D&D's Barbarian Path of the Ancestral Guardian In Xanathar's Guide To Everything

[@Troommate]

Fighter- "Anybody know what we do next?" Barbarian- "One Sec let me just call my Grandma" Fighter- "Wait...What....?"

[@twelveetal.2126]

Granny Barb- "You should smash them with the axe, deary."

[@C_Bat]

Grandpa Barb: No, stupid. You should backhand smack his face! (oh this would be great to the narrative if the barbarian has a ghost of Christmas Past that follows him around

[@shadoww4818]

Search for traps, Schoopy.

[@Bluecho4]

"I already did, Grandma."

[@shadoww4818]

"Search for invisible traps"

[@MisterSmith00]

This is the sort of unique barbarian subclass that has loads of possibilities depending on your character race... For example, a Goblin Ancestral Barbarian would have TONS of ancestors to draw from...if only because goblins are so terribly prone to dying...usually because they do reckless and stupid things. I'd wager that the goblin barbarian would only be special because he's one of the few who's managed to learn from the various deaths of his people...plus there's the appeal of his ancestors appearing as this spectral goblin horde... A Warforged provides a VERY interesting Ancestral Barbarian as well...they don't have a "tribe", but they can consider their allies to be like their family. I conjured a backstory where a Warforged lost his entire squad when battling a lich, and only the Warforged survived...but the souls of his deceased comrades still follow him, and aid him. Thing is, he was damaged badly by the fight, and isn't sure if these "souls" are just figments of his damaged psyche, projecting holograms using the same magic that brings warforged to "life". After all, they only appear when he "rages"...so they just might be stress-induced delusions. It's pretty messed up...but it makes for an interesting character.

[@Abelhawk]

I was so confused at first. I was like "I thought the nature paladin was the Oath of the Ancients..."

[@calibanVT]

In my mind Oath of Ancients is like the wood-elf (or elf in general) paladin.

[@jaredknight8838]

Oath of the ancients are about allowing life to flourish, in the abstract sense. So they want to protect nature but they also want to foster the growth of civilization and culture.

[@jefffarrell7066]

That's fair. Oath of the Ancients is the Green Knight.

[@MisterSmith00]

I enjoyed the "ghostly" aspect of this subclass...there was some incredible artwork of an Ancestral Guardian facing down some monster, a flurry of spirits just swarming around her. That's not only a neat visual...it's another alternative to the "rages" they get (the super-angry "rages" of a Berserker...the animal-shifting transformation of a Totem....the divine radiance of a Zealot...). In this sense, this sort of "rage" is far more calm, sort of like a trance as they let these specters channel through them. Had actually developed an Ancestral Guardian that was an individual possessed by a Death Knight...and the spirits summoned were the warriors that served under it, and any foe slain by the barbarian/death knight were added to this collection of spirits. This was caused by one of those Long Death monks cults who abducted and experimented on people, and the naturally resilient barbarian was the result of those experiments. When the barbarian raged, he would appear gaunt, death-like, with glowing red eyes...very creepy-looking. Might try and roll this character in the next campaign.

[@DragonKnightJin]

Part of the ship, part of the crew.

[@Nerdarchy]

I so wanna play a Path of the Ancestral Guardian urban barbarian. Instead of his ancestors he calls on the spirit of the city. Nerdarchist Dave

[@agelatinouscube930]

Barbarian from the Bronx "I'm ragin' he-ah"

[@gregorygarrison572]

Sometimes I feel like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels. Lonely as I am together we cry.

[@trephinate]

is ANCESTRAL PROTECTORS designed to be a taunt?

[@samsonstone7178]

Dragonborn Barbarian, with a Wizard/Bard friend who can cast Enlarge. Verbal component? ♪Go Go Godzilla♪

[@gorter23]

it is hearthening to see that if youtube subtitles has troubles sometimes finding the correct words so i know it is not just me

[@blezerith]

I can feel a Logan Ninefingers character comming on!!!

[@ollikoskinen1]

Well, you have to be realistic with such things.

[@MisterSmith00]

Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers...say he rolled a natural one.

[@joshkorte9020]

In a game I play in our halfling barbarian’s entire village was burnt to the ground and he took this path, oh how we cried. It was very touching.

[@RyanKassel]

Thanks Mike Mearls for introducing me to a new (classic) song. "Go go Godzilla!" Rock on!

[@pvrhye]

I'm playing my Ancestral Guardian inspired by the Addams Family.

[@draconosdeadman]

gain inspiration for that blue oyster cult reference. cause cities on flame with rock n roll.

[@calebsmith7913]

Ancestral Barbarian/ Crown Paladin. “I come from a long line of guards. Even in death, my family will protect the empire.”

[@zoobertgoobert5168]

I think you mean Path of the 『ＳＴＡＮＤ ＵＳＥＲ』

[@kennethgdavis4643]

Zoobert Goobert KONO DIO DA!!!

[@pop-tartdepression393]

STANDO POWA!

[@pop-tartdepression393]

I just recently rolled up an Aasimar Ancestral Guardian Barbarian whose ancestors are the fallen soldiers that died in service of his parent god. Should be fun when I get to play him

[@WMFrenzel]

Oh no. They say he’s got to go. Go go Godzilla. Oh no. There goes Tokyo. Go go Godzilla.

[@helios8745]

I'd love to run a game with this at its core: the adventurers travelling with a nomadic, enlightened, vegan barbarian commune with one of the characters being trained by the leader to protect the tribe (as otherwise they'd be preyed upon by any roving band of mercenaries or city with a grudge against goliaths)

[@zenman10000]

The nature paladin to me is oath of the ancients

[@jaredknight8838]

Thats sort of an oversimplification. Oath of the Ancients paladins want to allow life to flourish. This includes nature but it also includes civilization, art, and culture.

