Having hard time choosing stats from rolls for a Golaith Zealot Barbarian

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Hello guys :)

I am playing a new game where I choose to play a Golaith Zealot Barbarian.

I am planning on taking GWM, Sentinel and Res wis.
The other ASI I plan to take in Con and after that in STR.

My Stats are:
16, 16, 14, 13, 10, 10
Or
17, 14, 14, 11, 10, 9
Or
16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 9

I can't choose which to take(they are not in order, I can move them around).

This is before racial bonuses.

I will be happy to hear your advice on the relevant stats.

I am playing a holy warrior of Pearun(a Slavic god of a lot of stuff).

[Ir0ns0ul]

I would take the third selection: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 9

STR 16, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 9 (or 12), WIS 13, CHA 12 (or 9)

After raciais should be like that: STR 18 (+2), DEX 14, CON 16 (+1), INT 9 (or 12), WIS 13, CHA 12 (or 9)

By following this, you are able to get as best as possible stats in STR and CON. A 14 in DEX makes sure you can leverage the second best mundane AC using Half-Plate and an odd score in WIS is perfect to round up after you get Resilient.

[J-H]

I would take the first set with 2 16.

STR 16
CON 16
DEX 14
WIS 13
INT 10
CHA 10

This leaves you with high scores in your key stats, DEX for good initiative and AC, and a slight bonus on your saves against the majority of mental spells (WIS)... plus no penalties to the other mental stats, so you don't feel like he has to be dumb or awkward.

[Rara1212]

I would take the first set with 2 16.

STR 16
CON 16
DEX 14
WIS 13
INT 10
CHA 10

This leaves you with high scores in your key stats, DEX for good initiative and AC, and a slight bonus on your saves against the majority of mental spells (WIS)... plus no penalties to the other mental stats, so you don't feel like he has to be dumb or awkward.

That'd leave you with an odd Con tho. Are there any good Con half feats? Can't remember

[x3n0n]

That'd leave you with an odd Con tho. Are there any good Con half feats? Can't remember

The only PHB half-ASI feats for Con are Durable, Tavern Brawler, and Resilient. (There are several in the most recent Feats UA, some of which are probably in Tasha's, but we don't know for sure yet.)

[Lavaeolus]

That'd leave you with an odd Con tho. Are there any good Con half feats? Can't remember

I keep a bookmark of a LudicSavant thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617757-Races-and-Half-Feats-Organized-By-Stats-They-Boost-(Theros-Updated)) listing them all. For Con, it's mostly racial half-feats, but you could pick up Durable. There's also Tavern Brawler and Resilient, but obviously the latter applied to Constitution isn't that useful to a Barb.

With starting stats of CON 17 / WIS 13, I'd probably be inclined to round both them up on my first ASI. It'd mean picking up Resilient (Wisdom) later on would give you an odd score again, though.

[Master O'Laughs]

I would be prone to either take the 1st or 3rd set of stats. Similar reasons to everyone who has already posted.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I keep a bookmark of a LudicSavant thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617757-Races-and-Half-Feats-Organized-By-Stats-They-Boost-(Theros-Updated)) listing them all. For Con, it's mostly racial half-feats, but you could pick up Durable. There's also Tavern Brawler and Resilient, but obviously the latter applied to Constitution isn't that useful to a Barb.

With starting stats of CON 17 / WIS 13, I'd probably be inclined to round both them up on my first ASI. It'd mean picking up Resilient (Wisdom) later on would give you an odd score again, though.


I would be prone to either take the 1st or 3rd set of stats. Similar reasons to everyone who has already posted.


Those two comments summaries my struggle.
I really have odd stats, I get headaches from looking at them.

I may ask for premition to take orcish fury or one of the UA feats that give +1 str/con.

Thasha may save me.

[KorvinStarmast]

Hello guys :)

I am playing a new game where I choose to play a Golaith Zealot Barbarian.

I am planning on taking GWM, Sentinel and Res wis.
The other ASI I plan to take in Con and after that in STR.

My Stats are:
16, 16, 14, 13, 10, 10
Or
17, 14, 14, 11, 10, 9
Or
16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 9

Goliath: Strength score increases by 2, Constitution score increases by 1.

Take Roll Set 2.
S 14(+2) Dex 14 Con 17(+1) Init 10 Wis 11 Cha 9
Final tally: 16 14 18 10 11 9 When you get res Wis your saving throw problems are mostly covered.

[GlenSmash!]

