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Barbarian - Best Damage
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<blockquote data-quote="Benjamin Olson" data-source="post: 9714978" data-attributes="member: 6988941"><p>Great, in that case werebear lycanthropy is the best treasure in the game for your character.</p><p></p><p>Damage wise, you want to maximize your number of attacks, which can be done most consistantly by using two-weapon fighting or polearm master, and less consistently by being a Berserker and/or taking great weapon master.</p><p></p><p>A max damage build really depends upon how much your table ends up looking like the land of theorycraftia. The 2014 Berserker gets little love generally because its bread and butter feature, the frenzy rage with bonus action attack, has an exhaustion penalty, but in the Hoard of the Dragon Queen campaign I was in, a poorly written module with lots of tedious fights against low-level (mostly low AC) repetitive enemies, our Berserker barbarian with great weapon master was often one-shotting three enemies a turn with his frenzies, and I don't think any of the other barbarian builds would accomplish that. If you are landing few hits (ie: high AC enemies) the Zealot Barbarian, with a large bonus to their first hit, does the most damage. Giant barbarians have a more flexible damage bonus, infusing a weapon with extra elemental damage, which is probably the best on average, but note that it doesn't play well with two-weapon fighting and doesn't come until level 6.</p><p></p><p>But looking purely at hypothetical damage output ignores the fact that you have to be up, fighting, and not charmed, frightented, mind controlled, etc. The berserker's immunity to charmed and frightened or the zealot's 1 reroll per rage on saving throws and (eventual) ability to keep fighting after going to zero keep these guys in more fights for longer. Arguably the bear totem barbarian (the most thematic to your build) does the most damage despite no major subclass damage bonus to speak of because they soak the most damage for the most rounds</p><p></p><p>Whether something like the Giant Barbarian's ability to throw weapons more effectively is invaluable or virtually useless depends on how space is used and handled at your table.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Benjamin Olson, post: 9714978, member: 6988941"] Great, in that case werebear lycanthropy is the best treasure in the game for your character. Damage wise, you want to maximize your number of attacks, which can be done most consistantly by using two-weapon fighting or polearm master, and less consistently by being a Berserker and/or taking great weapon master. A max damage build really depends upon how much your table ends up looking like the land of theorycraftia. The 2014 Berserker gets little love generally because its bread and butter feature, the frenzy rage with bonus action attack, has an exhaustion penalty, but in the Hoard of the Dragon Queen campaign I was in, a poorly written module with lots of tedious fights against low-level (mostly low AC) repetitive enemies, our Berserker barbarian with great weapon master was often one-shotting three enemies a turn with his frenzies, and I don't think any of the other barbarian builds would accomplish that. If you are landing few hits (ie: high AC enemies) the Zealot Barbarian, with a large bonus to their first hit, does the most damage. Giant barbarians have a more flexible damage bonus, infusing a weapon with extra elemental damage, which is probably the best on average, but note that it doesn't play well with two-weapon fighting and doesn't come until level 6. But looking purely at hypothetical damage output ignores the fact that you have to be up, fighting, and not charmed, frightented, mind controlled, etc. The berserker's immunity to charmed and frightened or the zealot's 1 reroll per rage on saving throws and (eventual) ability to keep fighting after going to zero keep these guys in more fights for longer. Arguably the bear totem barbarian (the most thematic to your build) does the most damage despite no major subclass damage bonus to speak of because they soak the most damage for the most rounds Whether something like the Giant Barbarian's ability to throw weapons more effectively is invaluable or virtually useless depends on how space is used and handled at your table. [/QUOTE]
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