Path of the Gladiator (Barbarian Subclass)

by astrarche

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Path of the Gladiator

By @homebrewlesbian

A tiefling warrior steps into the arena, alluring the crowd with a war cry and brutal swipes of a battleaxe. An orcish strongman surprises all with his effortless ability to jungle cannonballs. A well-dressed human noble takes to brawling in bars with a reckless grin, fueled by the desire to impress any potential suitors watching.


These are all examples of individuals whose rage manifests due to their flair for the dramatic and need for competition. Barbarians of the Path of the Gladiator are spurred on by attention and are just as much entertainers as they are fierce combatants.

Path of the Gladiator Features
Barbarian Level Feature
3rd Competitive Spirit, Showstopper
6th Infectious Energy
10th The Show Must Go On
14th The Crowd Roars

Competitive Spirit

At 3rd level, while you're raging you are emboldened by both your allies' and your enemies' success. You gain a pool of d4s equal to your Charisma modifier that can be expended while you rage to increase your weapon attack rolls. You have a number of Competition dice equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain these dice on a short or long rest.

In addition, the die changes when you reach certain levels in this subclass. The die becomes a d6 at 6th level, a d8 at 10th level, and a d10 at 14th level.

Showstopper

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance and Persuasion skills if you don't already have it. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those proficiencies.

Infectious Energy

Starting at 6th level, you can inspire your allies with your strength. As a bonus action, you can expend a Competition dice and give an ally within 30 ft. that you can see the dice. On their next turn, they can then use the dice to increase an attack roll.

The Show Must Go On

At 10th level, when you would be reduced to 0 hit points but not outright killed by damage, as a reaction you can instead gain resistance to the damage dealt by the trigger. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

The Crowd Roars

At 14th level, when you are raging and within 30 ft of your allies, you gain a bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks equal to the amount of allies near you (maximum of +3).

Author's Notes

Path of the Gladiator is inspired by my conversations about wanting more Barbarian paths that weren't rooted in mysticism and magic and had more diversity than Berserker, as well as my interest in a charismatic barbarian. This was further spurred on by @sniffling on tumblr who was a big help in getting me to make the initial leap into designing this subclass and then also helped me balance a few of the ideas and cut out some ideas that didn't make it to the final cut.

I'm aware that Gladiator is a variant background to Entertainer and it could get confusing, but I thought it would be the most apt name for a subclass that can be applied to all manners of charismatic individuals. I hope you enjoy!


This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Portions of the materials used are property of WotC. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.