Homebrew:Path of the Experiment
(OOC: This is an implementation of the Path of the Experiment subclass from The Crooked Moon)
Base Class: Barbarian
Barbarians following the Path of the Experiment supplement their rage with alchemical cocktails that surge in their bodies through syringes and tubes of copper, steel, and glass. These formulas enhance their ability to channel primal might, or perhaps—because of their rage—they are the only people who can survive the chemicals flooding their veins. A barbarian may have created the implants and serums through their own experimentation, or they could have been subjected to the insidious work of others. Whatever the origin, it could have been well-intentioned and made to enhance or preserve the barbarian's life, or it might have been an unhinged alchemical exploration.
The Experimental Implants table offers examples of different forms your Implants can take.
| 1d6 | Implant |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alchemical Injector. Glass reservoir cylinders set in brass and iron frames hold multicolored, bubbling, or luminous alchemical fluids. |
| 2 | Alien Grafts. Portions of your body have been replaced with parts of a dragon, a werewolf, or an Aberration's rubbery tentacles. When you rage, the grafts overtake more of your body. |
| 3 | Construct Prosthesis. You have prosthetic limbs, eyes, or other replacements made of metal, stone, or wood. When you rage, the parts flare. |
| 4 | Crystal Formations. Crystals grow from your body across your shoulders and down your limbs. When you rage, the crystals glow, chime, or ring. |
| 5 | Fungal Inoculation. Mushrooms and other fungal growths overtake parts of your body, and vein-like mycelium run along your skin from them. When you rage, the veins pulse and writhe. |
| 6 | Sparktech Augmentation. Copper, silver, and brass coils in your back and arms run wires along your skin to plugs. When you rage, lightning crackles across the metal. |
Alchemical Experiments
3rd-level Path of the Experiment feature
You gain a set of alchemist's supplies, and you have proficiency with it. Additionally, you can use alchemist's supplies instead of an herbalism kit to craft potions of healing, even if you aren't a spellcaster.
Volatile Serum
3rd-level Path of the Experiment feature
You have an implanted series of syringes and reservoirs that hold alchemical serums and deploy them into your body. When you enter your rage, choose one of your serums to inject and gain its benefits.
The chosen serum lasts for the duration of your rage, or until you choose a new serum as a bonus action. You have the following serum options.
- Ferocity.
- This serum throws you into an energized frenzy. You ignore difficult terrain, and when you hit a creature with a melee attack roll with a weapon or unarmed strike, you can make another attack with it against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the weapon's damage, but don't add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.
- Monstrosity.
- The serum expands your body to monstrous proportions and can change your appearance in cosmetic ways, such as by altering facial features, skin tone, and hair length or color. Your reach increases by 5 feet, and once per turn when you miss with an attack roll that relies on Strength, you can add your rage damage bonus to the total, potentially causing the attack to hit. If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing or carrying. If there isn't enough room to accommodate the size change, your size doesn't change.
- Reconstruction.
- The serum dulls pain and forces wounds to rapidly knit. Upon activation and at the start of each of your turns, you can expend and roll a Hit Die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 hit point). You gain any excess beyond your hit point maximum as temporary hit points. If you take acid or fire damage, this serum doesn't function at the start of your next turn.
Augmentation Compounds
6th-level Path of the Experiment feature
Through continued experimentation or your natural adaptation to your implants, you can now activate one of the compound options below, in addition to a serum, when you enter your rage or change your chosen serum. The chosen compound lasts for the duration of your rage, or until you choose a new compound.
- Stimulated Senses.
- You gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet. If you already have blindsight, its range increases by 30 feet.
- Maddening Fumes.
- Your skin emits aggression-spiking fumes out to 30 feet. While in that area, an enemy's speed is halved, and if it starts its turn there, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 plus your Constitution modifier and proficiency bonus) or have disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you until the start of its next turn.
- Corrosive Expulsion.
- When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a spray of caustic chemicals from your implants in a 15-foot cone, or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (choose the shape each time). Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 plus your Constitution modifier and proficiency bonus). Roll a number of d8s equal to your rage damage bonus. On a failed save, a target takes acid damage equal to the total rolled, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Reactive Catalyst
10th-level Path of the Experiment feature
Your implants are now sensitive to your response to danger and flood you with stimulating chemicals. When you take damage, or when you are blinded, deafened, poisoned, or stunned, you can use your reaction to enter your rage before the damage or conditions are applied. When you enter your rage, you end any of those conditions on yourself, including any triggering conditions.
Additionally, while your rage is active, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
Biochemical Admixture
14th-level Path of the Experiment feature
Your body focuses and combines the strength of your serums. When you activate an option of your Volatile Serum, you activate two options instead of one.
Additionally, when a creature within 5 feet of you damages you with a melee attack while your rage is active, the creature takes 1d12 acid damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.