D&D 5E How good are Barbarians?

[Eejit]

Barbarians are pretty good, though I'm not a fan of how they're often roleplayed. Not that people are doing it wrong, I just find it annoying.

- he ignores half damage taken when raging [and when he hits 3rd level, and bear totem, I believe he has resistance all the time; iirc - dhbifom]

Nah, Bear Totem gives resistance to all damage types but psychic while raging. Normally raging only gives resistance to piercing/slashing/bludgeoning.

 

[Juriel]

Barbarians seem fine. Their thing is being durable, and playing around with advantage (reckless, wolf totem, adv on str checks when raging, danger sense, adv no initiative).

They also make for hilariously effective Shield Masters (with adv on str checks, good Dex, Danger Sense for adv on Dex saves, they're the ones who can make good use of every part of the feat).

From personal experience, I have to say that it feels liberating that squeezing every point of AC out doesn't matter as much (since you can always fall back on rage resisting half the damage), and you have a good reason to stick with just medium armor (and you can actually sneak around in a breastplate).

Obviously, if you want to go for hard-hittingness, picking Half-Orc Berserker Barbarian (with a 3-level dip into Champion Fighter for great weapon fighting style and more crits) with a two-hander is the only 'correct' path to go, but I like the utility human extra feat (say, for that there shield master, ooh) and totem warrior bits give.

 

[Henrix]

Thats completely backwards.

Or in line with some fantasy tropes. I blame Frazetta.

 

[Pickles JG]

I have a young man (15yrs) playing a mountain dwarf barbarian in my Game, currently 2nd level. He absolutely loves it!

- he has more hit points than the tank
- he ignores half damage taken when raging [and when he hits 3rd level, and bear totem, I believe he has resistance all the time; iirc - dhbifom]
- he wears no armor but blue paint, and has competitive AC (I had mentioned the blue paint that certain celtic berserkers wore in battle and he ran with it)
- he tears things up with his great axe, especially with Reckless Attack

Barbarians are tanks in 5e see your subsequent points.

 

[Syntallah]

Barbarians are tanks in 5e see your subsequent points.

Yep, the player is big into the MMO scene and wanted to play an off-tank to his Dad's heavy armor Paladin main tank...

 

[Pickles JG]

Barbarians, as presented in D&D, are silly.
You have a fighter without dicipline who does not wear a lot of armor, if any at all, and yet ends up as one of the most durable classes.
Thats completely backwards.

This is the berserker from Norse Saga or the Warp spasming Cu Culainn.

"When the roll of Harold's army was called, many were they that had fallen, and many were sore wounded. Thorolf was badly wounded, Bard even worse; nor was there a man unwounded in the king's ship before the mast, except those whom iron bit not÷to wit the Berserk"

Egil's Saga CHAPTER IX. Battle in Hafr's Firth

Yes it's fantastical but it has long literary roots.

 

[GlassJaw]

They also make for hilariously effective Shield Masters (with adv on str checks, good Dex, Danger Sense for adv on Dex saves, they're the ones who can make good use of every part of the feat).

This is exactly what I'm doing, and I was 100% inspired by Unarmored Defense. I also was going to play a halfling for my first 5E character. Having that Dex bonus is really nice and I love being able to run through allies to get to the front lines.

Barbarians feel a lot more versatile to me in 5E compared to 3ed, and a lot more Conan-esque actually. Conan wasn't always in greataxe rage mode.

 

[SilverfireSage]

Barbarians, as presented in D&D, are silly.
You have a fighter without dicipline who does not wear a lot of armor, if any at all, and yet ends up as one of the most durable classes.
Thats completely backwards.

Are... are you serious?

 

[Derren]

Are... are you serious?

Yes I am. No discipline (rage) and no armor would logically mean that the barbarian would be very vulnerable as those things keep you alive on the battlefield.

Yet in D&D it is completely backwards as your defense goes up by ignoring your defense.

 

[Syntallah]

Yes I am. No discipline (rage) and no armor would logically mean that the barbarian would be very vulnerable as those things keep you alive on the battlefield.

Yet in D&D it is completely backwards as your defense goes up by ignoring your defense.

I understand where you're coming from, but in the abstract combat system of D&D where armor and hit points are not realistic, logical elements, it makes perfect sense. The Unarmored Defense of the barbarian is based off of Dex (dodging) and Con (shrugging off hits).