The barbarian class is a sub-class of fighter.
Barbarian characters are adept at the many skills
necessary for survival in a hostile wilderness.
These skills include rapid movement, climbing,
use of many weapons, certain "sixth senses," and many secondary and tertiary
abilities.
Barbarians are tough and hardy, and recover quickly
from damage.
A barbarian must have strength
&
constitution scores of no less
than 15 each, a dexterity score of 14
or better, and a wisdom score of no greater
than 16.
The barbarian is considered to have no principal
attribute, and as such does not gain any bonuses to earned XP.
A PC barbarian cannot be a character with
two classes.
Q. Which of the Barbarian classes is
'official' -- the one in IMAGINE
magazine or the one that appeared in
White Dwarf
#4? Why are the two so
different?
A. The question of 'official/unofficial'
is
a contentious one. As far as we are
concerned rules changes and additions
are only official if they are
written by Gary Gygax or approved by
him. After all, he did invent the game
in the first place. This is not to say
that things that other people create
are wrong, they are only unofficial.
Therefore, the Gary Gygax Barbarian
is the official one.
The 2 are so different because
they
are interpretations by different people
at different times.
(Imagine #5)
1. Barbarians gain
a bonus to their AC of 2 steps for every point of dexterity over 14, but
only if the armor worn is not of the fairly bulky or bulky type.
If fairly bulky or bulky armor is worn, the bonus
is +1 per point over 14.
This replaces the Defensive Adjustment for dexterity
given to other classes.
The Reaction/Attacking Adjustment remain the same
for the barbarian's dexterity.
Q: Could a barbarian
use magical
chain mail and still receive
his full
dexterity bonus (+2 for
each point
of dexterity over 14) to
armor class?
A: No. Chain mail
is fairly bulky even when
magical, and thus negates
the barbarian's
full bonus (see UA,
page 18). A barbarian could wear elfin chain
mail, however, and get the
full bonus, as
this type of chain mail
is not bulky. Of
course, DMs might wish to
restrict or ban
this if it will produce
an overly powerful
barbarian.
(136.50)
2. In addition, barbarians gain +2 HP per point of constitution over 14, as opposed to normal constitution bonuses for other classes.
Barbarians can be of any non-lawful alignment,
but must be human.
They do not USE alignment
language of any sort, however, and the barbarian knows only how to
speak his tribal tongue and the common tongue.
A barbarian must learn how to read & write
if he or she desires these skills.
A barbarian can learn languages according to his
or her intelligence, just as any other character can.
Barbarians are tough and hardy fighters, hardened by the savage lands of their birth.
3. They have 12-sided
HD
and a base movement rate of 15".
They use the combat
tables for normal fighters, and may use any sort of weapon, shield,
and armor (but note that fairly bulky or bulky armor reduces the barbarian's
AC bonus for dexterity).
The initial number of weapons the barbarian uses
must
include hand axe, knife, and spear.
Additional weapons based upon the barbarian's
native area may be chosen by the DM.
BARBARIANS (FIGHTERS) TABLE I.
| Experience. Points | Exp. Level | 12-Sided
Dice for Accum. Hit Points |
Level Title | THACO | Actions and Abilities | Saves* | WP/NWP | XP |
| <0-level> | 0 | - | - | 20n | - | (+1)13.14.16.18.19 | - | 10+1+4+35 |
| 0 -- 6,000 | 1 | 1 | Tribesman | 20 | - | (+1)11.12.14.15.17 | 6/3 | 20.2.8.45 |
| 6,001 -- 12,000 | 2 | 2 | Savage | 19 | May associate freely with clerics | -^- | -^- | 35.3.15.55 |
| 12,001 -- 24,000 | 3 | 3 | Clan Brother | 18 | May use magic potions | (+1)10.11.13.14.16 | 7/4 | 60.4.25.65 |
| 24,001 -- 48,000 | 4 | 4 | Hunter | 17 | May use magic weapons
May strike creatures hit only by +1 weapons Gains +1 on saving throw versus spell |
(+1)10.11.13.14.15 | -^- | 90.5.40.75 |
| 48,001 -- 80,000 | 5 | 5 | Warrior | 16 | May use magic armor | (+1)8.9.11.11.13 | 9/5 | 150.6.75.125 |
| 80,001 -- 150,000 | 6 | 6 | Brave | 15 | May associate with magic-users -- if necessary!
May strike creatures hit only by +2 weapons |
-^- | -^- | 225.8.125.175 |
| 150,001 -- 275,000 | 7 | 7 | Elite Warrior | 14 | May use weapon-like miscellaneous magic items | (+1)7.8.10.10.12 | 10/6 | 375.10.175.275 |
| 275,001 -- 500,000 | 8 | 8 | Headman | 13 | May associate with magic-users -- occasionally
May strike creatures hit only by +3 weapons Gains +2 on saving throws versus spell May summon a Barbarian Horde (see below) |
(+1)7.8.10.10.11 | -^- | 600.12.300.400 |
| 500,001 -- 1,000,000 | 9 | 8 + 4 | Chief | 12 | May use protection scrolls | (+1)5.6.8.7.9 | 11/7 | 900.14.450.600 |
| 1,000,001 -- 1,500,000 | 10 | 8 + 8 | War Chief | 11 | May use most magic items available to fighters
May strike creatures hit only by +4 weapons |
-^- | -^- | 900.14.450.600 |
| 1,501,001 -- 2,000,000 | 11 | 8 + 12 | Laird | 10 | Gains +3 on saving throws versus spell
May strike creatures hit only by +5 weapons |
(+1)4.5.7.6.7 | 12/8 | 1300.16.700.850 |
500,000 experience points per level for each additional level above the 11th.
<note: just for fun, i added in the level titles from White Dwarf 4, page 17>
Barbarians in general detest magic and those who
use it. They will, at
low levels of experience, refuse to employ any
sort of magic item if
they recognize it as such. They will often seek
to destroy magic items,
and if successful they receive an XP award as
if they
possessed the destroyed items. While magic-users
will be shunned
initially, and always viewed with suspicion, clerical
spells of the type
used by shamans and witch doctors are not so viewed,
though high-level
clerical spells are suspect.
5.
