Looking for some Barbarian build advice.

[DeTess]

Hey Playground, in an upcoming game I'll be playing a Goliath Barbarian, starting at level 1. I want to play her a bit counter tot he usual barbarian stereotype, with her being more toughtfula nd scholarly most of the time. She's actually been raised by a wizard after having lost her clan and after the old wizard died of natural causes, she took up adventuring and carries his old spellbook with her, though as of yet she can't really decipher it, and I want to introduce some magical components as the story goes along. To that end, I've got two questions:

1. Given that this campaign will only run to level 10, would it be a better idea to pick up ritual caster (wizard) at level 4 with one of my ASI's, or take a 1-2 level dip in wizard at some point? I can see advantages and disadvantages to both, and would like some additional views on the topic.

2. Does anyone know of a subclass that might fit this concept? The DM is willing to consider both Homebrew and third-party stuff provided it isn't broken or otherwise bad.

[CTurbo]

Goliath Barbarian
Sage Background

16 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 14 Int, 9 Wis, 8 Cha

Ritual Caster at level 4
For level 8, go +2 Str, Res(Wis), or Magic Initiate for more magic

Don't multiclass


If you just want to multiclass, a single level of Wizard, probably right after Barbarian 1, would do it. Then you could pump Str with your ASIs or take a typical Barbarian feat like Great Weapon Master.


I'm going to do the opposite one day and play a Goliath Wizard with a couple levels of Barbarian. The plan is to play it like a straight Wizard until I am either hit by an attack or out of spells at which time I will just get really upset about it lol. Basically a strong Wizard with an attitude problem lol.

[Azgeroth]

for ritual casting definitely take the feat over a wizard dip.

the feat keys off your character level, the wizard class feature keys of your wizard level.

as for barb magic sub-classes... im not into homebrew classes so i cant help you there. but totem is full of flavour, alot of people like the new zealot path aswell.. afraid i cant offer more than that.

[Vekon]

Think about how you could reflavor the published subclasses. Storm Herald could be flavored as an elemental arcane aura that you learned to conjure; perhaps your mentor/guardian favored one of those elements? Ancestral Guardian could be a barbarian using abjuration to protect his friends from harm. The 10th level feature gives access to spells that might have just been in that spellbook you have now. Honestly, even your rage can be fluffed as a sort of arcane rite that gives you the ability to bolster your resilience and reduce harm you recieve, while also making you a stronger combatant.

[djreynolds]

The term wizard could be really any mystic, if you wanted. Merlin could've been a wizard, or druid, or warlock.

I do like the idea of a spell book

Also, I reflavored rage, when I used the barbarian as my samurai. You don't have to "rage", it can be something else entirely.

Perhaps the wizard taught you how hyper-focus, whatever, but your rage is unique. And Vekon's suggestion could be the way.

Also rage is literally twice a day, for 2 minutes..... I don't 1438 minutes or so left in the day to be a wizard or just you.

Just call the rage something else. I got it, call "tensor's transformation" when you rage it will be a funny tie in

You could have it, that you actually think you are casting the spell on yourself.

There is lots of stuff here

[Ganymede]

I do a high elf barbarian with a two level dip into war mage. It adds lots of utility, combat survivability, and a sassy familiar.

[WickerNipple]

I was also gonna suggest a 2 lvl warmage dip.

[Mercurias]

Would Eldritch Knight be a little more in line with your idea? I’m not trying to step in your creativity or anything like that. I’m just the sort to Occam’s Razor a concept, and a person with a big sword who does magic sounds like an EK.

[DeTess]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'd been considering the storm herald subclass before, but I'll take another look at ancestral guardian as well. I really like the idea of re-fluffing the rage more as a kind of magical/intellectual hyper-focus as well.

@mercurias, I appreciate the eldritch knight suggestion, but I really want some of the aesthetics that come with the barbarian chassis, which does involve some of the crunch (such as the unarmored defense and danger sense features).