Barbarian: Path of the Berserker, Revised
At 3rd level, a barbarian gains the Primal Path feature. This document presents a revision of one option found in the Player's Handbook: the Berserker.
Frenzied Rage
3rd-level Berserker feature
Your savagery in combat enables a greater capacity for inflicting carnage.
At the start of your Rage, you may choose to enter an enhanced Rage, called a Frenzy. If you do so, for the duration of your rage you gain the following additional benefits:
- You gain resistance to psychic damage.
- You cannot be moved against your will by non-magical means.
You can enter a Frenzy twice per long rest, gaining more uses as you level. You may additionally enter another Frenzy after expending all uses, however doing so causes you to suffer one level of exhaustion once your Rage ends.
Frenzied Strike
3rd-level Berserker feature
Your frenzied rage makes you a terror to behold on the battlefield, merciless towards your adversaries.
Upon entering a Frenzy, you can make a melee weapon attack against a creature within range, or when you move within range of a creature on that turn. This attack, called a Frenzied Strike, deals additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
For the duration of your Frenzy, you may make a Frenzied Strike as a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns.
Unbreakable Mind
6th-level Berserker feature
Your near-mindless pursuit of your quarry repels would-be invaders of your thoughts. You gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to the frightened and charmed conditions while raging. If you are frightened or charmed, you may activate your rage as a reaction and end the condition.
- While you are raging, you have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.
- When you succeed on a Wisdom saving throw due to a creature casting a spell, that creature suffers psychic damage equal to 1d6 + half your barbarian level (rounded down).
Number of Frenzy Uses
| Barbarian Level | Frenzy Uses |
|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 |
| 6th | 3 |
| 12th | 4 |
| 17th | 5 |
| 20th | 7 |
Menacing Presence
10th-level Berserker feature
Your insatiable bloodlust is palpable, and unnerving to many, which aids you in menacing your foes.
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient in Intimidation, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it.
As an action, you may choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you up to your Strength modifier and make an Intimidation (Charisma or Strength) check. If the creatures can see or hear you, they must contest it with a Wisdom saving throw. A creature makes this saving throw at disadvantage if you are in a Frenzy.
On a failure, a creature is frightened of you for one minute. A frightened creature may repeat the saving throw (made at advantage if they are further than 60 feet or out of line of sight from you) at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success. Additionally, while a creature is frightened of you, they must end their turn further away from you than they started, if possible.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Retribution
14th-level Berserker feature
Your reflexes are sharpened, allowing you to swiftly retaliate against those who would destroy you or your allies. You gain the following options for your reaction:
Retaliating Strike. When you or a non-hostile creature within 5 feet of you takes damage from a creature within your reach, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature, dealing additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus. On a hit, the creature's speed is reduced to 0 for the rest of its turn, and you can push the creature up to 10 feet away to an unoccupied space.
Reflect Missiles. When you or a non-hostile creature within 5 feet of you takes damage from a ranged weapon or spell attack within 60 feet, you can use your reaction to mitigate the attack, reducing the damage by 1d12 + your Strength modifier + your barbarian level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can reflect the ranged attack towards the creature that first made it, making a ranged attack using your Strength modifier. On a hit, the creature takes the full amount of damage you would have taken.
You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your Strength modifier. When you are in a Frenzy you must use your reaction to use this feature when possible, however, doing so does not expend a use.
On Reflect Missiles
Though it is implied, the damage you deal with the Reflect Missiles feature is in fact of the same damage type as the attack that provoked it.
Appendix: Options & Flavor
You may find that the Menacing Presence and Retribution features respectively, are easier to digest in the form of spell-like martial abilities. This page of the document presents them as such.
Menace
10th-level Berserker feature, which replaces the Menacing Presence feature
Your insatiable bloodlust is palpable, and unnerving to many, aiding you in menacing your foes.
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient in Intimidation, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it.
You gain the Menacing Presence ability, which you can use a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Menacing Presence
10th-level Berserker feature
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (30 foot radius)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: 1 minute
Choose a number of creatures within range up to your Strength modifier and make an Intimidation (Charisma or Strength) check. If the creatures can see or hear you, they must contest it with a Wisdom saving throw (made at disadvantage if you are in a Frenzy). On a failure, a creature is frightened of you for one minute. A frightened creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn, at advantage if they are further than 60 feet or out of line of sight from you, ending the effect on a success. Additionally, while a creature is frightened of you, they must end their turn further away from you than they started, if possible.
Alternative Skill Checks
By default, an Intimidation check in D&D 5th edition reads as a Charisma (Intimidation) check. This represents:
- The skill being used-- Intimidation, or influencing someone through threats, hostile actions, or violence
- The ability score being used to augment the check-- Charisma, the ability to "interact effectively" with others, although perhaps better described as force of personality or willpower
As such, the door is left open for your Dungeon Master to allow you to perform skill checks using alternative ability scores. One example: a Strength (Intimidation) check to hoist an unguarded noble by the front of their shirt and pin them against a wall when diplomacy fails. The Berserker, described as a monstrously powerful, near-mindless slaughter machine, might be especially apt at these sorts of skill checks.
Vengeance
14th-level Berserker feature, which replaces the Retribution feature
Your reflexes are sharpened, allowing you to swiftly retaliate against those who would destroy you or your allies.
You may use your reaction to either Reflect Missiles or make a Retaliating Strike, as described below.
You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your Strength modifier. When you are in a Frenzy you must use your reaction to use this feature when possible, however, doing so does not expend a use.
Retaliating Strike
14th-level Berserker feature
- Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to you or an adjacent non-hostile creature being damaged by a creature within range that you can see
- Range: 5 feet, or 10 feet if using a weapon with the reach property
- Components: Melee Weapon
- Duration: Instantaneous
Make a melee weapon attack against the creature that damaged you or the creature next to you, dealing additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus. On a hit, the creature's speed is reduced to 0 for the rest of its turn, and you can push the creature up to 10 feet away to an unoccupied space.
Reflect Missiles
14th-level Berserker feature
- Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to you or an adjacent non-hostile creature being damaged by a creature within range that you can see.
- Range: 5 feet, or 10 feet if using a weapon with the reach property
- Components: --
- Duration: Instantaneous
You grit and bear the incoming ranged attack, reducing the damage from the by 1d12 + your Strength modifier + your barbarian level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can reflect the ranged attack towards the creature that first made it, making a ranged attack using your Strength modifier. On a hit, the creature takes the full amount of damage you would have taken.