How do you get the required dex for TWF if you maxed STR?
As for TWF, it's all about damage sources. Rogues can go TWF because they get Sneak Attack, Paladins use smite... your raging damage bonus well... could work. Ask your party to buff up your damage.
For other chars it depends on the DM and how they let attack the monsters - some do it in a way that allows for many full attacks (it's even quite bad for you not to get the full attack only in the first round!)
Speaking of style, do it. Barbarians with two axes or claws or whatever rule.
(the TWF talk in the forums is about optimizing, always remember that, you can build a fun to play and potent character without that)
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Double Slice and Two Weapon Rend benefit greatly from a high strength score. The best weapons for a TWF barbarian are kukris and falcatas.
The Witch Hunter Rage Power is useful, Greater Beast Totem, too.
The damage gets pretty good, but you'll have to spend most of your feats on it.
If you want to play something utterly insane, build a mounted pouncing barbarian with two lances and spirited charge.
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I don't think you'll be able to outdamage a Two-handed barbarian, or a natural weapon barbarian, unless you have rolled stats that allow for the DEX requirements; then you may come close.
1.5xSTR + power attack + feats like furious focus are hard to beat, and the fact that you'll already be down three feats (or more, with double slice and two weapon rend) means you're fighting a losing battle.
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I don't think you'll be able to outdamage a Two-handed barbarian, or a natural weapon barbarian, unless you have rolled stats that allow for the DEX requirements; then you may come close.
1.5xSTR + power attack + feats like furious focus are hard to beat, and the fact that you'll already be down three feats (or more, with double slice and two weapon rend) means you're fighting a losing battle.
THF + Power Attack is solid, but there aren't that many ways to increase that damage further. Furious Focus does very little to increase the damage at later levels, since the first attacks often has a 95% chance to hit even with Power Attack.
Here's a TWF barbarian I created a while ago:
Link
I don't think you'll be able to outdamage a Two-handed barbarian, or a natural weapon barbarian, unless you have rolled stats that allow for the DEX requirements; then you may come close.
1.5xSTR + power attack + feats like furious focus are hard to beat, and the fact that you'll already be down three feats (or more, with double slice and two weapon rend) means you're fighting a losing battle.
TWF Fighter with full weapon specializations and full falcata weapon training?
Is it possible to do such a thing?Would the damage every outweight the 2H Barb?I would like some example builds,if anyone minds to do that.Also,I am not afraid to use 1H(not light) weapons,because I will have a 20 Str and full BAB.
I'll post some DPR tomorrow.
I'm looking to do about the same thing, and I think it's worth dipping Fighter to jump ahead on the feats needed.
I'm looking to do about the same thing, and I think it's worth dipping Fighter to jump ahead on the feats needed.
Dipping is good, but I'd probably wait until after 11 or 12 levels of Barbarian. I definitely wouldn't do it until after level 10, so as not to slow down the acquisition of Greater Beast Totem.
Jadeite's build is basically what I would do. Maybe switch Falcata proficiency, focus, and improved critical for Power Attack, Raging Vitality, and Raging Brutality. I don't know if it will be higher DPR in absolute terms, but you get Raging Vitality for extra survivability and power attack lets you adjust for higher and lower AC opponents.
You can also consider taking Come and Get Me and Combat Reflexes at or around level 12. Two-Weapon Fighting Barbarians have enough Dex to respond to an opponent blow-for-blow. Buy a glove of weapon storing so all the attacks can be made as two-handed, and you are a damage machine.
Also: make friends with a bard. Inspire Courage and Good Hope will help you more than almost anyone else.
Buy a glove of weapon storing so all the attacks can be made as two-handed, and you are a damage machine.
What do you mean by that?
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Dipping is good, but I'd probably wait until after 11 or 12 levels of Barbarian. I definitely wouldn't do it until after level 10, so as not to slow down the acquisition of Greater Beast Totem.
IMO you guys are way, way, way overrating the utility of Pounce in high-level melee combat.
Any NPC that grants you a nice charge-line at 12th is a complete moron. So, no: you will almost be dealing with cover, concealment, mooks in the way, Greater Invisibiliy, flight, displacement, trap-after-trap-after-trap-followed-by-BadGuyTeleportsAwayToKilYouLater, etc.
When you make a build hyperspecialized in doing one thing awesomely well (Pounce), you really make hard on your DM (because he has to make things "stupid" just to keep his players happy), or on yourself (if you're playing mods or APs).
