[PF] Making Barbarian work in a low-magic item campaign.

[RndmNumGen]

So after failing our party's mission in our last campaign, all of the planes except The Beastlands, The Abyss and The Negative Energy Plane were sealed off(they still exist, but you need very special magic to access them). Among other things, this magical fluctuation resulted in all non-artifact magical items overloading and essentially short-circuiting, ceasing function. New magic items can be created if the crafter knows the proper loopholes, but with no existing magic items and few people who know how to craft new ones, magic equipment is now very, very rare.

Our next campaign is starting up next month and will take place 100 years later. We decided to play Bookclub, a game where everyone in the party plays a Wizard(or a variant thereof). I must be a masochist, because I decided to play my own version of Korg the Magical (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195049) in this low-magic item campaign. My DM let me be a Wereboar Half-Orc with no penalty since I'm obviously at a disadvantage here. At the moment, I'm thinking of using the totem (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo---rage-powers/beast-totem-lesser-su) rage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo---rage-powers/fiend-totem-lesser-su) powers (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo---rage-powers/animal-fury-ex) in the APG combined with my lycanthropy to load up on natural attacks, with some hurler (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo---rage-powers/hurling-lesser-ex) thrown in so I can cast Summon Monster. I've also taken two levels of Monk expressly for this purpose so I could grab I.U.S., Imp. Grapple and Throw Anything for this.

Should this work? Is there anything else I should be looking at? Without many items I know I will be at a significant disadvantage compared to all of the wizards, but being able to come up with creative 'spells' should be fun enough that I'm not worried about it. Despite this, I would still like to know what other options are available to me.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot. We're starting at level 10, and I have 25 gp of spending money(no joke - most of it's going towards rations) and an assortment of randomly rolled magic items(nothing for me, except possibly the pair of +1 Nunchucks).

[DeAnno]

In this sort of situation, you are not at such a disadvantage offensively, but without even money for proper armor, you are at a severe and probably unrecoverable disadvantage defensively. However... are you getting your Werebear HD for free, or simply not taking them at all? If you have all that extra soak/saves, you might be on an even footing, but if you just got the stats and attacks Shock Trooper Pouncebarian or some similar very offensively oriented tactic may be your best bet.

Also, if you did get the RHD for free, ToB dips are your friend since those HD will provide 1/2 Initiator level.

[RndmNumGen]

In this sort of situation, you are not at such a disadvantage offensively, but without even money for proper armor, you are at a severe and probably unrecoverable disadvantage defensively. However... are you getting your Werebear HD for free, or simply not taking them at all? If you have all that extra soak/saves, you might be on an even footing, but if you just got the stats and attacks Shock Trooper Pouncebarian or some similar very offensively oriented tactic may be your best bet.

Also, if you did get the RHD for free, ToB dips are your friend since those HD will provide 1/2 Initiator level.

No RHD or LA, so I basically got the lycanthrope abilities(stat adjustments, DR, iron will, etc.) for free.

I'll be able to pick up Pounce at level 12, so that's not too far off. I don't think I'll take Shock Trooper though, that requires a heavy feat investment and I'm rather feat starved as-is.

For defense, I was considering taking Savage Barbarian (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/savage-barbarian) archtype, which replaces Trapscense and DR/- with scaling Dodge AC and Natural Armor bonuses. Since I have monk levels as well, and lycanthropy gives a WIS bonus, I can get an AC boost from there as well. It probably won't stand up to normal armor, but I doubt I'll find much of that lying around anyway.

[Larpus]

Is that really the best option tho?

I mean, I personally am a bigger fan of settling for decent AC and then pumping DR as high as I can; also, making some light armor (or the medium hide armor) shouldn't be so crazy/hard...? I mean, all you gotta do is punch a cow or something and you have a +3 or +4 to AC, which is only 10% worse (at best) than the breastplate.

Anyway, personally I'd go that route, by either grabbing a rather easy to make hide-based armor or mix and match pieces of armor that you salvage and ask for a +4 to AC and then go with Invulnerable Rager, which gives you half your level as DR/-, but that is just me.

As for natural weapons, after reading a bunch about them I've become quite the fan and as long as you can get 3 of them, they're quite nice damage-wise and worthy the price of the amulet to make them magical; still, I'd look into ways to get sneak attack or some other sort of per attack damage enhancer to really make it shine.

And then there is the whole Synthesist cheese, but that would go against your concept of "my magic is me punching you in the face".

[RndmNumGen]

Is that really the best option tho?

I mean, I personally am a bigger fan of settling for decent AC and then pumping DR as high as I can; also, making some light armor (or the medium hide armor) shouldn't be so crazy/hard...? I mean, all you gotta do is punch a cow or something and you have a +3 or +4 to AC, which is only 10% worse (at best) than the breastplate.

Anyway, personally I'd go that route, by either grabbing a rather easy to make hide-based armor or mix and match pieces of armor that you salvage and ask for a +4 to AC and then go with Invulnerable Rager, which gives you half your level as DR/-, but that is just me.

As for natural weapons, after reading a bunch about them I've become quite the fan and as long as you can get 3 of them, they're quite nice damage-wise and worthy the price of the amulet to make them magical; still, I'd look into ways to get sneak attack or some other sort of per attack damage enhancer to really make it shine.

And then there is the whole Synthesist cheese, but that would go against your concept of "my magic is me punching you in the face".

I already have DR 5/Silver from Lycanthropy - granted it's only in hybrid or animal form, but investing in DR/- just seems excessive. If anything I would want to get a higher Constitution check to make it easier to transform, since transforming also gives me a Gore attack and increased stats.

What methods are good for pumping up natural weapons? While raging in boar form, I'll have 3 primaries(Gore + 2 Claws) with a possible secondary Bite attack if I pick up the Animal Ferocity rage power in 4 levels as well.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Get one of your wizard friends to take Craft Magic Arms And Armor.

[Larpus]

I already have DR 5/Silver from Lycanthropy - granted it's only in hybrid or animal form, but investing in DR/- just seems excessive. If anything I would want to get a higher Constitution check to make it easier to transform, since transforming also gives me a Gore attack and increased stats.

What methods are good for pumping up natural weapons? While raging in boar form, I'll have 3 primaries(Gore + 2 Claws) with a possible secondary Bite attack if I pick up the Animal Ferocity rage power in 4 levels as well.
I see, well, even so I'd do it just to be a hard to kill brute so with an at least decent damage output be a big enough threat that no enemy would stop attacking me despite not doing much damage.

Anyway, as for natural weapons...you can look for ways to get a slam and possibly a tail, but other than that I don't think there is much a PC can do within the rules, since the designers seem to be scared pantsless of PCs ever having multiple limbs; but with a mondo Str score, Power Attack, Pounce and if you can squeeze in some sneak attack, you'll do enough damage already, especially on a low-magic setting.

[Fouredged Sword]

Consider takeing both the Druid varients in the SRD rather than the monk level or levels. It fits better in theme and you get a lot more bang for your buck. Take whirling frenzy as a barbarian and get Monk wis to AC, a favored enemy, some spellcasting, a rage, a few other odds and ends.

Notice that Rage is an untyped bonus. Not that whirling frenzy is an untyped bonus and named difrently. Notice that they stack. Notice extra rage gives you extra uses of both.

Rage and whirling frenzy at the same time. Be angry, very angry.:smallfurious:

[magwaaf]

+1 weapons are good enough when you rage! you get uncanny and improved uncanny dodge and be awesome!

i love barbarians, my 3rd fav melee class in the game