Some barbarian rage powers are too powerful

[Elrond]

I think the effect of guarded stance, powerful blow, rolling dodge, strenght surge and surprise accuracy (page 14/15) are too powerful and should be limited by doubling the barbarian level needed for each bonus point. Such high bonuses could easily unbalance a short fight.

[Tholas]

Elrond wrote:

I think the effect of guarded stance, powerful blow, rolling dodge, strenght surge and surprise accuracy (page 14/15) are too powerful and should be limited by doubling the barbarian level needed for each bonus point. Such high bonuses could easily unbalance a short fight.

Surprise accuracy can be a real killer when combined with certain feats *cough* Devastating Blow, Power Attack *cough* and weapons *cough* Scythe *cough*.

The purely defensive options like strenght surge,guarded stance and rolling dodge seem ok to me.

[Juton]

I love the Barbarian's new powers, but it leaves them in an odd spot of being more powerful than a fighter but less powerful than a wizard at mid-high levels.

Depending on how you want to balance things either:
Make the really good powers available at higher levels.
or
Make the really good powers add 1/2 your Barbarian level, but take less rage points.

Just please let Strength Surge keep it class level to strength checks, because that's the most fun power I've used in a long while.

[The Wraith]

I personally don't like the Elemental Rage power very much. It's a power that suits a monk better, IMHO (in a previous post, I suggested to give Monks a similar ability for 2 or 3 KI points). Barbarians with flaming weapons ? Although I love Anime, this is too much Anime-style for me. Making the power an extra 1d6 WEAPON damage, now that's a better Barbarian feature for me; although the Rage points cost has to be lowered, in that case (6 would fit better).
I agree with the overpowering impact of Powerful Blow and Surprise Accuracy; one of my players have a 6th level Barbarian who can dish with a single blow 1d12+35 points of damage (Strength 26 during Rage thanks to Base score 20 and Gauntlets Str+2, Power Attack, Overhand Chop, Powerful Blow, lousy Greataxe+1)!!! Of course, it's a single attack with only +9 to hit (and he cannot make a second attack because of OverHand Chop), but still...

[Quandary]

The Wraith wrote:

one of my players have a 6th level Barbarian who can dish with a single blow 1d12+35 points of damage (Strength 26 during Rage thanks to Base score 20 and Gauntlets Str+2, Power Attack, Overhand Chop, Powerful Blow, lousy Greataxe+1)!!! Of course, it's a single attack with only +9 to hit (and he cannot make a second attack because of OverHand Chop), but still...

Exactly... Why don't you compare it to someone 2WF'ing with ab Exotic Double Weapon (2 Handed damage bonus)... And they are more likely to guarantee SOME damage each round (from more attacks), which may be all that's necessary to take down an opponent.

Check out this to see what a a 1st level Barbarian can do. I'm using the Whirling Frenzy Variant, but still...