D&D 5E Worst Classes Level 1.

[Paul Farquhar]

Manticores fly and are reasonably intelligent. A barbarian loses rage if he or she doesn't attack or take damage.

So throw something at it.

I suggest the halfing rogue.

 

[Zardnaar]

So throw something at it.

I suggest the halfing rogue.

Or use the bard as a battering ram.

If you've got a halfling bard it's an added bonus.

 

[NotAYakk]

Wizards gets at least two and maybe 3 spells.

Warlock gets 1 spell maybe 2, crapshoot in the 3rd.

I like warlocks a lot but I've noticed newer players lean heavily towards going nova then wanting to rest.

I'm thinking if just doubling or tripling short rest abilities and eliminating short rests.

Doesn't really fix it though. Also a side effect of fewer 5E spell slots relative to say 3E.

I vote for gritty rests, with time pressure on the level of days or weeks.

Days time pressure means they can take a limited number of short rests as they choose.

Weeks time pressure means they can take a limited number of long rests.

That is all true..but I’ve seen a Fighter try to lasso a Manticore, and need a timely expenditure of an Inspiration point by another PC, (as well as a plaintive plea to be allowed to act out of turn), to cast the Guidance cantrip to keep the Fighter from being carried aloft.

Having Advantage on the oppressed Str check, to be kept from being carried aloft, makes it that more likely the group does not need to expend those resources. The true role of the Barbarian is: The Survivor, at 1st level...that role helps the entire PC group to live, by not needing their help to live.

The grappling barbarian wouldn't be still be raging by raw, because a grapple check isn't an attack.

Of course I don't know how lasso works in your game. Make an attack roll, if it hits the target is grappled? Then the manticore cannot fly until it breaks free...

I guess somehow it puts the PC and manticore into an attached but not grappled mode, and counts as an attack to keeo barbarian in rage?

 

[DND_Reborn]

The grappling barbarian wouldn't be still be raging by raw, because a grapple check isn't an attack.

Really? It says it is a special melee attack in the PHB. In fact, raging gives you advantage on Strength ability checks, so you would have advantage on the Strength (Athletics) check when you do it. Since it is an attack (albeit a "special" one), and you get advantage when you do it while raging, it certainly seems like that should continue your rage IMO.

Is there a sage advice clarification I don't know of? Here's the one I found that seems to support it is an attack:

Here he states the grapple options "is an attack", but it simply uses a different mechanic in the ability check instead of the attack roll.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Grabbling is also a pretty central to the Battlerager barbarian subclass.

 

[Todd Roybark]

Yep, just like a Shove Attack is an attack.
In my opinion the flavor restrictions for the barbarian, in almost every edition the class has appeared in, are too harsh, or have elements that are often ignored or forgotten.

A player that looses Rage due to the DM having all the Goblins hide for one round, is fairly ignoble, and not that fun for the player.

Likewise, the Exhaustion level granted by the Frenzy ability, should be ignored. The penalty, negates the Advantage of Reckless Attack, and is not good flavor.

A Fighter is not fatigued after usage of an Action Surge, and a Barbarian should be assumed to have well developed cardiovascular development. Indigenous groups in the Amazonian Delta, that maintain traditional lifestyles routinely walk around 17,000 steps a day, or almost 10 miles.

 

[Ashrym]

So throw something at it.

I suggest the halfing rogue.

Sure, if something is available the barbarian might keep rage up, but ranged combat isn't a strong suit to defend the class.

 

[Undrave]

Sure, if something is available the barbarian might keep rage up, but ranged combat isn't a strong suit to defend the class.

Doesn't matter if it hit or not, just that it keeps rage up for a turn.

 

[Ashrym]

Doesn't matter if it hit or not, just that it keeps rage up for a turn.

Yes, but that's not the point. It's hard to assert a barbarian does well against a manticores because they aren't great at ranged combat keeping rage up or not.

The barbarian can be durable but that doesn't seem like much to me.

 

[Undrave]

Yes, but that's not the point. It's hard to assert a barbarian does well against a manticores because they aren't great at ranged combat keeping rage up or not.

The barbarian can be durable but that doesn't seem like much to me.

Manticore is kind of a corner case no?