Do you guys have any idea for a tanking barbarian?
I would not like to sacrifice damage output too much (for a baseline, fighting 2-handed but not coming-and-getting-me or reckless abandoning) but I'd like to have more staying power than the average barbarian.
I'm looking at both build and simple suggestions which I may be missing. I don't actually want to play a tank, I'm just looking for ways to improve my staying power.
Generally referring to mid levels, what options would be good?
For archetypes I thought about invulnerable rager or armored hulk (invulnerable rager is better imho).
For rage powers I guess that beast totem is still good even for a tank (one of the best AC bonuses in the game).
Guarded stance and rolling dodge apply to touch AC(but two feat to do the same thing and scaling slowly, with a move action to activate, what a waste...).
For spells, superstition is very good, especially for humans ( even though I don't like the idea because it makes teamwork harder).
Raging vitality is good for more con and to avoid to automatically die if you get into the negatives.
For feats dodge is nice, even if a +1 isn't really that much.
Toughness is useful, but the barbarian isn't lacking on hps.
Competence with heavy armor is another idea (the feat or a level of fighter, even thought I'd like to avoid taking into consideration level dips), especially mithril with +3 dex.
Money would be mostly spent in AC boosts: armor, ring of protection, amulet of natural armor, ioun stone (I dislike the idea of a barbarian with a pink gem floating around his head but whatever...). Maybe even a floating shield.
Ok, that as said was the basic stuff, what else can you come up with?
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As always get improved two weapon fighting, shield bash, double slice and two weapon rend, try and squeeze in shield master and bashing finish around the barbarian staples, power attack keeps your damage up, you need raging vitality. Take a dip into fighter if you need feats.
If you can become immune to fatigue bolstered resilience and invulnerable rager give dr 20/-.
Rage Powers:
Spell Sunder chain would allow you to debuff enemies and become even tankier in terms of saves and touch AC.
Knockback would also be a good rage power to take, allowing you to get bullrush as an an attack would give you a lot of battlefield control.
Beast Totem: Agreed for reasons you stated. Also lets you enter a fight quickly and establish yourself as an immediate threat. Best way to tank!
Combat reflexes, in harms way and bodyguard are all solid tank feats.
I've been tinkering around and I have a couple builds I'm really liking right now.
1) Dwarf with the magic resistance and relentless racial traits, either going armored hulk or invulnerable rager/drunken brute. Armored hulk is only if you want the extra armor from heavy, +1 to overrun CMB and the sort of minor critical confirmation resistance. Invulnerable/drunken lets you use alcohol to get rid of conditions. Specializing in the overrun barbarian rage powers and power attack, improved and greater overrun, with combat reflexes means you bowl enemies over, getting free attacks of opportunity when you knock them over. Damage and control, along with a high CON and relative resistance to conditions combined with SR is nice.
2) Human wild rager taking the superstition favored class and superstition line of race powers along with iron will and improved iron will means that you'll almost always make your "kill a creature" confusion save, meaning an extra attack with almost no penalty and the rage conversion ability. You can take melee hits fairly well, while also having great magical resistance. Going with the superstitious archetype, too, is nice. Just smash spells left and right, awesome!
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Why are you making a barbarian? It sounds like you'd be happier with a fighter.
The whole point of a barbarian is to give up AC for damage output. If you kill your enemies quickly, you don't need staying power.
My barbarian "tanks" by having 16 Con, Raging Vitality, Invulnerable Rager, and not caring about AC. I'm not saying he's completely naked - he does have +1 mithral breastplate and +1 ring of protection, along with 14 dex. And he's going for the Beast Totem chain, though I'm only up to Lesser so far, so I don't have the natural AC from it yet. But he's an HP tank instead of an AC tank, and it works. And he has Reckless Abandon, Power Attack, Furious Focus, etc to maximize damage output and knock down the enemies before they can knock me down.
My one defensive concern with this character is saving throws. I've got Superstition and a Cloak of Resistance, and I think I'm going to add Iron Will soon.
I think Invulnerable Rager should just be the default way barbarians come, accentuating the fact that while a fighter, paladin, cavalier, etc. use armor to tank, a barbarian is just a honey badger and will take your puny damage because he has twice your health and 4x your pissed-off. I haven't gone with uncanny dodge since APG, the flavor is just so much nicer.
...a barbarian is just a honey badger and will take your puny damage because he has twice your health and 4x your pissed-off.
Nice. This made me laugh.
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Why are you making a barbarian? It sounds like you'd be happier with a fighter.
The whole point of a barbarian is to give up AC for damage output. If you kill your enemies quickly, you don't need staying power.
My barbarian "tanks" by having 16 Con, Raging Vitality, Invulnerable Rager, and not caring about AC. I'm not saying he's completely naked - he does have +1 mithral breastplate and +1 ring of protection, along with 14 dex. And he's going for the Beast Totem chain, though I'm only up to Lesser so far, so I don't have the natural AC from it yet. But he's an HP tank instead of an AC tank, and it works. And he has Reckless Abandon, Power Attack, Furious Focus, etc to maximize damage output and knock down the enemies before they can knock me down.
My one defensive concern with this character is saving throws. I've got Superstition and a Cloak of Resistance, and I think I'm going to add Iron Will soon.
So a barbarian with beast totem and superstition...
Forgive him if he wants to play something a little less cookie-cutter.