What kind of Multiclass for Barbarian?

[Nagog]

Hey ya'll!

I'm currently playing a Tabaxi Juggernaut Barbarian in my friend's campaign, and we just made the level jump from 8 to 10. Frankly, Brutal Critical and what is essentially a worse Cleave Weapon Mastery aren't at all appealing to me, and my friend has mentioned to me that he's going to be winding this campaign down to start a new one soon, so holding on for 11+ isn't a draw either.

So I'm looking to Multiclass. The campaign is very combat-focused, and is a very "Mad Max" style campaign world. My job is to tank and deal damage, particularly to structures and vehicles, and with a max speed of 400ft in a round (Tabaxi Zoomies, Boots of Speed, Barb speed, and Dash action), getting to the fight isn't really an issue. What class should I take these two levels in to maximize my effectiveness?

Party is a Cleric (unknown domain) Druid (new, unknown Circle) and Alchemist Artificer. Plenty of spellcasting, plenty of healing.

[Dr.Samurai]

What are your stats? That will determine what you can multiclass into.

Fighter is an obvious choice, netting you a Fighting Style and Action Surge.

[Amnestic]

You can't go wrong with Fighter, yeah. Nets you Second Wind, a fighting style, and Action Surge for doubling up on attacks. In the event you do go to 11th, unlikely as it may seem, there's a bunch of solid fighter subclasses to tack on as well - Rune Knight and Battlemaster maybe top of the list, though even the humble Champion is fine too.

If you've got the Charisma for it, Paladin is another potential option, though probably weaker overall - Lay on Hands ends up at 10 hit points of healing, but you can dish it out to other people, you get a fighting style, and either spells for use out of Rage or to fuel Divine Smite while raging, but at only 2 1st level spells slots per long rest (so 2d8*2, or 3d8*2 vs. fiends/undead) chances are Action Surge is going to serve you better overall.

Warlock may be a somewhat unorthodox choice, but you could go Fiend pact for a source of temp HP (on killing people) or Genie (for extra damage from your Genie's Wrath - it scales off proficiency bonus rather than Cha, so +4 damage/turn) and then your 2nd level invocations go into utility things like Devil's Sight/Beast Speech/Beguiling Influence/Fiendish Vigour. Armor of Agathys is a decent enough spell to use since it's got a good duration and no concentration requirement, so perfect for prebuffing yourself.

[Pex]

Rogue is worth considering. If you care about the sneak attack you don't have to use DX to fight. The weapon needs to be finesse, but you can still attack with strength. Reckless Attacks gives you sneak attack on your terms. Uncanny Dodge stacks with rage resistance since they are two differently named things and Uncanny Dodge is not resistance, just half-damage. You can take quarter damage from an enemy's critical hit. Advantage on DX saves helps a lot with Evasion.

[Nagog]

You can't go wrong with Fighter, yeah. Nets you Second Wind, a fighting style, and Action Surge for doubling up on attacks. In the event you do go to 11th, unlikely as it may seem, there's a bunch of solid fighter subclasses to tack on as well - Rune Knight and Battlemaster maybe top of the list, though even the humble Champion is fine too.

If you've got the Charisma for it, Paladin is another potential option, though probably weaker overall - Lay on Hands ends up at 10 hit points of healing, but you can dish it out to other people, you get a fighting style, and either spells for use out of Rage or to fuel Divine Smite while raging, but at only 2 1st level spells slots per long rest (so 2d8*2, or 3d8*2 vs. fiends/undead) chances are Action Surge is going to serve you better overall.

Warlock may be a somewhat unorthodox choice, but you could go Fiend pact for a source of temp HP (on killing people) or Genie (for extra damage from your Genie's Wrath - it scales off proficiency bonus rather than Cha, so +4 damage/turn) and then your 2nd level invocations go into utility things like Devil's Sight/Beast Speech/Beguiling Influence/Fiendish Vigour. Armor of Agathys is a decent enough spell to use since it's got a good duration and no concentration requirement, so perfect for prebuffing yourself.

I am interested in Paladin, though with my penchant for destroying vehicles and structures, and Smite requiring the hit to be on a creature, it feels... less satisfying somehow. I'll still consider it though


What are your stats? That will determine what you can multiclass into.

Fighter is an obvious choice, netting you a Fighting Style and Action Surge.

I don't have my character sheet in front of me, but my stats are all decent and the DM doesn't care too much about that kind of thing.

