Base Class: Barbarian
Feared by many for their incredible might, giants have roamed the world since its early days, forging kingdoms, slaying dragons and crafting mighty weapons with their primal magic. Ever since they were nearly wiped off the face of the world, people have wondered where they went and what kind of magic they possessed to gain such power. Remnants of their magic can still be found within ancient giant ruins on massive tablets and tomes. Some people have been able to harness their ancient magical powers and use them to imbue their own bodies with a giant's fearful might.
As a Giant Heart barbarian, you decide how you gained your giant powers. The Giant Heart table offers a number of possibilities.
Giant Heart Origin
| d6 | Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have a giant ancestor and your powers come from your ancient bloodline. |
| 2 | You were raised by giants and learned their powers through sheer determination of survival. |
| 3 | After completing a prooving trial of your clan, you partook in a ritual that awakened the dormant powers of giants within yourself. |
| 4 | After a feak accident with a spellcasting giant, you found yourself imbued with giant powers. |
| 5 | After a near-death experience with a giant, your body magically took on aspects of that giant to one day get revenge on it. |
| 6 | After a dream featuring a white-haired and bearded giant wearing midnight blue robes, you awoke with the power of ancient giants. |
Bonus Proficiencies
3rd-level Path of the Giant Heart feature
You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation or Survival. You also learn to speak, read, and write Giant.
Athletics
You gain proficiency in Athletics.
Intimidation
You gain proficiency in Intimidation.
Survival
You gain proficiency in Survival.
Giant's Fury
3rd-level Path of the Giant Heart feature
Your exposure to the magic of giants has expressed itself by granting you some of their furious power. As part of the bonus action you take to enter your rage, you can also enter a Giant's Fury and gain the following benefits while raging:
- If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn't change.
- On your turn, your attacks with a weapon or an unarmed strike deal an extra 1d6 to a target on a hit.
- Your speed increases by 5 feet.
Aspect of the Giants
6th-level Path of the Giant Heart feature
Your connection to giants is beginning to shift your appearance towards that of a giant. When you use your Giant's Fury, you are able to take on a distinct aspect of the giants in the world. Until your rage ends, you embody an aspect of one of the following giants:
Cloud. Your body becomes shrouded in a silvery mist that constantly swirls around you. Your AC increases by 1. If you are hit by an attack, the mist disappears and you lose the AC bonus until the start of your next turn when the mist reforms. When you reach level 14 in this class, the AC bonus increases to 2.
Fire. Although still large, you appear to be stouter and stockier with a shock of fiery red hair. You gain resistance to fire damage.
Frost. Your skin turns a glacial blue and there appears to be a thin layer of frost covering your whole body. You gain resistance to cold damage.
Hill. Your stomach and upper body begin to swell and sag. You gain advantage on Constitution saving throws.
Stone. Your face seems gaunter and your skin turns to a rock-like grey. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. Additionally, your rage damage and Reckless Attack features can now apply to thrown weapons using Strength.
Storm. Your eyes begin to crackle with blue lightning and your hair seems to blow in a spectral wind. You gain resistance to lightning damage.
Shared Fury
10th-level Path of the Giant Heart feature
You've learnt to extend your Giant's Fury to grant others some of your power. As a bonus action on your turn, while you are using your Giant's Fury feature, you can extend your power onto a willing creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can only use this feature on a target that isn't already benefiting from this feature or the Giant's Fury feature. For the duration of your rage, they gain the following benefits:
- If they are smaller than Large, they become Large, along with anything they are wearing. If they lack the room to become Large, their size doesn't change.
- On their turn, their attacks with a weapon or an unarmed strike deal an extra 1d6 to a target on a hit.
- They have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- Their speed increases by 5 feet.
This can only be used once per rage.
Giant's Wrath
14th-level Path of the Giant Heart feature
Your extensive use of your giant transformations has allowed you to master and magnify your powers. When you enter your Giant's Fury state, you gain these additional benefits:
- Instead of becoming Large with this feature, you can instead become Huge. If you lack the room to become Huge, you instead become Large, unless you still lack the room then your size doesn't change.
- The additional damage dealt by your attacks with a weapon or an unarmed strike increases to 2d6 to a target on a hit instead of 1d6.
- Your speed increases by another 5 feet.
- The reach of your attacks with a melee weapon or an unarmed strike increases by 5 feet.
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Posted Jan 19, 2022This seems to fill a obvious missing class for Barbarians, the ability to take parts of the Rune Knight and merge it into the Barbarians rage and still keep the essence of the rune knight is great.
The functionality and ability to customise it with the different giants races allows for a DM and player to help it match the world that that character is in.
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Posted Jan 19, 2022Seems like a fun, pretty well balanced sub class with some really fun features!
A much needed addition to Barbarians, looking forward to play testing and commenting again.