^That was my thought as well.

Sadly, extracts and mutagens do not function in the same way as potions or Ale, and here is the explanation why:

typically speaking, a player must spend a move action to retrieve a potion, and then must spend another move action to drink it. However, Extracts and Mutagens specifically bypass this limitation and only require a 'standard action' to retrieve AND drink.

Therefore, things like Accelerated Drinker and Drunken Brute don't help.

:(

Oh, and for added benefits of my 'weapon trick', go ahead and take Ghost Rager as well. Basically, if you combine Ghost Rager with your huge Superstition bonus combined with the benefits of a Courageous weapon, you basically become immune to touch attacks as well.

Some more food for thought:

I really like this guide.

It makes me want to play a barbarian.

Also, and this is more of a flavour discussion than actually optimization related, but I've never considered Jecht or Kamina as barbarians, but... In a way it makes sense though...

More flavour stuff: I'm trying to make a barbarian character as a backup in case my wizard dies, but I have ran into a bit of a problem. I visualize THE barbarian as someone who does not wear armour.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzWCeqRvhSg/T_5ztfKuIqI/AAAAAAAASLc/yUqVcfxLjwQ/s 1600/hxh_ryodan10.jpg

But the problem is it seems likely that even an invulnerable rager will need some form of armor. ME NO LIKE.

First of all, awesome guide. Second, I think you are missing a Barbarian build that puts the Half-Orc race into blue territory: Natural Attacker. By taking the Toothy Alt Race Trait they get a Primary Bite attack. Disregard the d4 damage, when you combine that with the Lesser Beast Totem Rage Power, you get THREE natural attacks at level 2, which is 2 levels before the druid does.

With a strength of 18 and Power Attack, hitting with all three strikes, that is max damage of 40 with and an average of 32. A Normal Barbarian swinging with a Greatsword with the same stats has max damage of 24 with an average of 18. Now, this assumes you hit with all three attacks, but if you miss one or two you are still doing damage versus the normal barbarian that misses once and then the turn is over.

Use a reach weapon and when they get close enough, go to town. Throw in Improved Natural Attack feat for the claws and at level 10 the claws are doing 2d6 each. Pounce is where this build really shines. Wearing an Amulet of Natural Attacks gives all three attacks bonuses and if you come up against something with DR switch to a weapon with that property just like a monk would and you still get your Bite attack as a secondary.

Most importantly, this build is just darn fun to play.

First of all, awesome guide. Second, I think you are missing a Barbarian build that puts the Half-Orc race into blue territory: Natural Attacker. By taking the Toothy Alt Race Trait they get a Primary Bite attack. Disregard the d4 damage, when you combine that with the Lesser Beast Totem Rage Power, you get THREE natural attacks at level 2, which is 2 levels before the druid does.

Anyone can do this, not just half-orc.

Take the Adopted Trait and you can have a "Tusked" this is a trait from OoG. Gives the same 1d4 bite for a trait.

That's given that your GM allows you to use traits and doesn't mind a human somehow gaining large teeth from being "adopted". The main problem with the Tusked trait and the Razortusked feat is they are secondary attacks, not primary. Toothy is a primary attack which when coupled with the Claw attacks gives you one mean Barbarian until level 12. At that point, you change tactics.

Pounce in with your Greatsword, which at level 12 means 3 attacks plus a 4th from the Bite, then leave yourself open to attack with CAGM. The single attacks with the Greatsword are better than the single attacks with the Claws, but up through level 11, when your main goal is to get in as many attacks as you can, Claws/Bite is where it is at. And if you leave yourself open to Disarm, you still have three attacks vs two.

From level 1 through 9, use a Reach Weapon that you drop when they get in close, then Cuisinart the opposition into tiny bits. Levels 10 and 11 are all about Pouncing in with Claws & Bite. Half-Orc with Toothy Alt should be blue.

Ok...so I have been combing through the Ultimate Equipment guide and updating my item plans for my PFS characters. Low and behold I come across a nice little magic item that solves the biggest weakness of Barbarian vs Wizard. What is this problem you might say....not going first. Any hardcore wizard is going to have a great likelihood of going before you. Now a superstitious barbarian may be pretty self assured that they can survive a spell while raging but any barbarian is going to be hosed if they are not. This was the main reason that wizards still won out in the AM BARBARIAN beat down thread of TLDR.

