Dwarf TWF Barbarian


Advice


Ok, so I'm looking to build a viable Dwarf TWF Barbarian that Duel wields Dwarven War Axes. It doesn't need to be min maxed but it does need be reasonably competent. I will be playing it from level 1. Anything Pathfinder is Legal. I maybe able to swing some 3.5 stuff but it will have to be approved... IE Oversized TWF.

We are using this stat array 16,14,12,12,10,10 and no starting stat can be over 16. Also DM says that stat boosting items are very rare and that the best I can hope for is going to be a +4 item around level 10 and if I'm super lucky maybe a +2 item around that same time.

I've played around it and haven't been able to come up with anything that I feel is going to be viable. Any ideas?


You will definitely need Oversized TWF to make this work well.

Do you just want to do damage or do other things also? I will also add the TWF is resource(feat and money) intensive.

What level you plan to play to is also a factor since without stat boosting items you will have to depend on your starting score more in order to qualify for certain feats.


We will likely play all the way to Epic but it will be over a few years... the last campaign we played was 4 years long and ended at level 22 I think.

Mostly Damage. I can role play without any real skills or anything... maybe come combat maneuvers not sure.


It is hard to be a martial character with no gear unless the GM compensates on his side of the screen.

Are you starting at level 1?

Sovereign Court

Very tricky - those aren't great stats, and Barbarians are pretty feat starved. Also, dual Dwarven War Axes won't work too well - you double your penalties to TWF if you don't have a Light offhand weapon. If you don't want to switch to Two Weapon Fighter (a fighter archetype) I'd say your best bet is:

Dwarf Barbarian

Stats (with Dwarf racial bonuses)
Str 14
Dex 16 (needs at least 15 to qualify for TWF)
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 14
Cha 8

Weapons:
Dwarven Maulaxe x2

Feats
1 Two-Weapon Fighting
3 Weapon Focus (Maulaxe)
5 Raging Vitality (good for not dying)
7 Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (put your 4th level point into Dex)
9 Double Slice (not great, but a prereq for the awesome Two-Weapon Rend)
11 Two-Weapon Rend
13 Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (if you can raise your Dex to 19)

Note: as an alternative, you might consider going with a Natural Attack barbarian - take the Beast Totem line...


We are starting at level one. I don't think my GM is going to be overly stingy with weapons and armor but he did say specifically that attribute items would be very hard to come by. In our last game we had some characters that really abused some loop holes and hes trying to crub that by keeping the stat levels lower I think. He's always been good about compensating up to a point so I assume if it turns out I'm completely ineffective without a stat boosting item he will give me one.


I'd also like to note this is my first experience with pathfinder. I'm still trying to pick up all the changes which is the main reason I'm asking for some advice/builds.


TWF'ing has high dex requirements, but it is better used with strength. I would avoid using two of those axes until you get oversized TWF. It will be hurting you until you do.

14 str boost strength at levels 8, 12, and so on.
16 dex hope for a +2 dex item before level 11 and boost dex at level 4
14 con (12 base +2 racial boost)
12 int
14 wis (12 base +2 racial boost)
8 (10 base -2 racial penalty

1TWF
2
3 Oversized TWF
4
5 weapon focus
6
7 ITWF
8
9
10
11 Two weapon Rend
13 GTWF(if he eases up on not allowing stat boost items by them. If not then don't take it.

edit:Hope for the +4 item to boost strength also.


I might consider the two weapon fighter... but I'd rather stick with barbarian. I'm definitely wanting to stick with the War Axe. I'm hoping that the raging bonus will help deal with some of the penalitys for duel welding them. I think that makes it -4 -4 correct?


Hmm, it seems like the barbarian idea may not work as well as I'd hoped. I do want a dwarven character that will duel weld Dwarven War Axes. However if I don't play a barbarian. My group is going to basically make me play tank so I'll need to find a way to boost my AC while Duel Welding.

All in all I really like the idea of a Raging Dwarf with War Axes though.


@RtF: Where are the stats for these "Dwarven Maulaxes?"

To the OP: I'd see if your GM would allow a small-sized Dwarven Waraxe to count as a light weapon. It's kind of a meta-gamey thing to do, but you'd avoid the extra attack penalty and still be wielding twin weapons for the purposes of feats that require you to pick a specific weapon (ie: Weapon Focus.)
I think, considering how incredibly expensive TWF is (especially for a feat-starved class), it'd be a fair.


