suplee215
2017-07-09, 06:14 PM
I am doing this more as a thought exercise than ever using one in a game (although that might change). Barbarians are my favorite class and I was thinking about a new primal path. I have never homebrewed a subclass before and so right now I only have a few ideas for it and this is very incomplete. I also might be overpowering this path so let me know. This is a list of abilities I am thinking of giving it, although not sure on level. I was thinking of calling this Path of the Blood Rager but I feel like I stole that from somewhere I can't remember. The flavor I am going for is a masochist type of warrior. A warrior who slices his own chest before going into battle to prove how powerful he is. A warrior just as likely to kill himself as his enemy, one who embraces pain. Warriors who will kick the crap out of each other before fighting going to fight the enemy. People who taunt death, who dangle their life in front of the death goddess daily in hope of a little advantage in the fight. Yes, I am partly inspired by the Blood Hunter Matt Mercer designed. SOrry if this is very rough.
-While Blood Raging, you can add your con modifier to your damage rolls when you hit with a str melee weapon. [Yes, this is a busted ability. I am thinking of making this either the lvl 10th or 14th lvl ability. Might end up putting it into the 3rd lvl ability, not sure. Most primal paths have some way to add damage earlier so it doesn't seem too over powered but I could be wrong.]
- 3rd lvl Blood Rage. When you rage, you can go into a blood rage. When you enter a blood rage, you lose a number of hit points equal to twice your level and your maximum hit points is reduced by the same amount. Your hit point maximum returns to normal once your rage ends. While you are in your blood rage, reckless attack does not give your enemies advantage to hit you. [This is supposed to be the main trade off for the con mod bonus. It effectively give the barbarian a d8 for health instead of a d12. It also gives it an interesting flavor of a masochist barbarian who punishes himself to punish the enemy. Taking away the downside of reckless attack might be too much but again I figured the survivability trade off is worth it.
-6th lvl? When you kill a creature, you can regain hitpoints equal to your con modifier+your barbarian lvl. [6th lvl is usually a defensive ability and this allows a barbarian to keep doing what it is best at. Not the most exciting ability but it helps keep you alive but doesn't negate blood rage, especially as you need to kill something first].
-When you enter a blood rage, you gain resistance to necrotic, poison, and 1 damage of your choice (you get to choose each time you enter a blood rage). [An alternate to the above ability. Not quite Bear totem lvl of defense but close, especially as you get to pick if you know the enemy ahead of time].
-While Bloodraging, you can use a bonus action to take 1d8 damage to end the blinded, charm, frightened, grappled paralyzed, poisoned, restrained, or stunned condition (choose each time you use this ability). You can use this ability a number of times equal to your con modifier. The number resets when you take a short or long rest. [I was trying to think of something to showcase taking damage to continue fighting and I pictured someone breaking their arm to escape a grapple. I figured slapping yourself to break out of things like fright or charm also fits it. I think this will be the lvl 6 ability but not sure. Not sure if the damage should scale or not either.]
Thoughts on this? Do you think this is a valid subclass and am I balancing the power correctly?
-While Blood Raging, you can add your con modifier to your damage rolls when you hit with a str melee weapon. [Yes, this is a busted ability. I am thinking of making this either the lvl 10th or 14th lvl ability. Might end up putting it into the 3rd lvl ability, not sure. Most primal paths have some way to add damage earlier so it doesn't seem too over powered but I could be wrong.]
- 3rd lvl Blood Rage. When you rage, you can go into a blood rage. When you enter a blood rage, you lose a number of hit points equal to twice your level and your maximum hit points is reduced by the same amount. Your hit point maximum returns to normal once your rage ends. While you are in your blood rage, reckless attack does not give your enemies advantage to hit you. [This is supposed to be the main trade off for the con mod bonus. It effectively give the barbarian a d8 for health instead of a d12. It also gives it an interesting flavor of a masochist barbarian who punishes himself to punish the enemy. Taking away the downside of reckless attack might be too much but again I figured the survivability trade off is worth it.
-6th lvl? When you kill a creature, you can regain hitpoints equal to your con modifier+your barbarian lvl. [6th lvl is usually a defensive ability and this allows a barbarian to keep doing what it is best at. Not the most exciting ability but it helps keep you alive but doesn't negate blood rage, especially as you need to kill something first].
-When you enter a blood rage, you gain resistance to necrotic, poison, and 1 damage of your choice (you get to choose each time you enter a blood rage). [An alternate to the above ability. Not quite Bear totem lvl of defense but close, especially as you get to pick if you know the enemy ahead of time].
-While Bloodraging, you can use a bonus action to take 1d8 damage to end the blinded, charm, frightened, grappled paralyzed, poisoned, restrained, or stunned condition (choose each time you use this ability). You can use this ability a number of times equal to your con modifier. The number resets when you take a short or long rest. [I was trying to think of something to showcase taking damage to continue fighting and I pictured someone breaking their arm to escape a grapple. I figured slapping yourself to break out of things like fright or charm also fits it. I think this will be the lvl 6 ability but not sure. Not sure if the damage should scale or not either.]
Thoughts on this? Do you think this is a valid subclass and am I balancing the power correctly?