[JackPhoenix]

Rogue is worth considering. If you care about the sneak attack you don't have to use DX to fight. The weapon needs to be finesse, but you can still attack with strength. Reckless Attacks gives you sneak attack on your terms. Uncanny Dodge stacks with rage resistance since they are two differently named things and Uncanny Dodge is not resistance, just half-damage. You can take quarter damage from an enemy's critical hit. Advantage on DX saves helps a lot with Evasion.

He's got 2 levels to work with, so the only thing he'll get from a rogue is Cunning Action and extra proficiency. 1d6 Sneak Attack is not worth it over using two-handed weapon.

[da newt]

Any feats, and preferred weapon?

Fighter is the KISS answer (2nd wind, FS, Action Surge), but I also like rogue for CA, expertise, and SA but it doesn't mix particularly well with GWM or PAM ...

[5eNeedsDarksun]

He's got 2 levels to work with, so the only thing he'll get from a rogue is Cunning Action and extra proficiency. 1d6 Sneak Attack is not worth it over using two-handed weapon.

Really depends how the group (DM) plays Stealth. If Expertise there can yield regular 'free' rounds then a level or 2 of Rogue could definitely be worth it. Expertise in another skill is nothing to sneeze at either.

[Leon]

What is you character idea theme?
Outside of that regard Ranger is always a good class that ties in well with Barbarian.

[RogueJK]

Three straightforward options:

Fighter 2 for Fighting Style and Action Surge.

Rogue 2 for 1x Skill Proficiency, 2x Skill Expertise, and Bonus Action Dash/Disengage for even more zoomies. (Plus an additional +1d6 Sneak Attack per turn if you're amenable to using a 1H finesse weapon... STR-based rapier attacks are mechanically identical to STR-based longsword/battleaxe/warhammer attacks, just doing a d8 of piercing damage instead of slashing/bludgeoning.)

Ranger 2 for Fighting Style, 1x Skill Proficiency, and 1x Skill Expertise, plus a couple utility spells per day (like Longstrider for even more zoomies). You just wouldn't be able to use the usual damage boost from Favored Foe/Hunter's Mark while raging since they require Concentration.


If you're wanting to boost your combat effectiveness, Fighter is the best bet. If you're wanting to boost your mobility and out of combat effectiveness, Rogue is your best bet. Ranger is the compromise option if you can't decide.



Cleric 2 is another option worth possibly considering, though it's likely not as strong as Fighter/Rogue/Ranger. You won't be able to do a ton with the spellcasting aspect other than a little bit of supplementary utility and out of combat healing, but you could potentially gain a bit from the Level 1 feature and Channel Divinity 1x per short rest. (CD is not a spell, so can be used/maintained while raging.)

Best options would include Peace (ironically enough) or Twilight for combat use, or Trickery for out of combat use.

[DragonBaneDM]

Hello!

I’ve been playing a Warforged Bearbarian 5/Scout Rogue 5 from level one, and they’re easily my favorite frontliner I’ve ever played, definitely my favorite in 5E.

I’ll be sticking straight Rogue for the campaign, though I’m flirting with taking the last few levels in Fighter (I’m the optimizer in the group and our DM respectfully asked me to rein it in a bit)

The interaction between Reckless Attack and Sneak Attack is just SO fun. Rage and Uncanny Dodge has me putting myself in situations where I can attract and mitigate huge crits down to single digits, and I have lots of fun with the grappling sub theme during combats and the nature boy subtheme for exploration.

Swashbuckler is technically better for reliable sneak attacks (went scout for RP purposes) but the Rogue chassis works super well for long term damage scaling!

I won’t lie that Action Surge, a Fighting Style, and an Archetype are tempting as heck, but I’m loving my Rogue levels a ton.

[LudicSavant]

Hey ya'll!

I'm currently playing a Tabaxi Juggernaut Barbarian in my friend's campaign, and we just made the level jump from 8 to 10. Frankly, Brutal Critical and what is essentially a worse Cleave Weapon Mastery aren't at all appealing to me, and my friend has mentioned to me that he's going to be winding this campaign down to start a new one soon, so holding on for 11+ isn't a draw either.

So I'm looking to Multiclass. The campaign is very combat-focused, and is a very "Mad Max" style campaign world. My job is to tank and deal damage, particularly to structures and vehicles, and with a max speed of 400ft in a round (Tabaxi Zoomies, Boots of Speed, Barb speed, and Dash action), getting to the fight isn't really an issue. What class should I take these two levels in to maximize my effectiveness?

