Wild magic barbarians

[Poe]

Has anyone had any effective wild magic barbarian build ideas? At least, effective on paper. The book probably hasn’t been out long enough to test them properly.

[Waazraath]

Has anyone had any effective wild magic barbarian build ideas? At least, effective on paper. The book probably hasn’t been out long enough to test them properly.

I think it's pretty difficult to build on the main feature, cause it's random by nature. I think if I'd every play one I'd just go with a bog standard GWF bbn build without depending on bonus actions (so no PAM) cause several wild mage features requrie a bonus action. Just go reckless attack and -5/+10 and use whatever wild magic feature you'd get to it utmost tactical advantage.

[fert1g]

I reckon a half-orc barbarian 16/fighter 4 could be quite effective.

Str 14 +2
Dex 14
Con 15 +1
Int 10
Wis 11 (odd numbered because I'd take Resilient (Wisdom) at some point)
Cha 9

I'd play it straight barbarian until level fourteen to get Controlled Surge ASAP, so as to ensure that you'd always have something to do with your bonus action (effects 2, 3, and 8). Then I'd take four levels of fighter (champion) for the expanded crit range, which combines well with the barbarian's Brutal Critical and the Half-Orc's Savage Attacks, as well as a fighting style (Defense for +1 to AC) and an ASI. Then I'd finish off the build with two more levels of barbarian for Persistent Rage and an ASI.

ASIs:
Lvl. 4: Str +2
Lvl. 8: Sentinel (combines well with Unstable Backlash to create a catch 22 for enemies where attacking you causes a Wild Surge and attacking an ally incurs an opportunity attack (you'll want to save your reaction for the enemy that takes its turn just before yours and is likely to fulfill one of the conditions, this way sentinel damage is threatened for the entire round))
Lvl. 12: Resilient (Wisdom) (to avoid mind control and round out our defenses)
Lvl. 18: GWM (for more DPR)
Lvl. 20: Str +2 (can be taken later thanks to the bonus to attack rolls from Bolstering Magic and Reckless Attacks)

We'd probably be best off with half-plate, but breastplate can work in a stealthier party. Since we'll be trying to take advantage of crits, I'd recommend a greataxe, but a maul or a greatsword can work just as well.

Action economy:
Action: Attack (x2).
Bonus action: Wild Surge (effects 2, 3, and 8).
Reaction: Sentinel/Unstable Backlash.
Concentration: n/a.

Skills:
Athletics (class), Insight (background), Intimidate (Half-Orc), Perception (class), Stealth (background). Nature and Survival later on from Primal Knowledge.

The build functions as a tank, encouraging enemies to focus on them (reckless attacks, sentinel), with solid damage thanks to a good action economy, and good defenses thanks to barbarian hit die, proficiency in constitution saves, Danger Sense, Resilient (Wisdom), and Fighting Style (Defense).

[Poe]

I think it's pretty difficult to build on the main feature, cause it's random by nature.

For me, that’s the biggest problem. As you said, they really need to be a fairly generic barbarian which, to me, is kinda boring. However, their random ability I find to be so amusing and with heaps of RP potential. It’s very tempting to take it, yet it’s something that I think will end up feeling a bit ho-hum.

[PattThe]

I sought out help here for my wild magic barbarian. The sorberian has her session zero at level 2 today!

16 15 15 8 8 13 Tasha's Trident/Warhammer and a shield Triton at total level lvl 2.
point buy. Module campaign. Old college roomate from 3 years ago is debuting tasha's and it's the only reason I cracked open Tasha's. She's a level 1 Barbarian level 1 wild magic sorceror.

Tayliern Riftsoul speaks primordial and goblin, has one fog cloud a day which will count toward wild magic surge and tides of chaos. She is an outlander (forester, but instead it's the coastline biome) proficient in drums who had to leave her society as they foresaw her wild soul as a ticking time bomb. She patrols a small tidal coastline maintaining an arbitrary sense of what she deems a peaceful ecosystem in her square mile zone until following a ship onto land after hearing of help needed. Chaotic Good.

