Barbarians who follow this accursed path discover a demonic presence within themselves, yearning for release. This presence may be the result of a demonic curse, overexposure to Abyssal magics, or even demonic possession. In any case, when these barbarians lose control, their fiendish nature manifests itself visibly, warping their appearance and allowing them to unleash an unholy fury upon their foes.

Demonic Surges

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, the dark powers coursing through you give you access to demonic abilities in the form of Demonic Surges. Demonic Surges are supernatural abilities that momentarily boost your combat abilities or create fiendish spell-like effects. You use your Strength modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Demonic Surge and when making an attack roll with one. If you are raging, you may add your rage damage to any one damage roll made as a result of a Demonic Surge. Using a Demonic Surge also counts as making an attack that round for the purposes of maintaining your rage. 

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Surge Slots. The Demonic Surges table shows how many surge slots you have to use Demonic Surges of 1st level and higher. To use one of these surges, you must expend a slot of the surge's level or higher. You regain all expended Surge Slots when you complete a long rest.

Surges Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level Demonic Surges of your choice from the list Demonic Surges section, which can be found at the end of this page.

The Surges Known column of the Demon Soul Surges table shows when you learn more Demonic Surges of 1st level or higher.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the surges you know with another surge of your choice. This surge must be of a level for which you have surge slots

Fiendish Resilience

At 3rd level, your demonic nature grants you increased resistance to elemental forces. When you activate your rage, you now have resistance to fire and either lightning or cold damage while raging, which you can choose every time you rage.

Reckless Surge

At 6th level, you may apply your Reckless Attack feature to any attacks you make as part of your Demonic Surges. Additionally, when you use a Demonic Surge that requires creatures to make a saving throw, you may choose to force all affected creatures to make their saving throw with disadvantage. If you do, all attack rolls against you have advantage and all saving throws you make have disadvantage until the start of your next turn.

Brutal Surge

At 10th level, you may apply your Brutal Critical feature to any attacks you make with your Demonic Surges. Additionally, when you use your Reckless Surge or Reckless Attack feature, you can choose to have your Demonic Surges ignore all resistances and treat all immunity as though it is resistance until the start of your next turn. Doing so causes you to lose all resistances granted by your rage until the start of your next turn. 

Chaos Conduit

At 14th level, while raging, you may use a 1st level demonic surge without expending a Surge Slot. You can use this ability only once per rage. 

List of Demonic Surges

1st-level Surges

Abyssal Skulk. As an action, you magically turn invisible. The invisibility lasts for 1 minute or until you attack, make a damage roll, or force a creature to make a saving throw.

Arrogant Rage. When you enter a rage or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage such that you gain a surge of reckless confidence, allowing you to demoralize any who would dare strike you. While raging this way, whenever a creature makes an attack against you and would have advantage as a result of your Reckless Attack or Reckless Surge features, you can use your reaction to demoralize that creature, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it loses the advantage your Reckless Attack or Reckless Surge granted it and instead suffers disadvantage on the attack. Creatures immune to being charmed and frightened automatically pass this save. This surge ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Burning Whip. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to summon a burning whip in a free hand that you can use to immediately make a single melee spell attack against a creature within 30 feet of you. On a hit, it deals 3d6 fire damage, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward you. The whip disappears immediately after you make this attack.

Defile Earth. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to cause the ground within 10 feet of you to become polluted with demonic ichor. The area is corrupted for the next minute, during which time it is difficult terrain for creatures other than you. As an action, you can cause any number of 5-foot-by-5-foot square areas covered in this ichor to burst with demonic rot, which clears that area of the ichor. Any creature standing in the burst must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. 

Demonic Appendages. As a bonus action, choose a damage type from piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage. You cause your hands to mutate into demonic appendages (such as claws, tentacles, or skewers) for the next hour or until you dismiss this surge as a bonus action. The appendages can be used as weapons while not holding anything and count as simple melee weapons with the Light property that add your Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls when you attack with them. They each deal 1d10 of the chosen damage type on it.

Fiendish Horns. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to grow large demonic horns and use them to make a single melee spell attack against a target within 5 feet of you. On a hit, it deals 3d8 piercing damage, and if the target is a creature and you moved at least 20 ft. before making the attack, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature is knocked prone, and you may push it up to 10 feet away from you. The horns disappear immediately after making this attack.

