[3.5e] Undead-hating barbarian?

[Callum]

Are there any mechanical options available for a barbarian to represent a hatred of undead without dipping into another class? I guess I'm thinking of things like alternative class features...

If not, what class dip would you recommend?

[sonofzeal]

Are there any mechanical options available for a barbarian to represent a hatred of undead without dipping into another class? I guess I'm thinking of things like alternative class features...

If not, what class dip would you recommend?
Any particular reason not to dip? Ranger's the obvious choice for Favoured Enemy: Undead, and Barbarian-compatible flavour. "Solitary Hunting" variant loses Animal Companion, and adds the FE bonus on attack rolls as well as damage rolls.


Other sources of Favoured Enemy are "Hunting Monk" (potentially combine with Chaos Monk to fit alignments in), and... huh, guess that's it. Could have sworn Rogue or Barbarian got it somewhere, but not in my archive.

[Dumbledore lives]

Well on the srd we got this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#barbarian) variant where you give up rage for favored enemy and archery feats, but at that point why are you playing a barbarian?

[Callum]

Any particular reason not to dip? Ranger's the obvious choice for Favoured Enemy: Undead, and Barbarian-compatible flavour.
The character is a "pure" barbarian, and would ideally like to go all the way to level 20 as a barbarian. However, I agree that ranger is the obvious dip, and doesn't break the flavour much.

Well on the srd we got this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#barbarian) variant where you give up rage for favored enemy and archery feats, but at that point why are you playing a barbarian?
Yes, I agree - giving up rage is a bit daft!

Thanks for your suggestions so far - any more?

[sonofzeal]

The character is a "pure" barbarian, and would ideally like to go all the way to level 20 as a barbarian. However, I agree that ranger is the obvious dip, and doesn't break the flavour much.
What does "pure" barbarian even mean though? To me, all that says is his skills are entirely derived from the lore and examples of his tribe, which are probably going to be fairly varied. The tribe might contain Barbarians, Rangers, Rogues, Fighters, a couple Druids, and maybe a couple more exotic classes. Characters in those sorts of high-pressure, low-life-expectancy situations generally tend to pick up a fairly wide variety of skills almost by necessity.

Your character's role within the tribe in day-to-day would probably be one of the hunters. He'd probably team up with a tracker or two on hunts and rely on them to help find the prey, but he'd need good Spot/Listen and Hide/Move.Silently to be an effective hunter, and only one of those is a Barbarian class skill. A few levels of Ranger or Rogue would make him a better hunter and hence a better tribe-member and - by their standards, which really are the important ones - a better Barbarian.

Yes, I just said a Barbarian/Ranger multiclass is a better "Barbarian" than a single-classed Barbarian. Think about that for a moment. :smallwink:

[Thurbane]

Looking at this list (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872054/Alternative_Class_Features_III), I can't see anything undead specific in the way of ACFs for the Barbarian. :smallfrown:

Your best option for a Barbarian 20 build is to take undead-fighting specific feats, although feats will be a precious commodity to begin with. If you can get Knowledge (religion) as a class skill (or are willing to burn cross-class ranks), the Knowledge Devotion feat will give you a bonus to hit and damage against undead.

[Amphetryon]

Without multiclassing or homebrew, your best bet is probably to crack open a copy of Libris Mortis. Unquenchable Flame of Life will shore up your saving throws, Enduring Life will keep you from being part of the Wightocalypse, Vampire Hunter will help with detection and defenses, and Ghost Scarred will make your attacks against incorporeal Undead hurt more. Using the last two will mean finding a way to get K(Religion) on your class skill list - there are several such methods. Necropotent would probably fit thematically, but getting Weapon Specialization on a straight Barbarian is tricky.

[Otomodachi]

Cross-class ranks in Knowledge: Religion and the Knowledge Devotion feat?

Edit: D'oh, sorry Thurbane, I honestly did read your post and yet apparently your wording of the idea I came up with just didn't register. FWIW, unless I was playing in a higher-op game, this is how I personally would do it.

[Ravens_cry]

Play a Barbarian who really hates undead? Alternatively, play some other class with Undead smashing powers and fluff them as being from a Barbarian culture?

[deuxhero]

Take the Rage->FE+Ranged combat ACF, sub ranged combat fighting style for Wildshape and take a totem of your choice to avoid redundent fast movement.


It just takes one book or the SRD.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Take the Rage->FE+Ranged combat ACF, sub ranged combat fighting style for Wildshape and take a totem of your choice to avoid redundent fast movement.


It just takes one book or the SRD.

Actually, the Wild Shape is a ranger variant, not a class feature variant.

[deuxhero]

True, but it is awesome and great combat wise.

[Tr011]

Dipping two levels of Ranger for Favored enemy + Endurance is pretty OK, because Endurance is needed for Steadfast Determination (PHB2) and you can take Nemesis for Undeads (BoED). This gives you a huge bonus to all three saves and reflects your hate against undeads. Remember Nemesis is Exalted, but a very strong feat.

[Ziegander]

You know what's really dumb? The PHB actually mentions in the description of the Barbarian class that they hate Undead, but the class itself has no mechanics to support that, not even in ANY alternate class features.

[Thurbane]

Back when our DM ran Shattered Gates, we had an NPC Barbarian with the party whose clan was the "Graveyard Stompers" - every time we encountered undead, he'd go berserk! :smallbiggrin:

[deuxhero]

You know what's really dumb? The PHB actually mentions in the description of the Barbarian class that they hate Undead, but the class itself has no mechanics to support that, not even in ANY alternate class features.

That's WotC for you.