D&D 5E Adjustments to the Totem Barbarian

[Hawk Diesel]

So looking over the options for the Totem Barbarian, and to be honest while the Bear and Wolf totems are mostly ok, Eagle, Elk, and Tiger all leave a bit to be desired. This is especially true if you compare to a Berserker Barbarian's Frenzy ability, the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian's Ancestral Protector's ability, the Storm Herald Barbarian's Storm Aura ability, or the Zealot Barbarian's Divine Fury ability. So let's take a look.

Totem Spirit
PHB
Bear - Resistance to all damage except psychic. This is fine as is.

Wolf - Allies have advantage on attacks against any hostile creature within 5ft of you. Also decent.

Eagle - Dash as a bonus action and attackers have disadvantage on opportunity attacks. This is awful in my opinion.

SCAG

Elk - Extra speed. Also a poor choice compared to Resistance, Ally advantage against targets, or extra damage from the XGtE options.

Tiger - Farther jump distance? Really? How is this even a contender?

From my perspective and totally biased opinion, Bear and Wolf are the only worthwhile options. The others are suboptimal, which isn't in itself bad, but they also don't really add anything interesting to make up for their lower power level. So here's how I might change them:

Eagle - While you're raging your speed increases 10ft and you can use the Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn. The spirit of the eagle makes you into a swift predator who can weave through the fray with ease.

Reasoning: The Eagle Totem is about mobility, weaving in and out of melee. Let's give him the ability definitively, rather than a semblance of it. But also, most barbarian options at this level improve offensive capabilities. Since this does not, I thought the added speed was a needed boost.

Elk - While you're raging you can use the Shove action as a bonus action. Whenever you successfully use the Shove action against an enemy, you deal bludgeoning damage to them equal to your Strength modifier. The spirit of the elk makes you a master of battering your enemies.

Reasoning: Being an elk is all about charging and using your metaphorical antlers to headbutt. I thought this would be an interesting way to handle it. Both offensive and useful for battlefield control.

Tiger - While you're raging your bonus Rage Damage increases by two. The spirit of the tiger increases your natural ferocity.

Reasoning: Tigers are ferocious. They aren't about jumping and leaping. This ability would be worthwhile as the 6th level Aspect of the Beast option, but not as a 3rd level option. I've considered having the Tiger double rage bonus damage, but not sure if that would be balanced.

Aspect of the Beast

These abilities are lesser abilities and not necessarily meant to be all that powerful. I think they are all fine except Tiger. It's way more powerful than the other options. I'd make the 3rd level ability from SCAG the 6th level ability. So at 6th level Aspect of the Tiger would gain a bonus to jump distance.

Totemic Attunement

Most of these abilities don't really stack up against the other barbarian archetype abilities. And XGtE seems to work off a similar precedent from the Berserker of finding ways to use your reaction. So I'm considering the following adjustments.

Bear - The bear totem seems consistently fine.

Eagle - While raging, whenever you take damage you can use your reaction to move your speed. For this movement you are considered to have a flying speed, though this benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end this movement in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.

Reasoning: The original ability does not seem very useful for a Barbarian. I mean sure, it has utility, but it lacks a bit of power compared to the other options. Especially since it is only usable during rage. So this allows a reaction ability, fits the theme of a mobile warrior, and incorporates the fly speed.

Wolf - While raging, whenever you take damage from an enemy within 5ft of you that is Large or smaller, you may use your reaction to knock that enemy prone.

Reasoning: I think the original version is mostly fine. The way it is written seems to imply that the knock down is automatic without save. But I feel like as a barbarian it is already pretty easy (relatively) to knock a creature prone, and also knocking someone prone is not a huge deal like it was in previous additions.

Tiger - While raging, whenever an enemy within 5ft of you makes an attack roll against you, you may use your reaction to attempt a grapple.

Reasoning: If I were somehow in a situation where I attempted to punch a tiger, I expect it would lash out and grab me with its claws. It's an interesting visual, and I think it fits with the totem in terms of power level and concept.

Elk - While raging, when you successfully use the shove action, you can knock the target prone and push them away from you, rather than choose one or the other. In addition, the target is knocked back 10ft instead of 5ft.

Reasoning: Honestly, I have no idea. I don't feel the original ability in the SCAG is very good, but I don't know how I might change it yet. This is the first thing I thought might fit, but it doesn't seem quite right either.