A barbarian’s natural attack abilities allow him or her to strike creatures
that would normally be immune to non-magical attacks
as the
barbarian rises in level. At 4th level the barbarian
can affect creatures
which require a + 1 or better weapon to hit, while
a 6th-level barbarian
can strike creatures which require a + 2 weapon
to hit. Similarly, at
8th level, the barbarian can hit creatures requiring
a + 3 weapon to
hit, and at 10th level can hurt creatures requiring
a + 4 weapon to hit.
At 12th level, a barbarian can affect creatures
harmed normally only
by weapons of + 5 or better. The barbarian, despite
the ability to hit
such creatures, does not gain a bonus “to hit”
or inflict additional
damage because of this ability. Only barbarians
have this ability
among all the player character classes.
Q: The monk ability
quivering palm
does not work on creatures
that are
struck only by magical weapons.
Looking at the DMG,
I see that creatures
that are themselves immune
to normal weapons can hit
other
creatures that are immune
to normal
weapons. Does the reverse
hold
true? That is to say, are
those creatures
that can hit creatures immune
to normal weapons immune
to normal
weapons themselves? Specifically,
are high-level barbarians
immune to normal weapons
and
quivering palm?
A: The barbarian's
ability to hit those creatures
that are normally hit only
by magic
weapons does not protect
him from nonmagical
weapons or a monks quivering
palm.
(150.38)
6. Saving Throw
Bonuses: All barbarians have the following bonuses to their saves:
They are + 4 vs. Poison,
+ 3 versus paralyzation, death magic,
petrification, and polymorph, and + 2 versus rod,
staff and wand and
breath weapon. Barbarians gain no benefit to their
saving throw versus
spell at start, but gain a + 1 to such saving
throws for every four
levels attained.
The barbarian character has the following primary abilities:
7. Climb
cliffs and trees: The barbarian can climb trees and natural
cliffs (or ledges, mountains,
etc.) as a thief of the same level would
climb walls. Barbarians may
also climb walls of other kinds once
they have had the opportunity
to practice scaling that particular
type of surface.
8.
Hide
in natural surroundings: Barbarians can hide in natural surroundings
that are familiar to the barbarian
as a thief of three
levels higher would hidein
shadows. A barbarian can hide in unfamiliar
natural surroundings as a thief
of the same level would hide
in shadows.
9.
Surprise:
Barbarians surprise opponents on a 3 in 6 chance, or
4 in 6 if they are in familiar
terrain.
10.
Barbarians are themselves surprised 10% of the time, or
only 5% in familiar terrain.
<Convert
surprise values to percentage values on both sides. 1=162/3%,
2=331/3%, 3=50%, 4=662/3%,
5=831/3%, 6=100%.>
<From
here, convert these to d10 values, using the normal rounding rules of mathematics.>
<This
works out to: 1in6=2in10, 2in6=3in10, 3in6=5in10, 4in6=7in10, 5in6=8in10,
6in6=10in10>
<If
there is a barbarian in the party, always use d10 for surprise, never a
d6.>
11.Back
protection: Any attempt to attack a barbarian from behind, including
such attacks by assassins or
thieves, has a 5% chance
per level of being detected
and countered. That is, if a barbarian
detects a back attack (a 5%
chance at 1 st level, 10% at 2nd, etc.)
the barbarian avoidsihe attack
form. The former back attack becomes
a normal attack. The barbarian
is also then entitled to attack
the former “back attacker,”
even though the barbarian may
already have engaged in what
would otherwise have been his or
her full normal combat for
that round.
12.Leaping
and springing: Barbarians are able to leap up to a maximum
distance of 10 feet forward,
3 feet backward, or 3 feet upward
from a standing start. If the
barbarian is able to move freely
and get a running start, the
forward leap can range from 16-21 feet
(15 + d6), and the upward leap
from 4% to 6 feet (4 + d4, each pip
equaling l/z foot). Springing
under similar conditions gives an upward
distance of 4-7 feet, depending
on the surface used as a step
to gain height and spring.
13.
Detect
illusion: Barbarians have a 5% chance per level of determining
that some sight, sound or other
sensory phenomenon is
actually an i/lusion/phantasm
spell of some type. This detection
takes one round of concentration
on the illusion. Regardless of the
barbarian’s level, the chance
to so detect such spells may never
exceed 75%.
14.
Detect
magic: Barbarians have a 25% chance of detecting any
sort of magic other than the
illusion/,phantasm variety. This again
takes one round of concentration,
and applies to items or spells,
but not to persons who are
able to effect magic. For each level the
barbarian gains beyond the
1st level, the barbarian gains an additional
5% to his or her base chance
of detection. However, this
chance may never exceed 90%
regardless of the barbarian’s level
of experience. The type of
magic is never revealed by this ability.
Q.
Would a barbarian be able to use a
magickal weapon if he failed to detect
magick?
A. The barbarian (from #2) has the
ability to detect magick, but it is
probably not a conscious ability. It is
more a 'feel' that magick is present.
Even if the barbarian doesn't detect
the Presence of magick immediately,
the weapon's unnatural excellence
would cause him to be increasingly
uneasy. Barbarians may be barbarous,
but they are not thick -- even
they would notice the pretty glow of a
magickal sword!
(Imagine #13)
15.Leadership:
When dealing with other barbarians, a barbarian adds
his or her level of experience
to his or her charisma score to get an
effective charisma effect on
other barbarians. Comeliness does
not affect, nor is it affected
by, this ability
In addition to the primary skills, every barbarian
possesses all of the
following secondary abilities. These secondary
abilities are generally
not usable (certainly not to their fullest potential)
in areas which are
unfamiliar to the barbarian, although the skills
can be applied to a new
locale with differing flora, fauna, and climate,
after
about one month
of continual exposure to the new area.
16.Survival:
The barbarian has the necessary skills for survival in the’ wild, including
16a.
hunting,
16b.
small animal trapping,
16c.
food gathering,
shelter
building,
body
covering, and
16d.
fire building.
17.First
aid: This skill allows the barbarian to bind wounds, set sprains
or broken bones, and concoct
natural antidotes and natural cures
for diseases. This means the
barbarian immediately regains 1 hit
point, and thereafter he or
she regains hit points at twice the normal
rate, regaining 2 hit points
per day if resting, and 1 hit point per
day even if active and adventuring.
The barbarian can also bind
wounds to prevent further loss
in hit points of other characters.
