Post-update 5 Frenzied Berserker Barbarian

[Qwijy]

- Fighter 10% Haste Boosts

Did they change the percentage with update 5? I hadn't read anything to that effect (it was 15% last I checked).

18/2 has been the way to go for a long, long time... all the way from back when the cap was 10. The bugged capstone was the only thing that changed this. Some barbarian purists take issue with this statement.

[Absolute-Omniscience]

Calculating in a vacuum, your DPS is so close to a 2HF fighter who is in haste burst mode that if either one of you sneezed when playing, the other guy would win the gold in the DPS olympics.

Still more dps, and you don't lose hp to vicous, and you can use clickies / umd, which barbs can't in rage.

The OPs build is really the way to build barbs now, as the benefits of 20 barb aren't better than the haste boosts and feats from fighter 2.

[Absolute-Omniscience]

Did they change the percentage with update 5? I hadn't read anything to that effect (it was 15% last I checked).

It's 15%

15
20
25
30

[Thrudh]

2d12 + Base Damage + 5 weapon + 2d6 Axiomatic + 3d6 Axiomatic Burst + 2d6 Holy + 3d6 Holy Burst + 1d6 Shock + 1d10 Shocking Burst + 1d6 frost + 1d6 icy +1d10 Icy burst + 1d8 bleed + 8 Sneak Attack + 3d6 Sneak Attack + 1000 damage from Touch of Death + Earth Strike damage

Lol is all I am going to say.... Oh and please keep making 12 base str monks and complain about your dps being low, a well made DPS monk just keeps getting better becuase of that.

With all that, you really think having a 20 STR instead of a 40 STR makes much difference?

Might as well go dex-based and get some AC too...

[Thrudh]

18/2 has been the way to go for a long, long time... all the way from back when the cap was 10. The bugged capstone was the only thing that changed this. Some barbarian purists take issue with this statement.

Exactly...

I was a big proponent of splashing fighter LONG LONG ago, because barbarians were so feat-starved...

I actually got in an argument with Shade about it... I said the fighter splash was worth it for the extra feat (Stunning Blow). He said Stunning Blow was a worthless feat... Yeah, he's changed his mind since...

[Thrudh]

One of my current TRs is a 18/2 fighter/barbarian (formally a barbarian/fighter)... As soon as I finish up some more Shrouds, I'll be doing TRx2 on him, and going to back 18/2 barbarian/fighter...

I'm not nearly in love with CON or toughness feats as the OP... but I think a barbarian/fighter (especially with a barbarian and fighter past life), can make an awesome DPS/tactics build... I'll also max out intimidate and can be an intimitank in rare situations (but I always use intimidate when fighting trash too - that no save AOE shaken effect is pretty sweet... all barbarians should use it)

[Chai]

Still more dps, and you don't lose hp to vicous, and you can use clickies / umd, which barbs can't in rage.

And you are forced to specialize as a fighter, which means when out of your specialty, you are being owned by barbarians, who lose far less DPS by equipping a weapon outside of their chosen one.

You are comparing apples to oranges here. Barbarians are the DPS class period. They really dont have any other options. They are dps, period, all with it. When raging thats all they got - DPS.

Fighters are the template class. They are a blank template with a huge amount of feats and you can tailor it the way you want. If you put all your eggs in one basket, the minute you have to switch to a different type of weapon, your DPS just got eclipsed. Specialization is the benefit AND the bane of kensai.

The OPs build is really the way to build barbs now, as the benefits of 20 barb aren't better than the haste boosts and feats from fighter 2.

Yeap, and all the absolute min maxers will spend money to LR, then when Turbine puts glances while moving back into the game as a proc system just like twf, they will have to LR again, or lose DPS. All the players who play the absolutist max DPS game and MUST be on top at all costs, are being played, like a violin. We already saw evidence of this when it was determined that the barbarian cap gave an "unintended" haste boost, and all the absolutists who gravitate to top DPS flocked to the LR druid to reincarnate their toons to 20 barbarian. Now they have to LR again to be 2 fighter 18 barb to get the most out of the class. Then when glances come back and they finally do fix the capstone to boot (LOL) they will have to LR again. Thats three LRs. Whenever Turbine wants to collect the money, they just "fix" something. Min maxers are money in the bank.

In other news, Chai's barbarian is being beat out by his similarly geared kensai, who is doing 100.0013% of the DPS his barbarian is. Whoop dee doooo.

[eulogy098]

Yeap, and all the absolute min maxers will spend money to LR, then when Turbine puts glances while moving back into the game as a proc system just like twf, they will have to LR again, or lose DPS. All the players who play the absolutist max DPS game and MUST be on top at all costs, are being played, like a violin. We already saw evidence of this when it was determined that the barbarian cap gave an "unintended" haste boost, and all the absolutists who gravitate to top DPS flocked to the LR druid to reincarnate their toons to 20 barbarian. Now they have to LR again to be 2 fighter 18 barb to get the most out of the class. Then when glances come back and they finally do fix the capstone to boot (LOL) they will have to LR again. Thats three LRs. Whenever Turbine wants to collect the money, they just "fix" something. Min maxers are money in the bank.

