Author Topic: Platypus Totem Barbarian  (Read 2517 times)

Offline Maat Mons

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1203
  • What is a smile but a grimace of happiness?
    • View Profile
Platypus Totem Barbarian
« on: June 07, 2012, 03:51:33 AM »
I'd like to say this started out as a serious idea, but this is actually the end result of my attempt at creating a turkey domain.



Platypus Totem Barbarian

Many tribal warriors foolishly try to emulate such animals as bears, lions, and wolves. A few, however, realize there is only one animal that deserves their veneration. An animal that rules over both land and sea on the deadliest continent on Earth. This animal, of course, is the platypus. Platypus totem barbarians form a mystic connection with these monotremes, altering their very bodies to capture a portion of their oviparous might.



Webbing

Class: Barbarian.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: You don't gain fast movement.

Benefit: You grow webbing between your fingers and toes, allowing you to move through water with the easy grace of a platypus. You gain a swim speed equal to your base land speed, or your existing swim speed increases by +10 feet.



Electrolocation

Class: Barbarian.

Level: 2nd.

Replaces: You don't gain uncanny dodge at 2nd level or improved uncanny dodge at 5th level.

Benefit: You grow electroreceptors, like those of a platypus, allowing you to more easily locate crayfish hiding in riverbeds.  Your new sensory organs also aid you in combat, granting you the benefit of the blindfight feat.

At 5th level, your electro receptors become more numerous and sensitive.  You gain blindsense out to 15 feet.  The range doubles underwater.



Improved Lung Capacity

Class: Barbarian.

Level: 3rd.

Replaces: You don't gain trap sense or any later improvement to that ability.

Benefit: It takes many annelids and insect larvae to sustain a grown man. Remaining underwater longer on each dive makes your foraging time more efficient. You can hold your breath a number of rounds equal to 4 times your constitution score before you need to begin making constitution checks. At 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter, this increases by 2 times your constitution score, to 6 times at 6th level, 8 times at 9th level, and so on.



Ankle Spurs

Class: Barbarian.

Level: 7th.

Replaces: You don't gain damage reduction or any later improvement to that ability.

Benefit: You grow natural weapons like those of the fearsome platypus and become flexible enough to perform the high kicks necessary to employ them in combat. You gain two ankle spurs that can be used as secondary natural attacks that deal 1d4 damage if you're medium, or 1d3 damage if you're small. Attacks with these spurs deliver an insidious poison, regardless of your gender. The initial effect of this poison is being sickened by pain for 1 minute. The secondary effect is being sickened by pain for 1d4 days. The fortitude save DC for both these effects is 10 + 1/2 your barbarian level + your constitution bonus. (Note that the DC increases during rage, due to the constitution increase.)
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 10:37:21 PM by Maat Mons »

Offline Jackinthegreen

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 6176
  • I like green.
    • View Profile
Re: Platypus Totem Barbarian
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2012, 04:11:04 AM »
You might want to specify if the poison's DC goes up appropriately while the character is raging, if they have a form of rage that grants a bonus to Con of course.

Otherwise this is pretty well done.  For a setting where the barbarian might be swimming around a lot it works nicely, though creatures who already have a swim speed won't get anything from the first level substitution.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 04:12:36 AM by Jackinthegreen »

Offline Maat Mons

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1203
  • What is a smile but a grimace of happiness?
    • View Profile
Re: Platypus Totem Barbarian
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2012, 05:25:01 AM »
You might want to specify if the poison's DC goes up appropriately while the character is raging …

The interaction between rage and the save DC hadn't occurred to me.  Thanks. 

… creatures who already have a swim speed won't get anything from the first level substitution.

Also true, and also something I hadn't considered.  I was going to point out that they could instead take the alternative class feature in Stormwrack that increases your swim speed instead of your land speed.  However, now that I think about it, I can easily integrate that into this one. 

Edit: Changes implemented.