Path of the Abyss

Barbarians who fell in the Path of the Abyss have condemned themselves to the darkness. Those who walk in the abyss slowly lose their humanity as the darkness absorbs all hope that remains. Many who tread this path are nomads, wanderers, and those who seek redemption in any way, as they are often sinners who embrace the insanity within their hearts. Having their mind broken, their heart tainted, their spirit corrupted, and their lives ruined, these people sought a way to escape the rabbit hole they had thrown themselves in, as they knew: Once they stared at the Abyss, the Abyss would forever stare at them.

Level 3: Layer of Darkness

Your Rage manifests traces of the abyss on your skin. Once per turn while raging, when a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction and make a melee attack against them. On hit, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Armor Class. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before you need to take a Short Rest to use it again.

Level 6: Abyss Aura

Whenever a creature you can see starts its turn within 30 feet of you while your Rage is active, you can choose to infect their senses with the maddening influence of the abyss. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus) or become blinded until their next turn. While blinded this way, the creature cannot use special senses like tremorsense and blindsight.

Level 10: Tainted Corruption

Your soul becomes tainted with the filth of the abyss. When you use the Brutal Strike ability against a target, you may also trigger this ability. Until the start of your next turn, your Armor Class is reduced by 1d6, and the target's Armor Class is reduced by 1d12.

Level 14: Embrace the Void

When you die, you can instead choose to let the abyss possess your body and become shadowed until the end of your next turn. While under shadowed effect, Rage activates, your current and maximum hit points are set to 1, and your hit points cannot drop below 1. Once you use this effect, you can not use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

After the shadowed effect ends, you die even if there are effects that would prevent your death. If this effect was triggered due to a creature killing you, this death effect is negated if the creature who kills you dies before the end of the shadowed form.