DnD Barbarian Subclasses 2024
When choosing DnD 2024 Barbarian subclasses, you select a specialization that grants you new features as you level up. In the 2024 Player’s Handbook you can choose one from the four official subclasses, which becomes available at level 3. These are: the Path of the Berserker, the Path of the Wild Heart, the Path of the World Tree and the Path of the Zealot.
You may recognize several of these subclasses from earlier DnD releases, especially if you have played a Barbarian before. The Berserker and the Wild Heart both appeared in the 2014 Player’s Handbook, although the Wild Heart originally carried the name Path of the Totem Warrior and focused on spiritual animal guidance. The Path of the Zealot arrived later in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and quickly became a favorite for players who enjoy a divine and relentless playstyle. The Path of the World Tree, however, is a completely new barbarian subclass for DnD 2024. It first appeared during the One DnD playtest process, where it introduced a fresh theme built around nature, growth and protective primal magic before becoming an official part of the game.
Each subclass offers a different way to play your Barbarian. As you advance, you gain unique abilities that shape your style in and out of combat. Choosing a 2024 Barbarian subclass helps you define how your Dungeons and Dragons character fights, survives and expresses their primal power. Below you’ll find each subclass explained in detail as well as the features you gain when you progress to higher levels.
All D&D 2024 Barbarian Subclasses
Path of the Berserker
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Berserker channel their Rage into pure, unrestrained violence. This path embraces raw fury, driving them to revel in the chaos of combat as they let their Rage take hold and fuel their strength.
Level Progression
Level 3: Frenzy
When you use Reckless Attack while your Rage is active, you deal extra damage to the first target you hit on your turn with a Strength-based attack. Roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus, and add the total as extra damage. This damage matches the type of the weapon or Unarmed Strike used.
Level 6: Mindless Rage
While you are raging, you are immune to the Charmed and Frightened conditions. If you are already Charmed or Frightened when you enter your Rage, that condition immediately ends on you.
Level 10: Retaliation
When a creature within 5 feet of you deals damage to you, you can use your Reaction to make one melee attack against that creature using a weapon or an Unarmed Strike.
Level 14: Intimidating Presence
As a Bonus Action, you unleash a terrifying display of primal force. Each creature of your choice within a 30-foot Emanation must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, a creature becomes Frightened for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature repeats the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest, unless you expend a use of your Rage (no action required) to regain it.
Path of the Wild Heart
Barbarians who follow the Path of the Wild Heart see themselves as close kin to the animals of the natural world. They gain magical ways to connect and communicate with beasts, and their Rage deepens that bond, infusing them with supernatural strength drawn from primal instincts.
Level Progression
Level 3: Animal Speaker
You can cast Beast Sense and Speak with Animals, but only as Rituals. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Level 3: Rage of the Wilds
Your Rage draws on the primal strength of animals. Whenever you activate your Rage, choose one of the following options:
Bear. While raging, you gain Resistance to every damage type other than Force, Necrotic, Psychic, and Radiant. You have Resistance to those types until your Rage ends.
Eagle. When you activate your Rage—and as a Bonus Action while it remains active—you can take both the Disengage and Dash actions.
Wolf. While your Rage is active, your allies have Advantage on attack rolls against any of your enemies within 5 feet of you.
Level 6: Aspect of the Wilds
You gain one of the following abilities of your choice. You can change your selection whenever you finish a Long Rest:
Owl. You gain Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.
Panther. You gain a Climb Speed equal to your Speed.
Salmon. You gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.
Level 10: Nature Speaker
You can cast Commune with Nature, but only as a Ritual. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Level 14: Power of the Wilds
Whenever you activate your Rage, choose one of the following options:
Falcon. While your Rage is active, you have a Fly Speed equal to your Speed, provided you are not wearing armor.
Lion. While your Rage is active, any of your enemies within 5 feet of you have Disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you or another Barbarian with this option active.
