Instincts

Instincts and Totems

New and existing rage powers referenced here can be found here.

Beast Totem (Su)

Beast totem s-class barbarians prefer the chaos of nature to structured society. They are feral creatures much like the beasts they emulate.

At 1st level—she gains two claw attacks. These attacks are considered primary attacks and are made at the barbarian’s full base attack bonus. The claws deal 1d6 points of slashing damage (1d4 if Small) plus the barbarian’s Strength modifier.

At 5th level—she gains a +1 natural armor bonus. This bonus increases by +1 for every four barbarian levels.

At 9th level—she gains the pounce special ability, allowing her to make a full attack at the end of a charge, and the damage from her claws increases to 1d8 with a x3 critical multiplier.

Bloodrager’s Instinct (Sp)

The bloodrager instinct grants an s-class barbarian a few arcane tricks she can use to throw her enemies off while she rages. Magical weapon in hand, the barbarian is rarely without an answer to a challenge.

Additional Bloodrager’s Instinct Rage Powers: The following rage powers also count as bloodrager’s instinct rage powers: disruptive, spell sunder, spellbreaker, sunder enchantment, and witch hunter.

At 1st level—she gains the Arcane Strike feat. Her effective caster level is equal to her total levels in classes that grant rage or any of its variants. In addition, she can select disruptive and witch hunter as rage powers without first selecting superstition, and counts as having superstition when meeting the prerequisites of any rage power with a prerequisite of disruptive or witch hunter.

At 5th level—she gains bloodcaster, which is a new rage power detailed in the next section.

At 9th level—she gains the Blooded Arcane Strike feat, and benefits from that feat while she rages.

Chaos Totem (Su)

Chaos totem barbarians take their alignment restrictions to the logical extreme by channeling power from the plane of chaos itself. Imbued with chaos, they stride boldly into battle with the specific intent to stop foes in their tracks.

At 1st level—she gains a +1 deflection bonus to AC against the attacks of lawful creatures and a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against confusion, insanity, polymorph, and effects with the lawful descriptor. This bonus increases by +1 for each chaos totem rage power she possesses.

At 5th level—she gains a +4 bonus on Escape Artist checks and a 25% chance to ignore extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks.

At 9th level—she gains DR/lawful equal to 1/2 her barbarian level. Her weapons and natural weapons are considered chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Dragon Instinct (Su)

Dragon instinct barbarians transform themselves into undaunted, draconic ravagers with keen senses and a fearsome combination of totems and other rage powers.

Each of these barbarians allies themselves with a specific dragonflight through which they channel their rage.

At 1st level—she gains either animal fury or intimidating glare (your choice).

At 5th level—she gains a +1 bonus on Perception checks and a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against fear, paralysis, and sleep effects. This bonus increases by +1 for each additional dragon totem rage power (such as dragon totem resilience and dragon totem wings, below).

At 9th level—she gains either dragon totem resilience or dragon totem wings (your choice).

Dragon Totem Resilience—she gains resistance to the energy type that is associated with her chosen dragon totem—acid (black, copper, green), cold (silver, white), electricity (blue, bronze), or fire (brass, gold, red).

This resistance equals double her current DR/– from her barbarian damage reduction class feature, and it increases by 2 for each dragon totem rage power she possesses, including this one.

Dragon Totem Wings—The Fly skill becomes a class skill for her. While wearing medium or lighter armor, she can spend a standard action to manifest a pair of spiritual dragon wings that grant her a fly speed equal to her base speed (average maneuverability). She can expend 2 rounds of her rage to instead spend an immediate action to gain this fly speed. She can end her fly speed at any time, even when it is not her turn. Each round she spends raging and flying counts as 2 rounds of rage. Her ability to fly ends automatically when she ceases raging.

Fiend Totem (Su)

Barbarians of the fiend totem grow powerful, goring horns that they wield as well as any weapon in combat. As they progress, their form slowly takes on greater fiendish aspects, including spikes and a menacing aura.

At 1st level—she gains a primary gore natural attack that deals 1d8 piercing damage (if she is Medium) plus her Strength modifier (1/2 if she is using gore as a secondary attack).

At 5th level—anyone striking her with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or a natural weapon takes 1d6 points of piercing damage.

At 9th level—she is surrounded by an aura of menace.

Good creatures adjacent to the barbarian are shaken and take 2d6 points of slashing damage at the beginning of the barbarian’s turn as dozens of small cuts open across their flesh. Neutral creatures that are adjacent to the barbarian are shaken, but do not take any damage. Evil creatures are unaffected.

Frenzied Instinct

While many barbarians are presented to general society as frothing, crazed berserkers, those who do embrace the stereotype are not as common as they may appear to be.

When an s-class barbarian does adopt the frenzied instinct, she gives a bit of herself away so that she and her allies might overcome more difficult threats to their homes and the people they care about.

At 1st level—she gains either fight response or reckless abandon (your choice).

At 5th level—she gains fueled by vengeance.

At 9th level—she gains body bludgeon.

Ground Breaker’s Instinct

S-class barbarians are able to subtley practice other forms of combat, such as blending arcane magic, natural talent, and occasionally geomancy with their already impressive ability to stand toe-to-toe with monstrous opponents. Ground breakers, in particular, put their extra time into understanding the earth and how to turn it to their advantage during combat.

At 1st level—she ignores difficult terrain.

