- D10 weapon free hand that later becomes D12.
- Better AC than other Barbarians with the skin because they don't have the AC anymore from rage.
- And Pounce is great for 1 action Stride + Strike.
- Have the best resistances.
Basically, it gets more defense and less offence than other instincts.
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Also it has weapons that are high damage and have access to some rarer traits like grapple.
2 free hands for whatever you want in your hands!!!
For me, the best advantage of Animal Instinct over the others.
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Royt so ferst off da animul instinkt ‘az da advantij of ‘avin dere ‘ands free fur shovin an trippin an genrully jostlin da ladz around shuld yew feel da inklinashun to do so. Furvermor, sum instinkts such az da ape get da grappul trayt on dere unarmd weppinz wich letz em apply oytem bonusez to da afflettikz chex wen dey’re shuvin an’ trippin an all dat fun stuff. Da elk an’ frog instinktz also get bilt in reech opshinz wich ar nun too shabby. Yew menshuned da mayn draw alreddee wich iz da fakt dat dey get bet’ah AYSEE den all da ovuh toypes ov instinkts, wich is furver boosted by da animul skin feet at levul six
Sekundlee, da monk dedikayshun is praktikally tayluh mayd fuh da animul instinkt. Feets loyk krushin grab, whurlin frow, an’ da krown jewul FLUR’EE OV BLOWS at levul ten ar strayt up inkredibul. Nuffin loyk rapidlee beetin da livin snot owtta some git wif yer fuk’uge ape fistz.
I will just note that in all the streams/games I have seen with an animal barbarian they still hit like a truck even at low levels. They also due to their better AC don't get critted as often. You do more damage when you are not unconscious or dead. They are agile movement wise with their action efficient move/attack combo they get access to early.
If you want to wrestle/grapple/grab things its really hard to beat an animal barbarian.
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Royt so ferst off da animul instinkt ‘az da advantij of ‘avin dere ‘ands free fur shovin an trippin an genrully jostlin da ladz around shuld yew feel da inklinashun to do so. Furvermor, sum instinkts such az da ape get da grappul trayt on dere unarmd weppinz wich letz em apply oytem bonusez to da afflettikz chex wen dey’re shuvin an’ trippin an all dat fun stuff. Da elk an’ frog instinktz also get bilt in reech opshinz wich ar nun too shabby. Yew menshuned da mayn draw alreddee wich iz da fakt dat dey get bet’ah AYSEE den all da ovuh toypes ov instinkts, wich is furver boosted by da animul skin feet at levul six
Sekundlee, da monk dedikayshun is praktikally tayluh mayd fuh da animul instinkt. Feets loyk krushin grab, whurlin frow, an’ da krown jewul FLUR’EE OV BLOWS at levul ten ar strayt up inkredibul. Nuffin loyk rapidlee beetin da livin snot owtta some git wif yer fuk’uge ape fistz.
Translation:
"Right so first of the animal instinct has the advantage of having their hands free for Shoving and Tripping and generally jostling the lads about should you feel inclined do so so. Furthermore, some instincts such as the Ape get the Grapple trait on their unarmed weapons [sic] which lets them aply item bonuses to the Athletics check when they're Shoving and Tripping and all that fun stuff. The elk and frog instincts also get built-in reach options which are none too shabby. You mentioned the main draw already which is the fact that they get better AC than all the other types of Instincts, which is further boosted by the Animal Skin feat at level six.
Secondly, the monk dedications is practically tailor-made for the animal instinct. Feats like 'Crushing Grab', 'Whirling Throw' and the crown jewel 'Flurry of Blows' at level 10 are straight-up incredible. Nothing like rapidly beating the living snot outta some git with your fuk'uge [sic] ape fists.
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Royt so ferst off da animul instinkt ‘az da advantij of ‘avin dere ‘ands free fur shovin an trippin an genrully jostlin da ladz around shuld yew feel da inklinashun to do so. Furvermor, sum instinkts such az da ape get da grappul trayt on dere unarmd weppinz wich letz em apply oytem bonusez to da afflettikz chex wen dey’re shuvin an’ trippin an all dat fun stuff. Da elk an’ frog instinktz also get bilt in reech opshinz wich ar nun too shabby. Yew menshuned da mayn draw alreddee wich iz da fakt dat dey get bet’ah AYSEE den all da ovuh toypes ov instinkts, wich is furver boosted by da animul skin feet at levul six
Sekundlee, da monk dedikayshun is praktikally tayluh mayd fuh da animul instinkt. Feets loyk krushin grab, whurlin frow, an’ da krown jewul FLUR’EE OV BLOWS at levul ten ar strayt up inkredibul. Nuffin loyk rapidlee beetin da livin snot owtta some git wif yer fuk’uge ape fistz.
