Barbarian Whirling Frenzy Variant

[Saeviomagy]

The frenzy doesn't even require a full round attack. The barbarian could charge someone and make two attacks, with the charge bonus directly offsetting the -2!

Anything, anything at all that gives you extra attacks requires you to make a full attack to get them, unless it specifically says otherwise.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Anything, anything at all that gives you extra attacks requires you to make a full attack to get them, unless it specifically says otherwise.

Not true. It's actually the opposite. Everything that grants you an extra attack always says you can only do it as part of a full attack (haste, flurry, rapid shot, whirlwind attack) or defines what kind of attack (manyshot). If you know of any others besides the frenzy that breaks this, let me know. I won't concede unless you can prove that "anything at all that gives you extra attacks requires you to make a full attack to get them." If that were true, then specifying full attack for the above would be superfluous like you claim it to be for frenzy.

 

[Thanee]

If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough, because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon or for some special reason you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

About the actual question... I think Whirling Frenzy is slightly more powerful as Rage, mostly because of the Whirling Attack option (that's like getting Rapid Shot for free).

The lower duration is the biggest downside of Whirling Frenzy.

I don't think it's so overpowered that it could be called unbalanced.

Bye
Thanee

 

[ForceUser]

Whirling frenzy is better, and here's why: with regular rage, you gain +2 attack & damage per attack (or +3 damage if two-handed). With whirling frenzy, however, you gain a whole extra attack at your best (normal) attack bonus, plus the extra damage. Offensively speaking, WF is miles better than rage because an extra attack at full BAB is always better than a small bonus to attack on your normal iteration:

+17/+17/+12/+7

verses

+19/+14/+9

With damage being equal, I know which attack progression I'd rather have.

 

[ForceUser]

The lower duration is the biggest downside of Whirling Frenzy.

Not if you play a warforged barbarian, since they don't suffer fatigue. A warforged bbn/ftr with Extra Rage and WF variant is a terror.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Is the Barbarian rage variant Whirling Frenzy from Unearthed Arcana balanced with respect to normal rage?

IMO, no, it is not balanced. It is overpowered.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Anything, anything at all that gives you extra attacks requires you to make a full attack to get them, unless it specifically says otherwise.

Agreed. (Pay no mind to Infiniti. )