Path of the Hulking Transformation

You drink a potion which you prepare, or otherwise magically empower a transformation into a hulking form. Your knowledge of the form and its transformation makes it more powerful. When you use your Rage, you assume your Hulking Transformation form. While transformed in this way, may use your INT modifier in place of STR for all Attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks, and saving throws which use STR.

Hulking Transformation

You enter your Rage by drinking a potion or otherwise consuming a resource. This resource causes you to undergo a transformation. The resource will have no effect if consumed by a creature other than you. You decide the appearance of your Rage Transformation, but it can’t grow new functional limbs, and it can’t grow cause you to grow larger than your normal size category. Your game statistics remain the same.  You prepare your resource during your long rest when your uses of your rage are restored. 

Knowledge is Power. Your knowledge of the Rage Transformation, and of the potion or resource used to assume it, makes the rage transformation more powerful. Thus, you use your INT modifier in place of STR for all Attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks, and saving throws which use STR while in your Rage Transformation.

Rage Resource Proficiency

Potion-making Proficiency.  Because entering your Rage Transformation involves consuming a resource which you prepare, you have proficiency in the Artisan’s Tools used in preparing the resource.  If the resource is a potion, you are proficient with the Alchemist's Supplies. If a different tool is required to prepare your resource, choose one other Artisan's Tool.

Potion-making Proficiency

Choose a tool used to create Hulking Transformation resource

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the artificer spell list.

Cantrips

You learn three cantrips of your choice from the artificer spell list. You learn another artificer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Hulking Transformation Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level artificer spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Hulking Transformation Spellcasting table shows when you learn more artificer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the artificer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Hulking Transformation spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a artificer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Hulking Transformation Spellcasting

Barbarian LEVEL	CANTRIPS KNOWN	SPELLS KNOWN	— SPELL SLOTS PER SPELL LEVEL —
			1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH
3rd	3	3	2	—	—	—
4th	3	4	3	—	—	—
5th	3	4	3	—	—	—
6th	3	4	3	—	—	—
7th	3	5	4	2	—	—
8th	3	6	4	2	—	—
9th	3	6	4	2	—	—
10th	4	7	4	3	—	—
11th	4	8	4	3	—	—
12th	4	8	4	3	—	—
13th	4	9	4	3	2	—
14th	4	10	4	3	2	—
15th	4	10	4	3	2	—
16th	4	11	4	3	3	—
17th	4	11	4	3	3	—
18th	4	11	4	3	3	—
19th	4	12	4	3	3	1
20th	4	13	4	3	3	1

Magic Versatility

Magical Infusion. While your rage transformation is active, you can expend one spell slot as a bonus action to infuse your unarmed strikes or a melee weapon you are holding with elemental magic.  Choose fire, ice, lightning, or acid. Add 1d6 of the damage type per level of the spell slot used to each of your attacks made with the infused weapon or to your unarmed attacks. This effect lasts until your rage transformation ends or until you expend a spell slot to use this feature again. 

Transformation Augmentation

At 6th level, you can augment your rage transformation with one of the following features.  Choose one:

Adrenal reactivity

Your rage transformation improves to have a hair trigger which can activate to heighten your reaction time whenever you are in danger. If you fail a saving throw or ability check during your rage transformation, you can use your reaction to re-roll the saving throw.  If you are not in your rage transformation, you can use your reaction to enter your rage transformation, after which you must re-roll the saving throw or ability check. If your rage transformation has advantage on the saving throw or ability check, you reroll at advantage.  You must use the new roll. You cannot use this ability again until you have dismissed this instance of your rage transformation.

Curious skin

During your Rage Transformation, your skin's appearance changes as it takes on an elemental affinity of your choice.  When you enter your Rage Transformation, or as a bonus action during your Rage Transformation, you can expend one spell slot of 1 level or higher, granting you the following benefits for 1 minute or until you dismiss the effect. 

