Is the barbarian too front loaded?

[Darklone]

I agree with Jhulaes analysis. And her avatar. Always and forever.

A few levels barbarian are the best possibility for the light fighter. Mix it with rogue or bard and you get a viable character with many possibilities who can dish out a lot of damage and retreat fast enough to survive if the beating gets too bad. There is no other class who can do that (monks lack in the beating part and rangers... lack somehow in both parts though I really like them).

Since we often played without or different multiclass rules, one or several levels of barbarian (with the right background story) came up often. The stylish solution to start with a level or barbarian and get slowly civilised helps a lot with the class since even spellcasters get a nice benefit in combat heavy campaigns from the 12 hp boost, the rage and the skills. Sure, later you miss the spellcaster level... but that doesn't bother you if you survive.

If you don't survive, your next character is behind levelwise from the other players and misses that spellcasterlevel anyhow.

The other possibility: Bbn/Ftrs. Usually this seems to be the best thing since the fighter class doesn't seem to lose a lot if you mix it with the bbn. That's IMHO the reason why most people seem to think the bbn is only a good multiclass option.

In my games I've seen many bbns or bbn multiclass constructs lose in one to one combat vs a fighter of comparable level simply because the only real advantage of the barbarian in heavy armour is rage and the -2 to AC combined with weaker armour really hurt against high AC fighter builds with Combat Expertise (The fighter still hit and the barbarian didn't).

Summary: I think the barbarian class as multiclass gives nice options to many other classes but I don't think at all it's overpowered.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Don't forget Bbn 2. It makes multiclass penalties easier to avoid (up to level 3 in any non-prestige class), buys uncanny dodge, and speeds progression for Improved Uncanny Dodge, in addition to all the benefits of Bbn 1. After that, it slows down considerably.

Count the number of characters that are: Bbn 1/something else, Bbn 1/something else 1/something else 1/something else 2/something else 3, and Bbn 2/Something else X.

With Extra Rage available, that's a LOT of characters in my experience. On the other hand, I can count the number of single classed barbarians I've seen played on one hand.

Now, I'm not certain it's worth the trouble of coming up with a fix that would only apply in homebrew games that I run (and that feature barbarians), but a few fixes would definitely improve it. Off the top of my head:

1. Move Fast Movement to level 3. That still puts it early enough that barbarians will get to play with it for most of their careers, but it's late enough that it would discourage dippers. Three levels means that you can't add more non-prestige classes without a penalty (unless either they or barbarian are your favored class).

2. Medium armor proficiency. It's not really an attraction of the class, so it's probably not worth moving, though I do somewhat wonder why they have it. Eliminating it, would, of course get rid of the annoying mithral fullplate wearing barbarians though so it might be worth doing.

3. Reduce the weapon proficiencies or spread them out. Probably not a good idea since most dippers have martial weapon proficiency from fighter.

Really, as it is, I think moving the fast movement ability is probably the only practical thing that could be changed to change the front-loadedness. Well, that and eliminating the Extra Rage feat.

 

[3d6]

I've always found it pretty hard to resist one level of barbarian when playing melee combat types, so I would say it is rather front-loaded. If you allow the Extra Rage feat, a single level of barbarian becomes an obvious choice for every non-lawful fighter, and the barbarian is problematically front-loaded.

 

[Darklone]

If a DM thinks it's frontloaded, move Rage backwards.

 

[airwalkrr]

Is the barbarian too front loaded? I am starting to think Fast movement, Rage, all martial weapons and light & medium armor makes Barbarian just a little too tempting to “One Dip” into.

Hmm, I wonder what gave you that idea? The fact that every single non-lawful fighter in the history of the game seems to have one level of barbarian? No. It couldn't be that...

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

Hmm, I wonder what gave you that idea? The fact that every single non-lawful fighter in the history of the game seems to have one level of barbarian? No. It couldn't be that...

I ran a chaotic/nuetral fighter with no Barbarian levels; this character was the best character in the history of the game.

 

[Li Shenron]

I use the 3.0 classes which are even more frontloaded.

There is not much problem unless you ignore multiclassing penalties. If you ignore them, then you have the problem with 1-level dipping, and you start thinking about how half-elves suck and need a fix too, and maybe humans too should have a small compensation.

Don't ignore multiclassing penalties and you should be safe. If they prevent an otherwise balanced and nice combination, ignore them only on a case-by-case basis.

 

[atomn]

I find it's balanced because it's such a vivid class that people would only take it when it works thematically with the rest of the character. It may provide a nice boon to a Rogue but roleplaying-wise it doesn't fit with if the character was a pickpocket from the streets of a major city. That sort of thematic restriction makes it less likely for abuse, from what I've seen.

 

[Nifft]

IMHO it's on the strong end. (Not Cleric strong, by any means, but strong.)
It's not a big deal.

Voted "GROG SMASH YOU!" because, well, because.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

It's a little front-loaded, but nothing to really worry about. I've never had a player take only a single level of Barbarian in one of my games.