1st time Barb, long time fan

[The_Ick]

So i am building my 1st barb and i have 2 questions based on what i have been reading.

1) The 1st is whether to go pure 14 Barb, or go 13/1 barb/fighter? I should probably mention that i want to go pure HP and DPS. Armor class is a concern, but 3rd on the list. What exactly will i lose by not taking the 14th lvl of barb?

2) If I go pure Dwarf Barb, i will only get 4 feats. I wanted to take atleast 1 toughness, 2 Handed, Imp 2 Handed, & Greater 2 Handed, Imp Crit Slash, & power attack. Unfortunately that is 5 feats. So which one should i give up?

[Shrazkil]

So i am building my 1st barb and i have 2 questions based on what i have been reading.

1) The 1st is whether to go pure 14 Barb, or go 13/1 barb/fighter? I should probably mention that i want to go pure HP and DPS. Armor class is a concern, but 3rd on the list. What exactly will i lose by not taking the 14th lvl of barb?

2) If I go pure Dwarf Barb, i will only get 4 feats. I wanted to take atleast 1 toughness, 2 Handed, Imp 2 Handed, & Greater 2 Handed, Imp Crit Slash, & power attack. Unfortunately that is 5 feats. So which one should i give up?

14 barb is important for improved critical 2.

I would stay pure, as for feats , drop the toughness. you can have 5, you have listed 6. If you want the toughness for all the enhancements, and cannot wait till level 15 comes. Then i suggest dropping last THF feat, or going human.

[Casta]

A barb should have close to 400 hp without toughness, you don't really need the extra from toughness. And then theres the enhancments, I could never give up a dps enhancement for a hp enhancement on my barb.

But if you really want toughness go cleave great cleave and toughness, cleave will get you a little more damage then two handed fighter if you contently use it, most fighters don't use it enough or forget about it for hole fights sometimes and that when two handed fighting gets more dps.

[KoboldKiller]

A barb should have close to 400 hp without toughness, you don't really need the extra from toughness. And then theres the enhancments, I could never give up a dps enhancement for a hp enhancement on my barb.

But if you really want toughness go cleave great cleave and toughness, cleave will get you a little more damage then two handed fighter if you contently use it, most fighters don't use it enough or forget about it for hole fights sometimes and that when two handed fighting gets more dps.

Can you explain how you would get that many HP without toughness as I have tried several diff builds and even with toughness and enhancements sans equip can max at 339.

[Blazer]

1) The 1st is whether to go pure 14 Barb, or go 13/1 barb/fighter? I should probably mention that i want to go pure HP and DPS. Armor class is a concern, but 3rd on the list. What exactly will i lose by not taking the 14th lvl of barb?

Seriously, this is not even a debate. Not going 14 Barb means you lose access to the Critical Rage II enhancement (until level cap goes up, at any rate). You really want that enhancement. It's been stated over and over again on these barb forums how good it is. Stay pure.

[The_Ick]

Seriously, this is not even a debate. Not going 14 Barb means you lose access to the Critical Rage II enhancement (until level cap goes up, at any rate). You really want that enhancement. It's been stated over and over again on these barb forums how good it is. Stay pure.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Ok so Pure seems to the be choice, so now the question is Power Attach vs Greater 2 Handed Fighting.
Couple more for you:

What exactly does Imp & greater 2 handed fighting do for you? I know it increases your splash damage, but by how much?

Does Power Attack damage get added to your splash damage?

thanks again

[Blazer]

After re-reading your first post, you're a bit off regarding how many feats you get. As a pure dwarven barbarian, you'll get 5 feats. One each at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level. You probably want to take your feats in this order:

1st - Two Handed Fighting (THF)
3rd - Power Attack
6th - Improved THF
9th - Improved Critical
12th - Greater THF

Very standard dwarven THF barbarian feat chain.

By the time you get GTHF, you should see 30ish points of damage on your glancing blows, possibly more. I don't have a barbarian, so I'm just trying to remember numbers I've seen Maldini and Shade offer up from their builds. My fighter is only up to ITHF and she sees typically 18-20ish points of splash damage. You'll have GTHF and will have ~10 more STR points when raging.

[Shade]

, so now the question is Power Attach vs Greater 2 Handed Fighting.

No that question is incorrect.

If your set on wasting feats and enhancements on toughness. Make a fighter.

[Maldini]

No that question is incorrect.

If your set on wasting feats and enhancements on toughness. Make a fighter.


I would only take toughness on a Human with the extra feat personally. That helps even the field HP wise between humans, dwarves and wf.

[Casta]

Can you explain how you would get that many HP without toughness as I have tried several diff builds and even with toughness and enhancements sans equip can max at 339.

You should have a long enough rage that your almost always raged, so you should have about 400 while raged.

[lherndo]

After re-reading your first post, you're a bit off regarding how many feats you get. As a pure dwarven barbarian, you'll get 5 feats. One each at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level. You probably want to take your feats in this order:

1st - Two Handed Fighting (THF)
3rd - Power Attack
6th - Improved THF
9th - Improved Critical
12th - Greater THF

Very standard dwarven THF barbarian feat chain.

By the time you get GTHF, you should see 30ish points of damage on your glancing blows, possibly more. I don't have a barbarian, so I'm just trying to remember numbers I've seen Maldini and Shade offer up from their builds. My fighter is only up to ITHF and she sees typically 18-20ish points of splash damage. You'll have GTHF and will have ~10 more STR points when raging.

Go human and take stunning blow. With Arg. favor and imp or greater false life I'm over 300 HP's(plenty with a fearsome armor of some type). Don't underestimate the power of a 42 str Barb with a +8 stunning blow maul!!!!! Muah hahahaha:D