Best Tiny Barbarian build?

[sflame56]

Which of the small races would turn out to be the best barbarian that are str based? What are the advantages and disadvantages of them? Should you go two weapon fighting or great weapon fighting? For this post no dwarfs. They are medium. We are looking at the smallest of the small playable races.

[Connington]

The "optimal" thing to do is to play a (strongheart) halfling and go Dex-based. You trade off damage for (eventually) better AC, Dex saves, and Dex skills.

There are two issues with a small race:

1. No official race in the PHB, published supplments, unearthed arcana, or even Plane Shift has a small race with a ST bonus. If you're using Point Buy, that means you can't start with more than 15 ST. Not great for your primary stat. Rolled stats could get past this.

2. Heavy weapons are wielded with disadvantage, which rules out fun with makes Heavy Weapon Master unappealing.

That said, the idea of a rock gnome that "hulks out" amuses me immensely. Fun is more important than optimization.

[Chugger]

Gnomercy! (Gnome of course! But if you choose not to ...)

A tiny Kobold barb, if K really is now a player race (hah, I know it is...but it can't be, right? :D ). Iirc kobolds get pack tactics (they get that right? I don't have that upgrade), which um might set off the staggering limits (-2 str isn't it?). Or maybe it wouldn't. Well, a tiny dex-barb kobold with a rapier would not get the plus rage damage bonus but in bear totem would be resistant to damge. Would have a pretty good ac. And would hit often with pack tactics.

Halfling with dex and sta and a 14 or 15 str might be best.

[Gignere]

Goblins is probably the best small race for a strength based barbarian. +2 dex and +1 con basically a primary and secondary ability bonus, no speed penalty, bonus action hide and disengage, and a once per short rest bonus to damage. Dual wielding is definitely the way to go perhaps with a dip in fighter eventually to get mod on bonus attack.

They are almost as good and powerful as two handing GWM barbarians. However, after barbarian 7 / 8 for the ASI there isn't much that is great for a small race, perhaps multi out.

[Theodoxus]

Looking at the barbarian, going strength nets you +2 damage while raging from level 1 to 12, +3 from 13 to 15 and +4 from 16 to 20. Levels 1 to 12 is generally the length of the average campaign. Going small, in my estimation, just isn't worth going strength.

If you go small, your Dex will by higher than your strength (unless you're just not going optimized at all). At a minimum, while raging, you'll be dealing 1 point less per hit - because you're lacking the strength rage damage. At 1st level, If your dex is 16, and your str is 14 and you attack with a longword, you'll be dealing 1d8+4 while raging. (but only +4 to hit). If you attack with a rapier, you'll be dealing 1d8+3 (regardless of rage or not), but be at +5 to hit.

Trading accuracy for damage... it's obviously up to you - and there's really nothing outside of gold limits that stops you from having both a longsword and a rapier.

If Volo's is available, goblin, hands down has the best overall. The bonus actions, particularly disengage, would make you very mobile to get to where you need to be. The 30 speed is quite nice too.

However, I kind of like the idea of a stout halfling, going Greatsword, rolling at disadvantage, and if you roll a 1, getting to reroll it... it wouldn't come up often (and reckless attack would negate the disadvantage - if you really need to hit...) though going two-handed longsword does almost the same amount of damage with no disadvantage... so there's that.

By far, my favorite tiny barbarian build though, which is slightly mad, is Lightfoot Halfling Totem Barbarian 7 / Champion Fighter 4 / Swashbuckler Rogue 9... Go barbarian to 7, Swash to 3, Fighter to 4, Swash to 9. Charisma to Initiative, Advantage on Initiative, Crit range of 19-20, 4 ASI... Dex->Con->Cha. Dueling fighting style with Rapier and shield (gives you that +2 damage that you're missing from Rage Damage back), light or medium armor until your unarmored defense => armor bonus, eventually getting Uncanny Dodge, which is like mini-rage damage reduction without raging - extending your life a bit more. Use Persuasion instead of Intimidate :smallwink: If you can pick up Shield Master, it definitely rocks with the build.

