Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
A while ago I started working on a barbarian subclass, one to go with my ranger Conclave of the Monkey Wrench. The Path of the Warmachine was to be its antithesis. Where one was supposed to pose resistance to a technologically advanced threat, the other was supposed to embrace the new technology. Or be embraced by it. It was all about enhancing the frail natural body with superior technology.
The resulting Path of the Warmachine offers survivability above all, with an immediate bonus to AC, and several situational options fueled by rage. The Directive is a built-in role-playing prompt. While the subclass is mostly combat-oriented, as one would expect from a barbarian path, there’s a lot of potential for RP.
The Path of the Warmachine is not part of any particular setting. “Canonically” a warmachine receives their chrome from an invading or at least encroaching foreign force. Either from a far away country, or a different planet/plane/dimension, whatever suits your needs. They might be a foreigner, or a local that has been turned and augmented.
There’s room for all kinds of backstories and events leading to becoming augmented, and also thereafter. You might struggle with the machine parts of your body, maybe it’s against some cultural or religios taboos. You are possibly a traitor to your country or planet.
My take on an augmented individual is far from modular or customizable. The feature options are different, but in the same vein. You don’t have the freedom you would have with Shadowrun cyberware. But that never was the goal. Fifth edition D&D puts simplicity over complexity and modularity, and I wanted to stay in that line. There are surely other supplements that give you much more freedom and don’t limit the enhancements to a particular type of character. But for a novel twist on the barbarian, that fits a certain type of setting, the Path of the Warmachine is yours to use.
That being said, I’m working on a new class with much more options and versatility. I won’t be giving any release dates, but it’s in the works. I’m intending it to be usable both as a class on its own, and a multi-class candidate.
If you read this far thank you for your interest. Would you play a Warmachine barbarian? Let me know in the comments, and please share if you can, so I can get as much feedback as possible. Cheers!
Rashundai Games 