 

[jaelis]

Elk - While you're raging you can use the Shove action as a bonus action. Whenever you successfully use the Shove action against an enemy, you deal bludgeoning damage to them equal to your Strength score. The spirit of the elk makes you a master of battering your enemies.

That's quite a bit of damage for a bonus action, and it is not too hard to make your shoves nigh unbeatable. I would say Str mod damage would be just fine.

I like the others up to totemic attunement. Those, I think yours are fine but don't really like them any more than the book version. (For the PHB ones, at any rate, don't have scag.)

 

[Stalker0]

For your 6th level abilities, honestly I think you overestimate the bear and underestimate the eagle.

The eagle's sight ability is actually very good in the hands of a skilled player. For example, you can combine it with the observant feat and read the lips of someone 1 mile away!

Meanwhile, the barbarian already has a ton of carrying capacity. Doubling it has potential, but its not giving you something the barb can't already do.


For the 3rd level, I think the wolf and eagle ones are decent but they just pale compared to the bear. That bear ability is just insanely good.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

That's quite a bit of damage for a bonus action, and it is not too hard to make your shoves nigh unbeatable. I would say Str mod damage would be just fine.

I like the others up to totemic attunement. Those, I think yours are fine but don't really like them any more than the book version. (For the PHB ones, at any rate, don't have scag.)

Shoot, that was actually my intent. Not strength score, but strength mod. Thanks for picking that out.

Also, you don't like the Eagle Attunement? I thought of all the attunement abilities that was the most interesting.

For your 6th level abilities, honestly I think you overestimate the bear and underestimate the eagle.

The eagle's sight ability is actually very good in the hands of a skilled player. For example, you can combine it with the observant feat and read the lips of someone 1 mile away!

Meanwhile, the barbarian already has a ton of carrying capacity. Doubling it has potential, but its not giving you something the barb can't already do.

For the 3rd level, I think the wolf and eagle ones are decent but they just pale compared to the bear. That bear ability is just insanely good.

For the 3rd level abilities, I'm not just comparing them against the Bear totem, but also other barbarian archetypes. As for the level 6 abilities, those all seem to be thematic abilities related to exploration, and thus I'm slightly less concerned about them. And if you EVER find a barbarian willing to take the observant feat over Great Weapon Master or even just an ASI, I will buy you a shot sir! Any barbarian willing to do that deserves to be able to read those lips with flawless understanding and an additional bit of panache for such a suboptimal but awesome choice!

 

[jaelis]

Also, you don't like the Eagle Attunement? I thought of all the attunement abilities that was the most interesting.

I like it, but I guess I also like the PHB version more than you do.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I like it, but I guess I also like the PHB version more than you do.

LOL, fair enough. I guess my thoughts would be for level 14 either give a fly speed during rage, or make it a tactical ability to support mobility. Not an in between measure.

 

[Necrofumbler]

All in all very, very nice ideas.

I would modify all powers that grant a special bonus action as things that the barb can use right away on the very round that he is starting to rage, not just in later rounds.

Also, "on your turn" is redundant because AFAIK spending a bonus action is always done on your turn. Plus adding a few commas and word reordering for extra clarity.

Totem Spirit:

Eagle - While you're raging, your speed increases 10ft, and you can use the Disengage action as a bonus action or as part of the bonus action you spend to enter into a Rage. The spirit of the eagle makes you into a swift predator who can weave through the fray with ease.

Elk - While you're raging you can use the Shove action as a bonus action or or as part of the bonus action you spend to enter into a Rage. Whenever you successfully use the Shove action against an enemy, you deal bludgeoning damage to them equal to your Strength modifier. The spirit of the elk makes you a master of battering your enemies.

- Tiger still feels a bit weak because it doesn't scale all that well in power at higher levels. Maybe (not sure at all) go instead with:

Tiger - While you're raging your Rage Damage bonus is doubled. The spirit of the tiger increases your natural ferocity.


Aspect of the Beast:

Most level 6 abilities lack something. After the big Level 5 power increase, they feel a bit "lackluster". Meanwhile most other classes gain something quite nice at level 6.

- Bear: I'd add Advantage on Saves vs Exhaustion.

- Elk usability varies a LOT. Travel Pace is based on, but not the same as, movement speed. Thus, in a dungeon crawl campaign, Elk travel boost is 100% useless. Not so usefull in a urban campaign, too. But WONDERFULLY POWERFUL is an overland campaign where there are a lot of troop movements and suddenly the party are the only ones moving twice as fast as the enemy armies. However that benefit shtinks again to almost nothingness a few levels later, the moment travel magics like Windd walk or Teleport come into play. Thus the ability is very good but only at Tier 2 and even then only in some campaigns types. IMHO that means it lacks something.

