D&D 5E Barbarian wants to damage himself to keep rage going

[Flamestrike]

Have you noticed that in action movies if a gun runs out of bullets the character throws the gun?

Guns run out of bullets in action movies?

 

[Todd Roybark]

Its absurd that a Barbarian who uses his action to make a Strength Athletics check to escape a grapple drops out of rage afterwards.

I agree with this completely. Raging to get “over the top” in an arm wrestling contest, should be a valid use. A rare social pillar win for the Barbarian should be an event that is encouraged.

 

[Charlaquin]

It seems that IRL Vikings sometimes scratched a rune to their skin so the pain keeps them angry at least I think I heard that somewhere.

Nah. They did scratch runes into their fingernails, but that was more of a hearth magic thing, not a berserker thing.

Or bite their shields.

This probably did happen, though it may have been a signal to the berserker’s allies to back away and/or to intimidate the opponents.

Exactly...or gnaw on one’s shield for a mouth full of splinters and the same effect.

Maybe if you have a really crummy shield.

Barbarians can use all the help they can get.

Depending on who you ask, that help may have been henbane. Or it might not have been. That’s pretty hotly debated.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Personally were I the DM I would allow it, as I can think of several examples in fiction where a character injures themselves deliberately to focus or push themselves to keep going on past their limits. While not always a direct translation to a barbarian rage type situation, it is quite similar in idea. Perhaps a great example of exactly this is in one of the new Star Wars movies, where Kylo Ryn deliberately hits his wound to make himself angrier from the pain of getting shot. Say what you will about the film as a whole, but that little thing was actually a great idea that fits well with the theme of a warrior using abilities fueled by rage and negative emotions.

I'd just as soon not rob a player of it as an option, especially considering that they are still taking damage and thus helping you fulfill the entire point of combat: to get them to drain their resources in a way entertaining to all so that the actual narrative important moments have stakes. That said, you're well within your rights to not allow them to cheese it with "I inflict 1 damage to myself." You should not only force them to roll for damage as if they attacked another creature, but consider having them actually roll to hit themselves as well; this could be justified as them it being quite hard to actually willingly harm yourself subconsciously, albeit if you do make them do an attack roll, maybe you let them give themselves advantage to hit or let them ignore their dex mod to ac if nothing else as I'd imagine they aren't trying to dodge themselves.

 

[Todd Roybark]

Depending on who you ask, that help may have been henbane

Or lead poisoning from their smelting process, I could imagine.
Odin wants two things, your foreman’s life, and unfortunately your impulse control.

Forget about the egg cracking Say No to Drugs video from yore symbolizing one’s brain on drugs, you brain on lead or other metal contaminates can be really nasty.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Rules as written are pretty clear on the 'attacking the wall' thing.



Wall is not a hostile creature, it doesn't apply.

As for the 'damage yourself' option ... hmmm, well I'd be tempted to allow it, but only if the barbarian performed an actual all-out attack on themselves with their primary weapon. Quite literally attacking anything that moves. None of this 'just a flesh wound' stuff. The PC is meant to be a frothing frenzied fury dervish at this point, then they're not going to pause from their "raaah maim slaughter kill anger rip tear raaaaargh" to carefully and surgically poke 1hp of damage into their own forearm with a pin just to ... stay angry?

The PC is only “meant” to be a “frothing frenzied fury dervish” if the player sees them that way. There is no rule or flavor text in 5e that suggest any loss of control while raging, and only one subclass even really suggests “frenzy”. Beyond that, the mechanic for losing rage is stupid to begin with. Dashing toward an enemy makes you lose rage? Really!? How? Why? Nonsense!

 

[Charlaquin]

I think it’d be neat if raging had drawbacks as well as benefits and couldn’t be ended early.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think it’d be neat if raging had drawbacks as well as benefits and couldn’t be ended early.

While there is some narrative appeal there, IME, most folks dont want to play a class that has as its defining feature a mechanic that robs the PC of agency.

 

[Dioltach]

Let him stub his toe, or step on a d4 or a piece of Lego. No HP loss, but it generates enough rage to keep him going for another half hour!

 

[Imaculata]

(say, if the only enemies are below you and you think ladders are for wizards)

Next time I play that class, I will use that quote.

"Ladder?! Ladders are for wizards! Wraaaaah!"