Such “first aid” restores 1,
hit point immediately, and then increases
hit-point recovery by 1000%
if the barbarian continues to
administer aid and cures. When
dealing with natural poison and illness,
the barbarian has a 10% chance
of effecting a cure. If the
poison or disease is known,
this chance of success rises to a percentage
equal to 50 plus the victim’s
constitution score.
Q:
Is there a limit to how many times
a barbarian
can apply first aid?
A:
Some campaigns allow barbarians to
administer
first aid each time a character
receives
a new wound, but each wound
may only
be treated once. If the PC has
received
several wounds, only the last one
sustained
may be treated with first aid.
(136.50)
18.
Outdoor
craft: This skill includes
18a.,
18b. plant and animal detection as a 3rd-level druid,
18c.
direction determination, and
18d.
the ability to predict weather as if the spell of that name were cast by
a 3rd-level druid.
19. Tracking:
A barbarian’s tracking skill is equal to that of a ranger of
the same level, but a barbarian
may only track in the outdoors.
20. Finally, a barbarian
will have one or more of the following tertiary skills
depending on the locale or culture from which
he or she originates.
Which skills are applicable are determined by
the DM according to
the nature of the campaign.
Animal handling: The
barbarian can handle and domesticate wild
animals. Usually this is restricted
to dogs, but could possibly include
animals such as wolves, large
birds, giant lynxes, etc.
Horsemanship: The barbarian
is skilled in using his horse in combat,
and this ability could include
the handling of draft teams.
Long distance signaling:
The barbarian is capable of using the signaling
methods of his native land
(including such things as drums,
smoke, or mirror flashes) to
communicate over long distances.
Running: This skill enables
the barbarian to move at full speed
(twice normal movement rate)
for no less than three full days before
having to “rest” by spending
a day moving at normal rate.
Similarly, endurance will be
twice normal for movement situations.
Small craft, paddled:
The barbarian is skilled in the building and
use of small canoes and hide
boats.
Small craft, rowed: This
skill includes the building of wooden boats
and the rowing andlor sailing
of these boats.
Sound imitation: The
barbarian with this skill can mimic various
sounds, including bird or animal
calls, either for the purpose of luring
those creatures or for signaling.
Snare building: This
skill allows the barbarian to construct deadfalls,
pits, and other traps for large
and even very large animals
and like creatures.
Native territory: Many of a barbarian’s
abilities depend on the native
territory of the character. It is mandatory that
barbarian characters
come from some out-of-the-way barbaric state or
area within the campaign.
Typically they are cavemen, dervishes, nomads,
or tribesmen.
Only such uncivilized backgrounds can generate
the necessary surroundings
to produce individuals of the stock from which
barbarian
fighters would be drawn.
Within the WORLD
OF GREYHAWK Fantasy Game Setting, for example,
there are several areas that could spawn the barbarian
subclass.
The lands of the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians,
as well as the
Hold of Stonefist,
would be the homeland of barbarians of the
Scandinavian/Slavic mold. These characters would
employ broad
swords and short bows in addition to the required
initial weapons.
Horsemanship would be nominal at best, but these
barbarians would
have running abilities and the skill in small
craft, rowed.
Barbarians from
the Rovers of the Barrens, Tiger,
and Wolf
Nomads would be excellent horsemen.
* The Rovers, being the most
barbaric of these groups, would have the tertiary abilities of running,
animal handling,
paddled
small craft, sound imitation, and snare building. Their
main
weapons would be the club, javelin, and lasso or short bow.
* Other Nomads from this group
would be most efficient at long distance
signaling,
and skilled in the use of the lance, scimitar, and composite
short
bow.
Savages of the Amedio Jungle or Hepmonaland
would have the tertiary
abilities of long distance signaling, running,
sound imitation,
snare building, and possibly paddled small craft.
In the Amedio Jungle,
the preferred weapons would be club, blowgun or
shortbow, and
dart or javelin. In Hepmonaland, the typical weapons
would be atlatl
and javelin, club, and short sword.
Using the above as examples, the DM can tailor
his barbarians to fit
his campaign. Not only does the native area determine
initial weapons
known, but it also serves as a base of judgment
for the use of secondary
abilities. These abilities are severely limited
outside the native
territory of the barbarian, until the character
becomes more effective
with his or her abilities by gaining familiarity
with the new area.
As barbarians rise in level,
they gain further abilities, some of which
have been noted above. Further, some of the limitations
placed on the
barbarian are relaxed or lifted. A summary follows:
| Level | Actions and Abilities |
| 2 | May associate freely with clerics |
| 3 | May use magic potions |
| 4 | May use magic weapons
May strike creatures hit only by + 1 weapons Gains + 1 on saving throws versus spell |
| 5 | May use magic armor |
| 6 | May associate with magic-users - if necessary!
May strike creatures hit only by + 2 weapons |
| 7 | May use weapon-like miscellaneous magic items |
| 8 | May associate with magic-users - occasionally
May strike creatures hit only by + 3 weapons Gains + 2 on saving throws versus spell May summon a Barbarian Horde (see below) |
| 9 | May use protection scrolls |
| 10 | May use most magic items available to fighters
May strike creatures hit only by + 4 weapons |
| 12 | Gains + 3 on saving throws versus spell
May strike creatures hit only by + 5 weapons |
Upon reaching 8th level, a barbarian may
summon a barbarian horde. This horde can only
be summoned in the
native territory of the barbarian, from among
barbarians of his background.
Cavemen, dervishes,
nomads,
and tribesmen (see Monster
Manual, “Men”) are
now considered barbarians. A barbarian horde
can number as many members as its leader’s experience-point
total
divided by 1000. Thus, a barbarian who has just
reached 8th level
gather a 275-member horde, and one who has just
reached 9th level
can have a 500-member horde.
A horde takes a week to gather in the barbarian’s
home territory, and
must have a stated purpose, such as “Tear apart
the College of Magic
in Arcana City brick by brick” or “Rescue Princess
Madelyn from the
Storm Pirates” or “Serve under Goodbar the Cleric
in his battle
against the infidels.” Deviating from the proclaimed
purpose by the
horde or its leader may cause the horde to disband,
at the DM’s option.
Members of disbanded hordes will return by the
quickest and
safest route to their home lands.
