Starting a Barbarian

From DDO wiki

[edit] Overview

Barbarians primarily only fill one of the four MMO archetypes (DPS) although some builds can also function as Crowd Control

• Healing - Barbarians have no innate ability to serve as healers, and must rely on either other party members or supplies for their own healing.
• DPS - Barbarians are the number one melee class for DPS in DDO. Other classes can come close depending on their build and the situation, but barbarians dominate this role.
• Crowd Control - There is typically only one type of build that can occupy the crowd control role, and that is the 'DR Tank' build which uses the intimidate skill to manage aggro. However, with their high strength, barbarians are good at tripping and landing stunning blows.
• Damage Mitigation / Support - Barbarians have no skills, abilities, or spells that allow them to fill this roll in any way.

Note that while Barbarians are the primary DPS class in DDO, they do so at a sacrifice - they will never have the armor class that other classes are able to obtain. Meaning that they either rely on the party's crowd control to avoid taking damage, or must rely on their high DPS to kill the enemy quickly before it can harm them.

[edit] Types of Barbarians

There are generally three types of common Barbarian builds:

• Two-handed fighting (THF) - The most common build type. Focuses on the extra damage bonus of two handed weapons to increase their DPS
• Two-weapon fighting (TWF) - The second most common build. Focuses on the extra attacks two-weapon fighting gives them to increase their DPS
• DR Tank - A rare build. It sacrifices some of its DPS ability in order to maximize its damage reduction. It uses the intimidate skill coupled with its damage reduction to control aggro while taking minimum damage to itself.

Nearly all Barbarian builds fit one of these three categories. Most other build types are achieved by multi-classing barbarians with other classes.

[edit] Race

• Drow
  • Pros
    • +2 Cha, only useful for DR Tanks
    • +2 Dex, only useful for two-weapon fighting builds
    • Bonus to saving throws versus enchantments
    • Immunity to some sleep spells
    • Spell Resistance
    • Bonus from enhancements to attack and damage rolls with rapiers ans shortswords, useful to two-weapon fighting builds
    • +2 Int, which usually means only more skill points per level
  • Cons
    • -2 Con
• Dwarf
  • Pros
    • +2 Con
    • Dwarven axe as a martial weapon instead of exotic weapon, mostly useful for DR tanks
    • Bonus to saving throws versus spells
    • Bonus from enhancements to attack and damage rolls with axes
  • Cons
    • -2 Cha, only penalizes DR tanks
• Elf
  • Pros
    • +2 Dex (only useful for 2-Weapon builds)
    • Bonus to saving throws versus enchantments
    • Immunity to some sleep spells
    • Bonus from enhancements to attack and damage rolls with rapiers, useful to two-weapon fighting builds
  • Cons
    • -2 Con
• Halfling
  • Pros
    • +2 Dex, only useful for two-weapon fighting builds
    • Bonus to saving throws
    • +1 attack
  • Cons
    • -2 Str
• Human
  • Pros
    • Extra feat
    • Extra skill points per level
• Warforged
  • Pros
    • +2 Con
    • Immunity to many spells and effects including fatigue from rage
    • Wizards and Sorcerers can use repair spells to heal them
    • Power attack enhancements
  • Cons
    • -2 Cha, only penalizes DR tanks
    • Efficienty of healing spells cast on them is reduced by 50%

Typically most builds are Human for the extra feat, Warforged for the immunities, power attack enhancements and bonus to constitution or Dwarf for the CON and enhancements to saving throws and axe.

Very few barbarians are Drow or Elf because the Pros are pretty minor and the penalty to Con is undesirable except for the two-weapon fighting specialised with piercing weapons.

[edit] Stats

• Strength - The primary stat for a Barbarian. They typically start with a very high, or maximum allowed, strength and then use rage, enhancements, items, buffs, etc to raise it as high as they can in the game
• Dexterity - Generally only useful on 2-Weapon builds. Barbarians will never get an armor class that matters, except on specialized builds, so the main use for dexterity is meeting the requirements of the greater two-weapon fighting feat
• Constitution - After strength (and [[dex] for 2wf builds), the next most important stat. Constitution determines the hit points a character has. With no armor class to speak of, a barbarian relies on his hit points to keep him alive until he can kill the enemy. Constitution also determines the length of time the barbarian is able to remain enraged.
• Intelligence - Of no use to barbarians. Virtually all useful skills are cross-class to the barbarian, and so would never be significant even if the barbarian had enough intelligence for skill points.
• Wisdom - While slightly useful because it is the base stat for will save, wisdom is typically only raised by a few points on most builds
• Charisma - Slightly useful to the DR Tank build because the intimidate skill is based off charisma, but even they generally only put a few points into it if any.

