Barbarian - Background/Theme or Class?

[Connorsrpg]

Definitely not a Background - there should be MANY barbaric BGs. That is where you could distinguish different tribes or even cultures. This barbarian word gets associated with complete savages and ferals, to tribal folk, right through to Viking-like cultures. Heaps of room there for many BGs.

AS for themes. What are the main things Barbarians have? Rage and higher HPs. I could see a Rager and 'Tank' as 2 separate themes (but then if the Barbarian is not a class, then access to both might be difficult, which doesn't bother me any).

Raging barbarians should no have to be part of every barbaric/wild type of character. So I guess theme and BG for me.

Though I certainly would not be upset if it stays a class with the ability to build different types of barbarians. (Of course Fighters, Rangers, Druids, SHamans, etc hep to do that anyway)?

 

[mach1.9pants]

Barbarian should be a background, because that is what it is. Berserker should be a class or theme or prestige class. Not every barbarian is a berserker, annoys the hell out of me the class name.

However not going to happen since the Barbarian class has been in since UA, Barbarian will be a raging class

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

If the barbarian were being introduced today, I'd definitely say a background and theme. But it's not, so it should be designed as a class first. If that falls apart, then there's the better alternative.

 

[Blood & Bones]

WotC has already hinted that all classes that have ever been in a PHB will be making a comeback in the new edition. I'm not sure if that will change or not, but it's worth noting.

With that being said, I'm with the Barbarian Background/Beserker Class crowd. A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.

 

[Kavon]

I'd like "Barbarian" to be a background.

I voted for it to be a class, though. I want them to pull a "Thief" and change its name into something more accurate. Battlerager, berzerker, whatever.. Just not Barbarian (since a barbarian can be many things, not just a berzerker).

 

[Shadus]

There is this Lego table-top game for kids called Heroica, and even they saw the need to have a Barbarian character. Barbarian, even though it is so similar to other classes, is a staple of the fantasy genre, and thus deserves it's place as a full-class.

While I'm on the topic of 'dose X deserve to be a class or a background/theme' I personally don't see a reason why we can have both for every class. All classes have a thing, even if it's something small, that captures the idea of that class as a whole. Then there are other things, which are common but not exactly set in stone to be a part of that class. Let's use Barbarian as an example. When I think Barbarian, I think lightly armored warrior who can 'rage' to to things not normally physically possible, or just rip dudes apart. This is what makes up the barbarian class, but what of the other elements common to the class; Connection to primal spirits, untrained warrior, or warrior from a primitive clan. These things are ofter forced on to the class, but don't always fit the character, and characters of other classes could use these elements, and thus should be background/themes. Heck, we could even have a theme that gives the user a simpler rage like ability that would still be useful to caster types.

One last side note, I like what Pathfinder did with Barbarians, or at least the rage mechanic, and could see something similar being used to flesh out 5E Barbarians to being more than "I get angry and smash things So many times per day".

 

[Minigiant]

Savage Background
Barbarian class
Berserker theme

Knight background
Paladin class
Crusader theme

Survivor background
Ranger class
Hunter theme

Troubadour background
Bard class
Leader theme

Naturalist background
Druid class
Beast theme

Ascetic background
Monk class
Brawler theme

Ya dig?

 

[Vael]

I really liked the 4e Barbarian, giving the class a more Primal feel. It allowed the Barbarian to exist with the "Battleraging" Fighter, and give it a more distinct identity than "raging fighter". So, chalk me up as another voting for "all of the above", I want a class, theme and background.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Savage Background
Berserker class
Barbarian theme

If they absolutely have to keep the class name as Barbarian, then:

Savage Background
Barbarian class
Berserker theme

 

[Grydan]

I voted Other.

Barbarian is the very definition of a background. It's a cultural label, not a career or fighting style.

The mechanics traditionally associated with the Barbarian class in D&D need a new name (Berzerker being a popular choice), but I think they'd work better as a class than as a theme, so there wasn't a poll option that fit.