Currently have a Goliath Bear Totem Barbarian that is level 7. We are approaching the end of this Arc in the story and will be leveling up to level 8 soon.
Before I get too into it, I rolled very well on my stats during our first session. My
STR: 20 DEX: 15 CON: 18 INT: 8 WIS: 15 CHA: 12
At Lvl 4 I took Tavern Brawler because my Barbarian fights with a Homebrew claw that is an Improvised Weapon.
That brought his stats to
STR: 20 DEX: 15 CON: 19 INT: 8 WIS: 15 CHA: 12
Now that I am faced with lvl 8, I am trying to figure out which would be the best route. Keep in mind my character does grapple often due to Tavern Brawler. Open to suggestions.
Option 1 is the obvious stat boost that would bring the CON to 20 and the DEX to 16. Thus making the AC 20 with Unarmored Defense + Shield.
Option 2 is to go with Resilient for DEX. Increasing the AC and giving him Prof with Dex Saving throws.
Option 3 is to go with a Feat that increases CON. I was thinking of Gourmand from Unearthed Arcana due to the stat increase and because of the 2 additional Hit Dice that can be rolled during long rests for free. It fits thematically with my character and is the most Lore friendly.
Option 4 Tanking Feat such as Sentinel or Shield Master.
If you take the Resilient feat, I would take it for Wisdom, not Dex. You get Advantage on some of your Dex saves already, and usually failing a Dex save just means more damage. You're a Bearbarian, taking extra damage is not as big a concern for you as it is for others. But failing a Wisdom save could mean a disabling status effect, or even worse you are under the enemy's control. Buffing your mental defenses so you don't get taken out of the fight or turned against your party is a very good thing indeed :)
Going Dex+1/Con+1 definitely seems like the strongest choice. You get +2 to your AC, +1 to two common saving throws, more HP, what's not to love? If you find that your AC and health have been more than sufficient, then maybe put off those stat boosts until Level 12, and take something like Sentinel
Option 1 seems like a great choice probably why you listed as 1. There are some less picked feats that no one takes that are interesting, like charge or defensive duelist.
I'd go option one for sure, not as flashy as some of the others but it gives the most benefits I feel. I'd avoid resilient Dex just because you already have danger sense. Gourmand sounds interesting but ultimately wouldn't be used as frequently I would think.
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Hello folks.
Currently have a Goliath Bear Totem Barbarian that is level 7. We are approaching the end of this Arc in the story and will be leveling up to level 8 soon.
Before I get too into it, I rolled very well on my stats during our first session. My
STR: 20
DEX: 15
CON: 18
INT: 8
WIS: 15
CHA: 12
At Lvl 4 I took Tavern Brawler because my Barbarian fights with a Homebrew claw that is an Improvised Weapon.
That brought his stats to
STR: 20
DEX: 15
CON: 19
INT: 8
WIS: 15
CHA: 12
Now that I am faced with lvl 8, I am trying to figure out which would be the best route. Keep in mind my character does grapple often due to Tavern Brawler.
Open to suggestions.
Option 1 is the obvious stat boost that would bring the CON to 20 and the DEX to 16. Thus making the AC 20 with Unarmored Defense + Shield.
Option 2 is to go with Resilient for DEX. Increasing the AC and giving him Prof with Dex Saving throws.
Option 3 is to go with a Feat that increases CON. I was thinking of Gourmand from Unearthed Arcana due to the stat increase and because of the 2 additional Hit Dice that can be rolled during long rests for free. It fits thematically with my character and is the most Lore friendly.
Option 4 Tanking Feat such as Sentinel or Shield Master.
Option 5 Lucky
Options 1 and 4 were the first 2 I thought of.
Resilient for DEX sounds like a good compromise for your AC and gives the barbarian well-rounded physical saves.
However, Gourmand sounds like it gives you something to make your barbarian unique, so ultimately I would go with that.
Barbarians are sturdy enough that they can reliably handle most things with slightly fewer stats.
If you take the Resilient feat, I would take it for Wisdom, not Dex. You get Advantage on some of your Dex saves already, and usually failing a Dex save just means more damage. You're a Bearbarian, taking extra damage is not as big a concern for you as it is for others. But failing a Wisdom save could mean a disabling status effect, or even worse you are under the enemy's control. Buffing your mental defenses so you don't get taken out of the fight or turned against your party is a very good thing indeed :)
Going Dex+1/Con+1 definitely seems like the strongest choice. You get +2 to your AC, +1 to two common saving throws, more HP, what's not to love? If you find that your AC and health have been more than sufficient, then maybe put off those stat boosts until Level 12, and take something like Sentinel
Option 1 seems like a great choice probably why you listed as 1. There are some less picked feats that no one takes that are interesting, like charge or defensive duelist.
I'd go option one for sure, not as flashy as some of the others but it gives the most benefits I feel. I'd avoid resilient Dex just because you already have danger sense. Gourmand sounds interesting but ultimately wouldn't be used as frequently I would think.