[edit] Feats

The following feats are common ones for barbarians to take:

• Two-handed fighting / Improved two-handed fighting / Greater two-handed fighting - The standard feat chain for 2-handed fighter builds, they give the possibility of extra DPS from glancing blows.
• Cleave / Great Cleave - Take by some barbarians as an alternative to the Two-handed fighting chain, instead of extra DPS on all glancing blows it allows for full damage along a wide arc of swing, but only when activated

• Two-weapon fighting / Improved two-weapon fighting / Greater two-weapon fighting - The standard feat chain for 2-weapon fighter builds. It reduces the penalty for wielding two weapons at once and allows for extra attacks.

• Power Attack - Taken by virtually all barbarians, especially since the barbarian to-hit score is so high the penalty this feat gives is negligable, and with two-handed weapons the bonus it gives is doubled
• Improved Critical - Taken by nearly all barbarians, when combined with the "Barbarian Critical Rage" enhancements, it allows for a much greater number of critical hits for extra damage

• Stunning Blow - Taken by some Barbarians at high level when they have a spare feat
• Toughness - A common feat for some barbarians. It can be taken many times, but is generally only cost effective to take once and even then only if you plan on taking the enhancements to increase the hit points it grants.

[edit] Enhancements

The following enhancements are some of the most common for Barbarians to take:

• Barbarian damage reduction boost - useful to all barbarians, it is most important on DR tank builds
• barbarian intimidate - Only useful on DR Tank builds
• Barbarian toughness - Taken by builds that use the toughness feat
• Barbarian constitution - Used by some builds to increase their constitution
• Barbarian willpower - Taken by most builds to increase their will save while raging
• Barbarian extend rage - Taken by virtually all barbarians to make their rages last longer per use
• Barbarian extra rage - Taken by virtually all barbarians to give them extra rage uses per rest
• Barbarian hardy rage - Taken by some builds to increase their constitution while raging
• Barbarian power rage - Taken by virtually all barbarians to increase their strength while raging
• Barbarian critical rage - Taken by virtually all barbarians to increase the threat range of their weapons while raging

[edit] Sample Builds

[edit] 2-Handed Fighter (28-Point)

RACE:

Human

STATS:

Str: 18, Dex: 9, Con: 16, Int: 8, Wis: 9, Cha: 8

Stat points gained at levels 4, 8, and 12 would go into strength

FEATS:

• Toughness
• Power attack
• Two-handed fighting
• Improved two-handed fighting
• Improved critical:Slashing
• Greater two-handed fighting

SKILLS:

• Jump
• Listen
• Balance
• Spot

ENHANCEMENTS:

• Barbarian sprint boost I
• Barbarian critical rage II
• Barbarian extend rage IV
• Barbarian extra rage III
• Barbarian power rage IV
• Barbarian willpower III
• Human adaptability: Constitution
• Barbarian constitution I
• Human improved recovery I
• Barbarian toughness IV

EXPLANATIONS:

• Human for the extra feat. Another possibility would be to go dwarf, pick up the extra CON and drop the toughness feat and enhancements

• For stats, STR and CON are really all that is needed. The two extra character points are put into DEX and WIS so that an easy to find +3 item can raise them up, helping reflex and will save. Another option would be to put both into DEX and trust your rage for your will save. A 32-point build would probably split the extra points between DEX and WIS

• Toughness feat for extra hit-points. The other feats are dedicated to maximizing dps.

• Jump skill to be able to get at mobs in odd locations. The Balance skill to help get back up after being tripped. The Listen and Spot skills are to help find mobs that are hiding.

• The extend rage and extra rage enhancements are to let you stay raged as much as possible. Critical rage, power rage, and willpower are to allow you to maximize dps while raged. The constitution and toughness enhancements for extra hit points. The con enhancements will also lengthen your rage time. Improved recovery is to help clerics who have to heal you. And the sprint boost is mostly to fulfill progression requirements of the other enhancements, but it will also help your jumps as well.