| Chris P. Bacon |
If you're interested in getting into crafting, I suggest the Master Craftsman feat, followed by Craft Magic Arms & Armor. Yes, it's two feats on a combat class that can really make use of every feat they get, but I think it would be rewarding to be able to make the weapon yourself. It's certainly great flavour. (However, it's definitely a good idea to talk to the other players in the game to see if they have any plans to take Craft Magic Arms & Armor themselves.)
Also helpful for crafting is the Inner Beauty trait, if you can qualify for it (it's a religion trait related to Shelyn, so depending on your setting or how your GM feels about traits, it may or may not be available).
I wouldn't invest too heavily in Int, but I wouldn't dump it, either. You'll probably get enough of a bonus through ranks, masterwork tools, etc; getting some hirelings to help you at the forge, working the bellows, striking, handing you tools, etc (while making Aid Another checks to boost your bonus) will also help; if you can get an arcane caster to help you out with Caster's Fortune, then all the better.
As for the actual barbarian/combat part, any build should do. The Superstition rage power may be appropriate if you view her dedication to her father's sword as a kind of superstition; hell, there's even an archetype for that. Otherwise, invulnerable rager is hard to turn down, and even the generic barbarian will do.
In terms of feats, if you take the two mentioned above, you'll have to be super cautious with what you have left. Power Attack and related feats are never a miss. Weapon Focus may be appropriate, as she's definitely going to be using the hell out of that greatsword once she's finished crafting it!
| hello, my name is ninja |
I'm gonna have to disagree with you too a point Mr.Bacon. Two-handed barbarians are one of the least feat intensive builds out there. All you really need to do well is power attack and then probably improved critical at 9th. Of course feats like furious focus and weapon focus are all great feats for a barb, but you can function fine without them, so a few feats wouldn't be missed too badly.
To the original poster, sadly without some kind of GM rules change you can't be such an awesome crafter that you can craft magic items without spell casting, or at least a good use magic devise and spellcraft. You might be able to convince your GM to set something up for you though. A feat from a caster or a feat from a melee, it's not too different. It's far from game braking, and thematic to boot!
| Grizzly the Archer |
Don't waste feats and time crafting. Also, I don't think you were going for crafting, just saying your having your main weapon reforged. If that is the case, I recommend a falchion. Barbarians do crazy amounts of damage, and the more often you crit, the better off you are.
- if you can use archetypes, I recommend the invulnerable rager archetype. You lose little, for what you gain, which in this case is DR. Barbarians tend to have a low AC, so offsetting that is ability to pump up their hit points, and ther DR, so they don't feel the hurt as much.
-Human barbarians should put their class bonus points into the superstition ability, that is available for humans. Every 3rd level the bonus goes up by one. This, coupled with already decent saves, and the bonus already receiving from rage, and from superstition, and your saves/defense are enormous.
-later on, get a headband of havoc, found in the ultimate equipment book. It is for barbarians, and allows you to use two rage rounds, to start your rage as an immediate action. So of a wizard throws a fireball at your party, you wou
Ent normally get the rage bonus, since you are unaware of the impending attack. But now with this item, you can rage, and thus bump p your reflex save, to get out of the mess of things.
- furious and courageous enhancements on your weapon will be best for you. Forget about energy damage, just get static bonuses, and these two enhancemements when you can.
- barbarians get 2 amazing abilities as rage powers. Take them and never look back. These are spell sunder, and pounce. First, pounce lets you full attack on your charge. This is amazing for players, especially barbarians, you want to deal out as much damage as possible. You will want to be pouncing a lot, around the battlefield, charging full attack on one enemy, killing them, then getting lined up for a new charge. When you can fly at later levels, from an item of some sort or what have you, charge lanes aren't difficult. Your base charge is 80', since a charge doubles your movement, and human barbarians charge at 80'.
The other rage power, which is without a doubt in my mind, a must have for all barbarians, is spell sunder. It allows you to suppress or dispel magic, but it does so better than a wizard could. With your BAB, strength, strength surge rage power, and other modifiers such as rage, the ability check for spell sunder should be high enough for you to dispel any magic hampering you. It only works on non-instantaneous magic. It won't work on the fireball heading your way, but it will on the greater darkness in the room, the force wall in your way, the gaes on the ally, spell trigger traps ona door, and so on. I have used this ability to my advantage for my barbarians so often, my own DM was thinking of hampering its ability for me. :) that's how good it is. To boost this ability, improved sunder feat is a must, as well as strength surge later on.
