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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Barbarian Primal Path: Path of the Taken



Mourne
2017-03-01, 01:25 AM
Dusting off an older primal path for a quality check. I was watching Outcast on Cinemax at the time so that may have served as the basic inspiration... ; )

I restated the rage feature in whole to (hopefully) help with clarity.

PATH OF THE TAKEN
Some Barbarians do not have a personal source of rage but are the vessel for a spirit or entity that brings hate and anger into the world. Those following the Path of the Taken are possessed, serving as a vessel for a being intent on inflicting pain and suffering on those dwelling in the realms of the living.

SUPERNATURAL RAGE
Beginning at 3rd level, you give yourself over to an otherworldly power of hate and rage, your body contorting and rising into the air, eyes rolled back and only showing white. Your rage is modified as follows:

• In addition to advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, you also have advantage on Charisma checks and saving throws
• You are unable to make melee or ranged attacks with physical weapons, instead using the entity possessing you to strike at your foes with invisible tendrils and unseen strikes. While raging, your attacks have a reach of 30 feet and a successful attack deals 1d6 damage per point of your rage bonus plus your Charisma modifier. This attack is treated as a ranged weapon (30/--) in all cases with the exception of being treated as a Strength-based melee weapon in regards to the Reckless Attack barbarian class feature

Before entering your supernatural rage, you must choose the type of damage your entity inflicts, selecting from force, necrotic, radiant or psychic. Once you have made this choice, the chosen damage type is in effect throughout the duration of your rage but can be changed again if you enter a new rage.

• You are resistant to psychic damage in addition to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
• While raging, you levitate to a height of 5 feet above the ground and your base movement speed is reduced to 10 feet. For the duration of your rage, you are not affected by the prone condition, difficult terrain, or any spells or effects that relate to being in contact with the ground (i.e. Evard’s black tentacles). You are unable to use the Dash action.

If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

You are unable to actively use a shield to protect yourself while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You may end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

INVISIBLE HAND
At 6th level, as a bonus action while raging, you may lift, move, or manipulate objects within your 30 foot reach that weigh less than 10 pounds. For example, you can open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You cannot use Invisible Hand to attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 10 pounds.

Once per rage, you may attempt to violently push a small or medium creature with your Invisible Hand feature. To do so, you use an Action and the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier ) or be hurled up to 10 feet horizontally for each point of your Rage damage bonus in a direction of your choice, landing prone and taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If you use your Invisible Hand feature in this manner, it becomes unavailable to you until you start a new rage.

UNSPOKEN VOICE
Starting at 10th level, you can telepathically communicate with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. This ability does not give you the ability to read a target’s thoughts or emotions and only works on targets with an Intelligence of 3 or greater. The target knows that you are the source of the unspoken voice.

While raging, as a bonus action, you can force a creature you can see within 30 feet to obey a command issued through Unspoken Voice. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or follow the command at the start of its next turn.

Some typical commands and their effects follow. You might issue a command other than one described here. If you do so, the DM determines how the target behaves. If the target can’t follow your command, the attempt fails.

Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you.
Drop. The target drops whatever it is holding and then ends its turn.
Flee. The target spends its turn moving away from you by the fastest available means.
Grovel. The target falls prone and then ends its turn.
Halt. The target doesn’t move and takes no actions. A flying creature stays aloft, provided that it is able to do so. If it must move to stay aloft, it flies the minimum distance needed to remain in the air.

You may issue a command with Unspoken Voice a number of times per short rest equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

PSYCHIC MAELSTROM
At 14th level, as a bonus action while raging, you can call an aura of intense psychic energy to surround you. The aura is a 10 foot radius that consumes 1 round of rage (6 seconds) for each turn it is active. While the field is in effect, you gain half cover against weapon attacks and spells, and all foes within the aura gain vulnerability to psychic, force, radiant, and necrotic damage.

You may use psychic maelstrom once per rage.

Llama513
2017-03-01, 05:20 PM
For starter's I love the concept that you are going for with this archetype.

