Barbarian: Path of the Dragon
Barbarian: Path of the Dragon
Hit Points
Proficiences
Overview & Creation
Barbarians are well known for tapping into primal powers, but only a few can tap into one of the most ancient and primeval of them all: The power of dragons. Most notably, the type of dragon that causes such unyielding rage is that of the chromatic variant. Not all those with chromatic blood in their veins are tended towards such violent and destructive outbursts, but all those that follow this path do indeed share that ancestry: Their chromatic heritage simply manifests itself far stronger than it does for others. While chromatic dragons are not as renowned for walking among the mortal masses as their metallic cousins are, there have been those that started bloodlines that stretch back millennia. No matter how diluted this bloodline becomes, it can always manifest itself in any of its descendants. And when properly harnessed can become a force of reckoning. Due to their more volatile chromatic blood, those following this path tend toward Chaos, as they contain potent destructive power that paces at the edges of the cage, just waiting to be unleashed. This however is not the norm, as there are those that have learned to control their impulses. The zekyl, an elven subrace that was created through unions between drow and shadow dragons, are all able to tap into this primal path due to the chaotic influences of the shadowfell. Their normally calm and calculated demeanor hides the violent dragon that lurks beneath, waiting to strike.
Class Features
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. The Path of the Berserker is detailed at the end of the class description, and additional primal paths are available in other sources. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.
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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
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.
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.
Brutal Critical
At 13th level, you can roll two additional weapon damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
This increases to three additional dice at 17th level.
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.
Brutal Critical
At 17th level, you can roll three additional weapon damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
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.
Starting Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
Subclass Options
Draconic Form
At 3rd level, whenever you enter a rage, if you are not
wearing heavy armor, you can choose to give in to your
draconic fury and manifest aspects of a draconic being;
growing natural weapons as claws erupt from your
fingertips, fangs sprout from your maw, and you gain a
vicious lashing tail (or an existing one becomes stronger).
If you do, your draconic pride compels you to stow or doff
any weapons or shields you are wielding. You can do this as
part of the same bonus action you use to enter your rage,
and must do so in order to gain the benefits of your
draconic fury. You cannot wield any weapons or shields
until you stop raging, and you gain the features listed below
until your rage ends:
Natural Weapons
You gain the following natural weapons, but you can only use one at a time as part of the Attack action:Fury Points
When you enter a rage, if you gave in to your draconic fury, you can gain fury points to enhance your natural weapons. You can gain fury points in the following ways:Claws: When you take the Attack action on your turn and make an attack with your claws, provided both your hands are free, you can make one additional attack using your claws as part of the same action. While you possess at least 2 fury points, attack rolls you make with your claws will score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Tail: Your tail always counts as an equipped weapon, and can be used to make opportunity attacks. Once per turn when you hit a creature with your tail, you can spend 1 fury point to make a contested Strength (Athletics) check against them and knock them prone if you win, but you can only use this on creatures up to one size larger than you.
Dragon Color
Starting at 3rd level, you choose a Dragon Color. The damage type associated with each Dragon Color is used by features of this path. Additionally, you can now speak, read and write Draconic. Whenever you make a Charisma check when interacting with dragons, your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies to the check.
Draconic Ascension
At 6th level, your Draconic Form grants you additional draconic aspects. When you enter a rage, if you gave in to your draconic fury, you gain a number of fury points equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down), and you gain the following benefits while raging:
Wings: You gain dragon wings which last until your rage ends. Your wings allow you to glide, but aren't strong enough to grant you flight yet. When falling you can use your reaction to slow your descent, as if under the effects of a feather fall spell. In addition, for each foot that you fall, you can move one foot horizontally in any direction. While aloft, you count as taking damage for the purpose of maintaining your rage. Your clothes and armor magically change to accommodate these new wings. Starting at 14th level, your Draconic Form's wings are now strong enough to give you flight. While not wearing heavy armor, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
Resistance: You gain resistance against the damage type of your chosen color on the Dragon Color table while raging. If you already have resistance to this damage type, then all damage you deal ignores resistance to the damage type associated with your chosen Dragon Color.
Vicious weapons: Your natural weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Unleashed Fury
Starting at 10th level, the marks of your draconic heritage no longer entirely fade when you are not raging. You gain scales which permanently grants you your Draconic Form's Resistance benefit. Additionally, if you gave in to your draconic fury when you entered your rage, you can use a bonus action while raging to spend a number of fury points and breathe out a powerful blast of elemental energy. Creatures within a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage for each fury point you expended on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage type is the same as the damage type of your chosen Dragon Color. Similar to the racial breath weapons of half dragons and dragonborn, using this feature counts as attacking a hostile creature for the purpose of maintaining your rage.
Draconic Savagery
Starting at 14th level, you rip and tear your opponents apart, violently and without mercy. Once on each of your turns, when one of your melee attacks reduces an object or creature's hit points to a number less than your Strength score, you instantly reduce it to 0 hit points. Additionally, you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age, you can't be aged magically, and your lifespan extends by 1000 years.
