I wasn't able to find any barbarian build with a decent amount of WM levels in it, so I decided to build one
A powerful warrior who can swing a great axe with amazing skill, the Master of the Wild Axe is a front liner who instills fear into the heart of his enemies...and then cuts them down A berserker who feels no pain, he shakes off the blows of lesser warriors with ease. Here we go:
Master of the Wild Axe Barb 17/ WM 19/ Ftr 4
Dwarf, any non lawful PvM, playable 1-40
STR 16 (22) CON 17 (22) DEX 14 INT 14 WIS 8 CHA 6
HP,max (rage): 714 (834) SkP: 212 Intimidate 53 (51) Taunt 43 (41) Discipline 43 (49) Tumble 20 (22) enough to wear plate and avoid AoO Spellcraft 18 (20) 7 points left over
BAB: 30 AB (raging): 44 (47), 4 attacks/round AC, naked: 18 (23 w/expertise on) (-2 when raging) DR 12/-
1 Barbarian 1 WF (Great Axe) 2 Fighter 1 Dodge 3 Fighter 2 Mobility, Expertise 4 Barbarian 2 STR (STR 17) 5 Barbarian 3 6 Barbarian 4 Spring Attack 7 Barbarian 5 8 Barbarian 6 STR (STR 18) 9 Barbarian 7 Whirlwind Attack 10 Barbarian 8 11 W. Master 1 12 W. Master 2 IC, STR (STR 19) 13 W. Master 3 14 W. Master 4 15 W. Master 5 Iron Will 16 W. Master 6 STR (STR 20) 17 Barbarian 9 18 Barbarian 10 Toughness 19 Barbarian 11 20 Barbarian 12 STR (STR 21) 21 W. Master 7 EWF 22 Barbarian 13 23 Barbarian 14 24 Barbarian 15 Terrifying Rage, STR (STR 22) 25 W. Master 8 26 Fighter 3 27 Fighter 4 WS, EWS 28 W. Master 9 CON (CON 18) 29 W. Master 10 30 W. Master 11 ESF: Intimidate 31 W. Master 12 32 W. Master 13 EP, CON (CON 19) 33 Barbarian 16 Great CON (CON 20) 34 W. Master 14 35 W. Master 15 36 W. Master 16 AS, EDR I, CON (CON 21) 37 W. Master 17 38 W. Master 18 39 W. Master 19 EDR II,EDR III 40 Barbarian 17 CON (CON 22)
Why 17 Barb lvls? I wanted to get in terrifying rage asap and still be able to max out Taunt.
If you feel you don't need EDR and you want to get Thundering Rage, change CON increases at lvl 28-32-36 for STR increases, ESF: Intimidate for Great STR (lvl 30), Great CON for Thundering Rage (lvl 33), EDR I for ESF: Intimidate (lvl 36), EDR II for ESF: Taunt and EDR III for Epic Thoughness at lvl 39 (for example... otherwise rearrange lvls to get the feat you want). Keep the last CON increase. Final stats will be STR 26, CON 18 (You lose 60 HPs, 2 from For save, 9 points DR but get +2 AB, +2 DAM, +10 Taunt and Thundering Rage... might be worth it)
Suggestions and constructive critique is appreciated. Cheers, Kail
Nice build. I have something a soft spot for barbarians, I rarely play them but they're always a blast when I do. Xylo mad! Xylo smash! Raaarr!
I don't see any problems with the build as-is, in a medium or high magic world greater rage will put you over the +12 cap on both stats without needing mighty rage. That gives you some flexibility in your gear for improving your armorclass or saves.
Thundering rage would be nice for a weapon-master, but I am not sure that giving up EDR for it is a good tradeoff. Adding overwhelming critical to thundering range to the weaponmaster's crit-related benefits would be an interesting build, but would probably sacrifice too heavily defensivley to be more than a gimmick build. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
I think you may find that you can take Terrifying Rage after 15 levels. don't know if that may let you improve at all!
I think you may find that you can take Terrifying Rage after 15 levels. don't know if that may let you improve at all!
