BerzerkerUnit
2021-03-18, 09:18 PM
Oathbound Barbarian
Among those that choose lives apart from larger societies, ties between friends, family, even rider and steed can be lifelines. For those that channel an internal well of rage to fight these ties can be used to trigger that rage and turn it toward an unflagging defense of such bonded allies. Swearing a mighty oath binds them to such a soul, attuning their senses and reflexes to their wellbeing. These oaths can be sworn in return for saving one's life, sworn out of love, even sworn out of a miserable desire to control.
Binding Oath
Beginning at 3rd level after choosing this path you can engage in a one minute ritual to swear a binding oath to protect another creature you can see. This can involve creating a ritual scar, the creation of an icon or trinket, or other such behavior. Once complete the creature is a Bonded Ally and you become Charmed by them. While Charmed this way you gain advantage on any Insight checks you make to interpret their meaning or behavior. You can maintain a number of such bonds equal to your Proficiency bonus. You can end the bond as an action, possibly defacing a ritual scar or breaking the trinket. You cannot renew the bond with such a creature until the dawn after you decide they have atoned for whatever prompted the breaking.
Vigilant Rage
At 3rd level after choosing this path, when a bonded ally is attacked or damaged, you can activate your Rage as a reaction and move up to your speed toward them. If you end this movement and their attacker is within your reach, you can make a single melee attack against them, dealing additional damage equal to 1d6 + your Barbarian level.
You can use your reaction to move and potentially attack this way for the duration of your Rage. Your Rage will persist as long as one of your Bonded Allies has been attacked, even if you don't attack and have not been attacked or damaged.
Life Bond
Beginning at 6th level you can cast Warding Bond as an action requiring no components. You must target yourself and one of your bonded allies. Additionally, your Rage grants you resistance to any damage you suffer as a result of this spell. You can cast the spell in this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses after a long rest.
Bond Sense
At 10th level you can cast Locate Creature as an action requiring no components. You must target one of your Bonded Allies.
Shared Breath
Beginning at 14th level your dedication to your bonded allies allows you to share your vitality and use your bond as an anchor for the soul of a recently deceased.
As an action you can expend a hit die to grant its result + your Constitution modifier in healing to a bonded ally within 5 feet. If a bonded ally has been dead for less than a minute, this expenditure will also restore them to life. You can restore a creature to life this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses after a long rest..
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My thoughts:
This is a bodyguard type subclass. If I had my choice of iconic characters, it would be DBZ's Chi-Chi or any Anime Mama-bear character that might throw a shoe at someone.
The Binding Oath is a sideways cover for a common problem Barbarians face: being controlled into attacking the party. By Charming yourself toward them, this loses viability. It otherwise limits the pool of targets until mid to late game when it will cover the whole party and maybe an npc ally or two. I think there's some interesting functionality if you cover a mount with it too. However, it also opens the door to easy manipulation of the Barbarian by the party (which should be RP since as a rule you don't roll social checks against other PCs).
Vigilant Rage- the damage potential here is massive, but, it also means the enemies have a very good reason to focus you. I think it might be one of the stickiest mechanics I've made, targets want to focus you down because the punishment is so harsh if they DARE attack one of your bab-... I mean bonded allies. Additionally, the option to keep your Rage going while you use the Level 14 feature, provided your buddies are getting attacked is something I've never seen. You also can't exactly stun this Barbarian and expect to have an easier time beating on them if you aren't also leaving their allies alone. I think that makes it very strong.
Life Bond- the limit to protecting 1 ally at a time, it's still casting a spell so you can't do it while raging.
Locate creature is a weak enough spell that even at will I don't think it's an issue at 10th. A few "free" revivifies a day doesn't seem too impressive at level 14 either, though a healing option while Raging is new functionality as far as I know.
Pls let me know what you think!
Among those that choose lives apart from larger societies, ties between friends, family, even rider and steed can be lifelines. For those that channel an internal well of rage to fight these ties can be used to trigger that rage and turn it toward an unflagging defense of such bonded allies. Swearing a mighty oath binds them to such a soul, attuning their senses and reflexes to their wellbeing. These oaths can be sworn in return for saving one's life, sworn out of love, even sworn out of a miserable desire to control.
Binding Oath
Beginning at 3rd level after choosing this path you can engage in a one minute ritual to swear a binding oath to protect another creature you can see. This can involve creating a ritual scar, the creation of an icon or trinket, or other such behavior. Once complete the creature is a Bonded Ally and you become Charmed by them. While Charmed this way you gain advantage on any Insight checks you make to interpret their meaning or behavior. You can maintain a number of such bonds equal to your Proficiency bonus. You can end the bond as an action, possibly defacing a ritual scar or breaking the trinket. You cannot renew the bond with such a creature until the dawn after you decide they have atoned for whatever prompted the breaking.
Vigilant Rage
At 3rd level after choosing this path, when a bonded ally is attacked or damaged, you can activate your Rage as a reaction and move up to your speed toward them. If you end this movement and their attacker is within your reach, you can make a single melee attack against them, dealing additional damage equal to 1d6 + your Barbarian level.
You can use your reaction to move and potentially attack this way for the duration of your Rage. Your Rage will persist as long as one of your Bonded Allies has been attacked, even if you don't attack and have not been attacked or damaged.
Life Bond
Beginning at 6th level you can cast Warding Bond as an action requiring no components. You must target yourself and one of your bonded allies. Additionally, your Rage grants you resistance to any damage you suffer as a result of this spell. You can cast the spell in this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses after a long rest.
Bond Sense
At 10th level you can cast Locate Creature as an action requiring no components. You must target one of your Bonded Allies.
Shared Breath
Beginning at 14th level your dedication to your bonded allies allows you to share your vitality and use your bond as an anchor for the soul of a recently deceased.
As an action you can expend a hit die to grant its result + your Constitution modifier in healing to a bonded ally within 5 feet. If a bonded ally has been dead for less than a minute, this expenditure will also restore them to life. You can restore a creature to life this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses after a long rest..
_________________________________
My thoughts:
This is a bodyguard type subclass. If I had my choice of iconic characters, it would be DBZ's Chi-Chi or any Anime Mama-bear character that might throw a shoe at someone.
The Binding Oath is a sideways cover for a common problem Barbarians face: being controlled into attacking the party. By Charming yourself toward them, this loses viability. It otherwise limits the pool of targets until mid to late game when it will cover the whole party and maybe an npc ally or two. I think there's some interesting functionality if you cover a mount with it too. However, it also opens the door to easy manipulation of the Barbarian by the party (which should be RP since as a rule you don't roll social checks against other PCs).
Vigilant Rage- the damage potential here is massive, but, it also means the enemies have a very good reason to focus you. I think it might be one of the stickiest mechanics I've made, targets want to focus you down because the punishment is so harsh if they DARE attack one of your bab-... I mean bonded allies. Additionally, the option to keep your Rage going while you use the Level 14 feature, provided your buddies are getting attacked is something I've never seen. You also can't exactly stun this Barbarian and expect to have an easier time beating on them if you aren't also leaving their allies alone. I think that makes it very strong.
Life Bond- the limit to protecting 1 ally at a time, it's still casting a spell so you can't do it while raging.
Locate creature is a weak enough spell that even at will I don't think it's an issue at 10th. A few "free" revivifies a day doesn't seem too impressive at level 14 either, though a healing option while Raging is new functionality as far as I know.
Pls let me know what you think!