Post/Author/DateTime	Post
orwen4life 04-17-04, 02:59 PM	Anyone who has seriously played a barbarian, a normal human barbarian, has probably noticed that there aren't any magic items made that suit most barbarians. For weapons all the specific items are either swords, daggers, bows, or they're so ridiculously powerful that no self respecting DM would allow it in the game. It's the same with armor, for a barbarian a breastplate is as heavy as one would want to wear and be able to keep the fast movement, the only problem is there is no special abilities that a barbarian can benefit from. The only thing barbarians can use is the enhancement bonus, while rogues get things like shadowed, glammered, and silent moves. Now of course there are people who say the fortification ability is good, but how often is that ability going to come in handy? If your DM has monsters that are crit'ing on you one out of four swings I say he/she is cheating. The point is how about making some special abilities for specific classes? You've got a holy avenger for Paladins, why not something of the same importance for a Barbarian or a fighter? I play a human barbarian, 7th level, and the only magic item I have is a Ring of Protection +2, and because two R.O.P's don't stack the +1 is a waste of space. How about making a specific weapon that enhances the wielders reach, or an armor that doubles size category when worn? Honestly what else is a barbarian good for but soaking up damage and dealing lots of it back out? There really is no roleplay value in anything else, you can't be smart and you can't be charismatic....you are only there so that when the seven headed hydra pops out of the darkness you can take all the hits while everyone else takes the glory.
MystErikEry 04-17-04, 03:20 PM	Originally posted by orwen4life There really is no roleplay value in anything else, you can't be smart and you can't be charismatic....you are only there so that when the seven headed hydra pops out of the darkness you can take all the hits while everyone else takes the glory. I don't agree with this. You can, if you like, make a Barbarian talented in the art of basketweaving if you so desired. If you want some magical items for your Barbarian, invent some. *shrugs helplessly*
Tony Vargas 04-17-04, 03:22 PM	Ooookay... well, I guess everyone needs to vent now and then... You shouldn't have any trouble finding magic items that work well for a barbarian. There are plenty of magical medium and light armors, for instance, including some very desireable ones. Whether you're a comparatively nice barbarian revelling in the bizarrely high max DEX bonus of Celestial Mail, or a brutal one gleafully charging everything in sight in your Rhino Hide armor, you should be able to have some fun. There shouldn't be any shortage of two-handed magical weapons, either - a keen falchion, for instance, works wonders on anything vulnerable to critical hits, a Greatax of Mighty Cleaving might be a nice substitute for Great Cleave (feats are precious for non-fighters, afterall). Other items a barbarian can benefit dispraportionately from: STR & CON boosters of any kind, speed-enhancing boots, even a simple Enlarge Potion (50 gp, and for 10 rounds you have reach, +2 STR, size bonus to grappling, bullrushing, etc, increased weapon damage... and did I mention, Reach?). ... You have discovered one thing about the barbarian, though: thier class abilities are rather one-dimensional. Barbs are all about running in and dealing (and absorbing) massive damage - all thier class abilities are skewed towards. That doesn't mean you can't RP them with some variety though. Some barbarians might take track and carry a bow, and act more like rangers (until the chips are down, and the open a can of Rage on you). Others could be primarily ranged combatants (with thier feats focused on the bow, for instance), who have a nasty surprise for those who finally close with them. Some barbarians could rage in a 'glory of battle' way, others could be berserkers - some could love raging, while others could be disturbed by it. Some might seek battle, while others are so good at it simply to survive. As wide a variety of personalities is still possible as with any other class, even without as wide a choice in abilities...
