Path of the Primordial Vessel

The natural world is not passive. Storms split the sky, wildfire devours forests so that new life can take root, bitter winds scour mountainsides, poisonous growth thrives in forgotten wetlands, and thunder rolls with enough force to shake the earth. Barbarians of the Path of the Primordial Vessel draw these untamed forces into themselves, allowing their Rage to become an expression of nature at its most violent and irrepressible.

A Primordial Vessel does not command the elements as a spellcaster might. Instead, the forces of the wild move through body, weapon, and instinct. One strike might erupt in lightning, another unleash venomous briars, while a sudden rush across the battlefield could be carried on freezing winds. As their connection deepens, these Barbarians learn to withstand the same forces that course through them and to unleash increasingly devastating manifestations of primordial power.

No two Primordial Vessels need appear alike. One might crackle with stormlight and volcanic heat, another might be wreathed in frost, thorn, and toxic mist. Whatever form their power takes, all Primordial Vessels share one truth: the wild cannot be contained forever.

Level 3: Primal Heart

The forces of the natural world course through your body, hardening you against one expression of primordial power.

Choose one of the following damage types: Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder. You have Resistance to the chosen damage type. If you already have this Resistance, you can reduce the Lightning damage further. To determine the amount reduced, roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus and add them together (after the Resistance applies).

Vessel Save DC. If a feature of this subclass requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 plus your Constitution modifier and Proficiency Bonus.

Vessel Damage. Some of your features use Vessel Damage. To determine that extra damage, roll a number of d4s equal to your Rage Damage bonus and add them together. Your Vessel Damage Type is determined by the feature that deals it.

Resistance - Cold

You are resistant to Cold damage.

Resistance - Fire

You are resistant to Fire damage.

Resistance - Lightning

You are resistant to Lightning damage.

Resistance - Poison

You are resistant to Poison damage.

Resistance - Thunder

You are resistant to Thunder damage.

Primal Heart

The forces of the natural world course through your body, hardening you against one expression of primordial power.

Choose one of the following damage types: Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder. You have Resistance to the chosen damage type. If you already have this Resistance, you can reduce the Lightning damage further. To determine the amount reduced, roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus and add them together (after the Resistance applies).

Vessel Save DC. If a feature of this subclass requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 plus your Constitution modifier and Proficiency Bonus.

Vessel Damage. Some of your features use Vessel Damage. To determine that extra damage, roll a number of d4s equal to your Rage Damage bonus and add them together. Your Vessel Damage Type is determined by the feature that deals it.

Level 3: Unbound Wilds

While your Rage is active, you can unleash elemental abilities with the following options.

Thornbind. You can take a Bonus Action to create thorny, poisonous vines that wrap around your weapon. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Poison damage and becomes ensnared by the vines, which anchor to the ground, until the start of your next turn. Each time it attempts to move more than 10 feet while ensnared, it must make a Strength (Athletics) check against your Vessel save DC, freeing itself on a success. On a failure, it takes your Vessel Damage, and its Speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

Fulgurant Strike. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can leave the weapon embedded in their chest for a brief moment and immediately take a Bonus Action to call down lightning from the heavens to strike them, using the weapon as a conduit, before retrieving it. The target takes your Vessel Damage amount in Lightning damage, and each other creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or also take that damage. You have Advantage on this saving throw.

Gale Stride. As a Bonus Action, you can move up to half your Speed. During this rush, a freezing wind envelopes your body; if you end this movement within 5 feet of a creature, it takes your Vessel Damage in Cold damage as the frigid blast leaps to them. If there are multiple creatures, choose one that takes the damage.

Wildfire Surge. You can take a Bonus Action to wrap your weapon in flames. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Fire damage and suffers the [rules]burning[\rules] effect. While burning, the creature takes 1d4 Fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The burning creature or a creature within 5 feet of it can take an Action to extinguish the flames, ending the effect.

Unbound Wilds

While your Rage is active, you can unleash elemental abilities with the following options.

