Primal Paths

Rage burns in every barbarian's heart, a furnace that drives him or her toward greatness. Different barbarians attribute their rage to different sources, however. For some, it is an internal reservoir where pain, grief, and anger are forged into a fury hard as steel. Others see it as a spiritual blessing, a gift of a totem animal.

Path of the Totem Warrior

The Path of the Totem Warrior is a spiritual journey, as the barbarian accepts a spirit animal as a guide, protector, and inspiration. In battle, your totem spirit fills you with supernatural might, adding magical fuel to your barbarian rage.

Most barbarian tribes consider a totem animal to be kin to a particular clan. In such cases, it is unusual for an individual to have more than one totem animal spirit, though exceptions exist.

Totem Spirit

At 3rd level, when you adopt this path, you choose a totem spirit and gain its feature. You must make or acquire a physical totem object—an amulet or similar adornment—that incorporates fur or feathers, claws, teeth, or bones of the totem animal. At your option, you also gain minor physical attributes that are reminiscent of your totem spirit. For example, if you have a bear totem spirit, you might be unusually hairy and thick-skinned, or if your totem is the eagle, your eyes turn bright yellow.

Your totem animal might be an animal related to those listed here but more appropriate to your homeland. For example, you could choose a hawk or vulture in place of an eagle.

Badger. While raging, you have resistance to poison damage and are immune to the poisoned condition. The spirit of the badger makes you tough.

Bat. While raging, you have blindsight to a range of 30 feet while not deafened. The spirit of the bat lets you sense your enemies' presence.

Boar. Once per short rest, while raging, if you take damage equal to or less than 5 + your proficiency modifier that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you are reduced to 1 hit point instead. The spirit of the boar makes you relentless.

Bull. While raging, you may take the Dash action as a bonus action and you have improved resistance to piercing damage. Once per turn, you may further reduce the damage from a piercing attack by an amount equal to your proficiency modifier + your Barbarian level. The spirit of the bull makes you fast and deadly.

Camel. While raging, as part of a melee attack you can make a spit attack to blind your opponent. The range is 5 feet and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Strength bonus + your proficiency bonus) or be at disadvantage on its next attack. Creatures immune to the blinded condition are also immune to this attack. The spirit of the camel encourages you to fight dirty.

Crocodile. While raging, after a successful melee attack you may, as a part of one attack per round, attempt to grapple the target. The spirit of the crocodile allows you to get a grip on your prey.

Elephant. While raging, you can make an unarmed attack as a bonus action and you may go one round without attacking or receiving damage from a hostile creature without your rage ending early if you take the Dash, Dodge or Disengage action during that turn. The spirit of the elephant never lets you forget... to rage.

Horse. While raging, you can add 10 feet to the walking speed of you or your mount. The spirit of the horse shows you the swiftest paths.

Kangaroo. While raging, you can make a kick attack as an attack or bonus action. Your kick does 1d4 bludgeoning damage. The damage from this attack increases to 1d6 at 5th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level. You are proficient with this attack.

Instead of damage, you may use this attack to shove (knock prone or push back 5 feet, your choice) your opponent, subject to the normal shove attack rules. The spirit of the kangaroo gives you power and guides you in using it.

Lion. While raging, you have advantage on one melee attack per turn if the target is within 10 feet of another hostile creature that is friendly to you or has been hit with a ranged weapon attack since your last turn. The spirit of the lion lets you exploit the strength of the pride.

Rhinoceros. While raging, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action and you have advantage on attacks of opportunity. The spirit of the rhinoceros lets you react with agility that belies your bulk.

Seal. While raging, you can perform a melee slam attack as an attack or bonus action. The attack does 1d4 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. The damage from this attack increases to 1d6 at 5th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level. This attack may be made even while grappled and counts as an attempt to break the grapple. The spirit of the seal shows you how to use your weight to your advantage.

Shark. While raging, you do extra damage equal to your proficiency modifier on a successful hit. The spirit of the shark allows you to be a vicious attacker.

Snake. While raging, you can make one melee weapon attack per round as though the weapon has the Reach (5 feet) property. If you are already wielding a weapon with the Reach property, its reach is extended by 5 feet. The spirit of the snake lets you reach out and strike your enemies.

Spider. While raging, you are always aware of creatures within 60 feet of you that are attacking creatures friendly to you. The spirit of the spider lets you know where the action is happening.

Aspect of the Beast

At 6th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected at 3rd level or a different one.

