D&D 5E Barb/Fighter vs pure Barbarian?

[Khelon Testudo]

I want to make the Warhammer trope doomseeker/trollslayer. Which is better: full Barbarian, or Barb/Fighter? We're starting level 1, so I'm tempted to start with Fighter 1 to get two weapon fighting.

Rolls were 18, 13, 15, 11, 12, 9, so with Mountain Dwarf we get 20, 13, 17, 11, 12, 9.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I don't know anything about this Warhammer thing but I know plenty about 5e Barbarians and Barbarian/Fighters. Could you clarify what your goals are for this character and approximately what level you intend to take them to?

 

[ECMO3]

A Barbarian/Fighter is better than a single class Barbarian IMO.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What subclasses are you thinking? Especially the Barbarian Path changes the math a bit, here.

 

[jgsugden]

If you're seeking efficiency, you want to take 5 levels in one class before taking a level in the other class. Your leveling slows down, if you follow the DM guidance for encounter building, at 5th level dramatically, so you'll spend more time at levels 5 than at prior levels, so you'll feel a delay in multi-attack longer.

I played a great maul wielding dwarven barbarian early in 5E. He added 4 levels of fighter at character levels 6 through 9, and then 11 more barbarian levels. I often speculated on whether the fighter levels were a mistake, but I decided that there was no wrong decision. It was all good. Things have changed some with the introduction of new subclasses, but if I had to do it again, I'd let the story dictate what I did. If there was a reason for my barbarian to take on a more 'formal education' in fighting I'd add up to 4 fighter levels. If not, pure barbarian.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

For story reasons I've started 1lvl fighter, then barbarian going forward. I see him as the disintegrating veteran.

 

[shadowoflameth]

I played a Barbarian (Berserker) to 20th level in 5e. I recommend going straight Barbarian. Personally, I only feel like multi-classing is worth it if you see a specific ability that you need for your build. If you just want some fighter, then consider Fighting Initiate, Martial Initiate and pick up a couple of maneuvers. Maybe consider Crusher if you're using warhammer. Don't neglect your Con. Barbarian is strong in melee and has reckless attack. You're likely going to be hitting often, and Con is important to the Barb maybe more than any other character. (arguably) I'm sure someone will argue.

 

[Frankie1969]

Barbarian features are sub-par in the 3rd tier.
In most situations, single-class barbarians level 9-19 don't have as much capability as a barbarian/fighter of the same level.
I suspect the same is true for single-class fighters.

D&D 5E - [Guide] How to Win Fights and Intimidate People (Another Barbarian Primer)

How to Win Fights and Intimidate People (Another Barbarian Primer) based on Jell_Moo's Guide Latest update: 2022-Dec: Fizban & Multiverse. Contents: 1: Introduction, Ability Scores, Races, Skills 2: Class Features, Primal Paths 3: Options, Weapons, Feats, Multiclassing Introduction: Let's...

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