Err... I did take Terrifying rage after 15 Barb lvls actually. I took more barbarian lvls to max out Taunt. I know 1 would have been enough for that but what to do then with the spare lvl? Both 1 more lvl of WM or FTR wouldn't add anything to the build when instead Barb gave me 1 more DR (17th lvl) and I already got one more greater rage use per day at 16th Barb lvl.
Cheers
A nifty build. Well done - and a Dwarf! Nice. Only one minor thing you need to change: Whirlwind Attack requires Expertise, so you'll have to switch those two feats around.
Other than that, kudos on the build! _________________ Wave upon wave of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream...
Quote: Posted 10/28/05 23:27:49 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din
A nifty build. Well done - and a Dwarf! Nice. Only one minor thing you need to change: Whirlwind Attack requires Expertise, so you'll have to switch those two feats around.
Other than that, kudos on the build!
Thanks a lot...I just love dwarves
It seems it's my turn to make an offer on the altar of the Edit Gods this time *prepares fresh troll's liver* (btw I typed WIld instead of Wild in the title, gracious gods, could you correct that too?)
Hmmm ..That last Troll liver was "tough"...Old troll huh! 'Dragon eggs' would be nice... Oh, and something to wash it down with. Ok...Edited
Sorry, griphook, I didn't notice this earlier, but Expertise and Spring Attack have to be switched because SA requires BAB +4 or higher, so can't be taken at level 3.
*Dragon eggs sunny side up, hard-boiled, or pickled, take your pick. Also, a keg of the finest Dwarven ale for you!* _________________ Wave upon wave of demented avengers marched cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream...
I gave it the old once-over. This is a pretty decent character you got here. Perhaps your best yet. Well done. I wouldn't change a thing. _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
Ariel, Ookla, RIDE!
Now,.. Thats what i call breakfast. "Dragon eggs sunny side up".. I,ll try the ale later....Edit done
sorry if its wrong to bump old threads,
ive been having fun playing this build in sou and i was wondering, what kind of armour (boots, bracers, helmet etc) is recommended?
im currently using general in game stuff to improve my ac.
my armour is currently the aurumvorax armour, is the best kind of armour to use, or would a heavy armour be better?
I think you may find that you can take Terrifying Rage after 15 levels. don't know if that may let you improve at all!
Err... I did take Terrifying rage after 15 Barb lvls actually. I took more barbarian lvls to max out Taunt. I know 1 would have been enough for that but what to do then with the spare lvl? Both 1 more lvl of WM or FTR wouldn't add anything to the build when instead Barb gave me 1 more DR (17th lvl) and I already got one more greater rage use per day at 16th Barb lvl.
Cheers
And I thought I was being helpful! perhaps I need to read more closely
You could drop 2 Barb levels for 2 Fighter levels, giving you an extra feat, either epic or pre-epic. THe downside would be Terrifying Rage at 39th and Taunt ranks limited to 42 as a result.
Doubt it helps much
any ideas on what kind of items suit this build the most?
thanks
Edited By staybeautiful on 03/07/06 04:32
Staybeautiful, thank you for the positive feedback.
Regarding armour, the heaviest armor (magical bonus being equal) is what suits the build best. Of course, if you get lighter armor which overall (because of magical enhancements) gives you a better AC than an heavier one, then, by all means, go with the lighter one (f.e. Chain +5 is better than Plate +1 for you). You might want to increase tumble ranks to 21 just for the reason of avoiding AoO while moving in combat wearing full plate.
Regarding other items that help the build there are save boosters (will especially, even better get some mind immunity), strength boosters (for AB and damage), DR and EDR items, CHA boosting gear for terrifying rage and taunt, AC gear of course. Or a friendly cleric otherwise I don't remember what's available specifically in SoU, maybe someone else can help you there.
I...Samphus, for a lvl 40 build I would go with 15 Barb lvls only, the extra feat could be used for ESF: taunt, or epic will f.e. In retrospective, I would grab blind fight preepic, probably dropping toughness or iron will if mind immunity gear are common enough. Fighter 5 (FTR 4 preepic)/Barb 16 is another way to go for earlier WS at the cost of losing the taunt dump at 33rd lvl and 1 point DR.