Party is a Cleric (unknown domain) Druid (new, unknown Circle) and Alchemist Artificer. Plenty of spellcasting, plenty of healing.

Fighter is a reliable go-to that will provide benefits very quickly, in the form of a Fighting Style at 1, Action Surge at 2, and a subclass at 3 (like Battle Master or Rune Knight).

Rogue will get you Expertise and a bonus action dash for better grappling.

Cleric and Warlock are decent options too, if you qualify for them.

[Dualight]

Like most, I'll echo the suggestion for fighter. Fighter has really solid features at low levels, that pretty much do not drop off in value at higher levels(except Second Wind, but the real 1st level prize is the Fighting Style, anyway).
On top of that, Fighter needs no narrative justification for a barbarian to pick up, especially if you might not even get to the point of picking a subclass. You just get better at the combat business, albeit in a more methodical fashion than a monoclass barbarian.
Another benefit of fighter in your specific situation is that you do not need to put any thought into your subclass, since the choice isn't until 3rd level, which means you might not even have make that choice.

[Hairfish]

Rogue will get you Expertise and a bonus action dash for better grappling.


And with their ridiculous move speed, using their first attack to grapple an enemy, moving to the nearest environmental hazard, and then suplexing the enemy into/off it becomes super viable.

Presumably at least one caster has access to Enlarge, so there's a whole lot of big enemies that may be very surprised when they get suplexed

[Yakmala]

1 level dip into Peace Cleric.

Emboldening Bond helps offset your GWM penalty, helps other party members and works during rage.

Also, if you play a Berserker, and your party finds a Necklace of Prayer Beads with one or more Greater Restoration beads, a 1 level Cleric dip will let you use those beads to remove your Frenzy exhaustion.

[OptimizedAC]

All the basic multiclassing choices for improving the Barbarian have already been covered. I'm going to reiterate one of them, then explore some further options. None of them make you particularly better at destroying structures and vehicles, but they offer opportunities to improve other central aspects of your build. Arguably they have distinct appeals compared to being a barbarian/fighter.

Rogue – Ride eternal
Do you have Expertise in Athletics? If not, Rogue for maximum grappling potential as a Tabaxi would be a solid direction, as several posters have noted. With Resolute Stance, Rage and Feline Agility (and Boots of Speed – you’ve got a generous DM), your grappling potential is excellent. Bonus action dash gives you a further reason for why the Artificer should spend their precious highest-level spell slots on making you fly so your enemies can fall. Or just have the Druid cast Spike Growth and grate down their enemies for them.


Mad Monk – Above Thunderdome
If you do have expertise in Athletics and your Con is decent (i.e. Unarmored Defense qualifiying), Monk might be better. You only get two bonus dashes per short-rest, but you can make those count. Unarmored Movement offsets the need somewhat anyway. You can’t dash the turn you rage, where those extra 15 (/30/60) ft of movement total might matter more than dashing the turn after.

Patient Defense can alternatively buff your tanking at the cost of grappler damage-dealing, and offset Reckless Attack.

Thunderous Blow also synergizes with Martial Arts and Flurry of Blows. The latter at the cost of above options, the former giving up an attack with a heavy weapon for an extra unarmed strike. When you really want to move some creature(s) or really want to hit some creature(s), this will be useful.

So if you want an uniquely synergistic multiclass for your build, with interesting combat decisions and decent performance, multiclassing into Monk is my recommendation.


Druid – Rat Circus
Alternatively, if you really want to lean in on the tanking (it seems you’ve got the smashing decently covered already), Moon Druid is worth mentioning. Wild Shape gives a lot of neat little utilities. However, in combat, what you’re primarily looking for is that extra stack of HP. Giant Hyena has 45 HP, effectively doubled by rage. With 14 AC and disadvantage thanks to Unarmored Defense and Resolute Stance, this is a decent boost to survivability twice per short rest. Remember: you don’t have to shape-shift until after you’ve moved and attacked. RAW, shape-shifting doesn’t end grappling – nor does Resolute Stance impair it. So, activate Resolute Stance some turn after raging, run into a good position to grab onto a couple of foes, then Wild-Shape and tank them to death.

