My half-orc bear totem barb just hit level 6 and I'm probably going to multiclass into RK fighter. I'm trying to decide what fighting style to take, its between defense for +1 AC or interception "When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction."
We're playing SKT so high damage giant attacks, but its only me and a shield using paladin up close. I'm mainly trying to decide if its better to reduce the chance I get hit with rage already halving damage anyway or having interception available to reduce the unmitigated damage he takes.
If you're playing a defensive barbarian, to compliment an offensive paladin buddy, that sounds like a great idea. However, the RK does have its own reactions (Cloud Rune, Storm Rune, Runic Shield), so keep that in mind. Interception is actually kind of limited, since you and the Paladin may often be in melee with the same enemy but not necessarily 5 feet from one another....
I'd suggest Armored instead, or Dueling (since it sounds like you're using a 1H weapon). I'm also a huge fan of the Shield Master feat for characters that plan to wield Shields, and that would be another competing Reaction....
The issue with the Defense fighting style is that it requires you to wear armor. As a barbarian, I find it unlikely that you’re going to switch to a set of medium armor (multiclassing into fighter only gives you proficiency with medium armor) and so if I had to choose between the two, I would suggest neither. Unarmed Defense only functions when you are wearing neither armor nor a shield.
I would think it's more unlikely that they have the stat array to not be wearing Medium Armor already. It takes 20 Con for being unarmored to be superior equal to wearing Half Plate, which most Barbarians won't have until.... like level 16 at the earliest, since they're going to start off increasing Strength at 4 and 8.
Some more info. He uses a greataxe and has a suit of +1 halfplate already with a +1 dex bonus
Interception will work great, as long as it doesn’t compete with other Reactions. I’ll tell you it’s dependent on the DM and the monsters. Most monsters in my game don’t attack the bear raging barb because attacks just bounce of him - so if your DM has a penchant for playing the bad guys smartly, you’ll find all those Bear totem resistances to be pretty much useless most of the time. That’s where Interception comes in handy.
If you're going to stick with Greataxes, Greatswords, or the like... GW fighting style is worth a couple of DPR, or Armored will get you a +1 AC, or Superior Technique could pick you up Frightening Attack and let you be menacing with some extra damage once per short rest. I'd probably take any of those before Interception.
If you're going to stick with Greataxes, Greatswords, or the like... GW fighting style is worth a couple of DPR, or Armored will get you a +1 AC, or Superior Technique could pick you up Frightening Attack and let you be menacing with some extra damage once per short rest. I'd probably take any of those before Interception.
GWF is worth exactly an extra 1.334 damage per round per attack extra. If you have no Reaction currently, Interception can be worth 7.5-11.5 damage reduction per round. I wouldn’t take GWF or Frightening Attack once per short rest over Interception ever…
… but that’s what makes this game great 🙂 everyone has different opinions on how to play!
I think it's worth even less than that for a Greataxe, more like .8 damage per attack if you don't have other damage dice and are just rerolling a single d12? But with Extra Attack giving you attacks per turn.... a couple of DPR, like I said. Certainly better on a greatsword (which is close to that 1.3 number you gave), and even better if you have other dXs on the attack as well from Ranger or Hunter's Mark or Battlemaster or something. Giants Might will sometimes give another d6 on some attacks too, so there's that to reroll as well.
They are going into Rune Knight, and will have two special reactions/short rest at Fighter 3, and another PB/long rest reactions at 7.
I’d take interception and try to have the paladin take the sentinel feat. You would make the choice to attack either of you a bad deal when you’re fighting side by side. The paladin being able to smite on their reaction attack is awesome if the creature targets your barbarian. The creature targeting the paladin should have a higher chance to miss with their higher AC, and if they hit the damage is somewhat reliably reduced. If interception is used enough throughout a fight or adventuring day that the paladin gets one more turn then it’s pretty much worth it.
Some more info. He uses a greataxe and has a suit of +1 halfplate already with a +1 dex bonus
Defense. AC 17 is very low for a front-liner in magic armor, especially for a front-liner with Reckless Attack, double especially for a front-liner leaning into Reckless Attack to fish for crits with a great-axe on a half-orc. AC 18 is substantially better.