ksbsnowowl 04-17-04, 03:29 PM	For weapons all the specific items are either swords, daggers, bows, or they're so ridiculously powerful that no self respecting DM would allow it in the game. It's the same with armor, for a barbarian a breastplate is as heavy as one would want to wear and be able to keep the fast movement, the only problem is there is no special abilities that a barbarian can benefit from.Good Specific weapons for a Barbarian: -Frost Brand (Greatswords are the best two-handed matial weapons in the PHB) -Sun Blade -Sword of Life Stealing Good Specific armor for a barbarian: -Dwarven Plate (Full Plate made of mithril - counts as medium armor, thus allowing the barb his fast movement) -Rhino Hide (espcially good when conbined with 3.5's 2:1 power attack; now it's 4:1) Good Armor Abilities for a Barbarian: -Any of the resistances -Fotification -Ghost Touch -Glammered (allows you to 'blend in' with civil society while staying ready for battle) -Spell Resistance
Boondoggle 04-17-04, 09:10 PM	Good Specific armor for a barbarian: -Dwarven Plate (Full Plate made of mithril - counts as medium armor, thus allowing the barb his fast movement) -Rhino Hide (espcially good when conbined with 3.5's 2:1 power attack; now it's 4:1) Read the 3.5 updates to these. Dwarven Full Plate is now made of adamantine, not mithril. Rhino hide doesn't double damage, but does +2d6 bonus damage on a charge.
Sorxores 04-17-04, 10:58 PM	the spell resistance are the worst thing you can put on an armor or shield because they don't stack and the higher you can have his 17 and it's so costly. to beat a SR a caster do: 1d20+caster lvl+feat(+4 if you have greater spell penetration), I did some math, and even the SR of a Great wyrm gold dragon (CR 26) his useless against a sorcerer, bard, wizard, cleric or druid lvl 26: caster lvl =26 feat = +4 so he start with 30+1d20 and he must beat a SR of 33, so he need to roll a 3 or higher. Same goes with your armor of SR. When you'll have the money to buy you the SR 17, the spellcaster will be lvl 12, +4 because of the feat : it making a SR buster of 16+1d20, there is no critical miss
ksbsnowowl 04-18-04, 12:26 AM	Originally posted by Boondoggle Dwarven Full Plate is now made of adamantine, not mithril. Okay, well, you can still get Mithril Full Plate. That sucks about the Rhino Hide though.
Bloodtide_the_Red 04-18-04, 02:01 AM	There are plenty of magic items out there for barbarians. --Ring of Animal Freindship--bit of role-playing here, and barbarians will likey run into lots of animals. --Ring of Climbing or Jumpping or Swimming--little bost never hurts. --Ring of Evasion or Freedom of Movement--anyone can use --Amulet of Natural Armor-almost a must have --Bag of Tricks-almost made for a barbarian --Horn of Blasting-very barbarian like --Horn of Valhalla-It's a pure barbarian item And thoes are just out of the DMG. There are lots of other books with items. Magic of Fareun has plenty of good items. Belt of Lions, Heart of the Beast, Troll Gut rope, and Yornar's Crescent. The 'role-playing' of an item is more how you use it. Player 1-'I toss out a ball from my bag of tricks and (roll) command the wolf to jump and attack. Player 2-'I Kuskut the Mighty call upon the animal spirits of my anscestors to aid me in battle(reach into bag and toos out fuzzy ball). Grow spirit animal of my loins(roll)--Wolf of my bloody heart strike my foes down(command wolf to attack). BT
edgelett 04-18-04, 08:26 AM	Originally posted by orwen4life There really is no roleplay value in anything else, you can't be smart and you can't be charismatic....you are only there so that when the seven headed hydra pops out of the darkness you can take all the hits while everyone else takes the glory. um....as someone playing a barbarian with an intelligence of 14 I disagree!!! No i can't read, but I'm not playing your typical dumb barbarian. In fact, one of the other party members has started teaching me to read. Yes I'm a tank (a gnome tank) and deal out heaps of damage, but I'm also a good tracker, I'm skilled in trapping animals & making armour from their hide. It really all depends how where you stick the skill points!!!!! but, back to magic items......there are HEAPS a barbarian can use...get a keen greatsword or axe, a sword with frostbrand or a flaming sword, or some studded leather +3, all these things are helpful. Braces of natural armour, a weapon that gives bulls strength, the choices are endless!!!
