D&D 3E/3.5 Whats a good Core 3.5 Barbarian Build? (ongoing campaign)

[radha2g]

I just started D&D, this is actually my fist campaign hehe

I think most answer most likely will be Brn 20 or fighter2/barbarian18
but just want to make sure and also learn about feats for the classes.

my first character ever...

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Dwarven barbarian Lv 2

Str 16
Dex 14
Con 16 (14+2)
Int 10
Wis 12
Cha 6 (8-2)

Feat:
Extra Rage
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as for equipment... well, i was given a dwarven waraxe, studded leather, and a buckler.
have about 80g currently

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now for the Rules...

Feats, skill and any sort of power from any Book, i think

No prestige class, as far as i know... If anything only 1 or 2 prestige class

Im not a 100% sure about this, but anyway... i was looking at some very cool builds like a barabarian/beast warrior/warshaper/fist of the forest however... im not sure if such a thing is good for a first time player.

(do post any build if u want to, I might learn something out of it, but if I dont state this I would never see a Core class build)


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I had a very quick talk with the DM and what i understood is that he prefers core classes.

maybe i could take an altered class like the rogue who takes feats instead of sneak attack (PH II), but im a little afraid of the XP penalty, especially cuz my lvl is already lower than the other guys (maybe taking the feat that gives another favored class would help if a could spare feats...)

I could also try to talk with the DM to let me take a 1 or 2 lvl dip without XP penalty (x lvl dip means to take very few lvl in some class to gain some advantage right?) but i dont think thats gonna work.



In our last session I obtained lv3, but it was a rushed moment and some of the guys were leaving... im not even sure what feat should i get. However i may stay barbarian on lv3 fo just 1 reason... I was rushed I rolled the dice and got 9 HP out of d12 from the dice. Im afraid to choose another class and roll a very low dice



Im new to this, so may had made some mistakes. After researching a bit i feel some things should be a slightly diff, but i dont want to ask the DM to make changes. I mean, whats done is done, you just have to make the best of what you got, and learn from each mistake.
Anyway, I might make diff char if I die, but I hope i last longer. At least i wont die like the last barbarian they had... cuz he couldnt read and took a very bad shortcut... dont know the details, but they make it sound very funny

 

[Dandu]

Given the restrictions, there's not much that can be said. Just picks some rage related feats and have fun.

 

[radha2g]

is it even worth it to continue as a barbarian?

i could just go fighter from now on...
lower HP, and no damage reduction but gains more feats... is a matter of choice i know

not sure, but maybe ill go this way

and lets say i were allowed to take ONLY 1 prestige class... still very limited for most of the barbarians build i saw, but what would be good options?

 

[Dandu]

Honestly? I'd avoid more than 2 levels in fighter unless you're going to be a dungeoncrasher, in which case you take no more than 6.


Barbarians get actual class features, fighters do not.

 

[radha2g]

yeah i know the problem of the fighter (the reason im currently a barbarian), thats why i was thinking multiclassing with the Rogue Fighter to also get evasion (? the one that takes feats instead of sneak attack). Sadly this is from UA, but worst is that i would suffer a XP penalty.

hurray for the multiclass penalty system, thx WotC...

I also checked the dungeoncrasher, looks fine, but the DM let us fight in open places with stuff like water, only 3 session with him, but never mentioned a wall... most likely he would change if i go that path, but still maybe trying to move an opponent to a wall makes me losses good smacking time, and i doubt he is just gonna put them very close to a wall if it is an important fight (they could also just move...)

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The xp penalty for multiclassing would eventually sit you at 1 level below the party, but on the plus side, from that point on, you shouldn't loose any more ground over time on the party's xp (the higher xp you gain as a lower level character effectively counteracts the penalty). That's so long as you make sure your multiclass penalty is "only" 20%. If you mix things so much that you end up with 40% or worse...you just destroyed that character. In any case, being a level behind knda sucks, and at higher levels could prove fatal compared to this other PCs.

I do have to say, your DM basically just made spellcasters even more powerful, assming they can grab spells from anywhere. The base classes may not be the ideal compared to a broken full casting prestige class, but most of their power comes from spells anyway.

Do you want to be a barbarian mostly? I did find Barbarian / Feat Rogue to be a fun multiclass, but then again I did it with a Goliath, which has the size and strength (and favored class: Barbarian) to make it work rather well. Don't know your stats, but assuming your Con is much better than your Dex, consider the Deepwarden (Races of Stone, I think). Two levels replaces dex with con for the AC bonus. Bigger issue is if you want to waste potentially your only allowed prestige class on a two level dip. I mean, the rest of the class is ok, certainly competitive with straight barbarian, but you could do better with a PrC.

As far as Dungeoncrasher goes, does your party have mages? Blockade is a level 1 spell (wand it if you must, it's dirt cheap!) from Complete Scoundrel they could cast to create a 5 ft cube of wood (forgot the weight, buti t's fairly heavy). Instant wall to crash into!

 

[Dandu]

Isn't the dwarf's favored class a Fighter?

That should cut down on multiclassing penalties a bit.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The problem is Fighter sucks. The OP would rather do a feat rogue if possible, but that wouldn't be protected by favored class.

 

[radha2g]

Im pretty sure there was a feat in some book that let you choose an extra favored class... if so, i could go 2 lvl fighter and at least 3 lvl feat rouge (at 4 would get improved uncanny dodge cuz i have uncanny dodge, but i can get that at barbarian lvl 5)

With that i would get an extra feat from a rogue (and another wasted for the extra favored class), Evasion (light armor ...). Also lose a few BAB and gain a bit more reflex.

Its a shame i have such Charisma, cuz no one has track, and my char is a little oriented on help while adventuring. (Im gonna have to learn track most likely, to better fill that role)

oh and theres no pure wizard or sorcerer in the party, just a cleric and a hexblade (and a rouge). I know we need sorcerer/wizard, but we'll have to handle it like that.

 

[krupintupple]

i think, from the PHB2, there's some pretty neat barbarian-oriented feats that always caught my eye: ruinous rage (or something of the like), that gives an additiona +2 to str and con while raging. also, mad foam rager - it delays any damage taken for 1 round, and i've seen it save some people's hides from unexpected criticals. although, double check the sources first, i may be off on some of these suggestions. otherwise, you can't really fail with stuff like power attack.

also, if you're really married to levels in fighter, check out my revisions to the class. i'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, just make the ride less bumpy: smallredtable: the fighter