D&D 5E New Conversation: Human Barbarian1/Wizard 2

[thalmin]

I built a human Barbarian/Wizard. (We used a point-buy system) Here is a brief backstory: The character was born to a barbarian tribe, thus level 1 barbarian. But he didn't fit in and was too weak, always looked down on. But he was smart, and started to learn from a nearby wizard.
Stats: STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 17, WIS 10, CHA 10

OK, tear it apart.

 

[jadrax]

Are you sure you need the level in Barbarian? Is there something you actually want mechanically from that class? If not could you not just use a suitable Background instead?

 

[thalmin]

Hey, I just wanted to study things and figure out some of the wonders of the world, and I learned how to read; but my father would have no part of it. I would be a barbarian warrior like him, or die trying. I almost did, but then I learned stuff that scared the others in my tribe. Things started moving around when nobody touched them. Fires started springing up with no reason. Stones thrown at me were mysteriously deflected away. I had discovered real power. The tribe became fearful of me, and I was shunned. So I left to study more of the mysteries.

 

[Matt James]

Hey, I just wanted to study things and figure out some of the wonders of the world, and I learned how to read; but my father would have no part of it. I would be a barbarian warrior like him, or die trying. I almost did, but then I learned stuff that scared the others in my tribe. Things started moving around when nobody touched them. Fires started springing up with no reason. Stones thrown at me were mysteriously deflected away. I had discovered real power. The tribe became fearful of me, and I was shunned. So I left to study more of the mysteries.

I like it!

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'm going to respond to this just coming at it from my own personal viewpoint-- what I'd probably do in this situation, not that it's what you should do in this situation. So it's nothing more than a different way of looking at the game and the scenario you have established.

Personally... I'd agree with jadrax. I now see Background as the second phase of character creation... falling in between the choice of Race and the choice of Class. So if I were to create this character mechanically using the story hook you have chosen... first thing I'd do would be to select Race. Probably Human. Next... I'd have to look at the backstory and figure out just how much time I had spent in the barbarian tribe, and how much "adventurer function" would I have done that would warrant taking a level of Barbarian? For I now see Class as what I do as an Adventurer. Anything that has to do with character backstory prior to going out on the Road To Adventure, I personally would attribute to my character's Background.

Looking at the backstory... I see little in it to suggest that I did spend actual real time adventuring as a Barbarian (Class). Especially due to the fact that at 1st level, the Barbarian (Class) gains the Rage ability. And there is very little here that would say to me that this character should have any Rage functionality. To me... the barbarian-esque references are almost all about the character growing up, discovering he actually is not really meant for the tribe, and instead going out on the Road To Adventure as something else (Wizard).

So based upon this... I would attribute the entirety of his time in his tribe to his Background. Probably taking something like Guide. And then... once on the Road To Adventure, I'd go ahead and take a straight 3 levels of Wizard. Because that was the real turning point for this character... leaving his tribe behind and learning the ways of magic. So using that first level for Barbarian seems off to me. Especially considering that had this character been played starting at 1st level... would being a Barbarian really fit? Would you really start Adventuring as a Barbarian, then when you're out and about with your adventuring party, suddenly drop it and begin studying wizardry? That doesn't feel right to me, personally. It feels like I should already be using magic once having joined up with the adventuring party I got together with.

So that's what I'd do. Take Human for Race, Guide for Background, and Wizard for Class... and if I really felt the desire to bring more of my barbarian-ishness out... select spells known that are closer to feeling barbarian-ish-- Gust of Wind, Longstrider, Cause Fear. Stuff like that. Then as I level, move from more of the physical, potentially barbarian-ish spells to ones that perhaps are more universally wizardly.

That's how I'd probably do it at any rate.

 

[GX.Sigma]

In terms of the mechanics, there's no reason to have that level of barbarian. Can you imagine this character ever going into a berserker rage? Was he even talented/dedicated enough to become a 1st level Barbarian in the first place? Remember that a 1st level character has extraordinary training and talent. Even the NPC "barbarians" from the Crystal Shard adventure don't have actual Barbarian levels.

 

[thalmin]

Oh, yes he has gone into rages, though not many. Not always voluntarily, and never at the best times (but admittedly not at the worst, either) It's sort of like David Banner getting hurt and starting to hulk out, but he's still the Bill Bixby version. Can't cast spells, can't concentrate, and can't hurt the enemy much with his hand axe. But he has that part under better control, now. Fortunately, he also has the hit points to survive such indiscretions.

 

[jadrax]

To be honest, regardless of if you decide to keep a Level of Barbarian or not, your character needs a Background before it is complete.

 

[thalmin]

To be honest, regardless of if you decide to keep a Level of Barbarian or not, your character needs a Background before it is complete.

He has a background, but it's from the alpha playtest, so I can't go into it yet

 

[Halivar]

I know a lot of people don't really truck with Joseph Campbell, but in terms of the Hero's Journey, the time spent with the barbarian tribe is before the "Call to Adventure"; pretty explicitly, too, the way you have it written out. For this reason alone I would suggest using a Background rather than multiclassing. If a player of mine have a level in a class, I expect a good story about the adventures they had as that class.

BTW, for me this really illustrates the beauty and robustness of 5E; cool character concepts don't need to be put through mechanical contortions (and sub-optimal ones, at that!) like multiclassing. In this case, the prodigal barbarian-turned-wizard.