Barbarian
What Is a Barbarian?
Barbarians are mighty warriors who draw power from primal forces of the multiverse, manifesting as Rage. This power is not merely anger—it can be the ferocity of a predator, the fury of a storm, or the relentless pull of the sea.
Some Barbarians view their Rage as a guiding ancestral spirit or a revered forebear. Others see it as a bond to the suffering of the world, a surge of untamed magic, or the purest expression of their inner self. Whatever its source, Rage fuels not only devastating strength, but also sharpened instincts and heightened senses.
Barbarians often act as protectors and champions of their people. They are the first to face danger, ensuring others do not have to. Their fearlessness and raw power make them natural adventurers.
Becoming a Barbarian
As a Level 1 Character
- Gain all the traits in the Core Barbarian Traits table.
- Gain the Barbarian’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
As a Multiclass Character
- Gain the following traits from the Core Barbarian Traits table: Hit Point Die, proficiency with Martial weapons, and training with Shields.
- Gain the Barbarian’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
Barbarian Progression
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Class Features | Rages | Rage Damage | Weapon Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | Rage, Unarmored Defense, Weapon Mastery | 2 | +2 | 2 |
| 2 | +2 | Danger Sense, Reckless Attack | 2 | +2 | 2 |
| 3 | +2 | Barbarian Subclass, Primal Knowledge | 3 | +2 | 2 |
| 4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | +2 | 3 |
| 5 | +3 | Extra Attack, Fast Movement | 3 | +2 | 3 |
| 6 | +3 | Subclass feature | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| 7 | +3 | Feral Instinct, Instinctive Pounce | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| 9 | +4 | Brutal Strike | 4 | +3 | 3 |
| 10 | +4 | Subclass feature | 4 | +3 | 4 |
| 11 | +4 | Relentless Rage | 4 | +3 | 4 |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | +3 | 4 |
| 13 | +5 | Improved Brutal Strike | 5 | +3 | 4 |
| 14 | +5 | Subclass feature | 5 | +3 | 4 |
| 15 | +5 | Persistent Rage | 5 | +3 | 4 |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | +4 | 4 |
| 17 | +6 | Improved Brutal Strike | 6 | +4 | 4 |
| 18 | +6 | Indomitable Might | 6 | +4 | 4 |
| 19 | +6 | Epic Boon | 6 | +4 | 4 |
| 20 | +6 | Primal Champion | 6 | +4 | 4 |
Barbarian Class Features
As a Barbarian, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Barbarian levels. These features are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
Level 1: Rage
You can imbue yourself with a primal power called Rage, a force that grants you extraordinary might and resilience. You can enter it as a Bonus Action if you aren’t wearing Heavy armor.
You can enter your Rage the number of times shown for your Barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian Features table. You regain one expended use when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
While active, your Rage follows the rules below.
Damage Resistance. You have Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.
Rage Damage. When you make an attack using Strength—with either a weapon or an Unarmed Strike—and deal damage to the target, you gain a bonus to the damage that increases as you gain levels as a Barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian Features table.
Strength Advantage. You have Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
No Concentration or Spells. You can’t maintain Concentration, and you can’t cast spells.
Duration. The Rage lasts until the end of your next turn, and it ends early if you don Heavy armor or have the Incapacitated condition. If your Rage is still active on your next turn, you can extend the Rage for another round by doing one of the following:
- Make an attack roll against an enemy.
- Force an enemy to make a saving throw.
- Take a Bonus Action to extend your Rage.
Each time the Rage is extended, it lasts until the end of your next turn. You can maintain a Rage for up to 10 minutes.
Level 1: Unarmored Defense
While you aren’t wearing any armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 plus your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers. You can use a Shield and still gain this benefit.
Level 1: Weapon Mastery
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of Simple or Martial Melee weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices.
When you reach certain Barbarian levels, you gain the ability to use the mastery properties of more kinds of weapons, as shown in the Weapon Mastery column of the Barbarian Features table.
Level 2: Danger Sense
You gain an uncanny sense of when things aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge perils. You have Advantage on Dexterity saving throws unless you have the Incapacitated condition.
