I received some help a while back creating a psion character and found the advice I received here super. Hoping to receive the same again.
I'm looking to create a barbarian character. Now when I say "barbarian", I've got Riverwind (Dragonlance) or Wulfgar (Forgotten Realms) in mind. So, I'm looking to create a character like them (or on the way to becoming like them).
To put it another way, I don't necessarily need to use the 3.5e barbarian class, but I am looking for a barbarian feel. (i.e. strong and muscular, good stamina, can handle himself in the wild, intimidating, likely good at hitting things hard and soaking a good deal of damage).
Here's my character creation framework:
Setting: Homebrew
Level: 6th
Roleplaying considerations: Looking for a barbarian feel (think Wulfgar and Riverwind)
Other characters in play: TWF Fighter 2/Rogue 4; Cleric 6; Binder 6; VOP Bard 6
Books Available: PHB, PHB2, DMG, DMG2, MM, Forgotten Realms setting books (except Unapproachable East), Complete series, Races of series, Savage Species, Book of Exalted Deeds
Books mostly unavailable: Tome of Battle (I can use feats {including Martial Study} from the book, but that's about it)
Books totally out: Anything from Dragon magazine, Anything psionic, Anything from Eberron.
Ability Score Limitations: 83 stat points total (includes +1 increase at 4th level), then add racial/template modifiers; only 3 abilities may be 15+ after racial/ template modifiers; only one of those three may 18+ after racial modifiers.
Preferred Race: Human
Magical Gear Limitations: 13000 gp; only one magic weapon; only one magic shield or suit of armor; unlimited on the rest of the gear.
Alignment Restriction: Good
I think that's about it.
So... I'm looking for advice on a decent character build within the above restrictions. Suggestions for feats, skills, and magical items would be super helpful too.
Thanks so much for your help, folks!
Posterboy
I think the best class for that style of character would be barbarian or ranger - but since there's already a TWF rogue in the party, I'd focus on using a big-two-handed weapon and getting comfortable with calculating power attack damage a lot.
Here's a sample build I'd try using:
Human Barbarian 6 (primary stats are Strength, then Con, then Dex)
Feats:
1st human: Power Attack
1st char: Intimidating Rage
2nd bonus: Improved Trip
3rd char: Improved Sunder
5th bonus: Track
6th char: Combat Brute (Complete Warrior)
Skills: Intimidate, Jump, and Survival, then maybe some ranks in knowledge (nature), handle animal, and ride.
Skill tricks: Never Outnumbered (Complete Scoundrel, makes demoralize affect everybody you threaten)
Variant rules used: Wolf totem barbarian (Unearthed Arcana). Possibly Lion Totem as well (Complete Champion), since it modifies a different set of class features than the wolf totem variant does.
Items: an adamantine greatsword or reach weapon is the most important item, and armor spikes for when you are grappled. If you can get Drow of the Underdark, there is a 5,000 gp armor enhancement in it that makes demoralizing a move action, and would fit in well for the character. Potions of Enlarge Person are cheap, and are excellent for any frontliner, especially a tripper.
Basically, the character has 4 combat options: straight damage, demoralizing, tripping, and sundering, and out of combat he can track for the party.
Ideally, he could charge in the first round and trip an opponent, giving him a second attack. Then while the foe is down and has a penalty to attacks, use the iterative attack to sunder the opponent's weapon (if you have pounce from Lion totem) and then hit him using Sundering Cleave from Combat Brute (unless the weapon looks valuable...).
The second round would hopefully start with a big hit to the opponent's face using momentum swing from Combat Brute. Using demoralize can also turn a fight around, since you can send somebody straight to scared by using your intimidating rage and a standard action.
For future levels, I'd look into the Bear Warrior PrC from Complete Warrior, and see if you can get the totem animal changed to whatever suits your game best (hopefully without changing the actual stats).
Here's the barbarian handbook for some useful info as well:
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1006656
Good luck!
1 Power Attack, Cleave
3 Improved Bullrush
6 Shocktrooper
Cleave might be suboptimal but imho very fun. And it's pretty barbaric.
And yeah, as BoED is on your allowed books list, Champion of Gwynharwyf is a good, intimidating, resilient barbarian. Requires sucky feats. Gives options, though.
Edit: This thread gives options how to dump charisma and still be intimidating. However, it's not easy.
Question: Is trading uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge and trap sense for improved trip and track really worth it though? I get the trading out of trap sense (I was thinking of trading it out for magic sense anyway) But losing (improved) uncanny dodge seems a bit steep for what I get in return. Am I thinking too highly of this class feature?
Otherwise, like I said, I really like the build! Thanks!
Cru: Thanks also! Build looks good... I'll need to read up on what Shock Trooper does. This is the learning curve for me... usually all the melee characters are taken before I get to submit a character.
ErhnamDJ: Yep! I can use whirling frenzy from UA... though that would make the character lean more towards a TWF, yes? We have one of them in the party already. Is there another build that uses Whirling Frenzy that isn't a TWF type of guy? If so, I'd be interested!
