Path of the Deepbound
“My fury is a funeral drum. My hands open the way.”
Not all who enter Òkùnlẹ̀-Ọ̀fà do so in death. Some walk its shadowed roads in life, touched by the goddess Mictéya, marked by the weight of unjudged ancestors. These barbarians have seen the Deep Beneath, have stood where souls are weighed, and rage not only to destroy, but to clear the way for those who cannot pass on. They fight as ferrymen, mourners, and wardens of ancestral echoes, each rage calling forth a fragment of those they’ve met below.
This subclass is for any culture, but can only be taken by someone who has encountered the Deep Beneath, a rite, a tragedy, or a brush with divine judgment.
(3rd Level)
Revenant’s Call
When you enter your rage, you invoke one of your Deepbound Ancestors, a lingering spirit you encountered within Òkùnlẹ̀. Choose or roll for one of the following types of ancestral spirits:
You may choose a new ancestor at the end of a long rest, or retain the same one. You may only invoke one per rage.
| Ancestor | Effect |
|---|---|
| The Warlord | You gain temporary HP equal to your Barbarian level. When you reduce a creature to 0 HP, another creature of your choice within 10 ft takes necrotic damage equal to your Rage bonus. |
| The Mourner | Allies within 10 ft of you gain resistance to psychic and necrotic damage while you rage. If an ally drops to 0 HP, you may transfer half your temporary HP to stabilize them (no action). |
| The Bonecaller | When you rage, choose a creature within 30 feet. Until your rage ends, that creature is haunted — they have disadvantage on saving throws vs fear and your attacks ignore resistance to bludgeoning/slashing. |
| The Masked Twin | You gain +10 movement speed, and you can move through creatures and objects as if difficult terrain once per turn (take 1d10 force damage if ending inside). You have advantage on Dex saves while raging. |
Visuals: Ancestors manifest around you as bone masked specters, bone-draped figures, veiled warriors, or echoing whispers.
(6th Level)
Judgment Echoes
When you or an ally within 15 ft is hit with an attack, you may use your reaction to manifest a guardian ancestor, who partially intercepts the blow.
- Reduce the damage by 2d6 + your Con modifier.
- If this prevents the creature from dropping to 0 HP, the attacker takes necrotic damage equal to your Barbarian level.
You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
(10th Level)
Door Between Worlds
Your soul straddles the veil. While raging:
- You gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage.
- You cannot be frightened or charmed.
- Once per rage, when you are reduced to 0 HP, you may remain conscious and raging for 1 more round (you still make death saves if not healed before then).
- During this time, you appear partially ghostlike, and your melee attacks deal additional 1d6 necrotic damage.
(14th Level)
Bone Lantern Ascendant
You become a true ferryman of forgotten souls.
- While raging, when you reduce a creature to 0 HP, you may trap its soul fragment in your lantern or body until your rage ends.
- Choose one:
- You gain temporary HP equal to half the creature’s max HP (once per rage),
- or you may frighten all hostile creatures within 15 ft (Wis save = 8 + Prof + Con mod) as ancestral spirits erupt from the body.
- You may also now invoke two Deepbound Ancestors at once during rage (you gain both effects simultaneously).
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