Barbarian Playtest Experiences

[SadisticFishing]

I find Raging Strike to be a waste of time as written, and completely unusable until 5th level. Can anyone name a CLASS FEATURE that you can't use at 1st level?

I think you should be able to use Raging Strike any time, and then when you blow the Rage power to get the extra damage, you count as raging as if you had used the Rage power (you don't get the extra benefits, but it would affect other powers and possibly feats etc because you count as raging).

The point of Rage Strike is spending more than one Daily power in one encounter, without wasting virtually all the benefits.

No other class has a class feature they can't use at level 1 because no other class can only use 1 daily per fight, as written.

 

[Insight]

But that would be pointless. At first level, it would be strictly worse than activating the power.

Using Raging Strike is always worse than activating the daily power, isn't it? All you get with Raging Strike is extra damage, which means exactly nothing if you miss. Spending the daily as normal gives you half damage on a miss as well as the effects of the rage.

What I don't understand is why Raging Strike is an at-will when it clearly isn't "at-will" since you can use it once a day at 5th level, twice a day at 9th level, etc.

 

[Insight]

The point of Rage Strike is spending more than one Daily power in one encounter, without wasting virtually all the benefits.

No other class has a class feature they can't use at level 1 because no other class can only use 1 daily per fight, as written.

OK, if I have a 5th level Fighter, for example, I can spend 2 or even 3 dailies (assuming I have a daily utility power) in an encounter if I want. I don't see where Raging Strike gives you any kind of benefit there.

If you blow a daily Rage power using Raging Strike, you get NOTHING besides the extra damage as listed in Raging Strike. You specifically DO waste all of the benefits of the Rage power that you use for Raging Strike.

 

[Drakhar]

Rages Don't stack, so instead of losing the benefits of say, Swift Panther Rage to use Frost Wolf Rage, I can use Swift Panther Rage and then use Rage Strike to deal the same amount of damage, without losing my rage benefit or having to risk the basic melee attack. That's what Rage Strike does, allowing a Barbarian to 'nova' just like any other class while still keeping the benefits of the rage they want. Oh and Rage Strike is also half damage on a miss.

As for it being an at-will useable only a certain amount of times per day? I point you towards Lay on Hands.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I've replaced my feylock in a weekly game with a barbarian. I just couldn't resist. It is a longtooth shifter barbarian/cleric 4, so not exactly the most basic choice. He's got chainmail and wields an executioner axe from AV. I also went with Howling Strike and Pressing Strike as my at-wills.

Here are some random thoughts based on my own experiences:

- I never hit bloodied. Now, I don't think we went up against any encounters that were far above our level, but he had 50 hp with a not-good-but-not-horrible 18 AC. I didn't get any temporary hit points either, because I never needed to use Primal Vitality. I also never got to use Longtooth Shifting.

Maybe next time I'll take more punishment, but for the first game, it wasn't too daunting in the death department. Of course, the cleric multiclass for Healing Word 1/day should help.
- I didn't rage until the 4th and final battle, and I never felt I was under performing without raging. With Howling Strike and Swift Charge, I was doing really good work, and it was nice having another melee character in the party.
- Avalance Strike is awesome. -4 AC is totally worth it. Okay, I probably won't be saying that after I get brutalitied for it, but in this one game, it was great. Last encounter, I critted with it, dealing massive damage, killing a ghost, got 3 temp hp, took a swing at another guy beside me, and charged another guy with Howling Strike. Beautiful.

Overall, I'm very happy with the class. I'm going to keep playing him as my regular PC in the game now.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Had a second level Warforged Barbarian in a game on Monday night.

He ran forwards, fell in a pit and fought a Rat Swarm, climbed out and used Avalanche Strike to take out an opponent in a single hit. He also took a bunch of damage.

So - he's certainly not overwhelmingly good, but at the end of a fight he can certainly dish some serious damage.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Last night the dice were hot. Two crits in the first combat (one with Howling Strike, another with Avalanche Strike), then another in the second (on Howling Strike). The ranger and paladin also critted the first combat, and we were apologizing to the DM for destroying his carefully planned encounter (while laughing maniacally of course).

I took tons of damage this time. Due to a paladin using Paladin's Judgement plus a raging Primal Vitality plus Beacon of Hope, I got better, though. I really don't think Recuperating Strike would have been worth it. The temp hp from Rageblood Vigor and Primal Vitality have been more than enough so far, even without ever having to use my once per day Healing Word from multiclassing. Of course, we have plenty of healing to go around in the party, but I was still not the most healed PC, so I'm not a drain on healing.

Swift Panther Rage is great! I'm glad I took it over Bloodhunt Rage. The +2 movement is good for those long charges (with chainmail my move is 5), but the shift two squares as a Move is the real winner here. It allows me to get to flanking very easily, which gives a +2 to hit. Mix it with Pressing Strike, and I can shift four squares then attack for the same damage as Howling Strike.

Comparatively to the other PCs, I don't think I'm overpowered, even though I am very excited about this PC. I do more damage than anyone else, but it isn't too high above the others, and I have the lowest AC in the party (paladin, ranger, cleric, wizard) while being on the front line. The paladin has been good at keeping enemies on him so far. Without a defender, things would get much more dangerous, in which case I would recommend Recuperating Strike, and pray it can save you.

 

[amysrevenge]

I really don't think Recuperating Strike would have been worth it.

That's a useful thing to hear - I've been agonizing over which two At-Wills to take for the barbarian I'll be starting up in a couple of weeks.

So far I've been tentatively been thinking of Howling and Recuperating, while looking longingly at the shift one. I'll be playing a warforged, so there are even more temporary hit points to get without Recuperating, so I might not take that one after all...

 

[DracoSuave]

I guess you guys are right. I read the power like 3 times, before deciding on Xd10+X, but 1d10+X is probably the intent. It's just not worded very well. It should be worded more like:


Effect: You shift a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier. You then gain 1d10 temporary hit points. For each enemy within 2 squares of you, gain 1 additional temporary hitpoint.

or

Effect: You shift a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier. You then gain 1d10 temporary hit points + 1 temporary hitpoint for each enemy within 2 squares of you.


And as Ander00 pointed out, it does need a different name so as not to be confused with the Iron Vanguard Utility Power.

Powers that have multiple -dice- that are effected by variables actually -use- the template xd10 or x[W].

Look at thunderwave staff to see a good example.

Also, basic order of operations means that mathematically speaking, 1d10 + 1 per enemy actually parses out to 1d10 + 1(x) where x is the number of enemies.

Valiant Strike doesn't give you +(Strength mod + 1) to hit per enemy, for instance.

 

[Mengu]

Powers that have multiple -dice- that are effected by variables actually -use- the template xd10 or x[W].

Look at thunderwave staff to see a good example.

Also, basic order of operations means that mathematically speaking, 1d10 + 1 per enemy actually parses out to 1d10 + 1(x) where x is the number of enemies.

Valiant Strike doesn't give you +(Strength mod + 1) to hit per enemy, for instance.

Yes, I see it now. I still would rather see it written out clearer now, rather than fight with confused people like me later. There are many existing powers which are spelled out as clear as the wordings I proposed.