This is the previously promised pair of writeups designed to take what I consider to be essential features of Barbarian and port them to becoming subclasses of the more-interesting-to-play Fighter and Ranger (though I’m told that one really should play the Unearthed Arcana ranger rather than the one in the PHB). The goal here was to pack some fairly strong features into the subclasses (which are not usually strong enough to carry another class’ core mechanic). So I’ve made some additional limitations for each to try to expand the “budget” of how awesome they can be.

The Berserker College

Warriors from many cultures and eras have often come to the realization that fury is a useful tool in a fight. Some hone their rage through cultural traditions, while others simply have anger-management issues and low impulse control. Either way, when their blood is up they start to land brutal hits and seem insensate to pain, but give up a great deal of finesse.

Berserker Features

Fighter Level Feature
3rd Frenzy
7th Reckless
10th Instincts
15th Relentless
18th Unstoppable

Frenzy

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you may enter a Frenzy by expending your Second Wind. Second Wind costs a bonus action normally, and you still make the same roll, but instead of regaining hit points, you gain a “frenzy counter” for each hit point you would have healed. While you have frenzy counters, you gain all the benefits and drawbacks of being in a frenzy.

You may:

  • Spend one frenzy counter at the beginning of your turn to maintain your frenzy. This cannot be performed if you are unconscious. If you cannot or will not spend a frenzy counter at this point, you leave frenzy.
  • Spend frenzy counters up to your proficiency bonus to add damage to a melee weapon attack after confirming it was successful. You can choose to add the amount of counters spent as a flat damage bonus, or instead choose to add a die to the roll with a maximum value equal to twice the counters spent (e.g., d12 for 6 spent counters).
  • Spend one frenzy counter to take half damage from a single source of Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage.
  • Spend one frenzy counter to gain advantage on any Strength check or saving throw.
  • Spend one frenzy counter to gain advantage on any saving throw against Enchantment spells or against any effect that would cause you to become Charmed or Frightened on a failure.

Unless otherwise noted, spending frenzy counters does not require an action.

While in a frenzy:

  • Every time you miss an enemy with a melee attack roll, you gain an additional frenzy counter.
  • Every time you take damage from an enemy’s attack that you don’t spend a frenzy counter to reduce, you gain an additional frenzy counter.
  • Every time you fail a saving throw, you gain an additional frenzy counter.
  • If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them.
  • You suffer disadvantage on ranged attack rolls.
  • You suffer disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks except for Intimidation.

If frenzy ends while you have frenzy counters remaining, you regain the use of your Second Wind. If you use Second Wind again before your next short or long rest (either for frenzy or for its normal use), instead of rolling, the result is automatically equal to half the frenzy counters you had remaining.

Reckless

Starting at 7th level, you can choose to attack recklessly before making any attacks on your turn. Doing so gives you advantage on all melee weapon attacks, but all attack rolls against you have advantage against you until your next turn.

Similarly, you may add a bonus die of a size up to twice your proficiency bonus (e.g., d12 at proficiency +6) to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check, but lose hit points equal to the roll of the bonus die. This generally indicates that you hurt yourself excelling at the physical task.

Instincts

Starting at 10th level, you gain proficiency with Dexterity saving throws. You also gain advantage on initiative rolls.

Relentless

Starting at 15th level, while you are in a frenzy, if an attack would reduce you to 0 hit points, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point and any excess damage beyond that necessary to reduce you to 1 hit point is applied to your frenzy counters as if they were temporary hit points. If you are damaged sufficiently to remove all your frenzy counters and reduce you to 0 hit points, you begin dying normally.

Unstoppable

Starting at 18th level, while you are in a frenzy, you may spend a frenzy counter as a reaction when you would become Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, or Stunned to not suffer that condition. Additionally, you may spend two frenzy counters as part of a move to double your base speed for the rest of your turn.

The Totem Conclave

While many rangers are quite happy to ally themselves with beasts and become a better team, some instead invite the very spirits of the beasts themselves to bond with them. These totem warriors can enter a state where they allow their civilized impulses to be subsumed by the instincts of their animal patron. Unlike lycanthropes or druids, they do not physically transform, but simply channel the strongest aspects of their totem through their mundane forms.

Totem Warrior Features

Ranger Level Feature
3rd Fury, Totem Spirit
5th Bestial Quickness
7th Aspect of the Beast
11th Fangs and Fur
15th Totemic Attunement

Fury

Starting at 3rd level, you spend a bonus action and expend a single spell slot to enter a state of fury. The level of spell slot expended gives you a totem die: the die size is equal to a d4 if you expended a 1st level spell slot, and increases a die size for each additional level of spell slot (to a maximum of d12 if you expended a 5th level slot).

While in this state:

  • The first time per turn that you hit a target with a weapon attack, it takes an additional totem die of damage from the weapon.
  • If you deal damage with a weapon attack, you gain temporary hit points equal to the roll of the totem die on your attack (including if it is doubled on a crit).
  • You may add the totem die to all Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws.
  • You have disadvantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks, except Insight, Perception, Survival, and Intimidation.
  • You can’t cast spells or concentrate on them.

This state ends when you become unconscious, take a short or long rest, or choose to take a bonus action to willingly end the state.

Totem Spirit

At 3rd level, when you adopt this conclave, you choose a totem spirit and gain its feature. Your totem spirit remains the same for all subsequent totem abilities gained at later levels. Example totems are below.

  • Totem of Strength (Wolf): While in fury, you have advantage on all Strength checks and saving throws. If you hit a target with a weapon attack while at least one ally is within 5 feet of it, it must make a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + Your Proficiency Bonus + Your Strength Bonus) or fall prone.
  • Totem of Dexterity (Eagle): While in fury, you have advantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws. Additionally, you may Give Ground* without using a reaction, but you may further reduce the damage by your Totem Die by spending your reaction. If you took the Dash action on your turn, you may also Give Ground against ranged weapon attacks, and against spells that target you and make an attack roll.
  • Totem of Constitution (Bear): While in fury, you have advantage on all Constitution checks and saving throws. You also have advantage on death saving throws you make if you were reduced to 0 hit points while in a fury. Additionally, you may use your reaction to gain resistance against any source of damage except Psychic after the damage amount is declared.

* Give Ground: (based on Brandes’ house rule) As a reaction, when you take damage from a melee weapon attack (or spell that requires a touch attack), if there is an empty space adjacent to you and roughly opposite to you from the direction of the attack (i.e., one of three squares when using a grid), you can choose to be shoved away from the attacker into that space (i.e., the empty square of your choice). This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, but does cause you to suffer any effects of moving into the space. If the attacker has remaining movement, she may move normally to make follow-up attacks or continue to engage you in melee. If you successfully Give Ground, reduce the damage of the attack by 1d6.

Bestial Quickness

At 5th level, while you are in a fury, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Your speed increases by 10 feet, even when you are not in a fury.

Aspect of the Beast

At 7th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. Use the features for the Barbarian ability of the same name. (Wolf may overlap too much with default ranger abilities?)

Fangs and Fur

At 11th level, you fully embrace the fighting style of your totem, and gain benefits while unarmed or unarmored. When you are not wearing any armor, your AC is equal to the higher of 10 + your proficiency bonus or 13 + your Dexterity bonus. You can roll 1d8 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike, and you treat unarmed strikes as finesse weapons.

Totemic Attunement

At 15th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. Use the features for the Barbarian ability of the same name (with “while raging” replaced with “while in a fury”).