D&D 5E (2014) Are Barbarian’s “Meh”

[akr71]

Barbarians are great for players that want to get into melee and be a tank. If you want a lot of versatility and options a barbarian is maybe not for you. If you want a character strong in the exploration and social pillars of play, you will need to design your character to do so.

The first character my son played was a barbarian, but after a few levels asked if he could play a druid. So yes, I have seen what the OP describes.

 

[Weiley31]

Ok, but consider: yes, the fish.

Then from there, upgrade to Bass, trout, and finally end at an enchanted legendary Blue Marlin.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Jd Smith1]

There are no boring classes; only disinterested players.

There's the truth. No amount of mechanics can make up for a lack of imagination or involvement.

 

[jasper]

So, I’ve had two players in two separate campaigns ask to retire their single class Barbarian characters. Both were around 8th level, and both “ got bored w/ the character”. Both also felt other classes got more variety of powers and did more damage. The characters in question were a modified Beserker and Zealot ( Sohei inspired w/ Polearm Master & Sentinel Feats).

This is the only class that I have personally seen retired in 5e.

Anyone else seen/ experienced it?

As a DM I would say the class as a whole reads as a boring class, but holds up well in play......up into 8th level. Monks are fun, and everyone likes playing them, Fighters start really doing Nova Action surges, and to these two players the Barbarian leveling up “ felt more of the same”.

I Ragnar the Red who was once tooted by own horn and then gotten eat by a dragon, at eight level don't know what you are talk about. I have been foot stomped into the ground by a huge Egyptian Mummy (and I cried for my mama) have the scars to prove it at eleventh level. As DM and player I have no problems with the class.

 

[TwoSix]

Barbarians are an extremely well-designed class built around a very simple action loop. They are not the class for tactical complexity or deep resource management. Players gaining experience and realizing they want to try a more complex class is hardly an indictment of the class, it's just a natural progression in any complex game with lots of options.

 

[Bacon Bits]

So, I’ve had two players in two separate campaigns ask to retire their single class Barbarian characters. Both were around 8th level, and both “ got bored w/ the character”.

Part of this is that the class is pretty terrible levels 9 through 19, and the level 20 capstone doesn't make up for it. Brutal critical is pretty easily the worst ability in the game, and you waste 3 levels on it. Some of the high level subclass path abilities are good, but they also don't feel worth it. Relentless Rage is an ability you never want to be using. Persistent Rage should never come up. Indomitable Might is cool, but comes much, much, much too late to be meaningful (what DM is challenging their PCs with Strength checks at level 18?). Additional rages per day aren't really useful. If you need more than 4 rages, you probably haven't had any combats that were tough enough to really require raging. Extra rage damage is nice, but any Fighting Style is comparable extra damage.

Every Barbarian I've seen has multiclassed into Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue after level 8. The class basically ends there.

 

[jayoungr]

Not saying it is a bad class, (my campaign notes bears that out), but maybe a class that isn’t that much fun to play?

More like, isn't a good match for these players' playstyle, I'd say. I know people who love playing barbarians for their survivability.

 

[jasper]

THEN JASPER HAD A DELICIOUSLY WONDER IDEA..... I am naming my next barbarian MEH!

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

This, definitely. I've seen so many barbarians that were just played as fighters with a different set of abilities.

Sure, it's exciting to recklessly attack, crit, fell an enemy, then get to attack and ending up taking out another (as a bonus action no less, if one has gone the Great Weapon Master feat route). But for me it's how the character acts, their personality, that keeps them interesting to play.

This'll happen when you play a monopoly piece with combat stats vs playing a character.