UnearthedArcana:BarbarianPrimal
Paths
At3rdlevel,abarbariangainsthePrimalPath
feature.Herearethreenewoptionsforthat
feature:thePathoftheAncestralGuardian,the
PathoftheStormHerald,andthePathofthe
Zealot.
PlaytestMaterial
Thematerialhereispresentedforplaytestingandtospark
yourimagination.Thesegamemechanicsareindraftform,
usableinyourcampaignbutnotfullytemperedbydesign
iterations.Theyarenotofficiallypartofthegame.For
thesereasons,materialinthiscolumnisnotlegalinD&D
AdventurersLeagueevents.
PathoftheAncestralGuardian
rollthatdoesn’ttargetyou,andifthecreature
takestheDisengageactionwithin5feetofyou,its
speedishalveduntiltheendofitsturn.
AncestralShield
Beginningat6thlevel,theguardianspiritsthataid
youcanprovideprotectionforyourallies.Ifyou
areragingandanallyyoucanseewithin30feetof
youtakesbludgeoning,piercing,orslashing
damage,youcanuseyourreactiontotransferyour
resistancetothosedamagetypestotheally.The
resistanceappliestotheincomingdamage.Until
thestartofyournextturn,theallykeepsthe
resistanceandyoulackit,unlessyoualsohaveit
fromasourceotherthanRage.
Somebarbarianshailfromculturesthatrevere
theirancestors.Thesetribesteachthatthe
warriorsofthepastlingeronintheworldas
mightyspiritswhocanguideandprotecttheliving.
Whenbarbarianswhofollowthispathrage,they
crossthebarrierintothespiritworldandcallon
theseguardianspiritsforaid.
Barbarianswhodrawontheirancestral
guardiansfighttoprotecttheirtribesandtheir
allies.Withthespirits’help,theycanhindertheir
foesevenastheystrikepowerfulblowsagainst
them.
Inordertocementtiestotheirancestral
guardians,barbarianswhofollowthispathcover
themselvesinelaboratetattoosthatcelebrate
theirancestors’deeds.Thesetattoostellepicsagas
ofvictoriesagainstterriblemonstersandother
fearsomerivals.
ConsulttheSpirits
AncestralProtectors
Typicalbarbariansharborafurythatdwells
within.Theirragegrantsthemsuperiorstrength,
durability,andspeed.Barbarianswhofollowthe
PathoftheStormHeraldlearninsteadto
transformtheirrageintoamantleofprimalmagic
thatswirlsaroundthem.Wheninafury,a
barbarianofthispathtapsintonaturetocreate
powerful,magicaleffects.
Startingwhenyouchoosethispathat3rdlevel,
spectralwarriorsappearwhenyourage.These
warriorsdistractafoeyoudesignateandhinder
itsattemptstoevadeyou.Whileyou’reraging,you
canuseabonusactiononyourturntochooseone
creatureyoucanseewithin5feetofyou.Untilthe
startofyournextturnoruntilyourrageends,the
chosencreaturehasdisadvantageonanyattack
©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC
At10thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoconsultwith
yourancestralspirits.Rightbeforeyoumakean
IntelligenceoraWisdomcheck,youcangive
yourselfadvantageonthecheck.Youcanusethis
featurethreetimes,andyouregainexpendeduses
whenyoufinishalongrest.
VengefulAncestors
At14thlevel,yourancestralspiritsgrowpowerful
enoughtostrikeyourfoes.Whenyouoranally
youcanseewithin30feetofyouisdamagedbya
meleeattackwhileyou’reraging,youcanuseyour
reactiontocausetheattackertotake2d8force
damagefromthespirits.
PathoftheStormHerald
1
Stormheraldsaretypicallyelitechampionswho
trainalongsidedruids,rangers,andotherssworn
toprotectthenaturalrealm.Otherstormheralds
honetheircraftinelitelodgesfoundedinregions
wrackedbystorms,inthefrozenreachesatthe
world’send,ordeepinthehottestdeserts.
StormofFury
Whenyouselectthispathat3rdlevel,chooseone
ofthefollowingoptions:desert,sea,ortundra.The
environmentyouchooseshapesthenatureofthe
stormyouconjurewhenyourage.
Whileraging,youemanateanauraina10-foot
radius.Theeffectsofthisauradependonyour
chosenenvironment.
Desert.Anyenemythatendsitsturninyour
auratakesfiredamageequalto2+yourbarbarian
leveldividedby4.
Sea.Attheendofeachofyourturns,youcan
chooseacreatureinyouraura,otherthanyourself.