If your DM allows it, ask to see if you can use the dueling property from the pathfinder society field guide. It allow you to take your weapons enhancement bonus (max +5, +7 if using a furious weapon, as you should be), doubles that number as a lick bonus, and adds it to your original number. This enhancement is definetly worth it, if you can have your DM approve it. Also, have them approve the error the description has. The only ability for a combat maneuver NOT mentioned, is sunder. However, sunder was recently put into a similar category, on it's use, as disarm and trip. That is to say, you can sunder during a full attack, and make attacks of opportunity with them, much like trip and disarm. Because of this, and that you need a weapon to do those three maneuvers typically, the sunder maneuver should be included in the ability like disarm and trip. Of yourmdm approves this, than your golden.
Quick example: level 3 barbarian. Bab: 3, str: 16(+3), rage: +4str (+2), dueling enhancement on a +1 falchion (+2 luck, +1 enhancement= +3 weapon for CMB for sunder attempt).
Total: 3+3+2+3= +11 on a sunder attempt, at 3rd level.
If for spell sunder....
Improved sunder as well, furious enhancement on the weapon, +2 str item.
New total: level 6 barbarian: bab 6, str 18(+4), rage +4str (+2),+1 furious dueling falchion (+3 enhancement when raging, +9 when sunder), improved sunder +2........ New total: 6+4+2+9+2= +21 on spell sunder, before your d20 roll. Even on a roll of a 5, that's a 26 CMB vs enemy CMD. If its an enemy spell on something, their CMD= 15+ spell level. If you beat it by 1-4 it's suppressed for 1 round, 2-9. 2 rounds, 10 or higher you beat the CMD and it's dispelled forever. In this case, even of the spell was a spell from a caster level of 11, you suppress it for one round, (26-15= 11 caster level max to affect) any aster level lower than 11, and you not only affect them, but they can be suppressed longer, or dispelled. That is incredible, for amore level 6 barbarian. Your wizard can't even dispel/supress caster level 11 spells.
- also, to rage cycle before lvl 17, get a cord of stubborn resolve. It's abet slot item, so just have the ability added to your str. Belt, or rather, get this belt, and upgrade it to the +6str/con later as you level and get wealth.
Hope this helps you a bit.
| Bearded Ben |
To the original poster, sadly without some kind of GM rules change you can't be such an awesome crafter that you can craft magic items without spell casting, or at least a good use magic devise and spellcraft. You might be able to convince your GM to set something up for you though. A feat from a caster or a feat from a melee, it's not too different. It's far from game braking, and thematic to boot!
Err... There's already a feat for "you're such an awesome crafter you can craft magic stuff" and it's as core as core can be - Master Craftsman is in the CRB.
Broken Zenith
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You've looked at the Barbarian Guides and the Barbarian Builds? Right? There are a bunch of good ones that might give you ideas. Are you planning on crafting the sword yourself, or just having that be a plot thing?
| hello, my name is ninja |
hello, my name is ninja wrote:To the original poster, sadly without some kind of GM rules change you can't be such an awesome crafter that you can craft magic items without spell casting, or at least a good use magic devise and spellcraft. You might be able to convince your GM to set something up for you though. A feat from a caster or a feat from a melee, it's not too different. It's far from game braking, and thematic to boot!Err... There's already a feat for "you're such an awesome crafter you can craft magic stuff" and it's as core as core can be - Master Craftsman is in the CRB.
Wow. I've never seen that feat before. I like it! I want to use that at some point in a campaign. But, yea, those guides are cool, but depending on your party you might not want to min-max too much. That can lead to bad gaming and no fun for the rest of the party.
| Bearded Ben |
But, yea, those guides are cool, but depending on your party you might not want to min-max too much. That can lead to bad gaming and no fun for the rest of the party.
I'll second that. The guides tend to focus on the "optimal" build rather then the "fun to play with" build.
Broken Zenith
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I wouldn't say the guides focus on a single "optimal" build. The good guides out there show you how to achieve whatever vision you want for your character, even if it's not optimal. Don't know how to make an archer paladin? Want a two-handed barbarian, like the OP? There's a guide for that. Guides are just knowledge - use what you want, ignore what you don't.