Barbarian Class Details
Primary Ability | Strength |
---|---|
Hit Point Die | D12 per Barbarian level |
Saving Throw Proficiencies | Strength and Constitution |
Skill Proficiencies | Choose 2: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, or Survival |
Weapon Proficiencies | Simple and Martial weapons |
Armor Training | Light and Medium armor and Shields |
Starting Equipment | Choose A or B: (A) Greataxe, 4 Handaxes, Explorer’s Pack, and 15 GP; or (B) 75 GP |
Barbarians are mighty warriors who are powered by primal forces of the multiverse that manifest as a Rage. More than a mere emotion—and not limited to anger—this Rage is an incarnation of a predator’s ferocity, a storm’s fury, and a sea’s turmoil.
Some Barbarians personify their Rage as a fierce spirit or revered forebear. Others see it as a connection to the pain and anguish of the world, as an impersonal tangle of wild magic, or as an expression of their own deepest self. For every Barbarian, their Rage is a power that fuels not just battle prowess, but also uncanny reflexes and heightened senses.
Barbarians often serve as protectors and leaders in their communities. They charge headlong into danger so those under their protection don’t have to. Their courage in the face of danger makes Barbarians perfectly suited for adventure.
Becoming a Barbarian...
As a Level 1 Character
- Gain all the traits in the Core Barbarian Traits table.
- Gain the Barbarian’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
As a Multiclass Character
- Gain the following traits from the Core Barbarian Traits table: Hit Point Die, proficiency with Martial weapons, and training with Shields.
- Gain the Barbarian’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Class Features | Rages | Rage Damage | Weapon Mastery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | +2 | Rage, Unarmored Defense, Weapon Mastery | 2 | +2 | 2 |
2 | +2 | Danger Sense, Reckless Attack | 2 | +2 | 2 |
3 | +2 | Barbarian Subclass, Primal Knowledge | 3 | +2 | 2 |
4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | +2 | 3 |
5 | +3 | Extra Attack, Fast Movement | 3 | +2 | 3 |
6 | +3 | Subclass feature | 4 | +2 | 3 |
7 | +3 | Feral Instinct, Instinctive Pounce | 4 | +2 | 3 |
8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | +2 | 3 |
9 | +4 | Brutal Strike | 4 | +3 | 3 |
10 | +4 | Subclass feature | 4 | +3 | 4 |
11 | +4 | Relentless Rage | 4 | +3 | 4 |
12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | +3 | 4 |
13 | +5 | Improved Brutal Strike | 5 | +3 | 4 |
14 | +5 | Subclass feature | 5 | +3 | 4 |
15 | +5 | Persistent Rage | 5 | +3 | 4 |
16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | +4 | 4 |
17 | +6 | Improved Brutal Strike | 6 | +4 | 4 |
18 | +6 | Indomitable Might | 6 | +4 | 4 |
19 | +6 | Epic Boon | 6 | +4 | 4 |
20 | +6 | Primal Champion | 6 | +4 | 4 |
Barbarian Class Features
As a Barbarian, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Barbarian levels. These features are listed in the Barbarian Features table.
Level 1: Rage
You can imbue yourself with a primal power called Rage, a force that grants you extraordinary might and resilience. You can enter it as a Bonus Action if you aren’t wearing Heavy armor.
You can enter your Rage the number of times shown for your Barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian Features table. You regain one expended use when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
While active, your Rage follows the rules below.
Damage Resistance. You have Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.
Rage Damage. When you make an attack using Strength—with either a weapon or an Unarmed Strike—and deal damage to the target, you gain a bonus to the damage that increases as you gain levels as a Barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian Features table.
Strength Advantage. You have Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
No Concentration or Spells. You can’t maintain Concentration, and you can’t cast spells.
Duration. The Rage lasts until the end of your next turn, and it ends early if you don Heavy armor or have the Incapacitated condition. If your Rage is still active on your next turn, you can extend the Rage for another round by doing one of the following:
- Make an attack roll against an enemy.
- Force an enemy to make a saving throw.
- Take a Bonus Action to extend your Rage.
Each time the Rage is extended, it lasts until the end of your next turn. You can maintain a Rage for up to 10 minutes.
