Hi,

I’m currently working on a custom Barbarian homebrew subclass called Path of the Scarred Soul. It focuses on turning the trauma and pain from one’s youth into power and strength. I have the concept fully developed, but I’m struggling with the technical side. I’ve also been looking for a step-by-step tutorial on fully customizing a subclass, but haven’t been able to find a good one. Does anyone have tips or resources that could help?

Thanks in advance!! 😄

I will share all the details about my Homebrew subclass down here. I know it might be a bit complex!:

The Scar Within (3rd level)

After choosing this path, you carry the weight of every hardship you’ve endured, but now, you refuse to be broken, letting no one push you aside. While standing on solid terrain, difficult terrain no longer slows your movement and any creature attempting to shove or move you does so at disadvantage.

The Scar Within (10th level upgrade)

Your body becomes unyielding as stone. While standing on solid ground, you cannot be shoved or moved against your will, even by magical or explosive force.

Skin like Granite (3rd level)

Your rage hardens your flesh into living stone. Once per rage, you can cast Stoneskin on yourself without material components. The spell lasts for 1 minute and can only be cast while you are standing on solid ground.

Scars Beneath (6th level)

After years of being pushed down and left behind, you assert yourself, each stomp rending the earth as a warning to your foes. As an action, you stomp the ground, fracturing the terrain in a 10 ft. radius. The area becomes difficult terrain until the end of your next turn, and jagged stones deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 5 ft. a creature other than you moves through it.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Scars Beneath (10th level upgrade)

Your buried rage erupts as molten fury. As an action, you stomp the ground, fracturing the terrain in a 10 ft. radius. The area becomes difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. Jagged, molten stone deals 1d6 bludgeoning plus 1d4 fire damage for every 5 ft. a creature other than you moves through it.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Stoneblood (10th level)

Your relentless spirit fuses with the raw strength, letting you shape and command stone as if it bends to your sheer will. You can cast Stone Shape or Meld into Stone a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. The saving throw DC for these effects is 8 + proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier.

Additionally, once per rage, when you would be reduced to 0 HP, you instead drop to 1 HP.

Stoneblood (14th level upgrade)

Your mastery over stone becomes so precise, you can sculpt a Blood Fragment into an ally to fight alongside you. As an action, spend one use of your casting slots to create a Blood Fragment (Tiny elemental).

You retain the ability to use Stone Shape and Meld into Stone as part of this feature.

Stoneblood (18th level upgrade) 

Your bond with the earth deepens and this allows your Blood Fragment elemental to grow stronger, larger and more resilient. As an action, spend one use of your casting slots to create a Rockheart (Medium elemental).

You retain the ability to use Stone Shape and Meld into Stone as part of this feature.

Scarred Survivor (14th level)

At the height of your endurance, your presence dominates the battlefield. While raging, any enemy within 10 ft. of you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you. Creatures immune to being charmed or frightened are unaffected.

Additionally, while raging, allies within 10 ft. of you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of their turn.

I am not seeing the connection between trauma and pain from one’s youth into power and strength as written.

A core Barbarian point is, no spells while raging.   

The basic tenet of "trauma and pain from one’s youth into power and strength" sounds good, but this write up is not a good reflection/execution. 

The skin like granite should be more of a buff with no concentration.  In addition isn't this spell similar to the basic rage given to BrB in level 1? 

I assume you have the 2024 PHB?  Look at the four sub classes and use those as a template.

A few things:

• The base Barbarian Rage feature doesn't allow casting or concentrating on spells while using it. If your intent is to allow the spellcasting offered by this subclass to bypass that, I'd recommend calling that out explicitly somewhere.
• For "The Scar Within", most forced-movement effects require the target to make a saving throw, rather having than the person doing the shoving roll anything. It would be better stated as you having advantage on saving throws to resist forced movement.
• "Skin Like Granite" seems like it doesn't do much of anything. The effect of Stoneskin is to provide resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage, but the base Rage feature already provides this. Casting Stoneskin on yourself while raging — even if you were allowed to cast spells while raging — wouldn't provide any benefit.
• It's a small point, but for "Scars Beneath", jagged stones seem like something that would deal Slashing damage rather than Bludgeoning.
• The second part of "Stoneblood" is largely redundant with the level 11 Barbarian feature "Relentless Rage".
• The higher level versions of "Stoneblood" refer to "casting slots", but there aren't any features granting spell slots or anything similar.
• "Scarred Survivor" doesn't indicate when the saving throws should be made.

I’m still new to this, so just to clarify; this is what I thought would be the most fun, but I’m totally open to suggestions or adjustments. At first i wanted some technical help, but seeing these reactions, i would love to make the subclass better and more in line with the whole 'Barbarian class'.

Could you give me some insights on what to change (other than not using spells at all, which is totally fine by me!) and maybe throw in a few new ideas? I’m especially curious because you mentioned, “I’m not seeing the connection between trauma and pain from one’s youth turning into power and strength as written. Just wondering what made you feel that way. I’d love to understand your perspective. Thanks!

Thanks for all the suggestions, this really helps a lot with figuring things out and actually enjoying the process of tweaking and adjusting! I’m pretty new to all this Homebrew stuff (and D&D in general), so it’ll take me a bit of time to fully understand some of the mechanics.

I’ll update my post once I’ve made some changes. Would you mind taking another look at it then, with fresh eyes?

For a simpleton like me, I don't connect the inner pain of youth with a stone/ground/terrain/etc.

Instead have it be buffs, that can allow a PC to over come.  It would need to be via non spells.

So to overcome difficult terrain, look at the longstrider spell.  Use the net result.  Come up with how the internal pain allows the PC to run over terrain with no penalty.

Makes sense. I guess I focused too much on my character (he’s a Hill Dwarf who had to work in the mines from a young age under an abusive father, that’s the short version, at least). That’s why I went for rocks and stone.

But I agree with you, it should be more about overcoming his pain rather than turning him into a stone-based character. Thanks!

If any more ideas pop up that could be fun to work in somehow, please let me know.