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I do Hudak the Shoanti fighter in pbp.
He's not a barbarian class, but he's a barbarian.
Essentially, he's a total goofball in social situations, a real bull in a glasshouse. He's learned to shut up when the adults are talking, or almost anyway.
In battle, though, he turns into a different creature. He's badass. It's the only source of self confidence he has in life.
The rest of the time......he's a total goofball.
He's like Fafhrd, or Titus Pullo from that Rome show who I somewhat based him on; except (Rome spoiler)
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Bah! Alwyn eats Hudaks lunch every day.
But, to stay OT, I like my barbarians to be in touch with their natural surroundings and the nature spirits. I like spouting zen-style semi-gibberish about nebulous figures like the Storm Giant, Father Battle and The Oak Tree In The Middle Of The Forest, or how I obey the teachings of the Wise Walrus. A bit of ancient wisdom goes well with screaming high-octane violence, after all.
the barbarian in my party is essentially a half orc meathead who is souped up on magic items
A warrior with a particularly savage fighting style. If I want to play a combat tactian, I'll go for a fighter, if I want someone in a specialist style focused on fighting specific foes, I'll go for ranger. If I want someone able to turn their foes into a fine red mist, I'll go barbarian.
What archtypes do people typically follow when playing a "Barbarian". Do you play the savage warrior, the berserker warrior, the mystic spirit warrior? Or have you played the Barbarian as another distinct type of archtype? What is a Barbarian to you?
One important distinction to be made here: There's the barbarian class, and there's the barbarian culture. The first is a guy who has a sort-of primal aspect, the latter is someone keen on tribal structure, honour and maybe glory, and follows a nomadic lifestyle that would be too tough for wimpy civilised folk.
Talking about the class, the barbarian can be
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One of the characters in a Ravenloft game I ran a few years back was a scrawny, maudlin teenager with anger issues. He was a nice kid overall, but prone to bouts of depression and self-pity... and occasional screaming fits in which he had no remorse or compassion for anyone close enough to get stabbed, kicked, beaten, or bitten. He was a multiclassed barbarian/sorcerer who eventually went into rage mage when he finally learned to "control his temper."
Another barbarian from one of my parties was a shifter whose rage was "letting the predator take over."
Jeremy Puckett
I've considered using the barbarian class to build myself a swashbuckler, reflavoring rage as a sort of heedless, all-out attack form, and benefiting from the increased speed, HD, and skill points over a fighter. I'll probably even do it some day.
Bah! Alwyn eats Hudaks lunch every day.
But, to stay OT, I like my barbarians to be in touch with their natural surroundings and the nature spirits. I like spouting zen-style semi-gibberish about nebulous figures like the Storm Giant, Father Battle and The Oak Tree In The Middle Of The Forest, or how I obey the teachings of the Wise Walrus. A bit of ancient wisdom goes well with screaming high-octane violence, after all.
So, I take it that you're Norwegian, Swedish or Danish? That would go well with your take on babarians... (and "Vatnisse" was an indication too ;-)
GRU
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Im currently playing a Barb in the Legacy of Fire AP, I took the Genie Blooded trait (Fire) and use the "Hot Blooded" aspect in combat. Like Sakura a few posts up its more of a battle mind affect. Not your typical roaring Barbarian but the skills work better for a rebelious traveling desert nomad. Also rage is a fun combo with the cosmetic elemental affects of GB trait. Rage= Burning resolve and some neat elemental cosmetic affects our GM is graciously allowing for the trait. Paizo's new take on the Barb doesent force you to be a nearly mindless killing machine... Not that thats not a blast.
What archtypes do people typically follow when playing a "Barbarian". Do you play the savage warrior, the berserker warrior, the mystic spirit warrior? Or have you played the Barbarian as another distinct type of archtype? What is a Barbarian to you?
Well, I tend to like looking for ways to defy the usual stereotypes, so my barbarians are a bit odd.
The last two I played were:
-Brodiggan Gale (I use that name a lot), A methodical, stoic priest of Tempus, the lord of battle, well versed in military history, battlefield tactics, and diplomacy, but with a carefully contained core of rage and battle lust, that he saw as just one more weapon to be used, carefully, lest it be turned upon it's wielder.
-Thirty Spokes, A Taoist Halfling, always subtly smiling with a knowing gleam in his eye, more than willing to pass peacefully through life given the opportunity, but unwilling to watch others suffer, or bow his own head to unjust rule. I didn't depict his rage as being furious, instead it was more of a transcendent mania, transforming him into a dervish, that he kept loosely controlled at most times, aware that it is often in the absence of something that we find it's greatest use. (Google the Tao Te Ching and Thirty Spokes if you're wondering where all that comes from.)
Well when I think barbarian I think Conan from Ron E. Howard. The silent taciturn mercenary who owes nobody allegiance and is a deadly fighting machine in battle.
That's the classic, for me. There's also the Hulk/Ben from fantastic 4 guy, who's great when it's "clobberin' time." That's my kinda barbarian.
He can also be that big guy at the bar with a chip on his shoulder, looking for a fight. Some people are rage-aholics in the real world, and like adrenaline and violence.
It's easy to visualize a more mystic type of Bbn, too: One who attributes his rage power to a blessing of sorts. Sorta monk-like, in a way, but more focused on power than technique or seeking martial perfection. He'd see his rage power as a fair advantage in vanquishing his opponents, and a justification for wanting to do that.
The Bbn's usually a good fighter even when he doesn't rage. He might save it for just the right moments, afraid of going too far and losing control.
Or, he might rage away all the time, addicted to the rush it gives him, and getting antsy when he can't go off; a sort of rage-junkie. He may or may not think his addiction's a problem. The rest of the party might have a different opinion!
Just typing out loud. I love that class.
Last Barbarian I played was Desmond, a half-orc orphan who'd never met a full-blooded orc in his life but hated them because of what he assumed they'd done to his saintly mother-- who had died in childbirth. He was Barbarian/Rogue, a street tough "made good" as a local hero. Stronger and faster than most of the other alley rats, and a tendency to "lose it" in a fight or of anyone made any comments about his heritage.
Of course, best session I played with him is when he finally met his father. His grief-stricken, widowed, human father.
I love characters with ugly backstories.
I've seen all sorts of barbarians of either class or social standing. The arch-types I've seen the most of however are of the "Noble Barbaric Warrior" and the "Frothing at the mouth Battle Rager".
I'm currently putting together a Human (Ulfan) Barbarian who'll be a "tough as nails" brawler type who'll just get stronger and tougher the more you pound on him.
My last barbarian/rougue, Cragan, was a self-exiled, lazy, violent vagabond. He had the strength to match his brethren in his orc tribe, but he was also a clever guy (for a 3.5 Half-orc... Int 13) and realized, that being a chief asks only for a knife in his back rather than for the luxury he craved, so he left. He never had the stamina of the legendary berserkers, but in his outbursts he never had any problems with beating a few drunkards in the tavern while helping himself to their purses. His looks never gave him much hope for success, but human women and the sheer concentration of valuables kept him definitely definitely interested in human civilizatin rather than in that of his father. Never good at mechanical thingies he could trust his berserker strength to get him into locked chests and houses and his strength worked well with his vicious fighting techniques and mobility. Overall add some curiosity for exotic countries and treasure and you have a young Conan from The Tower of the Elephant with some Half-orc flavour... and wrse stats ;)