So I'm in a campaign playing a Mountain Dwarf Barbarian for the first time, and got to lvl 6 and feeling a bit "meh" about the character. I took Polearm Master instead of the Ability increase so stats aren't great, currently they are
STR-17/Dex-14/Con-16/Int-8/Wis-10/Cha-10 with an AC of 16 (scale mail). Since i'm Polearm i'm Glaive wielding right now.
My DM will level us up to 7 pretty soon and was considering multi classing 1 lvl into something else instead of going Barbarian lvl 7. What are your thoughts? I looked at Fighter and Second Wind seems pointless so it's really just the Fighting Style you'd gain. Hexblade could be ok, Hexblade's Curse is a decent trait though the additional HP is nothing since its based on CHA and Warlock lvl, but a spell slot and cantrips could be useful. Any other thoughts? Rogue seems pointless without a finesse weapon, our group has a Paladin already so don't know if that would be useful.
Or should I just ignore the multi class and take lvl 7 Barbarian which would give me Feral Instinct, so not a bad trait. I guess other plus would be if we get to lvl 8, i'd get an ability score increase but if i multi class i'd lose out since i'd be Lvl 6 Barb, 1 lvl Multi, then Lvl 7 Barb while everyone else is at lvl 8.
Do most of you find mutl classing Barbarians useful or maybe it is but I did it too late (or maybe too early and I should think later levels)???
Also, since you mentioned Warlock with your current stats, is your DM allowing you to ignore the Ability Score minimums required to multiclass? If not, you are basically limited to either Fighter or Rogue as your choices without bumping your Int/Wis/Cha to 13. I'm going to assume the restriction for my post.
As for doing it "too late", you're actually at a pretty good level to branch off if you want, now that you've got Extra Attack, though you may want to look into boosting your Ability Scores first. Multiclassing into Fighter some levels (I don't recommend more than 4 since the Extra Attack at lvl 5 doesn't stack with Barbarian's) grants you some strong abilities depending on subclass (Echo Knight, Battlemaster), not to mention Action Surge at lvl 2.
As for Rogue, I don't have any experience with that multiclass, so couldn't say. With sneak attack's weapon type requirement, I would think it wouldn't be a very good fit for Barbarian, and you may have issues with your bonus action bottle-necking your abilities each turn.
Also, since you mentioned Warlock with your current stats, is your DM allowing you to ignore the Ability Score minimums required to multiclass? If not, you are basically limited to either Fighter or Rogue as your choices without bumping your Int/Wis/Cha to 13. I'm going to assume the restriction for my post.
As for doing it "too late", you're actually at a pretty good level to branch off if you want, now that you've got Extra Attack, though you may want to look into boosting your Ability Scores first. Multiclassing into Fighter some levels (I don't recommend more than 4 since the Extra Attack at lvl 5 doesn't stack with Barbarian's) grants you some strong abilities depending on subclass (Echo Knight, Battlemaster), not to mention Action Surge at lvl 2.
As for Rogue, I don't have any experience with that multiclass, so couldn't say. With sneak attack's weapon type requirement, I would think it wouldn't be a very good fit for Barbarian, and you may have issues with your bonus action bottle-necking your abilities each turn.
I'm a Path of the Totem Warrior Bear, so just the additional resistance.
Oh wow I didn't even know about ability score minimums. If thats the case I guess Fighter likely would be my best option, you're right i'd consider Battlemaster likely but even until then at lvl 2 getting Action Surge is a nice bonus every short rest. I just find the Barbarian seems to fall off between lvls 6 to 11. Maybe its partly due to the Subclass I chose but too late to change that lol can only look ahead and consider changing it up go forward.
Bonus, my DM is letting me backdate my multi classing, so I even though i'm currently Lvl 6 Barbarian I can go back to Lvl 5 Barbarian and take Lvl 1 Fighter, then go forward from there next time we level. Much better since Lvl 6 Barb is such a throwaway with Totem Warrior I find.
6th level is actually not terrible for Barbarian because you get a fourth Rage per long rest. Depending on how many combats your table runs in a day this may be more or less important. But yeah, the class features really drop off for Barbarian after level 5. If you aren't just dipping into Barbarian for Reckless Attacks then few builds go past level 6. Few campaigns last long enough for this to matter but getting Fighter to level 11 is really nice for the Barbarian/Fighter multi-class for the improved Extra Attack.
6th level is actually not terrible for Barbarian because you get a fourth Rage per long rest. Depending on how many combats your table runs in a day this may be more or less important. But yeah, the class features really drop off for Barbarian after level 5. If you aren't just dipping into Barbarian for Reckless Attacks then few builds go past level 6. Few campaigns last long enough for this to matter but getting Fighter to level 11 is really nice for the Barbarian/Fighter multi-class for the improved Extra Attack.
