Barbarian - Path of the Doom Slayer (Feedback Wanted)

[SaigonTimeMD]

Hey all!

With Doom Eternal coming out soon, I decided to try my hand at a Doom Slayer-style subclass; I've seen a few before, but they seemed either extraordinarily overpowered or didn't quite capture the spirit of the Doom Slayer in my eyes, so I wanted to make one that would actually be playable in a normal game (assuming the inclusion of firearms) without breaking the experience. There WILL be a 'fluff' page/entry once I'm satisfied with it, but for now I just put out the class features by themselves.

My intent when designing this was a Barbarian that used guns up close before finishing enemies off with melee, but one that could also have some serious tanking/survivability potential through Rip and Tear and Unyielding, Unbreakable - a real run-and-gun Barbarian, but one that required players to get up close and personal instead of far back if they wanted to reap the rewards of what the class was capable of.

I'm looking mainly for balancing feedback; as I mentioned before I want this to be something that could actually function in a D&D game instead of being a broken, one-man-army power fantasy subclass. I do plan on creating a 'Doomslayer Armory' supplement to go with it that will have various guns and gadgets, but I want to get the class nailed down before anything else.

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Path of the Doom Slayer

Firearm Enthusiast

Your affinity for guns is apparent. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms and Tinker's Tools. Proficiency with firearms allows you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms. Tinker's Tools can be used to craft ammunition at half the cost, repair damaged firearms, or even draft and craft new ones (DM's discretion). Some extremely experimental and intricate firearms are only available through crafting.

This feature is a no-brainer; a gunfighter without proficiency in guns who can't repair them if they break makes no sense.

Unchained Predator

While other barbarians believe that true power can only come from the swinging of a blade, you carry no such compunctions. All you need is the dying screams of your enemies and the splash of hot blood on your face. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:


Rage damage now also applies to ranged attacks on creatures within 30 feet of you regardless of ability score used.
Reckless Attack now also applies to ranged attack rolls on creatures within 10 feet of you regardless of ability score used.
You ignore the loading property of firearms.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
When you use the Attack action and attack with a firearm, you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack.

This feature has probably seen the most tweaking, and will probably continue to be tweaked. I've toyed with the idea of additional abilities at higher levels, such as being able to ignore the two-handed property of firearms, and the ability to use STR in place of DEX when using firearms (similar to how Hexblades can use CHA for weapon attacks), but I'm worried about adding too many things onto a single feature that already does quite a bit. I also decided to leave crossbows and regular bows out of it as well, since then it would almost render Crossbow Expert redundant.

Rip and Tear

Beginning at 6th level, your rage becomes truly boundless, allowing you annihilate your fallen enemies and take strength from their gruesome demise. When a creature within 5 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you may make an unarmed attack on that creature as a reaction. If the attack is successful, the creature is reduced to bloody chunks, and you regain hit points equal to 1d4 + your Barbarian level.

The 'glory kill' mechanic feels intrinsic to the Doom Slayer playstyle, but I don't mind holding off until level 6 to include it. I've gone back and forth on whether there should be a damage roll or a contested check of some sort if the attack hits since the target is already at 0 hit points and can't really fight back. I've also considered adding a 'group heal' to the feature at later levels where any friendly creature within 5 feet of the player also gets healed. Maybe a fear effect to hostile creatures within 5 feet instead or in addition? Again, I'm trying to avoid overpowering the subclass.

Hell Walker

Beginning at 10th level, your fury coalesces into pure hatred, steeling yourself against any interference as you stride through the carnage of battle. You cannot be charmed or frightened by any fiendish creature, and have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened while raging.

I'm not 100% in love with this as a level 10 feature, but I don't think that the other features can wait any longer since they're such iconic abilities. I've considered adding fire resistance as well, but that might be too many things in a single feature.

Unbreakable, Unyielding

Starting at 14th level, your fury reaches an intensity beyond mortal comprehension, driving you to fight on through any torment. While raging, you have resistance to all forms of damage.

When I first added this feature, it felt pretty strong, until someone else pointed out to me that it's basically just a slightly better version of the Bear totem Barbarian feature, so now I'm stumped. This could definitely be a depositing ground for those extra features I talked about earlier (ignoring two-handed on guns, additional effects on Rip and Tear, etc.) but it seems like just enhancing the other three features is underwhelming as a capstone.

[Frozenstep]

A lot of this is going to rely on what the weapons look like. The bonus action attack at level 3 is very powerful! But if it requires you to take the attack action with a firearm, and all firearms are two-handed or have much lower damage dice, it makes a lot more sense.

The level 6 feature is a little exploitable. Carry around a bag of rats and just kill a few when you want hp. Other similar features exist, but they give temp hp, reducing the impact on resources overall.

The level 10 feature steps a bit on berserker again, and the level 14 steps on totem's territory. That isn't really too big of an issue, but covering new ground is always preferred. Doomslayer works in close range to explosions a lot, maybe something to emphasize that?

[SaigonTimeMD]

A lot of this is going to rely on what the weapons look like. The bonus action attack at level 3 is very powerful! But if it requires you to take the attack action with a firearm, and all firearms are two-handed or have much lower damage dice, it makes a lot more sense.