A barbarian horde can only be kept together for
as many weeks as the
barbarian leader has levels of experience. At
the end of this time, the
horde is usually disbanded. Exceptions may be
made if large
amounts of treasure are distributed to the members,
if the leader has
an effective charisma of 23 or more with respect
to other barbarians, if
the leader of the horde is a tribal leader as
well, or if an unattained
goal is in easy reach. Each of these special circumstances
which apply
would extend the duration of the horde by 1-2
weeks at most. A
tribal leader who has his horde disband beneath
him will not receive a
warm welcome the next time he returns to his homeland.
In addition to the normal barbarians in the horde,
the leader of the
horde will gain two aides, each of a level equal
to one-half of the leader’s
level (rounded down). Each aide will have two
assistants of onehalf
the aide’s level. An 8th-level barbarian would
therefore have a
horde of 275 men plus two 4th-level aides and
four 2nd-level assistants
to those aides. The horde may include shamans,
witch doctors,
or clerics, depending on the nature of the barbarians.
Barbarian shamans
and witch doctors gain wisdom bonuses and may
use magic
items of any sort as applicable. Normal clerics
will have full spell capability,
but in all cases barbarian ability-score statistics
apply. Barbarian
clerics are always NPCs.
Q: How exactly do
barbarians summon
hordes? Does a horde simply
appear at the snap of the
fingers? Is
the number generated using
the
summoner?s experience points
fixed, or does it vary?
Are there
shamans in the horde? How
many?
How long does it take to
gather the
horde?
A: The UA (pages
20-21)
answers most of these questions.
A barbarian
character simply returns
to his
home territory and summons
the horde.
The exact summoning procedure
is
abstract and varies according
to the type
of barbarians involved.
This might include
beating drums (for barbarians
with longdistance
signaling) or sending messengers
(for those with running
or horsemanship).
The horde takes one week
or more to
gather together. The exact
number of
barbarians summoned is directly
dependent
on the character?s experience,
which
serves as a measure of the
barbarian?s
fame within the tribe. Whether
or not
shamans are in the horde
(and how many
of them appear) depends
on the type of
barbarians and the size
of the horde; see
the Monster Manual, pages
66-69,
for
examples. The role-playing
of this event
could be made extremely
intense and
memorable.
(136.50)
Q: Do real barbarians eat quiche?
A: Real barbarians
would hack and slay
anyone who offered them
quiche to eat,
and would then stomp the
quiche until it
was totally flat. Barbarians
are like that.
(79.16)
Q: Can a barbarian
character build a
stronghold?
A: Yes, if the character
can afford it. However,
the barbarian does not attract
any
followers when he builds
the stronghold.
He must hire them (see next
question).
(136.50)
Q: Can a barbarian
hire men-at-arms
to garrison a stronghold
or for any
other reason? How does charisma
affect hiring men-at-arms?
Does the
barbarian's charisma bonus
apply?
Any character ? except rangers
of less
than 8th level ? can hire
men-at-arms.
These are employees who
are loyal only as
long as they are paid. The
character?s
purse, not his charisma
or comeliness,
governs how many men-at-arms
he can
hire. The character?s alignment,
kindness,
and generosity, however,
will affect menat-
arms' morale in a tight
spot, as will
charisma and other considerations;
see the
DMG, pages 36-37
and 67 —
or DRAGON issue #119, pages
54-58 ("Henchmen and Hirelings," by Charles
Olsen) -- for details.
A barbarian's charisma
adjustment will only be
helpful if
the men-at-arms are also
barbarians.
(136.50)
ABILITIES: S15, D14, W16 (maximum!), C15
RACES: Human
ALIGNMENT: NG, N, NE, CG, CN, CE
WP(INITIAL): hand axe, knife, spear (additional
initial required weapon skills may be chosen by the DM)
* Base move of 15 (9=11, 6=8, 3=4)
* If not wearing "fairly bulky" or "bulky" armor,
then Dex grants an AC bonus of 2 points for every point of Dex over 14
* +2 HP per point of Con over 14
* gain XP for destroying magical items (XPV of
magic item)
* Climb cliffs and trees
* Hide in natural surroundings
* Surprise: suprise others
3 in 6, or 4 in 6 in familiar terrain
* Suprised only 1 in 10, or
1 in 20 in familiar terrain
* Back Protection: 5% chance
per level to detect and counter a rear attack
* Leaping : 10 (15+d6) feet
forward, 3 feet backward, or 3 (41/2 to 6: d4'+4')
feet upward (numbers in parentheses apply if the barbarian is able to move
freely & get a running start)
* Springing : Springing under
similar conditions gives an upward distance of 4-7 feet, depending on the
surface used as a step to gain height and spring
* Detect illusion : 5% per
level, up to 75% (takes 1 round)
* Detect magic : 20% + 5% per
level, up to 75% (takes 1 round, does not detect i/p spells, does not reveal
the type of magic)
* Leadership : When dealing
with other barbarians, Cha = Cha+L
* Survival (cold, desert, and/or heat, as appro.)
* Shelter bonus (+10?)
* Body covering (+10?)
* Hunting (W-1)
* Trapper (W+4)
* Foraging (I+2)
* Fire-building (W+1)
* Healing (W-2) // note: not exactly the same as 'First Aid'
* [locate animals] (as D3) // alt.: animal lore (I0)
* [locate plants] (as D3) // alt.: plant lore (I0)
* Tracking (as a ranger of equal level)
* [insert tertiary skills here]
Frost Barbarians, Ice Barbarians, Snow Barbarians, Norse
these characters would employ broad swords & short bows in addition
to the initial weapons
horsemanship would be nominal at best
* Running (x2 movement for 3 days, after that, 1 day of normal movement
/ rest is needed to rest the running ability)
* Endurance
* Boating (W-1)
Tiger Nomads, Wolf Nomads
initial
weapons: lance, scimitar, composite short bow
* Ride Horse (W-3)
* Long Distance Signaling
Rovers of the Barrens
initial
weapons: club, javelin, and lasso or short bow
* Ride Horse (W-3)
* Running (x2 movement for 3 days, after that, 1 day of normal movement
/ rest is needed to rest the running ability)
* Endurance
* Animal Handling
* Boating (W-1)
* Sound Imitation
* Trapper (W+4) // originally 'Snare Building' (perhaps, make the Trapper
SS an 'alt' proficiency, like the thief's set traps ability)
Amedio Savages
club,
blowgun or shortbow, and dart or javelin
* Long Distance Signaling
* Running
* Endurance
* Sound Imitation
* Trapper (W+4) // see above note
* (possibly) Boating (W-1)
Hepmonaland Savages
atlatl
and javelin, club, and short sword
* Long Distance Signaling
* Running
* Endurance
* Sound Imitation
* Trapper (W+4) // see above note
* (possibly) Boating (W-1)
RESTRICTIONS
* Only begins with 2 languages: a tribal language,
and Common
* No alignment language
* Begins illiterate
* Cannot dual-class
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Character Classes | - | - | - | Unearthed Arcana |
BARBARIANS (FIGHTERS) TABLE I.
