Challenges for Barbarians?

[Tonguez]

The Barbarian is a combat tankbig damage, big mobility, big damage resistance (HP)

But besides throwing in an endless tide of foes what else can a DM do to challenge a Barbarian?

Whats a Barbarian to do outside of Combat?

and in fact how do you ensure that combat is interesting for a Barb and isn't a case of Rage+Max.Damage=Dead monster(s)?

 

[Dark Jezter]

Barbarians have intimidate and survival as class skills. Non-combat challenges for barbarians could include surviving in a harsh wilderness, intimidating a hostile minotaur into backing down, tracking a band of orcs through the mountains (if the barbarian has the track feat, that is), etc.

 

[Malk]

as for making encounters challengin and fun for barbarians, changing up the terrain can ensure intrest in any fight. Trying to fight a rogue in a chamber of ice is a headache...but fun let me tell you. Mud soaked fields also offer movement problems.

One way that i used a barbarian pc in my group was to have her return home to her tribe only to find them in war, and her father taken prisoner by the opposing force. The party had to use many tactics other than combat to ensure the saftey of her father and other clan mates who had been sold into slavery in an Azer city. Her knowledge of her homeland and of her foes, was instrumental to the quest, and there wasnt even any fighting untill after all the slaves had been rescued and the party bought steel weapons for her whole clan from the Azer.

 

[Jolly Giant]

If you want to make the game interesting for a barb, you really need to look at the individual barb's char.sheet and see what he's good at besides dealing/taking a lot of damage. Maybe the player has selected any particular skills he hasn't gotten much from yet? Can he track? Is there anything in his background you can use?

It's not easy to come up with much generic advice, really. All we know is that he's strong and fast. If that's all the player cares about (unfortunately, this is true sometimes... ), then there isn't much to go on. What level is this barb, by the way?

You could always give the chance to break stuff; maybe the party needs to get through an old door with a lock that's rusted or maybe even welded shut so the rogue can't pick the lock? Bend apart the bars of prison cell perhaps, or break some mighty chains holding a prisoner/treasure/whatever...

Other ways to let him utilize his strength is lifting a portcullis the party needs to pass or maybe raising/lowering a drawbridge across a moot?

The only other thing I know he's got going for him is his speed. If the party doesn't yet have access to stuff like Fly and Teleport, you could always let him save the day simply by running very fast. Perhaps there is a message or a batch of medisin or an antidote that needs to be delivered really quickly? Possibly over terrain unsuited for horses?

For now, that's pretty much all I can think of... Wish I knew more about the specific barb in question though!

 

[Jolly Giant]

If you want to make the game interesting for a barb, you really need to look at the individual barb's char.sheet and see what he's good at besides dealing/taking a lot of damage. Maybe the player has selected any particular skills he hasn't gotten much from yet? Can he track? Is there anything in his background you can use?

It's not easy to come up with much generic advice, really. All we know is that he's strong and fast. If that's all the player cares about (unfortunately, this is true sometimes... ), then there isn't much to go on. What level is this barb, by the way?

You could always give the chance to break stuff; maybe the party needs to get through an old door with a lock that's rusted or maybe even welded shut so the rogue can't pick the lock? Bend apart the bars of prison cell perhaps, or break some mighty chains holding a prisoner/treasure/whatever...

Other ways to let him utilize his strength is lifting a portcullis the party needs to pass or maybe raising/lowering a drawbridge across a moot?

The only other thing I know he's got going for him is his speed. If the party doesn't yet have access to stuff like Fly and Teleport, you could always let him save the day simply by running very fast. Perhaps there is a message or a batch of medisin or an antidote that needs to be delivered really quickly? Possibly over terrain unsuited for horses?

For now, that's pretty much all I can think of... Wish I knew more about the specific barb in question though!

 

[nopantsyet]

Well if you truly want to challenge him, dump him in civilization and see how that works out.

Seriously.

I ran a campaign where all the PCs started life as members of the dominant barbarian clan. The main plot arc forced them to travel the continent and discover and interact with different peoples--some more and some less civilized than they. The players took it to an impressive level, bringing elements of the various civilizations they met back to their home clan, trying to convince the conservative xenophobes to accept progress.

And there was lots of bashing fun!