This is partly why my in-progress TR barb will remain pure. Ill skip the THF chain entirely for now, and simply pluck them back in when glancing blows are unerfed or the capstone is fixed. Really i see no benefit to taking 2fighter for power gamers. If you are a min-maxer you likely wont be taking the THF line and if you don't have that line you dont need 2 more feats. Haste boost isn't worth the all the losses.

[Nick_RC]

Dude instead of UMD'ing stoneskin wands I made myself my 24 large ingredient stoneskin clickie because they recharge, wands I gotta keep acquiring- don't you see the benefit??!!?!?!

U do realise u don't have to use a single large ingrediant to get the stoneskin clicke right?


Nice post OP all ur assumptions are correct.

n

[Carpone]

This is partly why my in-progress TR barb will remain pure. Ill skip the THF chain entirely for now, and simply pluck them back in when glancing blows are unerfed or the capstone is fixed. Really i see no benefit to taking 2fighter for power gamers. If you are a min-maxer you likely wont be taking the THF line and if you don't have that line you dont need 2 more feats. Haste boost isn't worth the all the losses.

What's your feat lineup with a 20 barb if you're not picking up the THF line? PA, Cleave, IC: Slash, Stunning Blow, Toughness x3?

[xanvar]

I started a Barb on Shade's DPS build. I like the build because it gives good damage and is fun to play. I think I will start morphing over to this build after the U5 changes. I have always thought 2 fighter was a good splash with Barb and now I see no reason not to do it. I think I will keep one THF feat just because and only take one toughness feat. Good post.

[eulogy098]

What's your feat lineup with a 20 barb if you're not picking up the THF line? PA, Cleave, IC: Slash, Stunning Blow, Toughness x3?

My build is as follows, and i believe that this is the best way to build a THF barbarian currently in update5. I see it as having every advantage over 18b/2f.


-------------------------------------

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.5.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Warforged Male
(20 Barbarian) 
Hit Points: 514
Spell Points: 0 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 9
Will: 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(34 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             18                    27
Dexterity            13                    16
Constitution         18                    24
Intelligence          8                    10
Wisdom                9                    12
Charisma              6                     8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 11
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               3                    14
Bluff                -2                    -1
Concentration         4                     7
Diplomacy            -2                    -1
Disable Device       n/a                    n/a
Haggle               -2                    -1
Heal                 -1                     1
Hide                  1                     3
Intimidate            2                    24
Jump                  4                    21
Listen               -1                     1
Move Silently         1                     3
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair               -1                     0
Search               -1                     0
Spot                  1                    12
Swim                  4                     8
Tumble                n/a                   4
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Barbarian
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 2 (Barbarian)


Level 3 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Past Life: Berserker's Fury


Level 4 (Barbarian)


Level 5 (Barbarian)


Level 6 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Cleave


Level 7 (Barbarian)


Level 8 (Barbarian)


Level 9 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 10 (Barbarian)


Level 11 (Barbarian)


Level 12 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Barbarian)


Level 14 (Barbarian)


Level 15 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Stunning Blow


Level 16 (Barbarian)


Level 17 (Barbarian)


Level 18 (Barbarian)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 19 (Barbarian)


Level 20 (Barbarian)
Enhancement: Barbarian Damage Boost I
Enhancement: Barbarian Damage Boost II
Enhancement: Barbarian Damage Boost III
Enhancement: Barbarian Damage Boost IV
Enhancement: Barbarian Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Barbarian Improved Damage Reduction I
Enhancement: Barbarian Improved Damage Reduction II
Enhancement: Barbarian Extend Rage I
Enhancement: Barbarian Extra Rage I
Enhancement: Barbarian Hardy Rage I
Enhancement: Barbarian Hardy Rage II
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Attack I
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Attack II
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Attack III
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Rage I
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Rage II
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Rage III
Enhancement: Barbarian Power Rage IV
Enhancement: Barbarian Frenzied Berserker I
Enhancement: Barbarian Frenzied Berserker II
Enhancement: Barbarian Frenzied Berserker III
Enhancement: Barbarian Might
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Barbarian Constitution I
Enhancement: Barbarian Constitution II
Enhancement: Barbarian Toughness I
Enhancement: Barbarian Toughness II
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack II
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack III
Enhancement: Warforged Tactics I
Enhancement: Warforged Tactics II

I use Shintao TOD set with +2con, Frenzy Berserker TOD set with +2 str, this squares off my STR stat. The only +3 tomes i had when i TRd were dex and wis, and my starting stats reflect such.

I twitch single targets, and believe it or not, i use cleave on large groups. Yeah, first time it's ever been on my hotbar sense i returned to the game last October.

Xanvar, the reason not to do it is because all you gain is a few attack speed clickies but you lose all kinds of goodies. I urge people to reconsider ((if what they are looking for is the stronger over-all build)). If you dont take THF feats as the OP suggested, you don't need those 2 fighter feats.