Barbarian Rage: Does it have to mouth-frothy, slobbering insanity?

[TylertheCreator]

I love barbarians. Always have. It was always really interesting to me to play a character who was seen as a savage in a civilized world, someone who was looked down upon because of his upbringing, someone who had become so in touch with his primitive, bestial side that he could revert to an animalistic state of ferocity. But you know what isn't interesting to me, and never has been?

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/frostrazor/Enrage.jpg

Now, let me back up and say that I'm 100% fine with other people playing this character. I even like being in groups next to him; warriors overcome with bloodlust and losing their minds to battle are fun to be around. I just don't like playing that character. My preferred barbarian's rage is a more introverted sort of fury. A quiet rage. The character shuts out everything but the battle. He forgets himself, becoming a beast with singular purpose; wrecking ****. Now, don't get me wrong, my preferred character is still a whirling dervish of steel and blood, cutting down his foes with brute force and animal aggression, he just doesn't scream and howl like a madman when he does it.

My question for you beautiful people: is this something that works within the mechanics of the system? Would you allow this in your game? Would you want to play something like this, or with a player who did?

[Mechaviking]

L5R has both kinds, the frothing at the mouth one and the one they call a Dead Eye trance berserker, the game function in the system is the same but the latter take on a silent murderous aspect(i.e. their eyes become sort of uncaring I guess) and the start to murderlize everything silently and effectively.

Personally I have no problem with one or both its mostly fluff and can be adapted to almost all of the barbarian features and paths.

[RedMage125]

I, too, like the L5R Dead Eye Berserkers of the Crab Clan. I like to use them as an example of a "Lawful" Barbarian.

In my world, most of the tribal savages follow the path of the Frenzied Berserker, but could also be Totem Warriors. Most Totem Warriors, however, have the same kind of feel that 4e Barbarians had. In that they are Primal warriors. Sometimes they have connections to druid circles, but not necessarily.

[Element Zero]

There was a book I read a long time ago called "Villains By Necessity", by Eve Forward. The main character was an assassin, not a barbarian, but he had this ability he called "the Fire". He'd reach inside himself and pull on his inner rage, and turn into this silent, nearly invisible, nigh-unstoppable engine of death. -That- is the kind of Rage I like.

[mr_odd]

The Bar-Bar is held down the most by stereotypes. They can be so much more than the bloodlust half-orc that screams "blood for the blood god!"

Bar-Bars can be survivalists, nature's true warriors, any warrior with "Naruto-syndrome," or simply a fighter who has learned to control his levels of adrenaline to a degree.

[Kane0]

I too prefer my barbarians in a battle focus or wrathful fury flavor as opposed to a frothing rage. It's all the same mechanically, its just how its portrayed.

[Gwendol]

The rage is just that, but how it is physically displayed will be individually. Maybe they froth at the mouth, maybe they sing or chant, maybe their eyes glaze over and they kill in absolute silence. There is a single-mindedness about the rage though, made evident by the restrictions put in place on what actions can be taken.

[randomodo]

I've got a noble barbarian who's basically a fighter with "the armor of contempt" (if I can steal a warhammer phrase) and an anger management problem.

Barbarian is a skill-set and game mechanics; barbarians don't have to be primitives or outlanders or shamanistic/pantheistic tribesmen.

[Joe the Rat]

Barbarian + Noble can make for a take on the standard Samurai, if you retheme your rage as a battle focus. It even gives you a way to mechanically survive wandering around without armor.

Heck, the Totem barb can even work with some of the more mysticky aspects of the L5R-type samurai schools.

[Whammydill]

If someone were RP'ing the frothy, out-of-mind, seeing-red rage in my game I'd ask them to stick to it. I don't want to see said character going berserk and then the next round getting a potion out and all calmly and sophisticatedly drinking the potion with their pinky finger extended, then back to the berserk again. Nothing in the rules prevents this, but should a player do this they won't be getting inspiration for role playing as a reward.

[Madfellow]

My favorite fictional example of a barbarian rage is Agent Melinda May from Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. :smallsmile: When she goes into ass-kicking mode, she more or less maintains her composure (outwardly at least). There's an occasional scowl or scream, but for the most part she's too busy hitting things super hard to waste energy frothing at the mouth or anything like that.

[MadGrady]

Whenever I picture a barbarian, I turn to that most iconic of them all (imho) - Conan. When reading most of the Conan novels, he never really became that insane frothy guy - he just sort of had a fury that overcame all obstacles on the battlefield. He remained alert, intelligent, and the weapon he wielded became a part of him.

I think your concept is perfectly fine.

[Eisenheim]

There was a lovely example of a different kind of rage in the the kingdoms of thorn and bone by Gregory Keyes (mediocre fantasy novels) One character at times fell into a battle trance and ignored pain while reciting a death song/chant thing with the refrain "croak, ye ravens, I'll feed you soon." I think that the chilling embrace of oncoming death is another great flavor for barbarian rage, and much more terrifying for the enemy than "Hulk smash!"

