My Barbarian (Totem Warrior) character's build is to function as pure utility for my party. It is a bit of an experiment but so far playing out well.
My primary objectives are:
1) Attract enemy attacks and soak in damage. Pure tank role. 2) Buff my party's attacks. I have done this by taking Totem Spirit - Wolf and thus giving my allies advantage on melee attacks against creatures within 5ft of me. 3) To assist with #2, I am planning to build for Grappling and Shoving. I figure I can assist by pushing enemies away from my party, and by having an enemy grappled and allow the rest of the party to focus attacks on an enemy with advantage. 4) Movement, especially stealthy movement, is something I want to maintain. 5) The campaign has thus far had a good amount of travel and my character takes lead on Survival
I decided to take Skilled Expert at level 4 and will take the +1 in STR and Expertise in Athletics. I just don't know what skill I should take a proficiency in. Right now I am proficient in the following: Athletics, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival
whatever checks you may need to make for acrobatics, athletics is usually a good substitute. In fact, more often than not, I usually see people roll acrobatics in cases where their athletics is not good, so it’s safe to say they’re comparable if not interchangeable. So, since you have expertise in athletics, you can safely skip over this one.
initimidation requires decent CHA to be useful. I don’t know how high yours is but given the fact you took survival I can only deduce your WIS is better.
On a torem barbarian insight can be role played as literally sniffing out lies and ill intentions. Presumably your wisdom is higher than your charisma so continue leaning into it with your skills.
Talk to your DM to see if he/she is willing to let you use strength for intimidation. This is written into the PHB under ability checks: "Variant: Skills with Different Abilities." IMO, strength makes more sense for a fighter or barbarian, than charisma, anyway. The Mountain in Game of Thrones was extremely large and intimidating, and it certainly wasn't his charisma!! :)
"Variant: Skills with Different Abilities
Normally, your proficiency in a skill applies only to a specific kind of ability check. Proficiency in Athletics, for example, usually applies to Strength checks. In some situations, though, your proficiency might reasonably apply to a different kind of check. In such cases, the DM might ask for a check using an unusual combination of ability and skill, or you might ask your DM if you can apply a proficiency to a different check. For example, if you have to swim from an offshore island to the mainland, your DM might call for a Constitution check to see if you have the stamina to make it that far. In this case, your DM might allow you to apply your proficiency in Athletics and ask for a Constitution (Athletics) check. So if you’re proficient in Athletics, you apply your proficiency bonus to the Constitution check just as you would normally do for a Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, when your half-orc barbarian uses a display of raw strength to intimidate an enemy, your DM might ask for a Strength (Intimidation) check, even though Intimidation is normally associated with Charisma."
My Barbarian (Totem Warrior) character's build is to function as pure utility for my party. It is a bit of an experiment but so far playing out well.
My primary objectives are:
1) Attract enemy attacks and soak in damage. Pure tank role.
2) Buff my party's attacks. I have done this by taking Totem Spirit - Wolf and thus giving my allies advantage on melee attacks against creatures within 5ft of me.
3) To assist with #2, I am planning to build for Grappling and Shoving. I figure I can assist by pushing enemies away from my party, and by having an enemy grappled and allow the rest of the party to focus attacks on an enemy with advantage.
4) Movement, especially stealthy movement, is something I want to maintain.
5) The campaign has thus far had a good amount of travel and my character takes lead on Survival
I decided to take Skilled Expert at level 4 and will take the +1 in STR and Expertise in Athletics. I just don't know what skill I should take a proficiency in. Right now I am proficient in the following: Athletics, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival
I was thinking either taking proficiency in Acrobatics or Intimidation. Maybe Insight.
Appreciate your thoughts and advice. Cheers!
Take insight.
whatever checks you may need to make for acrobatics, athletics is usually a good substitute. In fact, more often than not, I usually see people roll acrobatics in cases where their athletics is not good, so it’s safe to say they’re comparable if not interchangeable. So, since you have expertise in athletics, you can safely skip over this one.
initimidation requires decent CHA to be useful. I don’t know how high yours is but given the fact you took survival I can only deduce your WIS is better.
therefore, insight is the only real option.
Insight.
On a torem barbarian insight can be role played as literally sniffing out lies and ill intentions. Presumably your wisdom is higher than your charisma so continue leaning into it with your skills.
Talk to your DM to see if he/she is willing to let you use strength for intimidation. This is written into the PHB under ability checks: "Variant: Skills with Different Abilities." IMO, strength makes more sense for a fighter or barbarian, than charisma, anyway. The Mountain in Game of Thrones was extremely large and intimidating, and it certainly wasn't his charisma!! :)
"Variant: Skills with Different Abilities
Normally, your proficiency in a skill applies only to a specific kind of ability check. Proficiency in Athletics, for example, usually applies to Strength checks. In some situations, though, your proficiency might reasonably apply to a different kind of check. In such cases, the DM might ask for a check using an unusual combination of ability and skill, or you might ask your DM if you can apply a proficiency to a different check. For example, if you have to swim from an offshore island to the mainland, your DM might call for a Constitution check to see if you have the stamina to make it that far. In this case, your DM might allow you to apply your proficiency in Athletics and ask for a Constitution (Athletics) check. So if you’re proficient in Athletics, you apply your proficiency bonus to the Constitution check just as you would normally do for a Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, when your half-orc barbarian uses a display of raw strength to intimidate an enemy, your DM might ask for a Strength (Intimidation) check, even though Intimidation is normally associated with Charisma."