Path of the Thinker

Barbarians are famously not the brightest lot. Thinkers are a special kind of barbarian, who think they are smart (hence the name) and get repeatedly frustrated when they are proven wrong. Frustration leads to anger, anger leads to rage and rage leads to rolling heads - seperated from their bodies by attacks fueled and enhanced by that same frustration.

Frustrations of a self-proclaimed genius

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you begin to place great emphasis on your intellect. It's just a shame that you don't have as much in your head as much as you think.

As you level up to 3rd level, you may reduce your intelligence value by 2 points and you gain resistance to psychic damage.

Additionally, you may give yourself disadvantage on any intelligence-based ability checks and saving throws.

Whenever you fail an intelligence-based ability check or saving throw, you receive one point of frustration. You may never have more than 2 points of frustration. At 6th level this maximum increases to 3, at 10th level to 4 and at 14th level to 5. After you make a strength-based attack roll or ability check or a damage roll for a strength-based weapon, you may spend one point of frustration to give yourself a bonus to the roll. The amount of this bonus depends on your Intelligence score.

• INT 10+: +1 bonus
• INT 8-9: +2 bonus
• INT 6-7: +3 bonus
• INT 4-5: +4 bonus
• INT 2-3: +5 bonus
• INT 1: +6 bonus

Alternative solution strategies

When you reach 6th level, you have learned to find an intellectual solution for all your problems.

Whenever you make an ability check that is not based on Intelligence, you can make an Intelligence check against the same DC instead. If the original check was a skill check, the DM determines an Intelligence skill that modifies the roll instead. The new roll has the same consequences on success and failure as the original roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. After a long rest, all spent uses are available to you again.

"What are 'flesh wound'?"

From 10th level onwards, you sometimes do not understand what effect a wound will have on you, which is why, logically, this effect does not occur.

Whenever you take damage, you may make an Intelligence saving throw. The SG is 20 minus the amount of damage, but cannot be reduced below 10. If you fail, you gain resistance to all damage types involved for the duration of the attack or effect. If you already have resistance to one of the damage types involved, you gain immunity instead.

If you reduce or ignore damage in this way, this feature will only be available to you again after a long rest.

Animalistic Intelligence

Starting at 14th level, your rage fills you with the intelligence of all animals dumber than the average ape.

During your rage, your intelligence value is 3 (but can still be increased or reduced by effects) and you gain one point of frustration at the start of each of your turns.