On July 24, Wizards of the Coast shared a complete look at the Path of the Giant, the latest DnD Barbarian subclass. Followers of D&D playtests will remember the Barbarian 5e subclass from an Unearthed Arcana in May 2022. They’ll also spot that the Path of the Giant is basically identical to its original playtest version – the subclass was so cool, it survived testing totally unscathed.
In an official D&D YouTube video (see below), game designer Makenzie de Armas says the Path of the Giant Barbarian has “very chaotic gremlin energy”. The subclass revolves around a simple mantra: get big and throw stuff.
At third level, a Giant Barbarian learns the Giant DnD language, as well as either the Druidcraft or Thaumaturgy DnD cantrip. Their size also increases to large while Raging, and they can add their Rage Damage bonus to thrown attacks using Strength.
These Barbarians can later infuse their DnD weapons with extra elemental energy, and any weapon they throw will instantly reappear in their hand after hitting, boomerang-style. Giant Barbarians will also learn to throw both allies and enemies around the battlefield. That’ll either lead to some incredible combat tactics or total chaos.
The Path of the Giant Barbarian features in the upcoming DnD book, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. This title is up next in the DnD release schedule, with a global launch scheduled for August 15.
We’re curious to see how the Giant Barbarian will hold up against the best Barbarian subclasses 5e. The May playtest originally featured options for other DnD classes, but these don’t seem to be making an appearance in Glory of the Giants. A moment of silence, please, for the Circle of Primeval Druid 5e and the Runecrafter DnD Wizard.
Source: Wargamer
