17 Ways To Make An Overpowered Barbarian In Dungeons & Dragons
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17 Ways To Make An Overpowered Barbarian In Dungeons & Dragons
Barbarians are a tricky class for Dungeons and Dragons players in both standalone and party campaigns, so here are tips for success. Barbarians from are an interesting sort. Leveraging overwhelming strength and power over control and social aptitude, these physical combatants are a great addition to a party. Powerful, tanky, capable of physical destruction, they can also be great in standalone campaigns where they have to work alone or with a smaller adventuring party. This class can be tricky to optimize for great combat builds. For some areas, there are a lot of options to mix and match benefits. For others, there are only one or two options depending on the player's preference. For those looking for the best and brutish way to go about fighting in a campaign, here are some tips for creating an overpowered Barbarian character. Updated December 8th, 2021, by Kristy Ambrose: Barbarian could be the most iconic class in the franchise, based on classic legends like Conan and more modern interpretations like Drax from . Only about 8 percent of players roll and level a Barbarian even though it's one of the easiest and most customizable classes, never mind how much fun it is. That puts it on the median level with it comes to popularity. The class has a lot going for it when it comes to unique ideas for roleplay, skills, and gear, something that contradicts the usual straightforward build that fighting characters usually have. It's more complex playing a so-called simple Barbarian than you might think, and it might take some research to get the Barbarian you want. Since the world is always expanding, there are a few more ways to get that Barbarian to an overpowered level. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY The Strongest
Strength is the number one ability to spec into, no questions asked. Since Barbarians rely on close combat and physical weapons to deal damage, players need to put their highest stat as strength. Naturally, the player would also have to look out for certain Strength bonuses from races, feats, and other aspects of character creation. Half the Barbarian's class abilities rely on Strength. Ideally, if players want to maximize their Strength and build an overpowered Barbarian, they shouldn't start with anything less than a 15. Consider Constitution
Barbarians need to have their physical abilities emphasized over the others. Strength is a no-brainer, but is Constitution. This class doesn't wear a lot of armor and a high level of hit points helps to compensate for the lack of AC. A character's Constitution stat will allow the player to serve not only as a heavy damage dealer, but a tank for the team. Barbarians also need to roll for a lot of HP in order to be an efficient tank. Don' t Forget Other Stats
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook by Wizards of the Coast Dexterity would be the third most important stat for a Barbarian; AC boosts are always welcome. You have the weapon abilities but that doesn't make you good at them. Having a decent amount of Wisdom is good for saves and three of the class abilities, especially if you plan on multiclassing later into a class that would benefit from Wisdom, like a Cleric. It also avoids the Barbarian character from being completely dumb since they lack Intelligence, or at least most of them do, and some points in Wisdom make them less repulsive. An Axe To Grind
An ax should be the Barbarian's primary weapon. It's the best Barbarian weapon in 5e with no exceptions. Most Barbarian builds always have some sort of ax weapon involved when considering weapons. The Greataxe is the only weapon that yields the best damage output for a Barbarian. It pairs well with Brutal Critical. According to the D&D Player Handbook, "Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack." Why not bolster your critical hit damage more? Axe Of The Furyborn
What's an overpowered build without an overpowered weapon? As long as we're talking about axes, what's the best Barbarian weapon in 5e that your character could possibly have? The most recent edition of the Player's Handbook introduces us to the Axe of the Furyborn, the ideal ax for a Barbarian. It looks crude, reflecting its mysterious origins among the wild Furyborn Tribe, but it has a cutting edge made of sharpened obsidian and gives the player a choice of attack bonuses. This can be an artifact that comes from the Barbarian's own power if they RP as one of the Furyborn or an item that they pick up depending on your DM's campaign plans. Javelin Of Lightning
Who says Barbarians only have to be melee fighters? These days there are plenty of options for ranged weapons that go well beyond slings or spears. A javelin would be one example and an OP javelin would be one that turns into a bolt of lightning. That's an actual thing, and as one of the best Barbarian weapons in 5e, it can make your character into the D&D version of Thor. The Javelin of Lightning is a magical weapon, first and foremost, so to use it. The wielder speaks a command word that turns the javelin into a bolt of lightning with a range of 120 feet. This isn't just any bolt of lightning, but one that's five feet wide, so good luck on that saving throw for your opponent. A God Among Men Picking The Right Skills
Unlike some other aspects of the Barbarian, there are multiple avenues for a player when it comes to Skills. Athletics is a must-have since it's a Strength skill; this includes all the crazy physical stuff a player can do: lifting, sprinting, jumping to great heights. Make sure to have proficiency here, too. Acrobatics as a second skill can complement Athletics; become even nuttier in physical ability. Intimidation would be fitting for a Barbarian if the Charisma stat wasn't lacking. Stealth is good for those who want to get a sneak in and plunge a Greataxe into someone's head. Player' s Handbook Races Orcs Dragonborn and Humans
