5eCharacterArchetypes:PathoftheLivingWeapon

(Barbarian)
Apr20,2016 | 5e,Barbarian,ClassArchetypes,Fluff

PathoftheLivingWeapon

Youwillbecometheperfectweapon.Bybecomingtheveryavatarofwar,changingeverypartofyourselffor
combat,youwillachievetheperfectpeace.Youwillbethelastmonster,thelastevil,youwillscartheworld.
Whenanyonethinksofwarorbattleeveragain,theywillbreakoutinacoldsweat,shiveringtotheechoesof
fearreachingthroughtime.
BarbariansthatfollowthePathoftheLivingWeapongofartherthanotherwarriorsinarmingthemselvesforwar.
Theyseekanyandallimprovementstothemselvesincombat,slowlyreplacingormodifyingtheirownbodies.
SomeLivingWeaponBarbariansbeginthispathinthelaboratoriesofmadwizardsasexperimentalbodyguards,
othersstarttheirdescentundertheprimalritualsofdesperateshamans.Otherroadswillseethesebarbarians
replacingtheirbodieswithcraftedsteamworksorslowlyburninguptheirhumanitythroughdemonicpacts.
Whatevertheirpath,BarbariansofthePathoftheLivingWeaponarefearsometobeholdinbattle.

GearedforWar
Uponreachingthirdlevel,yourdrivetoimproveyourbattleprowesshasleftyouwithonlyoneclearavenuefor
growth,youmustchangeyourfrailmortalform.Youwillhoneyourbody:becomeattunedwithyourequipmenton
afundamentallevel.Whenyoureachthislevelyoumustchooseatleastoneofthefollowingtoabandoninyour
questformight:allofyourbodyhair,yourabilitytotaste,ortheabilitytomakesmalltalk.Intensetraining
regimensandritualizedmodificationofyourbodyletsyoumeshwithyourequipment.Anyweaponyouwield,
shieldyoubear,orarmoryoudonisunabletoberemovedwithoutyourconsentorcuttingitoffbydealing1/10th
ofyourhitpointsindamage.

Additionally,thelongeryouremainincontactwithyourarmsandarmor,themoreinsyncitbecomes.Foreach
consecutive,continualdayyouhavewornthesamesetofclothes,armor,andshieldyourtemporarymaximum
hitpointsincreaseby1pointperhitdie,toamaximumof3hitpointsperhitdie.Foreverythreeconsecutive,
continualdaysyoukeepthesameweapondrawnandwielded,yourdamagewiththatweaponincreasesby1d4,
toamaximumof+2d4damage.Thesetwoeffectsonlymanifestwhenyouloseyourselfinthetidesofbattle,
enteringyourragestate.
VisceralFortification
Whenyoureach6thlevel,theexternalentrapmentsofwarhaveleftyouwantingformore.Morepower.More
blood.More.Ifsheddingyourexternaltrappingsarentenough,thenyoumustdigdeeper.Youmustchooseto
giveuponeormoreofthefollowing:yourabilitytoreapenjoymentfromintoxicants,theabilitytobeintimate
withanothercreature,ortheabilitytofeelcomfortsuchasawarmfireorsoftbed.

Changingthemakeupofyourorganswasnotaneasyorcostlessprocessbutthegainsinefficiencywereworth
it.Youcanrelyonyourbodysinternalsystemswhenyoufalter.Whenyouareatorbelowhalfofyourmaximum
hitpointsforthefirsttimeeachcombat,yourbodykicksintooverdrivefortherestofthebattle.Itremembers
everywound.Forevery100damageyouhavetakeninthelastweek,yourspeedincreasesby5ft,toa
maximumof20ft.Whileyouareinthisstate,youcanunhingeyourjointsandunwindyourligamentstoincrease
yourreachby5ft.atthecostofdealing1d6+STRdamagetoyourselfwitheachsuchattack.
SharpentheMind
Uponreaching10thlevel,youhavehadanepiphany.Everypartofyourbodythatyouhavechangedhasonly
warrantedanotherchange,butuntilnowyouhavebeenreluctanttotouchyourmind.Inordertoclearaway
mentalspaceforwhatyouneedyoumustrelinquishatleastoneof:wit,charm,orphilosophy.Alossofwit
imposesdisadvantageonyourIntelligenceskills,alossofcharmonyourCharismaskills,andphilosophyon
yourWisdomskills.Thishasnoeffectonyoursaves.

Freedofuselessthoughts,youcanattempttosizeupasinglecreaturescombatabilities,weaknesses,and
tacticswiththeappropriateskillcheck.Youmaydothisonceeachcombatasabonusaction.Youare
consideredproficientinthesechecksanddonotsufferdisadvantageifitisbasedonastatisticyougaveup.

ReCasttheSoul
Atlevel14,onlyonelastbarrieroftheselfisholdingyouback.Itistimetofocusyourverybeingandturnit
towardbattle.Intheprocessofreformingyoursoul,youmustabandonatleastoneofthefollowing:yourafterlife,
youralignment,oryouremotions.Everythingaboutyourselfisnowsomuchmalleablesteeltobefashionedupon
theanvilofwar.

Younolongersleepatnight,insteadyousitindeepconcentrationrunningthroughimaginedcombats.Duringthis
time,youcanchoosetocullyourproficiencies,abilities,andtraitstoimproveyourcombatprowess.These
abilitiesareunabletobeuseduntilyoutakeanotherlongrestduringwhichyoucanrestorethem.

Eachproficiencyyouconsumegrantsyouasingleuse+1d4bonustoasingleattacksattackanddamageroll.

Eachclassabilityyourelinquishbecomesa+2bonusyoucanapplytoasinglestatisticforthedurationofone
rage.Thesebonuseswillstackwiththemselves.

Eachracialtraitthatyousubsumebecomesausageofaregenerationabilitythatrestores1d4+1hitpointseach
roundfor5rounds.

BuildUpYourForm
At14thlevel,duringyournightlymeditationsonwar,youcanattachorabsorbmagicitemsandequipmentinto
yourbody.Theseitemscanbeusednormallywhileattachedtoyou.Ifanyofthoseitemsareattuned,youmay
countthoseitemsmagicalabilitiesasclassabilitiesforthepurposesofsacrificingthemtoRecasttheSoul.
Whileconsumedforthatability,attunedmagicitemsstillcounttowardsyourlimitofthenumberofitemsyoucan
beattunedtoatonetime.

EternalWeapon
Uponreaching20thlevelyoumaychoosetopermanentlybondyoursoultoyourphysicalform,stoppingyou
fromaging,atthecostofbeingpermanentlydestroyedupondeath.