I would take the third selection: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 9

STR 16, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 9 (or 12), WIS 13, CHA 12 (or 9)

After raciais should be like that: STR 18 (+2), DEX 14, CON 16 (+1), INT 9 (or 12), WIS 13, CHA 12 (or 9)

By following this, you are able to get as best as possible stats in STR and CON. A 14 in DEX makes sure you can leverage the second best mundane AC using Half-Plate and an odd score in WIS is perfect to round up after you get Resilient.
This

Goliath: Strength score increases by 2, Constitution score increases by 1.

Take Roll Set 2.
S 14(+2) Dex 14 Con 17(+1) Init 10 Wis 11 Cha 9
Final tally: 16 14 18 10 11 9 When you get res Wis your saving throw problems are mostly covered.
Or this.

I'd want an even Strength score of 16+ (including racials), same for Constitution, and an odd score in Wisdom to get the max benefit from resilient. Due to medium armor proficiency Dex is best started at 14 and left at 14. Int and Cha don't matter. As for which you want higher between Str or Con that's really up to you though conventual wisdom is get strength higher first.

[Teaguethebean]

I would go the third set
16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 9

Str 18 Dex 14 Con 16 Int 9 Wis 13 Cha 12

Then you can take GWM at 4, Sentinel at 8, Resilient Wis at 12 to give you a +6 to wis saves, +2 Con/Str at 16, +2 Con/Str at 19.

[Lavaeolus]

Possible starting stats with first set:
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10

Possible starting stats with second set:
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 9 ("minimal-odds" build)
Str 19, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 10 ("looking forward to level 4" build)

Possible starting stats with third set
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 12

Conclusions:

* If you don't care about INT and CHA, the first set is objectively better and at worst equal to the third. If you round up Con and Wis at fourth level, you will ultimately end up in the same place as someone with the third set who improves their CON then takes Resilient (Wisdom), but you will enjoy +2 Wis saves before getting the feat. If you simply round up Wis with the feat immediately, your Wisdom saves will be identical, but the third set will get a Con half-feat rather than an ASI (or a STR half-feat is they spend an ASI to do CON +1, STR+1). Durable or some of the other half-feats might not be particularly enticing, but it'd still be nicer to have them than to be otherwise identical but not have them.

(The odd-numbers here do mean, however, that if you wanted +1 to knowledge or social skills, perhaps for RP reasons, you wouldn't be set back by taking the third set.)

* I would generally prefer to have STR 18 than CON 18. That being the case, one of the second set's possible stats is unappealing compared to the first set, which as gravy would have the bonus of slightly better INT/CHA saves/checks.

* If you're willing, going to level 4 with 15 CON could come with dividends. With the second set, at level four you could max your STR and round CON up to 16. Then you can later pick up Resilient (Wis) to round-off your last score.

[Teaguethebean]

* [B]If you're willing, going to level 4 with 15 CON could come with dividends. With the second set, at level four you could max your STR and round CON up to 16. Then you can later pick up Resilient (Wis) to round-off your last score.

This seems like stat wise a good pick but considering they wanted GWM, Sentinel, and Resilient Wis it would be a hard sell. But if they start at lv8 or so then that would be an amazing pick.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

This seems like stat wise a good pick but considering they wanted GWM, Sentinel, and Resilient Wis it would be a hard sell. But if they start at lv8 or so then that would be an amazing pick.

Yes, thats sounds good.
I now need to choose between getting GMW or +1con+1str at level 4.
I am ok with losing sentinel.

GMW is a great damage boost and at low levels consistently gives a bonus action attack.
I forgot to mention I start at level 4.

[Lavaeolus]

This seems like stat wise a good pick but considering they wanted GWM, Sentinel, and Resilient Wis it would be a hard sell. But if they start at lv8 or so then that would be an amazing pick.

Yep, it's a bit of a trade-off. If you spend the ASI, you're a Barbarian with max'd Strength and overall decent stats, which is quite nice for a level 4 Barb.

But if you're getting the ASI, you are, of course, not getting a feat. I don't know what the pace of OP's campaign will be, but starting at 4 you'll probably spend some time getting to level 8, and it'll definitely be a while before you reach level 12. So there's valid reasons to go for an array that gets you STR 18 / CON 16 and more feat-choice during that time.

[CTurbo]

I'd take the 2nd set with 19 Str, 14 Dex, 15 Con, 13 Wis and take +1 Str/Con and GWM at levels 4 and 8 in either order and then Res(Wis) at level 12 if you make it that far.