Re-fluffing a Barbarian for first-time player

[Telonius]

Hey everybody! I'm currently DMming a campaign for my daughter and a couple of her friends (roughly 14-16 years old). First time (or close enough to it) playing for most of them, and it's my first time DMming 5th Edition. The game is set in Eberron, and is turning out to be very comedic in tone. It's a first campaign, so I'm not going too particularly deadly, and designing the encounters to mostly teach them game concepts. (First fight was a straight up brawl with low-level thugs; next one was moving through difficult terrain, then enemies getting cover from overturned tables, then rogue pairs trying to flank them...). They're all about to hit 3rd level, and one of the friends is playing a Barbarian. Enter the silliness: friend is playing basically a clown-themed character. They definitely want to go Barbarian, and enjoy bounding up and hitting things. Keeping it simple is a very big plus, as they can get a little overwhelmed by the character sheet.

As they're leveling up, I'm trying to figure out how to advise the friend moving forward. So far my idea is to pitch a Zealot barbarian, but re-fluffing it as a "Path of the Cartoon" (still working on the name). Idea being that the "rage" is entering more of a "toon state" where they (more or less) Tom & Jerry it, shrugging off effects that ought to kill an ordinary character. "Fanatical Focus" would turn into something like Roadrunner Physics, where you don't fall if you don't look down, that kind of thing.

Does this sound like a good idea? Would another subclass be better to re-fluff? Since this is my first outing as a 5e DM, I'm not as confident in homebrewing a whole subclass just for them.

[Theodoxus]

Sounds epically fun to me. While I think any subclass could be refluffed, Zealot is as good as place as any to start.

Divine Fury - refluff to "Joke Hammer": Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can transform your weapon into a giant wooden mallet . While you're raging, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your Barbarian level. The extra damage is Force.

Warrior of the Gods - refluff to "A Cartoon life", otherwise stays the same.

Fanatical Focus - refluff to "Remake Reality" your insights are good, I wouldn't change it.

Zealous Presence - refluff to "Loony Tunes": "At 10th level, you learn to channel cartoonish power to inspire others. As a bonus action, you unleash a silly song that inspires your friends. Up to ten other creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you that can hear you gain advantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the start of your next turn.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Rage Beyond Death - refluff to "Cartoon Immortality": Beginning at 14th level, the cartoonish power that fuels your rage allows you to shrug off fatal blows.
While you're raging, having 0 hit points doesn’t knock you unconscious. You still must make death saving throws, and you suffer the normal effects of taking damage while at 0 hit points. However, if you would die due to failing death saving throws, you don’t die until your rage ends, and you die then only if you still have 0 hit points.

[Unoriginal]

Hey everybody! I'm currently DMming a campaign for my daughter and a couple of her friends (roughly 14-16 years old). First time (or close enough to it) playing for most of them, and it's my first time DMming 5th Edition. The game is set in Eberron, and is turning out to be very comedic in tone. It's a first campaign, so I'm not going too particularly deadly, and designing the encounters to mostly teach them game concepts. (First fight was a straight up brawl with low-level thugs; next one was moving through difficult terrain, then enemies getting cover from overturned tables, then rogue pairs trying to flank them...). They're all about to hit 3rd level, and one of the friends is playing a Barbarian. Enter the silliness: friend is playing basically a clown-themed character. They definitely want to go Barbarian, and enjoy bounding up and hitting things. Keeping it simple is a very big plus, as they can get a little overwhelmed by the character sheet.

As they're leveling up, I'm trying to figure out how to advise the friend moving forward. So far my idea is to pitch a Zealot barbarian, but re-fluffing it as a "Path of the Cartoon" (still working on the name). Idea being that the "rage" is entering more of a "toon state" where they (more or less) Tom & Jerry it, shrugging off effects that ought to kill an ordinary character. "Fanatical Focus" would turn into something like Roadrunner Physics, where you don't fall if you don't look down, that kind of thing.

Does this sound like a good idea? Would another subclass be better to re-fluff? Since this is my first outing as a 5e DM, I'm not as confident in homebrewing a whole subclass just for them.

If you want to refluff a Barbarian subclass as "Path of the Cartoon", I suggest the Past of the Beast.

You can refluff the natural weapons as "hit with cartoonish items" like a big mallet or the like, make the Tail represents how cartoon characters can avoid incoming danger in the nick of time by twisting their bodies, the Bite represent the cartoon characters well-known durability even when they seem hurt, and the Claws represent how cartoon characters can swing comically huge stuff very fast.

Then at higher level you get toon physics stuff like big jumps, etc.

[JLandan]

I would suggest the Path of Wild Magic. The Wild Surges cartoon up nicely (is cartoon a verb?). Path of the Circus or Path of the Clown.

Shadowy tendrils can be colorful streamers and do radiant damage instead.
Teleport is the same but makes a popping noise.
Intangible spirit could be a balloon or miniature clown. I once played a halfling farmer barbarian that made chickens.
Magic infused weapon could be cartoonishly big or balloon formed.
Retribution damage could be from a waldo or an extending cartoon fist, but still force damage.
The multicolored protective lights needs no change.
Flowers and vines needs no change.
The bolt of light can be prismatic like a rainbow but otherwise needs no change.

Bolstering Magic can be handing over a balloon or flower that pops granting the bonus.

Unstable Backlash and Controlled Surge use Wild Surge, so no further change is needed.

PS... The witchlight carnival hand background might be fun with this.

[Garfunion]

I definitely seconded re-skinning Path of Wild Magic as a magical, cartoony jester archetype.

[Alexander Atoz]

If you're getting all these pieces of advice, why not just ask her to choose, and then work with her to refluff it?
In terms of subclass choice, just discuss the level three perks. Chances are they won't make it to the next subclass level, and even if the game does it's always possible that the character won't.
If you feel its too complicated for her, suggest 2-3 choices, and have more on hand if she doesn't like any of them.
In terms of the refluffing, when offering the subclass choice just discuss the ability, and then afterward offer her your suggestions and see if she likes them.