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Build-A-Bar(barian) Workshop: Seeking advice for my next PC
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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 9229441" data-attributes="member: 2629"><p>It sounds like you're not looking for an RP heavy build here due to the combat focus. As such, I'll focus there. </p><p></p><p>There are several 'break points' for barbarians to multiclass. 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 are all popular breaking points, but I find that 'mixing it up' can be good and multiclassing into another class and then going back and forth a bit.</p><p></p><p>Build 1: Stealth Bomber: </p><p></p><p>16 Strength, 16 Con, 14 Dex. Urchin background for Sleight, Stealth, Thieves Tools, Disguise Kit. You get Athletics from Goliath, so take Survival and Perception from class skills. You'll go Path of the Zealot and take Great Weapon Master at 4. You'll start multiclassing into fighter once you get to one of the break points and take 4 levels there - I recommend Battlemaster. I played it (dwarf, not goliath) for 20 levels (Zealot 16, Battlemaster 4) and would often get to scout ahead of the party and eliminate guards, etc.... during surprise rounds and the first round of combat. Shadowtouched is actually a pretty sneakily good feat for this type of build as invisibility and the non-concentration dusguise self can do a lot to help you with your stealth goals.</p><p></p><p>Build 2: Skald</p><p></p><p>16 Strength, 16 Con, 12 Dex, 14 Charisma. You'll want to select backgrounds so that once you multiclass to bard you get athletics, intimidation, insight, stealth and persuasion. You'll level in Barbarian to a breaking point - I prefer Ancestral Guardian for this build, then start taking bard levels - College of Lore. Once you leave Barbarian, you're never going back. You'll focus on spells that do not require concentration and have a long duration, or are useful outside combat. I played a Frenzied Berseker to 6, then Lore Bard to 10 - with 3 levels of Battle Master mixed in there and had a blast. I was using Spiritual Weapon and Armor of Agathys at higher levels.... You can achieve much the same by replacing Bard with Warlock, btw or the Oath of Conquest Paladin.</p><p></p><p>Build 3: Shaman</p><p></p><p>16 Strength, 16 Con, 12 Dex, 14 Wisdom. You're going to take Cleric at 2nd level to get the War Domain. That level of War Cleric gets you: 1.) Heavy Armor proficiency for games where you do take 5 or more combats between LRs and run out of rages too often, 2.) Light, Guidance, Toll the Dead, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Command, Healing Word, and Detect Magic (Ritual). [Sanctuary prebattle can be amazing for getting you to the main enemy without OAs - non concentration, but busted when you attack]. This build delays your multiattack by 1 level - but the number of extra attacks you get to make at character levels 2, 3, and 4 make up for the absence of multiattack at 5th character level. After you hit a breaking point you can return to cleric to grab channel Divinity, Spiritual Weapon, Augury, Blindness/Deafness, Lesser Restoration, Warding Bond (I used it at very high levels to protect the spellcaster as I was never going down and they were - even though I was on the front line and they were a coward), Animate Dead, Dispel Magic, etc... My PC was a Variant Human with Great Weapon Master from level 1 ...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 9229441, member: 2629"] It sounds like you're not looking for an RP heavy build here due to the combat focus. As such, I'll focus there. There are several 'break points' for barbarians to multiclass. 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 are all popular breaking points, but I find that 'mixing it up' can be good and multiclassing into another class and then going back and forth a bit. Build 1: Stealth Bomber: 16 Strength, 16 Con, 14 Dex. Urchin background for Sleight, Stealth, Thieves Tools, Disguise Kit. You get Athletics from Goliath, so take Survival and Perception from class skills. You'll go Path of the Zealot and take Great Weapon Master at 4. You'll start multiclassing into fighter once you get to one of the break points and take 4 levels there - I recommend Battlemaster. I played it (dwarf, not goliath) for 20 levels (Zealot 16, Battlemaster 4) and would often get to scout ahead of the party and eliminate guards, etc.... during surprise rounds and the first round of combat. Shadowtouched is actually a pretty sneakily good feat for this type of build as invisibility and the non-concentration dusguise self can do a lot to help you with your stealth goals. Build 2: Skald 16 Strength, 16 Con, 12 Dex, 14 Charisma. You'll want to select backgrounds so that once you multiclass to bard you get athletics, intimidation, insight, stealth and persuasion. You'll level in Barbarian to a breaking point - I prefer Ancestral Guardian for this build, then start taking bard levels - College of Lore. Once you leave Barbarian, you're never going back. You'll focus on spells that do not require concentration and have a long duration, or are useful outside combat. I played a Frenzied Berseker to 6, then Lore Bard to 10 - with 3 levels of Battle Master mixed in there and had a blast. I was using Spiritual Weapon and Armor of Agathys at higher levels.... You can achieve much the same by replacing Bard with Warlock, btw or the Oath of Conquest Paladin. Build 3: Shaman 16 Strength, 16 Con, 12 Dex, 14 Wisdom. You're going to take Cleric at 2nd level to get the War Domain. That level of War Cleric gets you: 1.) Heavy Armor proficiency for games where you do take 5 or more combats between LRs and run out of rages too often, 2.) Light, Guidance, Toll the Dead, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Command, Healing Word, and Detect Magic (Ritual). [Sanctuary prebattle can be amazing for getting you to the main enemy without OAs - non concentration, but busted when you attack]. This build delays your multiattack by 1 level - but the number of extra attacks you get to make at character levels 2, 3, and 4 make up for the absence of multiattack at 5th character level. After you hit a breaking point you can return to cleric to grab channel Divinity, Spiritual Weapon, Augury, Blindness/Deafness, Lesser Restoration, Warding Bond (I used it at very high levels to protect the spellcaster as I was never going down and they were - even though I was on the front line and they were a coward), Animate Dead, Dispel Magic, etc... My PC was a Variant Human with Great Weapon Master from level 1 ... [/QUOTE]
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