D&D General Naming the Barbarian? [added battlerager]

[MGibster]

This conversation has me interested in what a real Conan the Barbarian class would be like. Maybe I'll homebrew one...

If only I could escape the name "Barbarian" due to its 5E connotations. But I really can't think of a good name to describe a Conan-esque character other than Barbarian tbh. Athlete? Warmonger? Soldier? Meh.

I learned a long time ago that trying to fit complex characters into D&D's neat little class structure is an exercise in frustration. Though at backgrounds in 5th edition and kits in 2nd did give players the opportunity to fine tune their characters to a certain degree. I don't think you can come up with a Conanesque class that wasn't severely unbalanced as it would be stepping on the toes of most other non spell casting classes.

 

[MarkB]

This conversation has me interested in what a real Conan the Barbarian class would be like. Maybe I'll homebrew one...

If only I could escape the name "Barbarian" due to its 5E connotations. But I really can't think of a good name to describe a Conan-esque character other than Barbarian tbh. Athlete? Warmonger? Soldier? Meh.

I'm not sure I'd model Conan as single-classed. I always thought of him as being something of a Fighter / Rogue multiclass combo.

"Treasure Hunter", maybe?

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

For me, barbarian is fine.

I prefer names that tell me who a character is not what the character does.

Besides, uncivilized is a positive trait in my book, not a negative one.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I prefer Berserker or Ravager to Barbarian.

 

[RangerWickett]

The name "Barbarian" tells you that this is the class you pick if you want to play a character like "Conan the barbarian".

Not at all. Conan never goes into a rage, no more so than any other warrior character in his stories and films. He wears little armor because heavy armor didn't exist in the setting, not because he's got some special class ability to make his skin hard because he's got a robust colon (that's what Constitution is, right? lots of fiber in the diet?).

Conan was a barbarian from the perspective of an American in the 30s, for cultural reasons. Most of Robert Howard's characters in that setting were also 'barbarians' from his perspective.

Sure, it's really unlikely today many folks get called 'barbarian' as a slur, but my complaint is not that the name is insensitive, but that it's shallow. You can have berserkers who are effete aristocrats who shove all their resentments and frustrations with high society down deep into their gut (or colon!), and then lash out with fury when provoked. You can have berserkers who are professional gladiators who were trained since a young age and are highly cosmopolitan warriors. You can have berserkers who are humble farmers who call upon spirit totems to infuse them with fighting prowess to defend their homes. And back in the 3rd edition Oriental Adventures, there were meditative sohei who could enter a 'ki frenzy' where they would lose their sense of selves in battle.

Not all of them are loincloth-wearing illiterate wild men.

Honestly, if I had my druthers it wouldn't be a class. It'd be a feat (or a variety of feats).

 

[Reynard]

Ragey McThews

 

[Jediking]

I like Berserker - it has Norse/Viking connotations "to fight in a trance". The berserker has the potential to rage and enter into a special state. It doesn't (necessarily) mean that they are always angry.

I like the later stages of MCU Bruce Banner/The Hulk. A great example of a Barbarian-type who can do many things out of combat, but when the fight happens he chooses to release his potential.

 

[jgsugden]

Trouble? What sort of trouble? That sounds ominous.

Are you saying you don't understand what I meant? I thought it clear...

There are times when we encounter a situation that needs to be remedied because people are actively offended by it. Then, there are situations in which we say, "well, people might theoretically be offended by this, so maybe we should change it just in case".

Unfortunately, that second grouping is massive in size, and is full of rabbit holes and traps that just cause instability rather than address a true injustice. If we try to fix anything that might be offensive just in case, we are going to constantly be rewriting everything we do.

 

[Morrus]

Are you saying you don't understand what I meant? I thought it clear...

There are times when we encounter a situation that needs to be remedied because people are actively offended by it. Then, there are situations in which we say, "well, people might theoretically be offended by this, so maybe we should change it just in case".

Unfortunately, that second grouping is massive in size, and is full of rabbit holes and traps that just cause instability rather than address a true injustice. If we try to fix anything that might be offensive just in case, we are going to constantly rewriting everything we do.

Just having a chat about D&D class names, man.

 

[jasper]

I wasn't talking about living groups. I was just saying would any character call themselves a barbarian? Wouldn't they use the term to describe others, not themselves? It's just about making sense from the perspective of the character.

......

HMM. In game and in game lore.
Andy The Angry good with bow and a hunter.
Bob recently out Waterdeep Prison. I like axes.
Hendrick of the Dunes I love hand axes.
Clarence Chem. I bring death to my enemies.
Earl OScar I love spears
Edward the Enterprising Escpecially in battle.
Ragnar The Red from Rockford Mississippi. I a skilled hunter and fight with an axe.
Ragnar of Rockford. I come from a small border town near Waterdeep I use an daggers.
Okay everyone that is about half of my pcs which are the barbarians.
***
There so many different words to describe a fighter type. If D&D world exist, and classes exist, would the world come up a word that describe classes. IF so then the would the world attach any negative stuff? I think not.
Signed
Jasper Class 98 bravo, Class Retirement Fund Clerk, Class Reenactment Grunt, Class Upper Education of Math in Business, Class X-box player Class Small plot farmer Class NONE. (evil grin)
PS. Changing the name would just lead to someone further down the time line changing the name.