Level 2: Reckless Attack
You can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with increased ferocity. When you make your first attack roll on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you Advantage on attack rolls using Strength until the start of your next turn, but attack rolls against you have Advantage during that time.
Level 3: Barbarian Subclass
You gain a Barbarian subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Barbarian levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Barbarian level or lower.
Level 3: Primal Knowledge
You gain proficiency in another skill of your choice from the skill list available to Barbarians at level 1.
In addition, while your Rage is active, you can channel primal power when you attempt certain tasks; whenever you make an ability check using one of the following skills, you can make it as a Strength check even if it normally uses a different ability: Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. When you use this ability, your Strength represents primal power coursing through you, honing your agility, bearing, and senses.
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Barbarian levels 8, 12, and 16.
Level 5: Extra Attack
You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Level 5: Fast Movement
Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing Heavy armor.
Level 7: Feral Instinct
Your instincts are so honed that you have Advantage on Initiative rolls.
Level 7: Instinctive Pounce
As part of the Bonus Action you take to enter your Rage, you can move up to half your Speed.
Level 9: Brutal Strike
If you use Reckless Attack, you can forgo any Advantage on one Strength-based attack roll of your choice on your turn. The chosen attack roll mustn’t have Disadvantage. If the chosen attack roll hits, the target takes an extra 1d10 damage of the same type dealt by the weapon or Unarmed Strike, and you can cause one Brutal Strike effect of your choice. You have the following effect options.
Forceful Blow. The target is pushed 15 feet straight away from you. You can then move up to half your Speed straight toward the target without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
Hamstring Blow. The target’s Speed is reduced by 15 feet until the start of your next turn. A target can be affected by only one Hamstring Blow at a time—the most recent one.
Level 11: Relentless Rage
Your Rage can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 Hit Points while your Rage is active and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, your Hit Points instead change to a number equal to twice your Barbarian level.
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.
Level 13: Improved Brutal Strike
You have honed new ways to attack furiously. The following effects are now among your Brutal Strike options.
Staggering Blow. The target has Disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes, and it can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Sundering Blow. Before the start of your next turn, the next attack roll made by another creature against the target gains a +5 bonus to the roll. An attack roll can gain only one Sundering Blow bonus.
Level 15: Persistent Rage
When you roll Initiative, you can regain all expended uses of Rage. After you regain uses of Rage in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
In addition, your Rage is so fierce that it now lasts for 10 minutes without you needing to do anything to extend it from round to round. Your Rage ends early if you have the Unconscious condition (not just the Incapacitated condition) or don Heavy armor.
Level 17: Improved Brutal Strike
The extra damage of your Brutal Strike increases to 2d10. In addition, you can use two different Brutal Strike effects whenever you use your Brutal Strike feature.
Level 18: Indomitable Might
If your total for a Strength check or Strength saving throw is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.
Level 19: Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Level 20: Primal Champion
You embody primal power. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4, and their maximum is now 25.
Barbarian Subclasses
A Barbarian subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Barbarian levels, as specified in the subclass.
Path of the Berserker (PHB 2024)
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Berserker surrender themselves fully to the fury of battle. Their rage is violent, overwhelming, and relentless, pushing them beyond the limits of pain and fear.
Berserkers thrive in the heart of combat, dealing devastating blows and terrifying their foes through sheer brutality. To walk this path is to accept that rage is not a tool—but a force that consumes everything in its wake.
Path of the Wild Heart (PHB 2024)
(Formerly Path of the Totem Warrior)
Barbarians of the Path of the Wild Heart draw their power from the primal spirits of nature—beasts, storms, and the untamed wilderness itself. Their rage manifests as animalistic ferocity or elemental endurance.
These barbarians are deeply tied to the natural world, often serving as tribal champions, guardians of sacred lands, or hunters guided by ancestral spirits. Each chooses which aspects of the wild they embody, shaping their rage accordingly.
