Path of the Endless Stomach: Hangry Barbarian

[sandmote]

This page on the homebrewery

I actually started writing this before the Hyena Totem 2.0 was posted, but I kind of feel like there's still a lot of overlap.

Fluff
Where the rage of some barbarians comes from anger or hatred, that of a few barbarians comes from a ever more primal force: raw, primal hunger. Barbarians of the path of the endless stomach channel their great hunger into a raw force of digestion and survival.

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Chewing Fury
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your hunger crushes prey before it reaches your gullet. While raging you deal bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier + your Bonus Rage Damage when you successfully start a grapple. Also, each creature you are grappling at the start of your turn takes 1d6 acid damage, as your hunger gnaws even outside your body.

Devouring Hold
By 6th level, your hunger turns your mouth into a powerful weapon. You can grapple and make unarmed strikes with your mouth. When you use your mouth to make an unarmed strike, it deals damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Your jaw becomes more powerful as you gain levels in this class. At 10th level, your jaw's damage die increases to a d8. At 14th level, it becomes a d10.

Speedy Grip
Starting at 6th level, you can halt creatures that try to flee in their tracks, the better to demand food or catch it yourself. When you make an opportunity attack against a creature, you can make a grapple attempt against the creature instead of a weapon attack.

Some control, so this isn't just pure damage bonuses.

Trick Maw
By 10th level, you can devour anything to stave off your hunger. You can eat up to 1 pound of metal, wood, stone, or other typically inedible material over the course of 1 minute. Each day you can devour an amount of material with a weight equal to your Constitution score. You do not gain sustenance from eating such material if you would not normally, but it is chewed beyond use as soon as you eat it.

A few rare and particular materials are beyond even your ability to digest, including adamantine and diamonds. You also cannot devour or destroy magic items using this feature.

Swallowing Jaw
By 14th level, you your bite can break down the flesh with more than your teeth. Once per turn, when you hit with your jaw you deal an additional 3d6 acid damage, tearing off part of their body to swallow.

I'd like to replace this one, but I'm not sure what would be better at 14th level.

[JNAProductions]

Feels fine. Reasonably thematic.

But overall... Also kinda dull. I wouldn't have an issue with this at my table, but I don't anticipate people clamoring to play it.

[sandmote]

Feels fine. Reasonably thematic.

But overall... Also kinda dull. I wouldn't have an issue with this at my table, but I don't anticipate people clamoring to play it.

Yeah, I wanted to try something that doesn't apply very much magical, and kind of got stuck on what to give besides damage. Maybe give swallowing jaw the option of some weak status effects? Don't know why that didn't occur to me sooner.

Off the top of my head:

Savaging Jaw
By 14th level, you your bite can break down the flesh with more than your teeth. Once per turn, when you hit with your jaw you deal an additional 2d6 acid damage acid damage, and

• The creature has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
• The creature's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
• The creature drops one item it is holding.
• The next time the creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make an ability check using its spellcasting ability. The DC is 8 + Your proficiency bonus + your constitution modifier. On a failed save the creature fails to cast the spell. The creature still expends its action, but not any spell slot used to cast the spell.

Last one is kind of weird... still might be interesting to see if it can be made to work.