D&D 5E Barbarian Path of the Marauder (homebrew)

Olrox17

Hero
Greetings!
I've always found strange that among the many subclasses available to barbarians, none was dedicated to emulate the prowess of our world's historical steppe riders, such as the mongols. Today, I decided to take a stab at the concept.
Let me know what you think.

Path of the Marauder

Rider and Handler
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Animal Handling.
You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated.
Finally, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.

Marauding Archer
At 3rd level, you learn how to integrate archery into your ferocious battle style. When you attack with a shortbow or longbow, you can use your Strength modifier, instead of Dexterity, for damage rolls, and if you do so, they are considered strength melee weapons for the purpose of your Rage, Reckless Attack, and Brutal Critical class features.
[designer note: I'm unsure if I should allow the marauder to use its Strength mod on bow attack rolls as well. It would work mechanically, but using Strength to aim a bow irks me conceptually, so I decided to give the marauder free archery style to compensate for its likely lower dex score]

Archery Fighting Style

Starting at 3rd level, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Retreat and Ambush
Starting at 6th level, you know how to move quickly over the battlefield and lure enemies into traps. You can use the Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn.
If you move at least 30 feet after you or your mount used the Disengage action, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you if they enter your reach before the end of your next turn.

Running Attack
Starting at 10th level, you can use your momentum to inflict greater injuries to your enemies, whether you’re mounted or not. Once per turn, if you move at least 30 feet towards a creature and then hit it with an attack, the target takes extra damage equal to half your barbarian level.

Legendary Mount
At 14th level, you somehow gain the service of an extraordinary mount (work with your DM to find out how). The mount is usually a warhorse, a giant goat, a pony, a camel, an elk, or a mastiff (Your DM might allow other animals). The mount has the statistics of the chosen form, but if it has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6, and if its hit points total, hit dice, and Constitution score are lower than yours, it uses yours instead.
While riding on your legendary mount, both you and the mount are immune to the frightened condition, and any healing effect that targets only you also targets your mount.
 
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I don't feel the steppe archer is really a good fit for the Barbarian which despite the name is really focused just around the idea of going berserk in melee.

In 5E background is mostly divorced from class. You would do better I think with a Fighter subclass here and the player could take the outlander background.

Regarding Strength with bows. One option would be to create bows with larger die types say D10 and D12 but give them a strength minimum to use them. You could still do the attack and damage based on Dex, but there would at least be a reason for archers to have a decent Strength and not totally dump it.
 

Olrox17

Hero
I don't feel the steppe archer is really a good fit for the Barbarian which despite the name is really focused just around the idea of going berserk in melee.

In 5E background is mostly divorced from class. You would do better I think with a Fighter subclass here and the player could take the outlander background.

Regarding Strength with bows. One option would be to create bows with larger die types say D10 and D12 but give them a strength minimum to use them. You could still do the attack and damage based on Dex, but there would at least be a reason for archers to have a decent Strength and not totally dump it.
When I choose the barbarian chassis, I admit that part of my inspiration were the Dothraki from a song of ice and fire (game of thrones). They are mongol-like in their battle style, their riders are called “screamers” and are often depicted unarmored.

About creating d10 or d12 bow, I’ll think about it. They’d basically be like 3e composite bows, which would fit thematically.
 

Weiley31

Legend
Fully grown Goliath Barbarian Path of the Marauder with a Legendary Mount Pony.
And for bonus points, EVERYTHING acts completely normal and no penalties are suffered DESPITE the massive size difference.

I like it!
 

DEFCON 1

Legend
Supporter
I think that if you are going to give the Maruader the Archery Fighting Style, that yes, you do not need to make the bows use STR for the attack bonus and it can remain with DEX.

The Marauder will indeed have a lower DEX mod than most other marksman types and thus their attack mod will be lower... but if you throw in the Fighting Style and Reckless Attack... their attempts to hit will still be fine. Were you to let them use their STR for attack rolls as well, you might very well say that'd be overpowered. Especially considering that by being able to remain at range, the Marauder is getting all the bonuses of Reckless Attack with none of the penalties (since they won't be in melee range nearly as often and thus others having Advantage against him is never applied.)
 

Olrox17

Hero
Fully grown Goliath Barbarian Path of the Marauder with a Legendary Mount Pony.
And for bonus points, EVERYTHING acts completely normal and no penalties are suffered DESPITE the massive size difference.

I like it!
Heh, well, that does sound pretty awesome, although I believe ponies are medium sized in 5e? I'm away from the book right now.

I think that if you are going to give the Maruader the Archery Fighting Style, that yes, you do not need to make the bows use STR for the attack bonus and it can remain with DEX.

The Marauder will indeed have a lower DEX mod than most other marksman types and thus their attack mod will be lower... but if you throw in the Fighting Style and Reckless Attack... their attempts to hit will still be fine. Were you to let them use their STR for attack rolls as well, you might very well say that'd be overpowered. Especially considering that by being able to remain at range, the Marauder is getting all the bonuses of Reckless Attack with none of the penalties (since they won't be in melee range nearly as often and thus others having Advantage against him is never applied.)
Reckless Attack is a feature I really struggled with, for the reason you pointed out: if you're away from the melee, the downside may not apply. It might be too good.
At one point, I disallowed Reckless Attack with bows, but I didn't want to take away a core feature of the class.
At another point, I included Reckless Attack in the Running Attack feature. Basically, you were allowed to use reckless attack at range, but only if you were also using running attack, which meant you had to get closer to your enemies to use it, thus making the downside of reckless attack more relevant. If felt really complicated though, and beside, running attack is a high level ability, it didn't feel right to gate reckless attack behind it.

I'm still not completely satisfied with how I handled this particular mechanic.
 

Weiley31

Legend
Heh, well, that does sound pretty awesome, although I believe ponies are medium sized in 5e? I'm away from the book right now.


Reckless Attack is a feature I really struggled with, for the reason you pointed out: if you're away from the melee, the downside may not apply. It might be too good.
At one point, I disallowed Reckless Attack with bows, but I didn't want to take away a core feature of the class.
At another point, I included Reckless Attack in the Running Attack feature. Basically, you were allowed to use reckless attack at range, but only if you were also using running attack, which meant you had to get closer to your enemies to use it, thus making the downside of reckless attack more relevant. If felt really complicated though, and beside, running attack is a high level ability, it didn't feel right to gate reckless attack behind it.

I'm still not completely satisfied with how I handled this particular mechanic.
Miniature Pony then for bonus points!
 

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