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Rerem115
2021-05-30, 07:58 PM
I've had this idea for a mounted archer Barbarian subclass rattling around my head for a year, and I decided it was time to post the updated version, along with my thoughts and see what you all make of it! My notes are in italic.

Natural Rider
Starting at 3rd level, your mastery as a rider becomes apparent. You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated.

Finally, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.

Savage Marksmanship
When you choose this Primal Path at 3rd level, your exemplary skill with the weapons of mounted warriors becomes clear. While Raging, you can make ranged weapon attacks using Strength instead of Dexterity. Ranged weapon attacks using Strength count as melee weapon attacks for the purpose of your Barbarian class features.

This is the level that defines the subclass. They're best suited to riding a mount and wielding a bow, but even if they're not, they're still a Barbarian.

Tireless Wanderer
Starting at 6th level, you can't get lost except by magical means. Additionally, while traveling, you and up to 10 allies (and their mounts, if they are mounted) can go twice as long before incurring Forced March penalties.

Shared Swiftness
Also at 6th level, while mounted, your mount gains the benefits of your Fast Movement.

This is the ribbon level. Steppes are big, and it takes plenty of time to get anywhere. This lets you put your skills to use and outmaneuver opposing forces.

Warband
At 10th level, you can inspire your allies as a bonus action. Up to 10 allies within 30 feet, including you, can use their reaction to move up to their movement speed and make a weapon attack. Once you have used this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Gotta be a team player, too! This helps everyone who wants to close the gap - or reposition - find the speed to do it.


Foe Breaker
At 14th level, you gain access to the following abilities:

Volley: You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.
Charge: After moving at least 30 feet in a straight line towards an enemy, your next melee weapon attack that turn deals additional damage equal to your Barbarian level. If the target is Huge or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength save (DC = 8 + Strength Modifier + Proficiency) or fall Prone. Charge does not benefit from Savage Marksmanship.


This is the big, bad level. As a fast, mobile, hard-hitting warrior, you're all about whittling down your foes before charging in and breaking through the wounded lines.

GalacticAxekick
2021-05-30, 08:45 PM
This is awesome.

Warband might be overpowered with rogues involved. But that's fairly niche. This is balanced, fun, and fitting.

brian 333
2021-05-31, 06:48 AM
I like it.

May I suggest Natural Rider at 1st level? This is the kind of character who would have been born in the saddle and weaned on mare's milk. It's not that powerful a feat anyway.

Suggestion:
Horse Master
A wild-caught horse can be tamed and ridden d8 hours after catching it. Saddles, bits, and other equipment may be introduced and used over the next week if the barbarian uses such gear.
Beginning one week after aquiring a new mount, the horse can be trained in one trick per week until the horse knows a number of tricks equal to its Int ability.
After one year the horse master may allow the mount to run free and call it back at will. It will arrive in d20-barbarian levels hours.

Old Harry MTX
2021-05-31, 08:15 AM
I like it!

The only observations I feel like making are:
Usually the description of the features in D&D does not have "flashforwards". It would be more correct to remove the note about Charge from Savage Marksmanship, and add something like "you can't use the benefits granted by Savage Marksmanship with this feature" directly under Charge.
On one hand I really like Warband, it expresses well the sense of a band of Mongols riding wild on the prairie, on the other I am not a big fan of very strong skills that can only be used once a day, especially considering that the power of this ability changes a lot based on the number and type of allies. There is no real problem with that, even spells beyond 6th level can only be used once a day, if not at very high levels, and it is assumed that, in a balanced combat, more allies you have, more numerous or stronger will be your enemies, but in general there is something in this feature that does not convince me completely.
Apart from this I like it very much

Rerem115
2021-05-31, 09:16 AM
Noted on the 'flash-forwards' language, and adjusted to fit better.

In most campaigns, hopefully, Warband should be usable more than once a day; it also recovers on a short rest. But, I did crib some language from the Zealot to adjust it based on what you pointed out. Ten allies is plenty!