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The path of the totem warrior is an unstoppable force of nature. When you choose this barbarian path in Fifth EditionDungeons & Dragons, you align your spirit with that of animals and draw upon their power on and off the battlefield.
This class is incredibly versatile, with five different bestial paths that you can mix and match with each level. You can choose to maximize your strength, speed, agility, or your bond with your allies. No matter which animals you choose as your totem spirits, as you grow more powerful, you gain a deep, magical connection with nature and a spirit that cannot be broken.
Features Of A Totem Warrior Barbarian
Spirit Seeker
When you choose this path at third level, you gain the ability to cast Beast Sense and Speak With Animals as ritual spells.
Your mastery of these spells represents your deep connection with animals.
Totem Spirit
Also, at third level, you choose between five totem spirits: bear, eagle, elf, tiger, and wolf. You construct physical totem that connects you with the creature you choose, and your appearance may change to reflect the creature of your choice as well.
While the abilities granted by your totem spirit are set,you are free toflavor your totem spiritas whatever animal best connects with your character’s origin or adventure.
This totem spirit is best fordurabilityin combat.
Eagle
Other creatures havedisadvantage on opportunity attacksagainst you while you’re raging, so long as you are not wearing heavy armor. In addition, you’re able to use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn.
This totem spirit is best for combatmobility.
Elk
Yourwalking speed increases by 15 feetwhile you’re raging, so long as you’re not wearing heavy armor.
This totem spirit is best forspeedduring combat.
Tiger
you may add ten feet to yourlong jumpand three feet to yourhigh jumpdistance while you’re raging.
This totem spirit is best forstrange and difficult terrain.
Wolf
Yourallies have advantage on meleeattack rolls against any creature that is within five feet of you while you’re raging.
This totem spirit is best forleading and supportingyour party in combat.
Aspect Of The Beast
At sixth level, you gain an additional magical benefit from your totem spirit.
You don’t have to choose the same animal for this benefit that you chose for your first.
Feature
Bear
Your carrying capacity doublesand you have advantage on Strength checks to push, pull, lift, or break an object.
This totem spirit is best forraw Strength.
You cansee fine details perfectlywithin one hundred feet of you, and you can see up to one mile away. You also do not suffer disadvantage on Perception in dim light.
This totem spirit helps youstay alert and aware,even at great distances.
Yourtravel pace doublesfor you and your companions, even when you are mounted.
This totem spirit is best for adventurers onlong journeys.
You gainproficiencyin two of either Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, and Survival skills.
This totem spirit is best for developing yoursurvival capabilitiesin nature.
You cantrack other creatureseven when moving at a fast pace, and you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
This totem spirit is best fortracking and pursuingother creatures.
Spirit Walker
At tenth level, you gain the ability tocast Commune With Natureas a ritual spell. This spell gives you an understanding of the land within three miles of you, or within 300 feet if you are underground.
You can choose between three of the following pieces of knowledge each time you cast this spell:
This is a powerful spell that represents yourdeep connection with nature.As a totem warrior, the knowledge you gain from this spell is imparted onto you by your totem spirit.
Totemic Attunement
At fourteenth level, you gainone additional benefitfrom the total animal of your choice.
Any hostile creature within five feet of you hasdisadvantage on attack rollsagainst any target other than you while you’re raging.
This totem spirit allows you toprotect your allies.
You gain aflying speedequal to your walking speed while you’re raging. However, you fall to the ground at the end of every turn.
This totem spirit improves yourcombat mobilityand lets you avoid opportunity attacks.
While you are raging, you may use a bonus action tomove through the spaceof any creatures size Large or smaller, prompting them to make a Strength saving throw against your Strength Save DC. If they fail they take 1d12 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone.
This is a powerful ability todeal extra damageeach turn while decreasing your opponent’s mobility.
If you move at least 20 feet straight towards a creature before making a melee attack while raging, you can make anadditional melee attackagainst that creature as a bonus action.
This totem spirit is great forusing the battlefieldto your advantage.
You can use a bonus action to knock a creature size Large or smallerproneevery time you hit it with a melee attack while raging.
This totem spirit is great forknocking people downand giving your allies a window to attack.
Best Ability Scores For A Totem Warrior Barbarian
Strength
You will use Strength for your attack and damage modifiers. In addition, any of the abilities you have to use for yourtotem spirit features,or any of the abilities you gain advantage on from these abilities, will rely on Strength.
Constitution
As a frontline fighter, you’ll needhigh hit pointsand you’ll need to be as durable as possible. This should be your second highest ability score after Strength.
Wisdom
Wisdomisn’t always an important statistic for a barbarian, but as a totem warrior barbarian you want a high Wisdom.
Your connection with animals and the earth means you will benefit from a strong Wisdom to use onNature, Animal Handling, and Survivalchecks.
Dexterity
Dexteritywon’t be the most important feature, but you should put some points into it so that you have a strongArmor Class.
Dump Stats
Intelligence and Charismaare both unnecessary for you. You candump both of these stats.You may want Intelligence to be slightly higher if you are planning to be proficient in Survival, but neither of these skills will be that important to you.
Best Species For A Totem Warrior Barbarian
Half Orc
As a barbarian, you can never go wrong playing as the fearsomehalf orc.You increase your Strength by two and your Constitution by one. Half orcs gain proficiency inIntimidation,and they can roll oneextra damage diewhen they score a critical hit.
In addition,onceperlong restwhen you arereduced to zero hit points you instead drop to one hit point, enabling you tocontinue fightingeven when a normal warrior would fall in battle.
Earth Genasi
Earth genasiget to increase their Constitution by two points and their Strength by one point. You also gain the earth walk feature, which lets youmove across difficult terrainwithout expending extra movement.
As a class built to become one with nature, this ability just feels right and will often come in handy.
You can also cast thePass Without Tracespell once per long rest without any material components. Pass Without Trace gives you and your companionsa ten point bonus to all Stealth checksand makes you immune to tracking, allowing you to disappear into nature at will.
Goliath
Thegoliathis a great species for any barbarian, but it lends itself to the path of the totem warrior exceptionally well. As a goliath, youincrease your Strength by two and your Constitution by one.
You gain proficiency inAthleticsandresistance to cold damage, both of which will come in handy. Yourcarrying capacityis also that of a creature one size larger than this.
If you play as a goliath and choose the bear for your aspect of the beast feature at sixth level, you will be able todouble this elevated carrying capacityand lift, push, and pull extreme weight.
Goliaths also have thestone’s endurance featurewhich allows you to use your reaction to subtract 1d12 + your Constitution modifier hit points from damage that you take. you’re able to use this ability once per long rest.
