Barbarians of the Path of David and Goliath turn the mismatch between themselves and a towering foe into a weapon. They read a larger enemy’s reach, weight, and confidence, then answer with sudden footwork and punishing precision. Their style favors decisive duels, fearless protection, and victories that look impossible until the last blow lands.
Make the impossible opponent answer for every inch.
Front-line bruiser and single-target counterattacker, especially effective against foes larger than the character.
At a glance
Hit die d12
Strength
ConstitutionSubclass of Barbarian
When you enter your Rage, choose one creature you can see as your quarry; the choice lasts until your Rage ends. If you have no uses of Rage remaining, you can instead choose a quarry as a Bonus Action while raging. Once on each of your turns when you hit your quarry with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you deal extra damage equal to 1d6, or 1d10 if the quarry is larger than you. This extra damage is the same type as the attack’s damage. You can have only one quarry at a time.
When your quarry hits you with an attack, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by 1d12 + your Barbarian level. If this reduces the damage to 0, you can move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks from your quarry. You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
While raging, you have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws you make to resist being moved or knocked Prone by your quarry. In addition, when your quarry misses you with an attack, you can use your Reaction to move up to half your Speed toward it. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks from your quarry. You can then make one melee weapon attack or Unarmed Strike against it if it is within your reach.
Your Measure the Mountain extra damage becomes 1d8, or 1d12 if your quarry is larger than you. Once on each of your turns when you hit your quarry, you can force it to make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure, choose one: the quarry falls Prone, or you push it up to 15 feet away from you. A creature larger than you has Disadvantage on this save. A creature can be affected by this forced movement or knockdown only once per turn.
StrengthConstitutionHit pointsd12 Hit Die, as a Barbarian.
Saving throwsNo additional saving throw proficiencies. The forced-movement and knockdown save DC for The Impossible Answer is 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier.
TrainingNo additional proficiencies. You retain the Barbarian’s armor, weapon, and tool proficiencies.
ResourceRage uses; Slip the Giant’s Reach also has a limited pool of uses based on your Strength modifier.
MulticlassingUse the 2024 Barbarian’s normal multiclassing prerequisites and proficiencies. Subclass features require Barbarian levels 3, 6, 10, and 14; Barbarian level determines the damage reduction from Slip the Giant’s Reach.
Barbarians of the Path of David and Goliath turn the mismatch between themselves and a towering foe into a weapon.
They read a larger enemy’s reach, weight, and confidence, then answer with sudden footwork and punishing precision. Their style favors decisive duels, fearless protection, and victories that look impossible until the last blow lands.
Pick a dangerous quarry when you Rage and stay close enough to make your once-per-turn bonus damage matter.
Use your Reaction thoughtfully: at 6th level it can blunt a heavy hit, while at 10th level a missed attack can become an opening to close distance and strike back. You excel at making a powerful enemy focus on you, but you are still a Barbarian—not a substitute for a plan when the threat is overwhelming.
Training begins with learning to read reach, weight, and balance while avoiding a larger partner’s practice blows.
Initiates then face a controlled mismatch—often against a veteran, a weighted training frame, or a dangerous beast—and must protect someone else while holding their ground. The final lesson is not how to win every fight, but how to make a stronger foe pay for underestimating you.
Ordinary people often see practitioners as brave underdogs and welcome them as protectors.
Those who have seen one challenge an enormous foe may instead find the style unsettling: its champions seem most confident when the odds are worst.
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