Flames of Chaos. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to hurl a bolt of iridescent fire at a creature within 100 feet of you as a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 fire damage and becomes engulfed in chaotic flames until the end of your next turn. If the creature takes damage from one of your Demonic Surges while covered in these flames, the flames disappear, and that surge deals an additional 1d12 damage as it draws energy from the fires.

Foul Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to deal an additional 2d6 poison damage. The target must then succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of your next turn.

Fresh Meat. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to feast on the corpse of one Small or larger creature within 5 feet of you that died within the last minute, causing you to regain a number of hit points equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier.

Hateful Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage by focusing it into a hatred for another creature you can see within 90 feet of you. For the duration of this effect, you deal an extra 1d6 damage to that creature whenever you hit it with an attack. This surge ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Hungering Jaws. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to attempt to bite a creature within 5 feet of you with razor-sharp jaws as a melee spell attack. On a hit, you deal 2d8 piercing damage, and if the target is a creature, you regain a number of hit points equal to the damage it dealt.

Hypnotic Summons. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to whisper maddening words to one creature of your choice within 60 feet of you that can hear you, twisting its mind and drawing it toward you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction, if available, to move as close as its speed allows toward you. The creature doesn’t move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and doesn’t have to move toward you. A deafened creature automatically succeeds on the save.

Lightning Blade. As part of an Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks to create a blade of chaotic lighting in a free hand that you can use to immediately make a single melee spell attack. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 18 or higher. On a hit, it deals 2d12 lightning damage. The blade disappears immediately after making this attack.

Nightmare Rage. When you enter a rage or as a bonus action while raging, you can enhance your rage by filling your mind with nightmarish visions that you can inflict upon others. While raging this way, whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack or an attack from one of your Demonic Surges, you may surround the target with nightmarish visions for the next minute or until you surround another creature with visions. If the target willingly moves 5 feet before the visions end, it must make an Intelligence saving throw, taking 2d6 psychic damage on a failure, or half as much on a success, and the visions affecting it end. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge beyond what this ability allows you to maintain.

Savage Rush. As a bonus action, you draw upon an unholy vigor, allowing you to move up to your movement speed horizontally in a straight line. The first creature you run into during this movement must succeed on a Strength saving or be pushed ahead of you for the rest of the movement. If the creature succeeds on the save, or you run into a second creature, your movement stops. 

2nd-level Surges

Burning Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to deal an additional 3d10 fire damage.

Cruel Revival. As a bonus action, you speak a dark incantation which awakens the corpse of a Small or Medium creature you can see within 30 feet of you that died within the last 10 minutes. The corpse immediately stands up and becomes a zombie (the statistics for zombies can be found in the Monster Manual), and it gains a bonus to its attack and damage rolls equal to your Strength ability modifier. In combat, the zombie shares your initiative count. While the zombie is within 60 feet of you, you can use a bonus action to mentally command it to do your bidding. If it receives no such commands, it takes no actions and does not move. The zombie crumbles to dust after 10 minutes.

Demonic Eyes. As an action, you cause your eyes to take on demonic traits and appearance. For the next 8 hours, you gain darkvision out to 120 and areas of dim light are not considered lightly obscured to you.

Horror Nimbus. As an action, you magically emit scintillating, multicolored light. Each creature of your choice within 15 feet of that you that can see the light must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn and must immediately use its reaction, if available, to move as far as its speed allows away from you. The creature doesn’t move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit.

Indestructible Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage to make yourself nearly indestructible. While this effect lasts, you have an advantage on Constitution checks and saving throws and resistance to all damage except radiant damage. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Inflicted Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage by attempting to psychically inflict another creature within 120 feet of you with it. That creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or be subjected to this rage for one minute, until your rage ends, or until you enhance your rage with another surge. While under the effects of this rage, the creature can only use its action to make weapon attacks or take the Dash action, and it can no longer cast or maintain concentration on spells. The creature can make an Intelligence saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Inhuman Grace. As a bonus action, you endow yourself with such unnatural grace that any you stride past have their minds rent by the sight of your movements. Until the end of your turn, whenever you move 5 feet away from a creature that can see you, it takes 2d8 psychic damage. A creature can only take this damage once per turn. If you used your Reckless Attack or Reckless Surge features this turn, your speed also increases by 20 feet until the end of the turn.