[Shining Wrath]

RAW a raging barbarian takes some penalties of the form "You can't think too much while raging" - AFB, so I don't remember them all, but there's stuff you can't do while using the feature.

Any fluff you want to concoct that matches the RAW ought to be fine. For example, a quiet rage where you are so focused on landing your next blow that you take no reactions, can't concentrate on anything else, can't use some skills and so on, because your focus on hitting that guy right there in that neck right there with this axe right here very very hard is so total.

[Jeraa]

RAW a raging barbarian takes some penalties of the form "You can't think too much while raging" - AFB, so I don't remember them all, but there's stuff you can't do while using the feature.

Any fluff you want to concoct that matches the RAW ought to be fine. For example, a quiet rage where you are so focused on landing your next blow that you take no reactions, can't concentrate on anything else, can't use some skills and so on, because your focus on hitting that guy right there in that neck right there with this axe right here very very hard is so total.

The only drawback to 5e rage is you can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging.

[TylertheCreator]

Whenever I picture a barbarian, I turn to that most iconic of them all (imho) - Conan.
Conan also must have had a few levels of rogue, but that might be a bit off topic.

More to the point of turning stereotypes on their head: Someone mentioned a half-orc barbarian going all madman with bloodlust. I play a half-orc barbarian by the style I mentioned above. His INT is 10, his WIS is 12. Only his CHA is low, because he's just not a nice guy to be around. He's very introverted and calm, but when he fights, he goes to a primal place of unbridled fury. Point is, I love playing these characters that you expect to be one way, like a dwarf fighter or an elf ranger, and making them not follow those stereotypes.

[Sartharina]

The only drawback to 5e rage is you can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging.
The restrictions he mentioned were from the playtest. I wonder how many others get playtest rules confused with actual rules...

[Shining Wrath]

The restrictions he mentioned were from the playtest. I wonder how many others get playtest rules confused with actual rules...

The gist of my comment stands; you can't concentrate well enough to cast because you are totally focused on hitting someone with an axe. And I did say I was AFB.

[Nagalipton]

In my group I have a native american themed barbarian. He took the totem path so I tell him that whenever he rages he more goes into a spiritual trance, usually accompanied by tribal drums he hears in his head. In his mind he becomes a wolf/bear etc for a short time; more animal cunning rather than bloodthirsty battle lust.

[unwise]

I have played a Samurai/Kensai as a barbarian before. The ability to fight without armor was the main draw for it. His 'rage' was jedi style battle-meditation. It worked quiet well. He was quiet religious and sort harmony with nature and travelled a great deal so even the nature aspects of the barbarian (of which there ar shockingly few) worked pretty well. His high perception abilities meant he was a bit like the guy from Lone Wolf and Cub.

[Theodoxus]

I haven't had a chance to play this character yet, but I rolled a barbarian noble who fights barechested with rapier and shield. When he goes into a rage, he takes a bit of snuff and goes nuts. Unfortunately, he only rages to gain the defensive protections, as the bonus damage and such doesn't help his low strength rapier fighting. But, being DAD, he doesn't need many ASIs, so feats will be strong with him.

[Freelance GM]

Looking at the RAW, nothing is saying it even has to be "rage" except the name.

It ends when you stop attacking, or stop taking damage. It could be frothy, screaming rage, or the tranquil, precise rage everyone's describing.

Maybe the character is a Dark Eldar-type sadomasochist, who enjoys causing pain as much as feeling it? For that character, "rage" could be a state of manic glee.

[Joe the Rat]

Indeed. WoTC's Extra Life game from last year had a barbarian whose rage is best described as blind panic.

[Shining Wrath]

An interesting take might be a barbarian who is so frightened that they fight like a cornered rat.

[Feldarove]

My favorite fictional example of a barbarian rage is Agent Melinda May from Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. :smallsmile: When she goes into ass-kicking mode, she more or less maintains her composure (outwardly at least). There's an occasional scowl or scream, but for the most part she's too busy hitting things super hard to waste energy frothing at the mouth or anything like that.

Hem, never thought of her as A barbarian...but I totally see where you are coming from!


As for calm rage, as everyone is saying, you can totally do it, and still stick with rules of rage.

Wulfgar from ra Salvatore's dark elf novels is a barbarian who recalls all of the pain and suffering he's dealt with and goes into a rage, but still he is never frothing at the mouth, and often considered an expert battle tactician.

[Rowan Wolf]

I've been fond of the Cu Chulainn and images of his ríastrad. All the while he remained a highly skilled warrior.

[Kane0]

Maybe the character is a Dark Eldar-type sadomasochist, who enjoys causing pain as much as feeling it? For that character, "rage" could be a state of manic glee.

Thankyou for my next character concept :smallamused:

[Auramis]

In my group I have a native american themed barbarian. He took the totem path so I tell him that whenever he rages he more goes into a spiritual trance, usually accompanied by tribal drums he hears in his head. In his mind he becomes a wolf/bear etc for a short time; more animal cunning rather than bloodthirsty battle lust.

That actually sounds really awesome. Kudos to you for going with that kind of rage. I love the imagery of it.