Imagine a world very much like Warhammer, a human empire besieged by Chaos. Certainly amongst Chaos's champions are Barbarians, but likely all classes are represented there. Bottom line I have a Barbarian who faces barriers in this world's social structure. He has World Traveller (diplomacy) and Skill Focus (diplomacy) to help mitigate this problem. What is your opinion on this; too much bother and reroll or stick with it for role play? I imagine him as a sophisticated individual who uses his rage to enter a combat trance to the exclusion of extraneous factors, how would this Rage be perceived?
What the people in the world you're describing have a problem with is the stereotypical savage, too stupid to use a door knob, kill happy, lunatic barbarian. You're not that, and I don't necessarily see how they would even know you're "raging" if you're not using the stereotypical foaming at the mouth screaming concept.
Agreed with chaos. In the same way that not all priests are clerics, and not all soldiers are fighters, not all savages are barbarians. Likewise, not all clerics are priests (unless the game world enforces it), not all fighters are soldiers, and not all barbarians are savages. I would suggest having a chat with the GM and ask that the in-world social term for savages actually be "Savages", which will separate the term in everyone's mind from the game mechanical term "Barbarian".
Why don't you play what ever character concept you want to play while using whatever class you want to build it from? If barbarian as a class does it great. That doesn't mean it has any roleplay repercussions on the concept of your character.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yes, good points. The DM here is old school from 1st and second edition and is definitely of the school "you are your class" versus using the class to achieve your character concept. To me the Barb provides a very useful skill set with fun mechanics so....
What is your opinion on this; too much bother and reroll or stick with it for role play?
Consult your DM on this point. It could be a fun RP hook, and may interest your DM as much as yourself. *Or* it could prove an annoying hindrance, if the society is *so* bigoted that it'd prove a constant roadblock everywhere you go. How little or how much it comes up is up to the DM, and would determine how fun you'll find the concept over the course of the campaign.
I imagine him as a sophisticated individual who uses his rage to enter a combat trance to the exclusion of extraneous factors, how would this Rage be perceived?
The perception of his rage would likely be based entirely on your fluff. You seem to be describing a meditative combat trance, rather than the traditional overwhelming fury, which would likely be much less offputting to your companions. The traditional overwhelming fury concept is disturbing to companions namely because it suggests loss of control and that you may be a danger to your companions just as much as your foes.
A battle trance doesn't project the same danger signals.