Insanity Gaze. As an action, you turn your madding gaze upon a creature you can see within 90 feet of you, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it must use its movement on its next turn to move within 5 feet of a creature of your choice and then use its action to make a melee attack against that creature. If it is unable to reach the chosen creature, it does not use its action that turn.

Malevolent Flame. As an action, you create an area of flame that fills a 5-foot cube in front of you and move it out 30 ft. away from you, where it remains until the end of your next turn, at which point the flame moves toward your current location. The flame disappears after reaching you or moving 30 ft. toward you. Whenever the flame moves into the space of a creature other than you, or a creature other than you ends its turn standing in the flame, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d6 fire damage, and on a pass, it takes half as much. The flame ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried. 

Torturous Claws. As an action, two razor-sharp clawed limbs grow from you and strike at nearby foes. Make two melee spells attacks against targets within 5 feet of you. On a hit, a target takes 2d10 slashing damage and can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn as it is racked with pain. If both attacks made this way hit the same target, it is afflicted with even more intense pain, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw. It takes an additional 3d10 psychic damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. The limbs disappear immediately after you make the attacks with them.

Unholy Stench. As an action, you cause a foul smell to emanate out to a 10-foot radius around yourself. Each creature other than you in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of your next turn. While poisoned in this way, the target can't take reactions, and on each of its turns, it must choose whether it gets a move, an action, or a bonus action. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t poisoned.

Spew Bile. As an action, you spew forth a stream of corrosive bile. Each creature in a 15-foot cone in front of you takes 4d4 acid damage and must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is covered in acid, causing it to take another 4d4 acid damage at the end of its next turn unless a creature uses its action to scrape or wash the acid off of it beforehand. On a successful save, a creature is not covered in acid and takes no additional damage at the end of its next turn.

Rampaging Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage with an insatiable bloodlust. While under this effect, up to once on each of your turns, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack or a Demonic Surge, you gain an additional action. This action can only be used to take a Dash action or an Attack action to make one weapon attack. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge. 

3rd-level Surges

Cackling Flail. As an action, you choose a point you can see within 15 feet of you and conjure a three-headed demonic flail made of cackling skulls in a free hand which you use to make three melee spell attacks against up to three different creatures who are within 15 feet of the chosen point. On a hit, an attack from this flail deals 3d8 thunder damage. If one or more of the creatures hit by the flail is reduced to 0 hit points, you may immediately make another attack with it against each of the remaining targets who still have 1 or more hit points. If this second set of attacks reduces another creature to 0 hit points, you may repeat the process. Once you can no longer make any attacks, the flail disappears.

Contaminating Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage to channel it into a stream of demonic corruption that oozes into a 15- foot radius area centered on yourself. This area moves with you, and you can designate any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it. When a creature you haven’t designated enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 poison damage, and its speed is halved while it remains in the area. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and its speed isn’t reduced. The contaminated area disappears if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Dark Flight. As an action, you cause wings to spring from your back granting you flying speed of 60 feet for the next 10 minutes. If the effect ends while you are in the air, you immediately begin falling unless some other effect prevents this. 

Devour. As an action, your jaw unhinges, and you attempt to magically swallow a Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of you that you can see. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by you. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside you, and it takes 3d4 acid damage at the start of each of your turns. The creature is swallowed until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell, except it can be maintained while raging). If you lose concentration, the swallowed creature is regurgitated and falls prone into a space of your choice within 5 feet of you.

Ecstatic Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to deal an additional 4d8 psychic damage to it as you subject it to overwhelming bliss. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you until the end of your next turn.

Eldritch Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage by allowing maddening demonic knowledge to flood your mind. For the duration of this effect, you have advantage on all Intelligence checks and saving throws. Additionally, once per turn, you may use a 1st level Demonic Surge that replaces one of your attacks without expending a surge slot. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Fire Stomp. As an action, you slam the ground, causing fire to erupt out from you to a 15-foot radius. Each creature other than you in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d6 fire damage. On a pass, it takes half as much damage. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.

