Path of the Volatile Arcanist

The Path of the Volatile Arcanist channels unstable arcane power through primal fury. Some who follow this path descend from sorcerous bloodlines touched by raw magic, while others were forever altered by magical disasters, reckless experimentation, or exposure to supernatural forces.

Whatever its source, arcane energy churns violently within these warriors. Their Rage causes that power to erupt outward in destructive bursts, infusing their strikes with elemental force and twisting their bodies to withstand the very magic threatening to consume them. As their fury grows, so too does the instability within them, until they become living engines of catastrophic arcane devastation.

Level 3: Rage-fueled Arcana

While your Rage is active, you can channel primal magic through force rather than study. When you make an ability check using the Arcana skill, you can make it as a Strength check instead of an Intelligence check.

Level 3: Arcane Infusion

While your Rage is active, your body crackles with arcane energy that infuses your strikes. When you activate your Rage, choose Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder. Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon or Unarmed Strike, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage of the chosen type.

This extra damage increases when you reach Barbarian levels 6 (1d8), 10 (1d10), and 14 (1d12).

Level 6: Arcane Resistance

The arcane energy within you fortifies your body against its own destructive power. While your Rage is active, you have Resistance to the damage type chosen for your Arcane Infusion feature.

Arcane Instincts. Your Rage deepens your understanding of arcane magic. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. If you already have proficiency in that skill, you gain Expertise in it instead.

Arcane Instincts (Expertise)

You gain Expertise with the Arcana skill.

Arcane Instincts (Proficiency)

You gain proficiency with the Arcana skill.

Level 10: Volatile Reaction

Your Rage instinctively adapts to hostile magical energies.

Elemental Adaptation. While your Rage is active, when you take Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder damage, you can take a Reaction to gain Resistance to the triggering damage type until your Rage ends, including against the triggering damage. The triggering damage type becomes the damage type for your Arcane Infusion feature until your Rage ends. The next time you hit a creature with a melee attack before your Rage ends, the attack deals extra damage of the triggering type equal to your Arcane Infusion die.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Rage Damage bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 14: Overloaded Arcanist

The arcane energy harbored within you reaches catastrophic levels upon activating your Rage.

Volatile Explosion. As part of the Bonus Action you take to enter your Rage, you can unleash an explosion of volatile arcane energy. In addition, while your Rage is active, you can take a Bonus Action to unleash the explosion again.

Each creature of your choice in a 15-foot Emanation originating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, a creature takes 5d12 damage of the type currently granted by your Arcane Infusion feature. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage (rounded down).

The first time you use this feature after finishing a Long Rest, you suffer no adverse effect.

Arcane Backlash. Each time you use Volatile Explosion again before you finish a Long Rest, you take 2d12 Necrotic damage, and this damage increases by 1d12 for each subsequent use. This damage ignores Resistance and Immunity to Necrotic damage.

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 its use.