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

[Azzy]

Tradition?

It's a shallow tradition considering that it started in the (ostensibly) 3rd edition of the game.

That's one reason. The other is probably that Barbarian is thematically wider - it gives more room for concepts like the Ancestral Spirits and Totems and the like. You could do a lot of that with Berserker too, but you'd expect all these things to really be tied into the berserk rage.

The term "barbarian" is thematically wider. A class the revolves around a rage mechanic is much less so—it tacks berserking onto "barbarian" concepts where it doesn't belong.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It's a shallow tradition considering that it started in the (ostensibly) 3rd edition of the game.

Also, tradition for the sake of it being tradition is a very lame excuse for the status quo.

 

[Don Durito]

It's a shallow tradition considering that it started in the (ostensibly) 3rd edition of the game.

It was a call back to the Barbarian in the 1st edition of the game (even if the rage mechanic was new).

Personally, I think 2e made the right decision to drop the class and replace it with kits.

 

[Don Durito]

Also, tradition for the sake of it being tradition is a very lame excuse for the status quo.

D&D is at least 50% tradition for tradition's sake. It is what it is.

 

[Tonguez]

Tradition?

That's one reason. The other is probably that Barbarian is thematically wider - it gives more room for concepts like the Ancestral Spirits and Totems and the like. You could do a lot of that with Berserker too, but you'd expect all these things to really be tied into the berserk rage.

Interestingly enough Original D&D had a Beserker as a subclass of Fighting-Man intended for NPCs, all subsequent Beserkers appeared in the Monster Manual

The original PC Barbarian was introduced by Gary Gygax in Dragon Magazine as a subclass of Fighter. It was a Fighter who could climb and hide like a thief, had wilderness survival and animal handling like a ranger and who could detect illusions and magic (which they hated) - this was the Conan-esque Barbarian and notably it had NO RAGE.

In the 2e Fighters Handbook Barbarian and Berserker were both featured separately (as was Amazon, Beastrider, Savage and Wilderness Warrior all of which were also called out as being from Barbarian tribes.) again only Beserker could go Beserk

it was indeed 3e where RAGE became the core mechanic of a class called Barbarian instead of Berserker

so yeah I want to go back to NO RAGE Barbarians that get strength and dex and anti-magic powers

and call the Berserker what it is

 

[Slit518]

I want to say, since I am part Scandinavian and we are known to have the Berserker warrior, I favor the Berserker. I always felt the Barbarian was too broad of a brush that didn't fit what was trying to be accomplished. The Rage the Barbarian goes into that reduces their damage and makes them seem invulnerable to harm screams the Viking Berserker warriors.

 

[der_kluge]

As I much as I tend to hate this kind of "woke culture" kind of stuff, I tend to agree with the sentiment that "Barbarian" tends to have pretty negative connotations to it, and even if you look at the dictionary definition of barbarian, it's pretty awful:

Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words

The world's leading online dictionary: English definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more. A trusted authority for 25+ years!

www.dictionary.com

Barbarian can also be a adjective to describe someone (and not in a good way). No other class name can also be an adjective (roguish is close, I suppose). I do tend to agree with the sentiment that "Barbarian" should be a background.

Really, IMO, this could be solved easily by making Barbarian a background, and just roll the existing barbarian class into fighter. At the end of the day, it's just a variant warrior.

Perhaps this is why most barbarians I've ever had in my games are basically one-dimensional killing machines.

 

[Greg K]

I chose Berserker as it describes the class's fighting style and divorves the class from background.

 

[Minigiant]

so yeah I want to go back to NO RAGE Barbarians that get strength and dex and anti-magic

d12 HD
Simple and Martial weapon proficiency
Light and medium armor and shields proficiency
Can replace Dex with Con in light armor for AC.
Can add Str to Charisma checks but fail worse if you fail
Bonuses to Str, Dex, and Con checks
Bonus with simple weapons
Fast movement
Chieftains, Beast Riders, Savages, and Totem warriors get druidic ritual books
Amazons and Savages get Unarmored Defense
Beast Riders get animal companions
Chieftains and Wild Warriors get bonus skills
Totem Warrior get a free magic tattoos
Beast Riders and Savages can talk to animals

 

[Morrus]

Somebody mentioned battlerager up thread, and that’s now my current favourite.