Lightning Lance. As an action, you launch a bolt of lightning in a 60-foot long 10-foot wide line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Manic Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you channel your rage to the point of manic insanity, turning yourself into a whirlwind of death. While in this state, if you make an attack that would have advantage as a result of your Reckless Attack feature, you can forgo that advantage to make the same attack against another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within the attack’s range. These extra attacks can’t benefit from advantage from any source or be replaced with Demonic Surges. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you modify your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Undying Evil. You gain the demonic ability to escape death. As an action, you place a ward on yourself that lasts for 8 hours or until you use this surge again. If you die while under the effects of the ward, your body dissolves into foul ichor, leaving behind only the equipment you were wearing or carrying. After 1 minute, you reform in the unoccupied space closest to the location where you died. Your soul must be both willing and able to reform, and you can’t return to life if you died of old age. When you reform, you return to life with 1 hit point and the ward ends. 

Warp Flesh. As an action, you target a creature you can see within 5 feet of you and warp its body with chaotic magics. It must make a Charisma saving throw or become brittle until the end of your next turn. While a creature is brittle, any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit. Effects and spells that remove the paralyzed condition will remove the brittle condition.

Warp Jump. As an action, you teleport, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, up to 100 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Before or after teleporting, you can make one attack as part of this action. 

4th-level Surges

Bellow of Endless Fury. As an action, you unleash a roar of fiery rage in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a Constitution saving throw. On failed save, a creature takes 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 thunder damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried. 

Chaotic Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to deal an additional 4d10 force damage as you channel raw chaos through it. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or suffer one of the random mutations described in the Mutation Table below until the end of your next turn.

Limb Storm. As an action, you briefly grow extra sets of demonic limbs which strike out at nearby creatures. You may make up to six melee spell attacks with these limbs as part of this action, which each deal 1d12 piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage (your choice) on hit. The limbs disappear immediately after you make the attacks with them.

Oozing Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage, causing you to grow wobbling mounds of slime and flesh, which seal your wounds as you receive them. For the duration of this effect, you gain a +10 to the Constitution saving throw you make as part of your Relentless Rage feature, and you regain 1d6 hit points at the start of each of your turns. This effect ends if your rage ends, one minute passes, or you modify your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Shared Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you can enhance your rage to inspire it in another willing creature you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature gains the following benefits until your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge:

• It has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• When it makes its first attack on each of its turns, it can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives it advantage on melee weapon attacks, but attack rolls against it have advantage until its next turn.
• If the creature is able to cast spells, it can't cast them or concentrate on them. 

Sentient Rage. When you enter a rage, or as a bonus action while raging, you enhance your rage by focusing it into an entirely separate consciousness, which may even form itself into a new head that grows from your body. When you do so, you may choose two Demonic Surges you know that both enhance your rage and have a combined level of 4 or less. You gain the effects of both those surges until your rage ends, one minute passes, or you enhance your rage with another Demonic Surge.

Soul Rend. Your chest cracks open and projects a vortex of life-draining energy out to 30 feet from you. Each creature in the area must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 5d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Each creature that is Small or larger and dropped to 0 hit points by this effect dies, causing you to regain hit points equal to the number of hit dice it had.

Stunning Screech. As an action, you emit a horrific screech. Each creature within 20 feet of you that can hear it must succeed on a DC Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Summon Demon. You utter foul abyssal words, calling a demon forth from the chaos of the Abyss. Choose a demon of CR 5 or lower such as a shadow demon or a barlgura. The demon appears in an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet of you, and it disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or after 1 hour has passed. The demon obeys your commands, and in combat, it shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. The demon spends its turns pursuing and attacking the nearest non-demons unless you use a bonus action on your turn to command it to take a different action. That action can be one that is listed in its stat block or any other action that the demon would be capable of. 

Examples of Demonic Archetypes

If you have a specific type of demon or demon lord you want your barbarian to emulate the powers of, you can choose Demonic Surges that thematically fit with that demon. The following Demonic Surge lists are grouped based on common demonic themes and demon lords, though you may need to change how you describe of some of the surges to better fit the powers associated with your theme. Note that some surges like demonic appendages, demonic eyes, undying evil, and summon demon are so general that they can thematically fit with almost any type of demon.

Barbarian of Change.

Barbarian of Death.

Barbarian of Decay. 

Barbarian of Deception.

Barbarian of Excess.

Barbarian of Fungi.

Barbarian of Hedonism.

Barbarian of Hunger.

Barbarian of The Hunt.

Barbarian of Insanity.

Barbarian of Ooze.

Barbarian of Rage.

Barbarian of Spiders.

Barbarian of Vermin.

Demonic Adventurer Backstories

Below are some options that can be used as inspiration for your barbarian’s backstory and the origin of their powers.