Nathaniel Johnston
First Post
Hey everyone! This is my first homebrew work, and I was hoping for some thoughts on it. I developed this subclass as a response to the Giant Soul sorcerer, which I loved the idea of but was unimpressed by the execution. I haven't playtested it or done a lot of math to balance it, so let me know your thoughts on if it's overpowered or anything.
Path of the Jotunkin
Some barbarians come from tribes that have close ties to giants. Perhaps they actively trade with a group of giants, or perhaps they practice lost arts that their ancestors learned from giants of old. Barbarians who follow the Path of the Jotunkin learn to harness the strength of giants and grow to incredible sizes.
Jotun Build
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you begin to gain giantlike qualities. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Jotun Training
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can speak, read, and write Giant. Additionally, select one of the giant types below. You learn fighting techniques associated with your choice, shown below.
Hill giant: Any creature you grapple that is at least one size smaller than you is automatically restrained. When you are raging, you can make an attack to slam a grappled creature into the ground or walls for 1d6 bludgeoning damage even when you do not have a free hand. You use your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls.
Stone giant: You gain proficiency with all thrown weapons, including improvised, and the range on thrown weapons doubles for you. When you are raging, you deal 1d6 extra damage on thrown weapon attacks.
Frost giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you can gain temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level as an icy coating protects your vital areas. Additionally, when you make an attack of opportunity against a creature, that creature's speed is halved until the beginning of its next turn.
Fire giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you may create a five foot cube of fire in a space within 5 feet of you. This fire lasts for a number of turns equal to your strength modifier and deals 1d6 fire damage to any creature that moves into the fire's space or starts its turn there.
Cloud giant: When you are raging, you can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet. Additionally, you can take the attack action during or at the end of a jump or fall, and you deal an extra 1d4 damage per 5 feet traveled.
Storm giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you can cause all other creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you to take 1d4 lightning damage each.
Strength of the Jotunkin
At 6th level, you can take on giantlike proportions. As a bonus action, or as part of entering rage, you can increase your size by one category—from Medium to Large, for example. Your size doubles in all dimensions, and your weight is multiplied by eight. If there isn’t enough room for you to double your size, you attain the maximum possible size in the space available. Everything you are wearing and carrying changes size with you. Any item you drop returns to normal size at once. This size increase lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you die or are incapacitated. You can also end it early on your turn as a bonus action. Until it ends, you enjoy the following benefits:
Your reach increases by 5 feet.
Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.
You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your attacks; the bonus equals your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to the number of rages you have. While you are using this feature, you may expend additional uses to extend the time this feature is active, without expending any action, but size increases from additional uses are not cumulative. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Elemental Might
At 10th level, you begin to reflect the elemental affinities of the giants. You gain abilities based on the giant type you chose at 3rd level.
Hill giant: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. You also gain proficiency in either the Intimidation skill or the Survival skill.
Stone giant: You gain proficiency with the mason's tools. Additionally, you can hide by standing still against natural or worked stone. When you hide like this, you are considered proficient in the Stealth skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Frost giant: You gain resistance to cold damage, and you don't suffer the effects of extreme cold. Moreover, as an action, you can touch water and turn a 5-foot cube of it into ice, which melts after 1 minute. This action fails if a creature is in the cube.
Fire giant: You gain resistance to fire damage, and you don't suffer the effects of extreme heat. Moreover, as an action, you can touch a flammable object that isn't being worn or carried by anyone else and set it on fire.
Cloud giant: Your jump distance and height are doubled, and you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to two times your barbarian level.
Storm giant: You gain resistance to lightning damage, and you can breathe underwater. You also gain a swimming speed equal to your movement speed.
Strength of the All Father
At 14th level, when you use your Strength of the Jotunkin feature, you may expend two uses to grow up to two size categories larger. When you use this feature in this way, your increases to reach, walking speed, and damage rolls are doubled.
Path of the Jotunkin
Some barbarians come from tribes that have close ties to giants. Perhaps they actively trade with a group of giants, or perhaps they practice lost arts that their ancestors learned from giants of old. Barbarians who follow the Path of the Jotunkin learn to harness the strength of giants and grow to incredible sizes.
Jotun Build
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you begin to gain giantlike qualities. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Jotun Training
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can speak, read, and write Giant. Additionally, select one of the giant types below. You learn fighting techniques associated with your choice, shown below.
Hill giant: Any creature you grapple that is at least one size smaller than you is automatically restrained. When you are raging, you can make an attack to slam a grappled creature into the ground or walls for 1d6 bludgeoning damage even when you do not have a free hand. You use your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls.
Stone giant: You gain proficiency with all thrown weapons, including improvised, and the range on thrown weapons doubles for you. When you are raging, you deal 1d6 extra damage on thrown weapon attacks.
Frost giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you can gain temporary hit points equal to your barbarian level as an icy coating protects your vital areas. Additionally, when you make an attack of opportunity against a creature, that creature's speed is halved until the beginning of its next turn.
Fire giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you may create a five foot cube of fire in a space within 5 feet of you. This fire lasts for a number of turns equal to your strength modifier and deals 1d6 fire damage to any creature that moves into the fire's space or starts its turn there.
Cloud giant: When you are raging, you can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet. Additionally, you can take the attack action during or at the end of a jump or fall, and you deal an extra 1d4 damage per 5 feet traveled.
Storm giant: When you are raging, as a bonus action you can cause all other creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you to take 1d4 lightning damage each.
Strength of the Jotunkin
At 6th level, you can take on giantlike proportions. As a bonus action, or as part of entering rage, you can increase your size by one category—from Medium to Large, for example. Your size doubles in all dimensions, and your weight is multiplied by eight. If there isn’t enough room for you to double your size, you attain the maximum possible size in the space available. Everything you are wearing and carrying changes size with you. Any item you drop returns to normal size at once. This size increase lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you die or are incapacitated. You can also end it early on your turn as a bonus action. Until it ends, you enjoy the following benefits:
Your reach increases by 5 feet.
Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.
You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your attacks; the bonus equals your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to the number of rages you have. While you are using this feature, you may expend additional uses to extend the time this feature is active, without expending any action, but size increases from additional uses are not cumulative. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Elemental Might
At 10th level, you begin to reflect the elemental affinities of the giants. You gain abilities based on the giant type you chose at 3rd level.
Hill giant: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. You also gain proficiency in either the Intimidation skill or the Survival skill.
Stone giant: You gain proficiency with the mason's tools. Additionally, you can hide by standing still against natural or worked stone. When you hide like this, you are considered proficient in the Stealth skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Frost giant: You gain resistance to cold damage, and you don't suffer the effects of extreme cold. Moreover, as an action, you can touch water and turn a 5-foot cube of it into ice, which melts after 1 minute. This action fails if a creature is in the cube.
Fire giant: You gain resistance to fire damage, and you don't suffer the effects of extreme heat. Moreover, as an action, you can touch a flammable object that isn't being worn or carried by anyone else and set it on fire.
Cloud giant: Your jump distance and height are doubled, and you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to two times your barbarian level.
Storm giant: You gain resistance to lightning damage, and you can breathe underwater. You also gain a swimming speed equal to your movement speed.
Strength of the All Father
At 14th level, when you use your Strength of the Jotunkin feature, you may expend two uses to grow up to two size categories larger. When you use this feature in this way, your increases to reach, walking speed, and damage rolls are doubled.
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