State of the current Barbarian

[AuriliusTyr]

So I have been out of the game for nearly 3 years, and recently thought I might be interested in a return. Now reading the forums I'm discouraged, seems Barbarians have been nerfed up again.

If I return, I play a Human Barb or Fighter/barb, for roleplay reasons, I have little interest if this isn't viable anymore. I believe I was working on my 2nd life with a Barb PL, I was well geared at the time, ESOS, Draconic armor if thats what it was called. was I think 1 piece away from maralith chain, FB set bonus, etc.

So my question is, from those of you who are still suffering Turbines various abuses, is it worth my time to return or should I go back to playing Skyrim.

[Ancient]

Some can make it work, it isn't easy.

[AuriliusTyr]

I don't like easy, also should mention I would return with my wife playing a healer, so self healing has never been an issue for me.

[Cardtrick]

I don't like easy, also should mention I would return with my wife playing a healer, so self healing has never been an issue for me.

Lack of self healing and damage mitigation are the big reasons people are down on barbarians right now. The incoming damage in high end content has gotten absurd. Barbarians don't have access to most forms of self-healing (they can't even twist in Cocoon in the epic levels like most melees, because it's not usable while Raged). Their DR is worthless at high levels. Other forms of mitigation are problematic. Can't splash monk due to alignment restrictions, meaning no evasion or bonus feats, and no other nice monk goodies. Can't splash paladin due to alignment restrictions, so no easy way to get saves to a usable level. DPS potential is still solid, but it will be behind a centered kensai, despite all the other ways in which a barbarian is inferior to a fighter/monk combo.

Basically -- barbarian is still playable, especially if you have a dedicated healer. But it's going to be worse -- considerably worse -- than some of the alternatives.

[Qhualor]

Barbarian is mostly definitely viable, but this is a BYOH/be self sufficient era right now. SF pots are still the best option for them and their defense is pretty much paper mache resorting to dodge and PRR as their best hope. The biggest problem is surviving and killing more than you need healing in EE. The other difficulties below are fine. The enhancement changes actually made them more powerful than before with 3 prestiges to choose from and able to spend in all 3 instead of just 1.

[kgoodson3]

I would suggest this: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/436179-Dwarven-Occult-Slayer-Pure-Barbarian-Build

[Teh_Troll]

I don't like easy, also should mention I would return with my wife playing a healer, so self healing has never been an issue for me.

How noble of you putting a PC in the kitchen . . .

[unbongwah]

Barbarians don't have access to most forms of self-healing (they can't even twist in Cocoon in the epic levels like most melees, because it's not usable while Raged).
OP: one option for a barb is a heavy cleric or FvS splash for Ameliorating Strike, as well as Smite Foe / Weakness, Divine Might, Wall of Steel (+10 PRR), and a few other perks (depending how you spread your APs). See the Battlerager (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/428187-The-Battleragers-12-barbarian-4-Favored-Soul-4-Rogue) thread for one example. The drawback is losing access to Death Frenzy.

Other forms of mitigation are problematic. Can't splash monk due to alignment restrictions, meaning no evasion or bonus feats, and no other nice monk goodies. Can't splash paladin due to alignment restrictions, so no easy way to get saves to a usable level.
While not ideal, a barb can get decent PRR & Dodge with modest effort & gear; they can equip Ghostly & Blurry items same as anybody; and they can splash rog instead of monk for Evasion. But as you say, low-ish Reflex saves are an issue w/out some serious effort to boost them.

[SocratesBastardSon]

Lack of self healing and damage mitigation are the big reasons people are down on barbarians right now. The incoming damage in high end content has gotten absurd. Barbarians don't have access to most forms of self-healing (they can't even twist in Cocoon in the epic levels like most melees, because it's not usable while Raged). Their DR is worthless at high levels. Other forms of mitigation are problematic. Can't splash monk due to alignment restrictions, meaning no evasion or bonus feats, and no other nice monk goodies. Can't splash paladin due to alignment restrictions, so no easy way to get saves to a usable level.