| Experience. Points | Exp. Level | 12-Sided
Dice for Accum. Hit Points |
Level Title | THACO | Actions and Abilities | Saves* | WP/NWP | XP |
| <0-level> | 0 | 20n | (+1)13.14.16.18.19 | - | 10+1+4+35 | |||
| 0 -- 6,000 | 1 | 1 | Barbarian | 20 | - | (+1)11.12.14.15.17 | 6/3 | 20.2.8.45 |
| 6,001 -- 12,000 | 2 | 2 | Barbarian | 19 | May associate freely with clerics | -^- | -^- | 35.3.15.55 |
| 12,001 -- 24,000 | 3 | 3 | Barbarian | 18 | May use magic potions | (+1)10.11.13.14.16 | 7/4 | 60.4.25.65 |
| 24,001 -- 48,000 | 4 | 4 | Barbarian | 17 | May use magic weapons
May strike creatures hit only by +1 weapons Gains +1 on saving throw versus spell |
(+1)10.11.13.14.15 | -^- | 90.5.40.75 |
| 48,001 -- 80,000 | 5 | 5 | Barbarian | 16 | May use magic armor | (+1)8.9.11.11.13 | 9/5 | 150.6.75.125 |
| 80,001 -- 150,000 | 6 | 6 | Barbarian | 15 | May associate with magic-users -- if necessary!
May strike creatures hit only by +2 weapons |
-^- | -^- | 225.8.125.175 |
| 150,001 -- 275,000 | 7 | 7 | Barbarian | 14 | May use weapon-like miscellaneous magic items | (+1)7.8.10.10.12 | 10/6 | 375.10.175.275 |
| 275,001 -- 500,000 | 8 | 8 | Barbarian | 13 | May associate with magic-users -- occasionally
May strike creatures hit only by +3 weapons Gains +2 on saving throws versus spell May summon a Barbarian Horde (see below) |
(+1)7.8.10.10.11 | -^- | 600.12.300.400 |
| 500,001 -- 1,000,000 | 9 | 8 + 4 | Barbarian | 12 | May use protection scrolls | (+1)5.6.8.7.9 | 11/7 | 900.14.450.600 |
| 1,000,001 -- 1,500,000 | 10 | 8 + 8 | Barbarian | 11 | May use most magic items available to fighters
May strike creatures hit only by +4 weapons |
-^- | -^- | 900.14.450.600 |
| 1,501,001 -- 2,000,000 | 11 | 8 + 12 | Barbarian | 10 | Gains +3 on saving throws versus spell
May strike creatures hit only by +5 weapons |
(+1)4.5.7.6.7 | 12/8 | 1300.16.700.850 |
500,000 experience points per level for each additional level above the 11th.
<* add an additional +1 to poison saves>
<note: the +1/2 save bonus vs spell has been
applied. the note in the table can be edited out>
<** = missiles, AC0, SA, SD, I13+>
<*** = poison, 1:24, 2:30, 3:36, 4+:42>
<* : suprise, suprise>
<it might be worth having someone give a once-over for the saves>
<if you translate the barbarian abilities into
proficiencies, usable anywhere>
<as a thought, maybe no secondary skills for
a barbarian character, as well as no +1 proficiency>
<for play balance, as well, perhaps start the
proficiencies at 5/2, and then go on with a 1/3 progression>
Upon
<
Summon a Goddamn Barbarian Horde. Oh yeah.
At 8th level, if you were in your native territory you could call in some
of your buddies, as they were outlined as "Men" in the Monster Manual.
At 8th level you could summon over 200 of these motherfuckers to
kick ass and rampage for a number of weeks equal to your experience
level. It took a week to get the gang together... but man, what
a week. "Oh hey, that's a nice College of Magic you have here in Arcana
City. I'll be back in a week to visit, kay?" - Horseshoe
>
<
Summon Horde : takes 1 week
Horde Size : XP divided by 1000 = # of
figures (either normal cavemen, nomads, dervishes, or tribesmen, as appro.)
Horde Aides,
8th level : two B4 + four B2
Horde Aides,
9th level : two B4 + four B2
Horde Aides,
10th level : two B5 + four B3
Horde Aides,
11th level : two B5 + four B3
* Instead of barbarians, shamans, witch doctors (C/MU), or barbarian clerics
(NPC only: 'barbarian ability score stats apply') may serve as aides.
** C1/MU1=B3
Horde Duration : 1 week per level (certain
circumstances can extend this by 1-2 weeks)
>
AT A GLANCE:
There are many wild, unsettled reaches of the
Forgotten Realms, in particular the great gaps that separate areas of civilization
such as Waterdeep and Cormyr from each
other. <>
These lands are not empty, for in addition to
monstrous creatures and inhuman tribes, often groups of humans make out
their living in a comfortable, if primitve, fashion.
These are the barbarians of the Realms.
ELMINSTER'S
NOTES:
The meaning of the word barbarian depends on the
user.
The definition above is the classic definition,
but those of the older regions of the Realms, such as Mulhorand
and Calimshan, consider all the land
north of the Sea of Fallen Stars as wilderness and its inhabitants barbarians.
Barbarian life varies from place to place, and
situation to situation.
Most barbarian tribes do not engage in trade,
and tend to be hostile to outsiders in general and MUs
in particular.
A rejection of the existence of the magical arts
is a hallmark of the barbarian, as opposed to his table manners.
Barbarians do adhere to the coes of their own
tribes, and concentrate on survival as a primary goal.
Both the barbarian and ranger are fighters suited
for life in the wild, though the ranger is more of a hunter and tracker
in nature, and the barbarian is a long-term survivor.
