Alternative choices to Beast Totem?


Advice


I'm making a Trox barbarian as a backup for one of my campaigns, and the DM allowed it on the condition I don't wear armour. So, I used a Savage Barbarian archetype.

Thing is, what Totem should I take instead of Beast Totem? The natural armour is just going to overlap with my archetype's. Does anything else do a comparable job to Beast?

Abilities are 20/14/15/12/8/8, level four.

Dark Archive

Beast totem is a head above the rest, especially the totems. If your dead set on a totem, I'd argue dragon totem isn't bad. Other wise I like the superstitious, spell sunder line of rage powers.


Do you have to take a totem? There's plenty of good or fun non-totem rage powers. Superstition + Witch Hunter is very effective for example, Strength Surge and Impelling Disarm is fun.


Not a totem, but you are large and get improved grapple as a bonus feat, you must take body bludgeon.

Earth totem or blood sounds perfect, but the burrow speed would be redundant, so meh. Abyssal blood would get you enlarge once a day, could be kinda gross.


Pounce reigns supreme.

That doesn't mean there aren't other nice rage powers - Greater Elemental Blood (Air) gives you a fly speed (and is IMO better than Dragon Totem Wings, and of course there are the basics: Superstition, Witch Hunter, Come and Get Me; and a bunch of 1/rage powers if you use rage cycling.


I like the fiend totem. Extra attack, damage creatures who attack you, and eventually deal automatic damage to creatures near you.


Will second the vote for Fiend Totem. I played a Fiend Totem barbarian up to level 15, and he was pretty ridiculous. Don't bother with the Greater power, it'll probably do more harm than good. But extra damage and the ability to strike back each time you get hit is pretty nice. (And if you can afford it, get the Hamatula Hide armor-- it's made for Fiend Totem barbarians.)

Sovereign Court

My friend uses World Serpent and I have to say it's been pretty impressive. He's using a Savage Technologist so his AC is actually decent, which means the defensive bonuses matter. But the really sweet stuff is penetrating alignment DR, speed increases and immunity to going prone. He routinely runs through threatened zones knowing he can't be tripped halfway through and then actually succeeds at high jump DCs.


SodiumTelluride wrote:
the ability to strike back each time you get hit is pretty nice.

Unless I'm missing something, it's a mere 1d6 piercing damage with no scaling. How is that not completely irrelevant after a few levels?


Derklord wrote:
SodiumTelluride wrote:
the ability to strike back each time you get hit is pretty nice.
Unless I'm missing something, it's a mere 1d6 piercing damage with no scaling. How is that not completely irrelevant after a few levels?

Free damage is free damage.

If you get attacked by 4 creatures, thats an average 12 output from you doing nothing. The more you are attacked, the better it is.

In a fight, it can mean the creature drops 1 round sooner.


Derklord wrote:
SodiumTelluride wrote:
the ability to strike back each time you get hit is pretty nice.
Unless I'm missing something, it's a mere 1d6 piercing damage with no scaling. How is that not completely irrelevant after a few levels?

The same way that adding Flaming to your weapon is not irrelevant after a few levels.


Invulnerable rager+dragon totem is a mean combo, especially for a PC with no armor.
I'd even mix it with Urban Barbarian and a level of unbreakable fighter and then follow the Stalwart feat line for an absurd amount of DR/-

Silver Crusade

Booloo wrote:

Invulnerable rager+dragon totem is a mean combo, especially for a PC with no armor.

I'd even mix it with Urban Barbarian and a level of unbreakable fighter and then follow the Stalwart feat line for an absurd amount of DR/-

They fixed Dragon Totem, it doesn't add DR anymore.


Damn. Nerfed hard.


thorin001 wrote:
Derklord wrote:
SodiumTelluride wrote:
the ability to strike back each time you get hit is pretty nice.
Unless I'm missing something, it's a mere 1d6 piercing damage with no scaling. How is that not completely irrelevant after a few levels?
The same way that adding Flaming to your weapon is not irrelevant after a few levels.

That's totally not the same thing and you know it. For one your average Barbarian is gonna attack more often than he gets attacked and DR/5 is gonna make fiend totem totally irrelevant.

I really like the Cult Totem for the 6th level power sadly the lesser power is not well thought out and means you are gimping yourself in almost every circumstance.


Ascalaphus wrote:
My friend uses World Serpent and I have to say it's been pretty impressive. He's using a Savage Technologist so his AC is actually decent, which means the defensive bonuses matter. But the really sweet stuff is penetrating alignment DR, speed increases and immunity to going prone. He routinely runs through threatened zones knowing he can't be tripped halfway through and then actually succeeds at high jump DCs.

Always wanted to try the serpent totem. Savage technologist as well.

Never thought of the two together though. Hmm???


Ascalaphus wrote:
My friend uses World Serpent and I have to say it's been pretty impressive. He's using a Savage Technologist so his AC is actually decent, which means the defensive bonuses matter. But the really sweet stuff is penetrating alignment DR, speed increases and immunity to going prone. He routinely runs through threatened zones knowing he can't be tripped halfway through and then actually succeeds at high jump DCs.

I have a World Serpent Totem Skald. Allows everybody to get in on +4 X weapons as opposed to +5.

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