Hmmm... Area Dispel Magic (to strip barbarian of Protection spell) followed by Dominate barbarian; command him to slaughter allies.
Meanwhile, your build has devoted three rage powers to acquiring pounce, and also needs Quickdraw to be able to attack with hand-held weapons and claws in the same round.
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With Superstition and the human favored class bonus, a barbarians saves will be rather good. Add a level of oracle for fatigue immunity and it becomes even better.
Speaking of over-rated barbarian rage powers, Superstition is near the top. Case in point:
While in rage, a barbarian gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves.
Superstition (Ex) ... Benefit: The barbarian gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws made to resist spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels the barbarian has attained. While raging, the barbarian cannot be a willing target of any spell and must make saving throws to resist all spells, even those cast by allies.
MEANING...all youse barbarians walking around with a +4 while-raging will save vs magic at 1st level are cheating because morale bonuses do not stack.
-- But the even bigger problem with Superstition is that you can't turn it off when you need to, meaning it contributes to you getting killed. Example: you get critted/Vital Striked by a giant's huge greatsword and go from 170hp to 2hp just like that. Up next is your cleric buddy with a Heal all prepped....and you now make your will save to resist. Oops.
Superstition is the sneakiest, most evilly-worded so-called "power" in the game;* and I don't believe for one second that the author who hatched it didn't realize that it would generate a lot of dead barbarians.
<He-man chant>
"I have the POWER to....
....get myself killed!"
(*There are plenty of other worthless abilities out there which make you worse for taking them, but none which so actively promote your death.)
What to play a barbarian who's +4 on all saves vs. magic, has awesome AC, and who doesn't need to multi- a BAB0 class for Fatigue-alleviation? Make a dwarf with the Steel Soul feat, and take the Good For What Ails You rage power and the Drunken Brute archetype. Multiclass a few levels of fighter and wear full-plate. Alteratively, if you do multi- a BAB0 class for Fatigue-alleviation, take one level of cleric in a deity with both the travel and community domains -- now you're a dwarf with a move of 30' in full-plate even though you've sacrificed your fast movement for a different archetype advantage.
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Superstition (Ex) ... Benefit: The barbarian gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws made to resist spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels the barbarian has attained. While raging, the barbarian cannot be a willing target of any spell and must make saving throws to resist all spells, even those cast by allies.
MEANING...all youse barbarians walking around with a +4 while-raging will save vs magic at 1st level are cheating because morale bonuses do not stack.
-- But the even bigger problem with Superstition is that you can't turn it off when you need to, meaning it contributes to you getting killed. Example: you get critted/Vital Striked by a giant's huge greatsword and go from 170hp to 2hp just like that. Up next is your cleric buddy with a Heal all prepped....and you now make your will save to resist. Oops.
Superstition is the sneakiest, most evilly-worded so-called "power" in the game;* and I don't believe for one second that the author who hatched it didn't realize that it would generate a lot of dead barbarians.
You bring up a good point on the bonus type, hadn't noticed that before. I have to imagine it was supposed to be another type of bonus, should probably clarify that. And cheating is such a strong word, be careful of throwing it around! More likely in my situation, where an honest mistake was made about the bonus type.
However I still think it to be worth the risk. There is the moment of clarity rage power which just screams to be used in a situation like this. The bonus is just to good, assuming it stacks with the normal rage bonus as I imagine I was intended to do, to pass up in my opinion.
And I like having the option to boost up my saves without needing to play a dwarf. Obviously, YMMV.
With Superstition and the human favored class bonus, a barbarians saves will be rather good. Add a level of oracle for fatigue immunity and it becomes even better.Speaking of over-rated barbarian rage powers, Superstition is near the top. Case in point:
While in rage, a barbarian gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves.
Superstition (Ex) ... Benefit: The barbarian gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws made to resist spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels the barbarian has attained. While raging, the barbarian cannot be a willing target of any spell and must make saving throws to resist all spells, even those cast by allies.
MEANING...all youse barbarians walking around with a +4 while-raging will save vs magic at 1st level are cheating because morale bonuses do not stack.
-- But the even bigger problem with Superstition is that you can't turn it off when you need to, meaning it contributes to you getting killed. Example: you get critted/Vital Striked by a giant's huge greatsword and go from 170hp to 2hp just like that. Up next is your cleric buddy with a Heal all prepped....and you now make your will save to resist. Oops.
Superstition is the sneakiest, most evilly-worded so-called "power" in the game;* and I don't believe for one second that the author who hatched it didn't realize that it would generate a lot of dead barbarians.
