And here I was thinking that Barbarians were pretty much just "get angy and smack opponents with big hurty thing until they die." Nope, they got magic too, so now it's "get angy and summon storm, THEN hit opponents with big hurty thing AND the power of nature until they die." I'm definitely not complaining, but damn, why is there so much utility in this?
When you choose to be a Storm Herald Barbarian, you get to choose either Desert, Sea, or Tundra for your Storm Aura. You can swap out your Aura type whenever you get a Barbarian level, so there's a lot of choice here. This is at 3rd level, and these effects can be activated as a bonus action on your turn. They continue to scale with level as well, so that's fun. When you rage, your Aura activates (range of 10ft), and depending on what you chose, then you can:
Desert: do a small bit of fire damage (2 at 3rd level) to everyone within your aura (can't choose who takes this damage, so keep your friends out of range). Minor damage and common resistance, but scales with level and can't be avoided, so it's a good AoE.
Sea: force a DEX save on something within your aura or they take 1d6 lightning damage. DEX saves are common, but damage scales with level.
Tundra: give selected creatures in your aura 2 temp hit points. Scales with level yet again and makes both you and your melee friends that much better in combat.
The benefits of Storm Soul (6th level) are active even when you're not raging, so you get:
Desert: Fire damage resistance, immunity to the effects of extreme heat, and you can touch an object not worn or carried by anyone else and set it on fire. Nice resistance, situational benefit, and a fun party trick.
Sea: Lightning damage resistance, and you basically become a mermaid (breathe underwater and swim speed of 30ft). Decent resistance, plus a maybe useful benefit.
Tundra: Cold damage resistance, immunity to the effects of extreme cold, and you touch water and turn a 5-foot cube of it into ice, which melts after 1 minute. Another nice resistance, situational benefit, and fun party trick.
Shielding Storm (10th Level) just lets your friends get closer to you while you rage, as they gain resistance to the damage type you get from your Storm Soul feature, but only while you're raging, so no huddling around the Barbarian while they're not angy.
The capstone feature of Raging Storm (14th Level) are ok, depending on what you choose for your Aura.
Desert: If someone hits you while in your Aura, you can use your reaction to force them to make a DEX save or take fire damage equal to half your Barbarian level. Since you get this at 14th level, that's 7 fire damage. Nice bit of bonus damage, but DEX is a very common save, and fire resistance is also a common pain.
Sea: If you hit someone in your Aura, you can use your reaction to force them to make a Strength save. If they fail, they get knocked prone. This can be huge, as being a Barbarian, you can attack twice with your action, so it could play out like this: Attack hits, you knock 'em prone, then you make your second Attack while they're prone. Big potential, but unfortunately monsters love their Strength stats.
Tundra: Every time you activate your Aura effect, you get to force a Strength throw on someone in your Aura, and if they fail, you basically freeze them, reducing their speed to 0ft until the start of your next turn. Another Strength save, but it's still a good benefit.
In conclusion, why don't I see these guys being talked about more often? You can choose from three relatively good options, and if you don't like it, just level up and you get a swap.
I've just listed the features they get and pointed out their effects. Almost all of these will be useful to you, and while some do better than others depending on your campaign, they're all pretty good bets. I'd like to hear from you guys, though. Why would you choose another subclass/other class over the Storm Herald Barbarian? Downsides? Niches? Something else does it better? Please, let me know!
I'm so totally gonna make one of these, give him a magic warhammer and go with Sea, and then try not to offend Thor XD
ADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
I feel like the storm herald barbarian is just overshadowed. Some TCE subclasses are just forgotten for better options, or are just outclassed.
The storm herald is definitely good, but one of the drawbacks is the aura. It can damage party members which discourages its play from most campaign
it’s also just outshadowed by the bear totem barbarian and the ancestral guardian subclass. They both are awesome with support and just tankiness in general.
I agree that it is really good, but the reason I haven’t played it personally is the storm aura. I just would rather do a fun ancestral guardian or currently a random wild magic barb than cause complaints at the table whenever I start raging.
I get that only the fire one damages but the sea and tundra is just a bit harder to fit in world building and specific for campaigns heavy with Role-playing and backstories.
All good! I get where you're coming from, and I definitely agree. Storm Herald is overshadowed by other subclasses or just classes that can do the same style of thing but better. But if you want to play Thor, then this will probably be best lol
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ADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
The big downside of Storm Herald is that, unlike Totem Warrior, you can't mix-and-match features. You can only switch auras upon gaining a barbarian level as well, so you don't have access to any specific feature on-demand, particularly the heavily situational Storm Soul abilities.
Storm Aura also uses your bonus action for each trigger, and most of the Raging Storm options use your reaction, so that's also a downside compared to other barbarian subclasses with features that don't require as large a commitment of your BAs/reactions.
