Path of the Living Saga v4

“A warrior carries a weapon. A hero carries a legend. I carry a thousand years of legends upon my skin.”

The Path of the Living Saga is a Barbarian who preserves the deeds of ancient heroes, terrifying monsters, fallen civilizations, and ancestral spirits through magical tattoos. Each tattoo is a living story, etched into the Barbarian's body through sacred ink, ritual scars, and acts of remembrance.

When the Barbarian enters a Rage, these stories awaken. A wolf tattoo might lend the instincts of a legendary hunter, a dragon might wreath the warrior in supernatural fury, and an ancient guardian might rise from the ink to protect nearby allies.

Level 3: Ink of the Ancients

At level 3, Your body becomes a living chronicle, and the stories etched into your skin awaken when you Rage.

LIVING TATTOOS. You know two Saga Tattoos of your choice: Wolf, Dragon, Bear, Raven, Stag, or Giant. You learn additional tattoos at Barbarian levels 6, 10, and 14, for a maximum of five known tattoos. Whenever you long rest, you can replace one tattoo you know with another tattoo.

AWAKENING YOUR TATTOOS. When you enter your Rage, choose one tattoo you know to awaken. It remains active until your Rage ends. At the start of each of your turns while Raging, you can switch your active tattoo to another tattoo you know (no action required). Only your active tattoo grants its benefits. You can use a tattoo's special action only while it is active and while your Rage is active, unless the tattoo states otherwise.

TATTOO SAVE DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier. Tattoo abilities are magical features, not spells.

The Bear Who Held Up the Mountain

UNYIELDING HIDE. When you enter your Rage, you gain 1d12 Temporary Hit Points equal to your proficiency bonus. These Temporary Hit Points disappear when your Rage ends.

STAND BEHIND ME. When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you takes damage from an attack, you can take a Reaction while Raging to instead take that damage. In addition that creature gains resistance to that damage type the next time they would take it until the start of your next turn.  You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus and it resets on a long rest.

BEAST SPEACH. You passively gain proficiency in animal handling and gain the ability to cast speak with animals once per long rest. 

The Dragon Who Swallowed the Sun

LEGENDS MANIFEST. While raging your tattoo gains life of its own turning into an inky pseudodragon familiar. This dragon shares your resistances and can attack on its turn which it takes after yours. In addition it is treated as size small for any grapple attack or check.

SCORCHING ROAR. As a Bonus Action while Raging on your or your familiar's turn, choose one creature within 15 feet of you. You or your pseudodragon deal Fire damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus . In addition they make a wis save gaining the Frightened condition for 1 min on a fail. They may repeat the save at the end of each of it's turns. You can use Scorching Roar a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

HEART OF EMBERS. You passively gain resistance to Fire damage and learn Draconic.

The Giant Who Carried the World

MIGHT OF THE FIRSTBORN. While Raging, you have can't roll less than 10 on ability checks made to avoid being Grappled or to end the Grappled condition on yourself. In addition you become size large if you are not already, provided there is enough room.

EARTHSHAKER. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can force it to make a Strength saving throw against your Tattoo Save DC. On a failed save, you push it up to 5 feet away from you. A creature larger than you has Advantage on this save.

MIGHTY MUSCLES. Your reach is passively increased by 5 feet for melee attacks and your carry capacity is treated as if you are always large.

The Raven Who Stole Death's Secret

You may choose this tattoo at level 6.

NEVER THE FINAL CHAPTER. While Raging, If you were to fall to 0 hit points make a con save dc = 8 + damage taken. On a success you drop to a number of hit points equal to your barbarian level. You can use this feature once per long rest.

TAKE FLIGHT. While Raging, sprout Inky wings and gain a flight speed of 20 feet.

EYES BEYOND THE VEIL. You passively gain proficiency in Perception. If you already have proficiency, you gain Expertise in Perception instead.

The Stag Who Led the Lost Home

TRAILBLAZER. While Raging, you ignore nonmagical Difficult Terrain.

