Pure Barbarian Ideas

[Jaspar]

So every once in a while my friends and I will do a life where one of us picks what to play. This time around the choice is pure Barbarian where we get to choose everything else.

Obviously THF with a Falchion or Greatsword or Great Axe is a choice. But also SWF with a Dagger is another choice I think would go just fine. Both using Str.

Are there other fun things to play? Would TWF Dex work?

Now, by "work" I mean at least be competitive. We are only going to 20 for a racial life so its not going to be hugely important, but Id still want it to be fun.

With pure Barbarian would a throwing build work? Maybe Bow (Rage and Str and a Bow)?

Could a stick build work without any Rogue levels?

Clearly 3 levels of Bard and 5 or 6 levels of DL would make anything possible, but we need 20 levels of Barbarian.

 

[WielderofGigantus]

Throwing builds only really work with Shurikens, and only at levels 20+.

Many barbarians go THF because it only requires Str. TWF requires 17 Dex.

Stick builds work best with either at least one level of rogue or monk as they can get +15% attack speed with staves.

 

[unbongwah]

Pure DEX barbarian does technically work now that Finesse weapons get DEX to damage natively. I'd suggest Wildhunt Shifter for their DEX Rage with Horizon Walker's No Step Missed for Trance. I'd use either scimitars or kukris, depending on whether you also wanted to use Vistani Knife Fighter. Don't dump stat STR, though, you still need Power Attack.

Not saying it's better than just sticking with STR builds, only that it works.

EDIT: basically would look a lot like Tronko's SDK barb 20 build, but with max DEX obviously and Horizon Walker instead of Harper Agent. Also since NSM is more expensive than Know the Angles, you'd have to redistribute APs a bit: e.g., 41 Berserker / 25 VKF / 14 HW.

 

[Jaspar]

Throwing builds only really work with Shurikens, and only at levels 20+.

Many barbarians go THF because it only requires Str. TWF requires 17 Dex.

Stick builds work best with either at least one level of rogue or monk as they can get +15% attack speed with staves.

Yeah, multiclassing with Barbarian really opens up a lot more choice. I think Str and either THF or SWF will be the go.

 

[unbongwah]

As for some of the other ideas:

With pure Barbarian would a throwing build work?

Depends: how badly do you want your friend to hate you afterward?

"Nah bro CON-based dwarven thrower barbarian is the bee's knees bro you gotta run it!"

Maybe Bow (Rage and Str and a Bow)?

If you go all-in on Horizon Walker, Vistani Knife Fighter, and possibly racial Arcane Archer trees while ignoring you're a barbarian, it's probably fine!

...for an archer, which is kind of a low bar.

Could a stick build work without any Rogue levels?

Does it work? Sure. Is it a good idea? Not without +15% attack speed and +25% Doublestrike from Acrobat IMO.

For dwarf / Duergar lives, you might want to consider SWF barbarian using dwarven axes or battleaxes: +2 crit multiplier from Frenzied Berserker, +1 crit range from racial tree. Dwarven axes get free Strikethrough (improved with racial tree), battleaxes get better critical threat range with Knight's Training. Some discussion here. Wouldn't say it's superior to Vistani barbarian, it's just something different to try.

 

[norriskwondo]

So every once in a while my friends and I will do a life where one of us picks what to play. This time around the choice is pure Barbarian where we get to choose everything else.

Obviously THF with a Falchion or Greatsword or Great Axe is a choice. But also SWF with a Dagger is another choice I think would go just fine. Both using Str.

Are there other fun things to play? Would TWF Dex work?

Now, by "work" I mean at least be competitive. We are only going to 20 for a racial life so its not going to be hugely important, but Id still want it to be fun.

With pure Barbarian would a throwing build work? Maybe Bow (Rage and Str and a Bow)?

Could a stick build work without any Rogue levels?

Clearly 3 levels of Bard and 5 or 6 levels of DL would make anything possible, but we need 20 levels of Barbarian.

Maybe try double heavy pick, oh wait, I think Barbarian has a really good warhammer buff in one the enhancement trees. Go dual wield warhammer and go for that enhancement in the tree. or maybe it's a combo of enhancements in 2 of the trees. I can't remember exactly
. Maybe use dwarf or duergar if that's true, for the hammer buff and the extra CON. But Human does give the extra feat and since Barb is feat starved that would be nice too.
You could go outside the box and go halfling barb with throw daggers using vistani for throwing, or a bow with horizon walker with an elf. Withthe elf you go up the racial tree a bit and go dual wield scimitars. But that whole build really brings me to going ranger, and your objective is barbarian.

 

[unbongwah]

Warhammer with Knight's Training + Improved Critical + dwarf / Duergar range bonus + Focused Wrath is a 16-20/x5 weapon.

 

[Jaspar]

Warhammer with Knight's Training + Improved Critical + dwarf / Duergar range bonus + Focused Wrath is a 16-20/x5 weapon.

Unfortunately I dont think I have any warhammers. I assume at level 8 I could have a couple of Lamordia ones.

 

[Frantik]

I've been thinking about CHA based Ravager for some time, to optilize for capstone ability. I guess any race really, but extra CHA, CON or rage races (Half Orc, Shifter) would work best. Eladrin too. WF may struggle unless SWF or TWF.

Example Dragonborn THF pure Barbarian 14 14 16 10 8 18 (tomes assumed)
41 Ravager
7 Feydark
14 Horizon Walker (Trance, Haste) ; rather than Harper, as I think I'd want DEX as my 3rd stat (plus you get Haste)
6 min Racial
rest into FB

 

[FuzzyDuck81]

Dwarf or duergar SWF primarily frenzied berserker, take knight's training ASAP & hammer racial enhancements then use whelm for the fun AoE at low to mid levels, switch to axe enhancements later on when you get access to axe of adaxus with it's extra multiplier for solid x6 kapow crits