Thornbind. You can take a Bonus Action to create thorny, poisonous vines that wrap around your weapon. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Poison damage and becomes ensnared by the vines, which anchor to the ground, until the start of your next turn. Each time it attempts to move more than 10 feet while ensnared, it must make a Strength (Athletics) check against your Vessel save DC, freeing itself on a success. On a failure, it takes your Vessel Damage, and its Speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

Fulgurant Strike. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can leave the weapon embedded in their chest for a brief moment and immediately take a Bonus Action to call down lightning from the heavens to strike them, using the weapon as a conduit, before retrieving it. The target takes your Vessel Damage amount in Lightning damage, and each other creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or also take that damage. You have Advantage on this saving throw.

Gale Stride. As a Bonus Action, you can move up to half your Speed. During this rush, a freezing wind envelopes your body; if you end this movement within 5 feet of a creature, it takes your Vessel Damage in Cold damage as the frigid blast leaps to them. If there are multiple creatures, choose one that takes the damage.

Wildfire Surge. You can take a Bonus Action to wrap your weapon in flames. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Fire damage and suffers the [rules]burning[\rules] effect. While burning, the creature takes 1d4 Fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The burning creature or a creature within 5 feet of it can take an Action to extinguish the flames, ending the effect.

Level 3: Unbound Wilds

While your Rage is active, you can unleash lightning with the following options.

Thornbind. You can take a Bonus Action to create thorny, poisonous vines that wrap around your weapon. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Poison damage and becomes ensnared by the vines, which anchor to the ground, until the start of your next turn. Each time it attempts to move more than 10 feet while ensnared, it must make a Strength (Athletics) check against your Vessel save DC, freeing itself on a success. On a failure, it takes your Vessel Damage, and its Speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

Fulgurant Strike. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can leave the weapon embedded in their chest for a brief moment and immediately take a Bonus Action to call down lightning from the heavens to strike them, using the weapon as a conduit, before retrieving it. The target takes your Vessel Damage amount in Lightning damage, and each other creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or also take that damage. You have Advantage on this saving throw.

Gale Stride. As a Bonus Action, you can move up to half your Speed. During this rush, a freezing wind envelopes your body; if you end this movement within 5 feet of a creature, it takes your Vessel Damage in Cold damage as the frigid blast leaps to them. If there are multiple creatures, choose one that takes the damage.

Wildfire Surge. You can take a Bonus Action to wrap your weapon in flames. The next time you hit a creature this turn, it takes your Vessel Damage amount in Fire damage and suffers the [rules]burning[\rules] effect. While burning, the creature takes 1d4 Fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The burning creature or a creature within 5 feet of it can take an Action to extinguish the flames, ending the effect.

Level 6: Thunderous Crash

You are ready to leap into battle at a moment’s notice, crashing down on your foes like thunder from the heavens. As part of entering your Rage, you can leap into the air and crash down on a space on the ground you can see within 30 feet of yourself that isn't occupied by a Huge or larger creature. Each creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the destination space must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking twice your Vessel Damage in Thunder damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

If a creature is in the destination space, it has Disadvantage on the saving throw and is pushed 5 feet out of the space to an unoccupied space of their choice. If no unoccupied space is available within that range, the creature instead has the Prone condition.

When you reach Barbarian level 10, the distance you can leap increases to 60 feet, and you can land in spaces occupied by Huge creatures. When you reach Barbarian level 14, the distance increases to 90 feet, and you can land in spaces occupied by any creature.

 

Level 10: Lightning Reflexes

The lightning you wield enhances your reflexes past what your body could normally handle. As a result, whenever you make a Dexterity check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).

In addition, while your Rage is active, you can use your Gale Stride once on each of your turns without taking a Bonus Action.

Level 14: Nature Incarnate

You are one with the elemental forces that flows through you. You can add your Constitution modifier to your Vessel Damage, and the options of your Unbound Wilds improve in the following ways.

Thornbind. An ensnared creature must make the Strength (Athletics) check if it attempts to move 5 feet, and on a failure, it can’t take Reactions until the start of your next turn.

Fulgurant Strike. The size of the Emanation increases to 20 feet, and you can choose a number of creatures equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum one) that automatically succeed on the saving throw.

Gale Stride. When you rush, you can move up to your Speed, and you can choose to merge with the lightning, teleporting the distance moved instead.

Wildfire Surge. When a creature suffering from the Wildfire Surge Burning effect ends its turn within 10 feet of one or more other creatures, you can choose to spread the [rules]burning[\rules] effect to another creature within range.