Barbarian (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
The barbarian is a playable character class
in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
, Gardner Fox's Kothar
and to a lesser extent Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd
.
publication White Dwarf
for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (2nd version) rules. The article was later reprinted in The Best of White Dwarf Articles #1, in 1980.
This version of the barbarian character class differs significantly from the one published for the 1st edition of Dungeons & Dragons. For example, this version used d6 hit dice, had a prime requisite (constitution), had severe armor restrictions, could be played as any race, and was considered a class unto itself (that is, it was not considered a sub-class of fighter). The 1st edition version, on the other hand, used d12 hit dice, had no prime requisites, had no armor restrictions (other than not being able to use magical armor), could only be human, and was considered a fighter sub-class.
in Dragon
#63 (July 1982), as a sub-class of fighter
. The barbarian later appears in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons manual, Unearthed Arcana in 1985.
Another version of the barbarian appeared as a character class in the original Oriental Adventures
in 1985. According to a reviewer for White Dwarf
, the barbarian was "altered to fit into an Eastern pattern", and was "primarily a steppes warrior, or a forest and jungle dweller".
as a character kit, and later receive full attention in The Complete Barbarian's Handbook.
. The barbarian is seen as the archetypal warrior who uses brute strength and raw fury to excel in combat, instead of the honed skills of the Fighter
or measured strength of the Monk
. Of all the classes, only the barbarian begins the game illiterate and is forced to expend extra skill points or multiclass in order to read and write.
Half-Orcs, Minotaur, Korobokuru (a race of primitive Oriental Dwarves introduced in Oriental Adventures), and Diopsids (an obscure race of humanoid beetle
s that first appeared in Dragon magazine #267) all have Barbarian as a favoured class.
that the fighter can choose from, barbarians receive a small but unique list of special abilities that make them equally valued on the battlefield.
Barbarians can tap their inner fury to fly into a berserker
-like rage. Once the rage is expended, the barbarian becomes fatigued for the remainder of the encounter. Rage provides bonuses to Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throws (which can make barbarians surprisingly resistant to harmful magic), and a glut of additional hit points which expire along with their rage. Rage also reduces armour class and interferes with any skill requiring patience or concentration.
As barbarians gain in power, their rage can be used more often and provides even larger Strength and Constitution bonuses, while taking less of a toll on their bodies.
The barbarian class confers a number of unique specific abilities to the character. Most of these come from the barbarian's feral alertness, and from sheer speed and endurance.
Barbarians can instinctively guard themselves against ambushes or opponents that surround them, as well as reacting more swiftly against traps. In straight movement they also enjoy faster than average speed for their race, able to run down most foes. Barbarians also enjoy damage reduction: every time they are damaged, they are allowed to reduce this amount. This damage reduction, while small, does grow as the barbarian gains levels, and it cannot be bypassed by any sort of weapon.
The Iconic barbarian is Krusk, a male half-orc.
As strikers, barbarians are focused on single target damage. Some defender or leader capabilities are also available to the class. Barbarians are proficient in melee weapons and light armor. Barbarians use the primal power source.
Barbarians possess several class features. Feral Might provides one of several options, chosen at character creation, Rageblood Vigor, first presented in the October 2008 preview article, which grants the barbarian temporary hit points and charge with the Swift Charge power whenever he or she reduces a foe to 0 points, as well as making some Barbarian powers more effective, another Feral Might is Thaneborn Triumph, which grants the power Roar of Triumph and gives allies a bonus to attack rolls when you bloody a target . Rampage allows barbarians to make extra attacks if they score critical hits with their attack powers. Rage Strike allows a barbarian to expend a rage power while already in a rage in order to attack a single target for damage dependant on the power's level.
