Barbarian (Dungeons & Dragons)
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| D&D character class | |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | |
| Alignment | Any non-lawful |
| Based on | Barbarian |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Stats | OGL stats |
The Barbarian is a core class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game and is one of the base character classes presented in the Player's Handbook. The barbarian is seen as the archetypal warrior who uses brute strength and raw fury to excel in combat, instead of the honed skills of the Fighter or measured strength of the Monk. Of all the classes, the barbarian begins the game illiterate and is forced to expend extra skill points in order to read and write.
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[edit] Creative origins
The barbarian is based on Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Gardner Fox's Kothar and to a lesser extent Fritz Lieber's Fahfrd.[1]
Half-Orcs, Korobokuru (a race of primitive oriental Dwarves introduced in Oriental Adventures), and Diopsids (an obscure race of humanoid beetles that first appeared in Dragon magazine #267) all have Barbarian as a favored class.
[edit] Mechanics and Abilities
The barbarian has fewer distinct tactical options than D&D's other primary melee combatant, the fighter. Instead of the many bonus feats that the fighter can choose from, barbarians receive a small but unique list of special abilities that make them unique on the battlefield.
[edit] Rage
Barbarians can tap their inner fury to fly into a berserker-like rage. Once the rage is expended, the barbarian becomes fatigued for the remainder of the encounter. Rage provides boni to strength, consitution, and Will saving throws (which can make barbarians surprisingly resistant to harmful magic,) and a glut of additional hit points which expire along with their rage. Rage also reduces armour class and interferes with any skill requiring patience or concentration.
As barbarians gain in power, their rage can be used more often and provides even larger Strength and Constitution bonuses, while taking less of a toll on their bodies.
[edit] Other Abilities
Also unlike the fighter, the barbarian class confers a number of specific abilities to the character. Most of these come from the barbarian's feral alertness, and from sheer speed and endurance.
Barbarians can instinctively guard themselves against ambushes or opponents that surround them, as well as reacting more swiftly against traps. In straight movement they also enjoy faster than average speed for their race, able to run down most foes.
The Iconic barbarian is Krusk, a male half-orc.
[edit] Party Role
The Barbarian's typical role within an adventuring party is as a straightforward front-rank tank. Barbarians make both good primary combatants as well as heavy scouts, owing to their granted speed bonus and survival skills. The ability to absorb damage and shrug it off lightly while delivering shattering blows to opponents makes going toe-to-toe with one an extremely bad idea. However, they lack the tactical versatility of Fighters with their plethora of Feats, and many of their skills and abilities favour lighter armours, which on top of Rage weakens their defence.
Moreover, if a barbarian adventures alone and encounters magic-wielding foes that he cannot charge and take out personally, he will most likely be defeated. The weakness of the barbarian is an inability to adapt to situations such as these - in aspects other than melee, the barbarian is often ill-prepared and ill-suited. However, with proper support from other party members by way of healing and spell counters, a well-built barbarian will prove immensely useful.
Strength is vital to Barbarians as for most primary melee classes, but Constitution is perhaps more so, as it determines the duration and hit point bonus of their Rage, while their limited AC demands a hardy frame. Good Dexterity can help redress this imbalance, as emphasised by their Uncanny Dodge ability.
[edit] Multiclassing
Barbarians have a few problems with taking other class levels, as alignment restrictions rule out e.g. Paladin or Monk entirely, and Rage interferes with spellcasting. Moreover, several of their most powerful class features appreciate greatly with higher levels. However, a few combinations can prove enticing.
- The Barbarian/Fighter (mongol style) Feats like Great Cleave and Greater Weapon Focus, etc. can make a Barbarian's already formidable melee presence frightful to behold.
- The Barbarian/Ranger (or nomad) Two Weapon Combat often benefits from Strength improvements, many skills overlap.
- The Barbarian/Bard (tribal loremaster) Inspire Courage/Greatness function normally during Rage and can complement it's effects, stealth and motion skills may be useful to lightly-armoured Barbarians.
[edit] Barbarians in Other Worlds
[edit] Eberron
In most Dungeons & Dragons games, the barbarian is represented as a savage, tribal warrior. However, in the Eberron campaign setting, barbarians are more like nomads -- while they may not be civilized, they are certainly not savages.
[edit] Forgotten Realms
Barbarians in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting are similar in presentation as the class presented in the core rulebook. Barbarians can be of any race in the Realms, though some are more uncommon than others. Barbarians are described as being confused by the cosmopolitan nature of certain regions of Faerûn.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ DeVarque, Aardy. Literary Sources of D&D. Retrieved on February 23, 2007.
[edit] External Links
| Dungeons & Dragons character classes | ||
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Base classes from the Player's Handbook: Barbarian • Bard • Cleric • Druid • Fighter • Monk • Paladin • Ranger • Rogue • Sorcerer • Wizard |
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Additional/Alternative base classes: Archivist • Ardent • Artificer • Beguiler • Binder • Crusader • Divine Mind • Dragon Shaman • Dragonfire Adept • Dread Necromancer • Duskblade • Erudite • Factotum • Favored Soul • Healer • Hexblade • Knight • Lurk • Incarnate • Marshal • Mystic • Ninja • Noble • Psion • Psychic Warrior • Samurai • Scout • Shadowcaster • Shaman • Sha' ir • Shugenja • Sohei • Soulborn • Soulknife • Spellthief • Spirit Shaman • Swashbuckler • Swordsage • Totemist • Truenamer • Warblade • Warlock • Warmage • Wilder • Wu Jen |
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NPC Classes: Adept • Aristocrat • Commoner • Expert • Warrior |
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Unearthed Arcana generic classes: Expert • Spellcaster • Warrior |
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