This came up in another thread so I thought I'd just do a quick and dirty 3.5~> Pathfinder conversion for all those Totem Barbarian Variants.
I just removed the stuff they loose.
This might be useful for some good, old-fashioned RPing- like have a barbarian have to commune with their totem spirit every morning and have it interact with them at some point. Heck, I'd even give them RP time to chill with their totem spirit and involve it in the plot!
So it just adds extra bonuses onto things without changing anything or taking things away?
All things considered, would that be so terrible? Barbarians need something to make them unique and "viable". Heck, they don't even get a level 20 capstone ability. 'Tis only a thrown bone I seek...
As to the Totems, I would like to see them give bonuses past 5th-ish level.
@Morgen: Nope. I removed the "loosing stuff" part of it like they use to have. I just did a real quick and dirty conversion of the 3.5 stuff (updated the feat names, adjusted some of the bonuses, gave Jaguar stuff, ect)
@Dork Lord: Like I said, this is a conversion. If I get them- it's just adding a little bit of flavor for them (Not a strait up overhaul). Like I know they get a bonus to skill checks (or at least a lot do) and that's useful no matter what level you are. I think they just couldn't give them all at 1st level so they just spaced them out over the first like 5.
|
What? Unique? Yeah, Rage in a full BAB class with DR, Trap Sense, Fast movement and Uncanny Dodge totally reminds me of ranger. All friendly joking aside of course, I don't really get where the source for Barbarian totems were coming from. Conan didn't have any kind of totem that I could see in the stories I've read so I'm curious where the source for the 3.5 stuff came from. You did a good job converting Scott.
I don't really see the lack of a capstone ability very hampering to the class since I don't ever see anyone I know ever having an opportunity to get to use one of theirs anyway. They're cute and interesting and no campaign I've ever seen or heard of has gotten to 20th level except for a lone epic campaign and a campaign my friends father ran for him and his siblings and friends from ages like 10 to 18. You might like and play in high level campaigns but it's such a non-issue to really everything as a whole. Now I'm not saying your making a huge issue out of it, but I've heard rumblings of complains about that before on the boards and wish there was a bit more perspective about it.
If your playing a barbarian from 1 to 20, you've got so much at your disposal in feats, boons and magic items that you should have figured out what your about and how your dealing your damage or what not without the capstones for quite a while by that point.
I don't really get where the source for Barbarian totems were coming from. Conan didn't have any kind of totem that I could see in the stories I've read so I'm curious where the source for the 3.5 stuff came from. You did a good job converting Scott.
You need to broaden your horizons a bit, Conan is hardly the only source material for barbarians in literature. Tarzan could be said to have many animal totems and he is at least as barbaric as Conan. Edit: Even in Howard's own works the barbaric Picts follow animal totems.
Though the actual inspiration likely came from the real world cultures that would be identified as barbarian tribes in a D&D/PF game which believe in animal totems, including most Native American tribes and many African cultures.
|
|
You need to broaden your horizons a bit, Conan is hardly the only source material for barbarians in literature. Tarzan could be said to have many animal totems and he is at least as barbaric as Conan. Edit: Even in Howard's own works the barbaric Picts follow animal totems.
Very true of course, but there are only so many books I've been able to find and read so I was curious is all. I guess in my head I don't really identify barbarianism with Native Americans or other cultures, but that's fine. I suppose in that context it makes a bit more sense.
King Kull's companion Brule is a kind of totem warrior. Tiger, I think. I highly recommend the Kull stories if you haven't read them. Good stuff.