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

[Undrave]

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

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

It works with any class with less HP or for that particularly fussy Lawful Paladin "Ladders are for Paladins, real warriors jump!!!"

You can also do "Stairs?! I don't need no stinking stairs!"

And in a rage you take half damage from the fall anyway. 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage per 10 feet fell so you could fall like 30 feet and take on average 5 damage.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You can also do "Stairs?! I don't need no stinking stairs!"

Shield surfing.

 

[Undrave]

Shield surfing.

What kind of barbarian uses a SHIELD?

If nothing else, the Barbarian should be the shield in this situation and just let the rogue surf down the stairs on him, shooting his crossbow all the way down.

 

[Dausuul]

What kind of barbarian uses a SHIELD?

You don't use the shield. You just carry it around to gnaw on.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I'd allow self damage for rage. It would take the full damage of an unarmed strike (reduced by half from resistance to bludgeoning). I play a lot of Barbarians and find Thrown or even ranged weapons negate this need however.

If after killing my immediate foes I can see there are no enemies I can reach by the end of my turn I'll stow my weapon, and at the beginning of the next turn draw my longbow and shoot at anything within 600ft to maintain Rage. Then try to move into melee. The downside is I have to wait till the next turn to stow my bow and then the next to draw my melee weapon again. So it's often 2 turns of arrow fire. Which makes it a good thing Zealots radiant damage works with ranged weapon attacks.

Pretty sure jumping onto your enemies heads from a great height counts as an attack.

You should at the very least take fall damage. Which would continue the rage

Guns run out of bullets in action movies?

Only when the plot demands it

 

[jgsugden]

I'd allow them to take self damage in order to continue raging, but it would require an action and actual damage - not "1 point of damage that is reduced to 0". I think that is RAW.

 

[NotAYakk]

As noted, there are many narritive uses for Rage that don't fit the mechanics.

I'd permit a barbarian to self take 1d4 damage at the end of their turn if not incapacitated. This doesn't have to involve stabbing themselves, just damage from sustaining the rage. This permits arm-wrestling, lifting objects, or wrestling escapes that don't "prematurely" end rage.

It also permits a "rage escape run" but I'm willing to accept imperfection in the name of good.

 

[Stormonu]

You don't use the shield. You just carry it around to gnaw on.

Well, in older D&D versions, beserkers with shields were called "shieldbiters".

I also like the idea of biting one's lip to keep rage going. Could also see a beserker clan using a large metal pin or bone needle they pierce themselves with (doing say, 1 hp damage/round) to keep their rage going until they drop or remove the pin.

 

[Campbell]

In most cases a javelin or some other ranged weapon will get you there anyway. You just have to attack a hostile creature. You do not have to make a melee attack.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I would also allow the barbarian to engage in an online discussion about racism in D&D. That oughtta be worth about 2d10 psychic damage. And might very well count as attacking a hostile creature as well.