The Vengeant (A Flavor Reskin for Barbarians in D&D/Pathfinder)

Golga hid in the darkest corner she could find.  The little girl squeezed into the furthest, hardest to reach a corner of the pantry.  The raiders couldn't find her here.  She hoped they couldn't.  Golga shivered; her cotton shift had turned red from the all the blood.  It was cold.  She was cold.

"Don't find me.  Don't find me.  Don't find me."  She chanted to herself, over and over.  Golga had seen what they'd done.  They'd be gone.  Soon.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Or they would kill her.

A voice in the dark startled her.  It was soothing.  It reminded her of her mother, but after she had caught Golga doing something she wasn't supposed to it.  Anger vibrated in it.

"What if you found them first?"

"What?"  Golga replied.  "They'll kill me."

"Not if you kill them first."  A face seemed to melt out of the darkest before her.  Eyeless, it still looked at her.  "Anger.  Fury.  Golga, aren't you angry?"

"Yes... but I am small."

"And they killed your family.  They think they can stop you.  I am Vengeance.  I am Fury.  Take my gift.  Let the Rage flow, child."

When Golga woke up, she still was covered in blood.  But five corpses were before her.  All of the raiders that had attacked her village, dead.  She looked at her fingers, at the knife.  Trembling she dropped it.  She trembled because that rage she had felt, didn't bring her shame. 

The vengeance made the child feel complete.  Yet Golga knew there was much more to do with it. 

Vengeance's Scions

Spirits of Vengeance, sometimes called Furies, are entities that have existed since before civilization began.  The first murder birthed them.  Or so the story goes.  They themselves don't directly assault or hunt the wicked unless there is no other recourse.  But often these Furies have done something else.  They spark a fire in the hearts of those victimized.

The Furies exist to punish wickedness.  They are incapable of seeing redemption in others.  They are not merciful.  Some Spirits of Vengeance fall, but often are destroyed if they fall.  Mercy or worse, enabling the guilty to commit evil again, can cause a Fury to fall from their power. 

Most often Furies craft scions, inheritors of the unending Wrath all Spirits of Vengeance tap into.  When a Fury does this, it touches the heart.  They put a spark of themselves, enough to let that soul tap into the Wrath.  To let them do a small, milder version of the fury all Spirits of Vengeance draw power from: Rage.

Raging

They go by many names, but often the words given to those of the furious path speaks of condescension.  Barbarian.  Savage.  Thug.  Brute.  The name the wise and those who know their hearts calls them reveals a bit of truth.  The Vengeant.

Spirits of Vengeance gift them, not just in physical ways, but with a deeper spiritual bond.  The dark spirits of vengeance are said to have trained the First Vengeant.  An lone child who survived the brutal genocide of his people.  Their anger led them deep into the pits of Hell.  To the screeching halls of Darkest Nicht. Through the endless prison-mazes of Urdam and many other brutal places.  Their rage broke the universe and never could satisfy them.  But it gave them a grim purpose.

Savagery

This is a different path than those who learn traditional martial arts or magecraft.  Because it is given by a spirit, some consider it to be the purview of the primitive or the uncivilized.  Furies care not for whoever it is their gift with rage.  They empower anyone victimized with the power to seek their own vengeance. 

This savage path can end in multiple ways for the Vengeant.  Their vengeance ended, the Rage that burns from it might fade.  If they finally find justice, it might turn into something for others, to do as the Furies did unto them.  Others instead become the same kind of monsters that created them.  Still, others never find satisfaction and die sooner than someone who left it.

Furies often empower the young or those in a position that no other could aid them.  A rare few seek out Spirits of Vengeance and convince them to give them access to the Rage.

Over time, a few Vengeants even learn to master the Rage.  They turn it into power that rivals the terrible might of the Furies.  Hulking strength.  Unstoppable wrath.  Earthshaking power.

Metagame Notes

This is mostly a flavor thing.  The Fury could use the stats for any low-level-ish Devil or Angel if you need a place to start for that. Overall, the Vengeant concept is intended to replace the normal Barbarian flavoring.

Classes reflect a kind of stereotype.  It's meant to be a starting place for creating a character.  The Rogue is the classic thief in fantasy, or the Paladin is the classic good-natured knight, for example.  The classic Barbarian, though, has always troubled me a bit. 

The implication of "primitive tribes" or "barbarian peoples" implies a lack of empathy.   The "Noble Savage" as a stereotype is flawed for many reasons.  The downward look at anyone who doesn't act or look like your culture.   Even in cloying words, it's problematic. 

The word Barbarian reflects a Greek concept.  The Ancient Greeks coined the term.  Because of the sounds, they perceived foreigners made.  "Bar-bar."  Y'know, because Greeks.  It became an antonym for civilized.  Thus it's implied an entire class that represents an "uncivilized people."

There is a problem with calling one culture primitive.  After one gets past the problem of who gets to call who "primitive", there are other concerns.  Are Barbarians in a setting foreigners?  Are they primitive from a choice?  What does primitive mean?  Does eschewing armor make you primitive or poor?

In other words, the noble savage also is less interesting than the Vengeant.  If anything, it's because the motivations are more interesting.  It doesn't imply a "primitive" culture based on dated stereotypes.  But it does give a character a goal to look for.  It creates actionable goals.  It opens the door for players to explore questions on whether vengeance is worth it, or if it is something to fear.