Unearthed Errata: The Totemic Fury

by Tim Wallace

Woohoo! I’m back! Thank you all for you well wishes. This is my new take on creating a barbarian archetype with the feel of the totem warrior class from Arcana Evolved. I felt my previous attempt, the totem rager, was a bit too complicated. In addition, I decided to make the archetype also available to the bloodrager class from the Advanced Class Guide.

Totemic Fury (Barbarian or Bloodrager)

While all barbarians are known for their ferocity in battle, totemic furies revere a specific totem animal and take on aspects of that animal while raging. A few truly renowned totemic furies form bonds with an animal companion that represents their totem.

Totem Empathy (Ex): At 3rd level, the totemic fury chooses one animal from the hunter's animal focus list. Once selected, this choice cannot be changed. The totemic fury can improve the attitude of animals of the same type as her totem. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The totemic fury rolls 1d20 and adds her class level and her Charisma modifier to determine the totem empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. If the totemic fury is a barbarian, this ability replaces trap sense (or danger sense if she is a Pathfinder Unchained barbarian). If the totemic fury is a bloodrager, this ability replaces blood sanctuary.

Totem Power (Su): At 4th level, the totemic fury gains the following rage power.

Fury of the Beast (Su): The totemic fury gains the animal focus abilities of her totem animal (as the hunter's animal focus ability) while raging or bloodraging. She treats her class level as her hunter level for determining the abilities of the animal focus (such as the improvements gained at 8th and 15th level). If the totemic fury is a barbarian, this ability replaces the rage power gained at 4th level. If the totemic fury is a bloodrager, this ability replaces the bloodline power gained at 4th level.

Totem Companion (Ex): At 5th level, the totemic fury gains the service of an animal companion. This ability functions as the druid's animal companion, using her class level – 4 as her effective druid level. This companion must be an animal associated with her totem (see chart below). Whenever a totemic fury is raging or bloodraging, this animal companion gains a +2 morale bonus to its Strength.  This ability replaces uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge for both barbarians and bloodragers.

Totem	Animal Companions
Bat	Dire batB1
Bear	Bear
Bull	AurochsB1, bisonB1
Falcon	Bird (eagle/hawk)
Frog	Giant frogB1
Monkey	Ape or baboonB2
Mouse	Dire ratB1
Owl	Bird (owl)
Snake	Any snake
Stag	AntelopeB3 or elkB3
Tiger	Any cat
Wolf	Any canine

Wild Shape (Su): At 6th level, a totemic fury gains the ability to wild shape into the form of a Small or Medium version of her totem animal, as the druid class feature. Her effective druid level for this ability is equal to her class level – 2. She can use this ability twice per day at 12th level, and three times per day at 18th level. This doesn't allow the totemic fury to assume other forms, such as elementals, plants, or other kinds of animals.

When in animal form, the totemic fury loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same type as her totem. The totemic fury uses her class level as her druid level for the purpose of qualifying for feats that affect wild shape (such as Wild Speech). If the totemic fury is a barbarian, this ability replaces the rage power gained at 6th level. If the totemic fury is a bloodrager, this ability replaces the bloodline feat gained at 6th level.

Rage Powers: The following barbarian rage powers complement the totem fury archetype: animal fury, beast totem (lesser, normal, and greater)^APG, knockback, knockdown^APG, low-light vision, primal scent^UC, scent, sprint^UC, and swift foot.