Tips on playing a Barbarian for the first time

Warrior Poet said:


If you're thinking of going this route, I suggest you look into Monte Cook's bard (www.montecook.com). In the game where Dingleberry (q.v.) plays the barbarian/ranger we use Monte's ranger variant, and we also have a player with a bard character, and we use Monte's bard. It's really quite cool, and the whole Spell Notes/Chords/Rhythms/Arias/Operettas/Symphonies/Concept Albums thing is handled very well. The bard can fire off two healing (minor) spells in a round, in effect. But it's done well -- not unbalanced.

Check out Cook's variant of the ranger as well. Good stuff.

Warrior Poet

part of a question from another post also. can a barbarian perform while raging? i thought he was prohibited from using certain skills, feats, and abilities while raging.

edit: okay i looked at the SRD. it seems only the bard's fascinate ability and therefore the suggestion are affected.
 
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diaglo said:

edit: okay i looked at the SRD. it seems only the bard's fascinate ability and therefore the suggestion are affected.

1) What's the SRD? I see that term used a lot, and I have no idea what it means.

2)I don't think I'd even take more than 3 ranks in peform. I just want to inspire people with my screaming (singing) during a rage. :D
 


Humanity & power attack

"I could always take 1-2 levels each of Bard, Ranger, and Fighter, with the rest going into Barbarian."

a-recall the XP penalty for having a class too high. This style pretty much requires you be human.
b-Barbarian is an unwise class to advance in a multiclass. You just don't get as much for your level. I have not seen the Epic book, but even if we assume it is a strong class at those levels, taking 5 levels elsewhere becomes a drawback.

Now will those fans of power attack please show some evidence the feat is worth using? The misses more than cancel the extra damage in the normal cases.
 

Re: Humanity & power attack

David Argall said:
"I could always take 1-2 levels each of Bard, Ranger, and Fighter, with the rest going into Barbarian."

a-recall the XP penalty for having a class too high. This style pretty much requires you be human.
b-Barbarian is an unwise class to advance in a multiclass. You just don't get as much for your level. I have not seen the Epic book, but even if we assume it is a strong class at those levels, taking 5 levels elsewhere becomes a drawback.

I've never had a character reach epic levels, so I don't really worry about it.

If I'm playing a Half Orc, with Barbarian as his favored class, it's basically the same as playing a human for Multi-Class purposes. Perhaps I'm talking too many classes in my above example, but I'm just building a concept here.

My main reason for going with a Ranger level or two would be for the Tracking. I've been thinking that I'd probably be better off just purchasing the Track feat, as I don't plan on using any of the other Ranger abilities.

I like a level or two of fighter. Even if I take just 2 levels, and add Power Attack & Cleave, or Weapon Focus and Dodge, it really helps the character a lot.

I like a Bard level or two also, because I can really see a "Braveheart" type speech coming out of a Barbarian, and singing while chopping heads off of baddies is pretty inspirational as well. The question is: can I get a Cha stat high enough to make it worth taking more than one level (for a bit of spellcasting). Ideally, I'd love to be able to cast Bull's Strength on myself, but I think I'd be pushing it, and getting too far from my concept of a warrior. Of course, just one level of Bard will allow me to use a Wand of Bull's Strength, and I think that item just made my wish list (along with Boots of Striding and Springing, and a big mutha-Axe).

Multi-Classing also removes that annoying illiterate thing. I think a Barbarian becoming "civilized" is a fun concept to go with.
 

Re: Humanity & power attack

David Argall said:
Now will those fans of power attack please show some evidence the feat is worth using? The misses more than cancel the extra damage in the normal cases.

First of all, I'm not against min-maxing, so let's get that out of the way right now.

Any evidence I can offer you is purely anecdotal. A player of mine uses a recurring "stock" character he calls "The Crippler." Half-orc barbarian, 1 level of fighter, and as many levels of barbarian as the current game allows. He uses a Scythe for the good crit multiplier.

I have seen him:

1) charge into a group of 6 hobgoblins (taking the attacks of opportunity) and kill every one of them the first round, and 8 more that surrounded him in the next round (great cleave for you there);

2) kill an umber hulk (at 6th level) in a single blow (over 90 points of damage on a crit);

3) deal over 200 points of damage in a single round to a dragon.

Is it worth it mathematically? Maybe not.

Is it worth it CINEMATICALLY? You bet your ass.

Some people like to play the game by the numbers, and some people like to play the game to be larger-than-life heroes. A matter of taste...


Wulf
 

Wulf, you just described the character I want to next play (except for the fighter level and the scythe -- I like axes and swords).

I'm surprised no one has suggested using a shield. The Barbarian's AC generally stinks when compared to a Fighter's, and the reduction in damage isn't that much (is it?).
 
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Power Attack is a great feat, if you know how and when to use it. Sure, pouring your entire BAB into Power Attack is usually a bad idea, but against monsters with a low AC, it's a tactically sound feat to use. It's especially good if you've got a good chance of critting - keen falchion + Improved Crit = a crit on a 12-20. Or, a weapon master with a keen scythe and Improved Crit can do unearthly amounts of damage with a little Power Attack.

There's definitely a ratio of hitting ability versus damage ability, and using power attack when that ratio is favorable to you makes all the sense in the world.
 

I have got to this thread far too late, but I would like to add "ALL POWER ATTACK, ALL THE TIME!" to the conversation again, just because.

I played a barbarian in a group that died three sessions in a row. :D First time, we found out he was only captured, second time he got raised, third time was a TPK :(

But one day I shall play another, and Wulf shall be my inspiration.
 

Re: Re: Re: Tips on playing a Barbarian for the first time

mooby said:
Wulf Ratbane, I can't tell you how helpful that was! Thanks so much!

Anybody else got any pointers?

Anybody got any good stories?

I'm really looking forward to playing this character. :) I've been considering a few levels of Ranger and/or fighter, even before reading what you sent me. Is that a good or bad idea?
Don't forget to Rage! My first barbarian character was in Living Greyhawk, and he never raged for the first four modules he was in. :D

Fighter levels are nice, because of all the bonus feats. 4 levels allows you to take Weapon Specialization, which only fighters can take.

My barbarian also took a level of Ranger, just to get Favored Enemy: Undead so he can use "Supernatural Blow" against undead. It's nice to "crit" the un-crit-able!

The Damage Reduction is nice, but it's not a lot for a Barbarian. The additional Rages are more important, but isn't there an "Extra Rage" feat available?

If you don't have Wulf's book (Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs or Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves, depending on which race you play), get them. They are great, not only for the PrCs, but also just for the inspiration as you read all the class combos Wulf created.
 

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