and is not knocked prone.