Alternative to Rage?

[RNightstalker]

Are there any rulebooks out there that provide an alternate to the rage feature of the barbarian class or a way to expend them like turn attempts can be used?

[RandomPeasant]

Are there any rulebooks out there that provide an alternate to the rage feature of the barbarian class or a way to expend them like turn attempts can be used?

The PHBII has an ACF that replaces Rage with something that kicks in below a certain HP threshold.

[pabelfly]

Unearthed Arcana lets you trade it and a few other features for the Ranger's Archery combat style and Favored Enemy.

There are also a few different types of Rage - Whirling Frenzy and Ferocity, if that helps.

[ShurikVch]

There aren't many, but still...

Alternate to the Rage:
Berserker Strength (Players Handbook II)
Crafty Hunter (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#barbarian)
Ferocity (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a)

Ways to expend them like turn attempts can be used:
Channeled Rage feat (Races of Destiny): add your Str bonus to Will save as immediate action
Demonhair Shirt magic item (Dragon #356): spend two daily uses of Rage to start Demonic Fury - you get +6 Str, +2 AC, +10' speed, and your weapon(s) count as Chaotic for DR; stacks with Rage (and Frenzy), but cause 2 nonlethal damage each round and at the end you're fatigued for 1 hour. No penalty for Good character, but violates Code of Conduct for G and L alignments
Raging Vigor - Fangshields Barbarian sub. level (Champions of Valor): spend daily Rage use to heal (your HD)x2 hp - as a standard action

[RNightstalker]

The PHBII has an ACF that replaces Rage with something that kicks in below a certain HP threshold.


Unearthed Arcana lets you trade it and a few other features for the Ranger's Archery combat style and Favored Enemy.
There are also a few different types of Rage - Whirling Frenzy and Ferocity, if that helps.


There aren't many, but still...
Alternate to the Rage:
Berserker Strength (Players Handbook II)


Thanks all! The Bezerker Strength was the best option I was looking for!

[Thurbane]

Thanks all! The Bezerker Strength was the best option I was looking for!

Be aware that it only activates when you are below 5 x Barbarian level in HP.

I really like this ACF in theory, but in practice you need to be running around badly injured (or somehow on permanently low HP) for it to activate, and it is not at all dip friendly (i.e. if you only go 1 level of Barbarian, it will only ever activate when you are at 4hp or less).

IMHO, it should have just been applied to the "bloodied" condition, where it kicks in when you are below half full normal HP. I guess Babarian levels were used in the calculation to discourage dipping, which the devs seemed to have a real issue with.

[RNightstalker]

Be aware that it only activates when you are below 5 x Barbarian level in HP.

I really like this ACF in theory, but in practice you need to be running around badly injured (or somehow on permanently low HP) for it to activate, and it is not at all dip friendly (i.e. if you only go 1 level of Barbarian, it will only ever activate when you are at 4hp or less).

IMHO, it should have just been applied to the "bloodied" condition, where it kicks in when you are below half full normal HP. I guess Babarian levels were used in the calculation to discourage dipping, which the devs seemed to have a real issue with.

It's for a full blown Barbarian so it shouldn't be too bad. With some strategic healing, it can be quite useful. It's not the ideal option, but the best available option.

[loky1109]

Look on Stone Power feat from ToB. With Berserker Strength it sounds good.

[Remuko]

IMHO, it should have just been applied to the "bloodied" condition, where it kicks in when you are below half full normal HP.

you would have to add that condition first. it does not exist in 3.5 natively afaik. it was created in/for 4th edition.

[Thurbane]

you would have to add that condition first. it does not exist in 3.5 natively afaik. it was created in/for 4th edition.

Indeed - hence the quotation marks. It became a colloquialism in 3.X retrospectively.

There's a bit of stuff in 3E that already ran off this mechanic, without it being called out under a specific name: Dragon Shaman's healing aura, Tabard of Valor, Stalwart Pact, Touch of Healing etc.