Ya I did realize I was giving up another Rage for starting the Fighter class early. I took Great Weapon Fighter so re-rolling 1 and 2 dmg might not be as good as an extra Rage, but thankfully (knock on wood it doesn't happen later) i've only ever used 3 Rages once before a long rest, i'd say so far on average I typically get away with 2 Rages before a long rest, but as we level up that can certainly change.
I'm guessing we'll get to around level 9 as an assumption before it ends and we start a new one. If that is true it gives me 5 lvl's of Barbarian and 4 lvls of Fighter so a decent build and gives 20 STR with maneuvers and a few rages and reckless attack along with my Polarm Master Feat I already have.
If you still have the chance I'd strongly recommend taking a different fighting style. Great Weapon Fighting with a glaive changes your average dice damage from 5.5 to 6.3.
If you still have the chance I'd strongly recommend taking a different fighting style. Great Weapon Fighting with a glaive changes your average dice damage from 5.5 to 6.3.
I do have time, I just lvled into him and our game isn't until this Saturday. But what else is there for a 2h fighter? I mean Defense to give 1 AC, but is that a big help when i'm 5 lvl's of Barbarian? I'd go from 16 to 17 AC, but I Rage most of the time so thats kind of a defense in itself. Blind Fighting is another option but seems pretty situational.
What do you suggest for a 2h 5th lvl Barbarian /1st lvl Fighter char?
Blind Fighting would be my pick but there is also Superior Technique.
Ya, I think in our campaign we've only had 1 encounter where we're actually in total darkness, so given the limited usage I can't see it being a good one for at least this campaign, maybe if we were in the Underdark or something though. Superior Technique is decent, gives you one maneuver (1d6 vs 1d8) but still decent one ability per short rest.
Maybe Defense is the way to go, 1 extra AC could be the difference between no damage and even half if on Rage. And if I one day can afford or find Half Plate i can bump the AC to 18 which is decent.
Blind Fighting would be my pick but there is also Superior Technique.
Ya, I think in our campaign we've only had 1 encounter where we're actually in total darkness, so given the limited usage I can't see it being a good one for at least this campaign, maybe if we were in the Underdark or something though. Superior Technique is decent, gives you one maneuver (1d6 vs 1d8) but still decent one ability per short rest.
Do any of your party have darkness, fog cloud or similar? The benefit of Blind Fighting is that it has synergy with effects you or your party can control; if you're facing a mob your allies can throw down one of these spells and you go screaming in to attack with full advantage and enemies having disadvantage against you (so you're basically getting to Dodge for free). If you can block off a corridor then this can be a great way to tie up a bunch of enemies while the rest of your party deals with the stragglers.
Often people look towards building Blind Fighting around something they can do themselves, i.e- taking it on a Ranger (who can take fog cloud) but with the need to cast something first it actually works best when you've got teammates who can trigger the combo.
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Are there any other characters in your party that fight in melee? If so Interception is worth taking a look at, though it will compete with OAs for your Reaction.
My party consists of Paladin (who mostly just smites), a Sorcerer who mainly just uses fireball and fire type spells, an Eldritch Knight who mostly also only uses fireball, or his familiar to gain advantage on attacks, a Thief Rogue and me Barbarian/Fighter. We're clearly missing some creative casting classes like wizard, warlock, druid or even cleric but meh what can you do.
If your Wisdom was 13 you could multiclass Moon Druid, but if you're looking for some creative spellcasting I think you can still go Ranger with your Dex score where it is. Focus on out of combat exploration/utility spells so spellcasting doesn't have to compete with your rage.
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Hey everyone
So I'm in a campaign playing a Mountain Dwarf Barbarian for the first time, and got to lvl 6 and feeling a bit "meh" about the character. I took Polearm Master instead of the Ability increase so stats aren't great, currently they are
STR-17/Dex-14/Con-16/Int-8/Wis-10/Cha-10 with an AC of 16 (scale mail). Since i'm Polearm i'm Glaive wielding right now.
My DM will level us up to 7 pretty soon and was considering multi classing 1 lvl into something else instead of going Barbarian lvl 7. What are your thoughts? I looked at Fighter and Second Wind seems pointless so it's really just the Fighting Style you'd gain. Hexblade could be ok, Hexblade's Curse is a decent trait though the additional HP is nothing since its based on CHA and Warlock lvl, but a spell slot and cantrips could be useful. Any other thoughts? Rogue seems pointless without a finesse weapon, our group has a Paladin already so don't know if that would be useful.
Or should I just ignore the multi class and take lvl 7 Barbarian which would give me Feral Instinct, so not a bad trait. I guess other plus would be if we get to lvl 8, i'd get an ability score increase but if i multi class i'd lose out since i'd be Lvl 6 Barb, 1 lvl Multi, then Lvl 7 Barb while everyone else is at lvl 8.
Do most of you find mutl classing Barbarians useful or maybe it is but I did it too late (or maybe too early and I should think later levels)???
Cheers
What is your barbarian subclass?
Also, since you mentioned Warlock with your current stats, is your DM allowing you to ignore the Ability Score minimums required to multiclass? If not, you are basically limited to either Fighter or Rogue as your choices without bumping your Int/Wis/Cha to 13. I'm going to assume the restriction for my post.