GAME INFORMATION:
Barbarians in the Forgotten
Realms are as detailed in the Unearthed Arcana
tome.
Barbarians may come from a number of areas in
the Realms, and will have tertiary proficiencies according to their native
territories.
An individual running a Barbarian character should
choose the "type" and home territory of his barbarian.
Horse Barbarians--Found north of the Moonsea,
in the steppe-land and the area known as "the Ride".
Such Barbarian tribes have the tertiary abilities
of animal handling,
horsemanship, and long-distance signaling.
Typical weapons are lance, short sword, and javelin.
Moor Barbarians--Found in the High
Moor and that immediate area, and make their living without large beasts.
These barbarian tribes have the tertiary abilities
of animal handling,
long distance signaling, and running.
Typical weapons are spear, ornate two-handed sword,
and short bow.
Hill and Mountain Barbarians--Found in caveman-like
hovels in mountain chains removed from the cities, including the Far Hills
and the Earthrust Mountains.
Their chief weapons are clubs and stone daggers,
and their tertiary skills sound imitation and snare building.
Desert Barbarians--dervishes
and nomads living along the Desert's
Edge.
Their tertiary skills include horsemanship
and running, and their weapons are lasso, lance or spear, and long
sword.
Forest Barbarians--Found in regions such
as the Border Forest and the Woods north of the Troll Hills, and are fierce
fighters from their battles with orcs and other local tribes.
Their tertiary abilities include animal handling,
sound
imitation, and snare building.
Their chief weapons are short bow, dagger, and
short sword.
Island Barbarians--Found on the scattered
small islands of the
Sea of Swords
and the Sea of Fallen Stars, eking out a passible existence by fishing
and occasional raids.
Their secondary skills include small craft,
both paddled and rowed, and snare building, concentratin
on nets.
OUT ON A LIMB
Barbarian error
Dear Editor:
I was reading your article (by E. Gary
Gygax) about what’s official
in DRAGON #67,
and I think it was very good of you to admit
your mistakes, but I’ve found another one.
In issue #63, it says about the barbarian, “If
at least fairly bulky armor is worn, reduce the
[AC] bonus to +1 per point of dexterity in
excess of 14.” And, as it says on page 27 of the
DMG, chain is fairly bulky,
therefore reducing
the AC bonus to +4 for a character with an 18
dexterity. In the article, there is an example of
a barbarian with chain mail and shield getting
the full AC bonus. As far as I can see, without
somehow acquiring elfin mail, the best armor
class a barbarian can have is -1.
Jack Lyons
Valparaiso, Ind.
(Dragon #69)
Jack and all the other readers who spotted
this passage are correct: The example was in
error, and Mr. Gygax (through us) offers his
apologies for any confusion it may have
caused. Not all the rough spots in the presentation
of the barbarian class were smoothed
out before the text was presented in issue #63
— a fact which was borne out by the additions
and corrections to the class that Mr. Gygax
wrote up for issue #67, but you
can expect
that all the details will be worked out by the
time the particulars of the class are published
in the upcoming AD&D expansion volume.
Even though some articles are deemed “official”
when they appear under Mr. Gygax’s
byline, it may also be true that the material
hasn’t been completely developed when it’s
submitted to us for printing. That fact, we
think, is a small price to pay for getting the
information well in advance of its publication
in a more permanent form.
— KM
(Dragon #69)
weasel fierce wrote:
...
Is the intention of the barbarians hostility to magic users, that he cannot at all participate in the same adventuring party, or simply that he will not "cooperate", such as receiving beneficial spells, will mostly ignore the magic user in a fight, etc ?
the latter. I meant for the barbarian
to be a thorn in the side of all spellcasters, but a most useful adjunct
to the mixed adventuring party nonetheless;) - Gary
DMPrata wrote:
" . . . and now for something completely
different. . . ." 
When you introduced the barbarian
class in Dragon #63 (and later in Unearthed Arcana), you described the
skills and weapons which would be appropriate for various barbarian cultures
in the World of Greyhawk. One group that I feel was overlooked are the
Paynims. My guess is that they would be similar to the Tiger and Wolf Nomads,
wielding light lance, short composite bow, and scimitar, with the secondary
skills of horsemanship and long distance signalling. What do you think,
Gary?
Ah, that could be so, the oversight.
I don't recall and haven't any material at hand to check.
You are correct in regards the Paynims, they being much like the tiger and Wolf Nomads. All three do have some medium cavalry. the Paynims do not have the long-distance signalling, but have ambush skill.
Cheers,
Gary
Barbarian
merkholz wrote:
Welcome back Gary, I hope your health
keeps improving and that reading these posts don't seem like too much work.
I have a short question regarding one of the new classes in UA. Only humans can become barbarians, why not half-orcs or wild elves whose culture seem somewhat similar to a barbarian's?
M
Thanks,
Being a barbarian is a mixture of
culture and race, the physical traits of that barbaric race.
Neither requirement is possesed
by half-orcs or elves of any sort 
Of course in the LA game one could craft mamny sorts of races into barbaric Avatars, although Oafs, Orcs, and Humans would suit that mold best.
Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by ScottGLXIX
I've had more TPK in The Forgotten
Temple of Tharizdun than anywhere else, and the all happen in the first
room of the temple. The difficulty of the encounter is fiendishly disguised
by the trickling in of monsters after the first round, and my players often
forgets about running away to fight another day.
The talk of barbarians reminds me
of a question I've had for some time, Ernie the Barbarian, did Ernie play
a barbarian character (besides his magic-users who were prone to fits of
barbarian berserker rage) or was this just a nickname he picked up?
Scott
Howdy Scott 
Right you are. Groups not used to
my DM style tend to lose many, if not all, their PCs because they don't
have their characters flee when things are looking grim.
"He who runs away lives to fight
another day."
Of course The Forgotten Temple of
Tharizdun reflects my DMing 
Ernie got the nickname of "Barbarian"
because of his play style.
Even as a mage
his character would go full bore to defeat the foe without regard to danger.
That was indeed the inspiration
for the spell "Tenser's Transformation," as Ernie would risk all thus.
It was me who loved to play a barbarian
and disconcert the players with characters who desired magical items...
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by Cias the
Noble
2) What, if any, changes would you
make to the Cavalier and Barbarian classes?
None I can think of off hand.