ThetargetmustmakeaDexteritysavingthrow
againstaDCequalto8+yourproficiencybonus+
yourConstitutionmodifier.Thetargettakes2d6
lightningdamageonafailedsave,andhalfasmuch
damageonasuccessfulone.Thisdamage
increasesto3d6at10thlevelandto4d6at15th
level.
Tundra.Anyenemythatendsitsturninyour
auratakescolddamageequalto2+your
barbarianleveldividedby4.
StormSoul
At6thlevel,yourlinktothepowerofthestorm
grantsyouadditionalabilitiesbasedonthe
environmentyouchoseat3rdlevel.
Desert.Yougainresistancetofiredamageand
don’tsuffertheeffectsofextremeheat.
Sea.Yougainresistancetolightningdamageand
canbreatheunderwater.
Tundra.Yougainresistancetocolddamageand
don’tsuffertheeffectsofextremecold.
ShieldoftheStorm
At10thlevel,youlearntouseyourmasteryofthe
stormtoprotectyourallies.Whileyouareraging,
allieswithinyourauragainthebenefitsofyour
StormSoulfeature.
©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC
RagingStorm
At14thlevel,thepowerofthestormyouchannel
growsmightier.
Desert.Thegroundaroundyoubecomeslike
shiftingsand.Anyenemythatattemptstomove
morethan5feetperturnonthegroundwhilein
yourauramustmakeaStrengthsavingthrow(DC
8+yourproficiencybonus+yourConstitution
modifier).Onafailedsave,thecreature’sspeed
dropsto0untilthestartofitsnextturn.
Sea.Roaringwindstearthroughtheareaaround
you.Anycreatureinyouraurathatyouhitwithan
attackmustmakeaStrengthsavingthrow(DC8+
yourproficiencybonus+yourStrengthmodifier)
orbeknockedprone.
Tundra.Theairaroundyoucoldlyslowsyour
foes.Theareawithinyourauraisdifficultterrain
foryourenemies.
PathoftheZealot
Somedeitiesinspiretheirfollowerstopitch
themselvesintoaferociousbattlefury.These
barbariansarezealots—warriorswhochannel
theirrageintopowerfuldisplaysofdivinepower.
AvarietyofgodsacrosstheworldsofD&D
inspiretheirfollowerstoembracethispath.
TempusfromtheForgottenRealmsandHextor
andErythnulofGreyhawkareallprimeexamples.
Ingeneral,thegodswhoinspirezealotsaredeities
ofcombat,destruction,andviolence.Notallare
evil,butfewaregood.
DivineFury
Startingwhenyouchoosethispathat3rdlevel,
youcanchanneldivinefurywhenyoustarttorage.
Ifyoudoso,youbecomecloakedinanauraof
divinepoweruntiltherageends.Attheendof
eachofyourturnsforthatduration,eachcreature
within5feetofyoutakesdamageequalto1d6+
halfyourbarbarianlevel.Thedamageisnecrotic
orradiant;youchoosethetypeofdamagewhen
yougainthisfeature.
WarrioroftheGods
At3rdlevel,yoursoulismarkedforendlessbattle.
Ifaspellwouldhavethesoleeffectofrestoring
youtolife(butnotundeath),thecasterdoesnot
needmaterialcomponentstocastthespellonyou.
2
ZealousFocus
At6thlevel,thedivinepowerthatfuelsyourrage
canshieldyoufromharm.Ifyoufailasaving
throwwhileraging,youcaninsteadsucceedon
thatsavingthrowasareaction.However,doingso
immediatelyendsyourrage,andyoucan’trage
againuntilyoufinishashortorlongrest.
ZealousPresence
At10thlevel,youlearntochanneldivinepowerto
inspirezealotryinothers.Asanaction,youhowlin
furyandunleashabattlecryinfusedwithdivine
energy.Everyallywithin60feetofyougains
advantageonattackrollsandsavingthrowsuntil
thestartofyournextturn.
Onceyouusethisfeature,youcan’tuseitagain
untilyoufinishalongrest.
RageBeyondDeath
Beginningat14thlevel,thedivinepowerthatfuels
yourrageallowsyoutoshrugofffatalblows.
Whileraging,having0hitpointsdoesn’tknock
youunconscious.Youstillmustmakedeathsaving
throws,andyousufferthenormaleffectsoftaking
damagewhileat0hitpoints.However,ifyou
woulddieduetofailingdeathsavingthrows,you
don’tdieuntilyourrageends.
©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC
3