Ok guys, thanks for all the feedback! I'm gonna go through and address some of it here.
Let's think through Enlarge: If you want to do enlarge as a non-magical ability, but following the spell, what would the effects be?
1 - advantage on strength checks and saves
2 - M --> L take up more space if medium to start (size doubles, weight x 8)
3 - fists do an extra 1d4 damage (but only fists, since (non-magical) weapons wouldn't grow).
1 is a wash: this is something you already have when raging, so there is no additional benefit.
So the only benefits you need to identify are 2 and 3:
When raging your size grows by one step (from small to medium, or medium to large). Your body's size doubles in all dimensions and your weight multiplies by 8. Additionally, your unarmed attacks do an additional 1d4 damage.
Really, I don't see that as too much to give out at level 3 (along with the extra damage for unarmed attacks). The only hesitation I have is the bonus attack (and on it I'd just want to think more).
So this definitely hits on something. Barbarians already get advantage on strength checks and saving throws. The advantage of enlarge is how it affects certain kinds of forced movement and grapple effects, and it also effects the amount of weight you can carrying. Enlarge as a spell also offers the additional d4 damage, whereas I believe large creatures deal double the damage dice for a given type of weapon (though as you pointed out, the weapons wouldn't also grow for a barbarian of this archetype). So gaining something like the enlarge spell is decent, I feel that it is also not quite enough by itself. It also gets finicky because I want to create a barbarian that has incentive to go unarmed, but can also have benefits to someone that wishes to continue using weapons.
For level 6, have you considered replicating the effect of the Jump spell? Again, not as a magical ability, but something like:
Prodigious Leap. When Raging, your jump distance is tripled.
very hulk-like, and quite fun, but I don't think it can really be abused.
I actually quite like this idea. As I think about the idea of incorporating Great Weapon Master into the design, it doesn't really fit. But I like the idea of a great leap. Maybe you can also deal damage to those around you as you leap down, similar to the Barbarian ability in Diablo 2 and 3.
Kobold has good ideas. I like working the equivalent of an Enlarge spell into this, and also Prodigious Leap.
I think that somehow throwing enemies also needs to be part of it. How about a new Capstone:
While raging, on your turn you may use your bonus action to attempt to Shove a target within reach. If successful, and that target is your size or smaller, the distance you Shove them is 1d6 times 5', and for each 5' the target takes 1d6 damage. If the creature lands in a space occupied by another creature, that creature must also make a Dexterity Saving throw (DC: 8 + proficiency + Strength mod) or take the same damage and be knocked Prone.
EDIT: For unarmed damage if you allow Str bonus for the offhand it makes up for a lot of weapon damage.
I really like the idea of throwing enemies. That also sounds interesting to add in there somewhere.
I would like to see the enlarging come at 3rd level. I'd hate to wait for the capstone to Hulk out.
And if you find the enlarging too strong at 3rd, you can temper it by doing the same thing as the berserker - ,let the player choose to hulk out at the cost of a level of exhaustion.
Personally, I hate the idea of exhaustion or having a significant cost to using a class ability. I think only the Berserker barbarian has such a cost attached to a class ability. Every other ability is limited by rest, resource cost, or action economy. From my perspective, this should be maintained. A player shouldn't be punished for using their class abilities. At least that's my perspective.
Love where this is going! Had a couple thoughts/suggestions
I like getting the enlarge with rage at 3rd. Maybe leave the unarmed damage at 1d4. Allow Str and rage bonus to damage on prime attack, but also allow bonus ‘off hand’ with rage bonus. So 2d4+str+rage (twice once you get extra attack at 5th) and 2d4+rage bonus
Also, how about flipping the script with the rage. Make it so that to end the rage before 1 minute, you have to make a DC 15 charisma save. Otherwise if you have no enemy to attack on your turn, you attack the nearest creature (or use your movement and action to go towards the nearest creature). Finally, if the rage ends because it goes the full minute, you gain a level of exhaustion when it ends. A friendly creature can use its action to give the barbarian advantage on the Cha save.
Flavorful, but....this is D&D. I don't think having the Barbarian constantly attacking his companions is gonna work out real well.
I do like the idea that it's hard to end the rage, with consequences for failing to do so. But maybe we need to work on the consequences.
I'm with [MENTION=6801328]Elfcrusher[/MENTION] on this one. I don't like consequences for using class abilities, especially ones that create PvP situations. But as this is inspired by the Hulk, having some kind of difficulty ending rage or something happen if the rage ends early would be interesting. I think any such thing should lean more towards flavor than mechanical impairment, but let's see what we can come up with.
I'm really not sure how this class is supposed to incentivize unarmed combat. At every level, using a bog standard two-handed weapon does more damage.
That's why I was using a base unarmed damage at d6 and doubling rage damage. Bigger weapons might deal more damage, but you deal more consistent damage with unarmed strike, especially at higher levels. That was my thought process anyways.
You might also want to tweak the description; as is, it doesn't sound much different from a Berserker. How is a Hulk's inner torment or fury any different from a Berserker's?
That's fair. I think once I nail down the mechanics a bit more, I can work more on the flavor to better separate the concepts and give this path a stronger identity of its own.
You'd have far more design space if you didn't insist on shoehorning Great Weapon Mastery into this path. Drop that and you'll have way more room to let your creativity shine.
Yea, I'm beginning to see that myself...
DocMoriartty said:
Hardly a game breaker but one thing here I dislike is that at 3rd level a Hulk barbarians fists will do more damage than a monks fists. To me that seems wrong.
No one at any level should do more unarmed damage than the monk class.
I can understand that, but most barbarians will favor the heavy hitting weapons that deal d12 or 2d6. While I don't like the idea of barbarians being better at unarmed strikes than a monk, I'm somewhat ok with it if the base damage die doesn't increase as a monk's does. But I'm thinking I may have an idea for that...
Here's my crazy idea: What if the Hulk Path let you treat the Unarmed Strikes as having the Heavy Property? This would allow a Hulk to do do major unarmed damage with them without over shadowing actual heavy weapons. The big problem is that it totally makes GWM a feat tax.
That is an interesting idea. It does get a little bit complicated though if you are a halfling Barbarian of the Hulk, but nothing insurmountable.
