Path of the Champion

A Barbarian path of single combat that names a Rival each Rage and gains extra damage, defenses and fear effects centered on that creature.

Identity

The Path of the Champion is the Barbarian path of the ring. It comes out of Halcyion garrison fight-nights, Black Meridian pit circuits, and the frontier practice of settling a claim by putting two people inside a rope circle and letting the onlookers bet. Its features all work against one named opponent, the Rival.

Features

• L3 Single Combat

  At the start of your turn while raging, you can name one creature you can see as your Rival. Until your Rage ends or you name another, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against your Rival, and the first time each turn you hit your Rival with a melee weapon attack you deal extra damage equal to your Rage Damage bonus. While your Rival is within 5 feet of you, other creatures do not gain advantage on attack rolls against you because you cannot see them.

• L7 Rival Terror

  When you reduce your Rival to 0 hit points, or when your Rival fails a saving throw you forced, each creature hostile to you within 30 feet that can see it must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, the creature is Frightened until the end of your next turn. A creature that succeeds is immune to this feature for 24 hours.

• L11 Rival Defense

  When your Rival makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack, before you know whether it hits. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses on a long rest.

• L15 Battle Reserve

  While raging, if you end your turn with fewer than half your hit points remaining and your Rival is still standing, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Barbarian level. This can happen once per Rage.

• L18 Undisputed Capstone

  Your Rival has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you. When your Rival drops to 0 hit points while you are raging, your Rage does not end when its normal duration expires. It lasts until no creature hostile to you is within 30 feet. You can name a new Rival on that same turn without spending your action.