My character is a shifter + beast barbarian combo. I know I'm taking Skill master at level 4 for +1 to dex and better skill rolls. I know that's probably not optimal but I feel like my character will be solid regardless with these stats anyways. I plan to at least take barb up to 6 for the fun movement gained from beast barbarian.
What I'd like to discuss here is that given the info above, what would be a fun or cool option for this character other than pure barbarian? With this stat block I can multiclass into anything without spending any ASI to qualify, which seems like a rare opportunity.
My first thought is just to keep it straight martial and pick Fighter, probably battle master for more options fighting. My second thought is going Ranger because I think it matches barbarian well stylistically. Specifically, Hunter to fit the feral-ish wolf man theme. Horde Breaker also synergizes very cool with Longtooth and Claw form, possibly making 5 attacks a round.
But with the possibility of multiclassing into anything at any point, I feel like there's some crazier stuff you could do. The thought occurred that I could take 2 levels of Moon Druid and my character would have the ability to transform into an actual wolf and other beasts, which would be fun.
Those are just my thoughts, I'm very curious to get other opinions or ideas since there are so many possibilities with the stat block. Feel free to share any ideas, it does not have to be optimal or anything, but I probably wouldn't go for anything that doesn't fit the character's traits. Still, I think it'd be fun to discuss, thanks!
But with the possibility of multiclassing into anything at any point, I feel like there's some crazier stuff you could do. The thought occurred that I could take 2 levels of Moon Druid and my character would have the ability to transform into an actual wolf and other beasts, which would be fun.
This wouldn't be a great idea. While raging, you're unable to cast or concentrate on spells, and while in your besat form, you can neither rage nor cast. Fighter or ranger might play well, with the caveat that the ranger's spells are likewise useless while raging. The fighter's action surge is priceless for a barbarian. The battlemaster may be nice, but you might get that same functionality from the weapon masteries that 1D&D will be providing (as of now). You could alternatively avoid dipping into fighter and take the Martial ADept feat to access maneuvers. I'd also recommend rethinking the Skill Master feat and going with Great Weapon Master, which is basically a requirement for barbarians.
My character is a shifter + beast barbarian combo. I know I'm taking Skill master at level 4 for +1 to dex and better skill rolls. I know that's probably not optimal but I feel like my character will be solid regardless with these stats anyways. I plan to at least take barb up to 6 for the fun movement gained from beast barbarian.
The battle master fighter is always a good choice. Since the Beast Barbarian is an unarmed warrior, you could take 1 monk level, so you have a bonus attack that does damage with the modifier. You could also take 5 monk levels to have 5 ki points and FoB + SS and focus your character on grabbing your enemies. It is definitely not an optimal combination, but it could be fun.
If you want to optimize, I recommend basic GWM + PM + Barbarian Totem + Fighter Battlemaster + Fighting style Superior Technique.
Another choice is the Champion fighter.
But I do not recommend optimizing too much, the fun spoils when there is too much of a gap in the group.
I recently made a new character for a new game and we all used roll for stats. I was incredibly lucky with this as my stat block:
STR: 18 - DEX: 17 - CON: 18 - INT: 14 - WIS: 15 - CHA: 14
My character is a shifter + beast barbarian combo. I know I'm taking Skill master at level 4 for +1 to dex and better skill rolls. I know that's probably not optimal but I feel like my character will be solid regardless with these stats anyways. I plan to at least take barb up to 6 for the fun movement gained from beast barbarian.
What I'd like to discuss here is that given the info above, what would be a fun or cool option for this character other than pure barbarian? With this stat block I can multiclass into anything without spending any ASI to qualify, which seems like a rare opportunity.
My first thought is just to keep it straight martial and pick Fighter, probably battle master for more options fighting. My second thought is going Ranger because I think it matches barbarian well stylistically. Specifically, Hunter to fit the feral-ish wolf man theme. Horde Breaker also synergizes very cool with Longtooth and Claw form, possibly making 5 attacks a round.
But with the possibility of multiclassing into anything at any point, I feel like there's some crazier stuff you could do. The thought occurred that I could take 2 levels of Moon Druid and my character would have the ability to transform into an actual wolf and other beasts, which would be fun.
Those are just my thoughts, I'm very curious to get other opinions or ideas since there are so many possibilities with the stat block. Feel free to share any ideas, it does not have to be optimal or anything, but I probably wouldn't go for anything that doesn't fit the character's traits. Still, I think it'd be fun to discuss, thanks!
I'm not super talented with optimizing, but here's my take.
This wouldn't be a great idea. While raging, you're unable to cast or concentrate on spells, and while in your besat form, you can neither rage nor cast. Fighter or ranger might play well, with the caveat that the ranger's spells are likewise useless while raging. The fighter's action surge is priceless for a barbarian. The battlemaster may be nice, but you might get that same functionality from the weapon masteries that 1D&D will be providing (as of now). You could alternatively avoid dipping into fighter and take the Martial ADept feat to access maneuvers. I'd also recommend rethinking the Skill Master feat and going with Great Weapon Master, which is basically a requirement for barbarians.
The battle master fighter is always a good choice. Since the Beast Barbarian is an unarmed warrior, you could take 1 monk level, so you have a bonus attack that does damage with the modifier. You could also take 5 monk levels to have 5 ki points and FoB + SS and focus your character on grabbing your enemies. It is definitely not an optimal combination, but it could be fun.
If you want to optimize, I recommend basic GWM + PM + Barbarian Totem + Fighter Battlemaster + Fighting style Superior Technique.
Another choice is the Champion fighter.
But I do not recommend optimizing too much, the fun spoils when there is too much of a gap in the group.