ksbsnowowl 04-18-04, 10:33 AM	Originally posted by edgelett Braces of natural armour These metalic mouth implements will protect me!:rofl:
Sorxores 04-18-04, 02:00 PM	one of the mightiest creature in Dnd his the dragon: why because he have lot's of Hp, good attack, good damage and he cast spell. the first part look like a barbarian, give a way to the barbarian to cast spell, and he could scared some people: If in the group you a friend spell caster, take some spell storing item (weapon of spell storing, ring of spell storing, Ioun stone Vibrant purple) make him fill them with spell, then go in front of the battle field. There is no arcane spell failure, no attack of opportinity for some (like the weapon of spell storing) and it use the frien spellcaster caster lvl, Cha, Int or Wis modifier, feat... The mighty muscle guy with some 130Hp at lvl 10 casting a hold monster then strike the enemis with a weapon unleashing vampiric touch, that scary. Or he can cast mirror image (spell lvl 2) and you have 1d4+1barbarian, ok just one can deal damage, but, the ennemies who fail ther saving throw saw a barbarian multiplaying him self and now he have 3 raging barbarians charging them. Here an exemple: greatsword of spell storing: hold person cast by the sorcerer(lvl 10): DC 10+5(Cha)+3(spell lvl) = 18 Ioun Stone: 2 Dispel magic (lvl 3 each) the caster is the sorcerer not the barbarian so the caster lvl check is made with the sorcerer ring of spell storing, minor the cleric can store a cure Serious wound Then there is no many people who think about it, but barbarian can use rod. SRD: Rods are scepterlike devices that have unique magical powers and do not usually have charges. Anyone can use a rod. The enemis mage want to cast you a spell, use your Ioun stone charge with 2 dispel magic, then charge the mage. Item are not only there to improved your already good stuff, they can be use to fill your scrapy skill (like casting a spell) Or use some steathl equipment (armor of silent and shadows or Ioun stone fill with improved invisibility and silence cast by the sorcerer and the cleric of the group) max out your move silently and hide skill (even if they are cross class) and now the big muscle guy can sneak up the enemis and do major damge without being seen. And barbarian can read, they just need to use 2 skill point to do so, or take one level of fighter (an extra feat and you loose a average of 1 hp and 2 skill) and you know how to read But I know, a barbarian will never be better then the rogue in sneaking the enemis and he will never be better then the sorcerer in casting spell, but he will alway be better the the other in making heavy damage to the enemies and taking all the hit laughing because the damage are ridiculous compared to his Hp.
Edymnion 04-18-04, 02:26 PM	Originally posted by edgelett um....as someone playing a barbarian with an intelligence of 14 I disagree!!! No i can't read, but I'm not playing your typical dumb barbarian. In fact, one of the other party members has started teaching me to read. I gotta agree here as well. I also play a Barbarian with an Int of 14. He not only has spent the points on Literacy, but also dumped 2 points into Speak Language to learn Elven. My "Barbarian" is completely civilized, perfectly at home in cities, has zero ranks in Survival, and is in every way a city boy. His ability to Rage I defined as being a type of curse from Hextor. He isn't a Barbarian, he's a Berserker. I'm having a BLAST playing him. He's even taking a feat from the BoED that lets him deal subdual damage without taking the -4 to hit so he doesn't even have to kill people. He kills left and right when Raging, but he would rather not hurt someone if he can help it when he's not. You don't HAVE to be an uncivilized frothing brute killing machine if you don't want to be. You can wad up the PHB description of the class and throw it out the window if you want to, and just use the mechanics of the class. You'll find that your roleplaying oppertunities really open up when you don't force yourself into the cookie cutter classes that the PHB suggests.