Ram. While your Rage is active, when you hit a Large or smaller creature with a melee attack, you can knock it Prone.
Path of the World Tree
Barbarians who follow the Path of the World Tree believe their Rage connects them to Yggdrasil, the cosmic ash tree. This “world tree” grows among the Outer Planes, linking them to one another and to the countless worlds of the Material Plane. The greatest plants throughout the multiverse are said to be distant offspring of this immense tree. Barbarians on this path draw strength from that connection, using it as a wellspring of vitality and a conduit for traveling across the multiverse.
Level Progression
Level 3: Vitality of the Tree
Your Rage draws on the life force of the World Tree, granting you the following benefits:
Vitality Surge. When you activate your Rage, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Barbarian level.
Life-Giving Force. At the start of each of your turns while raging, you can choose another creature within 10 feet of you to gain Temporary Hit Points. Roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus and give the total as Temporary Hit Points. Any of these Temporary Hit Points that remain when your Rage ends immediately disappear.
Level 6: Branches of the Tree
While your Rage is active, when a creature you can see begins its turn within 30 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to summon spectral branches of the World Tree around it. The target must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, it teleports to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of you, or the nearest unoccupied space you can see. After the teleport, you can reduce the target’s Speed to 0 until the end of the current turn.
After the teleport, you can reduce the target’s Speed to 0 until the end of the current turn.
Level 10: Battering Roots
Tendrils of the World Tree extend from your melee weapons. On your turn, while wielding a melee weapon with the Heavy or Versatile property, your reach with that weapon increases by 10 feet. When you hit with it, you can activate the Push or Topple Mastery property in addition to any other property the weapon is using.
Level 14: Travel Along the Tree
When you activate your Rage—and as a Bonus Action while your Rage is active—you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
Once per Rage, you can increase the range of this teleport to 150 feet. When you do, you can also bring up to six willing creatures within 10 feet of you. Each creature appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 10 feet of your destination.
Path of the Zealot
Path of the Zealot is a barbarian driven by divine power, channeling holy or unholy energy through their rage. Their strikes burst with radiant or necrotic force, they can restore their own vitality in battle, and their faith lets them push through failures, inspire allies, and fight with unstoppable devotion.
Level Progression
Level 3: Divine Fury
While your Rage is active, you can infuse your attacks with divine energy. On each of your turns, the first creature you hit with a weapon or Unarmed Strike takes extra damage equal to 1d6 plus half your Barbarian level (rounded down). Each time you deal this damage, you choose whether it is Necrotic or Radiant.
Level 3: Warrior of the Gods
A divine force protects your ability to keep fighting. You gain a pool of four d12s that you can use to heal yourself. As a Bonus Action, you can expend any number of dice from this pool, roll them, and regain Hit Points equal to the total rolled. You regain all expended dice when you finish a Long Rest. The maximum number of dice in your pool increases to five at level 6, six at level 12, and seven at level 17.
Level 6: Fanatical Focus
Once per Rage, when you fail a saving throw, you can reroll it with a bonus equal to your Rage Damage bonus. You must use the new roll.
Level 10: Zealous Presence
As a Bonus Action, you release a divine battle cry. Up to ten creatures of your choice within 60 feet gain Advantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the start of your next turn. After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a Long Rest, unless you expend a use of your Rage (no action required) to immediately restore it.
Level 14: Rage of the Gods
When you activate your Rage, you can take on the form of a divine warrior for 1 minute or until you drop to 0 Hit Points. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a Long Rest. While transformed, you gain the following benefits:
• Flight: You have a Fly Speed equal to your walking Speed and can hover.
• Resistance: You gain Resistance to Necrotic, Psychic, and Radiant damage.
• Revivification: When a creature within 30 feet would drop to 0 Hit Points, you can use your Reaction and expend a use of your Rage to instead set that creature’s Hit Points to a number equal to your Barbarian level.