Base Class: Barbarian
Some of the most unfortunate beings are those who have been cursed. Bloodlines have suffered and lives have been upended by these supernatural curses, the wrath of greater beings making their fury known. However, there will always be someone that catches the attention of that same greater being. This person will remain cursed, but will be given the ability to harness that curse and use it for their own benefit. If a barbarian is given this ability, they are often exiled from their tribe at an early age as a resentment for that dark influence. These barbarians walk the Path of Dark Arcana, and make full use of magic given to them by their curse to enact violence on the battlefield.
Limitations of D&DBeyond
Many parts of this subclass will not function as intended. You will have more spell slots than what is listed in the Pact Magic feature, and be able to learn more spells than normal. This is because of the limitations of D&DBeyond's homebrew creation system. To gain a faithful experience of playing this subclass, please closely follow the feature's written descriptions for spellcasting and other things.
Curse Patron
3rd-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
You are cursed by one of the otherworldly beings of your choice, which you also rely on for your survival:
- The Fiend, or the Great Old One, detailed in the Player’s Handbook
- The Undying, from Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
- The Hexblade, from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
- The Fathomless, from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
- The Undead, from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
The choice you make augments some of your subclass features, as noted below.
The Fathomless
You have chosen the Fathomless as your curse patron.
The Fiend
You have chosen the Fiend as your curse patron.
The Great Old One
You have chosen the Great Old One as your curse patron.
The Hexblade
You have chosen the Hexblade as your curse patron.
The Undead
You have chosen the Undead as your curse patron.
The Undying
You have chosen the Undying as your curse patron.
Pact Magic
3rd-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
You augment your battle style with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the Player’s Handbook for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Dark Arcana Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those spell slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st-level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
For example, when you are 8th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell armor of Agathys, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st-level or Higher. At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Dark Arcana Spellcasting table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 13th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. Additionally, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Breaking the Curse
Should you find a way to break the curse your patron has bestowed on you, you might want to follow the following rule: you still retain your warlock spells, though you are not able to replace a warlock spell you have learned or learn a new one when you gain a level in this class. Additionally, you no longer gain benefits from features that use your Curse Patron. When you are able to, you can change your Barbarian Primal Path to one that the DM decides.
Dark Arcana Spellcasting
| BARBARIAN LEVEL | CANTRIPS KNOWN |
SPELLS KNOWN |
SPELL SLOTS |
SLOT LEVEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 4th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 5th | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1st |
| 6th | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 7th | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 8th | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 9th | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 10th | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 11th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2nd |
| 12th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2nd |
| 13th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 14th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 15th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 16th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 17th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
| 18th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
| 19th | 3 | 10 | 2 | 4th |
| 20th | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4th |
Warped Fury
3rd-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
Your rage has been warped by your cursed magic. While you are raging, you gain a specific benefit from your chosen Curse Patron.
The Fathomless. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe underwater. Additionally, being underwater does not impose any penalties on your attacks.
The Fiend. You gain resistance to fire damage, and you deal an additional 2 fire damage when you hit with an attack on your turn. This damage increases to 3 at 6th level and 4 at 10th level.
The Great Old One. When you enter a rage or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, any number of creatures you choose that can see you within 10 feet of you are [Tooltip Not Found] of you until the end of your next turn.
The Hexblade. Once per turn when you use your Reckless Attack feature, you have a bonus to your attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.
The Undead. You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and are immune to the poisoned condition. Additionally, your appearance changes to reflect some aspect of your Curse Patron.
The Undying. Once per turn when you roll to regain hit points, you can use the maximum roll for one of the dice instead of rolling.
Additionally, your warped fury allows you to concentrate on warlock spells you cast while raging. If the warlock spell you cast deals damage, it gains the damage bonus granted to you by your Rage feature, and if the warlock spell requires you to make an attack roll it can be made at advantage if you use your Reckless Attack feature. Your rage continues to be active if you deal damage with a warlock spell.
