Storm Herald Redux
By @homebrewlesbian
Some barbarians gain power from the enviornment around them, learning to harness the mighty energy of the earth's natural disasters. These 'Storm Heralds' learn to harness and unleash primal energy to entrap and annihilate their foes and shield their allies from the storm.
This is my own take on what would give Storm Herald barbarians more flavor and options while staying close to the roots of the subclass, I hope you enjoy!
Storm Herald Features
| CLASS Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Storm Aura |
| 6th | Storm Soul |
| 10th | Shielding Storm |
| 14th | Raging Storm |
Storm Aura
Starting at third level, your rage manifests as a stormy aura while you rage. It extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover.
Your aura is aligned with a natural disaster that gives you strength. You may choose whether you embody a wildfire, tornado, tsunami, thunderstorm, or blizzard. You gain abilities linked to your chosen natural disaster at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
If your aura's effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution Modifier.
Alternate Playstyle
Some like to play this class as being able to attune with and embody any of these natural disasters, while some like to embody solely one. This subclass can be played either way, but you may attune to a new natural disaster over the course of a long rest.
Chose one of the following natural disasters:
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Wildfire. Your aura becomes alight with roaring flames. At the start of your turn, each creature in your aura takes fire damage equal to your half barbarian level rounded up.
At 10th level, your flames nourish you, cauterizing your wounds. At the beginning of your turn you gain temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Constitution modifer. These hit points vanish when your rage ends.
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Tornado. A raging whirlwind encircles you. As a reaction you can impose disadvantage on a ranged weapon attack made targeting a creature in your aura. In addition, the air currents guide your blade. You may make an attack roll against a target 10 ft. away from you so long as they are in your storm aura. This attack deals 1d6 slashing damage + your Constitution modifier. This increases to 2d6 at 10th level.
At 10th level, you may use a bonus action to force a creature in your aura to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save they are thrown 20 ft. into the air until the end of their next turn and are considered Grappled. When this effect ends they plummet and take appropriate damage from the fall.
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Tsunami. When you rage your aura floods the radius around you. At the beginning of your rage, each creature in your aura must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save they are pulled within 5 ft. of you and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at 10th level As a bonus action while you are raging, you may force a creature within your aura to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save you may push them 10 ft. away from you or pull them up to 10 ft . closer to you. They take bludgeoning damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
At 10th level, the whirlpool surrounding you grows in force. A creature must succeed a Strength saving throw to leave your aura. Additionally, creatures now have disadvantage on their saving throws against the effects of your aura.
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Thunderstorm. Your body crackles with electricity. As a bonus action, you can choose one other creature you can see in your aura. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 1d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This damage is increased to 2d6 at 10th level. In addition your reflexes are amplified. You may make opportunity attacks against anyone within your storm aura.
At 10th level, you may use a bonus action to stomp, creating a thunderclap reverberating through your aura. Each creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save they take 1d12 thunder damage and are knocked Prone.
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Blizzard. The range of your aura is considered difficult terrain as it becomes coated in frost and ice. When you hit with a weapon attack, you deal additional cold damage equal to your Constitution modifier. At 10th level, the damage becomes 1d6 + your Constitution modifier. Additionally you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, their movement speed is halved until the end of their next turn.
At 10th level, you and allies within your radius become coated in a layer of frost. For the duration of your rage you are under the effects of the Armor of Agathys spell cast at 3rd level.
Storm Soul
At 6th level, the storm grants you benefits even when your aura isn't active. The benefits are based on the natural disaster you chose for your Storm Aura.
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Wildfire. You gain resistance to fire damage and you do not suffer the effects of extreme heat. Also, as an action, you can touch a flammable object that isn't being worn or carried by anyone else and set it on fire.
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Tornado. You may Dash as a bonus action, when dashing you may elect to fly this distance. If you end your turn in the air, you drop, and suffer half fall damage. Additionally, you do not suffer the effects of high altitude environments.
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Tsunami. You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage. You can also breathe underwater and gain a swimming speed of 30 feet.
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Thunderstorm. You gain resistance to lightning damage. Additionally, heavy rain and fog no longer obscure your vision and you can make your voice boom, making it audible to a range of 300 ft.
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Blizzard. You gain resistance to cold damage and you do not suffer the effects of extreme cold. Also, as an action, you can touch water and turn a 5-foot cube of it into ice, which melts after 1 minute. This action fails if a creature is in the cube.
Shielding Storm
At 10th level, you learn to use your mastery of the storm to protect others. Your aura no longer effects those you consider allies. Additionally, each creature of your choice gains the properties of your Storm Soul feature while the creature is in your Storm Aura.
Avatar of the Storm
At 14th level, you can enter a special rage, turning yourself into a greater vessel for the storm that lives inside you. Your storm aura's radius is increased to 20 ft. In addition to your storm aura traits, you gain a special ability determined by your natural disaster:
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Wildfire. You may use a bonus action to stoke the flames of your aura, bolstering them. You focus on generating this energy as if you were concentrating on a spell. When the spell ends, either because your concentration is broken or because you decide to end it as an action, an inferno erupts in your storm aura. When this eruption occurs, creatures take fire damage equal to the total accumulated damage. The base damage is 2d6. If at the end of your turn it has not detonated, the damage increases by 1d6.
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Tornado. You may use an action to cause razor sharp winds to buffet the creatures within your aura. You force them to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save they take 2d6 slashing damage. On a success they take half damage.
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Tsunami. You may use an action to cause water to swirl around a creature within your storm aura, completely engulfing them with water. They must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained and completely encased in water. At end of each of your turns they take 2d10 damage and can repeat a their save. This watery prison disappears when your rage ends.
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Thunderstorm. For the duration of this transformative rage, you may use an action to have your Storm Aura ability effect every creature in your radius.
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Blizzard. You may use an action to cause spikes of ice to shoot up from the icy floor. Each creature within your storm aura must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save they take 2d8 piercing damage and 1d6 cold damage. On a successful save they only take the cold damage.
At the end of this transformative rage you gain one point of exhaustion. You regain this ability after a long rest.
Art Credits
Avalance Tusker by Eric Deschamps