[OptimizedAC]

That being said, here are two further alternatives:

Sorcerer – Shiny and chrome
Maybe in their path of destruction and structural deconstruction, they’ve upset some greater power or two. You’ve been turned into what you destroy – part Barbarian, part Mechanus-touched.

The Clockwork Soul Sorcerer actually kinda synergizes, if you squint. Spell-casting adds somewhat neat new functionality. And importantly, Restore Balance partially counteracts either Reckless Attack or Resolute Stance, at the cost of a reaction.
The second level of Sorcerer does nothing for you, so feel free to spend it elsewhere – Cleric or Warlock gives the best return.

(Speaking of Warlock – in addition to the Subclasses Amnestic mentions, Undead should be considered. Immunity to frightened, potential to frighten, and TempHP. All good stuff for a tank. Become part undead, part machine, and five hundred percent pure destruction.)


Wizard – Mediocre
Maybe higher powers aren’t a source of change in your character. Maybe they themself are? With a breather to level up a couple of times, maybe your barbarian has reflected. And wants to be more than just a brute. Whether their scholarly pursuits are a repudiation of their past, or just recognition that being an erudite brute empowers you to optimize destruction, two levels of Wizard has something to offer. You get ritual casting. You get a familiar! Most importantly – you get a subclass.

Divination goes without saying as useful – your two full-casters will thank you for bringing Portent to the table.

War Magic lets you lean further into tanking. It’s not often you’ll think that +2 to AC as a barbarian was worth two levels and a reaction. But +4 to an important save at an important moment? It might even be worth doubling your inability to cast levelled spells on the following turn. As your intelligence is "decent", the bonus to initiative might also be neat.

Bladesinging – if your intelligence (and constitution) is decent, bladesinging could be a potent boost to unarmored defense. And movement speed. And things you don’t care about.

Chronurgy offers War Magic’s initiative-boost combined with an off-brand Portent. You use it after seeing the result – but it "just" offers a reroll and eats your reaction. Since your DM accepts Juggernaut, they’ll presumably accept this class as well. What makes them stand out is giving access to Gift of Alacrity.

As you point out, your party already has plenty of spellcasting. Since you won't be concentrating or casting in combat, there is diminshed utility to bringing in an extra couple of 1st-level spell slots. There are some useful out-of-combat spells not on the base list of Artificer/Cleric/Druic, though. Find Familiar as mentioned, but Silent Image and Comprehend Languages (cheaper than Tongues for the Cleric) also stand out. Disguise Self is good even if the Artificer gets it (less often good in combat, though), and there are some other spells of potential use.

However, Gift of Alacrity gives much higher payoff for you. With advantage on intiative rolls, plus dex, plus int and plus 1d8, the first thing happening every combat would probably be you raging. Burn your slots to throw it on yourself and the full casters every day. Buy scrolls to use it on the Artificer. Then buy scrolls to cover all the utility spells - if the campaign is ending soon, you might as well use your gold.

[ciopo]

FWIW, I had a (wild magic) barbarian in a completed Curse of Strahd campaign. I had no idea ahead of hte time if we would be getting to level 11., I specifically didn't go for GWM, I had one STR ASI and the cook feat, was doing sword&board.

I multiclassed out of barbarian at 8th, ending up barb 8 / fighter 1 / rogue 1. Reasoning being I didn't like the fighter 2 action surge much, due to it being 1/day, and felt like I woulnd't get much mileage out of cunning action, since I already was fairly bonus action heavy. Getting a fightning style and one die of sneak attack plus two expertises felt like the best compromise. more level of barb where very "UGH" to my sensibilities

[RogueJK]

Reasoning being I didn't like the fighter 2 action surge much, due to it being 1/day

Action Surge is once per short rest. So you should be able to use it 2-3 times per day, on average.

Action Surge is not quite as powerful on a pure martial like a Barbarian, compared to a spellcaster being able to cast two leveled spells in on turn or a gish being able to cast a buff spell and then make their full suite of weapon attacks.

But it's still useful for times when you need to move a long distance and then attack (Dash+Action Surge Attack), for example when you're trying to keep your Rage going by making attacks but the enemies are a ways off. Or do something like Use an Object to administer a potion to the downed Cleric, and want to still be able to attack to keep your Rage going. Or Grapple+Prone an enemy and then still make your normal number of weapon attacks.

Or when you just want to have a nova round and double your damage output. Especially handy when the enemy is at a severe disadvantage, like being Held/Paralyzed so all your hits are auto-crits.