Two barbarian builds have been detailed, the Rageblood Barbarian, which focuses on the Rageblood Vigor form of Feral Might, Strength and Constitution and leans towards the defender role, and the Thaneborn Barbarian, which focuses on Strength, Charisma and a different form of Feral Might, and leans towards the leader role. Barbarians' powers are called Evocations, and one other build has been mentioned. Most of the barbarian's daily attack powers have the Rage keyword, each such power combines an attack with a persistent buff on the barbarian, a barbarian can only benefit from one rage at a time, rages last until the end of the encounter unless the barbarian activates another rage or is reduced to 0 hit points. All published barbarian attack powers use Strength for attack rolls, some powers have other effects tied to Constitution or Charisma, many barbarian powers have effects which require the barbarian to be raging.
The Rageblood Berserker paragon path was first presented in the 2008 preview for Player's Handbook 2. The Player's Handbook 2 has several barbarian paragon paths, including the Bear Warrior, Fearbringer Thane, Frenzied Berserker and Wildrunner.
campaign setting
, barbarians are more like nomad
s -- while they may not be civilized, they are certainly not savages.
campaign setting are similar in presentation as the class presented in the core rulebook. Barbarians can be of any race in the Realms, though some are more uncommon than others. Barbarians are described as being confused by the cosmopolitan nature of certain regions of Faerûn.
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Creative origins
The barbarian is based on Robert E. Howard's Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, Gardner Fox's Kothar
Kothar
Kothar may refer to:* Kothar-wa-Khasis, a Canaanite god* Kothar, a character created by Gardner Fox* Kothaar, a member of the heavy metal band Bathory...
and to a lesser extent Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two seminal sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by Fritz Leiber . They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber's best-known stories....
.
Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977-1980)
An "unofficial" version of the barbarian character class was introduced in issue #4 (Dec/Jan 1977/1978) of the Games WorkshopGames Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
publication White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (2nd version) rules. The article was later reprinted in The Best of White Dwarf Articles #1, in 1980.
This version of the barbarian character class differs significantly from the one published for the 1st edition of Dungeons & Dragons. For example, this version used d6 hit dice, had a prime requisite (constitution), had severe armor restrictions, could be played as any race, and was considered a class unto itself (that is, it was not considered a sub-class of fighter). The 1st edition version, on the other hand, used d12 hit dice, had no prime requisites, had no armor restrictions (other than not being able to use magical armor), could only be human, and was considered a fighter sub-class.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The first official barbarian character class was introduced by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#63 (July 1982), as a sub-class of fighter
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
. The barbarian later appears in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons manual, Unearthed Arcana in 1985.
Another version of the barbarian appeared as a character class in the original Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
in 1985. According to a reviewer for White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
, the barbarian was "altered to fit into an Eastern pattern", and was "primarily a steppes warrior, or a forest and jungle dweller".
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Barbarians appear in The Complete Fighter's HandbookThe Complete Fighter's Handbook
The Complete Fighter's Handbook is a supplemental rulebook published in 1989 for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
as a character kit, and later receive full attention in The Complete Barbarian's Handbook.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Barbarian is one of the base character classes presented in the Player's HandbookPlayer's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
. The barbarian is seen as the archetypal warrior who uses brute strength and raw fury to excel in combat, instead of the honed skills of the Fighter
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
or measured strength of the Monk
Monk (Dungeons & Dragons)
The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
. Of all the classes, only the barbarian begins the game illiterate and is forced to expend extra skill points or multiclass in order to read and write.
Half-Orcs, Minotaur, Korobokuru (a race of primitive Oriental Dwarves introduced in Oriental Adventures), and Diopsids (an obscure race of humanoid beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s that first appeared in Dragon magazine #267) all have Barbarian as a favoured class.
Mechanics and Abilities
The barbarian has fewer distinct tactical options than D&D's other primary melee combatant, the fighter. Instead of the many bonus featsFeat (d20 System)
In the d20 System, a feat is one type of ability a character may gain through level progression. Feats are different from skills in that characters can vary in competency with skills, while feats typically provide set bonuses to or new ways to use existing abilities.Feats were first implemented in...
that the fighter can choose from, barbarians receive a small but unique list of special abilities that make them equally valued on the battlefield.