The big downside of Storm Herald is that, unlike Totem Warrior, you can't mix-and-match features. You can only switch auras upon gaining a barbarian level as well, so you don't have access to any specific feature on-demand, particularly the heavily situational Storm Soul abilities.
Storm Aura also uses your bonus action for each trigger, and most of the Raging Storm options use your reaction, so that's also a downside compared to other barbarian subclasses with features that don't require as large a commitment of your BAs/reactions.
Very fair points. As is with everything, I'm just trying to understand why people don't play it, and I'm seeing why is not very common. Regardless, I still think it's cool, and thanks all for telling me about it ^^
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ADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
Storm Herald is very cool. A player in one of my campaigns was playing a Sea Storm Herald and really enjoyed it. He used a shield and 1H weapon (a scimitar, a homebrewed modified Flame Tongue so his damage wasn't too horrible compared the the rest of the highly optimized party) and didn't go GWM so he didn't have to worry about any BA conflicts with his aura. A very cool character with good exploration utility, as well.
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And here I was thinking that Barbarians were pretty much just "get angy and smack opponents with big hurty thing until they die." Nope, they got magic too, so now it's "get angy and summon storm, THEN hit opponents with big hurty thing AND the power of nature until they die." I'm definitely not complaining, but damn, why is there so much utility in this?
When you choose to be a Storm Herald Barbarian, you get to choose either Desert, Sea, or Tundra for your Storm Aura. You can swap out your Aura type whenever you get a Barbarian level, so there's a lot of choice here. This is at 3rd level, and these effects can be activated as a bonus action on your turn. They continue to scale with level as well, so that's fun. When you rage, your Aura activates (range of 10ft), and depending on what you chose, then you can:
The benefits of Storm Soul (6th level) are active even when you're not raging, so you get:
Shielding Storm (10th Level) just lets your friends get closer to you while you rage, as they gain resistance to the damage type you get from your Storm Soul feature, but only while you're raging, so no huddling around the Barbarian while they're not angy.
The capstone feature of Raging Storm (14th Level) are ok, depending on what you choose for your Aura.
In conclusion, why don't I see these guys being talked about more often? You can choose from three relatively good options, and if you don't like it, just level up and you get a swap.
I've just listed the features they get and pointed out their effects. Almost all of these will be useful to you, and while some do better than others depending on your campaign, they're all pretty good bets. I'd like to hear from you guys, though. Why would you choose another subclass/other class over the Storm Herald Barbarian? Downsides? Niches? Something else does it better? Please, let me know!
I'm so totally gonna make one of these, give him a magic warhammer and go with Sea, and then try not to offend Thor XDADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
I feel like the storm herald barbarian is just overshadowed. Some TCE subclasses are just forgotten for better options, or are just outclassed.
The storm herald is definitely good, but one of the drawbacks is the aura. It can damage party members which discourages its play from most campaign
it’s also just outshadowed by the bear totem barbarian and the ancestral guardian subclass. They both are awesome with support and just tankiness in general.
I agree that it is really good, but the reason I haven’t played it personally is the storm aura. I just would rather do a fun ancestral guardian or currently a random wild magic barb than cause complaints at the table whenever I start raging.
I get that only the fire one damages but the sea and tundra is just a bit harder to fit in world building and specific for campaigns heavy with Role-playing and backstories.
Also sorry it may be coming across like I’m hating on the class. I really enjoy the concept and would like to try it sometime. :)
All good! I get where you're coming from, and I definitely agree. Storm Herald is overshadowed by other subclasses or just classes that can do the same style of thing but better. But if you want to play Thor, then this will probably be best lol
ADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
Yeah that or tempest cleric is good for a Thor build
Very fair points. As is with everything, I'm just trying to understand why people don't play it, and I'm seeing why is not very common. Regardless, I still think it's cool, and thanks all for telling me about it ^^
ADHD Aussie (17M) with too many ideas and not enough time! Always up to chat!
Disclaimer: I'm not an optimizer. If I say something that's not fine-tuned to perfection, that's on purpose. D&D isn't an online tournament, it's a TTRPG where your imagination and the DM's compliance are the limits. I don't do "metas". If I can have fun with my thematically cool and still viable (both in and out of combat) concept, I'm happy. I'm not going for optimal stats; I'm going for optimal fun.
Storm Herald is very cool. A player in one of my campaigns was playing a Sea Storm Herald and really enjoyed it. He used a shield and 1H weapon (a scimitar, a homebrewed modified Flame Tongue so his damage wasn't too horrible compared the the rest of the highly optimized party) and didn't go GWM so he didn't have to worry about any BA conflicts with his aura. A very cool character with good exploration utility, as well.