Playing a Barbarian, Part 1: Advice for RPing a barb
SharGuidesMyHand
Member Posts: 2,580
Greetings, fellow Baldurians!
This thread is the first of what I intend to be a two-part series about my experiences and suggestions for playing as a barbarian in BG:EE. This thread will focus on the RP aspect of playing as a barb, the second will focus on how to effectively use the barb.
Since the initial release of BG2, I have been enamored by the barbarian class - not only was it an entirely new and unique warrior class, but it granted immunities that were absolutely life-saving in the magic-oriented BG2. Plus, because you begin BG2 as a veteran adventurer, you didn't have to give much thought to how and why a child that had lived in a library fortress grew to become a barbarian. However, I had been reluctant to play as a barbarian in BG1:EE, since I felt that they were much less ideal for 1st game (i.e: they wouldn't be able to string multiple rages together for much of the game, and there is a lack of magic splint and chainmail to offset their armor restrictions), plus I couldn't figure out how to reconcile the class with the character's background. But a few months ago, I came across this portrait here,
...and I was determined to play BG:EE using this portrait. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't convince myself that any class would've been more appropriate than a barbarian, so I reluctantly settled on that. Then I set about trying to figure out exactly how I would play as a barb.
What I find most difficult about RPing as a barbarian in BG1 is that your character has essentially chosen to live in the manner of a barbarian, whereas barbarians are typically forced to live that way by growing up in remote northern lands without access to modern luxuries and technology. According to BG:EE's default bios for barbarian charnames, they were "wild spirits" in their youths, before an eventual meeting with an actual barb from IWD taught them to "connect with spirits of nature" and channel their wildness into controlled rages. On one hand, I like the fact that barbarian charnames have an inner rage that needs to be controlled, which I feel coincides well with the game's underlying theme that you are "at odds with yourself" and the eventual revelation that you have the blood of an evil deity flowing through your veins. On the other hand, the bio suggests that there is some sort of greater purpose to being a barbarian, like a ranger or a paladin would have, which is contrary to how I had always envisioned a barbarian.
I typically prefer to play BG as neutral good characters, and I don't like RPing my characters as being flagrantly rude and unfriendly, which I feel conflicts with the underlying narrative of the game and can prevent you from getting certain quests or NPcs (even when I play as an evil character, I prefer for them to be a charming, deceitful kind of evil) - so I didn't want my barbarian to behave in a stereotypically crude and insensitive manner.
After careful reflection, I decided that I would RP my barbarian in a similar manner as a ranger, or perhaps a kind of warrior-druid. The way that I imagine it, the bond that she shares with nature enables her to control her wild impulses and function in civilized society, but in order to maintain that bond, she must maintain a simpler, "stripped down" lifestyle (hence the armor restrictions).
I imagine my character as being bold and confident, though not to the extent of being boisterous. She doesn't look to start trouble, but has no qualms about taking action when others start trouble with her (which is something of a welcome change of pace for me, as I usually RP my characters as being naive and timid). For example, when Marl confronts her in Beregost, she doesn't try to placate him with some humor or by offering a drink, but instead tells him to back off under threat of her blade.
She also feels a sort of empathy with people who are considered social outcasts or deviate from social norms in some way (like herself), while also taking a dislike to "elitist" characters who look down on such people and try to use their social standing to justify or enforce their actions. For example, when she sees Viconia being pursued by a Flaming Fist soldier who insists that she must be guilty of a murder because of the color of her skin, and is intent on killing her without at least allowing her the benefit of a fair trial, she is compelled to intervene on Viconia's behalf, regardless of the popular perceptions of drow. By contrast, although she had initially agreed to help Aldeth in the confrontation with the druids, she ultimately turns against him after it is revealed that he had killed one of the druids and he snobbishly dismissed the druids' claims on the grounds that they are all "lying savages."
And don't ever ask her to press her pantaloons for you!
As a neutral good character, my barbarian doesn't steal from locked chests in houses or public places, and she won't accept quests that are obviously evil (like Edwin's request to murder Dynaheir with no questions asked). However, she is willing to work with evil characters who are useful and effective, as long as they are willing to accept her leadership and stay in line. One of my favorite intraparty aspects of my current playthrough is the underlying tension between her and Dorn, and she continually reminds Dorn of his place in the party and actively redirects his bloodlust toward the task at hand.
Likewise, she expects party members to abide by her decisions and won't tolerate any discord, and will take action against anyone who instigates trouble regardless of their class or alignment. Here, she intervenes and ultimately kills Kivan after he antagonizes and tries to kill Viconia.
Unfortunately, my barbarian's confrontational manner has, on a very few isolated occasional, had regrettable consequences where a more prudent approach may have been advisable. For example, her attempt to intimidate Zordal into releasing his magically-held hostage tragically backfired:
...but unfortunate happenings like these are precisely what makes RPing such a rich experience IMO.
Well, that's all that I have to say on the subject for now. For those of you who somehow found the time and patience to scroll through my overlong thesis above, please feel free to share your suggestions for how to RP a barbarian.
