5e (5.5?) Barbarian Tweak

[BerzerkerUnit]

Aloha,

Inspired by a thread on the DND forum, here's a tweak to Barbarians fluff to expand their thematic elements which requires no mechanical changes.

Replace Rage with

Primal Heart
Beginning at 1st level you become attuned to forces outside and within yourself in a way few others are. As a bonus action you can awaken your Primal Heart and channel these forces, be they nature spirits, the emotions of others, or bestial instincts to grant you great power for up to a minute. Some Barbarians experience transformations in this state, such as lines of glowing runes on their skin or acquiring animalistic features. For the duration you have advantage on strength checks and strength saving throws, you deal additional damage as seen on the Barbarian Class Table, and have resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage. You can end this state as a bonus action or it ends automatically when you fall unconscious or end a turn without having made an attack or taken damage.
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I may have flubbed the mechanics a bit, but I think this opens up a lot concepts for "mystically empowered warrior" like Fae Champion, Were-creature, etc without everything being "rage." Rage is shorter and can still be the source of your power, but it would be one among many.

[Yakk]

You have mechanical changes that compared to Rage.

It interacts with armor differently, and its end condition is either different or had wording problems.

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If I was to do this, I might make a "Warlock Pact" like tiny subclass, so there was even small amounts of mechanics hanging off the different manifestations of Primal Heart. Where Rage is one of them.

Maybe Rage gets the Rage damage bonus, while others get other benefits.

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Primal Heart
Barbarians have a connection to a Primal source of power. As a bonus action you can awaken your Primal Heart and channel these forces. While your Primal Heart is awakened, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage so long as you are not wearing heavy armor. Your Primal Heart ends if you are incapacitated, or if at the end of your turn you have neither attacked nor taken damage since the end of your last turn.

Different barbarians manifest their Primal Heart differently.

Rage: You become one with Rage itself. You have advantage on strength attribute checks and saving throws, and gain a bonus to strength-based weapon damage as shown on the Barbarian class table.
Runes: Your skin is covered in glowing runes. While in your Primal Heart, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and charisma attribute checks. In addition, pick fire cold or lightning. You are immune to that damage type while in your Primal Heart, and deal extra damage as shown on the Barbarian class table of that type on all weapon attacks.
Bestial: You take on the aspect of a beast; fur, scales or feathers can form, eyes change shape and color, and your mouth and hands grow natural weapons. While in your Primal Heart your Unarmored Defence AC is increased by 2, you gain a claw natural weapon on each hand that is a light finesse weapon that deals 1d6 damage, your bite is a heavy natural weapon that deals 1d8 piercing, and your natural weapon attacks gain the damage bonus on the Barbarian Class Table. If you are holding a magical weapon when you enter your Primal Heart, you can have it merge with your body and gain its benefits on your natural weapon attacks. In addition, you gain advantage on dexterity and wisdom attribute checks.

[KittenMagician]

Bestial: You take on the aspect of a beast; fur, scales or feathers can form, eyes change shape and color, and your mouth and hands grow natural weapons. While in your Primal Heart your Unarmored Defence AC is increased by 2, you gain a claw natural weapon on each hand that is a light finesse weapon that deals 1d6 damage, your bite is a heavy natural weapon that deals 1d8 piercing, and your natural weapon attacks gain the damage bonus on the Barbarian Class Table. If you are holding a magical weapon when you enter your Primal Heart, you can have it merge with your body and gain its benefits on your natural weapon attacks. In addition, you gain advantage on dexterity and wisdom attribute checks.

this would actually preclude the Path of the Beast in Tasha's. the main idea of 3.5, at least to the best of my understanding, was to update core rules, spelling errors, add clarifications and simplify things over all while still allowing the other 3.0 books still be usable. i feel 5.5 would be the same.

other than this bestial option i think the ideas here are actually pretty decent.

[BerzerkerUnit]

You have mechanical changes that compared to Rage.

It interacts with armor differently, and its end condition is either different or had wording problems.

---

If I was to do this, I might make a "Warlock Pact" like tiny subclass, so there was even small amounts of mechanics hanging off the different manifestations of Primal Heart. Where Rage is one of them.

Maybe Rage gets the Rage damage bonus, while others get other benefits.

---

Primal Heart
Barbarians have a connection to a Primal source of power. As a bonus action you can awaken your Primal Heart and channel these forces. While your Primal Heart is awakened, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage so long as you are not wearing heavy armor. Your Primal Heart ends if you are incapacitated, or if at the end of your turn you have neither attacked nor taken damage since the end of your last turn.

Different barbarians manifest their Primal Heart differently.

Rage: You become one with Rage itself. You have advantage on strength attribute checks and saving throws, and gain a bonus to strength-based weapon damage as shown on the Barbarian class table.
Runes: Your skin is covered in glowing runes. While in your Primal Heart, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and charisma attribute checks. In addition, pick fire cold or lightning. You are immune to that damage type while in your Primal Heart, and deal extra damage as shown on the Barbarian class table of that type on all weapon attacks.
Bestial: You take on the aspect of a beast; fur, scales or feathers can form, eyes change shape and color, and your mouth and hands grow natural weapons. While in your Primal Heart your Unarmored Defence AC is increased by 2, you gain a claw natural weapon on each hand that is a light finesse weapon that deals 1d6 damage, your bite is a heavy natural weapon that deals 1d8 piercing, and your natural weapon attacks gain the damage bonus on the Barbarian Class Table. If you are holding a magical weapon when you enter your Primal Heart, you can have it merge with your body and gain its benefits on your natural weapon attacks. In addition, you gain advantage on dexterity and wisdom attribute checks.

Yeah I just forgot the stuff about armor, the target was no mechanical differentiation, but a change in thematics to open up the design space.