Playing a Barbarian, Part 2: Advice for using a barb
SharGuidesMyHand
Member Posts: 2,580
This is Part 2 of my intended two-part series on playing as a barbarian in BG1:EE.
Part 1, which is here, http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/35609/playing-a-barbarian-part-1-advice-for-rping-a-barb , mainly focused on the RP aspect of playing as a barb. With this thread, I hope to generate a discussion on how to use a barb effectively.
As I had explained in Part 1, I had been very reluctant to attempt a serious playthrough as a barbarian in BG1:EE, because I feared that their strengths and weaknesses wouldn't translate well to the style and format of the 1st game. I ended up attempting a playthrough only because I found this portrait, here,
...that I was eager to use for a BG1 playthrough, but only seemed to be appropriate for a barb.
I was also intent on RPing my playthrough more diligently than I had ever done before, so I chose stats and proficiencies based primarily on what I felt best matched the character's portrait and concept moreso than what I though would be the most efficient. For example,
1. I made my character a human, because that's what the portrait depicts - even though literally any other race would've probably been more beneficial.
2. She specializes in halberds, because that's what the picture appears to show her wielding (although I think that it's actually a 2-handed battle axe, but of course those don't exist in BG). I was initially very uncomfortable with this choice, because I felt that it would've been more beneficial to wield a one-handed weapon with either a shield, or (if also using a 2-handed ranged weapon) points in single weapon style, to offset the barb's armor restrictions.
3. Rather than maxing all her combat-oriented stats, I gave her 18/11 str (comparable to respectably strong characters like Kivan and Ajantis, but below hulking brutes like Minsc, Dorn, and Shar-Teel), 17 dext (athletic, but just below a master thief like Imoen), and only 15 con (the minimum amount that will still grant a bonus). The con stat is significant, since it undermines the fact that the barb is typically supposed to have an unusually high number of HPs to help offset the armor restrictions. I'm also playing on core rules and basically just accepting the first random HP roll that I get when leveling up, which further exacerbates the HP issue.
A lot of people seem to believe that a barbarian is supposed to fill a specific role - namely, tanking - and they come to be disappointed when they don't live up to their expectations for that role. However, the barbarian is probably most effective if you treat it as a versatile, but unconventional class with a lot of offbeat strengths and weaknesses. They aren't intended to be played in the same manner as a conventional warrior - their main strength is that they're able to do things that other, conventional characters typically can't do. Depending on your point of view, this may be either a selling point or a turn-off for playing as a barb.
For example, because the barbarian's rage grants a substantial strength bonus (unlike the berserker's rage), you can use it to break open locked chests or doors in situations where you either don't have a thief, or your thief's skills aren't sufficient to get the job done. In my case, I used my barbarian's rage a few times during the transitional period after dualing Imoen to a mage and waiting for Shar-Teel to progress as a thief.
You can also use the barbarian rage to break open that locked chest on the second floor of Wnthrop's Inn and access that very valuable gem (although I didn't do that in my current playthrough, since I'm RPing a good-aligned character who doesn't steal, plus I've also found that getting access to that much gold so early in the game can make the rest of the game seem too easy afterward).
In the early stages of my playthrough, when none of my party members had access to any armor greater than split mail, I used my barbarian largely as a front-line tank, since all of my party members were basically equally vulnerable and unprotected. However, once I started getting ahold of heavier armor, and also more powerful NPCs like Dorn and Kagain had joined my party, my barb settled into the role of an archer and flanker - either sharpshooting from long range with composite longbows, or marching into battle behind my frontline tank(s) once they had engaged and preoccupied the enemy. It was here that I found that the (purely coincidental) choice to specialize in halberds was perfectly suited for my character, since it allowed her to stand directly behind my tank(s) and then "reach" over them with the halberd to do hefty amounts of damage.
I typically try to keep my barbarian rage in reserve (especially since you will never get more than two uses a day in BG1) until mage battles. If I see that I've failed to interrupt a mage's spellcasting with ranged weapons, I will quickly "rage" my barbarian and then send her rushing among the mages (this is where the extra movement rate comes in handy) to do some up-close damage. This is especially useful in situations where an enemy mage casts spells from scripts rather than a spellbook, which makes their casting un-interruptable - like Bassilus or Mulahey.