Barbarian gets no bonus feats and will be very MAD on str to overcome minuses to hit and dex for twf requirements. You'll have to put one of those 12's in con, even with dwarf racial bumping it to 14 that's rough for a Barb. I'd suggest perhaps doing a similar character concept but going more levels of ranger. That way you can avoid the dex req for two-weapon fighting. You can stick one of those 12's in dex instead, get yourself a decent amount of con, ending up with 16,12,16,10,14,8 after racial. I'd go skirmisher Ranger since you won't be able to cast spells during rage anyway. 6 levels of ranger will get you TWF and ITWF without wasting dex (GTWF is a waste to me, if you go 10 levels of ranger the obvious choice is two-weapon rend).

Easy enough, flavor-wise, to make your ranger more Barbarian-ish, even if you don't take ANY levels in barbarian.


Even with rage using those zxes without oversized TWF will only bring you even. Actually it won't even bring you even, but since you can get OTWF at level 3 it is not a long wait.

The bones to attack is a large factor when dealing damage. If being viable is a big concern hold off until level 3.
If you go with a fighter then take the weapon master, and see if the GM will still allow you to use OTWF.
The TWF fighter archetype is not as good as it looks on paper.

Sovereign Court

Fighters can tank pretty darn well if you put them in heavy armor. The only problem is that heavy armor and high dexterity don't mix too well.

I posted a build for a Dwarf Barbarian that uses throwing items - you could easily be throwing several War Axes per turn at later levels if you like. Check it out: http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz5djy?Chuck-the-AxeThrowing-Berzerker


For starters and tanking i recommend using a spiked shield to boost your AC. For TWF while raging use a hand- or throwing-axe, at least until you get this over-sized feat. Considering your high Dex, i´d also try to throw something before closing into melee. For later there´s a feat two weapon defense, which gives a +1 bonus to AC.
Generally though i also suggest doing two levels of ranger to get TWF via combat-style with a Dex of 14, or even just two levels of barbarian and then extra rage/rage-power.


Have you thought about a barbarian dip at the first level or two and then going into ranger for the TWF stuff or going fighter for all the extra feats? You can still be a "barbarian" with your raging (though not as many rounds of rage or rage powers as a normal full on barbarian). Just an idea to be able to get everything you need out of the build since as others have said the barbarian is pretty feat starved.

Grand Lodge

If you're being forced to tank you can still be a barbarian. Just take the invulnerable rager archtype and laugh off damage. Also, make sure you take raging vitality or you're going to die at later levels if you fall unconscious while raging.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Tarqs wrote:

Ok, so I'm looking to build a viable Dwarf TWF Barbarian that Duel wields Dwarven War Axes. It doesn't need to be min maxed but it does need be reasonably competent. I will be playing it from level 1. Anything Pathfinder is Legal. I maybe able to swing some 3.5 stuff but it will have to be approved... IE Oversized TWF.

We are using this stat array 16,14,12,12,10,10 and no starting stat can be over 16. Also DM says that stat boosting items are very rare and that the best I can hope for is going to be a +4 item around level 10 and if I'm super lucky maybe a +2 item around that same time.

I've played around it and haven't been able to come up with anything that I feel is going to be viable. Any ideas?

It can be done with that array, but it may not seem as "powerful" as the typical two-handed weapon type. The bonus Strength from Rage can boost attacks and damage; AC will be somewhat of a concern, but the invulnerable rager can help make the barbarian more survivable. Depending on what other options you want, the hurler or urban barbarian archetypes may be worth a look (although both swap out Fast Movement, which hurts a dwarf barbarian's mobility).

One possible character:

Dwarf Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager)
14 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con (+2 race), 10 Int, 14 Wis (+2 race), 8 Cha (-2 race)
1st- Two-Weapon Fighting (start with a hand axe and war axe to afford better armor and keep penalties down; the +2 average damage on the off-hand attack isn't worth the extra -2 on attack rolls to both primary and off-hand attacks)
3rd- Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (if allowed; switch to dual war axes)
4th- +1 Dex
5th- Power Attack
7th- Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
8th- +1 Str
9th- Double Slice
11th- Two-Weapon Rend
12th- +1 Str

Don't bother boosting Dex more than the minimum to get Improved Two-Weapon Fighting. For rage powers, consider those that increase the number of attacks (i.e., Fiend Totem powers), increase the damage (i.e., Elemental Rage powers), and improve defenses. You are going to be very melee-focused, but don't forget about ranged attacks (invest in some javelins early on; acquire a composite short bow later); a pair of spiked gauntlets make good back-up weapons.

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