[Remuko]

Indeed - hence the quotation marks. It became a colloquialism in 3.X retrospectively.

There's a bit of stuff in 3E that already ran off this mechanic, without it being called out under a specific name: Dragon Shaman's healing aura, Tabard of Valor, Stalwart Pact, Touch of Healing etc.

Reasonable, I agree.

[ShurikVch]

I really like this ACF in theory, but in practice you need to be running around badly injured (or somehow on permanently low HP)
Grafts from Eberron cause incurable damage ("sacrifice") on attachment: say, Darkwood Flesh + Grappling Vine + Healing Nodules + Perception Seed + Rootlegs = -20 hp

Instruments of the Blood Gift collection (Magic Item Compendium): Barbs of Retribution cause 1 point of incurable damage on donning, and dragonblood character can force an enemy within 30' to reroll saving throw with penalty - up to -5; every -1 would cost you 5 hp (thus, up to 25 total)

Burning Rage spell: +1 on attack, +2 on damage, and 2 DR/magic; 4 fire damage each round
Divine Sacrifice spell: +5d6 damage on your first attack in a round, but you suffer 10 points of damage each round

[Thurbane]

I mean, yeah, there's ways to lower your HP, but as a frontline melee type: do you really want to?

Dunno about anyone else, but as, say, a level 10 Barbarian... I would rather not have to wade into combat against CR10 bruiser types with 50 HP or less, just to activate my main class feature.

[LunaticChaos]

Are there any rulebooks out there that provide an alternate to the rage feature of the barbarian class or a way to expend them like turn attempts can be used?

I really have to ask. Why do you want to trade out Rage?

[Arkhios]

I really have to ask. Why do you want to trade out Rage?

Not the OP here, but if I had to guess, judging from how the berserker rage turned out to be the best alternative for OP, they probably want to trade rage out for the ability's "×/day" nature.

If I read it right, Berserker Strength is effectively limitless resource, kicking off only when the barbarian has very little hit points left.

[LunaticChaos]

Not the OP here, but if I had to guess, judging from how the berserker rage turned out to be the best alternative for OP, they probably want to trade rage out for the ability's "×/day" nature.

If I read it right, Berserker Strength is effectively limitless resource, kicking off only when the barbarian has very little hit points left.

Now you see, I'd assume that was the case, if not for the second half of the question where they ask if there was a way expend it like Turn Undead uses for Clerics/Paladins.

It kinda sounds like there is a dislike for the nature of how Rage works rather than the resource cap. Or they're looking to do some unusual build where they won't progress Rage in anyway thus it won't get better and they won't get more uses.

[pabelfly]

Now you see, I'd assume that was the case, if not for the second half of the question where they ask if there was a way expend it like Turn Undead uses for Clerics/Paladins.

It kinda sounds like there is a dislike for the nature of how Rage works rather than the resource cap. Or they're looking to do some unusual build where they won't progress Rage in anyway thus it won't get better and they won't get more uses.

Player is apparently going a Barbarian 20 build though, so that doesn't make sense either.

[LunaticChaos]

Player is apparently going a Barbarian 20 build though, so that doesn't make sense either.

Which does kind of makes me more confused with this. Because typically not having enough rages isn't an issue for a straight Barbarian, and if you do need extras there is the Extra Rage feat. Plus there is that wanting to expend them on things other than Rage still.

The idea of putting yourself in the range of being one bad full attack away from 0 (or just a normal attack or Crit at low levels) as being the better option seems odd. Hence why I'm curious as to what the goal is with trading it out for something else. Plus, you know, Power Word Kill is a thing.

[Maat Mons]

In addition to the Rage alternatives already mentioned, there's Whirling Frenzy, which is good, and a couple of things from Dragon magazine that are not good.

[loky1109]

BS can be very good for RP.

