[FCCC] Barbarian

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erik
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[FCCC] Barbarian

Post by erik »

Some musings on my tweaking of the Barbarian:
For the most part, classes that are gaining spellcasting essentially for free (such as the Barbarian) will not be getting much of a change to their class features. They're already getting a substantial power up.



Spells types I was wanting to include:
Buffs
Minor healing
Fear effects
Shout attacks
Animal effects
Abjuration-defenses (anti magic, anti energy)
Mobility spells

Stuff I mostly did not want:
Summoning
Battlefield control
Ranged attacks (other than shouts)
Full fledged teleportation or planar movement

There's lots of Spell Compendium spells that would be good fits, but I sure don't want to wade through that now (especially since they aren't nicely indexed and filtered like the d20 srd core spells).
Barbarian
“You call me Barbarian. I call you weak.”

A barbarian finds their power in brute strength. Often forsaking civilized behavior, the barbarian endures the harshness of the wild and embraces a sometimes reckless desire to be stronger.


HD d12
BAB +1/level
Good Saves Fortitude
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveReflex SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st+1+2+0+0Fast movement, rage 1/day
2nd+2+3+0+0Uncanny dodge
3rd+3+3+1+1
4th+4+4+1+1Rage 2/day
5th+5+4+1+1Improved uncanny dodge
6th+6/1+5+2+2
7th+7/2+5+2+2Damage reduction 1/—
8th+8/3+6+2+2Rage 3/day
9th+9/4+6+3+3
10th+10/5+7+3+3Damage reduction 2/—
11th+11/6/1+7+3+3Greater rage
12th+12/7/2+8+4+4Rage 4/day
13th+13/8/3+8+4+4Damage reduction 3/—
14th+14/9/4+9+4+4ndomitable will
15th+15/10/5+9+5+5
16th+16/11/6/1+10+5+5Damage reduction 4/—, rage 5/day
17th+17/12/7/2+10+5+5Tireless rage
18th+18/13/8/3+11+6+6
19th+19/14/9/4+11+6+6Damage reduction 5/—
20th+20/15/10/5+12+6+6Mighty rage, rage 6/day

Suggested Skills
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A barbarian is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower 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.

Spells
A barbarian casts arcane spells which are drawn from the barbarian spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard must.

To learn or cast a spell, a barbarian must have a Constitution score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a barbarian’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the barbarian’s Constitution modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a barbarian can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is as on Table: Spontaneous Caster Spells per Day. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Constitution score.

A barbarian begins play knowing five 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new barbarian level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Spontaneous Caster Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a barbarian knows is not affected by his Constitution score; the numbers on Table: Spontaneous Caster Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells are chosen from the barbarian spell list.

Unlike a wizard, a barbarian need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.

A barbarian’s spell focus item is often a spirit fetish, game trophy or a weapon of personal significance.

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, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration. 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).

A barbarian is unique in that while raging he can still cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand). He still cannot however activiate magic items that require spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise and item creation feats.

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 (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a barbarian can do it only during his action, 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 instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 5th level and higher, a barbarian can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has barbarian levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge 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 rogue must be to flank the character.

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.

Indomitable Will (Ex)
While in a rage, 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.


Barbarian Spell list

Level 0 Spells:
  • * Arcane Mark
    * Create Water
    * Cure Minor Wounds
    * Detect Magic
    * Detect Poison
    * Guidance
    * Know Direction
    * Light
    * Mending
    * Purify Food and Drink
    * Resistance
    * Virtue
Level 1 Spells:
  • * Alarm
    * Animal Messenger
    * Bane
    * Calm Animals
    * Cause Fear
    * Charm Animal
    * Cure Light Wounds
    * Detect Animals or Plants
    * Detect Snares and Pits
    * Divine Favor
    * Doom
    * Endure Elements
    * Enlarge Person
    * Entropic Shield
    * Expeditious Retreat
    * Goodberry
    * Hide from Animals
    * Jump
    * Longstrider
    * Magic Fang
    * Magic Weapon
    * Mount
    * Pass without Trace
    * Remove Fear
    * Shillelagh
    * Speak with Animals
    * True Strike
Level 2 Spells:
  • * Aid
    * Align Weapon
    * Animal Trance
    * Barkskin
    * Bear's Endurance
    * Blur
    * Bull's Strength
    * Cat's Grace
    * Cure Moderate Wounds
    * Delay Poison
    * False Life
    * Heroism
    * Hold Animal
    * Make Whole
    * Protection from Arrows
    * Rage
    * Resist Energy
    * Scare
    * Snare
    * Spider Climb
Level 3 Spells:
  • * Create Food and Water
    * Cure Serious Wounds
    * Darkvision
    * Dominate Animal
    * Fear
    * Flame Arrow
    * Good Hope
    * Haste
    * Heal Mount
    * Keen Edge
    * Magic Fang, Greater
    * Magic Vestment
    * Magic Weapon, Greater
    * Neutralize Poison
    * Nondetection
    * Protection from Energy
    * Repel Vermin
    * Water Breathing
Level 4 Spells:
  • * Animal Growth
    * Air Walk
    * Antiplant Shell
    * Commune with Nature
    * Cure Critical Wounds
    * Death Ward
    * Dimension Door
    * Divine Power
    * Fire Shield
    * Freedom of Movement
    * Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
    * Minor Creation
    * Shout
    * Spell Immunity
    * Stoneskin
Level 5 Spells:
  • * Disrupting Weapon
    * Fabricate
    * Heroism, Greater
    * Interposing Hand
    * Mage's Faithful Hound
    * Major Creation
    * Righteous Might
    * Slay Living
Level 6 Spells:
  • * Antilife Shell
    * Antimagic Field
    * Blade Barrier
    * Find the Path
    * Globe of Invulnerability
    * Bear's Endurance, Mass
    * Bull's Strength, Mass
    * Cat's Grace, Mass
    * Protection from Energy
    * Heroes' Feast
    * Ironwood
    * Repulsion
    * Shout, Greater
    * Stone Tell
    * Wind Walk
Level 7 Spells:
  • * Grasping Hand
    * Instant Summons
    * Mage's Sword
    * Refuge
    * Regenerate
    * Statue
Level 8 Spells:
  • * Antipathy
    * Clenched Fist
    * Earthquake
    * Iron Body
    * Mind Blank
    * Moment of Prescience
    * Protection from Spells
    * Spell Immunity, Greater
Level 9 Spells:
  • * Crushing Hand
    * Foresight
    * Freedom
    * Mage's Disjunction
    * Wail of the Banshee
Last edited by erik on Sun Oct 03, 2010 5:20 am, edited 5 times in total.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Updated!

