Brutal, unmodded, and raw, Barbarians are often survivors of failed colonies, radiation zones, or outlaw planets where biotech never reached. They channel sheer willpower and instinct, often enhanced by illegal stimulants or body-hacking rituals. When the cryo-pods fail and the ship falls apart, Barbarians break things until the universe listens.
Barbarian Profession in MechD20:
While mechanically identical to the 2024 Barbarian class, the flavor of this profession leans heavily into cyberpunk desperation and post-collapse resilience. Their “rage” is often a chemically-induced state or neural override protocol that taps into primal fight-or-flight coding deep in the brainstem. Some tribes even believe their rage comes from ancient cosmic spirits—fragments of extinct alien gods that whisper through gamma radiation storms.
Examples of Barbarians in MechD20:
- Stimm-Ragers: Adrenaline junkies wired for pain suppression and brutal close combat.
- Crashborn: Survivors of deep-space wrecks who emerged wild-eyed and unstoppable.
- Tribes of the Howling Signal: Nomadic clans who follow strange radio frequencies they interpret as divine will.
Barbarian Subclasses in MechD20:
At Level 3 of Barbarian, you will have the ability to choose a subclass, as per standard D&D. At 4th level Barbarian, you will be given a Core Power for your subclass. Remember that if you have multiple Core Powers, you can only have one active at a time, and it must be chosen during a Long Rest. All of these are rethemed from classes in the Player’s Handbook 2024.
Junkworld Berserker (Path of the Beserker)
Forged in scrapyards and born in radiation storms, Junkworld Berserkers wield brutality like a toolset. Their bodies are scarred with makeshift armor, broken implants, and chemical burns from whatever got them through last cycle. They rage not from bloodlust, but because rage is the only thing that still works when nothing else does. Junkworld Beserkers are often referred to as “Junk Barbarians”, “Beserkers”, or even “Junkworld Barbs”.
Core Power: Salvage Surge – Once per rage, as an Action, you can cannibalize nearby debris or ruined tech to reinforce your body. Doing so grants you temporary hit points equal to half your level + your Constitution modifier, and resistance to all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for 1 round. Doing this counts as an action that continues your rage.
Voidhowler (Path of the Wild Heart)
These Barbarians have touched the edge of reality and survived. Exposed to the silence between stars, they don’t rage—they resonate. Their screams crack atmospheres, their presence disrupts neuro-comm feeds, and the void inside them howls louder than fear. Voidhowler Barbarians are often referred to as “Void Barbarians”, “Howlers”, and terms related to dogs added to the term Barbarian.
Core Power: Resonant Fury – While raging, once per turn when you land a melee hit, you can release a burst of subharmonic void energy. The target takes additional psychic damage equal to your proficiency bonus, and when you score a Critical Hit against a target, it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be frightened until the end of its next turn.
World Shaker (Path of the World Tree)
Some Barbarians have learned to harness tectonic might or experimental gravity tech to shake battlefields apart. With every stomp and strike, they crack hull plating and throw enemies like ragdolls in a vacuum. They are walking quakes—primitive force fused with gravitational mastery. World Shaker Barbarians are often referred to as “Shakers”, “World Breakers”, and “Grav Barbs”.
Core Power: Gravatonic Surge– Once per long rest, you can unleash a gravity shockwave as an action. Each creature within 15 feet must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone and pushed 10 feet away. You may then move up to your speed as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks.
Shock-Pit Gladiator (Path of the Zealot)
Raised in the pressure cages of orbital arenas, Shock-Pit Gladiators are performance killers trained to entertain a jaded galaxy. Their muscle memory is coded in bruises, and they learn to weaponize crowd control tech—electric nets, grav pulses, and internal adrenaline overrides. Shock-Pit Gladiator Barbarians are mostly referred to as simply Gladiators, but are sometimes called “Pit Barbarians” or “Pitters”.
Core Power: Adrenal Protocol – When you enter a rage, you emit a localized shock pulse. All creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw equal (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be stunned until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature once per long rest.