GUIDING CHARGE. When you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can move yourself and one other creature within 5 feet up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks. You can use this benefit only once per turn.

ALWAYS ALERT. You passively can't be surprised while conscious.

The Wolf That Chases the Moon

MOONLIT HUNTER. While your Rage is active, your Speed increases by 10 feet.

PACK TACTICS. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a Strength-based attack, if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of that creature, you can deal extra damage equal 1d6 scaling to 1d8 at level 6, 2d6 at level 10, and 2d8 at level 14 . The extra damage is the same type as the attack's damage.

APEX PREDATOR. You passively gain blindsight using your smell out to 30 feet. 

Level 3: Tales Beyond the Battlefield

At level 3,

You gain proficiency in History or Performance. If you already have proficiency in the chosen skill, you gain Expertise in it instead. You can communicate simple ideas through the imagery of your tattoos to a creature that can see them, even if you do not share a language, provided the creature has an Intelligence score of at least 4.

Choose History

.

Choose Performance

.

Level 6: Retelling of the Great Deeds

At level 6, You learn to share the strength of the legends inscribed on your body.

SECOND CHRONICLE. You learn one additional Saga Tattoo, for a total of three known tattoos.

WORDS THAT STIR THE BLOOD. When you enter your Rage, choose one ally within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you. That ally gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). These Temporary Hit Points last until your Rage ends or they are depleted. Only one ally can receive these Temporary Hit Points each time you enter your Rage. A creature that still has Temporary Hit Points from this feature cannot gain them again from this feature. In addition that ally also benefits from the passive ability of your tattoos.

LIVING HISTORY. You can spend 1 minute recounting a story recorded in one of your tattoos to creatures who can see or hear you. Choose up to six willing creatures that listen for the entire minute. Each gains Advantage on the next ability check it makes within the next hour, provided the check relates to the story, people, places, or events depicted by the tattoo. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 10: The Saga Remembers

At level 10, The stories you carry preserve the lessons of those who came before you.

THIRD CHRONICLE. You learn one additional Saga Tattoo, for a total of four known tattoos.

ECHO OF EXPERIENCE. When you or an ally you can see within 30 feet of you makes an ability check or saving throw, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d6 and add the number rolled to the check or save. You can use this feature after the d20 is rolled but before the DM determines whether the roll succeeds or fails. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

IMPROVED WORDS THAT STIR THE BLOOD. When you enter your Rage, choose one ally within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you. That ally gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). These Temporary Hit Points last until your Rage ends or they are depleted. Only one ally can receive these Temporary Hit Points each time you enter your Rage. A creature that still has Temporary Hit Points from this feature cannot gain them again from this feature. In addition that ally also benefits from the passive and active ability of your tattoos.

Level 14: Avatar of the Living Saga

At level 14, Your tattoos become living legends, moving and blazing with supernatural power.

FOURTH CHRONICLE. You learn one additional Saga Tattoo, for a total of five known tattoos.

TWIN LEGENDS. Whenever you enter your Rage, you can awaken two tattoos you know instead of one. Both remain active until your Rage ends. At the start of each of your turns while Raging, you can switch either or both active tattoos to other tattoos you know. You cannot have more than two tattoos active at a time.

LEGENDARY MANIFESTATION. Once during each of your turns while you Rage, you can use a Bonus Action to choose one of the following manifestations. The effect lasts until the start of your next turn.

UNBREAKABLE HERO. You gain Resistance to all damage except Psychic damage.

MYTHIC HUNTER. Your Speed increases by 20 feet, and you can move through the spaces of hostile creatures as if those spaces were Difficult Terrain. If you end your turn in a space occupied by another creature, you move to the nearest unoccupied space.

WORLD-SHAKING TITAN. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can deal an extra 2d8 Force damage to it and force it to make a Strength saving throw against your Tattoo Save DC. On a failed save, you either push it up to 10 feet away from you and knock it Prone.