Tribal halflings, those who take halfling barbarian substitution levels, are just as dangerous as any other barbarian, but for different reasons. These small warriors can take advantage of their size and slip into areas inaccessible to larger races. When it comes time to stand tall in battle, however, these barbarians prove as tough in combat as any of the bigger races.
A substitution level is a level or a given class that you take instead of the level described for the standard class. Selecting a substitution level is not the same as muJticlassing — you remain with the class for which the substitution level is taken. The class features of the substitution level simply replace those of the standard level.
Only a member of the appropriate race can take a racial substitution level.
You can select each substitution level only at a specific class level. When you take a substitution level for your class at a given level. you give up the class features gained from the standard class at that level, and you get the substitution level’s features instead. You can’t go back and gain the class features for the level you swapped out — when you take your next level in the standard class, you gain the next higher level as if you had gained the previous level normally.
Hit Die: d12.
To take a halfling barbarian substitution level, a character must be a halfling about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 5th level of barbarian.
Halfling barbarian substitution levels have the class skills of the standard barbarian class.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Fast Movement, Illiteracy, Halfling Rage (1/day) |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Intimidating Presence +1 |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Bigger than Life |
All of the following are features of the halfling barbarian’s racial substitution levels.
Halfling Rage (Ex): Halfling barbarians learn to minimize the impact of their size while in combat. Whenever a halfling barbarian rages, treat him as a Medium creature whenever doing so would be beneficial, such as while in a grapple. While raging, the halfling’s size actually increases slightly, and he therefore loses his +1 size bonus to AC and on attacks. Otherwise, this ability is exactly like the standard rage ability.
Whenever the halfling barbarian gains additional uses of the rage ability, he instead gains additional uses of this ability. Feats that alter the rage ability, such as Extend Rage or Instantaneous Rage, instead alter the halfling rage ability.
This class feature replaces the standard barbarian’s rage ability.
Intimidating Presence (Ex): A halfling barbarian who takes the 3rd-level racial substitution level gains ritualistic scarring and tribal tattoos that make him a frightening sight to behold. Beginning at this level, the halfling barbarian gains a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks. If you are also using the scarification rules presented in the “Ritual Markings” article in Dragon Magazine #340, markings from this ability count as traditional scarring.
This class feature replaces the standard barbarian’s trap sense ability. Whenever the halfling barbarian would otherwise gain an additional +1 to his trap sense ability, he instead gains an additional +1 bonus on Intimidate checks. If the halfling barbarian gains the trap sense ability from another class (such as rogue), that ability functions normally.
Bigger Than Life (Ex): A halfling barbarian who takes the 5th-level racial substitution level makes Intimidate checks as if he were size Medium. If the halfling barbarian is under an effect that actually makes his size Medium (such as an enlarge person spell), this ability has no further impact, but he retains his bonus on Intimidate checks from the intimidating presence ability.
This class feature replaces the standard barbarian’s improved uncanny dodge ability.
Source: Dragon Magazine #342 (Page 90)