<He-man chant>
"I have the POWER to....
....get myself killed!"(*There are plenty of other worthless abilities out there which make you worse for taking them, but none which so actively promote your death.)
What to play a barbarian who's +4 on all saves vs. magic, has awesome AC, and who doesn't need to multi- a BAB0 class for Fatigue-alleviation? Make a dwarf with the Steel Soul feat, and take the Good For What Ails You...
Just for the record. Your cleric buddy wouldn't waste a heal on you, he would use some cure spell or simply channel, that only save for half.
Buy a glove of weapon storing so all the attacks can be made as two-handed, and you are a damage machine.What do you mean by that?
I probably should have emphasized "All the attacks of opportunity." You use the glove to zap away your off-hand weapon at the end of your turn and switch your main weapon to a two-handed grip for AoOs. You can then switch back for your next full attack.
IMO you guys are way, way, way overrating the utility of Pounce in high-level melee combat.
Any NPC that grants you a nice charge-line at 12th is a complete moron. So, no: you will almost be dealing with cover, concealment, mooks in the way, Greater Invisibiliy, flight, displacement, trap-after-trap-after-trap-followed-by-BadGuyTeleportsAwayToKilYouLater, etc.When you make a build hyperspecialized in doing one thing awesomely well (Pounce), you really make hard on your DM (because he has to make things "stupid" just to keep his players happy), or on yourself (if you're playing mods or APs)
I'm not saying that Pounce is the be-all end-all ability, but it is extremely useful for a TWF Barbarian. You lose a lot more from not getting a full attack than a two-handed Barb does. Besides, I wouldn't even call three rage powers "hyperspecialization." You get a neat trick that makes TWF stand up better to THF, and get some natural armor and weapons on the side all for a moderate investment. In my opinion, spending levels to get that sooner is, along with all the other perks you pick up along the way, more useful than hopping over to Fighter for a couple of feats.
Besides, most of the problems you list are problems for melee characters in general. Mooks have to be murdered either way, and pouncing them is an efficient way of going about it. Flight and traps work on anyone who isn't attacking from range. Greater Invisibility is annoying, but once you locate the enemy Pounce will help you get to him.
That said, I love your Dwarf. The combination of anger, power, and drunkenness may have the reached the theoretical maximum of possible Dwarfiness.
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Superstition is the sneakiest, most evilly-worded so-called "power" in the game; and I don't believe for one second that the author who hatched it didn't realize that it would generate a lot of dead barbarians.Just for the record. Your cleric buddy wouldn't waste a heal on you, he would use some cure spell or simply channel, that only save for half.
Other Cure spells also requires saves (and their lower DCs will be easier to beat than Heal). Channeling? If the cleric were 20th level, that'd be 10d6...~35pts. Mr. Superstitious barbarian who just got klonked needs about 100+hp right now, because if he doesn't get that and instead gets himself back up to only forty or so, Mr. Badass Giant is going to easily drive Mr. Barbarian down to about -75 on his next turn.
.Want to play a barbarian who's +4 on all saves vs. magic, has awesome AC, and who doesn't need to multi- a BAB0 class for Fatigue-alleviation? Make a dwarf with the Steel Soul feat, and take the Good For What Ails You rage power and the Drunken Brute archetype. multiclass a few levels of fighter and wear full-plate. Alternatively, if you do multi- a BAB0 class for Fatigue-alleviation, take one level of cleric in a deity with both the travel and community domains -- now you're a dwarf with a move of 30' in full-plate even though you've sacrificed your fast movement for a different archetype advantage.That said, I love your Dwarf. The combination of anger, power, and drunkenness may have the reached the theoretical maximum of possible Dwarfiness.
Yes -- and it can all be yours in the early levels, e.g.,
dwarf ...traits...Berserker of the Society
01 barb1 Steel Soul, [drunken brute archetype]
....+4 raging saves/magic+SLA; 10 rounds rage/day w/CON:16
02 figh1 Quickdraw
....buy MW full-plate; may now quickly re-ready two-hander after swigging booze
03 cler1 Raging Vitality, [Kurgess:Travel/Strength]
....move+10 in FP; +3/lvl HP raging and don't "shut off" if unconscious; cast Bless and Enlarge Person; CLW and PfE wand use; studliest hairy-chested deity ever; even more will-save buffing.
04 barb2 Good For What Ails You
....now immune to over 50% of "save-or-suck" -- you'll be swilling alcohol to prolong your rage anyway.
05 (etc)