PDA

View Full Version : Inquisitive Bear Barbarian: A Sophisticated Brute



Easy_Lee
2018-01-09, 04:33 PM
Here's a build idea that gave me a chuckle. Thought I'd share it in case anyone else enjoys this as well.

Variant Human: Observant
Rogue (Inquisitive) / Barbarian (Bear Totem)
Barbarian 5 -> Rogue 5
Double Daggers
Strength > Constitution = Dexterity > Wisdom
Expertise: Perception, Investigation

The combination of Observant, Inquisitive Rogue, and Expertise: Perception gives this character a ludicrous passive perception regardless of his wisdom score. Your DM basically can't hide anything from you, and your party should appreciate this. Furthermore, with expertise and Inquisitive assistance, his Insight and Investigation checks are similarly good. He can do all of this while raging.

Speaking of Rage, we can combine this with Reckless Attack, Sneak Attack, Uncanny Dodge, and Bear Totem. Reckless Attacks have advantage and qualify for Sneak Attack, yielding three opportunities to land Sneak Attack damage per turn. If opponents hit him, and they will, he takes half damage from almost everything. If he chooses, he can use Uncanny Dodge to reduce the damage of one attack to one quarter. A critical hit will hit this character less than half as hard as a normal attack hits someone else.

Rage and Sneak Attack offset the low damage of daggers. Daggers are chosen both because it's an uncommon weapon to see a barbarian use and also because they can be thrown. Combine a hooked dagger and a rope for an improvised grappling hook with which to reel in flyers (DM dependent but I suspect most would allow this because awesome).

Note that this character doesn't really need maximum strength due to always attacking with advantage, and can wear medium armor for perfectly acceptable AC (considering Uncanny Dodge and Rage). Feel free to pick up more feats.

It's not an optimal character, but I think it would be a lot of fun.

Stygofthedump
2018-01-09, 04:44 PM
Or maybe combine that perception with Eagle totem!

Easy_Lee
2018-01-09, 04:48 PM
Or maybe combine that perception with Eagle totem!

Hah, also legitimate. I was too tempted by one quarter damage. That said, Rage already gives resistance to BSP, so it should still work against most attacks.

Lombra
2018-01-09, 05:34 PM
I thought of a similar concept once, but it didn't involve any multiclass, it is simply a barbarian with the linguist feat. He basicaly is a hot-tempered veteran who retired to read books in his peacful life he struggled so hard to reach, but a plot hook happens and he's forced into fighting, he doesn't enjoy it so he is furious during the encounters and all he thinks about is "let's end this quickly so I can get back to my reading".

He'd have an high intelligence score, and the picture of a muscular man coding a secret language with ink and quill amuses me.

The barbarian level progression represents not him learning new things, but getting back in shape after the retirement period that softened him.

GlenSmash!
2018-01-09, 05:50 PM
Rogue/Barb is such a good combo I'm not surprised that this would work well.

I wouldn't say I'd take it over something like Scout/Zealot.

well maybe in a one shot. :smallbiggrin: