Path of the Guillotine

Some barbarians learn that raw strength alone isn’t enough—sometimes the killing blow comes from the fall. Those who walk the Path of the Guillotine train their bodies to leap great distances, pounce upon prey, and crash down like a falling axe. Their rage is not only loud and furious, but directed with deadly precision from above.

These barbarians thrive on momentum, using height and motion to their advantage. Their unique style of combat makes them dangerous predators on the battlefield, able to bound across obstacles, drag foes into sudden death-zones, or shield allies by controlling the vertical space. Enemies who believe themselves safe behind distance, wings, or walls soon learn the truth: nothing escapes the swing of the Guillotine.

"I was wronged! You wronged me! And now you float like a cloud believing I can't reach you!?"
—Gurtz, screaming at a beholder moments before leaping

Controlled Jump

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain mastery over your leaps. Once on each of your turns, you can jump up to 30 feet in any direction by spending only 10 feet of movement. In addition, you can ignore an amount of falling damage equal to five times your barbarian level.

Plunging Blade

Starting at 3rd level, your reckless dives become a weapon in themselves. While you are raging, the rule for Falling onto a Creature also applies when you collide with a creature as part of a horizontal jump.

Resting Guillotine

Beginning at 6th level, you can create a temporary platform to hold your ground even in the air. Once per turn, as a reaction, you can form a magical, horizontal platform up to a 15-foot square centered beneath your feet. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

The platform lasts for 10 minutes, until destroyed, or until dispelled by dispel magic. It has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to 30 at 6th level, plus 5 additional hit points for each barbarian level you gain after 6th. The platform is immune to poison and psychic damage. Its appearance is determined by you and your DM.

Shaping to Fit: The platform can adapt to any space, including tight or irregular areas, by reshaping itself to fit available surfaces. Even in narrow corridors, caves, ruins, or indoor settings, the platform can always appear beneath you, ensuring that this ability remains useful in virtually any environment.

Your Stage and Shackles

At 10th level, your Resting Guillotine becomes both a weapon and a prison. While you are raging, the platform created by Resting Guillotine can move with you. When you jump from an existing platform, you may choose to have a new platform form at the end of your jump. If you land on the new platform, the old one immediately disappears.

In addition, you can expend a use of Resting Guillotine to attempt to Shackle a creature within 10 feet of one of your platforms. You can use this as a bonus action on your turn, or as a reaction when a creature moves within 10 feet of the platform. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or become Shackled.

Shackled (Condition). While Shackled by this feature:

• The creature cannot move more than 10 feet away from the platform while it exists.

• The creature cannot benefit from or be affected by teleportation effects from spells or abilities.

• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.

Traveling Executioner

At 14th level, your leaps become relentless and unyielding. While raging, you can now use Controlled Jump a number of times on your turn equal to your Constitution modifier or Strength modifier (whichever is higher), instead of only once. In addition, whenever you land a critical hit or reduce a Shackled creature to 0 hit points, you immediately regain one expended use of Resting Guillotine.