Alternate Barbarian Class - Public Release! (Patreon)

Hey everyone! I’m very excited (and a bit nervous) to post my newest project for you all - the Alternate Barbarian! Of course (as with all my “Alternate Classes”) the Barbarian as presented in the Player’s Handbook is fine. However, if you’re looking for more options for your Barbarian in and out of combat then the Alternate Barbarian may be for you!

The PDF is Attached Below! As always, I'd love any feedback!

Major Changes

The Barbarian is fine at low levels of play, but once you get past 5th level (and get that sweet sweet Extra Attack) there isn’t much reason to stay in Barbarian for the rest of your levels. I’ve done my best to make it worth it to go all the way to Barbarian 20!

RAGE! Rage is now a short rest resource, so have fun Raging all day - just make sure you take a few breathers. It is also a little more forgiving. If you can’t attack an enemy or take damage, you can now take the Dash action to move as close as possible to an enemy to keep your Rage going!

Criticals. I like that the Barbarian is the “simple martial character” - just Rage and hit stuff. Brutal Critical (which isn’t in this version) was supposed to enhance this play style, but I think it falls short. My Alternate Barbarian is now “Critical Hit - The Class”. Your Rage damage bonus is now a die (which means it doubles on a critical)! As you gain levels it scales based on your Exploit Die. You also now get Improved Critical instead of Brutal Critical, so as you gain levels you are more likely to get those juicy critical hits. Finally, Critical Strike grants you a free Exploit on each critical hit at 11th level.

Savage Exploits. As with my Alternate Fighter and Warlord classes, Exploits are my answer to martial characters’ lack of options in combat. If you are not familiar, they are a weaker version of the Maneuvers from the Battle Master Martial Archetype in the Player’s Handbook. For the Alternate Barbarian, these scale slower than the Alternate Fighter and they know fewer Exploits. To make room in the “power budget” for Exploits at low levels, Danger Sense has been moved back to 7th level and merged with Feral Instincts. I also do not recommend using the Optional Barbarian features from TCoE with this class.

Path of the Berserker. Now you don’t need to kill yourself to use your main feature!

Path of the Brute. My take on the classic unarmed muscle-man warrior!

Path of the Champion. This Archetype from the Fighter always felt like it should’ve been a Barbarian subclass to me. I’ve made some changes, so now it is the “Barbarian with a bit of Fighter”.

Path of the Totem Warrior Smoothed out your options here so you don’t always have to go Bear.

Changes to the PHB Barbarian

• Rage // Added advantage on Constitution checks while Raging.
• Rage // Your Rage doesn’t end if you Dash your full speed toward a hostile creature.
• Rage // Now includes melee and thrown weapon attacks.
• Rage // Bonus damage equal to d4 (increases by Exploit Die) instead of static bonus so as to synergy better with Improved Critical feature.
• Rage // Lowered the number of Rages per day, now you recover Rage on a short rest.
• Unarmored Defense // Now 10 + STR + CON, but you can’t use shields.
• Danger Sense // Combined with Feral Instinct at 7th level.
• Savage Exploits // NEW 2nd level feature.
• Fast Movement // Cut (you can always Dash)
• Primal Path // Path Exploits // NEW subclass features
• Feral Instincts // Added the benefits of Danger Sense and some Rage buffs
• Brutal Critical // Removed
• Improved Critical // NEW 9th level feature. Increases your Critical Hit Range at 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. Synergies better with the new Rage damage bonus.
• Critical Strike // NEW 11th level feature.
• Relentless Rage // No saving throw, you just end your Rage. Also +CON mod to your mental saving throws while you are Raging.
• Indomitable Might // Now affects your d20 roll instead of the total.
• Relentless // New 20th level feature
• Berserker // Berserker Exploits // NEW feature!
• Berserker // Frenzy // Now called Frenzied Rage, exhaustion isn’t automatic, you get to make a CON save which goes up each time you use the feature.
• Berserker // Mindless Rage // Now allows you to ignore exhaustion in Frenzied Rage
• Berserker // Intimidating Presence // Can use *menacing shout* without an Exploit Die
• Berserker // Primal Restoration // NEW feature!
• Berserker // Retaliation // Now called Furious Retaliation, range is now your reach.
• Champion // NEW subclass based on the Martial Archetype for the Fighter
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Spirit (Bear) // Resist all damage but force and psychic
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Aspect (Bear) // Can grapple bigger targets
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Aspect (Eagle) // Adv on sight-based Perception checks
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Aspect (Wolf) // Adv on Survival checks to track injured
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Attunement (Bear) // Taunt works like the Armorer now
• Totem Warrior // Totemic Attunement (Wolf) // Scales with your size now
• New 1st-degree Exploits // bonebreaker, crushing grip, destructive strike, resolute, savage rebuke
• New 2nd-degree Exploits // greater hurl, trampling rush
• New 3rd-degree Exploits // roar of triumph
• New 4th-degree Exploits // ringing strike, strength of the colossus
• New 5th-degree Exploits // vorpal strike