Barbarian with Mobile and GWM Feats: as cool as it seems?

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I don't know if it's been mentioned, but Path of the Ancestral Guardian from Xanathar's Guide is also a sub-class for Barbarian which is (subtly) built for a Barbarian who is not a "meat shield".

First power: Target you hit has disadvantage on attacks against the rest of your party, and if it does hit someone else they have resistance to the damage dealt by the attack.

Now you might be thinking, "see that makes you more of a target". But no, you WANT them to attack another party member at disadvantage with that ability, right? It has no purpose if you're just standing there wanting to get attacked. The whole point of that ability is to not be there, so the target is forced to attack someone else at disadvantage or, failing that, who now has your same resistance to damage.

Same path also lets you use your reaction to reduce damage to a fellow PC in 30 feet of you (and even eventually retaliate automatically against a foe that harms that fellow party member from range). Which again assumes it's another party member being attacked and damaged, and not you.

The clear intent of this entire subclass is for you, the Barbarian, to NOT be the primary target of attacks and damage...but some other party member. And running in, attacking, and running back would accomplish that quite well.

Battlerager (Sword Coast) also has "Battlerager Charge: You can take the Dash action as a bonus action while you are raging."

Totem Spirits (Sword Coast) have these:

Elk. While you’re raging and aren’t wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 15 feet (which means the 5th level Wood Elf Barbarian has a base speed of 60 while raging). Also Elk: While raging, you can use a bonus action during your move to pass through the space of a Large or smaller creature. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength bonus + your proficiency bonus) or be knocked prone and take bludgeoning damage equal to 1d12 + your Strength modifier.

Tiger. Add 10' to long jump and 3' to high jump. Also Tiger: Move 20 feet straight toward a Large or smaller target while raging before making a melee weapon attack against it, you can use a bonus action to make an additional melee weapon attack against it.

These, combined with the previously mentioned movement benefits found in the Player's Handbook (Fast Movement, Initiative Advantage and Suprise Immunity, Intimidating Presence causes target to not be able to approach you, Eagle giving disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you and Dash as a bonus action, Eagle flight, etc..) add up to the highly mobile barbarian being one of the major archetypes for the class. In fact I would argue mobility seems to be a theme of roughly 1/3 of the Barbarian abilities.
 
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I don't know if it's been mentioned, but Path of the Ancestral Guardian from Xanathar's Guide is also a sub-class for Barbarian which is (subtly) built for a Barbarian who is not a "meat shield".

First power: Target you hit has disadvantage on attacks against the rest of your party, and if it does hit someone else they have resistance to the damage dealt by the attack.

Now you might be thinking, "see that makes you more of a target". But no, you WANT them to attack another party member at disadvantage with that ability, right? It has no purpose if you're just standing there wanting to get attacked. The whole point of that ability is to not be there, so the target is forced to attack someone else at disadvantage or, failing that, who now has your same resistance to damage.

Same path also lets you use your reaction to reduce damage to a fellow PC in 30 feet of you (and even eventually retaliate automatically against a foe that harms that fellow party member from range). Which again assumes it's another party member being attacked and damaged, and not you.

The clear intent of this entire subclass is for you, the Barbarian, to NOT be the primary target of attacks and damage...but some other party member. And running in, attacking, and running back would accomplish that quite well.

I've found that when I want to make a "Defender" character what I'm really trying to do is give my enemy a choice between bad options. Barbarian does this pretty well. it's easy to attack me but you waste it on my super defenses. It's harder to attack my allies, but they are easier to kill.

Ancestral Guardian really doubles down on the last part. The interesting thing is they make it so enticing to not attack other players, that they will may very well end up trying to attack the Barbarian more often.

For my defender character this is mission accomplished.

Battlerager (Sword Coast) also has "Battlerager Charge: You can take the Dash action as a bonus action while you are raging."

Totem Spirits (Sword Coast) have these:

Elk. While you’re raging and aren’t wearing heavy armor, your walking speed increases by 15 feet (which means the 5th level Wood Elf Barbarian has a base speed of 60 while raging). Also Elk: While raging, you can use a bonus action during your move to pass through the space of a Large or smaller creature. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength bonus + your proficiency bonus) or be knocked prone and take bludgeoning damage equal to 1d12 + your Strength modifier.