The level 6 feature is a little exploitable. Carry around a bag of rats and just kill a few when you want hp. Other similar features exist, but they give temp hp, reducing the impact on resources overall.

The level 10 feature steps a bit on berserker again, and the level 14 steps on totem's territory. That isn't really too big of an issue, but covering new ground is always preferred. Doomslayer works in close range to explosions a lot, maybe something to emphasize that?

I'm still working on balancing the weapons, but I'm trying to keep them around the same damage territory as ordinary PHB ranged weapons or the ones covered in the Gunslinger archetype.

What do you think about the creatures need to have a CR of at least 1/2 in order for the feature to work? I'd imagine carrying around a bag of gnolls would be a lot harder than a bag of rats. I figured the 'while raging' caveat would dissuade people from exploiting it, but unless it's a super combat-heavy adventure, players don't really have to manage rage charges, I guess.

I have worried about the level 10 feature, since it's similar to the Berserker feature, but I wanted to capture the Doom Slayer's laser focus in combat. Although I still want to keep the 'frighten/charm immunity from fiendish sources' part (or maybe nerf it down to advantage against if that's still too similar), I'd been considering something along the lines of:

While raging, when a creature attempts to charm or frighten you, roll an Intimidation check with advantage. If your result is higher than the creature's roll to charm or frighten you, you resist the effect and that creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened creature takes any damage from a source other than you, it can make a Wisdom saving throw (DC8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma or Strength modifier), ending the effect on itself on a success.

I'd want to put it more succinctly, but you get the idea - a sort of 'counter-scare' that doesn't grant immunity to the player.

As for the level 14 feature, I'm still trying to figure that one out. Additional bonuses to preexisting features as a capstone is lackluster, but a lot of the other Doom mechanics (the power-ups like Berserk, Haste, etc.) I had planned for the Armory supplement, so I wouldn't want to include them as features unless it was in a limited capacity. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

[Durazno]

You might consider basing the amount of HP the Doom Slayer gains from glory kills on the CR of the creature he just killed - it feels intuitive that more "health pickups" would pop out of bigger monsters. I'm not sure offhand how to make the math sensible, though... I started by thinking "maybe a multiplier on the CR, so that with a rat you'd be wasting a reaction to get 1hp?" but it seems like there's very little ground there between useless and way-out-of-hand. I just like the idea of getting more of a boost from a hill giant because he has huge guts.

Related suggestion: a later upgrade for Rip and Tear could be the ability to chain glory kills - you spend your reaction to make it so that each time a foe within reach drops to zero this turn, you can try your unarmed attack on them. Then you wade into a crowd of guards with a shotgun.

Do you think that it might be tricky for new Doom Slayers to remember the different ranges for the rage damage and reckless attack?

I'm not sure that enhancing the other Doom Slayer features would be underwhelming as a capstone - if you suddenly get a boost to everything you've been doing, I think it'd feel pretty good.

Another possibility to consider is an alternate feature for Firearm Enthusiast (along with a slightly-modified Unchained Predator) for games where you want that Doomguy feel but the DM doesn't want to incorporate firearms. Such a player would end up with a character like Guts from Berserk, most likely!

Will any guns have bayonets? And if so, can they be made eligible for glory killing?

[Frozenstep]

I'm still working on balancing the weapons, but I'm trying to keep them around the same damage territory as ordinary PHB ranged weapons or the ones covered in the Gunslinger archetype.

What do you think about the creatures need to have a CR of at least 1/2 in order for the feature to work? I'd imagine carrying around a bag of gnolls would be a lot harder than a bag of rats. I figured the 'while raging' caveat would dissuade people from exploiting it, but unless it's a super combat-heavy adventure, players don't really have to manage rage charges, I guess.

I have worried about the level 10 feature, since it's similar to the Berserker feature, but I wanted to capture the Doom Slayer's laser focus in combat. Although I still want to keep the 'frighten/charm immunity from fiendish sources' part (or maybe nerf it down to advantage against if that's still too similar), I'd been considering something along the lines of:

While raging, when a creature attempts to charm or frighten you, roll an Intimidation check with advantage. If your result is higher than the creature's roll to charm or frighten you, you resist the effect and that creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened creature takes any damage from a source other than you, it can make a Wisdom saving throw (DC8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma or Strength modifier), ending the effect on itself on a success.

I'd want to put it more succinctly, but you get the idea - a sort of 'counter-scare' that doesn't grant immunity to the player.

As for the level 14 feature, I'm still trying to figure that one out. Additional bonuses to preexisting features as a capstone is lackluster, but a lot of the other Doom mechanics (the power-ups like Berserk, Haste, etc.) I had planned for the Armory supplement, so I wouldn't want to include them as features unless it was in a limited capacity. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Your level 6 doesn't actually say it can only be used while raging. Still brings up the problem of raging in combat, killing all foes, then pulling out the bag of rats and stabbing them until you're full on health or your rage runs out.

Having a CR requirement...works, I suppose. Not my favorite way to do things, but it works.

A counterscare is a cool idea.

