Create Baldur's Gate 3 Karlach With D&D's New Emo Barbarian Subclass

Wizards of the Coast has introduced several new evil subclasses for Dungeons & Dragons players, including a surprising choice for the Barbarian, which may suit those who love Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3.

Barbarians are probably the Dungeons & Dragons class that is hardest to do anything fresh with, as they're very much just reskins of Conan or Red Sonja. Their entire gimmick is using their anger to make them stronger in battle, and there are only so many ways that idea can be used, especially compared to all the different classes in the game.

Following on from the recent evil subclasses released back at the start of April, a new Unearthed Arcana has been released on the D&D Beyond website, adding three new choices to the roster. These are the Warrior of Venom Monk, Primordial Patron Warlock, and the Path of Lament Barbarian.

Of the three choices, the Path of Lament Barbarian is easily the strangest, as they're powered by sadness and grief, rather than the traditional bloodlust. This translates into supernatural abilities, such as the Banshee's Wail, which is a Bonus Action that can deafen opponents. They also have Necromancer-style abilities, like the Commune with the Dead spell.

The Warrior of the Venom Monk is all about poison, as they can excrete venom from their skin and use it in battle. As they level up, they gradually become more resistant to various poisons and can wield them with greater efficiency, affecting their enemies' minds.

Of the three choices, the Path of Lament Barbarian is easily the strangest, as they're powered by sadness and grief, rather than the traditional bloodlust.

The Primordial Patron Warlock is one who has formed a pact with a powerful elemental being. The examples given include the good and evil elemental princes, the latter of which will be familiar to longtime Dungeons & Dragons fans, as they've often been used as villains. These Warlocks not only gain access to lots of elemental magic, but they can create a mystical Node that damages enemies within their radius.

Having a Barbarian that's powered by grief is certainly a choice, and it might be one of the most refreshing takes on the class in a long time. It's possible that Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3 had a role in the creation of this subclass, considering how much humanity and personality she brought to what could have been an otherwise boring character, one who could easily have been defined by her class.