Triton gets three level one or higher spells by level 5 that count as sorcerer spells by dm's rule and also mostly lack any charisma based ruling on their effect taking place. My spells are still in question but my cantrips are Booming Blade, Dancing Lights, Shape Water, and Mending. Magic missile is a surprise tool that shatters concentration. Sleep is a medium range spell that can knock out a whole encounter during the fragile low levels. False life doubles in value as an hour long non-concentration hp buff that benefits from rage. Color spray sets up a turn of advantage for you and your allies. I specifically built this class to tank charisma and avoid spells with spell attack rolls and spell saves.

As for wild soul, it is a total meme to be total level 5 and open up combat with this nonsense:
Cast w
false life or sleep pre combat. 5% chance for wild magic. Use tides of chaos for advantage on a buffed booming blade. Next turn cast fog cloud, get a wild magic surge table result. This turn or next, Bonus action, Rage, get a d8 wild magic surge table result. Next turn be raging. Barbarian 4 asi for +2 AC.

The build was inspired by the wild soul's 6th level ability for restoring spell slots. I want to see if I can get my dm (whom I introduced yo d&d through a great half-elf wild sorceror) to allow me to roll the d3 before the target is chosen, but regardless I loved the support and the utility of taking the 1st level spell slot for myself out of some utility. Might take a 2nd level in it sorceror or even a 3rd along the way if I feel like I need jump or expeditious retreat, or feather fall. Triton just lets me spam tides of chaos for advantage to help when I'm not raging.

I originally wanted shield master.. but there isnt enough space.

[chando]

I was a barbarian 2 with intentions of going Ancestral guardian /celestial warlock when wild magic barb came out.
I am now Wild Magic Barb 4 and having a blast. The very fisrt rage at level 3 i got the teleportation one on a zombie attack. very fun. Took Slasher as my feat to bring my Orc/halforc str to 18. Big Greataxe upclose. Double handaxes to throw or dual sometimes.

Mechanically, I was thinking of multiclassing for at least 1 level before that, but I thinking Going up to barb 6 before multiclassing, especially since my Axe is now magic and allows Mold Earth and some other shennenigans to come, and the DM is very permissive with using roleplay to minor ritual effects, like asking for guidance before a hunt with an orc band during a orc sacrad festival competition that i made up.

We have our only caster in a gnome land druid in a group of 4, now with with healing spirit (working as once per turn heal, no conga, sometimes two players heal on a turn or two in combat) so i'm kinda shamanic, the other players being a Figther Champion and a Rogue Thief.
So far i play hear effects as connected to her emmotions, and the chackras connected to that particular emmotion... so the roll is to see what chakra ligth up and i decid the emootion and play like that for the encounter.
For my multiclass, I'm tempted by the Genie Warlock (Dao), the Celestial Warlock (some more healing in the group) and Wild Magic Sorcerer (bucause fun!). Dragon Sorcerer might feature in there maybe since we do made "friends" with a green dragon.
Genie gives a ok damage boost once/turn if taking warlock before extra attack, nice benefits and earth flavored magic... Celestial has some nice healing bonus action usable with rage.
Might put eldrigh smite to soe use if going blade... Having a Familiar, go for a imp flavored as menphit or celestial imp, also sounds neat.
Wild magic keeps the crazy emotiove umpredictable magic vibe. and by taking it late it prevents the doomed taking a fireball to the face since at level 6+ you are less liikely to TKP your party, and most other effects are great if you are a tank capable of standing near your enemies. Tides of Chaos is pretty helpful all the time, both in guaranting surges in combat, as in helping your outside combat game when you dont have the righ tool.

Im also tempted by a few figther levels for battlemasters maneuvers, martial adept and the new maneuver focused FS to be more warlord like. She wants to makes her own path and seeks to be reconized as queen. (fisrt was of orcs, then of the land/earth as she connected to the axe)

...so yeah, wild magic seems to favor flexbility and inventivity over power, play your strenghs for the battle.
10-14 levels of a caster and maybe 4 of figther or other caster for more flexbility :)

[PattThe]

I was a barbarian 2 with intentions of going Ancestral guardian /celestial warlock when wild magic barb came out.
I am now Wild Magic Barb 4 and having a blast. The very fisrt rage at level 3 i got the teleportation one on a zombie attack. very fun. Took Slasher as my feat to bring my Orc/halforc str to 18. Big Greataxe upclose. Double handaxes to throw or dual sometimes.