[Thurbane]

Yeah, until we hear more from OP on what his issue with rage is, hard to tell why he thinks Berserker Strength would be best for his build.

For me, the next best alternatives would be the aforementioned Whirling Frenzy, or Ferocity.

[RNightstalker]

I mean, yeah, there's ways to lower your HP, but as a frontline melee type: do you really want to?
Dunno about anyone else, but as, say, a level 10 Barbarian... I would rather not have to wade into combat against CR10 bruiser types with 50 HP or less, just to activate my main class feature.

Great spot for a Ring of Nine Lives.


I really have to ask. Why do you want to trade out Rage?

Not the OP here, but if I had to guess, judging from how the berserker rage turned out to be the best alternative for OP, they probably want to trade rage out for the ability's "×/day" nature.
If I read it right, Berserker Strength is effectively limitless resource, kicking off only when the barbarian has very little hit points left.

Now you see, I'd assume that was the case, if not for the second half of the question where they ask if there was a way expend it like Turn Undead uses for Clerics/Paladins.
It kinda sounds like there is a dislike for the nature of how Rage works rather than the resource cap. Or they're looking to do some unusual build where they won't progress Rage in anyway thus it won't get better and they won't get more uses.

Player is apparently going a Barbarian 20 build though, so that doesn't make sense either.

Which does kind of makes me more confused with this. Because typically not having enough rages isn't an issue for a straight Barbarian, and if you do need extras there is the Extra Rage feat. Plus there is that wanting to expend them on things other than Rage still.
The idea of putting yourself in the range of being one bad full attack away from 0 (or just a normal attack or Crit at low levels) as being the better option seems odd. Hence why I'm curious as to what the goal is with trading it out for something else. Plus, you know, Power Word Kill is a thing.

Actually fleshing out an NPC for a 2nd edition module I'm converting to 3.x. The barbarian class fits the bill but the rage doesn't fit the setting.


BS can be very good for RP.

What's this can be very good? It's usually the best! lol

[LunaticChaos]

Oh a 2nd Ed Barbarian type? If memory serves they were highly antimagic back then.

Here's my suggestion as an alternative.
Now this requires a BIT of a houseruling/homebrewing. But perhaps go with Crafty Hunter to trade out Rage and Indomitable Will for Ranger's Favored Enemy and Ranged Combat Styles. And then trade the Favored Enemy out for Arcane Hunter which lets you treat all Arcane casters as Favored Enemies. By RAW that option is only available to rangers but I don't think its unreasonable to give it to a Barbarian who swaps out for the Crafty Hunter ACF.
There is also Spellsense you can trade out for Trapsense to further increase that theme of antimagic.

[RNightstalker]

Oh a 2nd Ed Barbarian type? If memory serves they were highly antimagic back then.


He's listed as a Fighter, but since the backstory mentions his temper, especially starting to gain an amount of control over it, that's why I went Barbarian. There will already be enough Fighter NPCs to go with so I needed to change it up and decided to take advantage of 3.x wider variety of character options, even though the Barbarian was available in 2nd IIRC.

[nick_crenshaw]

I really like this ACF in theory, but in practice you need to be running around badly injured (or somehow on permanently low HP) for it to activate, and it is not at all dip friendly (i.e. if you only go 1 level of Barbarian, it will only ever activate when you are at 4hp or less).

Are there any feats that allow Barbarian levels to stack with other classes in regards to the Rage ability? If there are than maybe a DM may allow those feats to work with Berserker Strength.

[Thurbane]

Are there any feats that allow Barbarian levels to stack with other classes in regards to the Rage ability? If there are than maybe a DM may allow those feats to work with Berserker Strength.

I know some classes do (Black Blood Cultist etc.), but I'm not sure about a feat.

Checked here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?210550), didn't find anything.

Although apparently there is a feat called Chaos Rage that adds +4 levels for determining effects of rage (presumably similar to how Practiced Spellcaster works).