Path of the Leveler

When under great duress, a rare few barbarians enter an unimaginably violent, deranged state.  A state that brings forth a completely separate identity that feels no fatigue, pain or doubt, fears no enemy, and shows no mercy - one who rejoices in death and blood.  This nightmarish killing machine is destructive to enemies, friends, and even themselves. 

Features

True Power: Sometimes... you want to be the most feared character at the table. Dozens of hours have went into testing the features of this Barbarian Path to ensure it is both powerful and balanced with the other published paths. Designed for a thematic and terrifying presence, the Leveler is designed for intense and shocking moments of brutality when the chips are down. 

Interesting Design: Some barbarian paths fall a little flat - putting too many eggs in too many baskets. The Leveler has many wonderful options for players to choose from, but never forgets its roots - face to face combat, sometimes weilding the face as a weapon. The Leveler can be played (and was play-tested to verify) quite well with or without a weapon - allowing for a more "hands on" approach to violence. 

High Numbers - Balanced Outcomes: In general, the Path of the Leveler will play like a standard barbarian until a very special set of circumstances arise in combat - at which point the dice, numbers, and horribly gritty details should skyrocket. Just when the rest of the party is wearing thin, the Path of the Leveler really shines. Luckily, it works perfectly with nearly every other class - allowing for great synergy and options to make these Barbarians a Hazard on the battlefield. 

 

Hated Enemy

As soon as you choose this path, select a type of enemy from your past, one that fills you with intense hatred and rage.  While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Choose a type of hated enemy:  aberrations, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.

Alternatively, you can select a race of humanoid (such as gnolls, orcs, or goblins) as your hated enemy.

Aberrations

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Celestials

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Constructs

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Dragons

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Elementals

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Fey

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Fiends

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Giants

While facing off against this enemy, you prioritize their destruction above all others.  You also have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your hated enemy.

Humanoid

Choose a race from the following list - aarakocra, aasimar, bugbear, centaur, changeling, dragonborn, dwarf, elf, firbolg, genasi, gith, gnome, goblin, goliath, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, hobgoblin, human, kalashtar, kenku, kobold, leonin, lizardfolk, loxodon, minotaur, orc, satyr, shifter, tabaxi, tiefling, tortle, triton, vedalken, verdan, warforged, yuan-ti.

Blind Rage

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you ay enter a new, more dangerous rage.  While raging, if you are brought to below half of your hit point maximum, a comrade is brought to 0 hit points, or while facing off against a hated enemy, as a Bonus Action you may enter a Blind Rage.  

Blind Rages are horrifying, destructive, manic bursts of undiscerning violence.  In addition to your barbarian rage, Blind Rages grant you the following benefits:

• When you make a melee attack, you may change the weapon damage die of the attack to 1d12.  This damage increases to 2d8 at 6th level, 2d10 at 10th level, and 2d12 at 14th level.
• At the beginning of your turn, you must use your Bonus Action to make a single melee attack against a random creature within range.
• You reduce the damage of any attack that hits you by an amount equal to your Barbarian Rage Bonus Damage.
• While your Blind Rage persists, you ignore any levels of exhaustion you're currently suffering and have advantage on saving throws to resist being frightened.

Blind Rage lasts for the remaining duration of the rage in which it was activated (maximum of 1 minute.)  When your rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion (as described in Appendix A) and your hit point maximum is reduced by your character level.  This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest.

Crushing Grip

Beginning at 6th level, if you start your turn grappling with a Large or smaller creature, that creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to half your Barbarian level.  A Large or smaller creature has disadvantage to escape your grapple during a Blind Rage.

Unnerving Murder

Beginning at 10th level, you may show extreme brutality to dishearten your opponents.  When you kill a creature, you may use your Bonus Action to frighten a number of enemies equal to your Proficiency Bonus within 20 feet of you.  If the creatures can see your grotesque display, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma Modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Pitiless Violence

Beginning at 14th level, the murderous alter-ego within you earns you the collective fear of both your enemies and your allies.

When you hit a prone creature, the attack deals an additional 12 damage.

The first time you hit an incapacitated creature on your turn, maximize the weapon damage die of the attack.

You take psychic damage equal to your Barbarian level after making such an attack.