DnD 2024 Barbarian class explained

The DnD 2024 Barbarian is a martial powerhouse that uses extreme emotion (usually rage) to push their physical abilities to supernatural heights. The Barbarian 5e class is simple yet extremely effective in a fight, and the 2024 Player’s Handbook gives plenty of major reasons to return to the class. This guide explains the 2024 Dungeons and Dragons Barbarian class for anyone curious.

If you want to compare with the original Barbarian 5e, our alternate class guide can explain the older rules. Or, if you’re not married to the idea of axe-swinging your way through a campaign, check out the other DnD classes you could be playing.

DnD 2024 Barbarian rules:

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Barbarians have proficiency in Strength and Charisma saving throws. As for equipment, they can use simple and martial weapons, as well as shields, light armor, and medium armor. Barbarians also get to choose two DnD skills to gain proficiency in:

Rage

Level: One

Rage is a Barbarian’s core mechanic. It’s a bonus action that you can take when you’re not wearing heavy armor, and it gives you these benefits:

• Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• Bonus Rage damage when you make a Strength-based weapon attack (or an Unarmed Strike – that’s new) and deal damage to a target.

While Raging, you can’t cast or concentrate on DnD spells. The condition ends after the end of your next turn, if you put on heavy armor, or if you become incapacitated. You can extend your Rage by doing the following:

• Making an attack roll against an enemy.
• Forcing an enemy to make a saving throw.
• Taking a bonus action to extend your Rage.

Unlike the 2014 Barbarian, you can’t extend your Rage by taking damage. On the bright side, it’s actually easier to maintain Rage in the 2024 rules. If you can maintain it, your Rage can last up to ten minutes. The table above shows how many times you can Rage before you need a short or long rest, and it also includes your Rage damage for each level.

Unarmored Defense

Level: One

With Unarmored Defense, your armor class is 10 + your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers as long as you’re not wearing any armor. You can still use a shield, however.

Weapon Mastery

Level: One

This feature lets you use the DnD Weapon Mastery properties of two weapons you’re proficient in (see our guide for more details). You can change your choices whenever you finish a long rest, and you’ll be able to use more weapon mastery properties as you level up:

• Levels one to three – two Weapon Masteries
• Levels four to nine – three Weapon Masteries
• Levels 10+ – four Weapon Masteries

Weapon Mastery has proven to be one of our favorite D&D 2024 changes. Martial classes like the Barbarian and DnD 2024 Fighter lacked the versatility of spellcasting characters, and weapon mastery means their playstyle feels less same-y.

Danger Sense

Level: Two

Danger Sense means that you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws as long as you aren’t incapacitated.

Reckless Attack

Level: Two

When you make your first attack roll on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on any Strength-based attack you make. The effects of your Reckless Attack last until the start of your next turn. However, attack rolls made against you during that time have advantage.

Barbarian Subclass

Level: Three

The 2024 Player’s Handbook includes four Barbarian Subclass options. For more, check out our full list of DnD Barbarian subclasses.

Path of the Berserker

A Path of the Berserker Barbarian arguably Rages harder than any other warrior of their ilk. From level three, they can use Frenzy to deal extra damage with a Reckless Attack while Raging. To calculate the damage, roll d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus.

From level six, Mindless Rage makes you immune to being charmed and frightened while your Rage is active. Additionally, any existing charmed or frightened condition that you’re affected by ends when you Rage.

The level-10 Retaliation ability means that, when you take damage from a creature within five feet, you can spend a reaction to make a melee attack or unarmed strike against your assailant.

Finally, at level 14 comes Intimidating Presence, a bonus action that forces every creature of your choice within a 30-foot emanation to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength modifier and proficiency bonus). If they fail, they’re Frightened for one minute, though they can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns to try and end the condition. If you want to use this feature again, you’ll need to spend a use of your Rage or finish a long rest.

Path of the Wild Heart

The Path of the Wild Heart Barbarian has a unique affinity for animals, with unusual powers that reflect this. From level three, when you activate your Rage, you can choose one of several Rage of the Wilds effects:

• Bear – While Raging, you’re resistant to every DnD damage type except force, necrotic, psychic, and radiant.
• Eagle – When you Rage, you can Disengage and Dash as part of that bonus action. While Rage is active, you can take a bonus action to perform both actions again.
• Wolf – While Raging, allies have advantage on attack rolls against enemies within five feet of you.

Aspect of the Wilds then grants you one of the following options at level six (though you can swap your choice every long rest):

• Owl – You gain 60 feet of Darkvision, or 60 more if you already have it.
• Panther – You gain a climb speed equal to your speed.
• Salmon – You gain a swim speed equal to your speed.

From level 10, Nature Speaker lets you cast Commune with Nature as a ritual, with Wisdom as your spellcasting ability. Finally, there’s the level-14 Power of the Wilds ability, which gives you one more ability from the following options:

• Falcon – While Raging, you have a fly speed equal to your speed if you aren’t wearing armor.
• Lion – While Raging, enemies within five feet of you have disadvantage on attack rolls against other targets.
• Ram – While Raging, you can knock a Large or smaller creature prone when you hit it with a melee attack.

Path of the World Tree

As the name implies, a Path of the World Tree Barbarian gets their abilities from a connection with Yggdrasil (said World Tree). This begins at level three with Vitality of the Tree. When Raging, this ability provides the following boons:

• When you first start Raging, you gain temporary HP equal to your Barbarian level.
• At the start of your turns while Raging, you can give another creature within 10ft temporary HP. Roll d6s equal to your Rage damage bonus and grant your target the total in temp HP.