I had some good fun playing this build, especially when terrifying rage kicks in.
Cheers, Kail _________________ To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives They fought for you and me Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free
thanks for the avice, much appreciated.
i just found some new armour, +5 armour modifier and +5 to hide, looks pretty good.
if i can sense a battle coming im getting my henchman to cast clarity on me, but i really do need some mind immunity from somewhere... you mentioned the iron will, what kind of protection does that give against mind affecting spells?
i had quite a bit of trouble with kel garas before finding xanos' clarity spell.
thanks for getting back to me, once again, kudos on the great build!
Iron Will boosts your Will Save by two points. _________________ The world is grey, the mountain's old The forge's fire is ashen and cold No harp is wrung, no hammer falls The darkness dwells in Druin's halls...
does a +2 on will saves on this particular build mean that immunity to mind spells in the form of an item isnt really needed or is it still vital?
when i first played through SoU with my own character i had trouble beating the lich which steals the dark wind, with this char i annihilated him and his mini army.
currently using "Greenleaf" armour, seems pretty nifty so far.
The OC, SoU, HotU are not really challenging environments, so you can probably go without mind immunity. Fear immunity might be a good idea though. In more challenging environments (online servers or downloaded modules) I strongly suggest you to acquire mind immunity cause your will save sucks (or again, at the very least, fear immunity). Amulet of Will +x (or any will boosting gear) is an alternative if immunities are rare or not easy to acquire.
This said, if you are sure to easily get mind immunity you can skip iron will and get some other feat (blind fight). Iron will was put in to make up for the low will saves untill you get mind immunity... if you ever do.
Cheers, Kail _________________ Stand and fight, live by your heart Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die Stand and fight, say what you feel Born with a Heart of Steel!
well sou may not be a "challenging evnviroment" but this build does have a major weakness in "Fear" so i will search for that mind immunity but will also be taking that iron will too.
decided on a head on charge into the last part of SoU and the skeletal devourers in there put fear on me and that was the end of that!
but, please dont think im moaning, i get clarity cast on me and its a killing machine, want that mind spell immunity.
I know, the low will save is the big issue of this build. That's why I consider mind (or at least fear) immunity a priority. Raging increases your will save, so activate it before challenging encounters where you know you are gonna face fear/mind effects.
IIRC, there's an easy enough to get belt that grants fear immunity (belt of the minor guiding light or something like that). A life saver, IMO.
Cheers, Kail _________________ Stand and fight, live by your heart Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die Stand and fight, say what you feel Born with a Heart of Steel!
well the end of SoU is just about impossible for this character, i managed it in the end but it was one hell of a pain involving lots of saving and loading (rinse and repeat)
your 100% spot on about (fear) mind affecting immunity being a must.
about to start playing HoU now, hopefully ill find a nice shop where i can buy some immunity.
on the whole this char waltzed through SoU easily, lets see how it goes through HoU.
Potions of clarity will help you (unless you get dispelled) untill you get some mind immunity. Fear immunity should be easy to get, but I'm no expert of the OCs, so I can't say it for sure.
I'm glad you like the build. Thank you for the feedback.
Cheers, Kail _________________ To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives They fought for you and me Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free
the trouble with the end of SoU is that the devourer's cast dispell as there first move, so i kept losing my clarity fairly quickly.
anyway, i got past them in the end, which is a testament to the build.
just started HoU and ouch, forgot that it takes all your equipment at the start... time to start the hunt for mind spell immunity again..
a barbarian weapon master... i still LOVE the sound of that!:D
btw, what are the lvl 40 numbers for -
STR 16 (22) CON 17 (22) DEX 14 INT 14 WIS 8 CHA 6
Edited By staybeautiful on 03/24/06 14:47
The numbers in parentheses are the final attribute stats at level 40 (raised every 4 levels and with Great Attribute feats). _________________ Captain's Log, Stardate 6051: had trouble sleeping last night... my hiatal hernia is acting up. The ship is... drafty and damp; I complain but... nobody listens.