I might have raised the qualifying
stats a bit, but for the class abilities, no.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentlegamer
Gary, did you ever work out specific
rules for the benefits that the barbarian tertiary skills bestow for such
characters?
Or were they to meant to be loose
and adjudicated ad hoc by the Dungeon Master?
Right! As you conclude, the DM was
the one expected to manage the tertiart skills of a barbarian character
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark CMG
I guess the most obvious being that
barbarians is a term used about others?
Pardon, but I veiw this as a silly
quibble over semantics. 
Let's cut our the cultiral relativism
crap when discussing historical actualities, eh?
The Romans were hightly trained
and organized, the tribes on the fringe of their empire were not.
They were, in fact, barbaric in
regards their pollity, society, organizational skills, and technology,
assuming that barbaric means primitive in comparison to another culture.
Cheers,
Gary
The barbarian
This brings us nicely round to whether
or not the barbarian sub-class of fighters
unbalances the ADVANCED
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
game — or is too
weak and useless for consideration.
Opinions were about evenly divided between
those two positions. Is the barbarian
a true class? Perhaps the character
could better be described as an individual
from a certain type of society or cultural
group. Certainly, one could not call
the barbarian group a race. In any case,
the designation “profession” isn’t bad,
for barbarians work at being what they
are and derive their livelihood from the
pursuit of such activity. Of course, barbarians
must come from a particular society,
but then it is only logical to assume
that magic-users come from that strata
of developed society which enjoys money,
education, and position. How else
could such a class of characters be
trained so long and expensively? Whatever
justifies the barbarian, or the magicuser,
is not actually germane. Does the
sub-class work? That is the question.
TSR has sufficient faith in the creator
of
the system to say “yes” by allowing me
to
produce official material on a carte
blanche basis. Be that as it may, there
were too many questions about the subclass
to simply pass over them all by
offering a “take it or leave it” position.
It is obvious to anyone who has the
opportunity to read the letters regarding
the barbarian that the objections to the
class are both contradictory and reactionary.
As I mentioned before, of those
comments which questioned the barbarian,
it was nearly a standoff between
those protesting it as too strong and
those asserting it was too weak. A few
wondered why a decision to be a barbarian
character had to be made prior to
rolling dice for attribute scores. The
answer is simple: The game is based on
role-playing principles, and it is easier
to
do so with a course determined in the
first place. Method I of Generation
of
Ability Scores encourages the player
to
arrange scores so as to be able to choose
a character profession from predisposition
rather than dice-determined statistics.
It is but a step removed from there to
deciding on play as a barbarian subclass
fighter and rolling dice accordingly.
Frank Mentzer suggests that the 4d6
system could be employed, with minimum
score requirements of 16 strength
and constitution, 15 dexterity, and a
maximum wisdom of 15. That will work,
but it seems to beg the question. Playing
as a barbarian is offered to players as
a
determined choice, not as one of several
possibilities — or a mere afterthought.
This is a part of the whole concept. Thus,
the level title for a barbarian never varies.
Such a character, properly role-played,
is bred, raised, grows, and dies a barbarian.
Barbarians do not need training to
go up levels, because they gain no sophistication
They get tougher and more
wily. This also should be clear to those
who wonder about the amount of experience
points required to gain a level — it
is hard-earned, “school of hard knocks”
learning which enables them to get better,
not any form of schooled training,
exercise, and like instruction.
Similarly, barbarians have lots of weapons
to be proficient in — those typically
used by a barbarian culture, you will
note, and not necessarily those which
are most likely to give the character an
edge in combat. Barbarians do not have
the opportunity of weapon
specialization
as regular fighters now do (see issue
#66 of DRAGON Magazine). Because
of
their power and innate abilities, they
need no magic weapons to hit magicladen
monsters such as gargoyles, demons,
or golems. No one ever asked, but
barbarians cannot ever be anything else.
One cannot start as some other profession
and become a barbarian at a later
stage. Likewise, once a character is a
barbarian, he or she can never opt to
change to some other profession and
have dual classes.
How about lack of magic? Is AD&D
play half magic? Does the whole campaign
require that magic permeate each
and every character’s existence? Yes. .
.
and no. The game itself subsumes a
magical multiverse. Action generally
takes place in some setting filled with
manifold dweomers. All character classes
use it to some extent, even the barbarian.
How is it that the sub-class has the
powers it does? They are magical, but in
a non-standard way, of course. Let us
say that their very non-magical nature
gives them a sort of paramagical aura.
Thus they have superior characteristics
and powerful capacities to detect magic,
avoid ambush and surprise, and so on.
The barbarian’s armor
class bonus for
high dexterity, +2 per point above 14,
means that a barbarian’s dexterity bonus
in combat can be as high as 8. Combined
with chain mail and shield (AC 4), the
adjusted rating is AC -4. Anyone who
claims that is insufficient, especially
considering the mass of hit points a barbarian
will have, just doesn’t know the
first thing about AD&D
game play. Those
who believe it to be excessive, particularly
at low levels of play, have more of a
point. However, when relative hit points
are considered, as well as the fact that
the armor class is relative to the situation
— and many instances will disallow dexterity
bonus — that argument also loses
most, if not all, of its force. Is a 1st-level
magic-user with a sleep spell too strong?
After all, that character. can absolutely
demolish a 4th-level character, a pair
of
wererats, possibly, or all sorts of other
monsters more powerful than himself. It
is touch and go. . . even assuming you
are lucky enough to start play with so
powerful a spell as sleep. Is a maximum
of 20 hit points too much for a 1st level
character? Someone said that about a
barbarian. A ranger with 18 constitution
has a hit point spread of a minimum of
10, medial 17, maximum 24. Is anyone
upset about that? All that is really being
questioned is change, because this subclass
is different from others. Well, Gentle
Players, that is what you’ve been asking
for, and that is what I am here to do.
Believe it or not, I actually know my
game system and what or what will not
work within its parameters! That is why
the barbarian is cut off at 8 hit dice,
by
the way. The points to be had from 8d12,
with the constitution bonus awarded, are
surely enough of a basis for a STRONG
character. Now let’s go back to magic
and saving throws.
