yes
Unchained barbarians get more of a boost from two weapon fighting, the original barbarian gets more of a boost from two handed fighting.
If you add in Power Attack for unchained barbarians, though, doesn't the penalty for power attack get wiped out by the rage bump, and you're at the bonuses for Power Attack, making it a bit more viable at lower levels?
This is more theorycrafting than anything else?
Unchained Rage is safer in that it won't kill you if you pass out while raging. It's also faster in play because you don't need to recalculate 1.5 str bonus.
Do you really need to recalculate that every single time you rage? And even if you do, that kind of math should take at most half a second.
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Unchained Rage is safer in that it won't kill you if you pass out while raging. It's also faster in play because you don't need to recalculate 1.5 str bonus.Do you really need to recalculate that every single time you rage? And even if you do, that kind of math should take at most half a second.
Yeah, the math never really seemed that hard. It's basically like getting a bull's strength cast on you mid combat, you should be able to adjust for the new modifier pretty quickly, especially if you play a lot of higher level characters where you can have a lot of buffs/debuffs coming at you, and will need to be able to figure out where you're at with numerous bonuses coming at you.
It's seems like the new barbarian was sort of a stealth nerf, or maybe a bit of a re-balance on the class. The attack bonus is less useful for the style of combat old barbarians were good at(THF or Throwing with a belt of mighty hurling), but better for different builds (TWF or manufactured + natural weapons together). And the move to style powers means that you can't stack certain powers together, and have to focus more on a chain, along with the move action to activate, which is kind of annoying, especially at level 6 or higher.
Then to balance all that out, they've removed rage death, and made certain less useful powers more useful.
It all kind of seems like a wash, however I still stick to the old barbarian, as I actually kind of like the idea of fighting on the edge of control, and knowing I might end up killing myself if I push it too far. I'm also not crazy about the idea of the bonus not being a morale bonus, since the furious+courageous weapon is kind of the iconic weapon of a barbarian to me at this point.
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Unchained Rage is safer in that it won't kill you if you pass out while raging. It's also faster in play because you don't need to recalculate 1.5 str bonus.Do you really need to recalculate that every single time you rage? And even if you do, that kind of math should take at most half a second.
I don't, but I have played with people who do, especially when playing pregens, and it gets tedious.
The calculation aspect rarely came up for me, but that's because since our group is online only, we use the programme to do the hard work that makes the cleric's head hurt.
I wonder if there would or could be a feat or rage power that would let you have more than one rage stance going? I like the theme of Elemental Stance, but from a sheer numbers standpoint I might be better served with Accurate. Hm, something to put in the advice forum..
It's seems like the new barbarian was sort of a stealth nerf, or maybe a bit of a re-balance on the class.
Not to mention several of the best rage powers got cut. No more Spell Sunder or in-class flight for the Unchained Barbarian, and Come and Get Me got re-worked into a (weaker) stance.
Unchained Barbarian work fine Dex based.
Fencing Grace Barbarian? Yes, very doable.
I'm normally not one to criticize a new and fun concept, but a rapier-wielding Barbarian comes close to triggering my "That's just wrong" sense.
In any case, you could do a Dex-barian just fine with the "Chained" Barbarian, as long as you took the Urban Barbarian Archetype.
If I play raging PCs I either write two lines for my weapon, one raging one not raging or I have the complete first page of my char sheet twice once for raging, once for normal.
No reason for an unchained class. They wanted to do/try out some changes and included the different rage as one of it.
Writing example:
Weapon / to hit / damage
Weapon +PA / to hit / damage
weapon +PA +Rage / to hit / damage
The most meaningful nerf, and the one keeping me from really considering it is the fixed 1 minute fatigue.
If I play raging PCs I either write two lines for my weapon, one raging one not raging or I have the complete first page of my char sheet twice once for raging, once for normal.
No reason for an unchained class. They wanted to do/try out some changes and included the different rage as one of it.Writing example:
Weapon / to hit / damage
Weapon +PA / to hit / damage
weapon +PA +Rage / to hit / damageThe most meaningful nerf, and the one keeping me from really considering it is the fixed 1 minute fatigue.
As far as the fixed fatigue..out of curiosity, how often does the dropped rage fatigue factor into games in general? I once had to rage an empty round, but that was one where we knew there was another monster about to come out from another room. Have people had combats running that close together? (We're still low level, too.)
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As far as the fixed fatigue..out of curiosity, how often does the dropped rage fatigue factor into games in general? I once had to rage an empty round, but that was one where we knew there was another monster about to come out from another room. Have people had combats running that close together? (We're still low level, too.)If I play raging PCs I either write two lines for my weapon, one raging one not raging or I have the complete first page of my char sheet twice once for raging, once for normal.
No reason for an unchained class. They wanted to do/try out some changes and included the different rage as one of it.Writing example:
Weapon / to hit / damage
Weapon +PA / to hit / damage
weapon +PA +Rage / to hit / damageThe most meaningful nerf, and the one keeping me from really considering it is the fixed 1 minute fatigue.
It is more for the once/Rage powers, really.
And, at higher levels, just like the Core Barbarian, you get the ability to Rage cycle, just without the extra temps.
I have had several situations where fights were close enough together for it to matter. Or I had CC effects drop me from rage during the first round of combat. Sometimes enemy reinforcements appear after you dropped rage.
And rage cycling as possible with the scarred rager at low levels isn't possible any more.
And just raging for one round of combat at low levels to conserve rounds/day becomes much worse with this rule.
Some rage powers can be useful out of combat. With the classic barbarian or the bloodrager it can be viable to enter rage for one round to use some rage power for non-combat stuff. Less so if you are fatigued for a whole minute after doing so instead of just 12 seconds.