D&D 5E Split the Barbarian

[Minigiant]

so a martial class with backbone instead of being hobbled by being for "beginners" (have they consider just making the tutorial easier to understand and a better
organisation system for spells?)

I don't know how much it would be anti-beginner. The Might class would actually be very noob friendly as you'd be doing a lot of Strength/Dexterity/Constitution checks and just moving fast and unburdened.

Again, it's like taking the fast movement, d12 HD, and raw strength of the barbarian and rolling with that. Taking how barbrarians play when they aren't raging and doing that to 200% or more.

You play the farm boy or urban thug turned hero. You don't have Master Yu's tutelage in swordmanship, years of knightly training, or the anger of a brutal beast. You are just really strong, really fast, and really tough. Later in life you might learn that you are the grandson of a demigod, drank enchanted water as a child, or was born under a lucky star. But now you are level 5 and have STR 24, DEX 20, and CON 18.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I don't know how much it would be anti-beginner. The Might class would actually be very noob friendly as you'd be doing a lot of Strength/Dexterity/Constitution checks and just moving fast and unburdened.

Again, it's like taking the fast movement, d12 HD, and raw strength of the barbarian and rolling with that. Taking how barbrarians play when they aren't raging and doing that to 200% or more.

You play the farm boy or urban thug turned hero. You don't have Master Yu's tutelage in swordmanship, years of knightly training, or the anger of a brutal beast. You are just really strong, really fast, and really tough. Later in life you might learn that you are the grandson of a demigod, drank enchanted water as a child, or was born under a lucky star. But now you are level 5 and have STR 24, DEX 20, and CON 18.

you explained the mechanics but how would it play? what is its story? why is it a thing to begin with?

 

[Minigiant]

you explained the mechanics but how would it play?

It plays like the 1e barbarian minus the magic hate. You are like a fighter/rogue but without the martial skill and skullduggery.

You Run. You Jump. You Smash. You Sneak. You Tumble You Bash.

what is its story?

You are the "everyman"

You aren't Sir Thomas or Chief Oleg who was trained to fight from age 10. Nor are you Dark Lance the Skulker who honed deadly skills on the mean streets. Nor are you Og the Vast, the raging brute who flies into a frenzy on the call for blood.

You are Jim. You feel a calling to adventurer but lack the training and expertise for it. However your oddly massive muscles and thick skin shouldn't be wasted. You may or may not find out that the cow on your farm was gifted by a fey king or that your mother is a goddess who wanted to play house and enchanted you. Or maybe your family is just big folk who marry other big folk.

However the villagers have stated that you run a little too fast and that humans can't carry a 3 goats out a burning barn.

why is it a thing to begin with?

Because D&D lacks characters of raw physical prowess. Everyone is either using learned skill, getting really mad or casting spells on themselves.

You can't really be a man who just wrestles the orc into submission. The fighter has shifted from the everyman.

 

[Mind of tempest]

none of what you described was an everyman and everyone uses raw physical power they just use weapons as the is more or less how humans fight.

 

[Minigiant]

none of what you described was an everyman and everyone uses raw physical power they just use weapons as the is more or less how humans fight.

The might class would use weapons and armor as well.
The idea is that they aren't a fighter. Th modern fighter of D&D isan ultra-competent weaponmaster who is an expert of weapons and armor.

A guy who buys a sword and some chain armor isn't a fighter. They don't have the years of martial study and wealth of combat skill.


A guy who buys a sword and some chain armor is this class. Someone relying completely on strength, speed, and toughness. However in D&D, PCs are special so this character's strength, dexterity, and constitution would be higher than normal even for a PC. Theyare making up for skill with raw physicality. You can explain their gread body many ways however the point is that they aren't using honed skills. Nature vs Nurture.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Because I see the barbarian as culture, rather than class, I think the Barbarian class should be dumped altogether and each of the other classes should get a barbarian-themed sub-class.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think the Barbarian is already a narrow enough archetype that I wouldn't want to make it even narrower, but if I had to then I think that's what the subclasses are for.

The Berserker is already focusing more on Rage than any other subclass. For a straight physical subclass, maybe re-use the Fighter's Champion or doing something more original. It would still have the basic Rage ability but only at its minimum.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I think the Barbarian is already a narrow enough archetype that I wouldn't want to make it even narrower, but if I had to then I think that's what the subclasses are for.

The Berserker is already focusing more on Rage than any other subclass. For a straight physical subclass, maybe re-use the Fighter's Champion or doing something more original. It would still have the basic Rage ability but only at its minimum.

maybe a slight difference in how it plays between when it has rage and when it does not but both have their pluses?

 

[Minigiant]

I think the Barbarian is already a narrow enough archetype that I wouldn't want to make it even narrower, but if I had to then I think that's what the subclasses are for.

The Berserker is already focusing more on Rage than any other subclass. For a straight physical subclass, maybe re-use the Fighter's Champion or doing something more original. It would still have the basic Rage ability but only at its minimum.

Well the Barbarian and Fighter are both too narrow as archetypes as is. The 3e, 4e, and 5e barbarians are all revolved around the Rage mechanic.

And the fighter is so focused on weapon mastery lorewise and crowded mechanically that you cannot fit physicality into it without breaking it. The fighter isn't just any warrior anymore. In order to stand with unrestricted barbarians, paladins, rangers, and the like, it focused down on being a expert of combat. You can't be a lone survivor of a massacred village, a chosen one hidden in a far off town, or a ruffian from a organized gang because the fighter expects more weapon and armor knowledge from it.

You can't even make them rogues anymore as the rogue is now a expert of underhanded skills and backstabbery.

That's why I suggested splitting off a nonRage class from the Barbarian. I was thinking like taking the axed 5e Brute subclass and expanding it over 20 levels with some actual class features.

 

[ccs]

"I throw a boulder at the dragon"
"I stab the lich... (rolls) 7 times"
"So I get up and brush the debris off my shoulders..,."


Basically it sells the ancient era hero in the medieval era. Many of the classes get powers as spells. This class would sell beating enemies and obstacles with your ability scores.

I already do that. What do you think that Str.20 is for?