Mountain Dwarf Barbarian choices

[ZorroGames]

Looking at Mountain Dwarf (MD) Barbarian builds.

Currently designed an Elk Totem MD Barbarian just for movement stuff (like putting prone a Large creature as you pass through their space and the whole extra movement thing.). Flavor and fun in AL games thing.

BLUF What other subclasses play into being a MD with fun flavor?

I see Battle Rager and Berserker as automatic considerations though maybe not automatic choices. I already have a Totem Build I favor for flavor. What about Ancestral Guardian or Zealot? I will probably eventually play a second Barbarian subclass for a MD so tell me why one might be reasonably optimized and maximum flavor please.

Note that I just recently started taking a serious look at Barbarians, especially no armor and shield builds.

[strangebloke]

I'd actually argue that the totem is the least sound from a flavor perspective as most of the totem animals are decidedly not subterranean. But Elk is very mechanically fun I agree.

To my mind, barbarians are fun because they represent the emotional, unthinking id. They're raw emotion, not discipline or skill or cleverness. There's sort of a natural conflict there with the usual dwarven stereotype, as dwarves are conventionally all about discipline and reason.

So when I do a dwarven barbarian, I like to go with one of the following ideas:
You're a street punk. Never did well in Dwarf school. Was crap at reading/writing/forging. But you got good at street fights. Tried to go military but got kicked out for discipline issues and "conduct unbecoming of a dwarf." (works well with battlerager, berserker, and totem)
You're not a barbarian. No. You're a good dwarven noble. Yes. You keep all your emotions well and away. You dress well. Of course you do. So long as you keep your temper you're a very dignified person. (Works with Berserker, Ancestral, Zealot.)
You're from an irregular branch of the dwarven military where your lack of discipline served you well. (Zealot, Battlerager, Berserker, Ancestral)

[ZorroGames]

I'd actually argue that the totem is the least sound from a flavor perspective as most of the totem animals are decidedly not subterranean. But Elk is very mechanically fun I agree.

To my mind, barbarians are fun because they represent the emotional, unthinking id. They're raw emotion, not discipline or skill or cleverness. There's sort of a natural conflict there with the usual dwarven stereotype, as dwarves are conventionally all about discipline and reason.

So when I do a dwarven barbarian, I like to go with one of the following ideas:
You're a street punk. Never did well in Dwarf school. Was crap at reading/writing/forging. But you got good at street fights. Tried to go military but got kicked out for discipline issues and "conduct unbecoming of a dwarf." (works well with battlerager, berserker, and totem)
You're not a barbarian. No. You're a good dwarven noble. Yes. You keep all your emotions well and away. You dress well. Of course you do. So long as you keep your temper you're a very dignified person. (Works with Berserker, Ancestral, Zealot.)
You're from an irregular branch of the dwarven military where your lack of discipline served you well. (Zealot, Battlerager, Berserker, Ancestral)

Thanks, appreciate the input.

[opaopajr]

Criminal MD Barbarian Ancestral Guardian. :smallsmile:

Be a 'Locksmith', have ancestral tattoos of past dwarven 'locksmiths'. Go TWF and let your 'brothers from the other side' protect your crew. :smallcool: Keep a few light hammers and handaxes so you can throw at least one of them a round.

[GlenSmash!]

Playing on the other ideas here, how about an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian that was never good at being a traditional dwarf, so his dead clan members are trying to help him walk the like.

[Petrocorus]

Looking at Mountain Dwarf (MD) Barbarian builds.

Currently designed an Elk Totem MD Barbarian just for movement stuff (like putting prone a Large creature as you pass through their space and the whole extra movement thing.). Flavor and fun in AL games thing.

BLUF What other subclasses play into being a MD with fun flavor?

I see Battle Rager and Berserker as automatic considerations though maybe not automatic choices. I already have a Totem Build I favor for flavor. What about Ancestral Guardian or Zealot? I will probably eventually play a second Barbarian subclass for a MD so tell me why one might be reasonably optimized and maximum flavor please.

Note that I just recently started taking a serious look at Barbarians, especially no armor and shield builds.

From a purely mechanical PoV, Battlerager and Berserker are consider as the worst subclasses.
In the case of the Berserker, this is mostly due to a single line of rule in their level 3 feature, the one giving exhaustion. And the level 10 features that is underwhelming too.
In the case of the Battlerager, the whole subclass is underwhelming. The main contention is that the main feature (at level 3) is one half of PAM while not stacking with -5/+10 from GMW, and forces you to use a subpar armour instead of one of your iconic core class feature, or a better armor. The level 10 feature is one of the choice of the Totem path at level 3. The level 14 feature is very weak in addition of having the same issue about armor. The level 6 feature is good.

Zealot seems to be considered as the most powerful, their bonus damage at level 3 is automatic and costless, and rather good. And their level 14 feature basically makes them unkillable.

Ancetral and Storm are cool, Ancetral is mostly for making your party tankier.

I personally like Totem because of the versatility it provides, you have potentially good boost both in combat prowess and utilities. It is a bit party-dependent for some of the feature, like Wolf level 3.