New to 4e and starting Paragon

[Sploosh]

Hey there,

My friend is obsessed with playing 4e instead of 3.5. After a few weeks he managed to get us to try a game at level one and I used the 1-3 Wizard of the coast character builder.

So "obviously", playing a day of level one means we are ready for paragon, right? So I have until Saturday to have my level 11 Barbarian ready and I am completely stumped.

I have the PBH and PHB2, which I have skimmed through and I have read the 4e Barb handbook which was strange because it seemed that some of the better feats for certain builds werent really distinguished from the other builds.

So if anoyne has any advice for a lvl 11 Rageblood chargoholic minotaur or simply on working 4e in general, I could really use the help.

[Mando Knight]

Pick a weapon, preferably a Superior two-handed hammer or axe. Grab its Weapon Focus and Expertise feats. Maximize your Strength and Constitution, possibly putting a few points into Dexterity and Charisma. Pick any race or class feats available to you. Multiclass into Fighter, but don't use the power swap feats unless there's a Fighter power that you really want. Always take masterwork armor, since there's no added cost beyond requiring a minimum enhancement bonus.

If Martial Power and Adventurer's Vault is made available to you, I'd recommend either a Greatspear and Surprising Charge (latter requires Fighter or Rogue multiclass), or a Mordenkrad or Execution Axe. The Vanguard enchantment from the Adventurer's Vault is ridiculously awesome for a charge-oholic.

Basically, go with what sounds or looks cool, and grab things that give bonuses to what you use.

[Aron Times]

Other than hitting things really hard, is there anything you would like your character to be able to do? For example, ritual casting, being a skill monkey, etc.? Or would you like a primarily damage-dealing character?

[Sploosh]

The usual brute skills and fancy cooking is all I am really after. I am going for that "I'm a big, mean bull..but my heart has been tenderized."

[FoE]

"Fancy cooking?" What do you mean by that?

[Sploosh]

"Fancy cooking?" What do you mean by that?

He's a chef.

[Pyron]

He's a chef.

Steven Seagal?

[Sploosh]

Steven Seagal?

With horns.

[Aron Times]

Here's a minotaur Rageblood Barbarian/Frenzied Berserker with the standard starting items for a level 11 character:

1. A level 10 item.
2. A level 11 item.
3. A level 12 item.
4. Gold equal to a level 10 item (5,000 gold).

He has 160 gold left over from his magic item shopping spree, so here goes:

Spoiler

Show

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Minotaur Barbarian, level 11
Minotaur, Barbarian, Frenzied Berserker
Build: Rageblood Barbarian
Feral Might: Rageblood Vigor

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 21, Con 21, Dex 13, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 9.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.


AC: 24 Fort: 25 Reflex: 20 Will: 18
HP: 106 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 26

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +13, Endurance +14, Athletics +14

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +5, Arcana +5, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Dungeoneering +6, Heal +6, History +5, Insight +6, Intimidate +4, Perception +8, Religion +5, Stealth +5, Streetwise +4, Thievery +5

FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Mordenkrad)
Level 2: Improved Rageblood Vigor
Level 4: Improved Initiative
Level 6: Weapon Expertise (Hammer)
Level 8: Weapon Focus (Hammer)
Level 10: Toughness
Level 11: Hammer Rhythm

POWERS
Barbarian at-will 1: Howling Strike
Barbarian at-will 1: Recuperating Strike
Barbarian encounter 1: Avalanche Strike
Barbarian daily 1: Bloodhunt Rage
Barbarian utility 2: Combat Sprint
Barbarian encounter 3: Blade Sweep
Barbarian daily 5: Vengeful Storm Rage
Barbarian utility 6: Instinctive Charge
Barbarian encounter 7: Tide of Blood
Barbarian daily 9: Stone Bear Rage
Barbarian utility 10: Mountain Roots

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Bloodclaw Mordenkrad +3, Summoned Earthhide Armor +3, Periapt of Cascading Health +2, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Wavestrider Boots (heroic tier), Belt of the Brawler (heroic tier), Demonskin Tattoo (heroic tier), Giantkind Gloves (heroic tier)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

His weapon is a Bloodclaw Mordenkrad +3, which deals 2d6 brutal 2 damage. Brutal 2 means that whenever you roll a 2 or lower on a damage die, you reroll it until it's greater than 2. The Bloodclaw property lets him deal damage to himself up to its enhancement bonus to get twice that amount as bonus damage.

