Path of Crimson (V 0.5)

A stilling roar echoes across the field, as his boots crunch in the dirt. A jagged blade lunges forward and draws blood from his enemy. The large half-orc pulls the blade free and gathers the blood as it falls, turning it into power. In a blink, his form shatters into blood as he teleports behind his enemy. His body and blade reform just in time to make the killing blow.

The halfling rushes to the side of her allies, already deep in the fight. As she runs forward she sees a dagger heading straight to her friend’s back, with too little time to warn them. She reaches out her hand and manipulates the blood from her ally to twist the blade out of the way, just in time.

Clink of mail and heavy breathing, the smell of dripping blood. The elf sits calmly amongst nearly a dozen armed warriors, their spears aimed at his still form. “Surrender or die, elf.” The elf takes a deep breath, and as he exhales the commander sees the small slits at his wrists, blood dripping from them. He tries to issue a retreat, but it’s already too late. A dozen blood tendrils rip out of the ground stabbing each of the warriors. Their forms fall loosely to the ground.

A Path of Crimson barbarian is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. They use their control over blood to ravage their enemies and protect their allies. They expend their own life force to cause more damage, or use unique abilities.

Playing a Crimson Warrior

Think about how you’re going to address your powers over blood. Is this a gift passed down through your family? A curse? Does it cause you great pain to manipulate your own blood, or the blood of others? Or does your character enjoy the power they have?

A crimson warrior barbarian has to carefully balance their abilities so as to not drain themselves too quickly. Over using their abilities will make it difficult to keep up with long adventuring days.

Path of Crimson

Barbarian Level	Feature
3rd	Draining Force, Blood Absorption, Life Transference
6th	Scarlet Manipulation
10th	Crimson Exploits
14th	Ravage the Weak

Draining Force

Starting at 3rd level, when you damage a creature with a Reckless Attack on your turn you may expend a number of Hit Dice up to your proficiency bonus to add necrotic damage. The amount added is equal to a roll of the expended Hit Dice + your Rage Damage. Once per rage, you may retain one of the expended Hit Dice.

Blood Absorption

When expending Hit Dice to use an ability from this class, you may roll the expended Hit Dice and regain hit points equal to half the rolled value (rounding up). You may also add your Constitution modifier to the amount of hit points regained, you only add your modifier once no matter how many Hit Dice you expend. You may do this as long as you have less than half your maximum hit points remaining. If this would increase your current hit points to more than half your maximum hit points, the extra hit points are converted into temporary hit points.

If you have more than your maximum hit points remaining, and expend a Hit Dice to use a feature from this class, you may roll the expended Hit Dice and gain temporary hit points equal to the value rolled plus your Constitution modifier.

When regaining hit points, or gaining temporary hit points, any Hit Dice you choose to retain (are not actually expended) are not rolled when adding the total of hit points gained.

Life Transference

Additionally at 3rd level, you can take 1 minute to absorb the blood and life force of a creature at 0 hit points (not Undead or Construct). If the creature was alive, it dies. You regain 1 expended Hit Die. You regain use of this feature after a Short or Long Rest.

Scarlet Manipulation

At 6th level you learn new ways to utilize your control over blood:

• Blood Shield: You can throw up a shield of blood to protect yourself or your allies. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend a number of Hit Dice up to your proficiency bonus, roll the dice, and reduce the damage taken by the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier (minimum reduction of 1), as you create a momentary shield of blood. This comes at a cost to the target. The target takes necrotic damage equal to your Rage Damage bonus plus the number of Hit Dice expended. This damage cannot be reduced in any way and occurs before the shield is created. Once per rage, you can retain one of the expended Hit Dice (a retained Hit Die does not increase the damage taken by the target.)

• Crimson Teleport: You can become a puddle of blood and materialize somewhere else. You can use an action to expend a number of Hit Dice up to your proficiency bonus. You magically teleport to a point you can see along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, up to your remaining movement speed. Roll the expended Hit Dice. Any creatures within 5 feet of your destination must make a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier), or take necrotic damage equal to the amount rolled. On a successful save they take half damage. Moving in this way does not provoke opportunity attacks. Once per rage, you can retain one of the expended Hit Dice.

Crimson Exploits

Starting at 10th level, when you use a Bonus Action to Rage up to 10 creatures of your choice that you can see within 60 feet can choose to expend a Hit Die to use one of your class features (Crimson Teleport, Blood Shield, Draining Force) before the end of their next turn. They may roll to regain temporary hit points. When they do, they roll the expended Hit Die and gain a number of temporary hit points equal to half the roll plus their Constitution modifier.

You regain use of this feature after a short or long rest.

Ravage the Weak

Starting at 14th level, when you are raging you can unleash your volatile blood to ravage your enemies. Once per rage, you can use an action to create a number of tendrils equal to your max number of Hit Dice. You can use these bloody tendrils to attack any number of creatures within 60 feet of you. A single creature can only be targeted with a number of tendrils equal to your proficiency bonus. The creature makes a Dexterity saving throw (8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failure they take necrotic damage equal to a roll of the Hit Dice used to target it (i.e. if you target it with three tendrils each from a d12 Hit Die the creature takes 3d12 damage). On a success they take half damage. You do not expend Hit Dice to use this feature.

Feats

Playstyle Note

This subclass was built under the expectation of a full adventuring day (6-8 encounters), including short rests (expectation of two short rests per long rest). If this doesn’t match your playstyle, then this subclass may not be balanced for your game. If you have fewer encounters per long rest this subclass may feel very strong compared to some other barbarian subclasses (yet still likely much weaker than any casters). Likely weaker than Zealot, Ancestral Guardians, or Beast, but stronger than the rest. This would also discourage use of Short Rests somewhat, if only because it removes their ability to use their features. This is is dissuaded by having less than half healing from the sustain feature (Blood Absorption). If you (for some reason) have more encounters per long rest than recommended for a full adventuring day, then this subclass may fall behind in terms of healing from short rests. Here are some notes to help:

If you play with fewer than recommended encounters (6-8) per long rest, then consider this alternative for feature uses:

• You may use these features once per rage. You also have a number of charges equal to half your character level rounded down. You may expend a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus each time you use a feature. The dice used for these features are equal to d12s.

If you play more than the recommended encounters (for all two tables out there that do so) per long rest, then consider this alternative for feature uses:

• In addition to one free use per rage for your features you have a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus. You may utilize these when using your features. The dice provided by these charges are equal to d12s. You regain these charges at the end of a long rest.

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