Path of the World Tree Barbarian Subclass for DnD 5e (First Look)

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For Dungeons & Dragons fans, the new 2024 Player’s Handbook represents a major milestone for the game, with the fifth edition core rules getting a much needed update a decade after they were first released. Many of those changes are focused on existing DnD 5e classes, yet at the same time Wizards of the Coast is also releasing three new subclasses which have never appeared before: The College of Dance for Bards, the Circle of the Sea for Druids and the Path of the World Tree for Barbarians.

This latter subclass opens up some interesting new possibilities for DnD 5e Barbarians, letting players tap into the power of an all-powerful, multiverse-spanning astral tree to unleash devastating new attacks.

So just what secrets does the Path of the World Tree have in store? Below, we get to the root of this new Barbarian subclass.

What is the Path of the World Tree Barbarian Subclass?

The Path of the World Tree is a new subclass officially introduced in the 2024 Player’s Handbook that allows Barbarians to draw strength from the ancient and mystical World Tree, a powerful cosmological structure that has appeared in past DnD lore and is based on Norse mythology’s Yggdrasill. Barbarians who chose this subclass can tap into the tree’s primal energies to enhance their physical prowess in battle, support nearby allies and teleport into nearby areas.

First introduced in Unearthed Arcana Players Handbook Playtest 7 (released in September 2023) and later refined in the Players Handbook Playtest 8 (released in November 2023), the Path of the World Tree subclass has been essentially unchanged since the One D&D playtest, with the only notable tweak being that the 14th Level feature “Travel Along the Tree” now lets you teleport 150 feet rather than the 500 feet which originally appeared in the final playtest materials.

In the official PHB rules, the subclass’ description is as follows:

Barbarians who follow the Path of the World Tree believe that their Rage links them to the cosmic ash tree Yggdrasil. This “world tree” grows among the Outer Planes, connecting them to each other and to the many worlds of the Material Plane, and the greatest plants on every world are said to be distant descendants of mighty Yggdrasil. These Barbarians draw on their connection to the world tree as a source of vitality and as a means of travel across the multiverse.

As with the other three official Barbarians subclasses featured in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, characters are able to access the Path of the World Tree when they reach 3rd level.

What Features do Path of the World Tree Barbarians get?

Barbarians who follow the Path of the World Tree are able to utilize a range of abilities that provide more resilience in battle, allow them to buff nearby companions and offer more mobility on the battlefield.

Barbarians are able to access this new subclass’ features at Level 3, 6 and 14 as follows:

Level 3: Vitality of the Tree

Your Rage taps into the lifeforce of the World Tree. You gain the following benefits:

Vitality Surge: When you activate your Rage, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Barbarian level.

Life-Giving Force: At the start of each of your turns while your Rage is active, you can choose another creature within 10 feet of yourself to gain Temporary Hit Points. To determine the number of Temporary Hit Points, roll a number of d6s equal to your Rage Damage bonus, and add them together. If any of these Temporary Hit Points remain when your Rage ends, they vanish.

Level 6: Branches of the Tree

While your Rage is active, whenever a creature you can see starts its turn within 30 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to summon spectral branches of the World Tree around it. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 plus your Proficiency Bonus plus your Strength modifier) or be teleported to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of yourself or in the nearest unoccupied space you can see. The space the target teleports to must be on a surface or liquid that can support it; otherwise, the target doesn’t teleport. After the target teleports, you can reduce its Speed to 0 until the end of the current turn. Notably, in the 2024 Player’s Handbook a rule will stat that any creature can voluntarily fail any saving throw.

Level 10: Battering Roots

Tendrils of the World Tree extend from your Melee weapons. During your turn, while you wield a Melee weapon with the Heavy or Versatile property, your reach with that weapon increases by 10 feet. When you hit with this weapon, you can activate the Push or Topple property in addition to any other Weapon Mastery property you are using with that weapon.

Level 14: Travel Along the Tree

You can briefly travel along the World Tree. When you activate your Rage and as a Bonus Action while it’s active, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. In addition, when you teleport using this feature, you can bring up to six willing creatures who are within 10 feet of yourself, and the range you can teleport increases to 150 feet. Each creature teleports to an unoccupied space of your choice within 10 feet of your destination space. You can teleport other creatures with you only once per Rage. instead of Rage.

Is the Path of the World Tree Barbarian subclass worth playing?

The Path of the World Tree subclass offers a unique blend of survivability, battlefield control and mobility. Thematically, it’s also an interesting departure from many of the traditional Barbarian subclasses, offering a more mystical approach to warriors who are often viewed as nothing more than mindless, rage-fuelled tanks. It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the DnD 5e community will also embrace the new subclass.

You can find the Path of the World Tree Barbarian subclass in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook (which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon). Below is also a recent video from DnD YouTubers “The Dungeon Dudes”, which offers more info on the new subclass.

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