Elk. Whether mounted or on foot, your travel pace is doubled, as is the travel pace of up to ten companions while they're within 60 feet of you and you're not incapacitated. In addition, when you start Raging, you and up to 5 Companions within 5 feet of you gain 10 feet to their land movement speed for as long as you are Raging. The elk spirit helps you roam far and fast.

+10 feet to the entire party in combat (the bonus is applied when you enter the rage, not checked each round, that'd be too much micromanagement) is quite nice, and remains useful in dungeon crawls. Needing them to be adjacent when you rage is the one limitation, and the 5 limit covers most PC Parties while avoiding cheese like buffing 32 Small size creatures that decide to all go "Squeezing into a Tight Space" all around you. I thought about making the bonus 5 feet without a limitation but that would not change things much since all monsters have rated speeds in multiples of 10 feet anyway.


- For Tiger, I agree 2 general skills sure are way too good. And also not very flavorful. But the jumping effect is still a bit meh. Being able to jump further and higher is usually useful only at very low levels in Tier One, before higher availability of spells like Levitate Fly and Spider Climb etc. make Jumping & Climbing kind of a moot point. Even without those magics, jumpping is quite circumstantial. So it needs a some extra oompf.

Tiger. While raging, you can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. In addition, if your first attack on the turn that you enter into a Rage hits after moving at least 20 feet straight towards the target, you can Pounce that creature: it must succeed a STR Saving Throw vs DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your STR modifier, else it falls Prone. The spirit of the tiger empowers your leaps.

The Prone effect is powerful, sure. However it requires straight movement, is only once, on the "enter-the-Rage" round, not for the whole Rage, and it also doesn't work all the time as you must hit and the attacked foe must fail its save.


- Wolf: Tracking is also very circumstantial. Full Speed Stealth is nice but also semi-circumstawntiall and I've never seen a campaign where the speed to GO TO the enemy while stealthy is impportant, what'S importannt is the sppeed wen fleeing after being detected lol. Maybe add a power that boosts the entire party like the Elk: the presence of a wolf totem leaing the party staying close to him, in a grooup Strealth chec k, the wolf can apply his stealth result to anybody in the party. Say he rolllss 17 and the fighter in fulll plate rolls 5 and 18 becase of the heavy armor disadvnntage penallty, thus.... 5! Well he's got 17 instead! Kinda an "entire party good at stealth" card.


Totemic Atttunement

These are subclass-identity level 14 powers. They should have some kick.

- Bear: Mabe add a bit extra somerthing for grappling? Grappling and Bears is so iconic after all.

- Your Eagle power is original, but maybe add that the flight movement gives enemies Disadvantage on any attacks of opportunities? Or heck prevents AoO altogether, that way ther barb will almost never hesitate to use it.

- Elk: fine

- Tiger: fine

- Wolf: Add the "as a bonus action or as part of bonus action to enter Rage" part. Also, it is a bit duplicate of the Tiger Pounce above, only much better. Welll, one is level 6 while the other is level 14.

Knocking someone Prone can easily be a REALLY big deal. Suddenly a bit over half of the party (the barbarian plus everybody before that monster's initiative) will gain Advantage on that enemy. vs tons of minions, who cares. Vs bosses? Dramatic effect. So I'd tend to leave in the STR save.

If redundancy of effect is undesirable, Tiger Pounce could be slightly modified to grant an extra attack instead (on Rage turn not entire Rage) instead of save vs prone. Albeit you already gave that aspect to Tiger instead. Dunno.

Love the ideas good luck!

 

[NotAYakk]

Eagle. While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, other creatures cannot make opportunity attack rolls against you, and you can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn. Attacks on you when it is not the attackers turn have disadvantage, and you have advantage on saves imposed when it isn't their turn. The spirit of the eagle makes you into a predator who can weave through the fray with ease.


Elk. While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 15 feet. The first time you hit a creature on your turn you can attempt to shove them; if you are raging, you can shove up to huge sized creatures, even if they are normally too large.


Tiger. You can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. If you leap at least 10' towards a target while raging, your attacks on target deal an extra 1d8 damage that turn. The spirit of the tiger empowers your leaps.