Tiger. Add 10' to long jump and 3' to high jump. Also Tiger: Move 20 feet straight toward a Large or smaller target while raging before making a melee weapon attack against it, you can use a bonus action to make an additional melee weapon attack against it.

These, combined with the previously mentioned movement benefits found in the Player's Handbook (Fast Movement, Initiative Advantage and Suprise Immunity, Intimidating Presence causes target to not be able to approach you, Eagle giving disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you and Dash as a bonus action, Eagle flight, etc..) add up to the highly mobile barbarian being one of the major archetypes for the class. In fact I would argue mobility seems to be a theme of roughly 1/3 of the Barbarian abilities.

Some of these work very well to move around during combat mixing it up like a proper skirmisher, however some of them work just as well to make sure you get into combat quickly, and if you drop your opponent, make sure to get to another quickly before you lose rage from not attacking (or use a less effective method of keeping rage up like a ranged attack) like a brute that wants to stand toe to toe with his foe(s).

Elk and Eagle totem seem to favor the former, while Battlerager and Tiger work just as well at the latter.
 

Elfcrusher: You're uninterested in understanding what I, and others that agree with me, are saying. Good luck.

I have to admit that a post that starts off with "this is why you fail" might subconsciously impede my interest in understanding. Good luck to you as well.
 

Yeah, I'm not choosing to be a meat shield before play begins. If I were, I'd use a shield instead of a greatsword, and take Sentinel/Shield Master instead of GWM/Mobile.

I like me a meat-shield Barbarian that still has GWM. Since I'll be Recklessly Attacking a lot of the time I might as well make the most out of it with that -5/+10.

I pretty much only pass on GWM on grappler Barbarians, which are my favorite.
 

I have to admit that a post that starts off with "this is why you fail" might subconsciously impede my interest in understanding. Good luck to you as well.
Just for reference: "That is why you fail" is a Star Wars quote I paraphrased - Yoda to Luke in Empire. Not knowing that is why you fail to take the comment in the light hearted spirit in which it was intended when delivered by a being of pure evil.
 

Just for reference: "That is why you fail" is a Star Wars quote I paraphrased - Yoda to Luke in Empire. Not knowing that is why you fail to take the comment in the light hearted spirit in which it was intended when delivered by a being of pure evil.

Ah, I didn't hear the Yoda voice. I took it as typical internet-forum disparagement. If you feel like explaining, I AM interested in your point.

@Mistwell: Yeah combined with Ancestral Guardian it could be awesome. Either chase me and trigger AoO from my friends, or attack them with Disadvantage. EDIT: And if one of the friends has Sentinel it gets even better.
 
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Of course I have. Did you even read the post that started this though?

Yeah I read the OP, still trying to visualize /figure out the "dancing barbarian" thing, he's not possibly a Kilt-wearing
Barbarian Highlander is he? Does he munch Haggis and plae bagpipes, by chance?
 

Yeah I read the OP, still trying to visualize /figure out the "dancing barbarian" thing, he's not possibly a Kilt-wearing
Barbarian Highlander is he? Does he munch Haggis and plae bagpipes, by chance?

Just wait until he meets a Scottish sounding Egyptian with a Spanish name who teaches him the ways of the samurai.
 
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Just wait until he meets a Scottish sounding Egyptian with a Spanish name who teaches him the ways of the samurai.

Easy, there, Connor.

I just always pictured Barbarians as fighters who tended to plant their feet, and stand their ground. Maybe we can make up a new class for 5.5e

the "Prancing Paladin" ...
 

Easy, there, Connor.

I just always pictured Barbarians as fighters who tended to plant their feet, and stand their ground. Maybe we can make up a new class for 5.5e

the "Prancing Paladin" ...

In concept I've always fount the fighter more likely to stand his ground, but I may be guilty of thinking of Fighters a "Soldiers" and Barbarians as More "Tribal Raiders".

Both of which are backgrounds and not classes in 5e.
 

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