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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Harnessing the Adamantine Hurricane: Barbarian Path of Unshackled Steel [PEACH]



Edge
2019-09-09, 03:55 PM
Primal Path: Path of Unshackled Steel
Any raging barbarian is capable of staggering feats of strength, and unleashing a barrage of iron upon their foes. How much more deadly might this be when tempered by discipline? Those barbarians who follow the Path of Unshackled Steel show exactly how terrifying the strength of berserk fury is when honed by a focused mind. These warriors train to wield immense weapons, more fitting for giants than humanoids. Even with their great might, these weapons are cumbersome and unwieldy, but between their furious prowess and techniques that preserve the momentum of even their missed swings for later attacks, they can unleash veritable storms of steel, carving apart their foes with an unnervingly detached brutality.

Squall-Taming Might
Before the storm can be directed, it must be controlled. Before it can be controlled, it must be bridled. Starting at 3rd level, when you select this Path, you gain proficiency in Oversized Weapons (see the table below), and can wield them in combat. Wielding such massive weapons is cumbersome, requiring the wielder to build sufficient momentum in their swings to deploy them to their full potential. To represent this, you gain a pool of Momentum. This pool empties after you leave an Initiative count, or upon completing a short or long rest, and has a maximum capacity of 3.

You can gain a Momentum Point in the following ways:
You can reduce your walking speed by half of your normal maximum speed for 1 round. You can do this up to twice on your turn.
You make an attack with an oversized weapon that misses all potential targets.
You enter Rage, or start your turn Raging.

You can spend a Momentum Point as part of making an attack to ignore the Massive property of an Oversized Weapon you’re wielding for that attack.

Storm’s Crashing Retort
The storm does not suffer restraint easily - even when bridled, its fury must be unleashed. At 6th level, you learn how to use Momentous Actions. These require an expenditure of Momentum to utilise, and the exact selection of Momentous Actions you have access to is dependent on the type of Oversized Weapon you are currently wielding. You always make all Momentum expenditures before any attack rolls or saving throws are made.

If a Momentous Action calls for a saving throw, your save DC is equal to (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). Momentous Actions always allow you to ignore the Massive property of Oversized Weapons you are wielding for any rolls pertaining to them, and are considered attacks for determining whether your Rage ends or not.

Momentous Actions deal damage equal to your normal melee weapon damage, including your Rage damage bonus if you are raging. Some Actions possess a Brutality rating. For each point of Brutality, you increase the Action’s damage by an amount equal to your weapon’s base damage dice. While Raging, you also add your Rage damage bonus to the damage of an action with Brutality a second time.

At 6th level, you gain access to the following Momentous Actions:
Life, Impaled and Flowing (1 Momentum). As part of this action, make a melee weapon attack. If you hit, you deal weapon damage at Bruality 1, and heal hit points equal to the total rolled on your additional damage dice, plus your Rage bonus if applicable. Any healing in excess of your hit point maximum are gained as temporary hit points that last until you leave the current Initiative count.

Coursing Torrent Lunge (2 Momentum). Creatures in a line 5 feet wide and 20 feet long emanating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take weapon damage at Brutality 2 and are incapacitated until the start of their next turn. On a success, they take half damage and are not incapacitated.

Four-Current Culling (3 Momentum). Place four line effects, 5 feet wide and 20 feet long emanating from you. Each line must be perpendicular to exactly two of the other lines. Creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take weapon damage at Brutality 2 and are incapacitated until the end of their next turn and pushed 20 feet directly away from you. On a success, they take half damage and are not pushed, and are only incapacitated until the start of their next turn.
Kindled Wrath (1 Momentum). As a reaction when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, or when you take damage, you can expend and roll a Hit Die. Instead of healing, you can add the amount rolled to your Rage bonus until the end of your next turn.

Fury, Flaring and Fulsome (2 Momentum). As a bonus action, you can ready your weapon to lash out like a flickering flame. Until the start of your next turn, you can make a number of opportunity attacks up to your Rage bonus without expending your reaction.

The Pyre of Kings (3 Momentum). As part of this action, make a melee weapon attack. If you hit, your target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you deal weapon damage at Brutality 4. On a success, they take damage equal to half that.
Seeds Sown in Flesh (1 Momentum). As part of this action, make a ranged weapon attack. If you hit, do not add your ability score bonus to damage, though any penalties still apply. Additionally, for a number of rounds equal to half your Rage bonus, your ranged weapon attacks against the target deal damage at +1 Brutality.