[Klorox]

I like the forest gnome barbarian with maximized physical stats.

At level 4, you can have 16/16/16 in your physical stats, and you'll have advantage on your mental saving throws, which really helps.

I recommend sword and shield with a small barbarian.

[The Shadowdove]

Any +2 dex small race.

Kobold and halfling have the best combative racial abilities .

Dump strength and grab the first strength boosting magical item you can get while putting ASI into dexterity.

[Diebo]

I'm playing a stout halfling bare-chested bearbarian shield master. At level 9 he had 16 STR, 16 DEX, 16 CON and Shield Master. With 18 AC he is pretty hard to hit. With shield master and raging for advantage on strength checks, it is rare that he doesn't prone an enemy (most enemies are medium or smaller) for advantage. Or shove an opponent away from another player. As he often has advantage anyway, there is little reason to recklessly attack.

With Shield Master, and danger sense, the wizard can drop a fireball on him and chances are he'll make the save for no damage.

And as a halfling, being able to run under enemies helps with positioning. Re-rolling 1s is really nice, too.

Damage-wise no small race will compete with Great Weapon Master.

I thought I would need to boost Strength, but as I keep playing, it seems less important. With Advantage on most attacks and no -5 to hit penalty from GWM, he hits most of the time, and his rage bonus damage helps make up for the lower strength. I'd rather have other feats (like Resilient Wisdom, Sentinel, Lucky, or even +2 CON for more hit points and AC).

I am now at level 10. He found a +2 shield and a tome for +2 CON, giving him 21 AC. We lost our party Rogue, and I wanted more utility both in and out of combat. I took a level of Rogue, and will probably follow that out for awhile. Expertise, Cunning Action (Dash!), Sneak Attack, Uncanny Dodge, Evasion... All excellent fits with this character.

If I were to restart this character, I'd probably start with 14 STR, 16 DEX, 16 CON, grab Shield Master with first ASI. Start Rogue 1, go Barbarian 5 for extra attack, then keep going with Rogue for 5-7 levels. When raging, using a finesse weapon with Strength, when not raging, use finesse with dexterity to attack. The sneak attack damage will make up for the lower strength. Hope for Gauntlets of Ogre Power or a belt of giant strength at some point in the future, but be perfectly Ok without it.

[Easy_Lee]

Wielding a battleaxe in two hands is only one less average damage on hits and crits, and you can wield it in one hand when you want to grapple. Gnome is the most interesting choice for the build due to advantage on mental saving throws, normally a weak point for barbarians. Goblin is likely the optimal choice statwise.

I say go with a strength build anyway. You lose Great Weapon Mastery, but there are plenty of other interesting feats out there, such as Fell Handed, Brawny, Durable.

Grappling has a size limit normally. But as for a gnome, what do you suppose happens when you latch onto a larger creature's back? There are optional rules for that.

[smcmike]

However, I kind of like the idea of a stout halfling, going Greatsword, rolling at disadvantage, and if you roll a 1, getting to reroll it... it wouldn't come up often (and reckless attack would negate the disadvantage - if you really need to hit...) though going two-handed longsword does almost the same amount of damage with no disadvantage... so there's that.


Add on Lucky, and disadvantage suddenly becomes advantage 3 times a day.

[GlenSmash!]

Honestly any small race. Use a Rapier and Shield. Attack with Strength when you want to Reckless Attack, Dex when you don't. 14 Strength with advantage from Reckless Attack is surprisingly good. starting with 16 Dex, and 16 Con makes sense to me, and you'll be better set for going Unarmored over a High strength Barb.

Shield Master works great on this type of character especially when Paired with double proficiency in Athletics from something like the UA feats Brawny or Squat Nimbleness. Though honestly it benefits a lot from a single level in Rogue, which would be an easier way to get Expertise in Athletics for shoves.