D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal #4: "New Barbarian"

New Barbarian video!


We last saw the Barbarian with the World Tree subclass in the UA Playtest 8 (=PT8), with other subclasses (Zealot, Wild Heart, and Berserker) in PT7. There's a fair number of new things since we've last seen the class, noted below.

OVERVIEW

• weapon mastery at 1
• RAGE. It's easier to maintain rage: you can either force a save (works for Dragonborn) or use your bonus action to keep it going (as in PT8). [There was no mention of the short-rest recharge (not in PT7, present in PT8, but I imagine it's stilll there, since I'm certain it was a popular change.]
• Danger sense at 2: sight no longer needed; only ends if incapacitated (as in PT8)
• Primal Knowledge at 3: ability checks used with strength regardless of what normal ability would be (as in PT8). Intimidation, Stealth, Persuasion, etc. [PT8 also has Acrobatics and Survival]. "effectively a supernatural ability". Todd explains the strength-stealth with reference to the spiders in the Hobbit.
  • NOTE: the inclusion of persuasion was almost certainly a mistake.
• NEW: you also get a skill proficiency at 3.
• Instinctive Pounce at 7 (as PT8)
• Brutal Strike at 9 (as PT8): add-on effects, with extra options at 13.
• NEW: with Brutal strike you also get extra damage with these effects, with that damage increasing at level 13.
• Relentless Rage at 11. No mention or discussion of the saving throws needed.

SUBCLASSES

World Tree

• "about the barbarian turning their gaze outward...connecting to the World Tree". Leaning into "barbarian as tank" [There's a Dungeon Dudes discussion of this subclass here.]
• At the highest level, teleporting (and so like PT8, but not the planar travel from PT7. I had really hoped the planar travel option would be restored.
• also interacts with weapon masteries. (as in PT8, presumably).

Berserker

• "the classics barbarian subclass". Main goal was to redesign Frenzy.
• NEW: Frenzy at 3: building on reckless attack, you deal more damage once per turn. There's no exhaustion (as in PHB 2014), but now it only works 1/turn.
• Mindless Rage at 6 and Retaliation at 10 both as in PT7.
• Intimidating Presence at 14 (higher level, but anyone within 30', activated by a bonus action).

Wild Heart (former Totem Warrior)

• more flexibility than before: with many options modified.
• NEW: for two of the features [Rage of the Wilds at 3, Power of the Wilds at 14], you get to choose the animal every time you activate them; with one [Aspect of the wilds at 6], you choose the passive ability each long rest. This is HUGE.
• NEW: Option at 6 "more useful": Salmon for a swim speed, Panther for a climb speed, Owl for darkvision. This is really different than what was in PT7, where you received expertise in a skill. [I question whether this is more useful, but it does avoid the "trap" of not being proficient in the skill you want to select at level 6, and so avoiding the chance for Expertise. On the other hand, the barbarian with expertise in Investigation was something I really wanted to try out, and that's now gone (as a default class option).]
• Nothing about Animal Speaker/Nature speaker.

Zealot

• originally in Xanathar, changed here.
• Warrior of the Gods -- small pool for healing (as in PT7)
• NEW: Fanatical Focus at 6 now comes with a bonus to the re-roll (bonus not specified)
• NEW: Rage of the Gods at 14, no longer requires you to go to zero HP. Gives you divine powers: flight, damage resistance, and thwart other people's death with a reaction.

NEW RULES

• no new rules reveals.

 

[Kurotowa]

It's the simple way to use rage out of combat. Or just another resource.

"Fish totem: Expend a use of rage to gain waterbreathing for 1 hour."

Bonus action is a bit of a compromise.

The advantage to attaching it to Rage is that it combines the effects into one use. Say you're in a fight, and one important foe tries to flee, then you're already Raging and have those buffs to Survival and Perception for the pursuit. Or if you activate Rage to enhance your Stealth and Athletics so you can silently leap through the treetops and catch your enemies by surprise, then it carries over once combat starts. But if those are all on a different non-combat buff, then it costs a second Rage activation to enable and Barbarian players are trying to decide if they want to spend it or save those all for combat use.

 

[Kurotowa]

Treantmonk (who has a preview copy of the PHB) said that persuasion isn't on the list and Jeremy and Todd were talking out their kiester...

I'm kind of not surprised that he had a brainfart and crossed "using Intimidation for social situations" and "Perception is a word starting in Per-" and got "Persuasion is on the list". That's what I was suspecting that as soon as he said it, because it's an easy mistake to make.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Someone has to explain to me how STR stealth works...because I just cant wrap my head around it.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Someone has to explain to me how STR stealth works...because I just cant wrap my head around it.

You carry a tree in front of you.

 

[TwoSix]

Someone has to explain to me how STR stealth works...because I just cant wrap my head around it.

Strength isn’t only a measure of musculature, it’s a measure of the potency of a barbarian’s connections to the spirits, including the spirits of stalking predators.

 

[Remathilis]

Someone has to explain to me how STR stealth works...because I just cant wrap my head around it.

Sure. Rage has become tuning into a primal/animal instinct, not just raw anger. It's basically a supernatural channeling of your might into hunting/stalking instinct.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Someone has to explain to me how STR stealth works...because I just cant wrap my head around it.

Has taken me a while, too.

Someone compared it to a stalking tiger. I downvoted it in the playtest.

I don't particular like replacing stats. I had rather liked the rage bonus added to those checks instead. But a druid alsonreplaces their stats with beast stats. So it is probably ok.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Ok, its only when Raging? I guess I can kinda see it.

 

[Stalker0]

But what if I don't want there to be out of combat rage uses and I like the idea of a barbarian doing hit point damage to themself in an effort to continue? That seems much more interesting and flavorful trade off to me.

the trick is, this new style of rage really isn't even a state of anger....not necessarily.

In fact if they weren't beholden to backwards compatibility I don't even think calling it rage makes sense anymore. Its less "I'm just so damn mad!!!" and its more a "preternatural control of the body". You have connected yourself with the primal wilderness, and transformed yourself.

Previously the idea of hitting yourself to keep the anger burning made sense to me. But in this new version where anger isn't even the driving force anymore I don't think it makes nearly as much sense.

 

[Kurotowa]

Sure. Rage has become tuning into a primal/animal instinct, not just raw anger. It's basically a supernatural channeling of your might into hunting/stalking instinct.

To put it in existing terminology... Barbarians are using primal magic, and Strength is their casting stat. So just like Blade Pact Warlocks can use Charisma to make weapon attacks because it's powered by their magic, Barbarians can use Strength for Stealth and Survival and Intimidation checks because it's powered by their magic.