Withering Thistle Volley (2 Momentum). Place a 10-foot-radius sphere, which must entirely be within your weapon’s normal range. Creatures within the affected area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they are considered grappled until the end of their next turn, and you deal weapon damage to them at Brutality 2. On a success, they take half damage and are not considered grappled.

Harvest of Thorns (3 Momentum). As part of this action, make a ranged weapon attack. If you hit, and your target has 100 hit points or fewer remaining, they must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are slain instantly. On a success, or if they have more than 100 hit points remaining, you deal weapon damage at Brutality 3.
Who Stops the Avalanche? (1 Momentum). As a bonus action, move up to your speed towards a hostile creature. If you end within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you may make a shove attempt. If you succeed in your shove attempt, you deal unarmed strike damage at Brutality 1.

The Ground Betrays (2 Momentum). Creatures in a 20-foot cone emanating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take weapon damage at Brutality 2 and are knocked prone. On a success, they take half damage and are not knocked prone. Additionally, earthen or stone terrain in the cone’s area is upheaved, and becomes difficult terrain, if it wasn’t already. The terrain can be returned to normal with manual repair or magic like stone shape, but otherwise persists forever.

Eulogy of Unbroken Earth (3 Momentum). Creatures in a 40-foot cone emanating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw . On a failure, they take weapon damage at Brutality 2 and are knocked prone. On a cuess, they take half damage and are not knocked prone. Additionally, the terrain inside the cone’s area becomes dangerously jagged, functioning as though affected by a spike growth spell. The terrain can be returned to normal with manual repair or magic like stone shape, but otherwise persists for 10 minutes, at which point it evens out into normal difficult terrain, which can be returned to normal terrain in the same manner.
Cloud-Parting Cleave (1 Momentum). As part of this action, make a melee weapon attack. If you hit, you deal weapon damage at Brutality 1 and knock the target 10 feet directly upward from their current space for each point of Rage bonus you have.

Invitation to War (2 Momentum). As part of this action, make a melee weapon attack. Compare the result of your attack roll against the AC of all creatures within a 20-foot radius of you. Each affected creature with an AC equal to or less than the result of your attack roll takes weapon damage at Brutality 3 and are pulled 10 feet towards you.

Thunder’s Reply (3 Momentum). Creatures in a 20-foot cone emanating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take weapon damage at Brutality 2 and are stunned until the end of their next turn and deafened for 10 minutes. On a success, they take half damage, are not stunned, and are only deafened for 1 minute. You then immediately repeat this process, though the second cone cannot originate from the same space as the first.
Hurricane’s Unblinking Eye
The seeming calm at the heart of a storm might lull one into a false sense of security, but the apparent peace belies the fury that lies beyond. Starting at 10th level, as long as you have at least 1 Momentum point, you do not lose all your Momentum upon leaving an Initiative count, and retain 1 of your current Momentum points, though you still cannot gain Momentum outside of an Initiative count. However, while you retain at least 1 point of Momentum you gain advantage on Intimidation checks and saves and checks made to avoid becoming charmed, frightened or moved against your will.

Additionally, while you retain at least 1 point of Momentum and are raging, you are an unstoppable whirlwind of motion, and gain the benefits of a freedom of movement spell as a non-magical effect.

Tempest of Tethered Chaos
The storm is terrifying, a force of destruction beyond restraint. So say lesser folk. How wrong you will prove them to be. Starting at 14th level, the maximum capacity of your Momentum Pool increases to equal your proficiency bonus minus 1. Additionally, when you roll Initiative or begin raging, you may choose to expend a Hit Die and roll it. You gain no healing from expending a Hit Die in this manner. Instead, for a number of rounds equal to the result of the die, you gain 1 Momentum at the start of your turn.

Finally, you gain the ability to intensify your Momentous Actions by expending additional Momentum in the following ways:
You can increase the Brutality of a Momentous Action by 1 for each additional Momentum you spend over its base cost.
You can increase the size of a Momentous Action that targets an area for 2 additional Momentum. The increase is 5 feet for effects listed as a radius, and 10 feet for effects listed as a line or cone.


NameCostDamageWeightProperties
Dragonpiercer Lance140gp2d10 piercing48lbsGreat reach, massive, two-handed
Guillotine Klaive250gp4d6 slashing67lbsReach, massive, two-handed
Heavenreaver Bow250gp2d8 piercing40lbsAmmunition (150/600), heavy draw, massive, two-handed
Titanbreaker Gavel240gp4d6 bludgeoning80lbsReach, massive, two-handed
Worldcarver Axe245gp2d12 slashing56lbsReach, massive, two-handed

New Weapon Properties
Great Reach. This weapon adds 10 feet to your reach when you make an attack or opportunity attack with it.

