Barbarian Class in this month's Dragon !

[eamon]

It'll be a striker focusing on brutality. I bet some charge-related or charge-similar mechanic will be involved, as will a preference for two-handed weaponry. As to mobility, I imagine it will focus on speed rather than shifting - perhaps a bonus on speed for bull-rushes and/or charges. I hope they "fix" bull rush, incidentally, and allow it to work at high-levels for barbarians - which would imply it being a strength attack with weapon bonuses, unlike the current version which grows ever weaker.

Triggers on bloodied state are likely. He might gain a bonus for dropping a foe, ala warlock.

I can't imagine the barbarian as a defender, anyhow. At most, he could be a striker-esque controller, by virtue of his minion dispatching capability.

 

[Exen Trik]

I'd like to see a martial controller myself. He makes a 3x3 square area the worst place on the map to be...

At most, he could be a striker-esque controller, by virtue of his minion dispatching capability.

I find peoples idea of what constitutes a controller to be confusing at best. Unless he is damaging and throwing around a half dozen targets at once from 10 squares away with pure RAGE he isn't going to be anything approaching a controller, not even in a secondary aspect.

 

[Saben]

I find peoples idea of what constitutes a controller to be confusing at best. Unless he is damaging and throwing around a half dozen targets at once from 10 squares away with pure RAGE he isn't going to be anything approaching a controller, not even in a secondary aspect.

Melee controller is a lot harder to work, but I still think that the two things that define a controller are 1) AoE and 2) Save Ends effects. With bleeds (damage over time), hamstrings (slow), concussive blows (stuns) and whirlwind and cleave attacks that do the above (AoE) a Barbarian would make a great melee controller.

Of course, I believe Wizards is bound a little more by the role mechanics than that at this stage, so while I believe a "melee controller" is possible, it is unlikely. So far every Defender has identically high HP, every leader has identically medium HP and the Wizard has low HP. I can't imagine a Barbarian being anything other than a "high HP" class, so unless they break this mould, my money is on Defender. With intimidating shouts, roars and battlecries he'll stop the enemy from wanting to touch his friends and if they do, he'll make them pay. But compared to a pure fighter he'll focus even more on 2-handing, less on weapon style, less on hitting and more on making the hits actually count.

He'll have elements of striker. He'll be something of a hybrid, but he'll definitely focus on the defender side of things. Much like how Swordmage is a defender/ controller with a heavy focus on defender, but SOME abilities that give him a controller feel. Or how the Warlord, while a leader, still has abilities that make him feel like a bit of a defender. Or the Artificer is a Leader with some controller abilities. The Barbarian will likely be a defender with some striker-like powers (no Reliable, more damage, more movement, less accuracy). I imagine the Druid being a striker first and foremost with a mix of other abilities from other roles. Hybrids will exist, but they will be easily definable as their primary role. Just like the Swordmage and Artificer.

 

[vagabundo]

I find peoples idea of what constitutes a controller to be confusing at best. Unless he is damaging and throwing around a half dozen targets at once from 10 squares away with pure RAGE he isn't going to be anything approaching a controller, not even in a secondary aspect.

Warp Spasm!!!

 

[Exen Trik]

Melee controller is a lot harder to work, but I still think that the two things that define a controller are 1) AoE and 2) Save Ends effects.

Those are two important things, but remember that the entire idea of roles is about your place and purpose in combat. Simply effecting multiple targets or inflicting status effects aren't enough, those are things every class does to some degree. They all "control" in their own ways, but that doesn't make them a Controller.

The controller is the one who sets up the battlefield, they are the ones who pull the strings of others, who manipulate from outside the field, they damage from afar and destroy with impunity when all the pieces fall in place.

If you "control" the area immediately around you, you're probably a defender. If you "control" with only blasts and close bursts and can move about the field to position them, you are a striker. Sure a wizard can choose focus on either of those, but that's a controller stretching its role to something else, and it isn't backed up with class abilities, proficiencies or even hit points. Unless of course, the character dedicates feats to further grow into that role.

