Path of Hidden Courage

Barbarians who walk the Path of Hidden Courage are shunned recluses, holding emotions inside that they have held back for their whole lives, which if unleashed can exhibit an unimaginable heroic potential. Away from a battlefield, they may appear skittish, shy or just very quiet, and their potential usually remains unrecognized by even the most trained eyes. They may not even realize their own strength in the beginning. Someone who hasn't seen them in combat would certainly never use the word "Barbarian" to describe them. 

Their behavior in in everyday life and when they enter their rage often could not be any more different, two opposite sides of the same coin. Some of these barbarians have grown up in isolation in the wilderness, closing themselves to the outside world. Or they might have grown up in a city, trying to master combat to then get rejected for not being able to control themselves. Either way, those who wander this path often start out restraining their own power, seeing it as the cause of their failures, or something that might hurt those they love, and they may even be scared of themselves more than of anyone else.

Optional: What has caused you to be insecure about your own strength?

For roleplay purposes with this subclass, it may be good to know what has caused your timid nature in everyday life despite your physical strength. This can be decided on your own in a way that fits your particular backstory, but you may also choose from the following table or roll on it:

d6	Reason
1	In the past I have unwillingly caused the death of someone dear to me in a blind rage while trying to protect them.
2	I once wanted to become a great knight, but got laughed out of my training by a noble for my brutish and "unrefined" combat style.
3	Due to my strength or some reason related to my appearance, I was seen as a freak and was shunned by people, preferring to grow up in isolation and avoid others.
4	I was raised in a pacifist environment, where tools for killing and even strength itself were seen as a disgrace. Although I abandoned their ways, some of their words remained deeply engrained in my memory.
5	In my surroundings, physical strength was never needed, intellect and poise were all that determined ones worth. I was always seen as the weakest link in what mattered most to those around me.
6	I grew up next to someone physically even stronger than me. Always assuming I was destined to be the weak one, I submitted to them.

Surprising Ferocity

You can become ferocious extremely quickly despite your unassuming appearance, which catches your opponents off-guard even when they know about your skill in combat. To most creatures you usually don't seem very dangerous at first sight.

Starting at 3rd level, while you're not raging, all creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom(Insight) ability checks made to determine any of your abilities. This does not apply to other Insight checks, like those made to determine whether or not you're lying.

Additionally, after entering your rage, melee attacks that you make until the end of your turn deal an additional 1d4 damage of the attack's damage type. This damage increases to 1d8 at 10th level and 1d12 at 14th level.

Duality of Mind

Starting at 6th level, while you aren't raging, your main objective in battle is preventing harm to yourself. When you reach 6th level in this class you gain the following benefits while you are not raging if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

• You can use a reaction when you are targeted for an attack or when you become effected by a spell or ability that allows for a dexterity saving throw from another creature to move 10 feet away from that creature without provoking opportunity attacks and become frightened of that creature. At the end of each of your turns, you may choose to roll a DC15 Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If you are outside the threat range after this movement, the attack is an automatic miss. This ability must be declared before an attack roll or saving throw is made.
• While you are frightened, your AC is increased by your proficiency bonus and you have advantage on dexterity saving throws.

However, while you are raging, your instincts to protect others take over all thoughts of self-preservation. You gain the following benefits while raging if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

• You can use a reaction to redirect an attack against an ally within 5 feet of you to yourself, keeping the same roll. You can decide to use this feature after the attack roll is made.
• You can use a reaction to use your own body to block some of the impact of an area of effect that allows for a saving throw before it would hit an ally within 5 feet of you, like a fireball spell or a dragon's breath attack. You are subject to all consequences of that effect and automatically fail the saving throw. Your ally then makes their saving throw with advantage. If they fail, they are treated as if they succeeded instead. If they succeed their saving throw, they suffer no effects or damage even if they normally would suffer reduced effects or damage on a successful saving throw.
• You cannot be frightened. (If you are frightened when you enter your rage, the fear ends.)

Cathartic Rage

Raging unleashes your pent up emotions, which clears your mind and sharpens your instincts.

Starting at 10th level, you have resistance to psychic damage while raging.

You also gain proficiency in wisdom and intelligence saving throws.

In addition, when your rage ends you gain advantage on your next ability check based on intelligence or wisdom within 1 hour.

Protective Instincts

(At the DM's discretion, minor allies without strong connections to the barbarian as well as summoned creatures or resummonable familiars may not trigger the following abilities.)

Your rage is an instinct to protect others, kicking in during the most dire situations.

Starting at 14th level, when an ally that you can see is incapacitated as a result of being reduced to 0 hit points or dies, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your barbarian level and automatically enter a rage if you are not already raging. This rage does not contribute to your maximum number of rages and triggers even if you normally couldn't rage. Then you may use your reaction to move up to your movement rate towards your ally that got reduced to 0 HP without provoking attacks of opportunity until the movement ends, taking the most direct path. Each ally can only trigger this ability once per combat encounter.  

Abilities of your Duality of Mind feature that target an incapacitated ally with 0 hit points do not spend your reaction, counting as "free actions" instead.

During your turn while you're raging, you can use your bonus action to make a melee attack against an enemy who has reduced an ally to 0 hit points this combat. Against an enemy that has killed an ally player character or character similarly close to you (including in a previous encounter), this bonus action attack can also be made regardless and is an automatic critical hit if it lands.