• You gain 5 temporary hp per level of spell slot expended.  Choose either fire, lightning, cold, or acid. While you have these temporary hit points, whenever you are damaged by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to cause energy of the chosen element stored in your skin to lash out against the offending creature, dealing 1d6 damage per spell slot level.
• For the duration, damage of the chosen elemental affinity which you take is reduced by 1d6 per spell slot level, to a minimum of 0.
• When you are hit by an effect which deals fire, lightning, cold, or acid damage, you can choose to change your skin's affinity to the element which affected you without the need to use another bonus action or expend another spell slot.

Metabolic Burst

Once per round, your rage transformation can infuse you with a burst of speed, granting one of the following effects.

• Increase any one movement speed you possess by 30 feet until the beginning of your next turn.
• If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line, you can use your action to jump a distance or height equal to 3 times your Intelligence modifier (rounded up to the nearest 5 feet).
• Any time you land in another creature’s space after jumping or falling, you can use your bonus action to make a shove, grapple, or other melee attack.

Once you use any part of this feature, you cannot use this feature again until you spend an entire round without willingly using movement.

Wellspring Heart

During your rage transformation, your heart is a source of special Graviturgy magic.

While your rage transformation is active, you can use your action to expend one spell slot of first level or higher to create an aura with a range of 10 feet around you. The aura lasts until your rage transformation ends or until you dismiss the effect (no action is required).

While this aura is active, creatures of your choice are pulled towards you, making it difficult for them to focus on anything except you. Any such creature that starts its turn inside your aura, or enters it for the first time on their turn, must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, or they suffer the following effects while they remain inside your aura:

• Movement which would cause a creature affected by your aura to move farther away from you takes 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot, even if it's forced movement.
• Effects that would force a creature affected by your aura to move farther from you have no effect unless it is at least 10 feet of movement.
• When a creature affected by your aura makes an attack which does not target you or an object or creature located in your space, that attack has disadvantage.
• Any time a creature affected by your aura moves farther away from you, you can move up to 5 ft. towards the target to make an opportunity attack against that creature.

Evolved Transformation Augmentation

At 10th level, you can choose an additional benefit from level 6 or choose an evolved version of the chosen 6th level feature.  You can only choose a feature once.

Adrenal reactivity

Your rage transformation improves to have a hair trigger which can activate to heighten your reaction time whenever you are in danger. If you fail a saving throw or ability check during your rage transformation, you can use your reaction to re-roll the saving throw.  If you are not in your rage transformation, you can use your reaction to enter your rage transformation, after which you must re-roll the saving throw or ability check. If your rage transformation has advantage on the saving throw or ability check, you reroll at advantage.  You must use the new roll. You cannot use this ability again until you have dismissed this instance of your rage transformation.

Curious skin

During your Rage Transformation, your skin's appearance changes as it takes on an elemental affinity of your choice.  When you enter your Rage Transformation, or as a bonus action during your Rage Transformation, you can expend one spell slot of 1 level or higher, granting you the following benefits for 1 minute or until you dismiss the effect. 

• You gain 5 temporary hp per level of spell slot expended.  Choose either fire, lightning, cold, or acid. While you have these temporary hit points, whenever you are damaged by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to cause energy of the chosen element stored in your skin to lash out against the offending creature, dealing 1d6 damage per spell slot level.
• For the duration, damage of the chosen elemental affinity which you take is reduced by 1d6 per spell slot level, to a minimum of 0.
• When you are hit by an effect which deals fire, lightning, cold, or acid damage, you can choose to change your skin's affinity to the element which affected you without the need to use another bonus action or expend another spell slot.

Evolved Adrenal Reactivity

(Prerequisite: Adrenal Reactivity) Your rage transformation is prepared to emerge at a moment's notice when you are in danger. Any time more than one damage dice is rolled to damage you, you can use your reaction to either gain resistance to that instance of damage (if you are already transformed), or to enter your rage transformation and gain resistance to that instance of damage. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you re-enter your rage transformation.

Evolved Curious Skin

(Prerequisite: Curious Skin)

Expanded Elemental Affinities. When you use your Curious Skin feature, your skin can take on radiant, necrotic, and force elemental affinities as well.

