Class Feature Friday: Spirit Instinct (Pathfinder Second Edition Barbarian Instinct)
(art by LudvikSKP on DeviantArt)
It’s time for another bout of Second Edition Class Feature options, and I think this is a good time to say how I’m going to handle Remastered versions of previously-existing options.
See, in some ways the Remastered version of previously existing content is subtle, just changing certain damage type names and tags. Sometimes it’s a bit more dramatic though, what with new abilities or entire new structuring, such as anything related to dragons since the “core” set is no longer the classic chromatic and metallic dragons (heck, only one of those traditional D&D holdovers is even in the list under a different name) I’m sure the others will be added back in later with other core books, but you can still use the stats from older 2e books anyway.
Which brings me to the most dramatic changes, with the likes of the champion and wizard classes, since they’ve done away with alignment and the classical schools of magic (and making the title of necromancer it’s own class in the near future. Sounds like a neat addition but still mixed feelings on that).
So with that in mind, my official stance is that remastered versions of archetypes and class options will either be covered simultaneously if changes are minimal, or covered as their own separate thing if they’re too different. (old wizard schools will still be covered as different subsets of the “Thassalonian” school of thought alongside their more culturally diverse counterparts, for example).
All that to say that today’s entry is one of those selections that has barely changed between editions: the Spirit Instinct for barbarians.
The barbarian class has always had its minor connections to the spiritual and supernatural, and while they often translates to elemental power or the ability to draw power from an association with supernatural beings, sometimes it really is purely spiritual in nature. Maybe they come from a culture that venerates their ancestors, or perhaps the nature spirits all around them. Or maybe they’re outright haunted by spirits that either wish to protect them or rage impotently against them. Either way, the touch of these spirits resonates with the souls of these warriors, granting them enhanced strength against their foes and protection against the undead.
So let’s see what the instinct has to offer them!
When these barbarians rage, they are surrounded by spiritual power, which lends itself into their strikes to harm the living and the dead alike. Furthermore, their weapons gain an ectoplasmic presence to make them fully effective against ghostly foes.
As they grow in mastery, the spiritual harm they can inflict only increases.
Whether it be the active protection of a guardian spirit or the touch of the spiritual insulating them, these warriors also gain a measure of protection against undead foes and the negative power of the void.
Of course, the spirits that guide these warriors can offer other abilities reflected in various feats. Ghost Wrangler, for example, allows them to grapple ghosts; Spirit Guides, meanwhile, offer guidance in noticing hidden things or in performing tasks. Meanwhile, Inner Strengh sees the spirits helping the raging warrior recover from effects that would sap their strength; and Spirit’s Interference has them subtly deflecting projectiles away from them. By invoking Spirit’s Wrath, the barbarian can send out one such spirit to manifest and strike a foe that is out of their normal reach.
Meanwhile, other feats might prove useful for these warriors, including Moment of Clarity, Raging Intimidation, Intimidating Strike, Second Wing, Shake it Off, Supernatural Senses, Scouring Rage, Invulnerable Rager, Renewed Vigor, Corpse-Killer’s Defiance, Embrace the Pain, and Unstoppable Juggernaut, as well as any others that may suit your particular build.
This instinct is fairly well-balanced, having both offensive and defensive abilities, with even some utility on skill checks, and so it’s a generally good all-rounder with a slight edge against undead without making them useless against the living, and because it covers it’s bases, you can use it with pretty much any build you like.
No matter their origin, the spirits associated with these barbarians regularly whisper to them. Not enough to be distracting, but they are ever-present, only ever truly silenced by the unified purpose of rage. However, exactly what sort of relationship the barbarian might have with said spirits may vary. Some may be non-specific entities and are little more than a light, indistinct background noise. Others, however, might talk directly to the barbarian, and might offer helpful advice if they like the warrior, or backhanded admonishment if they dislike each other.
They say that Leader Stonescale is favored by the ancestors, and that seems to be the case, for the lizardfolk chieftain is capable to conjuring the spirits to aid himself in battle, and often entreats them for advice, his body adorned with carved bone talismans taken from the ancestral elders.
Subject of a cruel prank, Okaan believes she is receiving messages from her ancestors, marking her as a spirit-blessed warrior among her people. In truth, however, it is a quickling fey hiding nearby whispering these things to her when nobody else is present. This joke is destined to turn ugly were it not for the timely intervention of the party.
The Broken Sword clan has their share of spirits, but they are not nurturing guardians, but rather, the ancestral remnants of the Sword King clan which they betrayed and splintered off from long ago. Thus, their spiritual practices are more focused on placating these spirits than honoring them, hoping to someday atone for their founder’s indiscretion.
