C.Bb. 💪🏽 Barbarian - JulTob/DnD GitHub Wiki
For some, their rage springs from a communion with fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain. For every barbarian, rage is a power that fuels not just a battle frenzy but also uncanny reflexes, resilience, and feats of strength.
People of towns and cities take pride in how their civilized ways set them apart from animals, as if denying one's own nature was a mark of superiority. To a barbarian, though, civilization is no virtue, but a sign of weakness. The strong embrace their animal nature- keen instincts, primaI physicality, and ferocious rage. Barbarians are uncomfortable when hedged in by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt.
Barbarians are the raw, unshackled force of nature, a tempest of muscle, rage, and primal instinct. When you take up the mantle of a barbarian, you are not just wielding power—you are becoming power. The source of a barbarian’s fury may vary, but the result is always the same: an unstoppable force capable of supernatural feats of strength and endurance. Their rage is more than mere anger; it is a transformative force that takes over body and mind, driving them forward even as their bodies break and bleed.
Whether this rage is a gift from animal spirits or born from a deep well of personal trauma, it pushes the barbarian into a state where pain and injury are mere afterthoughts, and only the final victory matters. This primal fury is a double-edged sword, both a blessing and a curse, granting unimaginable power at the cost of losing oneself to the beast within.
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 "civilized" lands 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.
Barbarians are not ones to burden themselves with unnecessary possessions, yet the few items they carry are often steeped in meaning and power. These personal totems are relics of mystical origins, tied to pivotal moments in their past or ominous harbingers of what lies ahead. These objects, whether they are remnants of a spirit animal or artifacts of another nature, are more than mere trinkets—they are symbols of the barbarian’s connection to the ancient forces that guide them.
Consider what personal totems your barbarian might carry. These objects could influence their decisions, whispering to them in moments of doubt, or reminding them of oaths long sworn.
| Examples of Personal Totems |
|---|
| A tuft of fur from a solitary wolf you befriended during a hunt. The wolf’s spirit lingers, guiding your steps through the wild. |
| Three eagle feathers gifted by a wise shaman, said to play a crucial role in your destiny. Do they foretell triumph or tragedy? |
| A necklace of young cave bear claws, taken after you slew the beast as a child. The beast’s spirit watches over you, demanding more blood. |
| A small leather pouch holding three stones, representing your ancestors. Their spirits speak to you in the dead of night, offering guidance or curses. |
| A few small bones from the first beast you killed, tied together with colored wool. These bones rattle in the presence of danger, warning you of what lies unseen. |
| An egg-sized stone in the shape of your spirit animal that mysteriously appeared in your belt pouch one day. It hums with an unsettling energy, its purpose yet unknown. |
Marks of the Beast
In many barbarian clans, the body is a canvas upon which the stories of battle and survival are etched. Tattoos, whether related to an animal spirit or not, represent significant moments in a barbarian’s life or their ancestors’. These marks are not mere decoration; they are symbols of power, identity, and a connection to the primeval forces that shape their world.
If your barbarian bears tattoos, consider their design and meaning. Are they warnings, reminders of past victories, or signs of something darker?
| Examples of Tattoos |
|---|
| Wings of an eagle spread wide across your upper back, symbolizing freedom or a deadly descent upon your enemies. |
| The paws of a cave bear etched on the backs of your hands, granting you the beast’s strength in battle. |
| Viny patterns displaying the symbols of your clan winding along your arms, a reminder of your heritage and the blood ties that bind. |
| The antlers of an elk inked across your back, representing speed and the relentless pursuit of prey. |
| Images of your spirit animal tattooed along your weapon arm, guiding each strike with supernatural precision. |
| The eyes of a wolf marked on your back, to help you see the unseen and ward off the evil spirits that stalk the night. |
Barbarians walk the line between the world of men and the world of spirits. Their understanding of life is often shaped by deeply held superstitions, passed down through generations or born from personal encounters with the unknown. Some barbarians trust in the gods and the spirits of nature, while others rely solely on their own strength and the steel in their hands. These beliefs can protect them from harm—or doom them to a fate worse than death.
If your barbarian harbors any superstitions, think about their origin. Were they instilled by family, or are they the result of a personal encounter with the supernatural?
| Examples of Superstitions |
|---|
| Disturbing the bones of the dead will curse you with their burdens. The restless spirits will haunt you until you make amends. |
| Never trust a wizard—they are devils in disguise, especially the friendly ones. Their promises are but traps laid in the dark. |
| Dwarves have lost their spirits, making them akin to the undead. They dwell underground to hide from the light of truth. |
| Magical objects bring trouble. Never sleep with one within ten feet of you, lest it draws something dark to your side. |
| Wear silver when you walk through a graveyard, or a ghost may enter your body, using you as a vessel for its unfinished business. |
| An elf who looks you in the eyes is trying to read your thoughts. Beware, for they may steal them and leave you empty. |
| d6 | I became a barbarian because... |
|---|---|
| 1 | My devotion to my people lifted me in battle, making me powerful and dangerous. |
| 2 | The spirits of my ancestors called on me to carry out a great task. |
| 3 | I lost control in battle one day, and it terrified me. I went to a shaman to learn how to control my rage. |
| 4 | I was struck by lightning and lived. Afterward, I found a new strength within me that let me push beyond my limits. |
| 5 | My anger needed to be channeled into battle, or I risked becoming an indiscriminate killer. |
| 6 | I’ve always been driven by a primal rage. My need for destruction never far from my mind. |
You must have a Strength score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.
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.
| 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 | Ability 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 | Ability 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 | 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 |
As a barbarian, you gain the following class features.
Hit Dice:
Hit Points at 1st Level:
Hit Points at Higher Levels:
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
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
- Four javelins
In battle, a barbarian’s rage is not merely an emotion; it is a primal force that consumes them, turning them into a juggernaut of fury. As the rage takes hold, their muscles swell, and their skin flushes with a deep crimson, veins bulging as the blood within surges with unnatural vitality. Their eyes burn with an inner fire, and their mind narrows to a singular focus: the destruction of their enemies. This transformation is as much a curse as it is a blessing, for in the throes of rage, the barbarian teeters on the edge of losing themselves entirely to the beast within.
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.
However, your connection to the arcane is severed; you cannot cast or concentrate on spells while raging, if you are able to cast spells.
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.
A barbarian’s body is a fortress, hardened by the rigors of survival. Even without armor, your body can absorb blows that would fell lesser warriors.
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.
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.
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.
When I stand amidst the bodies of the fallen, with their blood and entrails staining the earth, I know I am no longer fully human. The spirit of the wild has claimed me, and in my rage, I become something else—something ancient and terrible.
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.
The Primal Path you choose will guide your rage, giving it form and purpose, whether it is the unyielding ferocity of the Berserker, the mystical connection of the Totem Warrior, or the divine fervor of the Zealot.
Ancestral Guardian Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Battlerager Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
Beast Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Berserker Player's Handbook
Storm Herald Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Totem Warrior Player's Handbook
Wild Magic Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Zealot Xanathar's Guide to Everything
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.
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.
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Starting at 5th level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing heavy armor.
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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.
At 7th level, as part of the bonus action you take to enter your rage, you can move up to half your speed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Doctor Bruce Banner, alias The Hulk, a physics-based barbarian of the Path of the Berserker