Level 1: Unarmored Defense
While you aren’t wearing any armor, your base Armor Class equals 10 plus your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers. You can use a Shield and still gain this benefit.
Level 1: Weapon Mastery
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of Simple or Martial Melee weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices.
When you reach certain Barbarian levels, you gain the ability to use the mastery properties of more kinds of weapons, as shown in the Weapon Mastery column of the Barbarian Features table.
Level 2: Danger Sense
You gain an uncanny sense of when things aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge perils. You have Advantage on Dexterity saving throws unless you have the Incapacitated condition.
Level 2: Reckless Attack
You can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with increased ferocity. When you make your first attack roll on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you Advantage on attack rolls using Strength until the start of your next turn, but attack rolls against you have Advantage during that time.
Level 3: Barbarian Subclass
You gain a Barbarian subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Barbarian levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Barbarian level or lower.
Level 3: Primal Knowledge
You gain proficiency in another skill of your choice from the skill list available to Barbarians at level 1.
In addition, while your Rage is active, you can channel primal power when you attempt certain tasks; whenever you make an ability check using one of the following skills, you can make it as a Strength check even if it normally uses a different ability: Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. When you use this ability, your Strength represents primal power coursing through you, honing your agility, bearing, and senses.
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Barbarian levels 8, 12, and 16.
Level 5: Extra Attack
You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Level 5: Fast Movement
Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing Heavy armor.
Level 7: Feral Instinct
Your instincts are so honed that you have Advantage on Initiative rolls.
Level 7: Instinctive Pounce
As part of the Bonus Action you take to enter your Rage, you can move up to half your Speed.
Level 9: Brutal Strike
If you use Reckless Attack, you can forgo any Advantage on one Strength-based attack roll of your choice on your turn. The chosen attack roll mustn’t have Disadvantage. If the chosen attack roll hits, the target takes an extra 1d10 damage of the same type dealt by the weapon or Unarmed Strike, and you can cause one Brutal Strike effect of your choice. You have the following effect options.
Forceful Blow. The target is pushed 15 feet straight away from you. You can then move up to half your Speed straight toward the target without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
Hamstring Blow. The target’s Speed is reduced by 15 feet until the start of your next turn. A target can be affected by only one Hamstring Blow at a time—the most recent one.
Level 11: Relentless Rage
Your Rage can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 Hit Points while your Rage is active and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, your Hit Points instead change to a number equal to twice your Barbarian level.
Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a Short or Long Rest, the DC resets to 10.
Level 13: Improved Brutal Strike
You have honed new ways to attack furiously. The following effects are now among your Brutal Strike options.
Staggering Blow. The target has Disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes, and it can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Sundering Blow. Before the start of your next turn, the next attack roll made by another creature against the target gains a +5 bonus to the roll. An attack roll can gain only one Sundering Blow bonus.
Level 15: Persistent Rage
When you roll Initiative, you can regain all expended uses of Rage. After you regain uses of Rage in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
In addition, your Rage is so fierce that it now lasts for 10 minutes without you needing to do anything to extend it from round to round. Your Rage ends early if you have the Unconscious condition (not just the Incapacitated condition) or don Heavy armor.
Level 17: Improved Brutal Strike
The extra damage of your Brutal Strike increases to 2d10. In addition, you can use two different Brutal Strike effects whenever you use your Brutal Strike feature.
Level 18: Indomitable Might
If your total for a Strength check or Strength saving throw is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.
Level 19: Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Level 20: Primal Champion
You embody primal power. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4, and their maximum is now 25.
Barbarian Subclasses
A Barbarian subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Barbarian levels, as specified in the subclass.
Path of the Berserker
Channel Rage into Violent Fury
Barbarians who walk the Path of the Berserker direct their Rage primarily toward violence. Their path is one of untrammeled fury, and they thrill in the chaos of battle as they allow their Rage to seize and empower them.
Level 3: Frenzy
If you use Reckless Attack while your Rage is active, you deal extra damage to the first target you hit on your turn with a Strength-based attack. To determine the extra damage, roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus, and add them together. The damage has the same type as the weapon or Unarmed Strike used for the attack.
