In modern civilizations, daily life can often cause emotions to rise to a boiling point, most people will try to avoid this, calming themselves down to not explode at inopportune times. Yet, in the natural world, anger is not necessarily a bad thing. Using emotions, primal fury and natural instinct, barbarians wield these feelings in battle to overwhelm and overpower their foes.
Living as a barbarian is to walk the tightrope of control, maintaining themselves amongst innocents and allies, while unleashing a furious anger and unbridled strength when faced by an adversary. To them, their anger is a shield to protect their allies, attracting the attention of their enemies to distract and slay those that would harm others.
Creating a Barbarian
As a Barbarian, you gain the following benefits:
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d12 per Barbarian level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution per Barbarian level after 1st
As well as starting as a novice in a number of skills with the Knowledge trait equal to your intelligence modifier (if positive).
At Higher Levels: Each time you gain a level, you can increase one skill's level of training by 1 step. By default, this can raise a skill up to Novice. At 5th level, the maximum step you can choose becomes Adept; at 10th level, Expert; and at 15th level, Master.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: None
Starting Equipment
You can either start with 75 gp, or the following equipment:
As you grow in level in this class, your level of training increases, granting you the following benefits:
Saving Throw Training. You start out as a novice in Strength and Constitution saving throws, gaining a +2 training bonus to your roll whenever you make one of these saving throws.
Weapon Training. You are considered a novice with any weapon you are proficient with, gaining a +2 training bonus on any attack roll you make for a weapon attack.
The training bonuses described above increase to adept (+4) at 5th level, expert (+6) at 10th level, and master (+8) at 15th level.
Level 1
Rage
You can imbue yourself with a primal power that is called your Rage, a force that grants you extraordinary might and resilience. You can enter a rage as a Bonus Action, provided you aren’t wearing Heavy Armor.
While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armor:
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
When you make an attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike using Strength and deal damage to the target, you gain a bonus to the damage that increases as you gain levels as a Barbarian. The damage bonus is shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian Table.
You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
While raging, you are unable to cast any spell, concentrate on any spell, or make use of any ability that has the Spell-like trait.
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 or more 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. You can enter your Rage the number of times shown for your Barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian Table, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Level 1
Unarmored Defense
While you aren’t wearing any armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifiers.
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 use your strength modifier instead of the usual modifier associated with the skill:
You can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. 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 during this turn, but attack rolls against you have Advantage until the start of your next turn.
Level 3
Barbarian Subclass
Even when using primal rage, there are specializations for barbarians to focus on. These subclasses represent such specialization.
Your subclass grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
You gain one feat with the General trait of your choice for which you qualify.
You gain the benefits of this feature again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level.
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 walking 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 and Dexterity saving throws.
Level 9
Indomitable Might
If your total for a Strength check is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.
Level 11
Ferocious Critical
When you score a critical hit with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike using Strength, the target takes extra damage equal to your Barbarian level. That damage is the same type dealt by the weapon or Unarmed Strike.
Level 13
Persistant Rage
You learn to maintain your Rage beyond moments of calm, your rage now lasts for 10 minutes without you needing to do anything to extend it from round to round. The Rage still ends if you become Incapacitated, or don Heavy Armor.
Level 17
Primal Surge
Whenever you roll Initiative, you regain one expended use of your Rage.
Level 18
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 20
Primordial Avatar
Your body has adapted in a permanent manner to represent your primal rage. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 2, and their maximum is now 22.