I will not fail nor falter, I shall succeed My perception is altered, I do believe Faith is so strong now nothing shall bar my way Firm conviction is no fiction This is my day - The Shamen, Move Any Mountain
You know how the usual spiel on Barbarian optimization goes. 'Get a gouge', they say. 'Charge package', they say. 'Zoom around bashing heads', they say. But you know what? There's more to barbarians than just charging. Much, much more. In fact, I believe charging is the sucker's bet. A properly built barbarian can do some wonderful work using multiattacks, you just need to go beyond the handbook's sky blues and look hard at the full powerlist. The purpose of this build is to take a Barbarian chassis and take the multiattacking as far as it can go, while still having a very well-rounded and strong character, without even relying on charge support beyond a Horned Helm and Badge of the Berserker. For this reason, I am going to do the unthinkable: I am going to make a Barbarian who uses Wisdom as his secondary. Just to prove the point. High damage? We have this. Reliability? You betcha. Good defenses? Son, this ain't TheoryOp. Ability to shrug off status effects like they were nothing? Step right in...
NOTE 1: Because of how awful Barbarian Level 1 encounter powers are and how terrible their dailies are as a whole, this build hybridizes with Fighter to get around them and get a decentish power early on. I should note that literally every defender except maybe Paladin has considerable synergy with the Barbarian's Strikery focus. The obvious choices are Warden and Fighter, but Swordmages and Battleminds are good too. Note that, depending on how you read Rending Strike, it might work as a multiattack, making this step unnecessary. Ask your DM.
NOTE 2: Unless I explicitly say so, do not Rage. Raging is for losers. Not even charging barbarians want to rage, because most Rages are awful. The mechanic of wasting a turn for a crappy buff is unbelievably terrible, and whoever came up with it should be assaulted by rabid monkeys. Rages worth using in spite of costing you a turn will be clearly marked as such.
Your BnBs and where most of your power lies, of course. Pick well, because without the right powers, Stand and Bang is a flop.
Level 1: Take Hack and Hew. Really any choice is alright here, Hack and Hew is just handy to have. Note: If Rending Strike counts as a multiattack, pick that. period.
Level 3: Finally in business. Thundering Howl is your power of choice. If you're DEX focused and have the right weapon, obviously go for Rain of Blows instead. You officially Have A Nova. Remember that Thundering Howl actually hits multiple targets in a Close Blast area...as a melee attack. Yes, really. It's weird, but it means all your mods apply to a big bunch of enemies.
Level 7: Take whatever power you didn't take at level 3. Resist the lure of immediate actions, they're less useful to you than multis.
Level 13: Storm of Blows. 'Nuff said. Replace your level 1 power.
Level 17: Harrying Assault, or Stone-Splitting Roar. Either will work. Alternatively, if you like crowd control, Bash and Pummel. Replace whichever power provides less damage rolls.
Level 23: Take one of the powers you didn't take at 17. Replace your other lowbie power, unless of course it's a triple-hitting Rain of Blows. Then stick with what you have.
Level 27: Hurricane of Blades. Enjoy your capstone.
The main reason to hybridize, honestly. Man, Rage powers are awful. Now let's go over your choices, right quick...
Level 1: Villain's Menace or Driving Attack. Gigantic power boost to take down the enemy team's Most Wanted, or a bigass burst of damage that will leave your target bleeding. Your choice.
Level 5: Swap your level 1 power with Bedeviling Assault. The reasons for taking this power and not Rain of Steel will become clear down the line. For Rages, pick...ugh, Skull Taker's Rage or Macetail Rage. They all suck, don't use them until you're down to at-wills anyway.
Level 9: Jackal Strike or, believe it or not, Rage of the Death Spirit. This is one of the very, very few Rage powers which are worthwhile. +2 unconditional bonus to attack rolls doesn't grow on treees, y'know. Weakening a target is also pretty nifty, since you probably want to bust this out against solos and elites anyway.
Level 15: Sudden Opportunity. If you really want a stancelike power, Dust Storm Assault. Replace your level 1 power if you picked up Rage of the Death Spirit before, otherwise replace your level 9 trick.
Level 19: Rock Tree Rage. The first rage that is truly amazing. This baby should generate extra attacks by the boatload. Replace whatever Rage you had before.
Level 25: Strike of the Watchful Guard. Like another Rage that doesn't suck, except Fightery! Replace your final Heroic tier power.
