Mechanix
2016-09-20, 09:46 AM
Barbarian Primal Path: Path of the Jotunborn
"It was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron."
The giant-slayer's path is also the giant-kin's path, an ambiguity at the heart of all Jotunborn practice. Rare are those who walk this path with forethought and calculus. Many are northern people who lost family or village to giants, and swear to learn how to fight them toe to toe out of a thirst for revenge. A few are protégés of giants, who had no choice but to learn to fight with their own tools. Perhaps most simply feel in their blood the echoing blood of ancient titanic ancestors, and are driven to master weapons made for no mortal hand.
The Jotunborn are those barbarians who seek to channel their frenzied strength into the use of weapons too large for a normal humanoid. Such arms must often be wrested from the dead hands of a giant for, or earned by their good will. For this reason, the Jotunborn are more than a strange clique obsessed with very large swords; they are a strange people, who have made themselves kin to giants whether these wanted it or not. They walk wild, untamed places, and seek out towering beasts that can only be defeated through such great weapons as they wield.
Many die young, in their formative years, still learning the awkward swings of their graceless weapons. Those that endure grow strange to men, their skin taking pale blue hues or their beards growing wild and fiery red, their shoulders too broad, their bearing too lofty. Those perhaps may earn a place in the Ordning, and the respect of giants.
Sidebar: Oversized Weapons
Even the strongest human warrior, whose strength equals that of the giants, may not properly wield a giant's sword. Beyond weight, the weapon's shape, balance and grip are simply not made for a human hand, a human arm. By default, no one can wield a weapon made for massive creatures, except perhaps as an improvised weapon.
Some classes or archetypes may grant proficiency in oversized weapons. This grants a character the ability to wield weapons designed for Large humanoids. In this case, use the traits of the normal heavy weapon that most closely resembles it; special benefits for using such weapons are granted by the archetype itself, rather than as innate features of the weapon. Although such weapons may be as long as a human polearm and more massive, awkwardness of use and leverage prevents medium-sized users from enjoying their full reach and damage.
At the DM's discretion, oversized weapons may extend to cover one-handed weapons designed for Huge creatures, or even larger weapons, should they like the thought of players toting around a sword three times their size. This is an aesthetic choice, and does not affect the benefits and drawbacks of using such a weapon.
Jotungrip
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with oversized weapons and smith's tools. You suffer disadvantage on attack rolls using them, except when raging, where you instead inflict an additional 1d4 damage on successful hits. This additional damage is considered a damage die of the weapon, and is doubled on critical hits like your normal weapon dice would be. Each level of Brutal Critical you possess adds a further 1d4 to the damage of your critical hits, on top of its normal benefits.
Waste-Walker's Endurance
Having begun her journey in emulating the strength of giants, the Jotunborn exposes herself to harsh elements and difficult terrain. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you and your group no longer treat mountainous terrain as difficult for the purposes of travel. Furthermore, you gain resistance to one of the following: cold, fire or lightning damage, in emulation of frost, fire or storm giants respectively.
Giant-Mauler's Onslaught
Upon reaching 6th level, you have learned the ferocious tenacity necessary in fighting massive, resilient opponents; one cannot let go until they are dead. When you use the Attack action and perform a reckless attack, using an oversized weapon, aiming all your allowable attacks at the same creature, you may perform another attack as a bonus action against the same target.
High Ordning
Starting at 10th level, the giants' strength is apparent in your blood, and all who see you recognize you as one who has learned to fight monsters. When you awaken from a long rest, you are under the effects of a sanctuary spell which only affects creatures of size Huge or larger and of Intelligence 6 or higher - and which is only broken if you attack such a creature. The save DC for this spell is 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Furthermore, you learn to speak Giant if you did not already know it. When interacting with Giants, you gain double your proficiency bonus on Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks, instead of whatever proficiency bonus you would normally apply.
Titan's Fall
When you reach 14th level, you learn to channel momentous strength in a single titan-slaying blow. When you are raging and have advantage on attack made with an oversized weapon against an enemy within 5 feet, you may choose not to roll, and instead treat the attack as if you had rolled a natural 20. You must have a short or long rest before you can use this effect again, and as soon as you come out of your rage you suffer one level of exhaustion.