The Fathomless
You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe underwater. Additionally, being underwater does not impose any penalties on your attacks.
The Fiend
You gain resistance to fire damage, and you deal an additional 2 fire damage when you hit with an attack on your turn. This damage increases to 3 at 6th level and 4 at 10th level.
The Great Old One
When you enter a rage or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, any number of creatures you choose that can see you within 10 feet of you are frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
The Hexblade
Once per turn when you use your Reckless Attack feature, you have a bonus to your attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.
The Undead
You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and are immune to the poisoned condition. Additionally, your appearance changes to reflect some aspect of your Curse Patron.
The Undying
Once per turn when you roll to regain hit points, you can use the maximum roll for one of the dice instead of rolling.
Arcane Wrath
6th-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
You can make a single attack as a bonus action when you use your action to cast a warlock cantrip.
Manifested Rage
6th-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
Your rage manifests further in ways that are specific to your Cursed Patron. You gain the additional benefits depending on the Cursed Patron you chose while raging.
The Fathomless. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of the attacks you make to summon a dark tendril to strike out at your opponents. You choose a creature within 10 feet of you to grapple with this tendril, and when you succeed on your Athletics check you can pull that creature 5 feet towards you. It remains grappled until it can successfully escape or until the end of your next turn.
The Fiend. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can end a disease or condition afflicting you and gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of 1).
The Great Old One. You gain resistance to psychic damage. Additionally when you frighten a creature, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures allied to you while it is frightened.
The Hexblade. Once per turn when you score a critical hit, you can use the maximum roll for one of the attack’s damage dice.
The Undead. Once per turn when you hit with an attack, you can fracture one of your bones to empower that attack. The creature hit by your attack is knocked prone. The bone you fracture mends itself after the attack.
The Undying. You have advantage on death saving throws and your rage does not end when you fall unconscious as a result of having 0 hit points. Your rage remains active while you are unconscious even if you do not take or deal damage on your turns. When you are conscious again you have advantage on all attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
The Fathomless
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of the attacks you make to summon a dark tendril to strike out at your opponents. You choose a creature within 10 feet of you to grapple with this tendril, and when you succeed on your Athletics check you can pull that creature 5 feet towards you. It remains grappled until it can successfully escape or until the end of your next turn.
The Fiend
When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can end a disease or condition afflicting you and gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of 1).
The Great Old One
You gain resistance to psychic damage. Additionally when you frighten a creature, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures allied to you while it is frightened.
The Hexblade
Once per turn when you score a critical hit, you can use the maximum roll for one of the attack’s damage dice.
The Undead
Once per turn when you hit with an attack, you can fracture one of your bones to empower that attack. The creature hit by your attack is knocked prone. The bone you fracture mends itself after the attack.
The Undying
You have advantage on death saving throws and your rage does not end when you fall unconscious as a result of having 0 hit points. Your rage remains active while you are unconscious even if you do not take or deal damage on your turns. When you are conscious again you have advantage on all attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Magical Conversion
10th-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
Your rage is tied to your magic, and can thus be sacrificed to regain your magic. When you dismiss your rage early as a bonus action, you can choose to regain a spent pact spell slot. Once you use this feature, you may not do so again until you finish a long rest.
Gifts of Dark Arcana
14th-level Path of Dark Arcana feature
You gain additional pact spells depending on your Cursed Patron. These spells are always prepared and don’t count against the number of warlock spells you have prepared. You can cast the spell with any pact spell slot you have.
The Fathomless. You can cast silence.
The Fiend. You can cast fireball.
The Great Old One. You can cast clairvoyance.
The Hexblade. You can cast branding smite.
The Undead. You can cast phantom steed.
The Undying. You can cast speak with dead.
The Fathomless
You can cast silence.
The Fiend
You can cast fireball.
The Great Old One
You can cast clairvoyance.
The Hexblade
You can cast branding smite.
The Undead
You can cast phantom steed.
The Undying
You can cast speak with dead.
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