PLAYTEST CONTENT

Hello! This is Playtest Content! As such, it might change in time, this is not a final release.
There’ll be channels to give feedback on this article and future articles soon!

DISCLAIMER: This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of
America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is
prohibited without the express written permission of its author.
This product is a work of fiction.
The Path of Spirits
A Barbarian Subclass by Pointy Hat
 “Though we often think of the line between the living and the dead as a clear and
defined wall that separates those who belong to either realm, there are those among the living
who have the uncanny ability to reach through that wall as if it was mist. Some do so through
magic, some through an innate ability, and some, like the barbarians who walk the Path of
Spirits, do so with the pure raw strength of their feeling.
“Barbarians who take this path summon the spirits of the dead through an
unconventional and oft-maligned way: possession. The barbarian reaches out through the veil
into the realm of the dead, and invites a spirit into the realm of the living by offering their body
as an anchor. Spirits are beings of pure raw emotion; the feeling that they most strongly felt in
life or at the time of their death becomes their very nature. When the barbarian invites a spirit
to possess them, the spirit’s pure, distilled emotion mixes with the barbarian’s own rage,
granting them incredibly powerful supernatural abilities in battle and allowing the spirit to
manifest itself once more in the realm of the living.
“Although there are those who cultivate and teach the ways of this path, most
barbarians begin their walk along the path of spirits inadvertently. A mother filled with rage at
the death of her son summoning the spirit of her child, a ranger filled with grief summoning the
spirit of their animal companion, a soldier filled with fear summoning the spirit of their fallen
general during a battle they cannot win -- stories like these are often told of those who walk
the path of spirits. These stories all start from grief, but what they do with their newfound
power, only those that walk the path of spirits can decide.”

Overview:
The Path of the Spirits barbarian subclass is meant to explore a different aspect of the word
“spirit” that is often associated with other barbarian subclasses. Some paths use revered
ancestors, while others concentrate on spiritual animals. The barbarian Path of Spirits puts the
focus on spirits as their most common incarnation: ghosts, the souls of the deceased. Death is
common in character backstories, and this subclass allows you to center the death of a loved
one and bring it forward from the realm of backstory into the mechanics of the game. With this
subclass, you can play a child protected by the spirit of their dead parent, a lover haunted by the
memory and the undead shade of their partner, a medium seeking to help spirits cross into the
afterlife, or something else entirely different.

In terms of abilities, the Path of Spirits subclass enhances the tanking capabilities of the
barbarian in different ways with different types of possession. These impact the way a barbarian
fights, and they allow the barbarian to switch their tactics depending on the fight. Additionally,
abilities like Spirit-Touched and Grave Message bring utility to the barbarian’s arsenal,
expanding what they can do outside of combat. The subclass’ capstone ability is focused on
combat utility, allowing you to empower an ally with the boons given to you by your spirits.
3rd Level: Spirit-Touched
Choosing this path gives you an inherent connection with the spirits of the dead. At 3rd level,
when you adopt this path, you are aware of the presence, but not the location, of any undead
creature within 60 feet of you. Additionally, you gain the ability to cast the Speak with Dead and
Gentle Repose spells, but only as rituals.

3rd Level: Possession

Your barbarian rage is the result of a spirit entering your body and granting you its power. When
you choose this path at 3rd level, you choose a spirit and gain its feature. You form a connection
with a specific spirit you want to summon into your body by reaching out to them past the realm
of the living and into the realm of the dead. This spirit can be anyone, but they must embody the
quality of the spirit you wish to summon. For example, a spirit of protection might be a parent
who died defending their children, or a general who died so their troops could escape.

If you wish, you can change in subtle ways to reflect the personality of the spirit that shares your
body. For example, your posture, your voice, or your general demeanor may change depending
on the spirit possessing your body.

You choose one spirit when gaining this feature at level 3, and gain an additional spirit at levels
6 and 14. You choose the spirit you wish to be possessed by each time you rage:

● Spirit of Ecstasy. While raging, your movement increases by 5 feet. Additionally, when
you receive damage, you can use your reaction to move up to half your movement
speed.

● Spirit of Fury. While raging, you double your rage damage when you make a reckless
attack, and your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

● Spirit of Protection. While raging, your AC increases by half your rage damage,
rounding up. Additionally, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a
Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you
succeed on the saving throw.