Level 6: Mindless Rage
You have Immunity to the Charmed and Frightened conditions while your Rage is active. If you’re Charmed or Frightened when you enter your Rage, the condition ends on you.
Level 10: Retaliation
When you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can take a Reaction to make one melee attack against that creature, using a weapon or an Unarmed Strike.
Level 14: Intimidating Presence
As a Bonus Action, you can strike terror into others with your menacing presence and primal power. When you do so, each creature of your choice in a 30-foot Emanation originating from you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, a creature has the Frightened condition for 1 minute. At the end of each of the Frightened creature’s turns, the creature repeats the save, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a use of your Rage (no action required) to restore your use of it.
Please add the levels in front of the class features like in the source material. Seems like such an unnecessary and weird omission, or am I missing something? Checking the PHB all the time just for the levels is getting old. Plsfixthanks!
Wow, Path of the Zealot got completely nerfed into the core of the planet, looks like my Warforged Barbarian is a Berserker now instead.
Oh my gosh, they made Path of the Berserker SOOOOO much better! I'm glad frenzy actually does something more and you don't get exhaustion after the fact. It's better than the last version, in my opinion.
Need to include the level you get each of the subclass features.
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Thank you, you're a real one.
No, that's adding an uneccesary assumption to the statement.
It is saying that if you are not wearing heavy armor, you can use a bonus action to enter your rage. It says nothing of being able to do anything else. If they intended it to be an action otherwise, they would have written as such.
For some reason they chose to remove what level you receive abilities from this page. Go to Sources -> Basic Rules -> D&D Free Rules (2024) -> Select the Class you want to look at in the table of contents. Same for the 2024 PHB if you have access to that.
It's really stupid and I have no idea why they would remove information from this page needlessly.
For the subclass features, can we get the level they are associated with? I keep having to pull out the PHB to see when the class gets each feature.
I'm fine with giving them 1d10 anytime they want, but why limit it in so many ways and it still requires a die roll without advantage. 8th level cleric gets bonus damage 1d8 radiant once each round and can cast massive spells whenever they want. It is a limitation on a class ability that prevents barbarians from having access to extra damage that several other classes already have. It is a pointless complexity. I already house ruled it to activate on any reckless attack regardless of situation and the players enjoy it better.
I actually like the change from Brutal Critical to Brutal Strike. It gives the player more agency over when the feature happens. Also I think every choice of an effect to apply has more flavor than just you crit better. Maybe that part is just a preference, but also Inflict wounds (2014 edition) is only 3d10. The additional damage is on top of what you are swinging with. so a barbarian can attack recklessly and deal as much or more damage than that spell. And yes this is a level 9 feature however, its an extra d10 of damage whenever you want. You could hit anyone with an extra 1d10 without worrying about spell slots only your health. You can also do an extra 1d10 on doors, walls, locks, chains, or even a bed. While many spells require something like "a target creature" a barbarian can just go smack the door to get past it.
using Brutal Strikes seems less rewarding and even seems like it will cause confusion for less experienced players. It's just not fun to try and set up extra damage with so many penalties and conditions applied. Why are you so concerned about setting so many conditions on 2d10 damage? Clerics can cast Inflict Wounds from level 1. It is a real "feels bad" change for me.
I feel like this is a case of 'the rules don't say I can't do it and therefore I can'. So I feel like this fear is unfounded.
Was thinking the Same thing. This is an oversight that needs to be fixed. New players wont understand what they get when..
Rage says, “You can enter it as a Bonus Action if you aren’t wearing Heavy armor.”
The way that’s written sounds like you could use Rage as an Action if you wore Heavy Armor, doesn’t it?
This is a big thing that I do not like. It's like that for every single one of the new classes for 2024. Nobody should have to go back up to the table to see at what level you get these subclass features.
I don't see any notation showing at what level the individual subclass features show up… this feels like a big oversight.
they still only get one extra attack while fighters get 3 and warlocks get 2 -.- wotc really needs to give more attention to non-fighter martials and make warlock a bit less good as a martial class
Agreed. Very confusing, such a strange approach.
Agreed, especially because the actual book has the level value in-line with the feature name like 'Level 5: Extra Attack'.