Essentially same old barbarian but with full casting at the cost of the crappy Trap Sense mechanic which I never liked. Also I got rid of class skills and just changed them into suggestions.
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Sunwitch
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Post by Sunwitch »

Even though you're adding in 0-9 spellcasting for this guy, you still want his actual class features to be USEFUL. I recommend making a rage mechanic that isn't clunky as heck, has a flavourful, interesting activation mechanic rather than the boring and weird per-day thing, and bumping DR up to one per two levels for starters. Make it so that his class features are things that people actually care about.
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erik
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Post by erik »

I was unaware that barbarian rage was clunky other than on the principle that it modifies stats, and I do not think that aspect of rage is on my list of things to scrap.

As for activation mechanics... it's a free action. Does it really need fluff? Per-day has not struck me as weird.

I don't understand either of those critiques if you could please elaborate.


As for DR, yeah, it could be stronger for its level. That was the one thing I was most likely to upgrade on the barbarian class features. I considered making rage scale a bit more quickly and bundling in various rage feats as freebies, but that was more work than I wanted to do at this moment.

Main reason I didn't do much class ability tweaking is because I wanted to get these done quickly, and for the non-caster classes it mostly is just going to be slapping on a spell list and calling it a day. I certainly don't have a desire to redesign rage from the ground-up.

Very likely once I'm done with all 11 classes I will come back to tweak each class and I am happy to take suggestions on how to do so. Some tweaking is going to have to wait until I am done with the whole proof of concept bit. I'm kind of regretting doing the modifications on the other classes (druuuuuuu-id!) rather than simply giving them spell lists and moving on to the next one, as it is slowing me down. Hopefully this week I'll get more work done than I did in the last.

I think I may do a quick posting of each class with spell lists and then return to them and start messing with class features afterward.
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Sunwitch
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Post by Sunwitch »

Alright, that's understandable. It just makes more sense, as far as I'm concerned, to give flat increases to attack and damage rather than screwing with STR, and giving temporary HP and a + to fortitude saves instead of CON. As for per-day stuff, it should do just for now. I just really hate per-day mechanics, basically - maybe make it so he can use his spell slots to fuel his rage, or, something? Possibly a bad idea, I dunno.

As for DR, +1 every even level seems reasonable to me.
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For Valor
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Post by For Valor »

Also, your quote.

"weak" should be "delicious" or "food" or something equally entertaining. It's a FAR better quote that way.
Mask wrote:And for the love of all that is good and unholy, just get a fucking hippogrif mount and pretend its a flying worg.
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erik
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Post by erik »

But barbarians don't eat people. Druids do! Hence my druid quote that is far more along those lines.

The quote is supposed to play upon that "barbarian" is an insult*, whereas to the barbarian, "weak" is a far greater insult.



* Coined by Greeks to denote anyone foreign (and of course thus inferior), since foreigners using their native tongues sounded like they were saying "bar-bar" to the silly Greeks.
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For Valor
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Post by For Valor »

yeah, but it's cheesy. And not funny. And also cheesy.
Mask wrote:And for the love of all that is good and unholy, just get a fucking hippogrif mount and pretend its a flying worg.
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erik
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Post by erik »

For Valor wrote:yeah, but it's cheesy. And not funny. And also cheesy.
And?
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