Translation:
"Right so first of the animal instinct has the advantage of having their hands free for Shoving and Tripping and generally jostling the lads about should you feel inclined do so so. Furthermore, some instincts such as the Ape get the Grapple trait on their unarmed weapons [sic] which lets them aply item bonuses to the Athletics check when they're Shoving and Tripping and all that fun stuff. The elk and frog instincts also get built-in reach options which are none too shabby. You mentioned the main draw already which is the fact that they get better AC than all the other types of Instincts, which is further boosted by the Animal Skin feat at level six.
Secondly, the monk dedications is practically tailor-made for the animal instinct. Feats like 'Crushing Grab', 'Whirling Throw' and the crown jewel 'Flurry of Blows' at level 10 are straight-up incredible. Nothing like rapidly beating the living snot outta some git with your fuk'uge [sic] ape fists.
Yer ‘ired, alwayz fanceed a scribe
Handedness is a big thing I think gets kinda undervalued. Animal barbarian weapons don't take up a hand, which means they can drink potions and open doors twice as fast as Barbarians with two handers, perform any combat maneuver they want whenever they want and use shields with no penalty.
The last one is pretty significant. Giant Barbarians hit pretty hard, but an animal skin barbarian raising a shield has a massive +4 AC over a giant barb with a two hander.
If anything I feel like Giant Instinct has the raw deal here, especially at higher levels, because +6 damage at level 15 or 20 in exchange for all those downsides doesn't feel like a winning trade.
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To be fair, I think the bug mechanical draw of giant instinct is at least as much the reach as the bit of extra damage.
- And Pounce is great for 1 action Stride + Strike.
Also, it has the Rage trait. Once you get Mighty Rage at level 11, your first action in combat can literally be Rage + Stride + Strike. That's huge.
Handedness is a big thing I think gets kinda undervalued. Animal barbarian weapons don't take up a hand, which means they can drink potions and open doors twice as fast as Barbarians with two handers, perform any combat maneuver they want whenever they want and use shields with no penalty.
The last one is pretty significant. Giant Barbarians hit pretty hard, but an animal skin barbarian raising a shield has a massive +4 AC over a giant barb with a two hander.
If anything I feel like Giant Instinct has the raw deal here, especially at higher levels, because +6 damage at level 15 or 20 in exchange for all those downsides doesn't feel like a winning trade.
The more I think about it the more I feel that a Giant Instinct Barbarian is much more reliant on their party. With a champion and someone that can heal well, it can be an unstoppable killing machine, in a party with a lack of defensive buffs and good in-combat healing, you ran the risk of being too much of a glass cannon against higher leveled foes. Sure you're going to deal a lot of damage to them, but I'm 100% sure it doesn't compensate the very likely two critical hits you will be receiving per round (My Monk was crit on a 15 in Age of Ashes, that got me really worried about other melee classes with low AC).
An Animal Instinct Barbarian, on the other hand, feels like it can fit as a solid front-liner in any composition because it can be tanky and has their hands free, which means more freedom in choosing which combat maneuver it can use to help their allies.
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Handedness is a big thing I think gets kinda undervalued. Animal barbarian weapons don't take up a hand, which means they can drink potions and open doors twice as fast as Barbarians with two handers, perform any combat maneuver they want whenever they want and use shields with no penalty.
The last one is pretty significant. Giant Barbarians hit pretty hard, but an animal skin barbarian raising a shield has a massive +4 AC over a giant barb with a two hander.
Do Barbarian have the action economy to Raise Shield every round? I know monks do...
Sure, they have 3 actions. They fall squarely into the martial paradigm where the 1st attack (which may be one action or two, but will only rarely be three). They have access to some of the feats that can help with action economy like pounce.
They don't necessarily want to raise a shield on every turn they ever take, but it's not an option that isn't reasonable for them to consider.
And, of course, if they follow a monk dedication they can flurry with their special unarmed attacks if they pick up Fob at 10.
Do Barbarian have the action economy to Raise Shield every round? I know monks do...Handedness is a big thing I think gets kinda undervalued. Animal barbarian weapons don't take up a hand, which means they can drink potions and open doors twice as fast as Barbarians with two handers, perform any combat maneuver they want whenever they want and use shields with no penalty.
The last one is pretty significant. Giant Barbarians hit pretty hard, but an animal skin barbarian raising a shield has a massive +4 AC over a giant barb with a two hander.
animal instinct barbarians I think should be pretty good. With the mvoe strike as a single action that gives them an action to attack again or move again or do something else and still be able to rise shield.