"It was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron."
The giant-slayer's path is also the giant-kin's path, an ambiguity at the heart of all Jotunborn practice. Rare are those who walk this path with forethought and calculus. Many are northern people who lost family or village to giants, and swear to learn how to fight them toe to toe out of a thirst for revenge. A few are protégés of giants, who had no choice but to learn to fight with their own tools. Perhaps most simply feel in their blood the echoing blood of ancient titanic ancestors, and are driven to master weapons made for no mortal hand.
The Jotunborn are those barbarians who seek to channel their frenzied strength into the use of weapons too large for a normal humanoid. Such arms must often be wrested from the dead hands of a giant for, or earned by their good will. For this reason, the Jotunborn are more than a strange clique obsessed with very large swords; they are a strange people, who have made themselves kin to giants whether these wanted it or not. They walk wild, untamed places, and seek out towering beasts that can only be defeated through such great weapons as they wield.
Many die young, in their formative years, still learning the awkward swings of their graceless weapons. Those that endure grow strange to men, their skin taking pale blue hues or their beards growing wild and fiery red, their shoulders too broad, their bearing too lofty. Those perhaps may earn a place in the Ordning, and the respect of giants.
Sidebar: Oversized Weapons
Even the strongest human warrior, whose strength equals that of the giants, may not properly wield a giant's sword. Beyond weight, the weapon's shape, balance and grip are simply not made for a human hand, a human arm. By default, no one can wield a weapon made for massive creatures, except perhaps as an improvised weapon.
Some classes or archetypes may grant proficiency in oversized weapons. This grants a character the ability to wield weapons designed for Large humanoids. In this case, use the traits of the normal heavy weapon that most closely resembles it; special benefits for using such weapons are granted by the archetype itself, rather than as innate features of the weapon. Although such weapons may be as long as a human polearm and more massive, awkwardness of use and leverage prevents medium-sized users from enjoying their full reach and damage.
At the DM's discretion, oversized weapons may extend to cover one-handed weapons designed for Huge creatures, or even larger weapons, should they like the thought of players toting around a sword three times their size. This is an aesthetic choice, and does not affect the benefits and drawbacks of using such a weapon.
Jotungrip
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with oversized weapons and smith's tools. You suffer disadvantage on attack rolls using them, except when raging, where you instead inflict an additional 1d4 damage on successful hits. This additional damage is considered a damage die of the weapon, and is doubled on critical hits like your normal weapon dice would be. Each level of Brutal Critical you possess adds a further 1d4 to the damage of your critical hits, on top of its normal benefits.
Waste-Walker's Endurance
Having begun her journey in emulating the strength of giants, the Jotunborn exposes herself to harsh elements and difficult terrain. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you and your group no longer treat mountainous terrain as difficult for the purposes of travel. Furthermore, you gain resistance to one of the following: cold, fire or lightning damage, in emulation of frost, fire or storm giants respectively.
Giant-Mauler's Onslaught
Upon reaching 6th level, you have learned the ferocious tenacity necessary in fighting massive, resilient opponents; one cannot let go until they are dead. When you use the Attack action and perform a reckless attack, using an oversized weapon, aiming all your allowable attacks at the same creature, you may perform another attack as a bonus action against the same target.
High Ordning
Starting at 10th level, the giants' strength is apparent in your blood, and all who see you recognize you as one who has learned to fight monsters. When you awaken from a long rest, you are under the effects of a sanctuary spell which only affects creatures of size Huge or larger and of Intelligence 6 or higher - and which is only broken if you attack such a creature. The save DC for this spell is 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Furthermore, you learn to speak Giant if you did not already know it. When interacting with Giants, you gain double your proficiency bonus on Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks, instead of whatever proficiency bonus you would normally apply.
Titan's Fall
When you reach 14th level, you learn to channel momentous strength in a single titan-slaying blow. When you are raging and have advantage on attack made with an oversized weapon against an enemy within 5 feet, you may choose not to roll, and instead treat the attack as if you had rolled a natural 20. You must have a short or long rest before you can use this effect again, and as soon as you come out of your rage you suffer one level of exhaustion.