Just looking for suggestions as my Barb just hit level 4 today. Here are his stats and my planned allotment of ASIs. I'm really torn on taking a feat or bumping his Str with the first one.
With GWM, you have a 5% chance each time you attack to be able to use your bonus action to attack once. With +1 Str mod, you have a 5% higher chance to hit with melee and thrown weapons, as well as slightly higher damage. If you skip the feat, you'll get max Str 4 levels sooner, a positive Wis modifier 4 levels sooner, and be able to get max Con. And remember, for a barbarian, Constitution is AC as well as HP.
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Great points, I was more looking at GWM for the second benefit though of being able to add 10 dmg to my attack while taking a -5 penalty. Given that I'll be raging most of the time in combat I'd have advantage on my attacks and taking a -5 would put me at no modifier at all on my attack rolls. Your point about maxing Con is the other part of I wrestling with because ending up at 24 Str and Con is pretty sweet.
Unless you really need higher wisdom you could consider feats tht gives you +1 to strenght and sometheing else. For example athlete. Depends on what or sort of stuff you need. You could also use the first time you take ASI for 1str and 1 con, and then take some feat at a later point that gives +1 con and something else. For example Durable. If there is nothing that really fits maybe you and your Dm can discuss a custom feat of some sort. Just a suggestion, can't really help with deciding for feat or ASI first. Allways struggle with those decisions myself :p
With GWM, you have a 5% chance each time you attack to be able to use your bonus action to attack once. With +1 Str mod, you have a 5% higher chance to hit with melee and thrown weapons, as well as slightly higher damage. If you skip the feat, you'll get max Str 4 levels sooner, a positive Wis modifier 4 levels sooner, and be able to get max Con. And remember, for a barbarian, Constitution is AC as well as HP.
Unless you really need higher wisdom you could consider feats tht gives you +1 to strenght and sometheing else. For example athlete. Depends on what or sort of stuff you need. You could also use the first time you take ASI for 1str and 1 con, and then take some feat at a later point that gives +1 con and something else. For example Durable. If there is nothing that really fits maybe you and your Dm can discuss a custom feat of some sort. Just a suggestion, can't really help with deciding for feat or ASI first. Allways struggle with those decisions myself :p
I'm in agreement that the ASI should come first, though maybe for a different (but similar) reason.
At lower level, you are much more vulnerable something like the dreaded charm person, hold person, or fear spells that would instantly cause your rage to end. You are also more prone to missing, since you likely won't have anything magical that would help you hit (aside from advantage from raging, but any disadvantage foils that).
So, the +1 Str +1 Wis seems like it's the best bet for lower level. A +5% chance to make Wisdom saving throws AND a +5% chance to hit (and extra 1 damage each hit) will be helpful, but if it's gained at 8th level, that will be after you probably get a magical item (possibly weapon), and if you are a berserker, it will be after you get Mindless Rage which will partially negate the need for the +1 Wis.
TL;DR I think the ASI will be more helpful early on than the feat, because it improves your ability to hit and avoid losing your rage (when the improvement has less diminished returns) vs more damage
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
I'd agree with Sloporion and also add that taking GWM at 8th means that the -5 to hit would be less an issue and the extra damage more valuable. Opponents at 4th level or so wont have enough hit points for you to really need the extra +10.
This might also depend on your experience in game but I would almost always pick plus to hit over extra damage. I just don't roll that well. :)
So I'm hitting lvl 4 as a berserker with STR 16, 13 DEX, 15 CON and wondering if 1 in DEX and 1 in CON works instead of GWM. I'm a variant Huan with Alert feat to start. What can you do, the character is who he is. So do I go ASI or GWM?
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Just looking for suggestions as my Barb just hit level 4 today. Here are his stats and my planned allotment of ASIs. I'm really torn on taking a feat or bumping his Str with the first one.
Goliath Totem Barb
Str 17
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 9
Wis 11
Cha 11
4th- Feat Great Weapon Master
8th- ASI Str (18) & Wis (12)
12th- ASI Str (20)
16th- ASI Con (16)
19th- ASI Con (18)
With GWM, you have a 5% chance each time you attack to be able to use your bonus action to attack once. With +1 Str mod, you have a 5% higher chance to hit with melee and thrown weapons, as well as slightly higher damage. If you skip the feat, you'll get max Str 4 levels sooner, a positive Wis modifier 4 levels sooner, and be able to get max Con. And remember, for a barbarian, Constitution is AC as well as HP.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Great points, I was more looking at GWM for the second benefit though of being able to add 10 dmg to my attack while taking a -5 penalty. Given that I'll be raging most of the time in combat I'd have advantage on my attacks and taking a -5 would put me at no modifier at all on my attack rolls. Your point about maxing Con is the other part of I wrestling with because ending up at 24 Str and Con is pretty sweet.
Unless you really need higher wisdom you could consider feats tht gives you +1 to strenght and sometheing else. For example athlete. Depends on what or sort of stuff you need.
You could also use the first time you take ASI for 1str and 1 con, and then take some feat at a later point that gives +1 con and something else. For example Durable. If there is nothing that really fits maybe you and your Dm can discuss a custom feat of some sort. Just a suggestion, can't really help with deciding for feat or ASI first. Allways struggle with those decisions myself :p
I'm in agreement that the ASI should come first, though maybe for a different (but similar) reason.
At lower level, you are much more vulnerable something like the dreaded charm person, hold person, or fear spells that would instantly cause your rage to end. You are also more prone to missing, since you likely won't have anything magical that would help you hit (aside from advantage from raging, but any disadvantage foils that).
So, the +1 Str +1 Wis seems like it's the best bet for lower level. A +5% chance to make Wisdom saving throws AND a +5% chance to hit (and extra 1 damage each hit) will be helpful, but if it's gained at 8th level, that will be after you probably get a magical item (possibly weapon), and if you are a berserker, it will be after you get Mindless Rage which will partially negate the need for the +1 Wis.
TL;DR I think the ASI will be more helpful early on than the feat, because it improves your ability to hit and avoid losing your rage (when the improvement has less diminished returns) vs more damage
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“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
I'd agree with Sloporion and also add that taking GWM at 8th means that the -5 to hit would be less an issue and the extra damage more valuable. Opponents at 4th level or so wont have enough hit points for you to really need the extra +10.
This might also depend on your experience in game but I would almost always pick plus to hit over extra damage. I just don't roll that well. :)
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So I'm hitting lvl 4 as a berserker with STR 16, 13 DEX, 15 CON and wondering if 1 in DEX and 1 in CON works instead of GWM. I'm a variant Huan with Alert feat to start. What can you do, the character is who he is. So do I go ASI or GWM?