Here is another area that might be a little overwhelming: picking a race. There are a lot of options available for a player, whether it is personal preference or those sweet, sweet stat bonuses. The best races for an overpowered Barbarian from the D&D Player's Handbook would be Half-Orc, Dragonborn, and Human Variant. Half-Orcs, Humans, and Dragonborn offer a +2 Strength bonus, with other varying stat bonuses depending on the build, and their useful abilities vary. Human Variants offers a free skill proficiency, awesome feats like Duel Wielder and Savage Attacker, and a chance to draw from the real-world inspiration that . Other Races Goliaths Leonin Minotaurs
There are various other modules and sources that players can use when choosing the ideal race for a Barbarian. Their use might be restricted depending on the exact module your group is using, so check with your Dungeon Master first. Find the elusive Goliath Barbarian build in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion for a bonus to your most important stats along with some unique roleplay ideas. The Leonin, and yes that race is part lion, is an option from the Mystic Odysseus of Therosmodule and gets bonuses to both Strength and Constitution. The Guildmaster's Guild to Ravnica contains more information about the Minotaur, which has bonuses to both Strength and Consitution along with savage melee powers like Goring Rush. Overpowered RP Options
Rosemane Centuar by Nils Hamm Other alternatives for Barbarian races are Earth Genasi, Bugbear, Centaur, and Githyanji. While not as powerful as the four races mentioned above, they all have their special perks and roleplay intrigue. It's also important to think about future multiclass options, and it's easier to roleplay a magic-using class of Barbarian if you have more charismatic racial traits to back you up and you don't want to play a Human. Several races have bonuses to character stats like Wisdom or Intelligence, so even if it's not a traditional character build . Two-Handed Or Dual Wielding
Your character has the best Barbarian weapons in 5e, but what's the optimal way to use them? Dual Wielding and using two-handed weapons both have their pros and cons. Two-handed weapons are good at the beginning of a campaign to potentially stomp low-level targets or chunk down enemy damage. Great Weapon Master and Relentless Attack are a nasty combination. When the player starts getting to higher levels, it's time to start Dual Wielding. Not only does the player get +1 to their AC, but they don't have to use Great Weapon Master and worry about any penalties. Hell, they won't have to use Relentless Attack as much, either. As long as the dice are in the player's favor, Dual Wielding is the way to go. Zealot Or Totem Warrior
There are . For the best Barbarian build in 5e, however, it's narrowed down to two Paths, either the Zealot or the Totem Warrior. This comes down to the player's preference. Do they want a good mix of offensive, defensive, and utility moves, like a Zealot, or does the player want a utilitarian and support approach to combat? In a solo campaign, a player might opt for Zealot to help them with various situations, especially with moves like Zealous Presence and Rage Beyond Death. If they are in a party, the Totem Warrior Path would be more beneficial. The player's best options are either Wolf, granting advantage, or Bear, which is more of a tank build. Homebrew Subclasses For Spellcasters
Even the best Barbarian builds in 5e have some glaring weaknesses, and that's not just about their AC. Barbarians have certain magical abilities but they're not a spellcasting class, and if a ranged caster gets the first hit, it's relatively difficult for a Barbarian to gain any leverage on them. Creative players have for players that want to fill this gap in a Barbarian's skill set. Path of the Scourge, as the name implies, gives an already intimidating warrior an otherworldy guide that they can choose from the list of Warlock patrons. The trick is that these spells are Charisma-based, which tends to be a dump stat for the scruffy Barbarian. If you'd rather consume magical energy than expend it, consider the Spell Muncher, a subclass that combines Hemocraft with Rage Abilities and magical knowledge. About Feats
Barbarians do not have optimal feats like some other classes, but there are plenty of great options. Some of these options depend on whether the player intends on going to tank, utility, or completely offensive route with their Barbarian builds. Feats like Savage Attacker, Great Weapon Master, and Grappler are the go-to feats to have for maximizing damage output and getting as many attacks out of a turn as possible. Shield Master is another good one, but it is for the tank builds. Battlehardened The Best Background & Other Alternatives
Soldier is the best Background for a Barbarian build in 5e since it gives bonuses to skills like Athletics and Intimidation. Typically, Intimidation would be avoided due to mediocre Charisma stats with Barbarians, but this helps mediate it. The Pirate and Sailor Backgrounds provide Athletics, Perception, and free ship passage. Outlander is a common background used for Barbarians, granting Athletics and Survival. It serves more like a roleplaying element than a battle-oriented element. It means the player's character is skilled in an instrument and they know an extra language. Fighter-Barbarian Multiclass
Fighter is the best choice for optimal power if your Fighter also has a Strength-based build. When it comes to the subclasses, players have to choose between Battle Master or Champion. When it comes to the Fighter in general, the abilities offer several amazing moves like Action Surge, Dueling, and Two-Weapon Fighting. Going just also gives your character Rage The Champion subclass offers Improved Critical, an ability that gives a character more opportunities to use a related skill, Brutal Critical. Battle Master can be another good route for Barbarians, thanks to talents that act as spontaneous casting abilities with a short recharge time. Barbarian-Cleric Multiclass
Turning the tables on the multiclass equation, here's a Barbarian-based class with a more specific plan, namely as part of a party as a tank or healer. With this multiclass combination, the Barbarian would be at level 14, with the Cleric at level 6, and a Wisdom score of 13 is required. This class is not only an effective protector of their party while giving them valuable bonuses to both attack and defense, but enemies also get retaliatory damage based on how much damage the Barbarian prevents. A popular class in groups, despite the low Charisma, this class is everyone's best friend along with being overpowered.