i have a human barbarian thats level five right now and his stats are as follows -
18 str, 15 dex, 16 con, 12 int, 9 wis, 9 cha. fort 7, refl 3, will 0.

my ac is 23 and thas with a shield. i use a +3 longsword.

i havent played this game since march or so but i just tried playing again today and died 3 times at some place called searing heights.
i would have died more if i didnt rage but i still died as much as the bard. im not happy with this. this was under normal btw.

whats the key to success for a barbarian in this game? yes i do have (rhymes-with-rap) gear. i should also note i dont carry too many potions.