Friendly Fire. While the Curious Skin feature is active, whenever you are hit by an effect from a friendly creature, so long as the attack has no effect other than dealing damage of your chosen elemental affinity, you do not take damage from the effect.  Instead, that instance of damage is stored inside your skin for 1 minute or until your Curious Skin feature ends, at which time the damage harmlessly dissipates.  The next time you deal damage with a melee attack while the energy is stored in your skin, the energy is released, and the damage from the spell or effect is dealt to the target of your attack.

Evolved Metabolic Burst

(Prerequisite: Metabolic Burst) Your rage transformation is able to rapidly sprout the anatomy necessary to move in ways you couldn't before. When you use your Metabolic Burst feature, you can add 30 feet to your walking, flying, swimming, or climbing speed, even if you weren't able to move in these ways before. Your ability to move in these ways ends when your turn ends, and you will fall if you are still flying or climbing without gripping a surface you would normally be able to grip.

Evolved Wellspring Heart

(Prerequisite: Wellspring Heart) Your rage transformation's heart has swollen and is able to produce more powerful magic. 

Your Graviturgy aura has the following effects when activated:

• If a spell slot of 2nd level or higher is used, the radius of the aura increases by 5 feet for each level of spell slot used above 1st.
• The save DC to avoid being affected by your aura is your Spell Save DC + 1 per level of spell slot used
• While a creature is affected by your aura, any time you hit it with an opportunity attack, it falls prone.
• Any time a creature falls prone while affected by your aura, it takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage and must use it's entire movement speed to stand.

Metabolic Burst

Once per round, your rage transformation can infuse you with a burst of speed, granting one of the following effects.

• Increase any one movement speed you possess by 30 feet until the beginning of your next turn.
• If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line, you can use your action to jump a distance or height equal to 3 times your Intelligence modifier (rounded up to the nearest 5 feet).
• Any time you land in another creature’s space after jumping or falling, you can use your bonus action to make a shove, grapple, or other melee attack.

Once you use any part of this feature, you cannot use this feature again until you spend an entire round without willingly using movement.

Wellspring Heart

During your rage transformation, your heart is a source of special Graviturgy magic.

While your rage transformation is active, you can use your action to expend one spell slot of first level or higher to create an aura with a range of 10 feet around you. The aura lasts until your rage transformation ends or until you dismiss the effect (no action is required).

While this aura is active, creatures of your choice are pulled towards you, making it difficult for them to focus on anything except you. Any such creature that starts its turn inside your aura, or enters it for the first time on their turn, must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, or they suffer the following effects while they remain inside your aura:

• Movement which would cause the creature to move farther away from you takes 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot, even if it's forced movement.
• Effects that would force the creature to move farther from you have no effect unless it is at least 10 feet of movement.
• When a creature affected by your aura makes an attack which does not target you or an object or creature located in your space, that attack has disadvantage.
• Any time a creature affected by your aura moves farther away from you, you can move up to 5 ft. towards the target to make an opportunity attack against that creature.

Unstable Form

 

At 10th level, your rage transformation watches over you even when you don't. If you are surprised or asleep at the beginning of combat you will be alerted to the presence of danger, allowing you to act normally on your turn.  When alerted to danger in this way, you will automatically use your reaction to enter your rage transformation without expending a use of your rage transformation resource to do so, unless you choose to resist this effect.

Durable Life Transformation

At 14th level, you learn to fuel your rage transformation with a magical life force separate from your own. 

While your rage transformation is active, you cannot be put to sleep, incapacitated, or become unconscious. If your rage transformation is not active and you are unwillingly subjected to one of these effects, you will enter your rage transformation and become immune to the effect, unless you choose to resist entering your rage transformation. 

If you are reduced to 0 hp while your rage transformation is active, you are not knocked unconscious, and you can act normally while making death saving throws. If you fail your third death saving throw, you are no longer able to regain hp, but you do not die until your rage transformation ends, unless your body is destroyed.