Primal Path - Path of the Warden
Many Barbarians harness an inner rage to utilise their powers, but some find themselves drawn to the primal fury of nature itself. As unrelenting as a hurricane, tumultuous as a roiling sea, a Warden barbarian supplements their potent weapon swings with powerful magic, harnessing nature to defend nature.
Warden Barbarians often find themselves in the company of druids and rangers, serving as effective guards for those who would prefer to stand at range. First and formost they are guardians of the natural world, seeking out those who might threaten it. The DC for any of your Warden features is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your strength modifier.
Primal Growth
From 3rd level your rage becomes imbued with the power of nature. When you activate your rage a mass of branches bursts forth from you, granting you the following benefits:-
- You gain +2 to your AC. You cannot benefit from this while wearing a shield.
- You can use your bonus action to unleash the branches against a creature within 30ft that seek to drag them closer. They must make a strength saving throw or be pulled adjacent to you. It must also succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage to attack any creatures other than you, until the end of its next turn.
- If you do not move on your turn, the branches bristle with thorns. Creatures who strike you with a melee weapon take piercing damage equal to your Rage damage bonus. This lasts until you voluntarily move.
Symbiosis
At 6th level you gain a mark of nature which you can share with one other creature at the end of a long rest. Depending on the class they chose at 1st level, you each gain a different benefit, as per the table below. If you or the creature you share a mark with is reduced to 0HP, you both lose the mark's effects, and must wait until the end of the next long rest to share it anew.
Symbiosis Boon
| Class | Warden Boon | Shared Boon |
|---|---|---|
| Barbarian, Fighter, Monk | Your Primal Growth bonus action feature now deals piercing damage equal to your Rage damage bonus, regardless of successful saves. | Your partner adds your rage damage to any weapon on unarmed strike damage rolls they make, and gains the Reckless Attack feature. |
| Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard | You gain access to one spell that your partner either knows or has prepared, up to a spell level equal to your Rage damage bonus. You can cast this once, without expending a spell slot, before requiring a long rest. | When your partner casts a spell that expends a spell slot, they gain a bonus to their armour class equal to the spell slot expended until the start of their next turn. |
| Bard, Rogue | Choose an ability score. You add your Rage damage bonus to all skill checks that use that ability score. | Your partner gains proficiency in one skill from the barbarian or druid list, and doubles the proficiency bonus for this skill. |
| Paladin, Ranger, Artificer | You deal 1d6 additional radiant (paladin), acid (ranger) or fire (artificer) damage on any weapon attacks you make. | Your partner gains an additional maximum hit points equal to your Warden level, and resistance to one of Slashing, Bludgeoning, or Piercing damage. |
Advanced Primal Growth
From 10th level, your Primal Growth grows stronger.
- The AC bonus increases by +1 at 10th and 19th level in this class.
- A creature that fails its strength saving throw against your pull also has their speeds reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn. If they fail their Wisdom saving throw, you have resistance against all damage they cause to you until the end of their next turn.
- If you don't move, the branches spread out from you and pierce into the ground around you. This causes difficult terrain for creatures other than yourself and the target of your Symbiosis that lasts for 1 minute.
Gift of the Wild
From 14th level while raging you can use an action to gain Immunity to all damage until the start of your next turn. Doing so is treated as if you attacked for the purpose of maintaining your rage. If you have Symbiosis active, your partner gains the same Immunity. You must complete a long rest before you can use this feature again.
In addition, you add your rage damage bonus to Wisdom saving throws while you are raging.