Path of the Skald

Skalds are warriors as much as they are preservers of ancient stories and rites, poetic scribes of idyllic, bygone days, and entertainers and morale-boosters. Through a deep fondness and connection to their old ways, or perhaps as the result of a gift from a deity or patron, skalds can call upon divine magic by recanting tales of old.

Skald Anthology

At 3rd level, you become able to call on the deeds of your forefathers by incanting their legends and tales, or by constructing your own fictions. You find, create, or inherit an empty anthology--a book, large scroll, or some other medium--that can receive the divine power hidden in your tales and songs. Upon completing a long rest, you can scribe stories into this anthology, allowing you to cast while you are raging. You cannot cast spells that require concentration.

You prepare anthology spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your barbarian level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level barbarian, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of anthology spells requires time spent invoking and scribing ancient tales: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell in your anthology.

Battle Harmony

Beginning at 6th level, the magic invoked in your telling of ancient lore, or works of great fiction, inspire nearby allies.

As an action while raging, you can expend a spell slot, granting a number of allies up to the level expended, within 30 feet of you, one of the following benefits, which you choose upon using this ability:

• Fervor: Increase all physical damage dealt by your rage damage bonus.
• Shielded: Decrease all incoming physical damage by your rage damage bonus.
• Neutralizing: Decrease all incoming acid, cold, fire, and lightning damage by your rage damage bonus.
• Steady: Increase Constitution and Wisdom saving throws by your rage damage bonus.

The effect persists on your allies as long as they can see you, or until you end the effect or stop raging for any reason. You can change the effect by expending another spell slot as a bonus action.

At 11th level, you can activate this ability as a bonus action, and change the effect as a free action, but still must expend spell slots to do so.

Combat Dissonance

Beginning at 10th level, when you use your Battle Harmony ability, you can choose one creature within 60 feet to attempt to shake or discourage with the harshness of your words or by keeping them off rhythm. If they fail a Wisdom saving throw, they gain one of the following penalties, depending on what you chose as your Harmony:

• Fervor: Increase all physical damage dealt by your allies by your rage damage bonus >>> Reduce all physical damage dealt by the target(s) by your rage damage bonus
• Shielded: Decrease all incoming physical damage dealt to your allies by your rage damage bonus >>> Increase all physical damage dealt to the target(s) by your rage damage bonus
• Neutralizing: Decrease all incoming acid, cold, fire, and lightning damage to your allies by your rage damage bonus >>> Increase all acid, cold, fire, and lightning damage taken by the target(s) by your rage damage bonus
• Steady: Increase your allies' Constitution and Wisdom saving throws by your rage damage bonus >>> Decrease any Constitution or Wisdom saving throws made by your target(s) by your rage damage bonus

At 13th level, you can target one extra enemy. At 18th level, you can target two extra enemies.

Countering Refrain

Starting at 14th level, you can attempt to jumble a spell caster's words or break their concentration on performing somatic gestures using your songs or performance. 

As a reaction, while you are raging, you can spend a reaction and a spell slot to attempt to counter a spell being cast as long as you are aware that the target is casting a spell and it is within 30 feet of you. Roll a d20 and add your rage damage bonus against a DC of 10 + the level of the spell being countered. On a success, the creature's spell fails and has no effect.