Barbarian: Path of the Reaper
Primal Path
At third level, a barbarian gains the Primal Path feature. The following option is available to a barbarian, in addition to those offered in the Player's Handbook.
Path of the Reaper
All barbarians are familiar with death, being fearsome and hardened warriors. Some, though, have a special relationship with it, having dedicated themselves in service to a god of death or other divine being that watches over the dead and their passage into the afterlife. When a barbarian who follows this path rages, they take on the appearance of an avatar of death, with pale skin, skeletal figure, or shadowy clothing.
Path of the Reaper Features
| Barbarian Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Sever the Soul |
| 6th | Shepherd of the Dead |
| 10th | Last Words |
| 14th | Mantle of Ghosts |
Sever the Soul
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you are able to rend the souls of your enemies from their bodies. While you're raging, you can choose to have your weapon attacks deal necrotic damage instead of their normal type. If you do so, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your barbarian level, and your weapons leave no mark on their target if they deal damage.
Shepherd of the Dead
At 6th level, you can cause souls to linger before releasing them to the afterlife. When a humanoid within 10 feet of you dies, you can use your reaction to temporarily bind its soul to your service. As a reaction when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack and you have a soul bound in this way, you can command the soul to manifest and terrify the creature, imposing disadvantage on the attack. The soul then passes to the afterlife.
You can have a number of souls bound at once equal to half your barbarian level. When you complete a long rest, fall unconscious, or die, any souls still bound to you move on to the afterlife.
Last Words
Starting at 10th level, you can cast speak with dead at will, without using a spell slot or material components. When you do so, the spirit of the deceased appears before you, returning to the afterlife once the spell ends.
Mantle of Ghosts
At 14th level, you cloak yourself with the dead, their spirits draining the life of your enemies. While you're raging, the spirits of the dead surround you in a 10-foot radius. The first time any enemy creature enters this area or starts its turn there, it takes necrotic damage equal to your rage damage bonus. This damage increases by 1 for each soul bound to you by your Shepherd of the Dead feature.