Final answer:
The Path of the Totem Warrior barbarian gains the Totem Spirit ability, allowing them to channel the essence of an animal and gain related benefits such as enhanced resistance or senses. Totemism plays a significant role in this path, reflecting the spiritual relationships and traditions associated with animals in many cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The barbarian path that gains totem spirit is the Path of the Totem Warrior. Totem Spirit is an ability that allows a barbarian to channel the spiritual essence of a particular animal. At 3rd level, when a barbarian adopts this path, they choose a totem spirit and gain features based on the chosen animal, which could be animals such as the bear, wolf, or eagle. These totem animals affect the barbarian's abilities and provide them with different benefits, such as the bear granting them resistance to all damage types except psychic, the wolf helping them to work better in a pack, or the eagle granting them enhanced vision and the ability to see at great distances.
Totemism refers to spiritual beliefs in which a human or a human group has a spiritual relationship with a particular animal or plant. This concept is heavily reflected in the Path of the Totem Warrior, where barbarians draw into the physical and mystical qualities of animals. Animals play significant roles in the oral traditions and religious practices of many human cultures, serving as guides, ancestors, or totems, with unique spiritual significance and varied meanings attached to different animals across different cultures.