Quote: Posted 03/24/06 15:13:59 (GMT) -- Cinnabar Din
The numbers in parentheses are the final attribute stats at level 40 (raised every 4 levels and with Great Attribute feats).
ahhh ok, thanks alot!!
couldnt take terrifying rage at barbarian 15, had a "greyed out" greater rage so i chose some other feat.
any idea whats wrong?
You need 25 base ranks in Intimidate to be able to select Terrifying rage and you need to lvlup as a Barbarian on a feat lvl. My guess is that you forgot to put points into intimidate, which btw you should keep maxed after you get terrifying rage for maximum efficiency.
Cheers, Kail _________________ Stand and fight, live by your heart Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die Stand and fight, say what you feel Born with a Heart of Steel!
thanks again kail, you must be getting annoyed by now.
anychance of getting a skill point breakdown? as in, at lvl 2 put x amount of points into intimidate, tumble etc.
i know it would be a pain, but id really appreciate it!
No pain at all, it's just copy and paste from Kamiryn's CBC. Here we go:
Cheers, Kail _________________ Stand and fight, live by your heart Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die Stand and fight, say what you feel Born with a Heart of Steel!
woah, legend thanks.
ok... i can put in these at level one 01: Discipline(4), Intimidate(4), Taunt(4)
but not the tumble or the save, in fact i cant even see save...
what am i doing wrong... apart from being a bit dim
Erm, Tumble should be there (assuming you have HotU ). Save means that you, erm, save the points, i.e. you don't use them. _________________ "And one calculates time from the dies nefastus on which this fatality arose – from the first day of Christianity! – Why not rather from its last? – From today? – Revaluation of all values!"
i see, thought you meant will save, i do have all the games including kingmaker and pirates of the sword coast.
but by the time i have put 4 points in discipline, intimidate and taunt, im out of points, so how do i put 2 in tumble and still have some left over?
I don't know, it's not my build Nay, well you should get 4 * (4 +2) = 24 points on your first level, that's
24 -4 Discipline -4 Intimidate -4 Taunt -4 Tumble (cross-class, 2 points) -- 8 left over
Of course, if you're starting as a fighter, you get less points: 4 * (2 +2) = 16. Perhaps you're doing that (seeing how Kail's spending 16 points on the first level with 8 left over, and you don't have any left over), but then your build isn't this build, now is it _________________ "And one calculates time from the dies nefastus on which this fatality arose – from the first day of Christianity! – Why not rather from its last? – From today? – Revaluation of all values!"
Edited By FinneousPJ on 04/12/06 14:04
first level is barbarian... 1 Barbarian 1 WF (Great Axe).
im guessing i messed it up, so ill try again...
Is your INT score 14? If you set INT lower that could explain the lack of skillpoints you are experiencing.
Cheers, Kail _________________ To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives They fought for you and me Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free
hey everyone, thanks for the help, managed it fine in the end. just a quick question, i took terrifying rage at barbarian lvl 15 but i can still only find greater rage as a skill.
it was an improved rage with an area of effect circle around me so im sure its terrifying rage, but it still shows up as greater rage.
apologies to kail and finneous, thanks alot for your help. ill get there eventually.... maybe!
Greater rage is just an improved version of barbarian rage (+6 STR/CON +3 Will instead of +4 and +2).
About terrifying rage, that's the way it works, don't worry. If you see 'em running away scared everything's fine (for you at least )
Cheers, Kail _________________ Stand and fight, live by your heart Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die Stand and fight, say what you feel Born with a Heart of Steel!
Wait...what is the point of having so many WM levels? Dont the benifits stop flowing at level 7?
No they don't. You get +1 AB with your WoC and a bonus feat every 3 lvls after 10th (13, 16, 19, ...). Besides you can pick a second WoC as a WM bonus feat (not the case in this build but it is a known WM exploit). And you get one ki damage per day per WM lvl.
Cheers, Kail _________________ To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives They fought for you and me Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free
I don't remember what's available specifically in SoU, maybe someone else can help you there.
). Save means that you, erm, save the points, i.e. you don't use them.