Animal barbarian with the deer instinct at level 7+ can also swing a d12 reach weapon while having BOTH hands free.
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Animal barbarian with the deer instinct at level 7+ can also swing a d12 reach weapon while having BOTH hands free.
Notably, this is the only d12 reach weapon in the game. Meaning that, at high levels, a Dragon Instinct Barbarian with a d10 Reach weapon and the Animal Instinct one with deer antlers have the same average damage and both have reach.
Animal barbarian with the deer instinct at level 7+ can also swing a d12 reach weapon while having BOTH hands free.Notably, this is the only d12 reach weapon in the game. Meaning that, at high levels, a Dragon Instinct Barbarian with a d10 Reach weapon and the Animal Instinct one with deer antlers have the same average damage and both have reach.
And the animal barbarian has better resistances, potentially better AC, pounce, a shield and flurry of blows.
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And the animal barbarian has better resistances, potentially better AC, pounce, a shield and flurry of blows.
Yep.
Dragon Instinct fares much better if going with a conventional d12 weapon build rather than trying for reach (in which case their advantages are better damage, better mobility via flight, and an area attack via breath weapon), but Animal Instinct going Deer is just flatly better than anyone but a Giant Instinct Barbarian in terms of Barbarian reach builds from level 7 onward (Giant does something fundamentally different with their Reach build, so saying which is better is hard).
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Wait, Ape Barbarians can't Grapple with one hand, have a shield in the other, and still Strike with their Fist, can they?
Yes, they can. All the Grapple action requires is that you have a free hand, and nothing about that hand having better stats for punching changes that...while simultaneously, nothing about Grapple says it occupies the hand in question.
Justifying this is an exercise for the player and GM, but it works by the rules.
Wait, Ape Barbarians can't Grapple with one hand, have a shield in the other, and still Strike with their Fist, can they?Yes, they can. All the Grapple action requires is that you have a free hand, and nothing about that hand having better stats for punching changes that...while simultaneously, nothing about Grapple says it occupies the hand in question.
Justifying this is an exercise for the player and GM, but it works by the rules.
I wanted to correct you but only the Grab monster ability states that the extremity grabbing is occupied with it. With Grapple, it seems once grabbed you hold your victims in a sleeper hold or whatever - hand free again. Strange but RAW. Oo
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I wanted to correct you but only the Grab monster ability states that the extremity grabbing is occupied with it. With Grapple, it seems once grabbed you hold your victims in a sleeper hold or whatever - hand free again. Strange but RAW. OoYes, they can. All the Grapple action requires is that you have a free hand, and nothing about that hand having better stats for punching changes that...while simultaneously, nothing about Grapple says it occupies the hand in question.
Justifying this is an exercise for the player and GM, but it works by the rules.
I reckon they'll be table variation.
Also worth noting is that monks, and all other classes, should be able to do unarmed strikes even when their hands are full.
Another point in favor of the Animal Barb's unarmed attacks is they work when engulfed, swallowed, etc. When most other martials have to switch to a light weapon, often lacking at-level runes, the Animal Barb keeps their high die main weapon.
This could also apply to social situation, prisons, and such.
I think unarmed still favors Monks, yet if one wants the Barbarian feats & flavor or simply a martial variant of Wild Shape (albeit one animal) then Animal Barbs fill the role competitively.
And Raging Athlete is simply amazing, if you have the hands free that is.
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Also worth noting is that monks, and all other classes, should be able to do unarmed strikes even when their hands are full.That depends. I'd allow regular unarmed attacks as well as the monk's normal Powerful Fist attack with their hands full, but stance-based attacks would have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Out of the level 1 core book stances, I'd only allow it for dragon tail strikes, not crane wing, falling stone, tiger claw, or wolf jaw strikes. Falling stone is a bit nebulous, but I interpret it as really heavy punching, not kicking.
Yeah, ditto. I should have been clearer.
Also worth noting is that monks, and all other classes, should be able to do unarmed strikes even when their hands are full.That depends. I'd allow regular unarmed attacks as well as the monk's normal Powerful Fist attack with their hands full, but stance-based attacks would have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Out of the level 1 core book stances, I'd only allow it for dragon tail strikes, not crane wing, falling stone, tiger claw, or wolf jaw strikes. Falling stone is a bit nebulous, but I interpret it as really heavy punching, not kicking.
Or you can simply look up each style that have counterparts and see that they do have various techniques with fists and legs. I think makes more sense, otherwise every Monk is a Boxer, only using their fists for anything.
I much rather allow this freedom that represents marginal benefits and is inline with the whole concept of martial arts, than stick to fuzzy rules just to be a buzz kill.