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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AllisterH" data-source="post: 3634900" data-attributes="member: 51325">Well, why don't we try and compare them since they are quite similar (warblades get starting gold as per barbarians NOT fighters which should've tipped people off that warblades are designed in context of the barbarian).Hp, BAB, Skill points and Saves are the same. Both get uncanny dodge (and the improved version with the warblade being one level behind in receiving this)Weapon proficiencies - Same except that warblades don't get proficiency in ANY ranged weapons, not even the Xbow.Armour and Shield proficencies- Exactly the same.Unique Skills - Barbarians get Handle Animal, Listen, Ride and Survival while Warblades have Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (history & local), Martial Lore and Tumble. Personally, I think the warblade one is slightly better since some manoeuvers function off of skills, however the barbarian's skills aren't anything to dismiss (both Handle animal and Ride can increase a barbarian's skill/effectiveness in combat while Listen means at least a barbarian won't be surprised as often.  Abilities - Fast movement, Trap sense, Damage Reduction, Indomitable Will vs Weapon Aptitude, Battle Clarity/Ardor/cunning/Skill/Mastery and 4 bonus feats from a pretty tight list. Here's where I think it depends on the starting point total of the game. If you are in a 30 pt game and above, you have enough points for the essential abilities (str, dex and con) but also enough to actually have an Int bonus. 28 and lower, this favours the barbarian as you might not have enough left over to have am INT score that gives you a bonus. Thus 28 pt and lower game - Barbarian. 30 and higher game - Warblade.Signature ability - Rage vs manoeuvers. If all you want to measure is damage, then barbarians win this one easily. With less MAD than the warblade, a barbarian can afford a higher starting STR meaning their rage induced STR bonus becomes higher meaning they can afford to use a higher Power Attack value thus giving them more damage per swing. What manoeuvers do is give a warblade more OPTION other than ,"Rage, Charge, Power Attack".For example, at level 1, a warblade only knoes 3 manouevers and 1 stance, yet of the choices available, not one of them is going to allow a warblade to do more damage. You can repeat this for pretty much every level as none of the manoeuvers will enable a warblade to even come close to a equivalent level raging barbarian(The two problematic manoeuvers, IHS and WRT are both non-damaging manoeuvers)Really, warblades stack up pretty nicely with barbarians. Barbarians fight with power while warblades fight with skill.</blockquote>

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