As for doing it "too late", you're actually at a pretty good level to branch off if you want, now that you've got Extra Attack, though you may want to look into boosting your Ability Scores first. Multiclassing into Fighter some levels (I don't recommend more than 4 since the Extra Attack at lvl 5 doesn't stack with Barbarian's) grants you some strong abilities depending on subclass (Echo Knight, Battlemaster), not to mention Action Surge at lvl 2.
As for Rogue, I don't have any experience with that multiclass, so couldn't say. With sneak attack's weapon type requirement, I would think it wouldn't be a very good fit for Barbarian, and you may have issues with your bonus action bottle-necking your abilities each turn.
I'm a Path of the Totem Warrior Bear, so just the additional resistance.
Oh wow I didn't even know about ability score minimums. If thats the case I guess Fighter likely would be my best option, you're right i'd consider Battlemaster likely but even until then at lvl 2 getting Action Surge is a nice bonus every short rest. I just find the Barbarian seems to fall off between lvls 6 to 11. Maybe its partly due to the Subclass I chose but too late to change that lol can only look ahead and consider changing it up go forward.
Bonus, my DM is letting me backdate my multi classing, so I even though i'm currently Lvl 6 Barbarian I can go back to Lvl 5 Barbarian and take Lvl 1 Fighter, then go forward from there next time we level. Much better since Lvl 6 Barb is such a throwaway with Totem Warrior I find.
6th level is actually not terrible for Barbarian because you get a fourth Rage per long rest. Depending on how many combats your table runs in a day this may be more or less important. But yeah, the class features really drop off for Barbarian after level 5. If you aren't just dipping into Barbarian for Reckless Attacks then few builds go past level 6. Few campaigns last long enough for this to matter but getting Fighter to level 11 is really nice for the Barbarian/Fighter multi-class for the improved Extra Attack.
Ya I did realize I was giving up another Rage for starting the Fighter class early. I took Great Weapon Fighter so re-rolling 1 and 2 dmg might not be as good as an extra Rage, but thankfully (knock on wood it doesn't happen later) i've only ever used 3 Rages once before a long rest, i'd say so far on average I typically get away with 2 Rages before a long rest, but as we level up that can certainly change.
I'm guessing we'll get to around level 9 as an assumption before it ends and we start a new one. If that is true it gives me 5 lvl's of Barbarian and 4 lvls of Fighter so a decent build and gives 20 STR with maneuvers and a few rages and reckless attack along with my Polarm Master Feat I already have.
If you still have the chance I'd strongly recommend taking a different fighting style. Great Weapon Fighting with a glaive changes your average dice damage from 5.5 to 6.3.
I do have time, I just lvled into him and our game isn't until this Saturday. But what else is there for a 2h fighter? I mean Defense to give 1 AC, but is that a big help when i'm 5 lvl's of Barbarian? I'd go from 16 to 17 AC, but I Rage most of the time so thats kind of a defense in itself. Blind Fighting is another option but seems pretty situational.
What do you suggest for a 2h 5th lvl Barbarian /1st lvl Fighter char?
Blind Fighting would be my pick but there is also Superior Technique.
Ya, I think in our campaign we've only had 1 encounter where we're actually in total darkness, so given the limited usage I can't see it being a good one for at least this campaign, maybe if we were in the Underdark or something though. Superior Technique is decent, gives you one maneuver (1d6 vs 1d8) but still decent one ability per short rest.
Maybe Defense is the way to go, 1 extra AC could be the difference between no damage and even half if on Rage. And if I one day can afford or find Half Plate i can bump the AC to 18 which is decent.
Do any of your party have darkness, fog cloud or similar? The benefit of Blind Fighting is that it has synergy with effects you or your party can control; if you're facing a mob your allies can throw down one of these spells and you go screaming in to attack with full advantage and enemies having disadvantage against you (so you're basically getting to Dodge for free). If you can block off a corridor then this can be a great way to tie up a bunch of enemies while the rest of your party deals with the stragglers.
Often people look towards building Blind Fighting around something they can do themselves, i.e- taking it on a Ranger (who can take fog cloud) but with the need to cast something first it actually works best when you've got teammates who can trigger the combo.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Are there any other characters in your party that fight in melee? If so Interception is worth taking a look at, though it will compete with OAs for your Reaction.
My party consists of Paladin (who mostly just smites), a Sorcerer who mainly just uses fireball and fire type spells, an Eldritch Knight who mostly also only uses fireball, or his familiar to gain advantage on attacks, a Thief Rogue and me Barbarian/Fighter. We're clearly missing some creative casting classes like wizard, warlock, druid or even cleric but meh what can you do.
If your Wisdom was 13 you could multiclass Moon Druid, but if you're looking for some creative spellcasting I think you can still go Ranger with your Dex score where it is. Focus on out of combat exploration/utility spells so spellcasting doesn't have to compete with your rage.