Unleash your inner primal warrior with our guide to optimizing the Barbarian class! From race and ability scores to managing rage and exploring different flavors of this ferocious class, we'll help you create the ultimate Barbarian for your next campaign. Don't settle for a one-dimensional brute – unlock the full potential of this versatile class with our expert tips and strategies.

Summary

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we optimize Barbarians. We explore the race, ability scores, skills, and features of the Barbarian class. We touch on the limitations of rage and the importance of managing rage uses. We emphasize the importance of considering different flavors and interpretations of rage to make the Barbarian class more interesting and diverse.

We also discuss the role of Barbarians in combat and their limited utility outside of combat. We review the different subclasses of the Barbarian class in Dungeons & Dragons, provide our opinions on each subclass, and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. We discuss the subclasses which we've have chosen for our example barbarians. Ash chooses the Path of the Giant, which allows him to become a fairy giant barbarian with increased reach and size. Tyler chooses the Ancestral Guardian subclass, which grants him the ability to protect his allies by taunting enemies and reducing damage to them. Randall chooses the Path of Wild Magic, which gives him the ability to roll on a table and gain beneficial effects whenever he enters a rage. We also share some of their favorite memories from D&D and Pathfinder games.

Takeaways

• Barbarians are primarily focused on strength and constitution, with a splash of other abilities depending on the desired character build.
• Rage is the central feature of the Barbarian class, providing resistance to certain types of damage and a damage bonus on strength-based melee attacks.
• Managing rage uses is crucial, as Barbarians have a limited number of rages per day.
• Flavor and interpretation of rage can vary, allowing for different character concepts and playstyles.
• Barbarians excel in combat but may have limited utility outside of combat.
• Consider the adventuring day structure and the limitations of rage when playing a Barbarian.
• The Bear Totem subclass of the Totem Warrior is a popular choice for its survivability.
• The Ancestral Guardian subclass is powerful but can be boring to play.
• The Berserker subclass is considered the worst subclass due to the exhaustion mechanic.
• The Path of the Beast subclass is fun and offers a Lycanthrope-like experience.
• The Path of the Juggernaut subclass is compared to the Home Run Bat from Super Smash Bros.
• The hosts discuss the importance of setting expectations and discussing subclass choices during session zero.
• The hosts discuss the subclasses they have chosen for their barbarian characters. Ash chooses the Path of the Giant, Tyler chooses the Ancestral Guardian subclass, and Randall chooses the Path of Wild Magic
• They share some of their favorite memories from D&D and Pathfinder games

Materials Referenced in This Episode

• Content from RPGBOT.net
  • Barbarian Handbook
  • Barbarian Races Breakdown
  • Barbarian Subclass Breakdown
• Other Stuff
  • Johnn Four: The 5-Room Dungeon
  • Zangief

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Tyler Kamstra

• Twitter: @RPGBOTDOTNET
• Facebook: rpgbotbotdotnet
• Bluesky:rpgbot.bsky.social

Ash Ely

• Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
• Twitter: @GravenAshes
• YouTube@ashravenmedia

Randall James

• @JackAmateur
• Amateurjack.com

Producer Dan

• @Lzr_illuminati