ECL 10 Barbarian Build help?

[AWiz_Abroad]

So,

I always play casters. I know casters, I like casters. However, I'm helping a friend prep a barbarian for our next campaign, and I'm lost. She's not super conversant with D&D rules (she can do the basics, but being a full druid in an ECL 10 game, she walked around as a polar bear).

Setting:
So, this is going to be a follow on to our current campaign in which while fighting to annihilate the Cult of the Dragon, our party may have accidently started an ice age.

Rest of the party looks like a Bard (probable mid-op), a Dread Necromancer (Probable High Op), A favored soul (probable high op), and yours truly. I'm negotiating with the DM for Incantrix on my grey elf generalist domain wizard.

The Barbarian's player is interested in the Frostrager PrC from the fluff perspective, and elemental immunities, but other than that free reign. She mentioned dwarf, but if thats suboptimal (Deepwarden?) let me know.

Rules/Considerations:
32 Pt Build
No Psionics
Elegance points for no regional specific stuff, but maybe permissable (I'm negotiating with the DM for Faerun stuff)
ECL 10
Any WotC Book, No Dragon Magazine. Unknown about Setting Specific Yet.

Job:
A potent Barbarian who is a damage dealing classic Melee Tank.

[Diovid]

I remember some build with levels in Barbarian, Frostrager, Fist of the Forest, Deepwarden, Bear Warrior and War Shaper which was quite effective. I'll try to find it.

Edit:
I think it was this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50588) thread by Person Man which inspired the idea.

Some general notes:

Earth Dwarf is great.
Frostrager + the Blazing Berserker feat = win.

[docnessuno]

A sample build:

Race: Dwarf

Stats:
Str 16 +2 (levels)
Dex 14
Con 14 +2 (racial)
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 10 -2 (racial)
(Variant: -2 to 2 mental stars, +2 Con)

Barbarian 4 (Variant: lion totem barbarian)
Fist of the forest 3
Frostrager 3

Flaw: Power attack
1: Improved unarmed strike
3: Great forttude
6: Frozen berserker
9: Extra rage

With another flaw (and an hefty skill points investment), you could go instead Barb 4 / Fotf 3 / Frostrager 1 / Deepwarden 2. This would allow you to dump your Dex to 8, raising other stats, as well as boosting your AC.

[Eldariel]

Barbarian/Deepwarden/Fist of the Forests/Frostrager Barbarian is more than feasible as a Dwarf Barbarian. There appears to be a handbook in my signature. What kind of fighting is she looking at? Does she want a two-hander or unarmed or combination? Or something more exotic? Can give more precise advice if necessary.

[AWiz_Abroad]

Wow, the man himself.

I did read Being Bane. I'm still not quite sure a great set of synergies for a barbarian.

How would you advise me? She doesn't want to be more BFC, as that is pretty much what my Incantrix is going to do in combat. She wants to crush the enemies, see them driven before her, and to hear the lamentation of their women. How she does it is up in the air.

[Eldariel]

Wow, the man himself.

I did read Being Bane. I'm still not quite sure a great set of synergies for a barbarian.

How would you advise me? She doesn't want to be more BFC, as that is pretty much what my Incantrix is going to do in combat. She wants to crush the enemies, see them driven before her, and to hear the lamentation of their women. How she does it is up in the air.

If she wants to just crush face, Frenzied Berserker is certainly a reasonable option provided you take some pains to make her able to make that Will-save.

Just normal Barbarian can smash face plenty tho. A Dwarf, I'd say Deepwarden/Fist of the Forests/Frostrager (if that's her preference) is indeed fairly solid; wield a massive two-hander and if you feel so inclined, have her go Two-Weapon Fighting (provided you can swing the Dex requirements) to use unarmed strikes as the offhand attacks.

Stat generation factors in heavily here since Strength and Constitution are the absolute priorities, so it might be hard to afford high Dexterity without a generous array.


If I was imagining up a Deepwarden build, I'd go:

Whirling Frenzy
Pounce

Ranger is kinda necessary for the skill ranks Deepwarden requires (it's hard to come by Knowledge: Dungeoneering and Heal otherwise).

Ranger 1/Barbarian 2/Fighter 1/Fist of the Forests 3/Deepwarden 2/Frostrager ->

If that's too heavily multiclassed, Ranger 3/Barbarian 2 works the same though has one more level before the PRCs. You could pick up Two-Weapon Fighting from Ranger if desired, tho you still don't qualify for Improved and Greater variants. Power Attack from "Strong-Arm" style in Dragon Magazine would be the other option, but meh.


Basically, decent AC from the Constitution-stack and good offense (two-handed power attacking; can pick up Valorous weapon, Shock Trooper, Leap Attack and maybe Battle Jump if necessary). Should paste most things pretty fast. Battle Jump and Valorous are from Unapproachable East, a Faerun supplement of course, so you'll have to make do without otherwise.

Oh, and feats must include at least one Extra Rage. Flaws would help a lot. Earth Dwarf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm) would probably be preferable to standard on account of the Strength buff.