Path of the Devouring Swarm

Barbarians who follow the Path of the Devouring Swarm embrace an ancient and terrifying primal force—the hunger to consume and evolve. These warriors transform into relentless predators, fueled by the flesh and essence of their fallen enemies. As they devour the bodies of those they defeat, they adapt, grow stronger, and evolve into even more dangerous forms. For them, the battlefield is a hunting ground, and every kill brings them closer to becoming the ultimate predator.

While other barbarians may find strength in fury, those who walk this path find it in the biomass of their enemies. With each victory, their body mutates, becoming harder, faster, and deadlier.

 

Devour Flesh

Upon entering this path at 3rd level, you gain the ability to consume the essence of your fallen enemies. When you reduce a creature of Small size or larger to 0 hit points, you can use a bonus action to devour part of its body. When you do, you regain hit points equal to your Barbarian level + proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Additionally, when you devour flesh, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Barbarian level + proficiency bonus, which last until you finish a short or long rest.

Predatory Evolution

Whenever you consume biomass with Devour Flesh, you temporarily unlock predatory traits that last for 1 minute. Choose one of the following evolutionary traits each time you devour flesh:

• Ferocious Strength: You gain a bonus to Strength checks and saving throws equal to your Barbarian level + proficiency bonus.
• Chitinous Plating: Your AC becomes 16 + your Constitution modifier while you aren't wearing armor or using a shield.
• Bestial Speed: Your walking speed increases by 10 feet + your Barbarian level, and you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.

You can only benefit from one evolutionary trait at a time, and gaining a new trait replaces the previous one.

Feeding Frenzy

At 6th level, your rage becomes an unstoppable feeding frenzy. While raging, you gain the following benefits:

• Devour on Kill: When you reduce a creature of Small size or larger to 0 hit points, you gain benefits as if you had used your Devour Flesh feature. This does not expend a use of Devour Flesh.
• Hardened Flesh: You gain resistance to all damage except psychic damage while raging.
• Extra Attack: You can make one additional melee weapon attack when you take the Attack action on your turn.

Swarm Lord

By 10th level, your connection to the primal hunger of the swarm allows you to unleash a devouring aura. As an action, you can invoke the power of the Swarm for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits:

• Aura of Consumption: At the start of each of your turns, each hostile creature within 10 feet of you takes 1d6 necrotic damage + your Barbarian level. A creature that succeeds on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) takes half damage.
• Leeching Strikes: When you deal damage with a melee weapon attack, you gain stacking temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. These temporary hit points last until the ability ends.

You can use this feature once per long rest, unless you expend one use of Rage to use it again.

Apex Predator

At 14th level, your body has undergone countless evolutions, becoming a perfected predator. When you rage, you can choose one of the following permanent evolutions, which lasts for the duration of your rage:

• Wings of the Devourer: You sprout wings, gaining a flying speed of 30 feet.
• Unstoppable Mass: You become immune to being grappled, restrained, and knocked prone. Additionally, your movement speed cannot be reduced, and you gain resistance to all non-magical damage.
• Devourer’s Maw: You grow sharp, monstrous teeth. Your bite becomes a natural weapon, dealing 1d10 piercing damage. If you hit a creature with this attack, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be paralyzed until the end of your next turn.