● Spirit of Resolve. While raging, you can’t be put to sleep by magical means, you do not
suffer the effects of exhaustion, and you are immune to the following conditions:
charmed, paralyzed, frightened, exhausted, and stunned.

● Spirit of Sacrifice. While raging, if another creature you can see within 60 feet of you
takes damage, you can use your reaction to take the damage instead. If you do so, the
damage is doubled.
 ● Spirit of Vengeance. While raging, if you have taken any damage during the previous
round, you make all attacks with advantage.

6th Level: Death Savant

At 6th level, your mastery over the domain of death grows, blurring the line between the realms
of the living and the dead. You have resistance to necrotic damage, you cannot succumb to
instant death by massive damage, and you only suffer one death saving throw failure when
taking damage at 0 hit points, regardless of whether the damage taken is from a critical hit.

6th level: Grave Message

Also at 6th level, your connection with your chosen spirit has become even stronger, allowing
you to call for their aid without the need of possession and use them to enter the bodies of
others to learn their secrets. As an action, you can summon a spirit and covertly send them into
the body of another creature you can see within 60 feet of you. If the creature you choose has
an Intelligence of 3 or lower or doesn’t speak any language, the creature is unaffected. When
you do so, you learn the surface thoughts of the creature — what is most on its mind in that
moment. The creature is not aware of this incursion at this stage.

You can then recall the spirit, or instruct it to delve deeper into the creature’s mind and body.
The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Constitution
modifier + your proficiency bonus) or suffer one of the following effects (your choice):

● The target becomes blinded and deafened until their next turn and must use half their
movement to move in one direction of your choosing.
● You learn a piece of information of your choosing that the target knows. For example,
provided the target knows, you could learn the location of an object, the name of a
specific person, or their deepest desire.

If the target fails on their saving throw, they remain unaware. If the target succeeds on their
saving throw, the possession ends without effect and the target is aware of the spirit’s incursion
into their mind.

You can take this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all
expended uses when you finish a long rest.

10th level: Spiritual Host

At 10th level, your body has become a perfect vessel for spiritual possession. When you enter
rage, you now choose two spirits to possess you at the same time.
14th level: Spirit Catalyst
At 14th level, your mastery over possession grows so powerful that you can use spirits’ strength
to enhance others. When you enter rage, choose another willing creature that you can see
within 30 feet of you. Until your rage ends, that chosen creature now benefits from the bonuses
granted from the spirit you have chosen that isn’t currently possessing you. The chosen
creature is not considered to be raging while enjoying the effects of the possession.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all
expended uses when you finish a long rest.
License
OPEN GAME License Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast,
LLC. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have
contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including
derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation,
modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or
other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute”
means to reproduce, License, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise
distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods,
procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product
Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as
Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including
translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity.
(e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks
including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic
elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses,
formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio
representations; names and descriptions of characters, Spells, enchantments, personalities,
teams, personas, likenesses and Special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures,
Equipment, magical or supernatural Abilities or Effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and
any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner
of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the OPEN Game Content; (f)
“Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor
to Identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game
License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit,
format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h)
“You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice
indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License.
You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added
to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or
Conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of
the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors
grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive License with the exact terms of this
License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open
Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original Creation and/or You
have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this
License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You
are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the
copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you
Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication
as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the
owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or
co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work
containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent
Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product
Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a Challenge to the ownership of that Product
Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights,
title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions
of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this
License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any
Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open
Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using
the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License
with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or
governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms
herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All
sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision
shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast,
LLC. System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, LLC.; Authors
Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt,
Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original
material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Pointy Hat Content, Copyright 2022, Antonio Demico.

PRODUCT IDENTITY
The following items are designated Product Identity, as defined in Section 1(e) of the Open
Gaming License Version 1.0a and are subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7 of the
Open Gaming License, and are not Open Content:

All trademarks, registered trademarks, propernames, dialogue, plots, storylines, locations,

characters, artworks, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open
Game Content are not included in this declaration.)

OPEN GAMING CONTENT

All content from the System Reference Document 5.1 is Open Game Content as described in
Section 1(d) of the License. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open
Game Content may be reproduced in any form without permission.