Is spell dmg worth at high levels?

[MaxWilson]

I'm sure I'm missing something, but can't tell what it is.

If you're not going to Rage and are going to actually wear armor, why Barb 1 (especially vs your originally-planned Fighter 1)?

Shield proficiency, better AC (medium armor / unarmored defense), two Rages per day in key fights (only used it once in actually but only because I was saving it for tough fights), Con save proficiency, greatsword proficiency, and eventual Reckless Attack and Bear Totem Resistance (planned for levels 13-14).

Given his high stat rolls it was the same AC to wear armor vs. not so I went with the stylistic choice: this mighty Warbearian dresses like James Bond, not like a SWAT team.

The original plan was more like Battlemaster 12. But that would have wasted all those juicy rolls. They got "wasted" anyway in the sense that they weren't used to meaningfully affect this particular contrived series of cage fights, but I can imagine him on other adventures that are less contrived, and / or him behaving in ways that are more castery (Synaptic Static, Hypnotic Pattern).