Base Class: Barbarian
Some individuals are born with seemingly impossible strength, exhibiting rippling muscles even before they learn to speak or walk. Such men and women quickly learn that every good thing in this world may be obtained through the exercise of overwhelming might. Others may scorn them and call them “barbaric,” but what are words but useless noise to be choked out of the speaker’s windpipe? As one such individual, you know that strength is what determines one’s worth in the world: strength to crush your enemies—and to impress your allies. You
savor the opportunity to show off your great strength, whether it be in battle or in friendly competition. Your incredible strength allows you to accomplish Herculean feats that will leave your foes wailing in anguish.
Precocious Wrestler
Starting at 3rd level, you have learned to take advantage of your innate strength to wrestle foes into submission. You are proficient in the Athletics skill, and you are capable of grappling and shoving creatures that are up to two sizes larger than you. On your turn, you may use a bonus action to attempt to grapple a creature. While you are grappling a creature with one hand, you may use your free hand to attack that creature with two-handed weapons as if you were using both hands.
Mighty Marksman
Starting at 6th level, you leverage your immense strength when using ranged weapons. You can use heavy weapons without incurring disadvantage due to your size. Additionally, you may choose to use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls with longbows. When you make ranged attacks with longbows or thrown weapons while raging, you may add your rage damage bonus to the damage rolls.
Thunderous Shot- When you make a ranged attack, you may choose to add the effect of thunderwave to the projectile, centered on the location that the projectile hits. The DC for this effect is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Herculean Rage
Starting at 10th level, your rages take on legendary qualities and grow more powerful the longer they endure. At the beginning of each of your turns, if you are already raging, your rage damage bonus increases by +1, up to a maximum of your Strength modifier. Additionally, while raging, you are immune to poison damage and you cannot be frightened.
Earthshaker
Starting at 14th level, your colossal strength causes the ground itself to tremble and quake. On your turn, you can use your action to strike the ground and create the effects of an earthquake with a 40 ft. radius, centered on your location. This area becomes difficult terrain. Each creature on the ground in the affected area that is concentrating must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, the creature's concentration is broken. At the end of your turn, each creature on the ground in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw with the same DC as the previous one. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. You have advantage on this saving throw. At the beginning of each of your subsequent turns, you may use your bonus action to stomp the ground and continue the effects of the earthquake until the beginning of your next turn, for a maximum duration of 1 minute. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you complete a long rest.
You did a good job on this subclass. I like how you have broken the mold on how WOTC sets up barbarians. This class is not just about the rage mechanic, and can be versatile.
Thank you for writing this up for us.
Love the idea but still needs some polishing.
Mighty Marksman pretty much defaults the Barbarian to be a Longbow user since it easily outclasses any other ranged weapon in terms of damage and range. It'd be nice to see some more love for thrown weapons here, like quadrupling their range. That would put Javelins at 120/480 and Light Hammer & Co at 80/240 compared to the Longbows 150/600 at least. A truly herculean task to throw a weapon this far I'd say. Still not quite as good as a Longbow but close enough to justify using those instead for flavor reasons imo.
Adding Thunderwave to the hit is super awesome though! Maybe go for a more modern approach and use PB uses per long rest instead of once per short rest though. The Barbarian is primarily a long rest class after all.
Herculean Rage doesn't make much sense as I read it. You increase the rage damage bonus by +1 until you reach your Strength modifier? At level 10 your rage damage boost is already 4, so only one short of the max Strength modifier you can get. That would mean it goes up to 5 and then that's that (and only if you already maxed your Strength). Or does it mean if you have a Strength modifier of 5 that you can go up to +5 so you'd end up with 4+5=9 at level 10? That'd be quite huge!
go for it. its from the free pdf of Odyssey of the Dragonlords.
Nice class. Would you mind if I shared it elsewhere? I run a small website that features homebrew content from time to time and this might be one that we could use.