Path of the Tribal Warrior

A barbarian’s tribe teaches the ways of its people to all of its warriors. In every tribe, there is some variation, some personal difference in how they go into battle compared to the others around them. These are the aspects that a tribal warrior barbarian focuses his attention on when the situation calls for him to draw his weapon and enter the fray.

Tribal Warrior Spell Effects and Saving Throws. Some of the features you can choose as a tribal warrior allow you to create an effect that mimics a spell when you enter a rage or while raging. Such effects are not actually magical, and are not subject to any abilities that resist or negate spells. When one of the features presented below requires a saving throw, use the following to determine the DC, unless specified otherwise.

Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier

Rite of Passage

You walk a path of glory, walked by other great warriors of your tribe over the years. At 3rd level, when you choose this path, you gain a bonus action that can be used when a Tribal Warrior feature refers to it. You have also completed one of the following rites of passage which represent your tribe’s way of thinking.

Auspicious Mark. The spirits have placed a special mark upon you to show that you are destined for greatness. When you begin raging, you can roll 1d6. At any time before the rage ends, you can add that roll to one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw (no action required by you).

Powerful Blow. Your tribe has watched you defeat enemies with a single strike. While raging, when you hit with an attack, you can use a bonus action to deal extra damage equal to your Rage Damage bonus + your Strength modifier.

Superstitious. You have overcome magical manipulation or survived a spiritual attack. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Witch Hunter. You have successfully hunted and captured or slain a heretical spellcaster. On your turn, while raging, if you hit a creature that is able to cast spells with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to end your rage and turn the hit into a critical hit.

Warrior of the Tribe

You have learned how to fight like the other warriors of your tribe. At 3rd level, when you adopt this path, you gain one of the following powers of your choice.

Inspire Ferocity. While you are raging, your friends within 30 feet of you who can see and hear you can use your Reckless Attack feature.

Moment of Clarity. While raging, you can cast one spell, concentrate on a spell for one round, or ignore a situation that would end your rage early for up to one round. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Night Vision. While raging, you have darkvision out to 60 feet or extend your darkvision out to 120 feet.

No Escape. While raging, when a creature that you can see that is hostile to you takes the Dash action, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed toward that creature. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Overbearing Advance. While raging, you can pass through the space of a Large or smaller creature if you can end your move in an unoccupied space. That creature can make a Strength or Constitution saving throw (its choice). If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, your movement ends and you can’t use this feature on it again until you enter a new rage.

Strength Surge. While raging, add your Rage Damage bonus to Strength checks.

Surprise Accuracy. While raging, if you miss with a weapon attack on your turn, you can use a bonus action to end your rage and turn the attack into a hit.

Hero of the Tribe

At 6th level, you gain another power learned from the heroes of your tribe. This power can be from the list below, or another power from the Warrior of the Tribe list above. You can also trade one Warrior of the Tribe feature for another from the same list.

Battle Roar. As an action while raging, you can create a 1st-level thunderwave effect, adding your Rage Damage bonus to the damage it deals. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you enter a new rage.

Boasting Taunt. While raging, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can attempt to goad that creature into attacking you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

Ground Breaker. As an action while raging, you can create 2nd-level spike growth effect. You must be within the radius of the effect when you create it, which lasts for the duration of your rage. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you enter a new rage.

Hurling Charge. While raging, if you move at least 10 feet on your turn, your melee weapon gains the thrown property with a range of 10/30 (or its own range, if higher) until the start of your next turn. When you make a ranged weapon attack with that weapon while you are raging and it has the thrown property, you add your Rage Damage bonus to the damage roll.

Overbearing Onslaught. When you use the Overbearing Advance Warrior of the Tribe feature, add your Rage Damage bonus to the saving throw DC. In addition, if the creature fails its saving throw, you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack against it before continuing forward.

Spell Sunder. While raging, if you miss a creature that is concentrating on a spell with your melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to force that creature to make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain its concentration.

Spirit Steed. You can cast the phantom steed spell as a ritual. The creature that appears uses all of the statistics for a warhorse. Alternatively, as an action while raging, if you have the Ferocious Mount Warrior of the Tribe feature, you can create a 3rd-level phantom steed effect. Once you do, you can’t create that effect again until you finish a long rest, but you can still cast the ritual.

Champion of the Tribe

At 10th level, you gain another power learned from the champions of your tribe. This power can be from the list below, or another power from the Warrior of the Tribe or Hero of the Tribe lists above. You can also trade one of those features for another from the same or a previous list.

Body Bludgeon. While raging, if you have a Medium or smaller creature grappled, you can use that creature as an improvised melee weapon without breaking the grapple. If the creature is at least one size smaller than you, you can use it as an improvised thrown weapon instead. If you hit with an attack using the creature, it takes damage equal to your Rage Damage bonus + your Strength modifier.

Clear Mind. When you fail a Wisdom saving throw, you can reroll the saving throw. If you succeed on the new saving throw and you have the Superstitious Rite of Passage feature, you can also use your reaction to enter a rage. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Crippling Blow. While raging, if you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can deal half damage and force it to make a Dexterity or Constitution saving throw (its choice, no action required by you). On a failed saving throw, the creature suffers one level of exhaustion. A creature can’t die from exhaustion as a result of this feature.

Disruptive. Add your Rage Damage bonus to the saving throw DC when a spellcaster within your reach is forced to maintain concentration.

Hurling. While raging, add your Rage Damage bonus to the damage of your thrown weapon and improvised thrown weapon ranged attacks. If you also have the Hurling Charge Hero of the Tribe feature, you can also apply your Brutal Critical feature to those attacks.

Sharpened Accuracy. While raging, you ignore half cover and three-quarters cover when you make an attack.

Unexpected Strike. While raging, you can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature that you can see moves into your reach.

Warlord of the Tribe

At 14th level, you gain another power learned from the warlords of your tribe. This power can be from the list below, or another power from the Warrior of the Tribe, Hero of the Tribe, or Champion of the Tribe lists above. You can also trade one of those features for another from the same or a previous list.

Deadly Accuracy. While raging, when you score a critical hit, you can use a bonus action to end your rage and maximize the weapon damage.

Guarded Life. While raging, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you have used this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Spellbreaker. When a creature within range of your weapon casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack against that creature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you enter a new rage.

Terrifying Howl. As an action while raging, you can create a 3rd-level fear effect. The effect lasts for the duration of your rage. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you enter a new rage.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Samurai Sheepdog: Barbarian Options 5E © 2016, Samurai Sheepdog; Author: Kevin Glusing