Path of the Monstrosity

Barbarians are feared for their unrelenting violence, their unending savagery, and their ruthless brutality. Some call upon ancient spirits, some don intimidating armor, and even some transform into visages of beasts. Through their anger and rage they are almost monstrous. Almost.

There exists a path, one that has either been long forgotten, or purposely erased, that creates real monsters. Through profane rituals, inhuman experiments, and even dark magics, path of the monstrosity barbarians are turned into something no longer human, whether voluntarily or not. 

They are called abominations, nightmarish, monstrosities. These barbarians are infused and mutated with the essences of creatures across the planes. Many who have attempted this path do not survive the process. But for the few that do, they end up forever changed. When they roar with their rage, they begin to change, as they awaken the slumbering creatures housed within their being. Most don't even have control of what they turn into and are at the will of the creatures contained within themselves. But with these transformations comes great power, and even more brutality. 

Should you encounter such a monster on your travels, avert your eyes as best you can. For even if you somehow survive the encounter, the image of these monsters will never escape your mind. 

No Longer Human

Path of the Monstrosity

Through dangerous and risky means, either voluntarily or against your will, you have been infused with the blood and essence of different creatures throughout the planes. After experiencing deadly blood magic, experiments and rituals, these creatures are now slumbering within you. As your blood boils during your rage, these creature manifest causing your form to change and allowing access to their innate abilities. 

You have been infused with the essences of six different types of creatures: Aberrations such as Spectators and Beholders; Fey such as Pixies and Eladrins; Elementals such as Earth, Air, Water and Fire; Oozes such as Gelatinous Cubes and Grey Oozes; Plants such as Wood Woads and Myconids; and Constructs such as Clay and Iron Golems. As your connections to your blood deepens, your ability to awaken the abilities of these creatures increases. 

Blood Rage

3rd-level Path of the Monstrosity feature

When entering a Rage, you can elect to arise the essence of a creature that dwells deep inside of you, taking on their abilities and weaknesses. As you begin your rage, roll a d6 to randomly choose what creature will arise as you enter a Blood Rage. 

Dormant Blood

3th-level Path of the Monstrosity feature

When you enter your Blood Rage, the dormant essence of creatures begins to rise. Until the rage ends, you take on aspects of monsters you have been infused with. When you take on the blood of a creature, you gain new abilities and features, but also weaknesses until the end of your rage.

Heightened Blood

6th-level Path of the Monstrosity feature

Your ability to draw on the different aspects within you has only grown stronger over time. As you enter a Blood Rage your connection to your monstrous blood has deepened, unlocking new abilities. 

Awakened Blood

10th-level Path of the Monstrosity feature

 Your ability to draw on the different essence within you has fully awakened. Your form and appearance begins to change as your ability to access the essences of your creatures during your Blood Rage changes you even more.   

Monstrosity Mastery

14th-level Path of the Monstrosity feature

You have mastered your blood rage and have learned how to isolate and choose which essence to enter. Once per long rest you may choose which Blood Rage to enter while raging. Once you use this ability you must complete a long rest before using again. 

Aberration Blood

When entering a Blood Rage, when you roll a one your blood boils with the essence of Aberrations. Your eyes are able to produce rays like the Spectator and Beholder and eventually growing more eyes. However, after casting a Eye Ray, the eye you used to cast it closes until the end of your rage leaving you blind if all your eyes are expended. As a bonus action, you are able to cast a different Eye Ray out of the eyes you possess, after which the eye closes until the rage ends. If all your eyes are shut, the barbarian is blinded until the rage ends. Each time you strengthen your bond with your monstrous blood, 2 more eyes emerge upon your body, making four eyes at level 6 and six at level 10. 

Fey Blood

When entering a Blood Rage and rolling a two, your blood fuses with the visitors for the Realm Inbetween. Taking on the prankster nature of Pixies and the Eladrins, your essence becomes that of the Wilds. Your mere presence can charm those around you, you can escape from sight when you are damaged, and can interrupt spells. But you also take on the negative aspects of the Fey, becoming vulnerable to non-magical weapons for as long as you are in your Blood Rage.

Elemental Blood

During a Blood Rage, rolling a three calls about the mana of the Elemental Chaos to pour and rage through your veins. Your form becomes unstable but malleable, allowing you to move through space with easy. However, your body takes one the vulnerabilities of the elements at the same time. As you begin to tame the chaos, you are able to strike with elemental damage with every strike, choosing between the elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. When you have fully awakened your blood, you don the armor of the Myrmidons, gaining resistance to the Elementals coursing through your body.

Plant Blood

During your Blood Rage, when you roll a four, the essence of the nature around takes root in your body as your blood turns to vines and brambles. Your flesh becomes hard as oak and you become attuned to the wraith of the land. Connecting to this aspect grants you abilities to protect yourself, turning your skin to bark and summoning restraining vines to hold enemies. Later levels grant you regeneration while you are touching the planet and exuding spores that are poisonous to enemies but heal allies. However, while attuning to this essence, your become weak to Fire damage.

Ooze Blood

During your Blood Rage, when you roll a five, you body almost becomes fluid. Organs, bones, and even your flesh become gelatinous as you begin to resemble Ooze. Your perception becomes blindsight, being able to perceive things through sensory perception without the use of your eyes and ears. At higher levels of attunement, your body becomes like gelatin and corrosive, damaging anything that is engulfed in your body, creatures and weapons included. This also later grants you the ability to expand or reduce your size, giving you advantage on attacks or making it harder to hit you. However, you are vulnerable to Fire Damage while in this rage, which will return you to your base form for a period of time. 

Construct Blood

During a Blood Rage, when you roll a six, you become something outside of living, more machine than man. Harnessing the essence of Constructs, your resistance to the effects of the arcane makes you resistant to all forms of magic spells and effects and immune to your form being changed by magical means. As you gain alignment with the golems and constructs, your can impose a heavy aura around you, restricting your opponents from moving and attacking. Later, when your ability to align with Constructs, your skin becomes like iron while you are more stiff and ridged. But you absorb damage from Fire and Acid.