Choosing When to Rage

worthy exception is the wild elf (grugach), who takes up the barbarian's path with pleasure, despite his Constitution penalty .

Level Equivalent Some monsters are innately more powerful than members of the common races (human, elf, dwarf, and so on) . When one of those monsters gains levels in a class, some number is added to its class levels to determine its effective level . The total of its class levels and this number (which varies according to creature type) is its level equivalent .

For example, a grimlock's level equivalent is equal to its class levels +3 . This means that a 1 st-level grimlock barbarian is effectively a 4th-level character-in other words, roughly equal in power to a 4th-level player character of one of the common races . (What gives a grimlock this advantage is its blindsight, coupled with its immunity to attacks that rely on the target having a visual sense .)

An ordinary member of a monster race (one without class levels, such as the grimlock described in the Monster Manual) does not have a level equivalent .

In addition to grimlocks, creatures discussed in this book that have level equivalents are lizardfolk, locathahs, centaurs, dryads, nymphs, gnolls, sahuagin, and yuan-ti .

For more on level equivalent, see Monsters as Races in Chapter 2 of the DUNGEON MASTER'S Guide .

Gnomes : Gnome barbarians are as rare as elven ones, though the reasons for this are primarily social. Gnomes do not separate themselves from the natural world, but they do tend to prefer sophisticated professions such as alchemy, engineering, and skilled trades . The average gnome enjoys his own cleverness too much to adopt the boldly direct approach of the barbarian . That's unfortunate, because the gnome doesn't perform poorly in that role . His size bonus to AC and attacks and his racial Constitution bonus offset his Strength penalty most of the time, and the barbarian's fast movement can compensate for the gnome's slow speed . Half-Elves : Most barbarians are either humans or half-ores, but half-elves run a close third . Since the half-elf has all the capriciousness of both his human and his elven sides, the requirement for a nonlawful alignment is easy to meet. Half-elves who find themselves cast aside by human and elven communities may find the barbarian's path an especially inviting one . Becoming a barbarian may even lead to a form of acceptance for the half-elf-although tribal societies are not known for welcoming outsiders, they readily accept a strong swordarm in times of trouble . Half-Ores : Orcs are savages, it's true . So, it's no real surprise that many half-orc heroes are barbarians . All orcs can feel the battle rage pounding in their hearts, but only those who are also barbarians can harness their blood frenzy to best effect . The half-orc's bonus to Strength, the prime statistic for the combat-focused, is worth the sacrifice of Charisma and Intelligence . (After all, how often must the barbarian try to woo or outwit someone?) Count the number of times the fighter swings his sword, and remember that not only does the half-orc barbarian typically do more damage than the fighter with each hit, he also hits more often . If you're looking for the most powerful barbarian, and you can live with a bit of social stigma, then half-orc is the right choice .

Halflings: For the barbarian, high Constitution is usually better than high Dexterity, so gnome tends to be a better choice than halfling . Moreover, primitive or savage halfling communities are quite rare . Halflings are creatures of comfort, and their communities are strong . While their athleticism and bravery do them credit, and their racial bonus to Listen checks falls right in line with the barbarian's class skills, the penalty to Strength is too great a drawback to overlook .

Monsters : Among the monstrous races, grimlocks, lizardfolk, locathahs, and orcs are the most likely to adopt the barbarian way of life .

Grimlocks are xenophobic, subterranean creatures . Though they are blind, they can still sense their foes through blindsight . Grimlocks charge into combat wielding battleaxes, and that trait in itself seems barbaric . Grimlocks are strong, tough, and formidable enough to make fine barbarians . Because of the grimlock's various advantages, his level equivalent is his class levels +5 .

Lizardfolk make ideal barbarians, both because their societies tend to be primitive and because their livelihood depends primarily on hunting and raiding . Fast movement provides them with a speed advantage over members of most other races . Rage greatly enhances a lizardfolk's already above-average Strength and Constitution scores, which can provide a significant bonus on their weapon and natural attacks . Because of these advantages, the lizardfolk's level equivalent is his class levels +4 .

Locathahs are an exotic hut reasonable choice for barbarian player characters . They tend toward neutrality in alignment, and while they don't trust outsiders, they aren't as aggressive as grimlocks . Perhaps that's because locathahs are unusually intelligent and wise (+2 racial bonus to intelligence, Wisdom, and Dexterity) for humanoids who favor the barbarian class . Locathahs have a terrible land speed (10 feet) that even the barbarian's fast movement can't fully compensate for. Because of his advantageous ability modifiers, formidable natural armor, and ability to breathe water, however, the locathah's level equivalent is his class levels +3 .

The orc is another common choice for barbarian, and his +2 racial bonus to Strength is a good selling point for the class . The DUNGEON MASTER's Guide provides rules for playing an ore, which is basically a more extreme version of the half-orc . Many of the same considerations noted for half-orcs (above) apply to the ore as well.

The Barbarian and Other Classes

Barbarians can be very opinionated, so it's not surprising that they provoke strong reactions from other characters. In most cases, though, these differences in approach are just hooks for good roleplaying .

The barbarian makes an excellent addition to adventuring parties in need of more muscle. If you're playing a barbarian, you may find some good advice in the following paragraphs about getting along with your fellow adventurers .

Bards : There's nothing like a good skald to inspire your battle rage or while away the downtime between adventures with songs and stories . You don't really understand his spellcasting, but you can appreciate it more than that of the wizard or sorcerer-after all, the bard's magic can heal . Best of all, though, he can help you achieve immortality by making up songs and legends about your exploits . So what if he tends to get the party into trouble with his boasting and tomfoolery occasionally? What's life without a little conflict?

Clerics : You can certainly appreciate a good healer, but the typical cleric spends a lot of time talking about the afterlife and trying to convert others to his faith . You don't worry all that much about the next life-you have to focus on the here and now if you want to survive . Cler-