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Playtest Content
The material here is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by
final game design and editing. They aren’t officially part of the game.
Constructive feedback is welcome and appreciated in either comments or social media. If you can give me a valid reason with examples why something is off, 9/10 I’m likely to make changes to the content and credit you for doing so. Otherwise, feedback without anything to back it up gets ignored (or at most a smile emoji like this 🙂 ) Thanks!
Design Notes
This barbarian primal path is designed to be a 1v1 duelist versus casters. Its job is to get to a caster as soon as it’s able and take it out as fast as it can. What will it need in order to do that?
- Obviously, it will need some form of magic resistance.
- Hits that could cause spellcasters to lose their spellcasting ability could be good, too.
- Maybe even a nifty power that lets it smack away spells coming at it (and potentially reflect it back on the caster).
- Finally, I’ll toss in something that protects its allies against AoE spells.
I worked to balance it against preexisting barbarian primal paths, particularly bear totems and zealots. The original version of the 6th level feature had unlimited use, but I restricted it to 1/rage only. Because it’s so niche, I also left the 14th level feature wide open for unlimited use (plus it requires the barb to be within 5 feet for it work).
Primal Path
At 3rd level, a barbarian gains the Primal Path feature. The following option is available to a barbarian, in addition to those normally offered.
Path of the Void
Especially superstitious barbarians not only distrust magic users but outright despise them and may even hunt them on occasion. These void barbarians, as they are known, see warlocks, wizards, and sorcerers as dangers that need to be dealt with quickly. Calling upon the forces of anti-magic in the universe, void barbarians charge directly for the casters in nearly every encounter. After all, the faster the spellcaster is dead, the better all will be.
Magic Sense
Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this path, you can sense magic within 15 feet of you at will so long as you can see or touch the source of magic. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.
Spell Resistance
At 3rd level, you are better at avoiding magical attacks and effects. While you are raging, you have advantage on all saving throws against spells.
Deflect Spells
Starting at 6th level, you can use your reaction to deflect or reflect a spell with a melee weapon when you are hit by a magic missile spell, a line spell, or a spell that requires a ranged spell attack while you are raging. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by the weapon’s damage roll used to deflect the spell + your Barbarian level (for example, if you are an 8th-level barbarian and you deflect a spell attack with a greatsword, you reduce the spell’s damage by 2d6 + 8). If you reduce the damage to 0, the spell is reflected back at the caster as though it originated from you, turning the caster into the target. If you are the target of a spell that creates more than one projectile such as a magic missile or eldritch blast you may only deflect one part of the spell (a single beam, bolt, etc) of the spell. You can use this feature only once per rage.
Expand the Void
At 10th level, you can draw upon the power of the void to protect your allies from spells. You do not have to be raging to use this feature. As a reaction, you expand your natural spell resistance. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you gain advantage on all saving throws against spells until the start of your next turn. At 18th level, the range increases to 15 feet.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Spell Interruption
Starting at 14th level, you have learned to recognize when a spellcaster is about to cast a spell and stop it before it happens. When you see a creature within 5 feet of you casting a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. If the attack hits and the creature was casting a spell of 3rd level or lower, its spell fails and has no effect. If it is casting a spell of 4th level or higher, the caster must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 10 or half the damage it takes, whichever number is higher. On a failed save, the spell fails and has no effect.
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Next: Bard College of Death.
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It’s an interesting build. I like the concept and with a couple minor tweaks I think it would be fun. One question tho is, would these barbarians be able to use magic weapons or armor? In not that could be a huge disadvantage. Perhaps a table is needed where they get automatic bumps to attack and AC at certain levels to compensate for not using magic items.
I considered that but decided against. Turns out they’re just huge hypocrites 😂
Specify whether the spell damage reduction/reflection applies to 1 spell or one missle for things like magic missle or Eldritch blast that have multiple missles and can target multiple targets.
Hmmm… I see your point. Probably just one per
I really like your concept of the build. As asked before about the ability to use magic items such as armor or weapons, how about this? Maybe the flavor would have to be something like, for a Void Barb if magic items were found the DM could change the type to say, Chainmail of the Void. Void Barb use only. Kind of like in Diablo where you have class specific armor. A Void Barb would only wear or wield Void infused items only though. Maybe a percentile roll to see if there’s a 15% chance of it being Void?
Well, most Barbs probably aren’t going to wear armor of any sort thanks to Unarmored Defense which in the long run is waaaay better than most heavy armor. What might help it, though, is adding in something that lets it overcome b/p/s against magical attacks immunities/resistances
I am enjoying all your subclasses. They are amazing
Thanks! They’re a lot of work LOL 🙂