Path of the Symbiote

Barbarians who walk the Path of Symbiote draw their rage from a primal spark running through their veins and burning within their souls. That being howls to be released and bursts forth in the throes of rage.

Form of the Symbiote

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, when you enter your rage, you can transform, revealing the bestial power within you. Until the rage ends, you manifest a natural symbiotic weapon. It counts as a simple melee weapon for you, and you add your Strength modifier to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with it, as normal.

You choose the weapon’s form each time you rage:

Bite. Your mouth transforms into a bestial muzzle or great mandibles (your choice). It deals 1d8 piercing + Prof. Bonus damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you damage a creature with this bite, you regain a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus, provided you have less than half your hit points when you hit.

Claws. Each of your hands transforms into a claw, which you can use as a weapon if it’s empty. It deals 1d6 + Prof. Bonus Slashing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you attack with a claw using the Attack action, you can make one additional claw attack as part of the same action.

Tail. You grow a lashing, spiny tail, which deals 1d8 + Prof. Bonus Piercing damage on a hit and has the reach property. If a creature you can see within 10 feet of you hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swipe your tail and roll a d8, applying a bonus to your AC equal to the number rolled, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

Symbiotic Transformation

Beginning at 6th level, the being within you grows in power, causing the natural symbiotic weapons of your Form of the Symbiote to count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

You can call on the feral spirit to help you adapt to your surroundings. When you finish a short or long rest, choose one of the following benefits, which lasts until you finish a short or long rest:

• You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe underwater.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
• When you jump, you can make a Strength Athletics check and extend your jump by a number of feet equal to the check’s total. You can make this special check only once per turn.

We Are Venom

At 10th level, when you hit a creature with your symbiotic weapons while you are raging, the being within you can take control over your target and curse them with rabid fury. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus) or suffer one of the following effects (your choice):

• The target must use its reaction to make a melee attack against another creature of your choice that you can see.
• Target takes 2d12 psychic damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Additionally, whenever you finish a long rest, you can allow your symbiont to assimilate a normal or magic weapon in your possession. You can only assimilate a melee weapon you are proficient with. Your symbiotic weapon gains any bonus to attack and damage rolls and any properties of the assimilated weapon, but maintains its damage die. If the weapon required attunement for any of its abilities, you can use them as if you were attuned to it. You can only have one weapon assimilated at a time. You can replace the assimilated weapon with another whenever you finish a long rest.

Let There Be Carnage

At 14th level, you can release the beast inside you and let the symbiont take over. When you are raging, you can use a bonus action to enter a symbiotic rage. While you are in this
form, you gain the following benefits:
- You manifest the 3 symbiotic natural weapons
- You gain blindsight in a range of 15 ft.
- You regenerate hit points equal to your constitution modifier at the start of each of your turns. If you take Fire or Thunder damage, this benefit doesn't function at the start of your next turn. Additionally, this regenerate only works while you are in combat.
- The bonus to AC from your symbiotic tail weapon increases to +2.
- You gain resistance to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage.
- You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

If your rage ends. You can take 1d12 necrotic damage to prolong the duration for one additional round. The damage you take from this ability can't be reduced by any means.