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Thread: Barbarian advice.
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2009-07-05, 04:11 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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- My head
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Barbarian advice.
So I'm playing my first barbarian soon, and I'd just like some general tips.
I'll be playing first level, went with human, 16 STR, 10 DEX, 14 CON, 14 INT, 8 WIS, 12 CHA and that is final, FYI. Just looking for advice, not a new build. Umm... SRD only for feats and such, so no Tome of Battle or nothing like.
Mounted combat seems nice because I can use that, so my raging AC penalty becomes moot.
Anyhoo... yeah, just any tips you have.Last edited by The_JJ; 2009-07-05 at 04:13 AM.
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2009-07-05, 04:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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Re: Barbarian advice.
It'd be a shame to put that int to waste. Combat Expertise and Improved Trip will give you more options in combat. You can pick up Power Attack at third level, your damage won't be all THAT significantly reduced up till then. You won't really become a spiked-chain-wielding battlefield control trip machine, but having the option to knock someone on their ass who desperately deserves it is always nice - plus when you do get Power Attack, it'll let you drop more AB for damage safely.
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2009-07-05, 04:24 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
Re: Barbarian advice.
Wolf Totem Barbarian gives you Improved Trip at level 2, definitely worth using. The Whirling Frenzy variant for Rage is also really nice. Also check out the Lion spiritual totem in Complete Champion, it trades your fast movement for Pounce and is compatible with any of the SRD Barbarian variants that would still get Fast Movement.
Edit: If you want to go with a mounted character, maybe pick up Wild Cohort at level 1 to get a free horse that improves as you gain levels.Last edited by Biffoniacus_Furiou; 2009-07-05 at 04:25 AM.
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2009-07-05, 04:33 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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Re: Barbarian advice.
Hmm... I'll have to run those things by my DM bot those are some good ideas. Thank you very much.
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2009-07-05, 05:06 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
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- London, England.
Re: Barbarian advice.
Second the Improved Trip recommendation, plus since the SRD is allowed you should get Knockdown. Every time you hit someone and do 10 or more damage (which you will do, regularly) you get a trip attempt.
So you can go:
Level 1: Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Level 3: Knockdown
Or, with Wolf Totem Barbarian, you get Improved Trip for free, allowing you to spend your first two feats on other things and get Knockdown at level 3 without any addition feat expenditure.
Note re: Mounted Combat - read the feat carefully. It improves your mount's AC, not your own. Still a good feat, but it won't do anything to negate your poor AC.
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2009-07-05, 05:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- Somewhere cold.
Re: Barbarian advice.
Lion totem barbarian variant from complete champion (nets you pounce). Accept no substitute.
Last edited by Learnedguy; 2009-07-05 at 05:08 AM.
Totally getting something nice here, when the time is right that is.
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2009-07-05, 05:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
Re: Barbarian advice.
I'd say forget about mounted combat, go Wolf Totem Barbarian with the Lion spiritual totem in CC and Whirling Frenzy. Take Power Attack and Extra Rage (CW) at level 1, you get Improved Trip for free at 2, and take Knock-Down at level 3. You should definitely get Leap Attack from Complete Adventurer at level 6, and get some Armbands of Might found in both that book and MIC. Note that as per the errata Leap Attack says, "you deal +100% the normal bonus damage from your use of the Power Attack feat." Note that Armbands of Might grant +2 damage when you Power Attack for at least -2, thus the bonus granted is gained via use of the Power Attack feat and is also increased by Leap Attack. At level 6 you can activate Whirling Frenzy, charge with Leap Attack and Pounce, and attack three times. Power Attack will give you +4 damage per -1 to hit, with an additional +4 damage from the Armbands if you take at least a -2 to hit for it.
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2009-07-05, 06:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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Re: Barbarian advice.
I would REALLY look at swapping the STR and CON. Other than that, not bad.
I would also second Wolf Totem Barbarian.
Also if it fits your fluff check out the Berserker Strength (PHBII, though you did say SRd only) and Whirling Frenzy Rage variants (which is in the SRD).
I've done a horseback babarian before and it really only works if you lose the rage and/or have good will saves etc. Raging on horse back has all sorts of issues because you cannot take the skills checks needed. Unless you use whirling Frenzy which involves a lot of moving about and you would probably leap from your horse at some point.
So if you want to keep rage then lose the horse. They don't go well together.
If you are worried about AC penalties then Whirling Frenzy does not have those either. :)Current Avatar made by Pessimismrocks for the Battle for the little world - Fields of Blood game!
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2009-07-05, 06:39 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2007
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- Finland
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Re: Barbarian advice.
The worthwhile core feats for a Barbarian:
-Improved Trip
-Power Attack
-Combat Reflexes
-Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain
-Improved Initiative
-Leadership
-Spirited Charge (if you can get a decent mount, such as through Leadership)
With Wolf-Totem giving you Improved Trip, it's pretty simple to fit the rest in. Given you don't have the Dex (I'd strongly consider swapping Int and Dex if you use Wolf-Totem as then you don't need 13 Int to pick Improved Trip), Combat Reflexes can be skipped, but it's definitely a great feat and I'd take Dex just for it.Last edited by Eldariel; 2009-07-05 at 06:40 AM.
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2009-07-05, 07:43 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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Re: Barbarian advice.
Steadfast Determination, ASAP. Since you dumped Wis (why?) and have a bad will save progression, you'll need it more than any other feat.
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2009-07-05, 09:35 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Barbarian advice.
Originally Posted by Gorbash
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2009-07-05, 09:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
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- Finland
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Re: Barbarian advice.
Steadfast Determination would be even better if this wasn't an SRD-only build.
Campaign Journal: Uncovering the Lost World - A Player's Diary in Low-Magic D&D (Latest Update: 8.3.2014)
Being Bane: A Guide to Barbarians Cracking Small Men - Ever Been Angry?! Then this is for you!
SRD Averages - An aggregation of all the key stats of all the monster entries on SRD arranged by CR.
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2009-07-05, 04:43 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2008
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Re: Barbarian advice.
Alright, thanks guys. I think I'll definately go Wolf Totem, and take knockdown. May or may not keep the mounted combat, but it seems that, just setting wise, we'll be spending a lot of time moving around on horseback.
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2009-07-05, 04:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2007
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- Finland
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Re: Barbarian advice.
Campaign Journal: Uncovering the Lost World - A Player's Diary in Low-Magic D&D (Latest Update: 8.3.2014)
Being Bane: A Guide to Barbarians Cracking Small Men - Ever Been Angry?! Then this is for you!
SRD Averages - An aggregation of all the key stats of all the monster entries on SRD arranged by CR.