D&D 5E (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.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Watching another video going over the 2024 classes, and they pointed out something I missed for Barbarians. In the article it states for Brutal Strike: "Using Brutal Strike, you can forgo Advantage on one of your Strength-based attacks in exchange for more damage and a selection of debuffs you can impose on your enemies. The Advanatage could be gained through Reckless Attack, or it could be enabled by attacking a Prone enemy. The only condition is that you can't have Disadvantage on the roll as well."

Considering the style of the article writer, I am taking this to mean that WHENEVER you have advantage, you can choose to loose that advantage. It also states that you are forgoing the advantage on one of your attacks. So, if an enemy was hit with Faerie Fire as an example, you can activate Brutal Strike, hit them, and then attack again with advantage.

This is exactly how I wanted this feature to work.

 

[mellored]

Watching another video going over the 2024 classes, and they pointed out something I missed for Barbarians. In the article it states for Brutal Strike: "Using Brutal Strike, you can forgo Advantage on one of your Strength-based attacks in exchange for more damage and a selection of debuffs you can impose on your enemies. The Advanatage could be gained through Reckless Attack, or it could be enabled by attacking a Prone enemy. The only condition is that you can't have Disadvantage on the roll as well."

Considering the style of the article writer, I am taking this to mean that WHENEVER you have advantage, you can choose to loose that advantage. It also states that you are forgoing the advantage on one of your attacks. So, if an enemy was hit with Faerie Fire as an example, you can activate Brutal Strike, hit them, and then attack again with advantage.

This is exactly how I wanted this feature to work.

Eh.. I wanted it to give up the advantage of just reckless attack.
I.e.
"You can choose to not gain advantage when from reckless attack (but still gain it from other sources such as Prone). If you do you gain..."

As is, faiey fire indirectly boost your defense, as you no longer reckless attack. Which feels like the wrong way for a Barbarian.

but at least it's clear.

 

[FoxMulder]

Eh.. I wanted it to give up the advantage of just reckless attack.
I.e.
"You can choose to not gain advantage when from reckless attack (but still gain it from other sources such as Prone). If you do you gain..."

As is, faiey fire indirectly boost your defense, as you no longer reckless attack. Which feels like the wrong way for a Barbarian.

but at least it's clear.

Believe it or not, there are people on forums who say that's stacking of advantage. Not only are you forced to use one of the worst, in my opinion, features in order to use Brutal strike. You must also make it worse. You can call it lopsided, if you like. Sadly, berserker must use this feature for any extra damage.

 

[FoxMulder]

Didn't WotC say their goal was to make the melee and spell classes more equal? Not sure giving melee classes spells or more healing makes them equal. Now, the Barbarian is channeling powers from spirits, trees, gods. Even Rage is channeled or whatever Jeremy said it is.
I'm not sure what is so bad about just giving the Barbarian a damage-based bonus action, that they could use when not extending Rage. That should have been there for the Berserker. It seems like that's sacrilege. I don't think the Fighter needs one, even though I took the PAM feat on mine. LOL. There are bonus action-based spells, don't know about damage ones, however.
Someone mentioned that the 2024 Rogues won't go back to 2014. Did they get even more than Sneak Attack? I looked up ways to set that up, maybe 5 years ago. The list was a mile long. I've heard people say that if you don't have Sneak Attack on every turn, then you shouldn't be playing a Rogue. Oh no, 10d6 extra damage at level 20!
There are people on other forums who say we are a tank. We should be happy with Reckless Attack. I would argue that it's difficult to have a tank and a mass damage dealer at the same time. I am trying. That would involve Bracers, a cloak, and a ring, eventually. Luckily, I have an awesome maul. Hopefully, I can keep it. Reckless Attack is horribly lopsided. I might use it in a one-on-one or if I'm 5 feet from a caster, no war caster feat or a ton of save required spells. I would not fight a Rogue or a Fighter with it. If I had a dedicated healer, maybe more scenarios. Even then, if some have their way, then every enemy on the battlefield will know I'm using RA, increased ferocity. That means wild swings, stumbling, over-extending. Where is the saving throw to avoid falling prone?
The wording of Brutal Strike leads me to believe that only the advantage from RA should be dropped. Why didn't they just say no advantage from any source. They did that with disadvantage. If that's the way they want it, then change the wording on the character sheet. For some reason, that's too hard.
Anyway, I'm done with the rant. I await the pummeling...

 

[Parmandur]

I've heard people say that if you don't have Sneak Attack on every turn, then you shouldn't be playing a Rogue.

Well, that's a bit hyperbole, but the designers have said that the Rogue is meant to be getting Sneak Attack all the time, so they made that more clear in Tashaand now the PHB.

 

[FoxMulder]

@Parmandur Why is that Hyperbole? My statement seems to be true according to the designers. That's the thing you picked from the entire rant. LOL

 

[Clint_L]

I agree that the wording on brutal strike is a bit confusing in that it is not clear whether you can make a reckless attack just for the extra damage die, while still gaining advantage from another source (e.g. faerie fire). If I was a DM, I would allow it, since you are still giving something up (opponents get advantage on attacks against you). Chat with your DM.

Your point about stumbling around the battlefield, potentially falling prone, etc. is nowhere in the rules. You seem to have made that up.

As for tanking and damage dealing at the same time, it is pretty clear that berserker is not the path to take if you want to prioritize tanking, it is the path to take if you want to trade some defence for offence. Barbarians are okay tanks, in a damage sponge sense, while being very good damage dealers. Berserkers, specifically, are excellent damage dealers, but you should basically be using frenzied attacks every round, which means giving up defence. It's kind of right there in the subclass description.

It seems like this subclass is not everything that you wanted, but that doesn't mean the design is flawed. If tanking is more your interest, World Tree and Wild Heart seem like better options.

I tend to think of barbarians as being more in the off-tank category.

 

[Tonguez]

All seems good except Zealots flying