Path of the Beorning

"Some say that he is a bear descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came. Others say he is a man descended from the first men who lived before Smaug or the other dragons came into this part of the world, and before the goblins came into the hills out of the North. I cannot say, though I fancy the last is the true tale."

–The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

The wild berserkers draw upon an ancient tradition, one much forgotten in modern times: before men learned to imbue themselves with the rage of beasts, they instead learned to become beasts themselves. Some were wily tricksters taking the form of wolves and coyotes, others wise men who became birds to watch the lands. But the Beornings are those who would one day become berserkers; in their deadly initiation they hunted down a mighty bear, killed it with their bare hands, and of its pelt made a cloak. From then on they could become bears themselves, the kings of all forests and mountains.

The savage bear-men made for fearsome warriors and yet poor soldiers in the thick of battle, and so their lineage faded. Still some carry on their legacy, isolated mountain-men, wild-eyed hermits, savage worshippers of totemic spirits. Sometimes, one of them wanders down from his cave to seek a life of adventure. Almost invariably they make a bloody mark in history, for the better or the worse.

Cloak the Wood-King

When you join this path at 3rd level, your learn to take the form of the ruler of the wilds. When you enter a rage, you may choose to transform into a bear as part of the same bonus action. You return to your normal form when your rage ends. While so transformed, your weapons, armor, shields, and any item that require manipulation to use are absorbed into your form, and you may not use them. Magical items that are simply worn, such as boots or a cloak, adapt themselves to their new form and may still grant you benefits. In your bear form, you gain the following benefits:

You have claws, which are natural melee weapons that deal 2d6+Strength damage. When you make a Reckless Attack and successfully wound an opponent, you may make use your bite as a bonus action; this is a melee weapon attack dealing 1d4+Strength damage. These weapons are compatible with all your barbarian features.

You Unarmored Defense feature grants you an armor class of 12 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.

Your Size becomes Large.

At 6th level, your natural weapons are treated as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.

Credit: JMKilpatrick

At 14th level, you are one with your beast-form, and may assume it at any time as an action. You may choose to remain in this form when your rage ends, and can return to your normal form at any time as a bonus action.

Foe-Finding Snout

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the bear's fine sense of smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) rolls dealing with smell. At your DM's discretion, you may be able to use your sense of smell where an ordinary human would apply other senses - such as smelling an opponent creeping up on you rather than hearing their footsteps.

Aegis of Hide and Fur

Beginning at 6th level, you partake of the bear's sheer stubborn resilience. When you enter your bear form and a rage as part of the same bonus action, or when you enter a rage while already a bear, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Barbarian level + your Constitution modifier. These temporary hit points last until you come out of your bear form.