Path of the Slayer (Version 2)

Slayer's Quarry
When you choose this path at 3rd level, you learn how to pursue a target with single-minded determination.
Whenever you finish a long rest, choose a type of creature: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as your quarry.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your Slayer's Quarry, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. Your Rage Damage bonus is doubled against your quarry. You retain these benefits until the end of your next long rest.
OK, its fine... but I would caution about thinking this is strong. On a ranger, the survival element of it uses their probably above average wisdom and they are marginally more likely than many classes to be the one making survival or knowledge checks due to extra skills. Barbarians are slightly MAD and the need for a modicum of Int to get value out of this means its unlikely to make any practical difference in most games. Maybe adding some skills in as well? Maybe some history proficiency to track grudges?


Mighty Blow
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits while you are not wearing medium armor or wielding a shield:

  • When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
  • When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
I am also going to run with this being slightly on the weak side. You get to chose between two weak fighting styles. The two handed one at least might see slightly more damage dice rolled due to more crit dice on barbarians.

I worry firstly that this level 3 is a bit on the weak side, but more importantly, it just isn't going to feel cool. Imagine you are playing this - a fighting style is something so many other classes get and won't feel special. A ranger ability, is maybe a bit more special but not unique - but there isn't something that shines. If you were to ignore the mechanics but t look at results, would there be anything that would show this character to be a Slayer? It isn't like they are surviving massive fireball damage or are burning with fire nearby enemies.

If you want to "persue a target with single-minded determination", then I might look more towards the vengeance paladin and its level 7 ability or the orcish agression ability to advance towards an enemy. Not specifically copying them, but using fo ideas.


Stout-hearted
Starting at 6th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, or possessed, and you cannot be charmed, frightened, or possessed by your Slayer's Quarry.
I think this is too much. Not only do you copy the Berserker's best ability, but you also add possession to the list of conditions and you don't even need to be raging! This stomps all over the other options.


Grudgelord
Starting at 10th level, while you're raging, hostile creatures within 30 ft of you have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and any of your Slayer's Quarry within 30 ft of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw in order to move more than 30 ft away from you. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
I think I need a bit of help to see why this is a thing. Is it magic that stops people running away? Are they physically grabbing them? Likewise what is the justification for providing disadvntage? I am not saying there isn't a thematic reason - I just think it would benefit from being clearer.

Deathsong
Starting at 14th level, any melee attack roll you make while raging is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, or 18 if you are attacking your Slayer's Quarry.
When you have 0 hit points, you can choose to die, rather than make death saves. When you die, all of your allies that can see or hear you gain advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. They automatically succeed on any ability checks to recall how you died, or to recount the tale to others.
I quite like it. Level 14 usually builds on other abilities though (whic this kind of does).



I think this class just feels like it needs its identity made stronger. Most barbarians get an ability a level 3 that sets them apart from other martials and then builds on that. The abilities are usually stronger, because they are limited by rage. I worry that with relatively subtle abilities and very situational abilities that this will feel like a barbarian without a subclass a lot of the time.

I think the class is a tricky one to pull off because you want a character that can be played as not being afraid of death whilst still being rewarding for a player that doesn't want to roll up a new character each week.