The Gaming Den

Version 1.2

This class is pretty simple, being the Barbarian. The only change that might interest some of you is the new uncanny dodge mechanic, which has four notable levels, then turns into a series of dodge bonuses to AC. I stole this progression from Frank, who came up with it several months ago elsewhere.

I must admit, I’m not a fan of classes that don’t have any choices involved in their class features, but the Barbarian is such an archetype that I didn’t want to tinker with it too heavily. I’ve been tempted several times to write up a list of ‘meta-rage powers’, and have the barbarian gain them slowly as he levels up…but I’m not sure if it’s worthwhile.

In essence, this is the “tough guy” character. He gets mad, he breaks things, and he doesn’t ever die. He doesn’t fight nearly as well as the Arsenalist, but he wins out of sheer stubbornness and pure brutality.


BARBARIAN

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d12.

Class Skills
The barbarian’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Knowledge: Nature (Int), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier.

BAB: High

Saves: Fort high, Ref and Will low



Class Features
All of the following are class features of the barbarian.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A barbarian is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields (but not heavy shields).
Fast Movement (Ex): A barbarian’s land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the barbarian’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn.
Rage (Ex): A barbarian can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day. In a rage, a barbarian temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the barbarian’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While raging, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Ride, and Tumble), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A barbarian may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the barbarian loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level barbarian, at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below).
A barbarian can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his rage ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day. Entering a rage takes a free action but a barbarian can do it only during his turn, not in response to someone else’s action.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, a barbarian retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a barbarian already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
At 5th level and higher, a barbarian can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a creature the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more hit dice or character levels than the target has barbarian levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a creature must be to flank the character.
At 8th level and higher, a barbarian no longer loses his Dexterity bonus to AC under any of the following conditions: when he is grappled or grappling, when he is climbing, when he is balancing on a delicate surface, when he is running, or when he is entangled.
At 11th level and higher, a barbarian no longer loses his Dexterity bonus to AC when he is stunned.
At 14th level and higher, a barbarian gains a +1 Dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases by 1 for every 3rd level past 11 (14th, 17th, and 20th.)
Trap Sense (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a barbarian gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise by +1 every three barbarian levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.
Survival Instinct (Ex): At 3rd level, the amount of negative hp that a barbarian can be reduced to without dying becomes equal to –10 minus twice his class level (-16 at 3rd level, -18 at 4th level, and so on.) At 11th level, this amount increases to –10 minus three times his class level (-43 at 11th level, -46 at 12th level, and so on). At level 20, this amount increases to –10 minus four times his class level (-90 at 20th level).
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 7th level, a barbarian gains Damage Reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage the barbarian takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three barbarian levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.
Greater Rage (Ex): At 11th level, a barbarian’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at –2.
Will to Live (Su): At 13th level, a barbarian gains Spell Resistance 10+character level vs. death effects, and his chance to stabilize during any round in which he is below 0 HP increases to 30% + 1% per class level.
Indomitable Will (Ex): A barbarian of 14th level or higher gains a +4 bonus on Will saves to resist enchantment spells. This bonus stacks with all other modifiers, including the morale bonus on Will saves he also receives during his rage.
Tireless Rage (Ex): At 17th level and higher, a barbarian no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his rage.
Mighty Rage (Ex): At 20th level, a barbarian’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +8, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +4. The penalty to AC remains at –2.



Essence

The survival instinct ability seems cumbersome. Why 3 points every three levels instead of 1 point every level like Epic characters already do?

As is, Rage Death finally catches up to you anyway at level 11 - at which point you get greater rage and rage death hits you like a truck full of smaller trucks full of bricks. It seems like the character would be better served with with a simple 1/level bonus to survival instinct and a phat pay check of more when they get greater rage.

Ironically, Will to Live makes the character occassionally benefit from small amounts of constitution damage - you might want to change that a bit.

-Username17

So, they'd need to get to -80 without dying by 20th character level. OK...that's frickin' huge, but I'm not afraid of hugeness. Is there actually any mechanical reason to *not* let them go that low?


Will to Live...this abuse works by taking minor Con damage, using Will to Live to gain some HP, then being Restored to full Con, thus putting yourself well above 0 HP, right?

Is this really even a worry? To abuse the ability that way, the party has to waste some form of magic/poison/etc to deal Con damage to the barbarian, wait while he struggles to his feet, then cast, at the minimum, a Lesser Restoration on him. A Lesser Restoration only heals 2.5 points of ability damage average, which would be 25 HP gained average. Compared to a more traditional and less time- and resource-consuming method -- casting Cure Moderate Wounds and healing 19 HP average.

I suppose for the cost of a 4th level spell slot (Restoration), a high-level barbarian could potentially be regaining thirty-something points of Constitution, and thus 600+ HP, but wouldn't a Heal be easier and more effective at that point?


Essence

No, you take 1 point of Con Damage to drop yourself by your level in hit points, the point of con heals just by sleeping - the extra hit points you healed because of will to live stack with the hit points you already heal for a day passing.

"I'm going to bed ma!"

"Remember to stick a leech to your face dear."

You can do similar things with a 2nd level lesser restoration - but I think the minimum effort paradigm does show an unwanted trend - the ability to double your stat healing rate onto your regular healing rate.

-Username17

Update:
I corrected Survival Instinct to allow the barbarian to go from -9 HP to -89 HP without dying when his rage ended.

I also entirely threw out Will to Live, and replaced it with a pair of more minor abilities that I figure have the same rough value, only without the cheese part.


Essence

If Ragedeath is your primary concern, I'd think it would be easier to just say the hit points granted by the Con increase from Rage are temporary hit points instead of the normal real hp.

Survival Instinct just doesn't seem that great, seeing as you still bleed and are still limited to partial actions. Still, the Diehard feat looks pretty good around 9th level.

Will to Live: I don't like giving classes SR unless they're monks. I'd rather see something like Slippery Mind that gives you a second save 1 round later, or a flat save bonus (and arguably both). The second half of this ability is worse than Diehard (which, as I said above, is already pretty appealing).

But beyond being a flat power increase, it looks pretty good.

What makes Diehard suddenly good at 9th level?

Realistically, Diehard is like giving yourself 9 extra HP, and it saves you 2 or 3 rounds of bleeding before you stabilize. Is 9 HP worth a feat if you've already got more HP than anyone else in the party? Are those 2 or 3 rounds worth of HP loss worth a feat if you can get to -31 without being in danger of dying?

Besides, if you're unconsious during combat, you're dead anyway (CDG), and if you're unconsious outside of combat, you're alive anyway (CLW).


Essence

So you're relying on the fact that Diehard uses a primary game rule of -1 to -9 = dying and -10 = dead being the result of them actually wanting it to not work if -10 != dead?

If you move where "dead" is and how big "dying" is, it's logical to readjust Diehard accordingly. Unless you explicitly deny this interpretation somewhere, it's a perfectly valid interpretation of how the rules should interact.

What happens if I introduce a feat that doesn't use explicit numbers like Diehard, and just uses the concepts of "dying" and "dead"?

da chicken wrote:If you move where "dead" is and how big "dying" is, it's logical to readjust Diehard accordingly. Unless you explicitly deny this interpretation somewhere, it's a perfectly valid interpretation of how the rules should interact.

Agreed, and I've already made this change in my personal version of the text. Thanks for pointing it out, though, I'll update the version posted here.