Tips on playing a Barbarian for the first time
- Thread starter mooby
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Dark Jezter
First Post
I love barbarians, in fact, that's the class I usually choose to play as. Ever since I read the Conan stories by Robert E Howard, it just dosen't feel like an adventure for me unless one of the party members is a tough-as-nails barbarian warrior. 
Here are just some tips I've gathered from playing:
Invest your highest ability score in strength, since Barbarians tend to be melee powerhouses. Dexterity is useful for dodging attacks. Constitution is a must as well, because while barbarians tend to deal a lot of damage in combat, they tend to absorb a lot of damage as well.
Like other people mentioned in this thread, use Power Attack a lot, especially on charges.
Using a nice two-handed weapon will allow you to really dish out the damage in battle. A greataxe or greatsword will do nicely. Another weapon that could work well is the oft-overlooked falchion, which deals good damage and has a high threat range.
Speaking of weapons, try to get your hands on a mighty composite longbow if you can. You never know when you'll be forced to fight enemies that are flying or too far away to engage with melee weapons.
Cleave is a very good feat for a barbarian, and if you know you'll be facing hordes of weak enemies, you might as well take Great Cleave as well. Few things are more satisfying than killing seven or eight enemies in a single round.
One of the major weaknesses of the barbarian class is that they tend to have low AC, since they usually wear light armor to keep their fast movement, and the rage ability reduces AC. Because of this, the dodge and mobility feats are useful for a barbarian. Especially mobility, since barbarians will often draw a lot of attacks of opportunity when they charge into a pack of enemies.
The other major weakness of the barbarian class (and warrior classes in general) is low will saves. So you may want to invest in the Iron Will feat if you can, since it will give you a little better chance at making those will saves.
Whirlwind Attack + Great Cleave is a very nasty combination, so you may want to invest in it if you can. Unfortunately, meeting the requirements for Whirlwind Attack it requires that you have an intelligence score of at least 13, and intelligence usually isn't a high priority when barbarians are assigning ability points. Another downside of this is that you have to take a lot of feats before this can happen. So the whirlwind + great cleave combo is more plausable for fighters than barbarians.
Multiclassing can give a little spice to your barbarian, and taking a few levels in fighter can give him a little extra edge in combat due to bonus feats. My current barbarian gains his multiclass levels in a 3:2 ratio, so when he eventually hits level 20, he'll be a Barbarian 12/Fighter 8.
A downside to multiclassing as a barbarian is that you might not get some of the cooler skills the barbarian gets later, such as Greater Rage. So you'll have to decide whether multiclassing is what you want to do.
These are just a few tips I've gathered from my study of the barbarian class. I hope I was able to help, and I'll definately be watching this thread to see what other barbarians have to say.
Here are just some tips I've gathered from playing:
Invest your highest ability score in strength, since Barbarians tend to be melee powerhouses. Dexterity is useful for dodging attacks. Constitution is a must as well, because while barbarians tend to deal a lot of damage in combat, they tend to absorb a lot of damage as well.
Like other people mentioned in this thread, use Power Attack a lot, especially on charges.
Using a nice two-handed weapon will allow you to really dish out the damage in battle. A greataxe or greatsword will do nicely. Another weapon that could work well is the oft-overlooked falchion, which deals good damage and has a high threat range.
Speaking of weapons, try to get your hands on a mighty composite longbow if you can. You never know when you'll be forced to fight enemies that are flying or too far away to engage with melee weapons.
Cleave is a very good feat for a barbarian, and if you know you'll be facing hordes of weak enemies, you might as well take Great Cleave as well. Few things are more satisfying than killing seven or eight enemies in a single round.
One of the major weaknesses of the barbarian class is that they tend to have low AC, since they usually wear light armor to keep their fast movement, and the rage ability reduces AC. Because of this, the dodge and mobility feats are useful for a barbarian. Especially mobility, since barbarians will often draw a lot of attacks of opportunity when they charge into a pack of enemies.
The other major weakness of the barbarian class (and warrior classes in general) is low will saves. So you may want to invest in the Iron Will feat if you can, since it will give you a little better chance at making those will saves.
Whirlwind Attack + Great Cleave is a very nasty combination, so you may want to invest in it if you can. Unfortunately, meeting the requirements for Whirlwind Attack it requires that you have an intelligence score of at least 13, and intelligence usually isn't a high priority when barbarians are assigning ability points. Another downside of this is that you have to take a lot of feats before this can happen. So the whirlwind + great cleave combo is more plausable for fighters than barbarians.
Multiclassing can give a little spice to your barbarian, and taking a few levels in fighter can give him a little extra edge in combat due to bonus feats. My current barbarian gains his multiclass levels in a 3:2 ratio, so when he eventually hits level 20, he'll be a Barbarian 12/Fighter 8.
A downside to multiclassing as a barbarian is that you might not get some of the cooler skills the barbarian gets later, such as Greater Rage. So you'll have to decide whether multiclassing is what you want to do.
These are just a few tips I've gathered from my study of the barbarian class. I hope I was able to help, and I'll definately be watching this thread to see what other barbarians have to say.
Last edited:
Capellan
Explorer
I favour sinking the best stat into Constitution, myself, but Strength is a close second.
Take Power Attack no later than 3rd level. Accept no substitutes. If you're human, get both it and Cleave immediately - 1st level. Nothing goes through bad guys faster than a raging Barbarian with Cleave.
Take Power Attack no later than 3rd level. Accept no substitutes. If you're human, get both it and Cleave immediately - 1st level. Nothing goes through bad guys faster than a raging Barbarian with Cleave.