Path of the World Tree (PHB 2024)
Barbarians who walk the Path of the World Tree are bound to an ancient, cosmic force that connects all realms. Their rage resonates with the strength of roots that pierce worlds and branches that span planes.
These warriors defend their allies with supernatural resilience and battlefield control, anchoring foes in place and shielding companions from harm. They are often seen as living bulwarks—unyielding protectors tied to the fate of the world itself.
Path of the Zealot (PHB 2024)
Barbarians of the Path of the Zealot are chosen by the gods—or believe themselves to be. Their rage is fueled by divine power, burning with holy wrath or fanatical devotion.
Driven by faith, destiny, or prophecy, zealots fight with terrifying conviction and are notoriously difficult to kill. Whether crusaders or sacrificial champions, they see death not as an end, but as a price already paid.
Additional Barbarian Paths (Other 5e Sources)
Path of the Ancestral Guardian (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Ancestral Guardian call upon the spirits of their forebears to guide and protect them. When they rage, ghostly ancestors manifest to shield allies and harry enemies.
These barbarians often serve as tribal defenders and spiritual leaders, standing between danger and their people. Their rage is not just personal fury, but the combined will of generations past.
Path of the Storm Herald (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
Barbarians of the Path of the Storm Herald channel elemental fury—desert heat, raging seas, or howling tundras. Their rage summons storms that scorch, freeze, or batter everything nearby.
Often born or forged in extreme environments, storm heralds embody nature’s most destructive forces. Wherever they fight, the battlefield itself seems to turn against their enemies.
Path of the Beast (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)
Barbarians on the Path of the Beast harbor a monstrous power within themselves. When they rage, they partially transform—growing claws, fangs, or tails as their inner beast is unleashed.
These barbarians blur the line between humanoid and monster, often struggling with their own nature. Some embrace the beast as a gift, while others see it as a curse that must be controlled.
Path of the Totem Warrior (Player’s Handbook 2014)
(Legacy version; replaced by Wild Heart in PHB 2024)
Totem Warriors forge spiritual bonds with animal spirits that grant them supernatural resilience and strength. Each totem shapes how their rage manifests and how they fight.
In campaigns using older material, this path represents a deep spiritual connection to animal guardians and ancestral traditions.
Path of the Battlerager (Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide)
Battleragers are ferocious dwarven warriors who wear spiked armor and throw themselves bodily into combat. Their rage is loud, brutal, and painfully direct.
This path is closely tied to dwarven culture and traditions, emphasizing reckless offense and sheer physical toughness over subtlety or control.
Here are the two missing official subclasses, written in the same style and format as your existing list. These are both fully compatible with the 2024 rules.
Path of Wild Magic (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)
Barbarians of the Path of Wild Magic are touched by the chaotic energies of the Feywild or other planes of pure magic. Their rage isn't just a physical fury, but a volatile release of arcane energy that defies logic and control.
Every time these barbarians enter a rage, they trigger a surge of unpredictable magic—ranging from teleporting across the battlefield to summoning protective spirits or lashing out with bolts of force. They are the wild cards of the front line, turning the tide of battle with supernatural effects that neither their enemies nor their allies can always predict.
Path of the Giant (Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants)
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Giant draw upon the primordial power of the ancient titans. When they rage, they don’t just become stronger—they physically grow, embodying the monumental scale and elemental force of giant-kind.
These warriors are masters of reach and impact, often infusing their weapons with elemental energy and hurling them across the battlefield only to have them return to their hands. With the ability to pick up and toss both friends and foes like toys, a Giant barbarian dominates the battlefield through sheer size and crushing strength.
Main info Barbarian:
Hit Die: d12 per Barbarian level
Primary Ability: Strength
Armor: Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons: Simple & Martial
Skills: Choose 2 — Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, Survival
Saves: Strength, Constitution
Combat Role: Frontline damage & durability
Key Mechanic: Rage
Starting Equipment: Choose one:
• A: Greataxe, 4 handaxes, explorer’s pack, and 15 gp
• B: 75 gp
Complexity: Medium
Best For Players Who: Want a durable, aggressive melee warrior with simple but impactful choices
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