For example, during the (normally very difficult) battle with the Amazon bounty hunters, while the rest of my party stood at long range and fired missile weapons, I sent my enraged barbarian rushing among the Amazons as their spellcasters prepared to cast. Within mere seconds, she had chunked both of their spellcasters before either of them had gotten a chance to cast even a single spell - and then proceeded to kill a third one of them as well.
So for those of you who also play as barbarians, what advice do you have on the best ways to use a barb?
Part 1, which is here, http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/35609/playing-a-barbarian-part-1-advice-for-rping-a-barb , mainly focused on the RP aspect of playing as a barb. With this thread, I hope to generate a discussion on how to use a barb effectively.
As I had explained in Part 1, I had been very reluctant to attempt a serious playthrough as a barbarian in BG1:EE, because I feared that their strengths and weaknesses wouldn't translate well to the style and format of the 1st game. I ended up attempting a playthrough only because I found this portrait, here,
...that I was eager to use for a BG1 playthrough, but only seemed to be appropriate for a barb.
I was also intent on RPing my playthrough more diligently than I had ever done before, so I chose stats and proficiencies based primarily on what I felt best matched the character's portrait and concept moreso than what I though would be the most efficient. For example,
1. I made my character a human, because that's what the portrait depicts - even though literally any other race would've probably been more beneficial.
2. She specializes in halberds, because that's what the picture appears to show her wielding (although I think that it's actually a 2-handed battle axe, but of course those don't exist in BG). I was initially very uncomfortable with this choice, because I felt that it would've been more beneficial to wield a one-handed weapon with either a shield, or (if also using a 2-handed ranged weapon) points in single weapon style, to offset the barb's armor restrictions.
3. Rather than maxing all her combat-oriented stats, I gave her 18/11 str (comparable to respectably strong characters like Kivan and Ajantis, but below hulking brutes like Minsc, Dorn, and Shar-Teel), 17 dext (athletic, but just below a master thief like Imoen), and only 15 con (the minimum amount that will still grant a bonus). The con stat is significant, since it undermines the fact that the barb is typically supposed to have an unusually high number of HPs to help offset the armor restrictions. I'm also playing on core rules and basically just accepting the first random HP roll that I get when leveling up, which further exacerbates the HP issue.
A lot of people seem to believe that a barbarian is supposed to fill a specific role - namely, tanking - and they come to be disappointed when they don't live up to their expectations for that role. However, the barbarian is probably most effective if you treat it as a versatile, but unconventional class with a lot of offbeat strengths and weaknesses. They aren't intended to be played in the same manner as a conventional warrior - their main strength is that they're able to do things that other, conventional characters typically can't do. Depending on your point of view, this may be either a selling point or a turn-off for playing as a barb.
For example, because the barbarian's rage grants a substantial strength bonus (unlike the berserker's rage), you can use it to break open locked chests or doors in situations where you either don't have a thief, or your thief's skills aren't sufficient to get the job done. In my case, I used my barbarian's rage a few times during the transitional period after dualing Imoen to a mage and waiting for Shar-Teel to progress as a thief.
You can also use the barbarian rage to break open that locked chest on the second floor of Wnthrop's Inn and access that very valuable gem (although I didn't do that in my current playthrough, since I'm RPing a good-aligned character who doesn't steal, plus I've also found that getting access to that much gold so early in the game can make the rest of the game seem too easy afterward).
In the early stages of my playthrough, when none of my party members had access to any armor greater than split mail, I used my barbarian largely as a front-line tank, since all of my party members were basically equally vulnerable and unprotected. However, once I started getting ahold of heavier armor, and also more powerful NPCs like Dorn and Kagain had joined my party, my barb settled into the role of an archer and flanker - either sharpshooting from long range with composite longbows, or marching into battle behind my frontline tank(s) once they had engaged and preoccupied the enemy. It was here that I found that the (purely coincidental) choice to specialize in halberds was perfectly suited for my character, since it allowed her to stand directly behind my tank(s) and then "reach" over them with the halberd to do hefty amounts of damage.
I typically try to keep my barbarian rage in reserve (especially since you will never get more than two uses a day in BG1) until mage battles. If I see that I've failed to interrupt a mage's spellcasting with ranged weapons, I will quickly "rage" my barbarian and then send her rushing among the mages (this is where the extra movement rate comes in handy) to do some up-close damage. This is especially useful in situations where an enemy mage casts spells from scripts rather than a spellbook, which makes their casting un-interruptable - like Bassilus or Mulahey.