David Argall
First Post
barbarian ideas
I'd suggest getting hold of Masters of the Wild, and then taking Extra Rages [2 extra rages a day]. For the low level barbarian, it is often an agony to ask at each combat "Rage now or save for the possible big fight later?". Well worth being able to say "Both!".
YMMV, but I would forget Power Attack and Cleave unless your DM is going to be throwing lots of runts at you. When you take on giant, you get to use Cleave very rarely. Power Attack is a lousy feat of itself, good only for access to other feats [which I also think poorly of.]
You are a charging raging barbarian. You are maybe +10 to damage, which means your power attack improves damage by maybe 10%. But the minus to your chance to hit normally works out to be a lot more than 10%. Result, you do less overall damage when you use the feat. And if you do go in for Cleave, it will normally mean you will miss out on a number of chances to cleave.
Now I would advise planning eventual multi-classing, probably with fighter. Barbarian is not as badly frontloaded as ranger, but your higher level barbarian gets rather little. [Raging once a day is big stuff. The 4th time a day is getting rare. and 1-2 hp damage reduction doesn't mean much when the enemy is giving you 20+] I'm not sure if you should quit barbarian after 2, 4, 5, or 6 levels, but some place in there, you should become "civilized".
I'd suggest getting hold of Masters of the Wild, and then taking Extra Rages [2 extra rages a day]. For the low level barbarian, it is often an agony to ask at each combat "Rage now or save for the possible big fight later?". Well worth being able to say "Both!".
YMMV, but I would forget Power Attack and Cleave unless your DM is going to be throwing lots of runts at you. When you take on giant
You are a charging raging barbarian. You are maybe +10 to damage, which means your power attack improves damage by maybe 10%. But the minus to your chance to hit normally works out to be a lot more than 10%. Result, you do less overall damage when you use the feat. And if you do go in for Cleave, it will normally mean you will miss out on a number of chances to cleave.
Now I would advise planning eventual multi-classing, probably with fighter. Barbarian is not as badly frontloaded as ranger, but your higher level barbarian gets rather little. [Raging once a day is big stuff. The 4th time a day is getting rare. and 1-2 hp damage reduction doesn't mean much when the enemy is giving you 20+] I'm not sure if you should quit barbarian after 2, 4, 5, or 6 levels, but some place in there, you should become "civilized".
Something I do is build a 'rule list' to follow. These are things that make you character a barbarian, taking body parts after combat, stealing horses/cattle, doing house work, painting your body, death rituals, vengence, were-guilds, so on and so on.
These things show your difference and you just are not just another name for fighter. Let it build your background.
These things show your difference and you just are not just another name for fighter. Let it build your background.
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Re: barbarian ideas
That's about the worst barbarian advice I've ever seen.
10% this, 10% that... what the hell? Sounds like a cold, calculating fighter to me. Bah!
Screw all that... Yer not playin' a barbarian to nickel and dime a giant to death. Yer playin' a barbarian for the game-saving BIG HIT; yer playin' him for that charge into a rabble of orcs and cleavin' every last one of the bastards right in half.
ALL POWER ATTACK, ALL THE TIME!!!!!
Wulf
David Argall said:
That's about the worst barbarian advice I've ever seen.
10% this, 10% that... what the hell? Sounds like a cold, calculating fighter to me. Bah!
Screw all that... Yer not playin' a barbarian to nickel and dime a giant to death. Yer playin' a barbarian for the game-saving BIG HIT; yer playin' him for that charge into a rabble of orcs and cleavin' every last one of the bastards right in half.
ALL POWER ATTACK, ALL THE TIME!!!!!
Wulf
Voadam
Legend
Two big archetypes jump out at me for barbarians, tactical and big damage ones.
Tactical take things like the spring attack path of feats to take advantage of their speed and then go for multiple spring in attack once and back away plinking tactics. They generally follow the noble savage archetype for roleplaying and devleop their nomadic nonliterate culture and traditions including honor and tabboo strictures.
Then there is the Do as much damage as you can now, defense be damned philosophy with power attack being the focus and big axes the weapons of choice. They tend to go with the crude smash-em up vandalism and mayhem of a barbarian at the gates concept. They like to breack things (heads, vases, etc.) drink hard, kick down the door and slay things with mighty blows.
Both can be fun, but if you are going to be a raging orc option two is a pure meshing of attitude and mechanics.
Tactical take things like the spring attack path of feats to take advantage of their speed and then go for multiple spring in attack once and back away plinking tactics. They generally follow the noble savage archetype for roleplaying and devleop their nomadic nonliterate culture and traditions including honor and tabboo strictures.
Then there is the Do as much damage as you can now, defense be damned philosophy with power attack being the focus and big axes the weapons of choice. They tend to go with the crude smash-em up vandalism and mayhem of a barbarian at the gates concept. They like to breack things (heads, vases, etc.) drink hard, kick down the door and slay things with mighty blows.
Both can be fun, but if you are going to be a raging orc option two is a pure meshing of attitude and mechanics.
KnowTheToe
First Post
I recommend Human over halforc. Feats are too rare for this fighting class and the double zap against your stats suck.
diaglo
Adventurer
only draw back for the barb as far as i'm concerned is poor saves vs. will. sleep is a bummer. but not so for the elf or half-elf.
i'm currently playing a half-elven barbarian.
[pimp mode= on] you can read my story here:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22106
[/pimp mode= off]
i'm currently playing a half-elven barbarian.
[pimp mode= on] you can read my story here:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22106
[/pimp mode= off]
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