[3.5/Heroic]Barbarian Revision

[Chambers]

Disclaimer: I've grown increasingly dissatisfied with all of the Heroic classes. Use them if you wish but I think they all need to be taken back to formula.

Barbarian

"The greatest joy for a man is to defeat his enemies, to drive them before him, to take from them all they possess, to see those they love in tears, to ride their horses, and to hold their wives and daughters in his arms." - Lord-General of the Seven Armies

"RRRAAAWWWWUUUGGGHHH!" - Tela, a barbarian.

Note: This class revision is intended for balance within D&D Heroic Edition but it is hoped that it will be playable in regular D&D.

Barbarians are the products of uncivilization. Whether from a nomadic tribe or city ghetto the barbarian is a warrior that forgoes skill and weapons training in favor of brute strength and fortitude. Her fierce attacks demoralize in addition to disembowel and she can push her body past the limits of mortal endurance.

Changes to the Barbarian.

The barbarian is mostly enhanced, not changed. The only class ability they completely lose is Trap Sense. Rage is an At-Will ability that lasts for the duration of the encounter and there are new level dependent benefits when raging, such as damage reduction and fast healing. The barbarian also gains diehard and improves upon it without going the same route that the Frenzied Berzerker did.

Instead of an At-Will special attack, the barbarian relies on her Rage ability and Power Attack to deal damage. As she gains levels her power attack ratio improves, eliminating the need for Leap Attack & Charging builds in order to get the most out of power attack. She also gains some movement abilities related to the wilderness along with scent and improvements on scent.

Alignment: Any Non-Lawful
Hit Die: d12
BAB: standard
Skills: all classes receive an additional 2 skill points per level.
Saves: standard
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: standard

The barbarian’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(6 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
6 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|Special Ability
1|Rage, Power Attack, Brawns over Brains,<br> Fast Movement, Illiteracy
2|Indomitable, Uncanny Dodge
3|Resilient, Trackless Step
4|Diehard
5|Rage, Improved Uncanny Dodge
6|Indomitable
7|Resilient, Improved Power Attack
8|Flawless Stride
9|Scent
10|Rage
11|Indomitable
12|Resilient
13|Relentless, Greater Power Attack
14|Improved Scent (Blindsense 30ft)
15|Rage
16|Indomitable
17|Resilient
18|Delay Death
19|Greater Scent (Blindsight 30ft)
20|Supreme Power Attack, Rage, Idomitable, Resilient
[/table]

Rage (Ex): At-Will
As the SRD ability, except the barbarian's rage lasts for the duration of the encounter and she may rage At-Will. Also the barbarian is not fatigued after her rage.

Every 5 barbarian levels the strength and constitution bonus granted to the barbarian during her rage increase by +2 (+6 Strength and Constituion at 5th level, +8 Strength and Constitution at 10th level, etc).

At level 7 the barbarians bonus to Will saves during her rage increases to +4. At level 14 it increases again to +6.

Power Attack (Ex): The barbarian gains Power Attack as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if she does not meet the pre-requisites.

Brawn over Brains (Ex): The barbarian may use her strength modifier instead of her charisma modifier when making Intimidate checks.

Fast Movement (Ex): A barbarian’s land speed is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the barbarian’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn.

Illiteracy (Ex): Barbarians are the only characters who do not automatically know how to read and write. A barbarian may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak.

A barbarian who gains a level in any other class automatically gains literacy. Any other character who gains a barbarian level does not lose the literacy he or she already had.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, a barbarian retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a barbarian already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Indomitable (Ex): When a barbarian is raging she gains damage reducation equal to DR 2/--. This damage reduction stacks with any other damage reduction of a similar kind from another source. At 6th level her damage reduction improves to DR 4/--, at 11th level it improves to DR 6/--, at 16th level it improves to DR 8/-- and at 20th level a barbarians damage reduction while raging is DR 10/--.

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a barbarian leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Resilient (Ex): The barbarian's endurance is legendary and her body can recover from the most grievous of wounds. Starting at 3rd level when a barbarian rages she gains Fast Healing 2 for the duration of her rage. The value of her Fast Healing increases as she gains levels.

At level 7 the barbarians Fast Healing increases to 4. At level 12 the barbarians Fast Healing increases to 6. At level 17 the barbarians Fast Healing increases to 8 and at level 20 she gains Fast Healing 10 while raging.

Diehard (Ex): At 4th level the barbarian gains the Diehard feat as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the pre-requisites.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a barbarian can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has barbarian levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Improved Power Attack (Ex): When using the Power Attack feat and wielding a weapon one-handed the barbarian may add twice the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls. When wielding a weapon two-handed the barbarian may add three times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls.

Flawless Stride (Ex): At 8th level the barbarian gains Flawless Stride, as the scout ability, except that this ability may only be used when she is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load.

Scent (Ex): The barbarian's senses sharpen and she gains the Scent ability.

Relentless (Ex): The barbarian is able to withstand punishment that would destroy a lesser mortal. When using her Diehard feat the barbarian does not die immediately when she reaches -10 hit points. She may now instead choose to act as disabled until -19 hit points. If she reaches -20 hit points she immediately dies.

Greater Power Attack (Ex): When using the Power Attack feat and wielding a weapon one-handed the barbarian may add three times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls. When wielding a weapon two-handed the barbarian may add four times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls.