A couple more questions:
1) Is there some way to get the "powerful build" racial feature for humans (or is there a +0 LA race that gets it?
2) Is there another way to get improved trip without using the wolf totem variant?
3) Would using the "feral" template from Savage Species be a good trade in for a level?
Thanks for your help all! Much appreciated!
/Fighter 10
Human Jotunbrud (RoF)
Fig 1 Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush
Fig 2 ACF: 'Dungeon Crusher' (Dungeonscape)
Fig 3 Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain)
Fig 4 Improved Sunder
Fig 5
Fig 6 ACF: 'Dungeon Crusher' (Dungeonscape), Knockback (RoS)
Fig 7
Fig 8 Shocktrooper (CW)
Fig 9 Combat Brute (CW)
Fig 10 Leap Attack (CAdr)
There're no barbarian levels in that build, but the Jotunbrud feat means you're descended from Giants, so the Big Stupid Fighter concept should be fairly easy to roleplay given the build.
Knockback requires your DM to OK Jotunbrud as a stand-in for Large/Powerful Build, but seeing as it does (almost) the same thing, it should be doable.
A Spiked Chain would be the best weapon you could get, but you could go Weapons Focus (Greatsword/Great Axe) instead of Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain).
You can add barbarian levels as you like after or during the first 10 levels. Exotic Weapon Master with the Flurry of Strikes stunt would also be an option if you go with the Spiked Chain.
Whirling Frenzy is still good on a two-handed weapon, since you only get one extra attack. Worth it if you're dipping barbarian, not worth it if you want to go Frenzied Beserker since you can't Whirling Frenzy at the same time as other forms of rage.
If only you had access to Unapproachable East. Wolf Beserker would let you qualify for Improved Trip without having Combat Expertise, and it gives a +4 to trip checks to boot. Battle Jump is awesome for double damage, but if you REALLY want to trip someone you can use a Battle Jump to count as one size category higher for a trip check, if I'm not mistaken. That all combined would give you a +12 to trip checks, not counting an item (ie. Sweeping) or your own strength.
2nd bonus: Improved Trip
You lost Comat Expertise.
2Acereraklives
You lost Comat Expertise.
Wolf Totem Barbarian from UA gives Improved Trip at second level as a bonus feat even if you don't meet prereqs.
Besides that, Track tends to be fun to use in most games I play, since barbarians have very few non-combat roles and tracking fits the motiff of the rugged woodsman quite well.
I think taking Jotunbrud at 1st level would be a strong choice though - the knockback combo that Axator suggested is also a ton of fun, or if you stick with the build I suggested, being treated as large will help a lot with trip and sunder attempts as well. Especially if you can get additional feats via flaws.
If you're familiar with the Daughter of the Drow novels by Elaine Cunningham, one of the characters, Fyodor, is a Rashemi berserker who fits the feat description pretty well. He's one of my favorite barbarian-type characters in fantasy.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Fyodor
Thanks so much for your help! Really appreciated your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback. I think I will look at putting a combo between Acereraklives and Axators builds together. (a little of column A, a little of column B)
Because I like the knockback idea so much, would taking "Goliath" as my race be a bit more optimal? It seems a decent choice (i.e. wield large weapon, treats as one size large for special attacks, standing jumps made as running jumps, bonuses to str and con, plus the class subs for the barbarian to give him reach). Is this true? Is it worth the +1 LA? Or would sticking to human just be better?
Also, what about the feral template? It seems to offer a TON of goodies for +1 LA! Yes? (not sure how it would fit thematically yet... but is it worth taking?)
Lion Totem (for Pounce) and Whirling Frenzy alt class feature out of UA.
Feats:
1 (Human) Power Attack, Cleave
2
3 Improved Initiative (or Weapon Focus)
4
5
6 Leap Attack
So on a charge when power attacking you doing triple damage instead of double. So max damage with say a Great Axe and an 18 Str, full Power Attack (-6 to hit +18 to damage) you'd be doing 1d12 +25 and with Whirling Frenzy you'd get three attacks at that. Not bad for 6th level.
Anyway... thanks all for your help! I think I'm good to go!
Posterboy
So on a charge when power attacking you doing triple damage instead of double.
Complete Adventurer Errata:
Page 110: Leap Attack
The second sentence of the Benefit paragraph should
read as follows:
If you cover at least 10 feet of horizontal distance with
your jump, and you end your jump in a square from
which you threaten your target, you deal +100% the
normal bonus damage from your use of the Power
Attack feat.
Don't forget the Extra Rage, Instantaneous Rage, etc. feats.
And Rampaging Bull Rush from Races of Stone aswell. ;)
Complete Adventurer Errata:
Too bad that errata only refers to the second sentence of the feat. It just claries that dubious wording of that sentence. The rest of the feat remains unchanged. I.E the third sentence which reads "If you use this tactic with a two-handed weapon, you instead triple the extra damage from Power Attack" remains the same.
Thanks.