With that stated there are somethings that need to be fixed

Starting with Supernatural Rage:
I understand getting the advantage on Cha saves as there is another entity in your mind, I don't however see a being of hatred and rage using its charisma for anything besides Intimidation, as such I would either remove the advantage on Charisma checks, or just make it intimidation.
For the tentacle attack I would make it deal just necrotic damage, as Force, Psychic damage basically have no resistances, and I don't see a being of hatred and rage creating Radiant Energy.
I would drop the range of the tentacles to 15 feet, as even with the movement speed of 10, the area that you could threaten is effectively 40 feet, which means that you have the equivalent of a necrotic damage greatsword with reach at the start, which is not at all balanced.
I think having the levitation over difficult terrain and avoiding prone is fine, but avoiding spells is not okay to have at 3rd, If you made it to where you had advantage on those saves, or took half damage that would be okay, but not straight up immunity.

For Invisible hand as the ability is just mage hand, just say that you can use the functionality of mage hand as a bonus action, helps to condense the amount of words needed to explain an ability.

Unspoken Voice just say you can cast command on a creature within 30 feet of you as a bonus action

For Psychic Maelstrom, just have that up at all times while you are raging, and don't bother with having it burn time you can spend in rage, as your rage becomes unending literally the very next level as a Barb, and with changing the damage necrotic just have the aura affect necrotic damage, and if you don't change the damage type, make the aura only affect that damage type that your tentacles deal. I would also specify how this interacts with creatures that have resistance, or immunity to that damage type.

Mourne
2017-03-01, 06:35 PM
For starter's I love the concept that you are going for with this archetype.

Thanks! It’s becoming more and more difficult to come up with original concepts that also somewhat push the bounds of the rule sets.


I understand getting the advantage on Cha saves as there is another entity in your mind, I don't however see a being of hatred and rage using its charisma for anything besides Intimidation, as such I would either remove the advantage on Charisma checks, or just make it intimidation.

See, to me Charisma is just force of personality (whether good, bad, or otherwise). I envision the potential entity being an angry or confused ghost, a raging demonic presence, an eloquent devil, an inscrutable alien mind, or even an angelic being with a mission. This is one thing that somewhat excited me about this concept… the entity can be whatever flavor the player wants and can even change from “possession to possession”. It would be fun to make up the personality for your entity I’d imagine.


For the tentacle attack I would make it deal just necrotic damage, as Force, Psychic damage basically have no resistances, and I don't see a being of hatred and rage creating Radiant Energy.

Somewhat see my answer above. The type of entity would drive the damage type based on concept. Also, this is the only source of damage for the barbarian during their rage (no weapons, no spells) so I’m OK if the selection is force damage.

On a side note, I really should reword the “hatred and rage” thing. It paints the archetype into a corner by that description.


I would drop the range of the tentacles to 15 feet, as even with the movement speed of 10, the area that you could threaten is effectively 40 feet, which means that you have the equivalent of a necrotic damage greatsword with reach at the start, which is not at all balanced.

It’s really not much different than having a high damage ranged weapon or spell attack (the damage scales similarly to a cantrip). We’ll probably have to agree to disagree here that this is not at all balanced.

Also, with the limited movement, it is fairly easy for a (smart) opponent to use hit-and-run tactics and avoid the attack all together… which would be compounded if the range is reduced.


I think having the levitation over difficult terrain and avoiding prone is fine, but avoiding spells is not okay to have at 3rd, If you made it to where you had advantage on those saves, or took half damage that would be okay, but not straight up immunity.

The only spells you avoid are those specifically originating on the ground (so a small list): earthquake
, entangle, Evard’s Black Tentacles, glyph of warding (depending on interpretation), grasping vine (?), earthquake, maybe a couple of others. I’ll bow to the community on this one as, for a feature, I don’t feel like it would really come into play all that much. Maybe the perception will be that advantage on saves would be more than enough.


For Invisible hand as the ability is just mage hand, just say that you can use the functionality of mage hand as a bonus action, helps to condense the amount of words needed to explain an ability.

I originally structured it as you said (e.g. can cast mage hand as a bonus action) but rage specifically prohibits the casting of spells. So, my work around was just to replicate the spell as a non-spell feature. Hopefully that makes sense? I probably overthought the whole thing.


Unspoken Voice just say you can cast command on a creature within 30 feet of you as a bonus action

Same answer as previous… I was butting against rage not allowing spells so I handled it in the same manner.