For example, during the (normally very difficult) battle with the Amazon bounty hunters, while the rest of my party stood at long range and fired missile weapons, I sent my enraged barbarian rushing among the Amazons as their spellcasters prepared to cast. Within mere seconds, she had chunked both of their spellcasters before either of them had gotten a chance to cast even a single spell - and then proceeded to kill a third one of them as well.
So for those of you who also play as barbarians, what advice do you have on the best ways to use a barb?
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Comments
I rarely play as barbers, but I like how you RP yours. It's made me realize how cautious(and cowardly) I sometimes am on my berserker, because I rarely just charge in anymore... which is a shame.
A group of enemies is sighted. Barbarian Rage. Hit. Critical Hit. Hit. Hit. Critical Hit. The group of enemies is defeated
A new group of enemies is sighted. Barbarian Rage. Hit. Critical Hit. Hit. Hit. Critical Hit. The new group of enemies is defeated as well
Repeat.
She is Chaotic Good, and this is some kind of a schizophrenic alignment owing to two main influences : Chaotic for her "biological" heritage and "Good" for the education that Gorion gave to her.
She doesn't like very much laws, but as well does not like thieves. She is honest in her very peculiar way. She would not steal anything, and anyway does not like to accumulate things. But there is something that she hates more than thieves and it is undeads. So in BG2, the choice will be easy ...
i also almost always do it and i think that it makes the game a lot more fun and challenging.
mainly the less hp, that in some battles can be the difference between a victory and a couple of characters chunked, to play without maxed hp compel to play in a tactically sound way, i wish you the best for your barbarian run!
I like 2 handed weapons but not on a barbarian due to the no grandmastery. Dual wield is tailored for barbarians for the extra apr. More apr more damage.
For the first few levels I use a shield due to thaco being low. I also try to use weapons that have a secondary source of damage or some on hit effect.
Optimal equipment for my barbarian is Mithral chain mail, Helm of Balduran, Greenstone amulet, ring of fire protection, ring of free action, Boots of Grounding, and Cloak of Balduran. I choose free action over boots of speed since I am already faster than anyone besides a monk.
In that get up and dual wielding hammers or maces it is game over.
Feel free to ignore 'a lot of people'. At best BG1 barbarian might be semi-decent at face tanking, which really is the least effective/most expensive form of tanking (though being able to shrug off status effects is nice).
That portrait btw is ... priceless. I realize DnD HPs are heavily abstracted, but those kinds of pictures never fail to crack me up; the old trope of a chainmail bikini-clad cheesecake 'tank' shrugging off axe hits honestly is about as realistic (and probably more magical) as wizards throwing around meteors and such.
Barbarian: "I don't trust you wizard - I don't like magic."
Wizard: "Honey, your flawless (and apparently invulnerable) skin and naughty bits are clearly more magical than any artifact I've ever seen."
also probably only 2 single class builds can match the power of most of the multi and dual builds, sorcerer and wild mage, every other single class is less powerful then multi/dual, so to balance would mean to don't allow multi or dual builds, making the game a lot less fun for many players.
as long as a class has interesting mechanics, so it is fun to play according to the player's taste, it has not to share the exact power of all the others. to play only the most powerful builds and party compositions, maybe rolling good stats for charname and choosing to have maximum hp gain leveling up is a choice, but not the only possible choice as to go always for the most powerful weapon types, as also the weapons are not so well balanced, is a possible choice, but not necessary at all.
you can have the same fun playing not super optimized parties then playing them and the skill and knowledge of the player count much more then the party potential power, as after all spells, potions, items and class perks are only as strong as the player is able to make them strong.
to play a mage, a cleric, a thief, a bard or a fighter is fun because each of them requires proper tactics and a specific approach, not only because they are powerful.
and the barbarian fits perfectly in it, has the highest hp pool in the game, so is the one that better can use it and damage reduction to last long, has the rage that can boost its combat capability, even if does no give the same protection of the berseker's one and even without GM is a capable fighter, fun to play and effective.
even if having to go for the power for a mlee oriented class i would any way go for some multi FM, no comparison as he can protect himself better, hit hard and is self sufficient in hasting himself and breaching/damaging/stunning/malisoning the enemy, later has even simulacrums (with BBOD from scroll) and spell trigger/CC that he can use fast while in combat, not being tied to the single simulacrum clone/day&party the helm allows.
but as i don't have always to play FM and even playing a single class is fun why not the barbarian?
I like oldschool systems, but everybody know who played adnd 2 that thief is bad balanced class for example.