Barbarian Archetype – Viking

The Norn are a diverse and adaptable race, capable of learning many skills and fighting styles. Some become proficient wielders of polearms, some find great talent for swords and daggers, and some even learn to call upon ancient and powerful magics. Where most Norn find their calling, however, is with axe and shield, or as more commonly known, as Vikings.

Vikings are powerful, barbaric fighters that use their affinity for axes and shields to cause devastation across the battlefield. Whether by wild, uncontrolled swings of their greataxe, or a quick flurry of handaxe strikes, they tear a path of blood and violence through their enemies. The Viking Barbarian should not be mistaken for a mindless beast, however, as they have mastered the potential of shields better than most. While many use the shield as a tool for self-protection only, the Viking can wield their shield in a way that protects those around them, either by turning themselves into cover for those behind them or by implementing the fearsome shield wall.

Viking Features

Level	Features
3rd	Shield Wall, Axe Mastery
6th	Raider
10th	Glory in Battle
14th	Rage Quit

Shield Wall
(3rd-level Viking feature)

At level 3 you understand how to fully utilise a shield using Viking warfare. While wielding a shield and standing within 5ft of an ally who is also wielding a shield, attacks against you both are made at disadvantage.

Axe Mastery
(3rd-level Viking feature)

At level 3 you learn how to wield an axe the Norn way. You may choose one of the following fighting styles:

• Frenzied: When duel-wielding handaxes, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
• Overwhelmed: When wielding an axe with two hands, if you miss an attack against a creature within 5ft, you may make an attack with disadvantage against a different creature within 5ft.
• Protected: When wielding a shield and axe, you count as three-quarters cover for creatures in a 5ft cone behind you.

Viking Ambush
(6th-level Viking feature)

At level 6 you understand the strategies needed to make a successful raid. You gain the following features:

• You are unaffected by difficult terrain unless it is caused by a magical effect.
• During a surprise round your weapon attacks are made at advantage.
• You can pre-emptively rage allowing you to use your bonus action to begin raging at the beginning of your next turn.

Glory in Battle
(10th-level Viking feature)

At level 10, while raging, upon killing a creature you can use your reaction to be enveloped in glory and immediately heal 1d8+con modifier hit points. You can do this a number of times equal to your constitution modifier before needing to take a long rest.

Rage Quit
(14th-level Viking feature)

At level 14 you can strike an enemy with such force that it knocks you out of your rage. While raging, when you land a successful melee attack you can use your reaction to make it a critical rage in exchange for your rage ending. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

Designing the Viking Archetype

When designing this archetype I wanted to begin by giving it the strategies that are synonymous with people’s ideas of real-life Vikings. This meant working in the famous shield wall, a preference for axes, and the terrifying image of a hoard of Viking warriors leaping from their longships and charging up a beach. Once those aspects of the desired fantasy were covered, I turned my attention to the more ‘gamey’ sides of the archetype. Things such as HP recovery and using the Barbarian’s resources in new and interesting ways.

The Shield Wall feature was very important for this archetype. It was the first feature I came up with and really the basis of the entire archetype. Honestly, I settled on the mechanics of this feature pretty quickly. Standing side by side with an ally, linking your shields, and bracing for the attacks of your enemies could only really be translated into gameplay in one way and it both satisfies the fantasy with a meaningful ability and honours the historical reality. The only issue with this feature is that it relies on someone else in your group using a shield to come into effect so it might be best to discuss your party composition ahead of choosing this archetype if the Shield Wall feature is something you really like the look of.

To compensate for the fact not everyone is going to use a shield, I also added a few cool, exclusive fighting styles for this archetype. Across the three options, I wanted to ensure there was something for each of the 3 axe weapons. Frenzied focuses on the handaxe and allows someone to become a duel-wielding berserker. Overwhelmed leans into the greataxe and fulfils the fantasy of carving your massive axe through hoards of minions. And protected allows for a shield and a battleaxe to be used in a fluid mix of attack and defence. Hopefully, between these two level 3 features, there is something for everyone.

At level 6 the archetype introduces the Viking Raider feature. The intent behind this feature was to encourage ambush-style tactics for the Viking. Ignoring difficult terrain, getting advantage during surprise rounds, and even preparing your rage ahead of time all serve the purpose of making the Viking archetype excel at springing ambushes on unsuspecting foes. This feature may seem a little underwhelming compared to some of the other level 6 Barbarian archetype features but I decided to put flavour and lore above choosing a generic (but theoretically better) feature.

Now that the lore-focused priorities had been handled, I shifted focus to giving the archetype features that focus more on gameplay. The Glory in Battle feature allows the Viking to sustain themselves by focusing their attention on the swarms or groups of lesser enemies. By killing, they are filled with glory and reinvigorated. I settled on the self-heal as I wanted to support the favoured playstyle of many Barbarians, that being, to leap into battle and tear through a hoard of creatures. While the majority of Barbarian features reset on a short rest, I felt it was appropriate to limit this powerful ability to long rests.

The final feature of Viking is the rather punny Rage Quit. (This was originally called Sobering Strike until a friend made a joke about it basically being a rage quit moment). I knew I wanted the Viking archetype to be an equal mix of a rage-consumed brawler and tactical opportunist. That’s why I gave them the ability to calm themselves and in a moment of clarity, place a well-timed strike. In its original form, this feature wasn’t limited in its use as the drawback was losing one of your limited Rage uses but once I remembered that Barbarians get unlimited uses at level 20, I sadly had to amend it.

Final Thoughts

This is my 5th post on this blog! I’m actually quite proud of myself! Thank you for reading this post and I hope you liked what you saw and will use this Barbarian archetype in any upcoming, Norse-themed campaigns. I’m very appreciative of everyone who reads these posts and provided feedback or drops a like on the post. I create much of this content on my Twitch stream so feel free to come by and either offer suggestions or even make a request for a piece of content!

Have an awesome day and as always, I hope your next session is a glorious one! ❤