Level 29: World Serpent's Rage. Ridiculous, ridiculous power. Open that big fight with it and you will not regret...and neither will your enemy live to do so.
And here's where the Stand and Bang shines. Barbarians have some pretty out of this world utilities. Let's step in and take a look.
Level 2: Savage Growl is the kind of power most Strikers get a slightly better version of...twenty levels down the line. As a daily (see: that Ranger U22 that gives WIS to damage). And it even helps defend! Don't worry about the damage - nine times out of ten, your enemy will not live to regret it if you use it properly. Remember to key it off the first hit of your multiattacks so it will trigger on the second!
Level 6: Battlefury Stance for the absolute hilarity that is adding +2/tier damage to your rolls. The latter power is why you pass up on stances, as a note - you want to be in it as often as possible, which means you're not actually comparing daily stances to not having a stance, but rather to gaining a permanent damage bonus.
Level 10: Your Will score used to be good before, but now, it's ironclad. Surge of Fury says hi, and also says 'screw you' to the most potent debuffs in the game.
Level 16: Insightful Riposte if you can manage it (hint hint, use a background). Else, pick one of the myriad Fighter healing powers to cover yourself.
Level 22: Strength of Enduring Pain. At this point, ongoing damage is dime a dozen...which means, gigantic buffs to your nova sequence are dime a dozen too. If you Skill Power'd Insightful Riposte before, pick whatever power tickles your fancy, as they are all mostly irrelevant to your main purpose anyway.
The make-or-break of any build. Let's see what you should take. No annotations here, they should be mostly self-explanatory with two exceptions. This list assumes Human. Kick everything up a level and consider racial feats for nonhuman races.
Level 1: Divine Healer (Swap for BCL) Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Fullblade) Level 2: Hybrid Talent (Fighter Weapon Talent)/Expertise Level 4: Other feat above Level 6: Weapon Focus/Silvery Glow Level 8: Superior Will Level 10: Headsman's Chop/Wintertouched Level 11: Lasting Frost/Improved Defenses/Marked Scourge/Reserve Maneuver Level 12: Marked Scourge/Wary Fighter Level 14: Whichever you didn't take above Level 16: Skill Power (Insightful Riposte)/Fighter Weapon Specialization Level 18: Pinning Challenge/Reserve Maneuver Level 20: World Serpent's Grasp Level 21: Martial Mastery Level 22: Allied Opportunity (True Defender in party only) Level 24: Epic Resurgence Level 26: Slashing Storm Level 28: Strength Through Challenge (only if you picked up a multimarking power with your U22) Level 30: Superior Initiative/Triumphant Attack
Since these two are inextricably linked, might as well put them together. Short of it: You want either Winterfury and Battlecrazed+Bloodfury Gauntlet Axe, or Morninglord and Radiant Weapon + Pelor's Boon. Those two are the dominant choices by far, put simply. Take the appropriate packages for each setup and you will be very well off. Additionally, if you want extra damage and don't have two Bloodfury Gauntlet Axes on you, consider the feat Hurl Weapon plus a Prime Shot Gauntlet Axe. Hey, extra damage is extra damage, man.
Important note: Regardless of PP, take Bloodiron Armor. It compensates for Battlefury Stance against your main target, making your life that much easier.
A Winterfury is going to want Ironwrought. A Morninglord is going to want Lycanthrope for Claw Gloves. Just remember you're kind of strapped for minor actions and you should be OK.
That should just about cover all the highlights. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Mountain Cleave Rule: You can have any sort of fun, including broken, silly fun, so long as I get to have that fun too (e. g., if you can warp reality with your spells, I can cleave mountains with my blade).
This should really cover Hybrids too, since Hybrid Barbs > Barbs.
Only My Opinion however
It does cover hybrids a bunch...well, at least one hybrid. I actually have a Warden build set up too, that is even more bulky, but I wanted to start with a single build to prove that yes, a barbarian can sit there and unleash attacks while hanging with the best. If people are willing to prep builds I'd be happy to include them so as to give everybody an idea of what you can do with a Barbarian.
Mountain Cleave Rule: You can have any sort of fun, including broken, silly fun, so long as I get to have that fun too (e. g., if you can warp reality with your spells, I can cleave mountains with my blade).
