It shouldn’t be a controversial statement to make that Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is currently the most popular TTRPG in the current cultural zeitgeist especially since it’s what popularized the hobby. While there are many reasons for this a major factor is that the system itself is intuitively simple to not only pick up to play, but also create for. 5e was designed to be simple and accessible so it often lacks archetypes that many people want to see. So where the system lack many minds create.
A quick look at DMSGuild will reveal a plethora of homebrew settings, classes, subclasses, and more to add to the world of your games. Here are a couple that I have made over the years, and I plan to post a sister article with a few more. Who knows, if people like these enough I might get back into creating more Homebrew to share with you all!
Banneret Fighter Revised
Symbol of Significance
You create, find, or are given a banner that carries an image or symbol of great significance to you. This banner can be carried on your person however you see fit whether it be attached to your body, a flagpole, or a weapon such as a spear or polearm. If your banner is destroyed you can create a new one over the course of a short or long rest.
The meaning this item carries can be used to empower yourself or your allies. Friendly creatures within 15 feet of your banner can add a d4 for one attack roll or ability check made on their turn. Targets under the effect of the Bless spell only add one 1d4 bonus to their roll.
Rallying Cry
As a bonus action or whenever you use your second wind feature you can heal a number of allies within 60 feet of you equal to your proficiency an amount equal to 1d6 + half your fighter level (rounded up). You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Royal Envoy
You gain two additional languages of your choice as well as proficiency in persuasion. Your proficiency bonus is now doubled for all checks using persuasion. If you already have proficiency in persuasion you may instead pick from the following: Animal Handling, Deception, Intimidation, Insight, or Performance.
Inspiring Surge
When you take the attack action you can replace any number of your attacks with a command that you can give your allies (one ally per attack), when you do so your ally can use their reaction to immediately move half their movement and make a single attack. Alternatively, when you expend a use of your action surge you can give this command without having to replace an attack.
Bulwark
Your banner becomes a true icon to those fighting alongside it with its effects bordering on the magical. Allies within 30 feet of your banner can now add a d4 onto their saving throws if they are under the effects of Bless they can now add both d4s to their rolls. Additionally if an ally that you can see fails a saving throw you can use your reaction to turn it into a success instead. You can use this reaction a number of time equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all uses upon finishing a long rest.
Path of the Maniac Barbarian
Mania
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, your rage becomes a crazed fervor that breaks down your body for the sake of defeating your enemies. Once per turn, you may deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack while raging at the cost of dealing 3 damage to yourself. The Backlash damage you receive ignores resistances and immunities. The damage dealt and received increases at level 6, 10, and 14.
| Level | Mania | Backlash |
| 3 | 1d6 | 3 |
| 6 | 2d6 | 6 |
| 10 | 3d6 | 9 |
| 14 | 4d6 | 12 |
Unyielding Physique
Your body has adapted to receiving constant punishment without rest, starting at 3rd level you have advantage on Constitution saving throws to avoid gaining levels of exhaustion. Additionally, you offset the penalties gained from exhaustion by one level thus increasing the total levels of exhaustion you can acquire from 6 to 7.
Damaged Nerves
Your self-destructive nature has further numbed your ability to feel pain. Upon reaching 6th level when you suffer damage from your Backlash you can choose to gain temporary hit points equal to Con + half your barbarian level (rounded down). Any Backlash damage you take ignores the temporary hit points you gain from this feature. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you must finish a short or long rest before regaining these uses.
Crazed Onslaught
The sheer extent of your bloodlust sees that none of your enemies remain safe. Starting at 10th level when you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points you can use your bonus action to move up to half your movement towards another creature to make another weapon attack. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Hysteria
Your presence alone is enough to instill pure chaos onto the battlefield as you spread your mania to your enemies. Beginning at 14th level enemies that hit with your mania must succeed a Wisdom Save (DC8+Con+Prof) to prevent themselves from falling victim to your bloodlust. On a failure the afflicted enemy will also take half your Backlash damage each time they attack or are attacked by you. This effect last for the next minute, and you can have a number of enemies equal to your Constitution modifier afflicted at a time.