So without further ado I give you....the Headband of Havoc. For the ridiculous cost of 8000gp you can begin raging as an immediate action. That's right....IMMEDIATE! Wizard gets the drop on you? No problem, up comes rage and now you got your super spiffy +ridiculous to all saves, just in time to tell the wizard to shove off and die.

Now the limitations: 1/day and that rage round out of turn costs a whopping 2 rage rounds.

So now AM BARBARIAN is basically immune to casters unless attacked by them twice in the same day.

Referring to the Guarded Life, Die Hard, Ferocious Tenacity build posted earlier...

Reading back through this, and some other threads regarding Die Hard and Guarded Life, I'm not seeing how a barbarian reduced below 0 HP continues fighting most of the time. Even with the ability to ignore 2x your level in nonlethal damage, if you're down around 2 or 3 HP, it's likely that the nonlethal damage you take will equal or exceed your current HP, which drops you unconscious, breaking the idea of pressing on.

Am I missing something? Is there a way around the rule that nonlethal > current HP = unconscious? Or is this just set up to give you an extra round or two? Die Hard doesn't get around it, and it even looks like it may be WORSE to be taking nonlethal damage in some cases, from an offensive standpoint, since you could keep fighting while at negative HP without nonlethal, but if you get any nonlethal damage that goes through, you go unconscious.

So guys.

I finally got Ultimate Equipment for realzies.

It's making me have to look at Desperate Battler. And Headband of Havoc. And Courageous weapons. I'm thinking +2 Furious Courageous is going to become the new +3 Furious.

I will have to give this thing an update sometime in the near future.

Referring to the Guarded Life, Die Hard, Ferocious Tenacity build posted earlier...

Reading back through this, and some other threads regarding Die Hard and Guarded Life, I'm not seeing how a barbarian reduced below 0 HP continues fighting most of the time. Even with the ability to ignore 2x your level in nonlethal damage, if you're down around 2 or 3 HP, it's likely that the nonlethal damage you take will equal or exceed your current HP, which drops you unconscious, breaking the idea of pressing on.

Am I missing something? Is there a way around the rule that nonlethal > current HP = unconscious? Or is this just set up to give you an extra round or two? Die Hard doesn't get around it, and it even looks like it may be WORSE to be taking nonlethal damage in some cases, from an offensive standpoint, since you could keep fighting while at negative HP without nonlethal, but if you get any nonlethal damage that goes through, you go unconscious.

You're not missing anything. Nonlethal doesn't get negated by Diehard and it being higher than your normal HP makes you unconscious. The only reason I can think of to use Guarded Life is as a buffer to keep you from coming down with SDS when you've been reduced to below 0.

Which Diehard already does, so I got nothin'.

Is the no-shirt clause one with no exceptions? Because ladybarians might have trouble when going into town because of that.

I figured you would be interested in adding this into your guide (I've posted this item elsewhere, but figured it would be perfect for AM SMASH barbarian). Let me know what he thinks...

Molvënn
Source Pathfinder #34: Blood for Blood pg. 68
Aura strong necromancy and transmutation CL 15th
Slot none; Price 63,312 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This heavy warhammer is capped with steel spikes on both ends of its massive head, and a leather thong prevents it from falling from the wielder’s hand. Molvënn is a +3 warhammer that deals both piercing and bludgeoning damage. Yet although it is already a formidable weapon, its true potential is only realized in the hands of a barbarian.

Wielded by a barbarian, Molvënn becomes a +5 thundering warhammer. The barbarian gains an additional 1 hit point per barbarian level when raging and can add twice her Strength modifier (instead of half again her Strength modifier) to damage rolls while wielding Molvënn two-handed. Additionally, while Molvënn’s wielder is raging, she cannot be disarmed, nor can Molvënn be sundered.
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, blindness/deafness, rage; Price 31,812 gp

(and yes, this really is an actual weapon)

Opinions on the Mad Dog please :)