At 5th level—she gains ground breaker.

At 9th level—she gains greater ground breaker. If she already has that rage power, she deals half of her weapon’s damage plus half her strength modifier to each creature knocked prone with ground breaker.

Hive Totem (Su)

Hive totem barbarians hone their skills against the swarming creatures surrounding and infesting their homelands. They practice fighting and defensive techniques specifically tied to the dangers of combat with swarms.

At 1st level—as a standard action, she can either make an attack or use another special attack action, such as Vital Strike. If she hits, and her target has swarm traits, the barbarian deals full damage to it. She can also flank and critically hit swarms, but allies with whom she flanks do not gain those bonuses unless they also have this rage power.

At 5th level—she takes half damage from attacks made by swarms of vermin, including spells and effects that act like a swarm of vermin (like summon swarm when used to summon spiders or insect plague). She also gains a +1 bonus on Strength ability checks and to CMD against bull rush, drag, and trip attacks for every four barbarian levels (maximum +5).

At 9th level—she takes no damage from attacks by swarms of vermin, preventing harmful secondary effects of such attacks like poison or bleed. She also gains a +1 bonus on combat maneuver checks and to CMD when grappling for every four barbarian levels (maximum +5).

Hunter’s Instinct (Su)

Some barbarians attune themselves to nature in different ways than others. Those with a hunter’s instinct befriend the beasts and animals of nature, learning to call on them in times of need. When she is not fighting to protect the world’s creatures, the barbarian spends her time living amongst and training them.

At 1st level—she gains lesser fury companion, which is a new rage power detailed in the next section.

At 5th level—she gains fury companion.

At 9th level—she gains greater fury companion.

Hurler’s Instinct (Ex)

Games of skill and chance are a pastime enjoyed by many barbarians. S-class barbarians with the hurler’s instinct take their mastery of such frivolities and apply them back to their use of weapons and whatever else happes to be lying around during combat. A favorite trick of these canny warriors is to throw their sword or axe as they run at an enemy, then grab it back and strike at them once more.

At 1st level—she gains lesser hurling.

At 5th level—she gains hurling charge.

At 9th level—she gains hurling. If she already has that rage power, she gains greater hurling instead.

Ronin’s Instinct (Ex)

In regions where emperors rule, and soldiers are trained for the honor of the crown, those who defect are branded outcasts and traitors. But the reasons for their dishonor is not always so clear cut. These ronins continue to uphold their own moral codes, fighting for what they still believe in.

Additional Ronin’s Instinct Rage Powers: The following rage powers also count as ronin’s instinct rage powers: Clear mind, come and get me, crippling blow, deadly accuracy, fearless rage, and surprise accuracy.

At 1st level—she gains ronin’s challenge, which is a new rage power detailed in the next seacion.

At 5th level—she gains ronin’s resolve.

At 9th level—she gains greater ronin’s resolve.

Spirit Totem (Su)

The spirit totem is often confused with a barbarian’s ancestors, but it is better associated with the natural spirits of the world, such as ghosts, kami, or fae wisps. The s-class barbarian has built a relationship with these haunting entities and earned the right to call upon their aid when she goes to battle.

At 1st level—once per round, she makes a slam attack at her highest attack bonus plus her Charisma modifier against an adjacent, living enemy. On a hit, she deals 1d4 points of negative energy damage, plus her Charisma modifier. This does not use an action.

At 5th level—she gains a 20% miss chance against ranged attacks and melee attacks made by creatures that are not adjacent to her (typically due to reach).

At 9th level—living enemies adjacent to the barbarian at the start of her turn take 1d8 points of negative energy damage. In addition, her free slam attack each turn can target enemies up to 15 feet away from the barbarian and deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage.

Superstitious Instinct

To be an s-class barbarian is to sometimes not accept the views of the world beyond one’s own personal experiences.

Magic has permeated reality, tearing into shadowy realms of evil that lead only to greater threats to the barbarian’s homeland, and she has chosen to face them head on.

At 1st level—she gains superstition.

At 5th level—she gains ghost rager.

At 9th level—she gains disruptive. If she already has that rage power, she gains eater of magic instead.

Vigorous Instinct

Protecting herself and those around her is the focus of a vigorous instinct barbarian. the best way to do that is to stay alive so that she can keep fighting.

At 1st level—she gains guarded life.

At 5th level—she gains renewed vigor. If she already has that rage power, she gains regenerative vigor instead.

At 9th level—she gains either regenerative vigor or flesh wound (your choice).

World Serpent Totem (Su)

When the world is threatened by chaotic beings from other dimensions, it will reach out in search of defenders.

Stepping up to represent their reality are the s-class barbarians of the world serpent. By tapping into the planar representation of alignments, these brave warriors can face many otherworldly threats that others may not be prepared to.

At 1st level—she gains a +1 insight bonus to AC against outsiders and aberrations. This bonus increases by +1 for each world serpent rage power the barbarian possesses, excluding this one.

At 5th level—her weapons count as every alignment when overcoming DR. She also gains a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that have an alignment descriptor or come from an outsider or aberration.

This bonus increases by +1 for each world serpent rage power the barbarian possesses, excluding this one.

At 9th level—she chooses an alignment other than neutral and can detect creatures with that alignment as a standard action, as if casting detect evil. She can also smite creatures with that alignment once per day, plus once per day for every two world serpent rage powers she possesses, excluding this one.