D&D 5E Are Barbarian’s “Meh”

[BookBarbarian]

Why is it an issue if barbarian isn't a good fit for everyone? A lot of times I enjoy playing "simple" PCs with minimal mechanics. I don't get a chance to play often and honestly I just don't want to think too hard when I'm playing the game instead of DMing.

I like that some of the 5E classes are "boring", because that gives me more of my limited game time brain space to focus on characterization and having fun playing. Different strokes for different folks.

It's not an issue. It is as you say a good thing.

 

[Anoth]

I will say. I often felt the Paladin should have been more defensive and support oriented and the barbarian more DPR. I think they got it a little backwards because smite became so popular.

now if u enjoy a character that can take lots of damage and keep going the barbarian is great. Wolf totem is a good option with sentinel feat if you want some extra damage imho. But you don’t have as many resistances as a bear totem. That’s your trade off.

 

[Ancalagon]

I will say. I often felt the Paladin should have been more defensive and support oriented and the barbarian more DPR. I think they got it a little backwards because smite became so popular.

now if u enjoy a character that can take lots of damage and keep going the barbarian is great. Wolf totem is a good option with sentinel feat if you want some extra damage imho. But you don’t have as many resistances as a bear totem. That’s your trade off.

I think the Barbarian is the way it is because the 3.X version (... I don't know the 4e version so clearly I don't have the whole picture) was too fragile. Sure you got a boost of HP, and your base HP was high, but your AC went down went raging, and when your rage ended you could die on the spot. So the fantasy of this reckless, aggressive warrior was ... going to get your killed.

The 5e barbarian supports this play style by making you very tough - but it wouldn't balanced to be super tough and have the best damage, so....

 

[Don Durito]

I will say. I often felt the Paladin should have been more defensive and support oriented and the barbarian more DPR. I think they got it a little backwards because smite became so popular.

Basically this. They're the wrong way round.

Plus it's a little incongruous that the guy with no armour is the really tanky one that resists damage. It's strains the relationship between hit points and fiction.

And I would have liked to see some of the 4e features make it into the class (Most of the 4E barbarian features were perfectly compatible with 5E's design philosophy). Rage Strike in particular would be nice (Spend an extra rage while already raging to unleash massive damage).

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[David Howery]

not sure about 5E, but from what I remember about 1/2E... all of the fighter and thief classes got to be a bit meh at higher levels after a while, because they only get better at doing the same stuff they did at first level... fighting or thieving. It's not really an issue when you are pretty new to the game, but after a while, you get a hankering to try something new. Mages, clerics, monks... these classes get to be the most interesting at the higher levels...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Ugh a barbarian with a polearm is already unfitting but a formation weapon like a pike?
Sorry, but that is minmaxing for mechanics, a legit playstyle nevertheless but not my kind of thing.

Nah. There's nothing unfitting about a barbarian with a polearm. Also 5e weapons are not singular, meaning a pike isn't just a pike, it's a very long polearm that does piercing damage. So, any very long spear.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There's nothing wrong with wanting to multi-class the old Barbarian especially after level 5-7. I went Zealot5/Ranger2 on my current character and I'm going to grab Gloom Stalker next level. I planned this out after our party had an extensive stay in the underdark.

Barbarian/Ranger is really really fun and thematically cromulent. (get it, "crom"ulent?)

I want to try out a Barbarian/Druid at some point. Go Totem and Moon, Rage as a bear. Turn spellcaster when absolutely needed. I don't think Druids have a ton of no concentration maintained spells, sadly, but you can use spell slots of heal yourself while in Wild Shape, because doing so does not involve casting a spell or maintaining concentration.

Likewise, I haven't played a Bard-barian since 2e. I wonder how well it works in 5e.

 

[lowkey13]

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[Undrave]

(... I don't know the 4e version so clearly I don't have the hole picture)

The 4e Barbarian was a Primal powered Striker type of class. Its Rage were fuelled by primal spirits and they also had class features that triggered on either getting an enemy to 0 HP or getting them bloodied. For exemple, one subclass would gain Temp HP when downing an opponent. They also got a free attack after scoring a critical hit.

The Barbarian's Rage were their Daily powers. You had one powerful hit (usually doing multiple weapons dice as was standard in 4e), one that usually had a bonus on a miss, and then you gain a passive bonus until you take a short rest or until you use a different rage. You could, alternatively, burn unused Rage Dailies to make a Rage Strike, inflicting a certain amount of dmg based on the Rage's level.