Heavy Draw. Ranged weapon attacks with this weapon use the wielder’s Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls, rather than their Dexterity modifier.

Massive. Small creatures cannot wield weapons with this property. Medium characters have disadvantage on attack rolls with massive weapons.

This started as an adaptation of the Pathfinder 1e titan mauler barbarian archetype, but pretty quickly evolved into its own thing. I feel the opportunity costs for wielding oversized weapons are relatively fair as they stand. My main concerns are the Brutality ratings of various Momentous Actions, especially in comparison to their areas and rider effects.

Phhase
2019-10-09, 03:48 AM
I actually really like this subclass. It fills something that I think was missing in this edition, the hugearse absurd fantasy weapon of doom archetype. I also really like that you've considered ranged options for the Barbarian. It makes me think of the Dragonslayer Greatbow from Dark Souls.

>Gavel
That's just begging for a Scholar background High-int Unshackled Steel Barb/Eloquence Bard whose battlecry is "OBJECTION!"

I wouldn't mind the Klaive having the Great Reach property as well.

Honestly, you should submit this to the current subclass contest thread!

>Unblinking Eye, Tethered Chaos
Perfect!

>Brutality
Good idea for a mechanic. But clarify what you mean by "The weapon's base damage dice". If, for example, the base for the lance is 2d10, does each point of Brutality add 1d10 or 2d10?

Perhaps there should be some "Generic" type Momentous actions? I feel Kindled Fury and perhaps Who Stops the Avalanche might benefit from this.
Speaking of Kindled Fury, you specify that it adds damage to your Rage Bonus. Below, Cloud-Parting Cleave knocks an enemy up based on your rage bonus. If you gain Kindled Fury, swap to an Axe, then Uppercut (It's possible you'd need Action Surge or Haste, but whatever), would you knock them up to 120 feet (+1d12) further in the air? That sounds really cool.

I also feel a sweeping attack would be a better fit for the 1-cost Klaive Weapon Art.

I don't really understand 4-Current Culling. The mental image seems...wrong. Coursing Torrent also seems off. I would prefer some sort of impalement/knockback mechanic. It seems wrong for the lance NOT to have one.

>The Ground Betrays, Eulogy of Earth
These are the same thing. Make one of them different. I recommend either an Earthbreaker Fissure (create a deep crevice directly toward an enemy at range) or something like World of Nails, which would stun and either would impact/partially bury the struck target into whatever surface they are on, or (if the surface is too hard) deal Brutality 3 or something.

>Who Stops the Avalanche
Consider making this Generic and instead having an action that maybe allows you to make a baseball bat style attack with the hammer that has even greater knockback.

>Bow Weapon Arts
Despite loving the fact that there even is a bow, I don't really like any of these.

>Seeds Sown
Feels weak, especially considering you don't make many attacks, and you likely will have disadvantage. Consider a Deep Impact sort of thing. I wanna be able to knock things back or off of high places by shooting them with metal umbrellas.

>Withering Volley
This implies rapid fire, which is not something I feel any other part of the subclass is about. Feels off. The idea is cool though. Consider a crippling shot, like to the knee or something.
Or maybe a piercing shot that passes through multiple enemies, that would be sick!

>Harvest of Thorns
At level 3 you can instantly kill a huge monster? Uhhh...seems strong. I like the idea though. Perhaps add a lot of Brutality and a bleed instead?

>Axe Weapon Arts
I like most of them. I don't like Thunder's Reply, though. It's too much like Ground Betrays. Also the double thing is a bit weird. Doesn't feel axe-like. Why does an axe sonic boom? Consider moving the huge execution-style move from the bow to the axe. That feels right.


>New weapons
Love these. I want moar though! Consider adding:
Spiky Wrecking Ball Flail
Biggest Game Crossbow
Whip (perhaps with a sword-like blade on the end to make it really a heavy weapon, call it the Scorpion or smth)

and the most obvious one:

"By all accounts, it was no more than a hulking mass of Iron"

The bigass Berzerk-style greatsword.

Overall, great work! I like the slow, cumbersome attacks that hit HARD style, and the building momentum mechanic feels like it would be really awesome.