You've come to fear the fury that stirs within you; the unbridled rage that unleashes itself so mercilessly against your foes. It claws at the back of your mind, whispers ancient evils, and twists your dreams into restless nightmares. You know this insidious rage is not your own. Barbarians who find themselves on the Path of the Conduit realize all too late that they've become an unwilling host to a malicious spirit, demon, or some other-worldly entity that drives them into a supernatural rage. Barbarians on this path choose to forgo ridding themselves of this cursed spirit. Instead, they leverage malevolent powers to their benefit in battle.
Malevolent Rage
Starting at 3rd level, the true nature of your rage begins to make itself known to the mortal world. While raging, your body takes on a ghoulish appearance of your choice. Perhaps your eyes become gaunt and bloody. Deep gashes might wind their way around your face and body. Your lips might become cracked and grey. Perhaps your voice takes on an entirely different cadence.
You become mentally joined with your malevolent spirit. While raging you can speak and write any of the following languages:
- Abyssal
- Deep Speech
- Infernal
Additionally, your unsettling visage gives you advantage on Intimidation checks and you are immune to Necrotic damage.
Wailing Rebuke
Your malevolent spirit will protect its conduit in order to maintain its footing on the mortal coil. Beginning at 3rd level, when a creature hits you while you're raging, you can use a reaction to make a melee attack against a creature within 5 feet. On a hit, your malevolent spirit momentarily bursts forth, dealing necrotic damage equal to 1d8 plus your Rage damage.
At 10th level, Wailing Rebuke becomes more powerful. When triggered, it instead targets up to 4 creatures within 10 feet.
Soul Siphon
Beginning at 6th level your malevolent spirit siphons off fragments of your victims' souls to heal you. While you're below half your total health, Wailing Rebuke grants you temporary hit points equal the total damage dealt.
Crypt Crawler
Beginning at 6th level, your malevolent spirit gains greater control over your body and movement. While raging you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. While climbing, you use most of your limbs and cannot effectively wield two-handed weapons.
Demonic Impetus
Beginning at 10th level, your malevolent spirit can feel the pull of weaker souls around you. As an action, you can target a living creature that is large or smaller. The creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw (DC equal to your Strength score). If the creature is large, they make their saving throw with advantage. If the saving throw fails, the targeted creature is violently hurled up to 30 feet in any direction, including upward. If the creature comes into contact with a hard surface or heavy object, the creature takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet moved.
You can use this ability once per long rest.
Unleashed Malevolence
Beginning at 14th level, your Malevolent Spirit will do anything to guard its mortal conduit. While you are asleep, incapacitated or unconscious, your Malevolent Spirit immediately appears within 5 feet of your incapacitated body for up to 1 minute or until you’re no longer incapacitated.
The Malevolent Spirit uses Shadow Demon (Monster Manual, p. 64) as its stats. It moves and attacks using your initiative. It cannot sustain damage and it cannot move more than 15 feet away from your body. If your body is magically moved or relocated by any means, the Malevolent Spirit is moved with it.
If you’re making Death Saving Throws, for each failed throw, the Malevolent spirit's attacks deal an additional 2d6 necrotic damage. Its damage is reset back to normal if you are stabilized.
If you fail your final death saving throw you die permanently and cannot be brought back. The malevolent spirit instantly explodes into a violent mess of otherworldly ichor, dealing 6d8 necrotic damage to all creatures in a 30-foot radius. Any damaged creature is frightened by the sight of the barbarian's corpse for 1 minute.
Once this ability is used, it cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.