For Psychic Maelstrom, just have that up at all times while you are raging, and don't bother with having it burn time you can spend in rage, as your rage becomes unending literally the very next level as a Barb,

Grr. You’re absolutely right. I’d had it as a set 1 minute with an attribute based limit on uses but got cute at the last minute and changed it. I don’t really want it up the entire time, so will probably have to find a reasonable limit and resource cost.


and with changing the damage necrotic just have the aura affect necrotic damage, and if you don't change the damage type, make the aura only affect that damage type that your tentacles deal.

Great idea (tying the aura to the damage type)!


I would also specify how this interacts with creatures that have resistance, or immunity to that damage type.

You’re talking the supernatural rage attack or Psychic Maelstrom? If the former, I had never really considered what a barbarian would do if raging and fighting a foe immune to the entity’s selected damage type. I’d guess just drop rage and re-rage with a new damage type? Or just attack sans rage? I also need to consider if the entity attack/damage is considered magical or not. /sigh

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.

Llama513
2017-03-01, 07:46 PM
Thanks! It’s becoming more and more difficult to come up with original concepts that also somewhat push the bounds of the rule sets.



See, to me Charisma is just force of personality (whether good, bad, or otherwise). I envision the potential entity being an angry or confused ghost, a raging demonic presence, an eloquent devil, an inscrutable alien mind, or even an angelic being with a mission. This is one thing that somewhat excited me about this concept… the entity can be whatever flavor the player wants and can even change from “possession to possession”. It would be fun to make up the personality for your entity I’d imagine.



Somewhat see my answer above. The type of entity would drive the damage type based on concept. Also, this is the only source of damage for the barbarian during their rage (no weapons, no spells) so I’m OK if the selection is force damage.

On a side note, I really should reword the “hatred and rage” thing. It paints the archetype into a corner by that description.



It’s really not much different than having a high damage ranged weapon or spell attack (the damage scales similarly to a cantrip). We’ll probably have to agree to disagree here that this is not at all balanced.

Also, with the limited movement, it is fairly easy for a (smart) opponent to use hit-and-run tactics and avoid the attack all together… which would be compounded if the range is reduced.



The only spells you avoid are those specifically originating on the ground (so a small list): earthquake
, entangle, Evard’s Black Tentacles, glyph of warding (depending on interpretation), grasping vine (?), earthquake, maybe a couple of others. I’ll bow to the community on this one as, for a feature, I don’t feel like it would really come into play all that much. Maybe the perception will be that advantage on saves would be more than enough.



I originally structured it as you said (e.g. can cast mage hand as a bonus action) but rage specifically prohibits the casting of spells. So, my work around was just to replicate the spell as a non-spell feature. Hopefully that makes sense? I probably overthought the whole thing.



Same answer as previous… I was butting against rage not allowing spells so I handled it in the same manner.



Grr. You’re absolutely right. I’d had it as a set 1 minute with an attribute based limit on uses but got cute at the last minute and changed it. I don’t really want it up the entire time, so will probably have to find a reasonable limit and resource cost.



Great idea (tying the aura to the damage type)!



You’re talking the supernatural rage attack or Psychic Maelstrom? If the former, I had never really considered what a barbarian would do if raging and fighting a foe immune to the entity’s selected damage type. I’d guess just drop rage and re-rage with a new damage type? Or just attack sans rage? I also need to consider if the entity attack/damage is considered magical or not. /sigh

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.
You bring good points, and I forgot about the non casting, with that in mind I think that what you have done for the wording is fine, and factoring in what you said about the movement and things I see now what you mean about the range of the attack. As for the damage types, I would hold out the force and psychic damage types until a little bit later, as there are very few classes that can do force or psychic damage on par with what this class could do at 3rd level

The interaction with the creatures with Immunity or Resistance was for the Psychic Maelstrom as it just sets to Vulnerability, which I feel should interact differently with immunity and resistance, possibly making it deal 1.5 times as much against creatures with resistance and normal damage against creatures with immunity.

Mourne
2017-03-02, 12:57 AM
Again, thanks for the comments! Just having to think through things (again) made me see a lot of shortcomings and flaws.

I definitely need to clean up wording on Supernatural Rage... heck, I never specified that the "entity attack" needs line of sight, how it interacts with cover, how it replaces the attack action, etc.

I'll definitely rework Psychic Maelstrom to include your idea about it just mirroring the damage type chosen at the start of the rage (rather than all of them) and clarify interactions with existing resistance/immunity/vulnerability (build on the PHB, p. 197 blurb a little).