Barbarian suckitude?

[Dhart]

I've played DDO before, years ago before it was free. I remember making a dwarven barbarian, and loving it.

Seeing as it was 'free' now, I decided to give it a shot. I really like a lot of things they have done, the korthos starting area is much better than the newbie area, etc.. some new quests, and a few changes on the old ones (but not all).

Anyway, I decided to make a Dwarven barbarian. Dwarven axe , high con, good str. I have played this barbarian to 7th level at this time, and in the last few quests (partying with others) I have felt like a gimp. I have some decent weapons and armor class, I use a shield, but I felt like I was about as unhelpful as I could be. I killed a few creatures, not many. I didnt' disable traps, I absorbed healing spells like a sponge to water especially due to the fact I don't resist anything. At this time, I have almost no reduction in elemental damage, and I cannot make a will save to literally save my life. When I drop, I bleed out like a stuck pig.

Naturally, nobody complained, and I did my best to keep things off the mages and clerics, and kill whatever I could, but at the end of the day I had one of the lower kill counts, and that's really the only thing I did for anyone in the group. I did give the cleric a couple of wands of heal mod. wounds because that was how things were done way back in the day.

Now, It is entirely possible I built a bad barb from the start. At level seven I have 181 hps, and a +20 to hit with a +4 dwarven axe. I found a bargain +2 flaming dwarven axe of pure good (dwarf only) on the AH and I have a +2 mithril full plate I pulled out of a chest. My shield is a +3 mithral light shield as well.

Even with everything I have (which I could be wrong, but I think its pretty good for this level) I get stomped by most of the monsters. Anything near clericish just holds me (I don't resist). Mages burn me for good 80+ with lightning. Normally I can hold my own against melee types, but it seems most of the time they get in some rediculous hits (50+).

Now, I started on Orien and my main purpose with this barbarian was to hit 400 so I could make some drow, which I've started down that path. I really don't want to reroll him just yet, because of the gear he has and I wanted to know if barbarians were worthwhile at all down the road (12-20). I don't really see a purpose for the barbarian since Rage has been nerfed to hell, and there's better tanks/dps everywhere else.

[hydra_ex]

Put away the shield, take out a greataxe. There, suddenly you don't suck anymore.

[Spoprockel]

You really need to get a good 2H weapon and power attack.

With a Greataxe you get 1.5 x str mod to dmg and +10 dmg via power attack.

Once you have that you'll mow those mobs down like weeds. Forget about armor class. Your best bet is to mow them down before they do too much damage.

Sword and board doesn't really work for a barbarian.

[toughguyjoe]

Everything said in the replies to this is pretty spot on son. Dwarf is fine. You might have nerfed your Will save a bit it sounds like, since you NEVER save against enchantments, but that can be common for Barbs.

Lose the Shield. Lose the armor. get some medium or lighter armor with a Gaurd on it. Say Lightning guard, or Ice guard or something.

Pick up a few greataxes. First off, +4/+5 for levels 7-8. You want to hit when you power attack. Get something with good damage on it once you can. Say level ten, get a +5 flaming, or frost or something if you can manage. At your level though, your best bet will be to grind Deleras until you recieve Carnifex as an end reward. Then the monsters will fear you big time.

take the Dwarven Axe attack and Axe Damage enhancements.

Take Power Attack, and keep it on unless you REALLY can;t hit the mob you are fighting.

try and keep Healing pots, Lesser restoration, Disease removal, Poison Neutralization, Curse removal, Rage, and any protection from (insert element here) pots you think you might need.

Swing that greataxe as nasty as you can. Smash peoples faces in. It'll get better.

[Babumbalaboo]

As the others have said, your problem is that you're trying to go sword n' board as a barbarian. Armor Class and barbarians don't mesh well. It's kind of a mutual agreement of sorts; AC said some nasty things to barbs, and barbs yelled really loudly about it. The police got involved, restraining orders were filed, and now all barbarians worth their salt are legally required to have an unbuffed AC lower than 8.

[cdemeritt]

Again, as everyone has said, Ditch the AC, Make Your choice TWF or THF, many have argued each way, both are better than a shield. take all the enhancements to ax damage (dwarves have some good ax bonuses) Things will get much better.

[TEcarson]

As the others have said, your problem is that you're trying to go sword n' board as a barbarian. Armor Class and barbarians don't mesh well. It's kind of a mutual agreement of sorts; AC said some nasty things to barbs, and barbs yelled really loudly about it. The police got involved, restraining orders were filed, and now all barbarians worth their salt are legally required to have an unbuffed AC lower than 8.

+1 rep for making me laugh my a$$ off! :)

[lord_of_rage]

Argeed on all points. Barbs kill stuff. Frenzied Berzerker is to kill. Invest in the thf line and pick up the fb line when you can. Youll find you are a killing machine.

[vettkinn]

Comrade, you should also consider using the 20 second DR boosts for Barbarians:

http://compendium.ddo.com/wiki/Enhancement:Barbarian_Damage_Reduction_Boost_IV

At level 10, you can have as high as DR 15/- which is very high. Just add a heavy fortification item and you're good to go.

[i337trick]

A Shield on any class that plans on doing damage is a no.
Whip out that Greataxe, stand in corner. Watch the Damage.

[lord_of_rage]

A Shield on any class that plans on doing damage is a no.
Whip out that Greataxe, stand in corner. Watch the Damage.