I built a multi-class Barbarian that got around some of these issues and I was pleased with the result, at least on heroic levels. I went HElf with Paladin dilly for the saves, added Rogue for the evasion, and Ranger to dual-wield Khops and multi-shot. I took four levels of Rogue so I could be a backup trapper if needed. The number of usable enhancements were enormous, and it was a lot of fun. Except for healing he was great for solo too. Once I got to epic being spread so thinly started to count against me, at least for ee, so I would not recommend this kind of mix if that's your goal.

[Cardtrick]

I built a multi-class Barbarian that got around some of these issues and I was pleased with the result, at least on heroic levels. I went HElf with Paladin dilly for the saves, added Rogue for the evasion, and Ranger to dual-wield Khops and multi-shot. I took four levels of Rogue so I could be a backup trapper if needed. The number of usable enhancements were enormous, and it was a lot of fun. Except for healing he was great for solo too. Once I got to epic being spread so thinly started to count against me, at least for ee, so I would not recommend this kind of mix if that's your goal.

Yeah, I hadn't meant to imply that it's impossible. Especially in the heroic levels. My main is currently working on a barbarian TR life, actually, and I'm splashing rogue for Acrobat's staff specialization and favored soul for Warpriest's Ameliorating Strike and DR/PRR -- it's a staff build with some self-healing, and it works quite well for solo leveling.

But the OP said he wanted to be either pure or splash fighter, which makes it tougher. And based on his eSOS, etc., it sounded like he was interested in endgame content.

[zwiebelring]

So I have been out of the game for nearly 3 years, and recently thought I might be interested in a return. Now reading the forums I'm discouraged, seems Barbarians have been nerfed up again.

If I return, I play a Human Barb or Fighter/barb, for roleplay reasons, I have little interest if this isn't viable anymore. I believe I was working on my 2nd life with a Barb PL, I was well geared at the time, ESOS, Draconic armor if thats what it was called. was I think 1 piece away from maralith chain, FB set bonus, etc.

So my question is, from those of you who are still suffering Turbines various abuses, is it worth my time to return or should I go back to playing Skyrim.

Up till epic hard you won't have big problems using a hireling. Assuming your soloing and stacked up Master's Blitz. Since you depend on your hire heals you have to be careful about his/her hp. On my 2 Ftr/ 18 Bar I use Albus all the time (Death Ward buff). I might add that I twisted Healing Spring as well since this is (or at least was) usable while raging. Cannot check if it still works.

My barbarian still uses FB set, 20% heal amp. are just a must-have together with Greater Convalescence on gloves or bracers. You have to compensate lack of defense/healing by playskill to some extent, so playing a full ****** dps melee got a little bit more stressy than usual.

p.s.: former game changes made the claim for self sufficent, mobile toons, so you will face less dedicated healer types in groups, especially in hardest content. Then again, I faced only few barbs joining my LFMs but usually they had no problem watching their hp to some extent or someone else throwing an emergency scroll/heal. Rejuvenation Cocoon is used all the time anyway, it is more efficient than anything else. And last but not least you got the oldschool options: SF pot.s I only use lesser ones, the slow effect is deadly in ee.

[FestusHood]

While top end content is harder than it used to be, barbarians just relative to themselves aren't any worse off than they ever were, and probably better. It's possible to get critical rage and death frenzy at the same time if you are willing to spend almost all your ap in those trees. With an ESOS this should give you a crit profile of 13-20 x4! Even higher crit multipliers on 19-20 rolls.

[painkiller3]

A couple of lives ago my eSOS Barb was able to contribute in EE (When cap was 25) using blurry, ghostly, high dodge, high PRR, and diversion so I tried to avoid aggro at all costs. I'd make a point to be second one into melee (like a rogue)...it worked, I contributed but it didn't feel like a barb. my Cetus build is much more satisfying...

One plus that EE has for barbs is that BYOH isn't as effective as EH so you're more likely to find a friendly divine :)

Edit : in eGianthold, an Improved Deception item like the Golden Guile is a great way to stay alive as well