His armor is Summoned Earthide Armor, which ensures that he will never be caught unarmored; as a minor action, he can summon or dismiss it. His neck slot item is a Periapt of Cascading Health, which lets him end a condition that a save can end as a minor action once per encounter.

For his hands and arms, he has Iron Armbands of Power, which adds +2 to melee damage rolls, and Giantkin Gloves, which lets him throw objects 30 lbs. or less up to 60 feet. No need for a catapult; with enough rocks, he can destroy castle walls by himself.

Moving on to his waist slot item, I gave him a Belt of the Brawler. It's basically a backup item, just in case he gets disarmed; he deals damage with improvised weapons (including his fists) as if he were armed with a club. Improvised weapons (including fists) normally deal 1d4 damage with no proficiency bonus, while clubs deal 1d6 damage with a +2 proficiency bonus.

Being a badass barbarian chef, I thought I'd give him a Demonskin Tattoo. Whenever he spends an action point, he gets resist 5 acid/cold/fire/lightning/thunder until the end of the encounter.

And last but not the least, he wears Wavestrider Boots. It lets him walk on liquid surfaces as long as he starts and ends his turn on a solid surface, and once per day until the end of the encounter, he can walk on water without having to start or end on a solid surface.

What do you think?

[Sploosh]

What do you think?

I think I love you.

[FoE]

Steven Seagal?

With horns.

You mean he's a stone-faced lame-ass who defeats scores of weak mooks that inexplicably attack one at a time?

[Sploosh]

You mean he's a stone-faced lame-ass who defeats scores of weak mooks that inexplicably attack one at a time?

He also has a tail.

[Kylarra]

I'd swap one of the feats on that build for Hide Armor Expertise (PP) to swap your DEX to AC for CON to AC.

[Shardan]

I'd also take Opportunity Gore. Lets you use the minotaur's gore move as an opportunity attack any number of times per encounter without needing to charge. Ok. Maybe thats not really an optimum choice, but how fun is that. every opportunity attack. *whak* bull's horns

[Aron Times]

The Character Builder doesn't have Primal Power content yet, so I gave him Hammer Rhythm instead of Hide Armor Expertise. If you do have Primal Power, feel free to use that feat instead.

[CorvidMP]

I'd also take Opportunity Gore. Lets you use the minotaur's gore move as an opportunity attack any number of times per encounter without needing to charge. Ok. Maybe thats not really an optimum choice, but how fun is that. every opportunity attack. *whak* bull's horns

Thank you for reminding me to get that for the minotaur fighter i'm making, i'm taking every power i can that kncks people prone. Why? Cause it amuses me to have a giant bull/man kncking ppl on their ass every hit thats why.

Also your friend is a bit ummmm....off... for popping you all straight to 11, one of the strengths of 4e is that early levels are fun as heck to. Also believe it or not the learning curve is a bit steeper in 4e when playing a new character type, even the rage blood barb can be a bit nuanced tactically speaking. Group tactics are the difference between grinding your way through each fight or just plowing through them, so those early levels have really helped my players feel things out in the new system, and maked more informed choices as they leveled. Just my 2 cents.

Enjoy 4e your build looks great btw.

[Tiki Snakes]

Thank you for reminding me to get that for the minotaur fighter i'm making, i'm taking every power i can that kncks people prone. Why? Cause it amuses me to have a giant bull/man kncking ppl on their ass every hit thats why.

Man but I'd love to rock up an opportunity-Gore Fighter Minotaur. Throwing things around on opportunity attacks + wisdom to hit? Mmmm. (It's not 'optimal' I guess, but taking both opportunity gore AND goring shove is hilarious, throwing a guy 5' back onto the floor because he dared move? Awesome.)