At level six, Branches of the Tree gives you a new reaction while your Rage is active. You can force a target within 30ft to make a Strength save or be teleported to a space within five feet of you (or as close as possible). Its speed is reduced to zero until the end of the current turn.

From level 10, Battering Roots extends your reach by 10ft when you wield a Heavy or Versatile melee weapon. When you hit with one of these weapons on your turn, you can activate the Push or Topple weapon mastery as well as the regular mastery property of the weapon.

Lastly, at level 14, you can Travel Along the Tree as a bonus action when you begin Raging and while your Rage is active. This means you teleport up to 60ft to a space you can see. Plus, once per Rage, you can increase the range of your teleport power to 150ft and bring up to six nearby willing creatures with you.

For more details, check out our full Path of the World Tree Barbarian guide.

Path of the Zealot

A Path of the Zealot Barbarian has an aspect of the divine when they Rage. From level three, Divine Fury lets you deal extra damage to the first creature you hit in melee while your Rage is active. The damage is 1d6 plus half your Barbarian level, and its DnD damage type is necrotic or radiant.

Also at level three, Warrior of the Gods gives you a pool of four d12s that can be rolled as a bonus action. You then regain HP equal to the total of your die/dice. The number of dice in your pool increases by one at levels six, 12, and 17, and you replenish spent dice on a long rest.

The level-six Fanatical Focus ability means that, once per Rage, you can reroll a failed saving throw with a bonus equal to your Rage damage bonus. Then, at level 10, Zealous Presence lets you give up to 10 creatures within 60 feet advantage on attack rolls and saving throws as a bonus action.

This lasts until the start of your next turn. You must spend a use of Rage or finish a long rest before you can use Zealous Presence again.

At level 14, Rage of the Gods gives you a divine form that activates when you Rage. It lasts for one minute or until you reach zero HP, and it’s restored on a long rest. This form comes with several benefits:

• You have a fly speed equal to your speed and can hover.
• You’re resistant to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage.
• When a creature within 30 feet reaches zero HP, you can spend a reaction and a use of your Rage to change their HP to equal your Barbarian level.

Primal Knowledge

Level: Three

Primal Knowledge means you gain proficiency in one of the following skills that you’re not already proficient in: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, or Survival.

Additionally, you can make the following skill checks as if they were Strength checks while your Rage is active:

• Acrobatics
• Intimidation
• Perception
• Stealth
• Survival

The 2014 Barbarian’s biggest weakness was that they had very little to offer outside of combat. Primal Knowledge attempts to rectify this. However, the ability’s cost of entry, a use of your precious Rage, feels pretty expensive.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, Eight, 12, 16

Choose one of the following:

• +1 to two DnD stats
• +2 to one stat
• A feat

Extra Attack

Level: Five

When you take an attack action on your turn, you can attack twice instead of once.

Fast Movement

Level: Five

Thanks to Fast Movement, your speed increases by 10 feet when you aren’t wearing heavy armor.

Feral Instinct

Level: Seven

From here on out, Feral Instinct gives you advantage on Initiative rolls.

Instinctive Pounce

Level: Seven

Instinctive Pounce means that, when you take a bonus action to Rage, you can also move up to half your speed.

Brutal Strike

Level: Nine

When you’ve chosen to Reckless Attack, Brutal Strike lets you choose not to have advantage on an attack. As long as you don’t already have disadvantage and that attack hits, your target takes an extra 1d10 damage. Additionally, one of these effects occurs:

• The target is pushed 15 feet away from you in a straight line, and you can move up to half your speed toward them without provoking DnD opportunity attacks.
• The target’s speed is reduced by 15 feet until the start of your next turn (this can only be applied once).

Relentless Rage

Level: 11

If you reach zero HP while Raging, Relentless Rage lets you make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you gain HP equal to twice your Barbarian level (which, since this is a level 11 feature, gives you a minimum of 22 HP). Every time you use Relentless Rage, the DC increases by five. However, it resets to 10 when you take a short or long rest.

Improved Brutal Strike

Level: 13

When you land an Improved Brutal Strike, choose one of the following:

• The target has disadvantage on its next saving throw and can’t make opportunity attacks until the start of your next turn.
• Before your next turn, the next attack roll that another creature makes against the target gets a +5 bonus (this can only be applied once).

Persistent Rage

Level: 15

Once per long rest, when you roll Initiative, you regain all spent uses of Rage. Persistent Rage also means that your Rage lasts 10 minutes without you needing to extend it.

Improved Brutal Strike

Level: 17

This version of Improved Brutal Strike increases your Brutal Strike damage to 2d10, and you can use two Brutal Strike effects at the same time.

Indomitable Might

Level: 18

With Indomitable Might, any Strength check or saving throw you roll that’s below your Strength score uses your stat in place of the result.

Epic Boon

Level: 19

You choose one of the new Epic Boon feat options. See our DnD 2024 feats guide for more details on your options.

Primal Champion

Level: 20

Lastly, with Primal Champion, your Strength and Constitution increase by four. The maximum score you can have for each is now 25 instead of 24.

For more on the new rules, check out our 2024 Player’s Handbook review. We can also tell you all about the new DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds.