Debate and questions on TR pure/splash

[metalworker]

Suppose I am TRing my barb twice to a 36pt build with 2 past life barb feats (10HP)

I am now considering on whether to go pure barb (benefits of +2 STR capstone, glancing blows, +2 STR Mighty Rage) or to go for a fighter/barb build with 2 extra feats incorporating the frenzy barb feats i.e. (+20HP, +2 Intimidate, 30s stacking rage) x 2 = 40HP, +4 Intimidate, 2 rages, as well as getting fighter strength, and lvl 1 haste boost.

Im not sure if the 60HP benefited this way is better than the capstone, and I'm guessing it's not.

Another way is maybe to go 18/2 barb/monk to get evasion, and fit the power attack into monk, freeing an extra feat for the past life. Then again, not sure if evasion + past life > capstone again.


Im leaning to pure barb from experience, my gimped previous life pure-barb seems to own my 12/8 fighter/barb lol.

[AylinIsAwesome]

Another way is maybe to go 18/2 barb/monk to get evasion, and fit the power attack into monk, freeing an extra feat for the past life. Then again, not sure if evasion + past life > capstone again.

Surely you jest good sir!

If thou would'st be Truly Reincarnating thy character, surely a player such as thou would be aware that thy Monk trainer will only train denizens of Stormreach that happen to find thyselves obedient to the laws, and that thy Barbarian trainer will only train those who find laws distasteful!


(Alignment restrictions are a *****, aren't they?)

[MrCow]

Another way is maybe to go 18/2 barb/monk to get evasion

That is an invalid combination as barbarians must not be lawful, but monks must be lawful.

[AylinIsAwesome]

Ok, serious post.


It's entirely possible to fit in all the feats you need for a FB on a non-human pure Barb. Well, if you don't think Stunning Blow is needed.

Honestly, I'd say pure is better unless you really wanted the feats from 2 Fighter or the Evasion from 2 Rogue. If you want pure, straight-up DPS though, then pure Barb is the way to go for the +4 STR at level 20. That's pretty hard to pass up.

Have you had any thoughts about which race you'd wanna be? Personally, I think Dwarves/Warforged/Humans make the best Barbarians, the first two for the +CON and Axe/Power Attack enhancements and Human for Improved Recovery. Though if you're going for pure DPS, Dwarf of Warforged is the way.

[metalworker]

Lol, i've always played TN so didnt know barbs couldnt be lawful, my bad :P

I'm WF all the way, I am leaning to pure barb, but I feel that its kind of a waste to TR twice without having the benefits of the active past life. I'm convincing myself but still have not convinced that +40HP, +4 Intimdate, 2 stacking rage, +1 Fighter STR enhancement, haste boost is better than +4 STR and increased glancing blows. It seems to be a close call but I haven't been able to get more experienced players' feedback.

For me, the +4 STR from capstone is nice because it does not require any annoying clicking but I feel that +2 damage from being pure isn't the main thing. THe main thing is the glancing blow increases. I do like the lvl 1 haste boost (1 AP = 15% stacking haste) and instead of getting +4 STR, you can get a +1 STR and 40HP more by going fighter.

Note that I'm asking about a build that's TRx2,and not a regular barb build since I know pure is the way to go. I'm asking about the benefits of the past lifes perhaps being better than staying pure. IF I get concrete arguments/answers, that will decide my second TR.

[Asketes]

if you are TR'ing twice. go whatever way you want on the first time through. at lvl 20 you're going to TR right away anyways..

[Shade]

If you are TR'ing twice, id go a different class.

When you become really powerful and get a solid amount of hitpoints like 850+, you start to realise having an extra 10 or 20 doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, at least not nearly as much as other factors.

Better choices are paladin, monk or fighter.
Paladin, 5% healing amp is especially nice on a WF
Monk.. +1 dmg, that's similar to the past life barb one you have to waste a feat on, just +1 dmg ALWAYS vs 3 dmg for 30 seconds..

Also im not sure you can purchase the same active past life feat twice. Far as I know it was intended, but currently broken.

Barb vs Fighter splash. Unless you have a very solid feat requirement like stunning blow or toughness. Do not do it. The other minor benefits of fighter don't even come close to matching the barbarian benefits (+4 str, +2 con, +1 dr, more saves, more hp, whatever the capstone does)
Things quoted like haste boost I? No. Realisticly haste boost I vs dmg boost IV (a requirement of FB) is not any realistc benefit. You cannot combine the two, so there's no need to replace it. Haste boost IV is surely much superior to dmg boost IV, but 1 vs 4.. Not really.

[Valiance]

The question I have is he keeps saying that the Barb past life rage stacks with normal barb rages? Is this true?

V

[AylinIsAwesome]

Shade makes some good points. The Paladin past life feat is nice (though I'd go a non-WF race there, since the -2 CHA can hurt when attempting to get Divine Might 4). And to be honest, I'm unsure of whether the extra +3 damage from the Barbarian Past Life feat is worth an extra clickie, especially if it's only a couple times per rest and only for less than a minute.


If you do decide to go with a 2 Fighter splash though, then definitely take Stunning Blow, and work on everything you can to max it, maybe even going TWF for two chances per attack.

[sephiroth1084]

My question is, why are you bothering to double TR a barbarian? The extra HP don't mean much of anything, as Shade pointed out, so that's just a lot of headache for very little return.

Also, as Shade mentioned, the benefits of barbarian 19 and 20 far outstrip just about any splash. Rogue 2 for evasion might be somewhat comparable if you don't mind giving up some real offense for a little bit of added defense.

I just don't see the point in running around with a 36 pt. barbarian anyway--you only really need 2 stats to begin with--anything else is gravy or a waste. I'd definitely grab a TR of paladin, though, if you're really set on this course, since the 5% healing amp will end up being much more valuable than an extra 10 HP (5% of 200, a fairly weak Heal, is 10, or as much HP gained back as you would have had added to your max with the past life feat).

[metalworker]

Thanks for the reply and advice. I'm currently 12/8 fighter/barb which is fairly gimped and I'm going to TR back into a full barb again from the pointers put out. The fighter passive past life would add just a little to the 36pt and perhaps is much better than the barb's 10HP passive. I'm not a completionist but I do like to max out on all stat points as given out in the game (with the exception of completionist feat lol).

I might be tempted to go 18/2 barb/rogue for evasion but upon thinking, a barb should do what it does best - kill. Reflex saves are not good enough to put it up there anyway.

I guess for a 36pt barb, I'll have the following stats: 18STR, 12DEX, 10INT, 6CHA, and put the rest into WIS? Should I max out on 18CON or remain 16CON and put the rest into WIS?

[AylinIsAwesome]

I guess for a 36pt barb, I'll have the following stats: 18STR, 12DEX, 10INT, 6CHA, and put the rest into WIS? Should I max out on 18CON or remain 16CON and put the rest into WIS?

Personally, I'd go 16 CON with rest into WIS, but to be honest a large part of that is because I get nervous playing low Will-save classes. In the end though, it's the difference of +1 to your Will save versus +20 HP and a little extra time on your rage.

[sephiroth1084]

I'd probably move some Dex into Wis, and bring Con to 18.

[apacheizm23]

My bad I was wrong not sure what stat I was looking at there.

[sephiroth1084]

16 is the max. -1Rep

What?