Improved Scent (Ex): The barbarians sense of smell improves and she gains the blindsense ability. She may detect creatures up to 30ft away.

Delay Death (Ex): The barbarian's fortitude has become a thing of legend. She can temporarily ignore attacks that would kill her outright, but in the end death comes to all. As a free action the barbarian can choose to delay the effect of an attack, spell or other effect that would bring her to -20 hit points or below. The damage does not take effect until the end of her next turn. She may only use this ability while she is raging.

She may use this against multiple effects. As an example if a barbarian was attacked in melee and brought to -30 hit points she could use this ability. If before her turn she takes 50 more points damage, she may use this ability again to delay the effect. At the end of her turn her hit points drop to -80 and she dies.

If the barbarian receives healing that brings her hit point total to -19 or above by the end of her next turn then she does not die. There is no limit to the number of times the barbarian may use this ability, either per day or per round.

Greater Scent (Ex): The barbarian's sense of smell intensifies to the point where she can precisely locate creatures that she cannot otherwise see. She gains the blindsight ability and she may detect creatures up to 30ft away.

Supreme Power Attack (Ex): When using the Power Attack feat and wielding a weapon one-handed the barbarian may add four times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls. When wielding a weapon two-handed the barbarian may add five times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls.

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A Note about Delay Death.

Currently there are no healing abilities in Heroic Edition besides Fast Healing, so a barbarian can't come back from really large negative hit point totals (-40 and higher). At 20th level her Fast Healing 10 would allow her to come back from -30. It's important to realize that though she may delay numerous attacks, all that damage is cumulative at the end of her next turn. So she is effectively unkillable due to hit point damage for one round, but after that dies.

[Ziegander]

It doesn't need 6 skill points per level. It only has 9 skills on it's list (one of which, Craft, is useless). It also doesn't need a more powerful Rage at-will. All I see here is the ordinary Barbarian but one capable of dealing MOARDAMAGE!! Which improves nothing. The Barbarian in the 3.5 PHB is more than capable of dealing more damage per round than a finely tuned Warblade. Adding Scent and Flawless Stride is cool though.

[Chambers]

It doesn't need 6 skill points per level. It only has 9 skills on it's list (one of which, Craft, is useless). It also doesn't need a more powerful Rage at-will. All I see here is the ordinary Barbarian but one capable of dealing MOARDAMAGE!! Which improves nothing. The Barbarian in the 3.5 PHB is more than capable of dealing more damage per round than a finely tuned Warblade. Adding Scent and Flawless Stride is cool though.

All classes in Heroic Edition get two more skill points per level; I'll think about expanding the class skill list.

The barbarian in 3.5 needed Power Attack tricks and charge tricks to do the damage you're referring to. This barbarian does damage that scales (sorta) as she gains levels, without needing to resort to specific build tricks. That's one of the goals of Heroic Edition - try and keep each class good at doing it's job without needing a specific build through all the levels.

Also, this barbarian does more than just Moar Damage. The fast healing and damage reduction are now an integral aspect of Rage, which means that as the character gains levels she can stay alive longer. At higher levels your resistances and defenses become as important as your ability to deal damage.

The improvements on Diehard and the Delay Death ability are an extension of this idea, that when a barbarian rages she doesn't just hit harder, she instead becomes tough and resilient and indomitable and bad ass.

I recommend looking at the other classes I've revised for Heroic Edition and seeing what this revision is intended to be balanced against. It's not intended for balance against regular 3.5 (read: a system with vancian spellcasters).

I'm glad you like the Scent and Flawless Stride. I wanted to work in more nature related abilities, to play on the primal strength flavor of the barbarian. I think adding Balance, Knowledge: Nature and Spot would round out the skill set. More nature flavor and movement skills.

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Epic Progression

Spoiler

Show

Epic Heroic Barbarin
Hit Die: d12
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Epic Heroic Barbarian
{table=head]Barbaian Level|Special Ability
21st|Will
22nd|Perfect Power Attack
23rd|Resilient
24th|Indomitable
25th|Rage, Relentless
26th|Resilient
27th|Sublime Power Attack
28th|Will, Indomitable
29th|Resilient
30th|Rage, Relentless[/table]

Will
At 21st level the barbarians bonus to Will saves during her rage increases to +8. At 28th level it increases again to +10.

Perfect Power Attack
When using the Power Attack feat and wielding a weapon one-handed the barbarian may add five times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls. When wielding a weapon two-handed the barbarian may add six times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls.

Resilient
At 23rd level the barbarians Fast Healing during her rage increases to Fast Healing 12. At 26th level it increaese to Fast Healing 14 and at 29th level it increases to Fast Healing 16.

Indomitable
At 24th level the barbarians Damage Reduction during her rage increases to DR 12/--. At 28th level it increases to DR 14/--.

Rage
At 25th level the barbarians bonuses to Strength and Constituion increases to +14. At 30th level they increase to +16.

Relentless
At 25th level when the barbarian uses her Diehard feat she does not die at -20 hit points. Instead she now dies when she reaches -25 hit points. At 30th level her damage threshold increases to -30 hit points.

Sublime Power Attack
When using the Power Attack feat and wielding a weapon one-handed the barbarian may add six times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls. When wielding a weapon two-handed the barbarian may add seven times the number subtracted from her attack rolls to her damage rolls.