Hybrids will exist, but they will be easily definable as their primary role. Just like the Swordmage and Artificer.

I think a true hybrid is possible, but only if the class features either: 1.) allow switching between one role and the other at will or 2.) accomplish both essential functions of two roles with a single mechanic. Suppose a leader/defender, that protects, defends and enhances a single nearby ally at a time, kind of like a reverse marking ability. One core ability, one focus, yet falls under both roles equally.

Warp Spasm!!!

...What? No really, I'm curious.

 

[Crashy75]

Melee controller is a lot harder to work, but I still think that the two things that define a controller are 1) AoE and 2) Save Ends effects. With bleeds (damage over time), hamstrings (slow), concussive blows (stuns) and whirlwind and cleave attacks that do the above (AoE) a Barbarian would make a great melee controller.

Of course, I believe Wizards is bound a little more by the role mechanics than that at this stage, so while I believe a "melee controller" is possible, it is unlikely. So far every Defender has identically high HP, every leader has identically medium HP and the Wizard has low HP. I can't imagine a Barbarian being anything other than a "high HP" class, so unless they break this mould, my money is on Defender. With intimidating shouts, roars and battlecries he'll stop the enemy from wanting to touch his friends and if they do, he'll make them pay. But compared to a pure fighter he'll focus even more on 2-handing, less on weapon style, less on hitting and more on making the hits actually count.

He'll have elements of striker. He'll be something of a hybrid, but he'll definitely focus on the defender side of things. Much like how Swordmage is a defender/ controller with a heavy focus on defender, but SOME abilities that give him a controller feel. Or how the Warlord, while a leader, still has abilities that make him feel like a bit of a defender. Or the Artificer is a Leader with some controller abilities. The Barbarian will likely be a defender with some striker-like powers (no Reliable, more damage, more movement, less accuracy). I imagine the Druid being a striker first and foremost with a mix of other abilities from other roles. Hybrids will exist, but they will be easily definable as their primary role. Just like the Swordmage and Artificer.

Personally, I see a melee controller as a defender.

But I could see the barbarian as a hybrid of sorts, similar to the paladin's secondary leadership abilities (which were really defendery ways of leading). Con based attacks make sense to me for a couple of reasons- he will intrinsically have more hp, and there are some good barbarian-styled weapons (great axe and maul) that work very well with a high con. But yeah, he'll likely be a striker with defender elements or a defender with striker elements.

 

[vagabundo]

...What? No really, I'm curious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sláine_(comics)

what u described sounds like Slaines Warp Spasm from the comics.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'm guessing the Barbarian will have a ton of abilities that activate when bloodied. That is very barbaric in style.

It was previewed of a sort in PHBII I imagine. I could see that as a class feature.

Since the paladins 'smite evil' turned into a range of 'smite-O-matic' powers, I'm betting that the barbarian will have a range of 'rage-O-matic' powers...

 

[D.Shaffer]

Hmm, if I had to guess on the Barbarian...

Primal Defender
HP/Level: 7
Hide Armor proficiency
All Simple and Martial weapons

I'm going to guess that they're going to keep rage, but it'll be tied into being Bloodied as that ties into the other rage based abilities we've seen. Like all Defenders they'll get a generic mark, with an added kicker that they'll get bonus damage anytime someone marked attacks anyone other then him. Totem based powers with fluff describing them as based around animal attack types. Weaker general damage then other defenders, but greater damage when bloodied. Utility powers based around achieving that bloodied state earlier, as well as maintaining that state as long as possible in a fight.

 

[Mezzer]

Personally, I'd like to see a striker who uses huge weapons to smash face, since we really don't have that now. The barbarian is pretty much the definition of that, and while I wouldn't have any problems with him being a defender, I think it'd be a shame to have huge weapons once again fall into a defender's hands.

Oh, and as far as raging is concerned, the Berserker Weapon enchant's power seems like a direction it could easily take.

Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain a +2 power bonus to
attack rolls and damage rolls with this weapon and take
a –5 penalty to all defenses. You also gain resist 5 to all
damage. The effects last until the end of the encounter or
until you fall unconscious.