Mechanically, I was thinking of multiclassing for at least 1 level before that, but I thinking Going up to barb 6 before multiclassing, especially since my Axe is now magic and allows Mold Earth and some other shennenigans to come, and the DM is very permissive with using roleplay to minor ritual effects, like asking for guidance before a hunt with an orc band during a orc sacrad festival competition that i made up.

We have our only caster in a gnome land druid in a group of 4, now with with healing spirit (working as once per turn heal, no conga, sometimes two players heal on a turn or two in combat) so i'm kinda shamanic, the other players being a Figther Champion and a Rogue Thief.
So far i play hear effects as connected to her emmotions, and the chackras connected to that particular emmotion... so the roll is to see what chakra ligth up and i decid the emootion and play like that for the encounter.
For my multiclass, I'm tempted by the Genie Warlock (Dao), the Celestial Warlock (some more healing in the group) and Wild Magic Sorcerer (bucause fun!). Dragon Sorcerer might feature in there maybe since we do made "friends" with a green dragon.
Genie gives a ok damage boost once/turn if taking warlock before extra attack, nice benefits and earth flavored magic... Celestial has some nice healing bonus action usable with rage.
Might put eldrigh smite to soe use if going blade... Having a Familiar, go for a imp flavored as menphit or celestial imp, also sounds neat.
Wild magic keeps the crazy emotiove umpredictable magic vibe. and by taking it late it prevents the doomed taking a fireball to the face since at level 6+ you are less liikely to TKP your party, and most other effects are great if you are a tank capable of standing near your enemies. Tides of Chaos is pretty helpful all the time, both in guaranting surges in combat, as in helping your outside combat game when you dont have the righ tool.

Im also tempted by a few figther levels for battlemasters maneuvers, martial adept and the new maneuver focused FS to be more warlord like. She wants to makes her own path and seeks to be reconized as queen. (fisrt was of orcs, then of the land/earth as she connected to the axe)

...so yeah, wild magic seems to favor flexbility and inventivity over power, play your strenghs for the battle.
10-14 levels of a caster and maybe 4 of figther or other caster for more flexbility :)


Wild Soul likes to draw upon themes of the feywild. Perhaps a dark court fey patron might fit ya if you wanted to roll around some crappy dc charm and frighten saves out of combat.

[Waazraath]

For me, that’s the biggest problem. As you said, they really need to be a fairly generic barbarian which, to me, is kinda boring. However, their random ability I find to be so amusing and with heaps of RP potential. It’s very tempting to take it, yet it’s something that I think will end up feeling a bit ho-hum.

I haven't played a bbn in 5e so far so I wouldn't mind, but yeah, I can imagine it would feel that way.

[chando]

Wild Soul likes to draw upon themes of the feywild. Perhaps a dark court fey patron might fit ya if you wanted to roll around some crappy dc charm and frighten saves out of combat.

yeah i feel like you could make any patron work, its just were im going on this particullar char. Using tellepathy from GOO while ragin would also be hilariouswhile sllowing going Mad from raging sounds delicious.

The feats for Fey magic, shadow touched and the one that gives an invocation are on myy list, current Str18, CHA 14...we'll see how far the campaing goes...

[J-H]

I feel like their effects ought to scale. 1d6 or 1d12 is nice at level 3. It's not so great at level 15.

[Poe]

I feel like their effects ought to scale. 1d6 or 1d12 is nice at level 3. It's not so great at level 15.

Yeah, the lack of scaling is a huge disadvantage.

[Mikaleus]

I feel like their effects ought to scale. 1d6 or 1d12 is nice at level 3. It's not so great at level 15.

I agree. It would have possibly been my first barbarian but the fact it doesn’t scale turned me off the subclass.
At least beast Barbarian looks good.

[Darzil]

It's what drew me to using it as a 3 (or 4) level dip alongside Fighter (say). As it comes off the base ability of Rage, it is extra effects, usually quite beneficial, that do not detract from action economy of another class (as long as they don't need spells or concentration).

[stoutstien]

The lv6 feature seems like the best feature. Of course, spell slot recovery got a heck of a lot more common in Tasha so it is less unique.