This thread is the first of what I intend to be a two-part series about my experiences and suggestions for playing as a barbarian in BG:EE. This thread will focus on the RP aspect of playing as a barb, the second will focus on how to effectively use the barb.
Since the initial release of BG2, I have been enamored by the barbarian class - not only was it an entirely new and unique warrior class, but it granted immunities that were absolutely life-saving in the magic-oriented BG2. Plus, because you begin BG2 as a veteran adventurer, you didn't have to give much thought to how and why a child that had lived in a library fortress grew to become a barbarian. However, I had been reluctant to play as a barbarian in BG1:EE, since I felt that they were much less ideal for 1st game (i.e: they wouldn't be able to string multiple rages together for much of the game, and there is a lack of magic splint and chainmail to offset their armor restrictions), plus I couldn't figure out how to reconcile the class with the character's background. But a few months ago, I came across this portrait here,
...and I was determined to play BG:EE using this portrait. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't convince myself that any class would've been more appropriate than a barbarian, so I reluctantly settled on that. Then I set about trying to figure out exactly how I would play as a barb.
What I find most difficult about RPing as a barbarian in BG1 is that your character has essentially chosen to live in the manner of a barbarian, whereas barbarians are typically forced to live that way by growing up in remote northern lands without access to modern luxuries and technology. According to BG:EE's default bios for barbarian charnames, they were "wild spirits" in their youths, before an eventual meeting with an actual barb from IWD taught them to "connect with spirits of nature" and channel their wildness into controlled rages. On one hand, I like the fact that barbarian charnames have an inner rage that needs to be controlled, which I feel coincides well with the game's underlying theme that you are "at odds with yourself" and the eventual revelation that you have the blood of an evil deity flowing through your veins. On the other hand, the bio suggests that there is some sort of greater purpose to being a barbarian, like a ranger or a paladin would have, which is contrary to how I had always envisioned a barbarian.
I typically prefer to play BG as neutral good characters, and I don't like RPing my characters as being flagrantly rude and unfriendly, which I feel conflicts with the underlying narrative of the game and can prevent you from getting certain quests or NPcs (even when I play as an evil character, I prefer for them to be a charming, deceitful kind of evil) - so I didn't want my barbarian to behave in a stereotypically crude and insensitive manner.
After careful reflection, I decided that I would RP my barbarian in a similar manner as a ranger, or perhaps a kind of warrior-druid. The way that I imagine it, the bond that she shares with nature enables her to control her wild impulses and function in civilized society, but in order to maintain that bond, she must maintain a simpler, "stripped down" lifestyle (hence the armor restrictions).
I imagine my character as being bold and confident, though not to the extent of being boisterous. She doesn't look to start trouble, but has no qualms about taking action when others start trouble with her (which is something of a welcome change of pace for me, as I usually RP my characters as being naive and timid). For example, when Marl confronts her in Beregost, she doesn't try to placate him with some humor or by offering a drink, but instead tells him to back off under threat of her blade.
She also feels a sort of empathy with people who are considered social outcasts or deviate from social norms in some way (like herself), while also taking a dislike to "elitist" characters who look down on such people and try to use their social standing to justify or enforce their actions. For example, when she sees Viconia being pursued by a Flaming Fist soldier who insists that she must be guilty of a murder because of the color of her skin, and is intent on killing her without at least allowing her the benefit of a fair trial, she is compelled to intervene on Viconia's behalf, regardless of the popular perceptions of drow. By contrast, although she had initially agreed to help Aldeth in the confrontation with the druids, she ultimately turns against him after it is revealed that he had killed one of the druids and he snobbishly dismissed the druids' claims on the grounds that they are all "lying savages."
And don't ever ask her to press her pantaloons for you!
As a neutral good character, my barbarian doesn't steal from locked chests in houses or public places, and she won't accept quests that are obviously evil (like Edwin's request to murder Dynaheir with no questions asked). However, she is willing to work with evil characters who are useful and effective, as long as they are willing to accept her leadership and stay in line. One of my favorite intraparty aspects of my current playthrough is the underlying tension between her and Dorn, and she continually reminds Dorn of his place in the party and actively redirects his bloodlust toward the task at hand.
Likewise, she expects party members to abide by her decisions and won't tolerate any discord, and will take action against anyone who instigates trouble regardless of their class or alignment. Here, she intervenes and ultimately kills Kivan after he antagonizes and tries to kill Viconia.
Unfortunately, my barbarian's confrontational manner has, on a very few isolated occasional, had regrettable consequences where a more prudent approach may have been advisable. For example, her attempt to intimidate Zordal into releasing his magically-held hostage tragically backfired:
...but unfortunate happenings like these are precisely what makes RPing such a rich experience IMO.
Well, that's all that I have to say on the subject for now. For those of you who somehow found the time and patience to scroll through my overlong thesis above, please feel free to share your suggestions for how to RP a barbarian.
Post edited by SharGuidesMyHand on
10
Comments
Rule 1. Stay sharp.
The character himself is a stoic, brooding figure outside of battle, but fierce and passionate otherwise.
Another way to RP the rage can be so that the character doesn't necessarily get angry when raging, he just summons the power of spirits into him. "Spirits of his ancestors" - I like this concept.