[@zenman10000]

Jared Knight huh, never thought of that... I’ve been considering playing a paladin again soon and I was going to go with vengeance but with how you put it I think Ivmight go with ancients.

[@andrewtempest2092]

Last night my oath of the Ancients Paladin saw something turn innocent people into some kind of undead which attacked us. Now she's pretty angry with whatever it is.

[@Kinowolf]

That’s how I like to play it. In my game, there’s an Oath of Ancients Paladin who’s parents are rangers and who worships Silvanus.

[@jacobdriscoll8276]

Sounds cool. Good job, nerds!

[@a.9913]

JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JO

[@bkray26]

I'm playing a bastard Half Orc Pirate.He was an enforcer on his ship and it amused Umberlee, to 'gift' him with the family of the drowned wretches from the ocean floor. He is by far the tankiest character in the party. The bad guys are forced to deal with his huge HP stack, resistances and decent AC, whilst getting spammed by the Warlock's eldritich blast and the Blood Hunter's striking. And, when the Half Orc crit's....oh my.

[@bubbles9829]

From flame to flame, heart to heart I shall bring you down to ashes. There is flame in my heart that will never beating, and when see me rage you will see a tsunami of my ancestors bringing you to shore to me as the last thing you will see is me.

[@DungeonDad]

I would very much like to see Mike Mearls sing

[@bendluck]

ooh, this might fit my elf barb I've been planning. I originally planned on a totem path, but this might work slightly better with the flavor of the character. Will have to check out once it's released! :D

[@czairkolmoslink5952]

What you think of a Paladin that has a oat of the crusader? something like he has points like the fighter. making him have moves he can do.

[@moobak6697]

A Pirate who use his old death tripulation instead of the ancestors

[@SatansWerewolf]

Will a pdf version of the guide be available to purchase on release day?

[@NecromancyForKids]

Considering they don't have PDF versions of any of the 5e books, probably not.

[@MarvHartigan1]

SatansWerewolf there's always torrents my friend ☠️

[@heinrichbestbier3299]

Yes there is , all the 5e books are available on the free DND Beyond app in digital format , so will Xanathar's guide.

[@heinrichbestbier3299]

I really liked the path of the Zealot. Hope it makes it in.

[@izunachu]

Heinrich Bestbier i think there is a thread on Reddit that gives you the table of contents, pretty sure it made the cut

[@shinon748]

It's in. The table of contents got leaked during a live stream.

[@cplmagnum]

Lo, there do i see my Father Lo, there do I see my Mother and Sisters and my Brothers. Lo, there do i see the line of My People Back to the Beginning! Lo, They do do call to me, and bid me take my place among them. IN THE HALLS OF VALHALLA! WHERE THE BRAVE MAY LIVE FOREVER!

[@sixx6vi]

Current campaign I play as a human barbarian who took this path. He's really dumb and was wondering in the woods. He got lost, stumbled into a tribe of full orcs, he fought his way to earn their trust. Now his ancestors that appear are ancient orc warriors from the tribe he joined 😂

[@brendan5588]

Would the Ancestral Protectors give resistance to your party (other than you) against dragons breath if the dragon is the warriors target?

[@danwood8109]

If I remember correctly, Dragon's Breath "just happens." The dragon doesn't roll and attack roll. You just save VS the DC. So no. The rule states "any attack roll that isn't against you."

[@brendan5588]

Dan Wood i figured as much. Just the wording is weird as it states hits a creature other then you with an attack. Not attack roll. But i think somewhere it states an attack requires a roll

[@danwood8109]

Thinking about this actually made me kind of feel meh about this subclass. Hard to beat the totem barb.

[@brendan5588]

As an Aaracokra druid/barb Im going to use it. I think itd fit the backstory and means i can just fly off and range them down whilst everyone else has resistance. Def not a typical barb tho :/

[@nonsensical8770]

Oh no, they say he's got to go...

[@RaoGung]

Revised ranger next... please confirm it. :)

[@Neverfate]

Was hoping for Path of the Storm Herald personally.

[@magnusmadsen3813]

Neverfate That one is in the book too, thank god.

[@codyw423]

Wish they would just fix the battlerager, its just so underwhelming for what it should be. Should honestly have made it a fighter for the use of plate.

[@on_certainty]

true tank!

[@falconforgefantasy9496]

Was this video about the paladin xD?

[@trephinate]

Id like to ask a question to everyone. Thumbs down if you view "Ancestral Protectors" as a taunt, and thumbs up if you think that's not at all how it was intended.

[@Jondamere]

Mike mate, the way you keep your eyes closed for an abnormal amount of time when making statements creeps me out on a deep level and I don't know why.

[@doctornorth6419]

As a DM and a player I hate barbarian Fight me

[@just1randomdude]

OK. I would like to RAGE!

[@reece4791]

What a barbarian thing to say XD

[@Vasey105]

why

[@ohwowitsthatguy9154]

Good fuckin' luck mate.

[@CBGB42]

Barbarian has some issues, mostly in that it's the only class that's tied to a specific "civilization." I mean I guess it's hard to be a wizard in an illiterate nomadic herding community, but it's not impossible. But a Barbarian is, as it says in the class description, *wild*. I personally would prefer "Berserker." And in games where I DM a Barb I'd just say the class is called Berserker so you're not limited to where you're from.

[@aenorist2431]

Yeah, now you are just doubling and tripling up on existing stuff to wring money ... well, writers gonna write.