Need help with a build, Gannicus from the Starz series Spartacus

I am looking to build a Level 6 character.

For those familiar with Gannicus on the Spartacus TV series on Starz, he would typically dual wield two weapons and he didn't really wear armor.

We will be at level 6, so I was thinking 5 levels of Barbarian (for rage, reckless attack, unarmored defense, choosing Dual Wielder as my level 4 Feat, and Extra Attack at Level 5) and one level of fighter for right now and choosing the two weapon fighting style. We're playing up to level 10, so I would probably do the rest of my levels as a Fighter, choosing a Battle Master at Level 3 Fighter.

Does anyone have any suggestions and ideas on the best way optimize a Gannicus build.

I am not sure how the two weapon fighting works exactly. I know Short Sword and Scimitar are strong options, but I think the Dual Wielder Feat may allow me to attack with a Longsword or Battleaxe. How do I maximize my number of attacks per turn?

TIA

You are better off staying a single class. Don't go into fighter. what you give up is not worth what you will gain.  

No armor and no shield is a choice that has consequences.  

You are better off staying a single class.  Stay barbarian, grab a mastery with a weapon that has the nick mastery.   Without Nick mastery, you attack and in the bonus action you attack with a 2nd weapon.   With the Nick mastery, you attack and instead of using a bonus action, you attack with the second weapon.   Staying with Barbarian and raging can also protect against some damage types by getting half damage as well.  

If you want no armor, either be a monk or be a barbarian.   Both get a bonus using a 2nd ability score.  Therefore you need a good CON score to be zero armor as a barbarian.  That results in needed high Strength/CON & DEX.   Have 3 good scores could be a problem.

If you forego being without armor, and decide to wear it then just be a Fighter.  

Being a monk is a viable choice, but you may actually need more experience as it would be a bit more complex.  You would be better off doing a weapon and a fist to pummel your opponent.

Lastly, it all depends how close you want to model a character as Gannicus .  Either literal or in spirit.

Quote from LeoDillon >>

I am looking to build a Level 6 character.

For those familiar with Gannicus on the Spartacus TV series on Starz, he would typically dual wield two weapons and he didn't really wear armor.

We will be at level 6, so I was thinking 5 levels of Barbarian (for rage, reckless attack, unarmored defense, choosing Dual Wielder as my level 4 Feat, and Extra Attack at Level 5) and one level of fighter for right now and choosing the two weapon fighting style. We're playing up to level 10, so I would probably do the rest of my levels as a Fighter, choosing a Battle Master at Level 3 Fighter.

Does anyone have any suggestions and ideas on the best way optimize a Gannicus build.

I am not sure how the two weapon fighting works exactly. I know Short Sword and Scimitar are strong options, but I think the Dual Wielder Feat may allow me to attack with a Longsword or Battleaxe. How do I maximize my number of attacks per turn?

To get the most attacks out of fighting with Light weapons, you want at least one weapon with the Nick mastery, and all weapons with the Light property.

That gives you a bonus action attack, which you can instead make as part of your regular Attack action because of Nick mastery, leaving your bonus action free to rage.

When you hit 4th level, you take Dual Wielder, which gives you an additional bonus action attack. This attack can be with a non-light weapon, but you have to do silly weapon-swapping tricks for a very marginal gain.

But here's how it'd work if you did. You get one free weapon interaction as part of your turn, and you can also draw or stow two weapons with each attack you make as part of the Attack action. (Either before or after.)

This is full-on damage maximizing, with no concern for how silly it all is. I'm assuming you have scimitar, short sword, and battleaxe, but only the scimitar matters, and you have a level of fighter, so you can use all their masteries.

• You have two base attacks.
• Start by holding short sword and scimitar. Because you have Dual Wielder, you can draw both as part of your first attack if need be.
• Make your first normal attack with the short sword (vex)
• Because you attacked with a Light weapon, both the extra attack of the Light property and the extra attack of the DW feat are enabled.
• Make the extra attack of the light property with the scimitar (Nick)  (with possible advantage)*
• This attack is part of your attack action, so you can stow both weapons.
• Make your second normal attack two-handed with the battleaxe, drawing it as part of the attack. (Still part of the attack action.)
• Make your Dual-wielder bonus action attack two-handed with the axe.
• You don't get the attack action free draw/stow, but you can use your free object interaction to do so. You probably want to do that next turn, before you start your attack.

Since you're basing off a character who fights with two weapons, you may not think two-handed battleaxe fits. In which case, you can stow only one weapon and use it one-handed. Or discard the weirdness and just fight all the time with two light weapons. It makes very little difference in practice. (Also, because you have reckless attacks, a vex weapon may not be your best choice for your other light weapon.)

To truly maximize your damage, you need the Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style. But you're doing enough damage with rage that you don't need it. You could take one level of fighter to get it, but I wouldn't take more, because then you'd miss out on Brutal Strikes in the endgame, unless there's something about Battlemaster that better fits the concept.

Your real problem is going to be your armor class. Barbarians already want strength and con, and squeezing dexterity in there as well is going to be difficult. (Don't take Monk)

* Some GMs rule that you must use the Nick weapon to make the attack that enables the Light property extra attack. It makes no difference to how this plays if you swap the scimitar and short sword attacks.

Your real problem is going to be your armor class. Barbarians already want strength and con, and squeezing dexterity in there as well is going to be difficult. (Don't take Monk)

I agree this is the issue.  I mentioned monk; as having no armor really comes down to either a barbarian or a monk which boosts your AC if you wear nothing.  But Monk and two weapon fighting is additional complications.

You definitely want Barbarian, Gannicus is a classic Beserker Barbarian. Personally, I wouldn't bother with any more than 1 level of Fighter, Battlemaster is kind of pointless when you have Weapon Mastery. Unless you took enough Fighter to get the extra ASI to boost your CON it's not worth more than one level. Barbarians get some good stuff between level 5-10.