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ====== level 30 Genasi, Barbarian|Swordmage, Sword of Assault, Radiant One Swordmage Aegis (Hybrid): Aegis of Assault Hybrid Talent: Barbarian Armored Agility Elemental Manifestation: Stormsoul Quickened Spellcasting: Greenflame Blade Background: Auspicious Birth (Auspicious Birth Benefit) FINAL ABILITY SCORES Str 26, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 26, Wis 15, Cha 10. STARTING ABILITY SCORES Str 16, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 8.
FEATS Level 1: Hybrid Talent Level 2: Weapon Proficiency (Fullblade) Level 4: Two-Handed Weapon Expertise Level 6: Improved Defenses Level 8: Silvery Glow Level 10: Wintertouched Level 11: Shocking Flame Level 12: Lasting Frost Level 14: Student of Artifice Level 16: Aegis Accuracy (retrained to Novice Power at Level 21) Level 18: Reserve Maneuver Level 20: Double Aegis (retrained to Total Aegis at Level 22) Level 21: Quickened Spellcasting Level 22: Epic Will Level 24: Epic Resurgence Level 26: Superior Will Level 28: Primal Resurgence Level 30: Rapid Aegis Reaction
POWERS Hybrid at-will 1: Greenflame Blade Hybrid at-will 1: Howling Strike Reserve Maneuver: Dual Lightning Strike Hybrid encounter 1: Lightning Clash Hybrid daily 1: Burning Blade Hybrid utility 2: Savage Growl Hybrid encounter 3: Thundering Howl Hybrid daily 5: Rage of the Crimson Hurricane Hybrid utility 6: Armathor's Step Hybrid encounter 7: Curtain of Steel Hybrid daily 9: Rage of the Death Spirit Hybrid utility 10: Surge of Fury Hybrid encounter 13: Storm of Blades (replaces Curtain of Steel) Hybrid daily 15: Rubicant's Assault (replaces Rage of the Crimson Hurricane) Hybrid utility 16: Borrowed Confidence Hybrid encounter 17: Stone-Splitting Roar (replaces Thundering Howl) Hybrid daily 19: Rock Tree Rage (replaces Rubicant's Assault) Hybrid utility 22: Giant's Might Hybrid encounter 23: Lightning Bolt Charge (retrained to Prismatic Strike at Novice Power) (replaces Lightning Clash) Hybrid daily 25: Quicksilver Blade (replaces Rage of the Death Spirit) Hybrid encounter 27: Hurricane of Blades (replaces Stone-Splitting Roar) Hybrid daily 29: Astral Thunder Blade (replaces Quicksilver Blade)
ITEMS Boots of the Mighty Charge (heroic tier), Rain of Hammers Ki Focus +1, Ioun's Revelation (level 13), Voidhide of Dark Deeds +6, Elven Chain Shirt (paragon tier), Horned Helm (epic tier), Cloak of Translocation +6, Gloves of Ice (epic tier), Ring of Giants (paragon tier), Diamond Cincture (paragon tier), Firewind Blade Fullblade +6, Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold (epic tier), Symbol of Victory +2, Iron Armbands of Power (epic tier), Corellon's Boon, Frost Whetstones ====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
Note, this isn't perfect as I'm currently attempting to find SOME way to fit in Prismatic Strike legally, but I'm pretty sure as it stands, its currently illegal
Advice on at-will selection? Howling Strike cuz it adds extra damage dice for free. And then... I thought about Reaping Strike for full Str mod miss damage.
What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
One thing they talk about here in Char Op, you never want to optimize around a miss unless it does something really cool or is effective. Like hammer rhythm and brutal barrage. You take con damage if you hit or con damage if you miss.
Advice on at-will selection? Howling Strike cuz it adds extra damage dice for free. And then... I thought about Reaping Strike for full Str mod miss damage.
What advice do you need? Unless you're doing zone abuse, you will never use anything but Howling Strike. I mean it here - any other at-will means you straight up wasted your turn and should have Full Defense'd.
Mountain Cleave Rule: You can have any sort of fun, including broken, silly fun, so long as I get to have that fun too (e. g., if you can warp reality with your spells, I can cleave mountains with my blade).
Footwork Lure or Brash Strike I guess? It doesn't matter, honestly. I don't know how to put this guys, but in twenty levels of playing a Stand and Bang Warden, there has literally been no stiuation in which Howling Strike wasn't just better. Your other at-will is of absolutely no consequence.
Mountain Cleave Rule: You can have any sort of fun, including broken, silly fun, so long as I get to have that fun too (e. g., if you can warp reality with your spells, I can cleave mountains with my blade).