Badger. You gain the comfort in tight quarters of a badger. Moving through a space big enough for a creature one size smaller than you does not cost you extra movement. Medium creatures are considered Small creatures for the purpose of applying this aspect.

Bat. You gain the hearing of a bat. You can pick out the details and direction of particular sounds even with heavy background noise and are not fooled by echos. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing.

Boar. You gain the tenacity of a boar. You can move through difficult terrain as though it were normal terrain.

Bull. You gain the courage of a bull. Add your Strength or Constitution modifier, your choice, to saving throws against fear effects instead of your Wisdom modifier.

Camel. You gain the resilience of a camel. You can go up to a week without water provided you had access to at least one gallon of water at the start of the week.

Crocodile. You gain the swiftness of a charging crocodile. Water that is no higher than your chest does not impede your movement and you have advantage on Dexeterity (Stealth) checks while in the water.

Elephant. You gain the memory and empathy of an elephant. You add your proficiency modifier to Intelligence checks relating to memory and to Wisdom (Insight) checks.

Horse. You gain the amiability of a horse. You add your proficiency modifier to Wisdom (Animal Handling) and have advantage when dealing with mounts. If you are proficient in Animal Handling, you may add double your proficiency bonus. Through sounds and gestures you can communicate simple ideas with animals used as mounts.

Kangaroo. You gain the survival instincts of a kangaroo. You add your proficiency modifier to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks made to conceal an object.

Lion. You gain the ability to command the respect a lion demands. You gain advantage on Intimidation checks and may use either your Strength or Charisma modifier.

Rhinoceros. You gain the protectiveness of the rhinocerous. You have advantage on Persuasion checks against those that perceive you as stronger than them.

Seal. You gain the warmth of a seal. You are acclimated to cold climates and add your proficiency modifier to Charisma (Persuasion) checks.

Shark. You gain the swiftness of a shark. While not wearing heavy armor, you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed.

Snake. You gain the sveltness of a snake. You have advantage on Acrobatics checks.

Spider. You gain the grip of a spider. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and can climb difficult surfaces without making an ability check. This does not extend to climbing on ceilings.

Totemic Attunement

At 14th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected previously or a different one.

Badger. While raging, you can fight in a space for a creature one size smaller without penalty and cannot be grappled or restrained by any single attack or effect for more than one round. One grapple is automatically broken at the end of your round.

Bat. While raging, you can move through a hostile creatures space, but cannot end your turn there. Additionally, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity if another creature hostile to the target but friendly to you is in a space adjacent to the target.

Boar. While raging, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line toward a target and then hit with melee weapon attacks against it in the same round, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the same type as the weapon damage. This damage counts as weapon damage for critical hits.

Bull. While raging, you can wield two-handed weapons with one hand without penalty and weapons with the Versatile property do two-handed damage while wielded with one hand.

Camel. While raging, you automatically succeed on ability checks and saving throws to avoid being pushed or pulled.

Crocodile. While raging, when you have grappled an enemy your movement is not halved. Also while raging, you can bite for 1d8 damage as a bonus action.

Elephant. While raging, as a bonus action you can add 10 feet of movement per round to an ally's Move, or add 5 feet to two allies' Moves as long as they begin or end this movement within 30 feet of you. Your allies use this movement during your round and do not provoke attacks of opportunity during this move.

Horse. While raging, once per long or short rest, when you miss a melee attack, you can instead choose to succeed on the attack.

Kangaroo. While raging, you can long jump your walking distance with no run-up or vertical jump half your walking distance. When using the Dash action there must be an available surface to land on, breaking the Move and Dash actions into two jumps. When making a melee attack immediately following this movement, you do an additional 1d4 damage per 10 feet leapt to one attack.

Lion. While raging, you can let out a fearsome roar. Hostile creatures within 30 feet must succeed Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency modifier) or be frightened. The effect lasts until they move more than 30 feet from you or they make the save on a subsequent round. If the creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this fear effect for the next 24 hours.

Rhinoceros. While raging, you can force an opponent to re-roll damage done to you when they make a successful melee attack. The results of the second roll must be used.

Seal. While raging, you are immune to bludgeoning damage from nonmagical weapons.

Shark. While raging, if you have advantage on an attack roll, you may re-roll your damage. The results of the second roll must be used.

Snake. While raging, if you have grappled an enemy, you tighten your grip as a bonus action. The grappled creature automatically takes 1d4 + 2 bludgeoning damage and the DC to break the grapple is increased by +1 for every round the grapple is further tightened.

Spider. While raging, regardless of where you fall in the initiative order, you can make a melee attack at initiative count 20.

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