Rage
Barbarians can tap their inner fury to fly into a berserker
Berserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
-like rage. Once the rage is expended, the barbarian becomes fatigued for the remainder of the encounter. Rage provides bonuses to Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throws (which can make barbarians surprisingly resistant to harmful magic), and a glut of additional hit points which expire along with their rage. Rage also reduces armour class and interferes with any skill requiring patience or concentration.
As barbarians gain in power, their rage can be used more often and provides even larger Strength and Constitution bonuses, while taking less of a toll on their bodies.
Other Abilities
The barbarian class confers a number of unique specific abilities to the character. Most of these come from the barbarian's feral alertness, and from sheer speed and endurance.
Barbarians can instinctively guard themselves against ambushes or opponents that surround them, as well as reacting more swiftly against traps. In straight movement they also enjoy faster than average speed for their race, able to run down most foes. Barbarians also enjoy damage reduction: every time they are damaged, they are allowed to reduce this amount. This damage reduction, while small, does grow as the barbarian gains levels, and it cannot be bypassed by any sort of weapon.
The Iconic barbarian is Krusk, a male half-orc.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The barbarian appears in the 4th edition as a player character class in Player's Handbook 2 (2009).As strikers, barbarians are focused on single target damage. Some defender or leader capabilities are also available to the class. Barbarians are proficient in melee weapons and light armor. Barbarians use the primal power source.
Barbarians possess several class features. Feral Might provides one of several options, chosen at character creation, Rageblood Vigor, first presented in the October 2008 preview article, which grants the barbarian temporary hit points and charge with the Swift Charge power whenever he or she reduces a foe to 0 points, as well as making some Barbarian powers more effective, another Feral Might is Thaneborn Triumph, which grants the power Roar of Triumph and gives allies a bonus to attack rolls when you bloody a target . Rampage allows barbarians to make extra attacks if they score critical hits with their attack powers. Rage Strike allows a barbarian to expend a rage power while already in a rage in order to attack a single target for damage dependant on the power's level.
Two barbarian builds have been detailed, the Rageblood Barbarian, which focuses on the Rageblood Vigor form of Feral Might, Strength and Constitution and leans towards the defender role, and the Thaneborn Barbarian, which focuses on Strength, Charisma and a different form of Feral Might, and leans towards the leader role. Barbarians' powers are called Evocations, and one other build has been mentioned. Most of the barbarian's daily attack powers have the Rage keyword, each such power combines an attack with a persistent buff on the barbarian, a barbarian can only benefit from one rage at a time, rages last until the end of the encounter unless the barbarian activates another rage or is reduced to 0 hit points. All published barbarian attack powers use Strength for attack rolls, some powers have other effects tied to Constitution or Charisma, many barbarian powers have effects which require the barbarian to be raging.
The Rageblood Berserker paragon path was first presented in the 2008 preview for Player's Handbook 2. The Player's Handbook 2 has several barbarian paragon paths, including the Bear Warrior, Fearbringer Thane, Frenzied Berserker and Wildrunner.
Eberron
In most Dungeons & Dragons games, the barbarian is represented as a savage, tribal warrior. However, in the EberronEberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, barbarians are more like nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s -- while they may not be civilized, they are certainly not savages.
Forgotten Realms
Barbarians in the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting are similar in presentation as the class presented in the core rulebook. Barbarians can be of any race in the Realms, though some are more uncommon than others. Barbarians are described as being confused by the cosmopolitan nature of certain regions of Faerûn.
External links
- D&D Wiki has all the SRDSystem Reference DocumentThe System Reference Document, or SRD, is a set of reference role playing game mechanics licensed under the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast and based upon their Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. The SRD forms the basis of WotC's various d20 System role-playing games, including the...
Classes, along with the Barbarian.