I disagree there. A shield has its merits at points. And you can build certian classes with an ac and a dps option. But on a barb yeah kill. But once he hits greensteel I say replace the great axe with a falchion and keep the sos around for trash.

[noscarrell]

even bolder idea,go warforged,,then u get an inherent ac so u dont get hit as much as fleshies and the immunities you get beat chuggin pots other than rep serious and finally the barb power attacks stack with the wf power attack so you have more potential dps at 20 than the dwarf!also dps for barbs is two handed!!the only time we wear shields is when we are on intimidate duty period.
so in brief,,go warforged,get greataxes,max str,18 con dump all else(maybe add a cha point or two),,
beat the blood and bones off of everything that moves and run away from the rusties!!heheheee,bein a barb is a blast!

[Gunga]

I disagree there. A shield has its merits at points. And you can build certian classes with an ac and a dps option. But on a barb yeah kill. But once he hits greensteel I say replace the great axe with a falchion and keep the sos around for trash.

No. Barbarians should not pick up a shield until they are in an epic raid and asked to stop killing something so fast. Then, pull out your Levick's shield until you are asked to dispatch the mob.

All other advice in this thread is dead on.

1. Pull all shields out of your backpack and destroy them
2. Your armor is fine
3. Get Great Axes and Falchions
4. Get Power Attack
5. Max Str
6. Get FB
7. Max Power Rage
8. Carry as many CSW and Haste pots as you can afford
9. Win

[tc12]

I only see one thing missed in the replies so far: at level 7 you could have a set of improved (+20) fire/cold/elec/acid/sonic resist cloaks to swap through situationally. That's one source of damage there's little excuse for not preventing. Sure there's normally someone in a party you can ask for a resist from, but it's good to be prepared to cover that yourself. (greater resists (+30s) begin spell and item-wise at level 11.)

Beyond that and potions as others have mentioned, to feel a little more in control of your own survivability read this thread by Aranticus -- it should be mandatory reading for all new players. http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=85729

All characters should strive to carry as much of this kind of self-sufficiency stuff as possible (to the limit they can afford if new), but as you've noticed it's even more of an issue on characters that have no AC, no Evasion and no self-healing. I'm not at all bashing DPS builds, I have some all-damage/no-AC guys myself. And on my clerics I never mind healing *good* DPS charactes at all. But especially at low levels no cleric wants to be bothered with more healing than necessary or wasting SP fixing stuff you could easily fix yourself with potions but for being too lazy to carry them.

TC

[Thrudh]

Go run Tangleroot on hard or elite (and a few other house P quests if necessary) so you can get the 30 minute elemental resists from House P favor.

The posters above are exaggerating a bit for effect...

There's nothing wrong with a barbarian using a shield in the low levels... Usually you can get a pretty good AC, and not get hurt... If you are getting hurt all the time even with a shield out, then your AC must be bad enough that a shield isn't helping...

And in that case, I agree you might as well ditch it, and just kill faster with a big axe...

The poster who mentioned DR boost is spot on... DR boost works really well in the lower levels... If you get surrounded, hit DR boost, and watch all those hits turn to mere scratches...

Good luck to you..

[Gunga]

Go run Tangleroot on hard or elite (and a few other house P quests if necessary) so you can get the 30 minute elemental resists from House P favor.

The posters above are exaggerating a bit for effect...

There's nothing wrong with a barbarian using a shield in the low levels... Usually you can get a pretty good AC, and not get hurt... If you are getting hurt all the time even with a shield out, then your AC must be bad enough that a shield isn't helping...

And in that case, I agree you might as well ditch it, and just kill faster with a big axe...

The poster who mentioned DR boost is spot on... DR boost works really well in the lower levels... If you get surrounded, hit DR boost, and watch all those hits turn to mere scratches...

Good luck to you..

No.

He wants to kill stuff faster. The best thing for him to do is drop the shield, get a great axe and stock up on haste pots.

After he does that, the other stuff is fine.

[gemineye]

The barbarian has no business with a shield. Grab a greataxe and have some fun.

[SquelchHU]

the Barbarian Has No Business With A Shield. Grab A Greataxe And Have Some Fun.

+1.

[Nahual]

As the others have said, your problem is that you're trying to go sword n' board as a barbarian. Armor Class and barbarians don't mesh well. It's kind of a mutual agreement of sorts; AC said some nasty things to barbs, and barbs yelled really loudly about it. The police got involved, restraining orders were filed, and now all barbarians worth their salt are legally required to have an buffed AC lower than 8.

Fixed that for you!;)

[Thrudh]

No.

He wants to kill stuff faster. The best thing for him to do is drop the shield, get a great axe and stock up on haste pots.

After he does that, the other stuff is fine.

Sure, and that's good advice for him... But you guys are stating it like no barbarian should ever use a shield... ("Throw all shields away"). That's a bad lesson for new players... In the low levels, there are quests you can solo as a barbarian with a decent AC... New players can't afford all the pots that a vet can... Sometimes it IS smart to pull out a shield and lessen the incoming damage...

However, I agree with you that the OP should give up on Sword and Board (since it ain't helping) and just go full offense... Killing faster is usually (almost always) the better defense for a barbarian.

The vast majority of time, a barbarian doesn't need a shield (or a throwing weapon for another example)... but you still should carry them for those tiny few times they are useful.

[MeliCat]

You may have already seen it... but I found this helpful for my dwarf barb http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=116814