[SaigonTimeMD]

Thanks for the feedback, y'all! Here's the current version so far:

Firearm Enthusiast

Your affinity for guns is apparent. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms and Tinker's Tools.Proficiency with firearms allows you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms. Tinker's Tools can be used to craft ammunition at half the cost, repair damaged firearms, or even draft and craft new ones (DM's discretion). Some extremely experimental and intricate firearms are only available through crafting.

Unchanged, although I'd like to include a caveat about bows/crossbows for games that don't want to involve firearms as a separate entry; having a class that isn't playable in games without firearms isn't much of a class imo.

Run and Gun

By blade, fist, or shotgun, every avenue of slaughter is open to you. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:


Rage damage now also applies to ranged attacks on creatures within 15 feet of you regardless of ability score used.
Reckless Attack now also applies to ranged attack rolls on creatures within 15 feet of you regardless of ability score used.
You ignore the loading and heavy properties of firearms.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
When you use the Attack action and attack with a firearm, you can use a bonus action to attack with a one-handed weapon.


Changed the feature name and description, as well as standardized the rage/reckless range to 15 feet; it's close enough to move in for the kill, but that also means the player has to be close enough for that to happen to them too.

Rip and Tear

Beginning at 6th level, your rage becomes truly boundless, allowing you annihilate your fallen enemies and take strength from their gruesome demise. When a creature of at least CR 1/2 within 5 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you may make an unarmed attack on that creature as a reaction while raging. If the attack is successful, the creature is reduced to bloody chunks, and you regain hit points equal to 1d4 + your Barbarian level.

Added in the CR 1/2 requirement to avoid the bag of rats problem. Emotionally I love the idea of chaining glory kills together, but I worry about kill-stealing - especially depending on how XP is being distributed. If it's milestone, that's fine, but if it's by kill...well, it just causes more problems than it solves.

Hell Walker

Beginning at 10th level, your hatred becomes like armor, steeling yourself against any interference as you stride through the carnage of battle. You gain resistance to fire damage, and you cannot be charmed or frightened by any fiendish creature.
Additionally, when a creature attempts to charm or frighten you while you are raging, roll an Intimidation check. This check is made at advantage if the creature is a fiend. If your result is higher than the creature's roll to charm or frighten you, you resist the effect and that creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened creature takes any damage from a source other than you, it can make a Wisdom saving throw (DC8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma or Strength modifier), ending the effect on itself on a success.

Almost completely revamped; I'm leaning into the Doom Slayer's disdain for demons and devils for this one, as well as implementing the 'counterscare' mechanic whenever someone tries to pull one over. I'm not sure I've written it in the most succinct 'official' manner possible, but this is what I have so far.

For the final feature, I actually have two ideas: the first is an 'enhancement' capstone that pumps up the Doom Slayer's pre-existing features, and the second is a 'limit break' capstone that gives the Doom Slayer another effect for a short period of time. I'm not sure how balanced either of them are, but that's why I'm here!

Unchained Predator

Starting at 14th level, your fury reaches an intensity beyond mortal comprehension, escalating your natural abilities to terrifying levels.

Run and Gun. While raging, you can attack three times whenever you take the Attack action.
Rip and Tear. Hostile creatures within 5 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma or Strength modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of their next turn when you use this feature. Fiends automatically fail their saving throw.
Hell Walker. While raging, you gain immunity to fire damage and advantage on all Intimidation checks.


The capstone version. I'm not completely in love with it, if only because I'd considered folding the 'scare on glory kill' and 'fire immunity' elements into their respective features at higher levels anyway, and a third attack, while useful, is kind of boring, but I was stumped to figure something else out (ignoring the heavy/two handed properties of firearms, for example) that didn't seem utterly broken.

Unchained Predator

Starting at 14th level, your fury reaches an intensity beyond mortal comprehension, tapping into impossible reserves within yourself. As a bonus action while raging, you can choose one of the following magical benefits for 1d4+1 rounds.

Berserk. You may only attack with unarmed strikes. Your unarmed strikes deal additional damage equal to your Barbarian level, and score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Any creature reduced to 0 hit points by you while under this effect is automatically subject to the effects of Rip and Tear without expending a reaction.
Haste. You function as if under the effect of the Haste spell for the duration of this effect.
Supercharge. Successful attacks automatically count as critical hits. On a roll of 20, roll all of the attack's damage dice three times instead of twice.
Regeneration. You regain hit points equal to 1d6 + your Barbarian level each of your turns until the end of this effect.

After this effect ends, you are Stunned until the end of your next turn.

The power-up version, taking inspiration from the in-game powerups. I tried to tread the line between 'marginal buff' and 'holy **** I throttled the Terrasque,' but I'm not sure I did it successfully.

As for the inclusion of weapon mods like bayonets and the like, I'm going back and forth; the 2016 Doom weapon mods are relatively quantifiable because they're on a single weapon basis and they all change the weapon's behavior significantly, but I also don't want to get too far into weapon customization because it's easy to get CRAZY complex with that and 5e's biggest strength is its simplicity. That being said, I'm definitely considering at least some basic add-ons.