My half-orc bear totem barb just hit level 6 and I'm probably going to multiclass into RK fighter. I'm trying to decide what fighting style to take, its between defense for +1 AC or interception "When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10![]()
+ your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction."
We're playing SKT so high damage giant attacks, but its only me and a shield using paladin up close. I'm mainly trying to decide if its better to reduce the chance I get hit with rage already halving damage anyway or having interception available to reduce the unmitigated damage he takes.
If you're playing a defensive barbarian, to compliment an offensive paladin buddy, that sounds like a great idea. However, the RK does have its own reactions (Cloud Rune, Storm Rune, Runic Shield), so keep that in mind. Interception is actually kind of limited, since you and the Paladin may often be in melee with the same enemy but not necessarily 5 feet from one another....
I'd suggest Armored instead, or Dueling (since it sounds like you're using a 1H weapon). I'm also a huge fan of the Shield Master feat for characters that plan to wield Shields, and that would be another competing Reaction....
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The issue with the Defense fighting style is that it requires you to wear armor. As a barbarian, I find it unlikely that you’re going to switch to a set of medium armor (multiclassing into fighter only gives you proficiency with medium armor) and so if I had to choose between the two, I would suggest neither. Unarmed Defense only functions when you are wearing neither armor nor a shield.
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I would think it's more unlikely that they have the stat array to not be wearing Medium Armor already. It takes 20 Con for being unarmored to be
superiorequal to wearing Half Plate, which most Barbarians won't have until.... like level 16 at the earliest, since they're going to start off increasing Strength at 4 and 8.dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Some more info. He uses a greataxe and has a suit of +1 halfplate already with a +1 dex bonus
Interception will work great, as long as it doesn’t compete with other Reactions. I’ll tell you it’s dependent on the DM and the monsters. Most monsters in my game don’t attack the bear raging barb because attacks just bounce of him - so if your DM has a penchant for playing the bad guys smartly, you’ll find all those Bear totem resistances to be pretty much useless most of the time. That’s where Interception comes in handy.
If you're going to stick with Greataxes, Greatswords, or the like... GW fighting style is worth a couple of DPR, or Armored will get you a +1 AC, or Superior Technique could pick you up Frightening Attack and let you be menacing with some extra damage once per short rest. I'd probably take any of those before Interception.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
GWF is worth exactly an extra 1.334 damage per round per attack extra. If you have no Reaction currently, Interception can be worth 7.5-11.5 damage reduction per round. I wouldn’t take GWF or Frightening Attack once per short rest over Interception ever…
… but that’s what makes this game great 🙂 everyone has different opinions on how to play!
I think it's worth even less than that for a Greataxe, more like .8 damage per attack if you don't have other damage dice and are just rerolling a single d12? But with Extra Attack giving you attacks per turn.... a couple of DPR, like I said. Certainly better on a greatsword (which is close to that 1.3 number you gave), and even better if you have other dXs on the attack as well from Ranger or Hunter's Mark or Battlemaster or something. Giants Might will sometimes give another d6 on some attacks too, so there's that to reroll as well.
They are going into Rune Knight, and will have two special reactions/short rest at Fighter 3, and another PB/long rest reactions at 7.
But as you said, opinions vary.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I’d take interception and try to have the paladin take the sentinel feat. You would make the choice to attack either of you a bad deal when you’re fighting side by side. The paladin being able to smite on their reaction attack is awesome if the creature targets your barbarian. The creature targeting the paladin should have a higher chance to miss with their higher AC, and if they hit the damage is somewhat reliably reduced. If interception is used enough throughout a fight or adventuring day that the paladin gets one more turn then it’s pretty much worth it.
Defense. AC 17 is very low for a front-liner in magic armor, especially for a front-liner with Reckless Attack, double especially for a front-liner leaning into Reckless Attack to fish for crits with a great-axe on a half-orc. AC 18 is substantially better.