Reasoned study of the barbarian subclass
proves that they need no magic
armor or weapons. However, along with
benefit of armor or protective devices,
it
is certain that the barbarians need some
boost in saving throws. This is doubly
true when the fact that they shun spells
is
considered. Thus, they have a stronger
basic resistance to poison and magical
forces. Note one very important change:
In order to remain consistent with existing
variances to saving throws, barbarians
save versus polymorph at +3 (rat her
than +2, as shown in the original article).
Thanks to Frank Mentzer for noting this
anomaly. In any event, the barbarian
sees magic of two sorts — wizard magic
and god magic. The former is cast by
magic-users and their ilk — puling creatures
all. The latter sort of dweomer must
be tolerated, for who can argue with deities?
A brooch of shielding (hopefully a
rare find in any campaign) is so much
dross to a hard-nosed barbarian. He’ll
take the niggling damage from the
magic-user (that’s what his high hit
points are for) and then hew the cowardly
craven to pieces. Those magics which
allow saving throws are so much the better,
for the barbarian does have a better
chance to save against them. Those that
happen, happen. With everything that
the sub-class has, what real need is there
for magic items? Scarce and rare finds
in
any well-run campaign, such wretched
stuff is not for true humans (barbarians)
in any event.
Magic performed by clerics, particularly
clerics who serve the deities of the
barbarian and his or her tribe, is another
matter. That sort of thing must be abided.
Who in a barbarian tribe would stoop to
using even the dweomer of deities? Why,
that’s simple: Men and women too old to
fight, weaklings, and those odd individuals
“touched” by some super-being. In
a life-and-death situation, any self-respecting
barbarian would allow a proper
servant of a known deity to do whatever
the deity directs through that servant.
If
it goes against the barbarian grain, then
the offending cleric can be thereafter
shunned — whether out of embarrassment,
dislike, or fear is entirely open to
question. If absolutely necessary, such
spells can be tolerated for short periods
of time, but by choice any barbarian
must seek more direct solutions with
arms. Obviously, faced with a situation
which required the barbarian to perform
a given plan, and that action was impossible
without magic — possibly even wizard
magic — the intelligent barbarian
would be forced to stoop to such low
means to reach the end. Shunning
doesn’t mean the same as never associating
with: Look the word up. Again, it
doesn’t assert that barbarians will slay
all
magic-users just because they reek of
noisome magic, nor does it state that
clerics casting spells above 2nd or 3rd
level will be done to death by the outraged
barbarian. Low-level spells are
merely the power of a shaman/cleric
given by some deity — not even god
magic. Higher-level spells of a clerical
nature are disliked by barbarians, and
they will not voluntarily be around those
who make a practice of employing magic.
Circumstances, as usual, alter cases.
Remember the spirit of the rules, instead
of trying to find the letter by reading
between
the lines.
Who can be right all of the time? Not I!
I
admit with a slightly red face that I left
out yet another important point regarding
the class. Hit points are recovered at
twice the normal rate, and barbarians
can even get them back at the normal
rate while active. Thus, rest allows regaining
of lost hit points at +2 points per
day, and while moving and/or adventuring
points are regained at +1 per day.
This is part and parcel of first aid ability.
The binding and care of damage is required
for barbarians to regain lost hit
points, helpful to characters and creatures
in serious state of damage. Curing
natural illnesses (diseases or magical
illnesses)
is done the same as determining
the success of poison antidotes.
Whether or not a barbarian has henchmen
is a matter for the player, and the
barbarian’s charisma and actions, to decide.
Will the barbarian build or capture
a stronghold of some type? Considering
the characteristics of the sub-class, roleplaying
a barbarian properly would indicate
that the character wouldn’t do well
in such civilized surroundings — at least
for an extended period of time. Will a
barbarian attract followers? That is again
a matter for the individual. It is worth
pointing out that a barbarian with a reasonably
high charisma and a high experience
level is a very influential type when
dealing with other barbarians.
Anyone with a relative charisma of 20 or
more is certainly going to attract followers
if they so desire — and work at it a bit!
In all truth, the sub-class is not too
powerful. It is, in fact, under-powered
unless some very good rolls are gained
in the areas of strength, dexterity, and
constitution. To have real prospects for
long-range play, the character must have
18, 16, and 17 respectively. That, Gentle
Readers, is why they are given 9d6,7d6,
and 8d6 for those categories. A low-level
barbarian has a better than average
chance of survival without such high
rolls, but at higher level, he or she is
not
going to do well unless strength, dexterity,
and constitution combine to give high
hit points, low armor class, and superior
punishment potential.
1. SUBCLASS = fighter
2. SOCIAL CLASS MINIMUM = MLC (01: LLC)
3. ABILITY SCORE MINIMUMS
STRENGTH = 15 (9d6)
INTELLIGENCE = 6 (3d6)
WISDOM = 6, 16 max. (5d6)
DEXTERITY = 14 (7d6)
CONSTITUTION = 15 (8d6)
CHARISMA = 6 (6d6)
COMELINESS = 3 (4d6)
4. POSSIBLE RACES & MAX. LEVEL ATTAINABLE
= human (U)
5. MULTI-CLASS POSSIBILITIES = none (note: no
dual-classing)
6. HIT DIE TYPE = d12
7. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HIT DICE = 8
8. SPELL ABILITY = no
9. ARMOR PERMITTED = any
(A barbarian can wear any sort
of armor, but does not gain the full benefit of the dexterity bonus of
the class if the armor worn is of the bulky or fairly bulky variety.)
10. SHIELD PERMITTED = any
11. WEAPONS PERMITTED = any
12. OIL PERMITTED = yes
13. POISON PERMITTED = DM's option
14. ALIGNMENT = any non-lawful
15. STARTING MONEY = 50-200 gp
16. WEAPON PROFICIENCIES = 6, 1/2 levels (1st:
6*, 3rd: 7, 5th: 8, 7th: 9, 9th: 10, 11th: 11, 13th: 12)
17. NON-PROFICIENCY PENALTY = -1
18. NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES, BONUS = mountaineering,
cold survival (possibly), desert survival (possibly), heat survival (possibly),
hunting,
foraging,
fire-building, healing, direction sense, other bonus proficiencies are
possible depending on Native Territory
18. NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES = trapper (secondary
skill), 3, 1/2 levels (1st: 3, 3rd: 4, 5th: 5, 7th:6, 9th: 7, 11th: 8,
13th: 9) (Proficiencies:
Barbarian,
Wilderness)
19. STARTING AGE =
20. COMBAT = fighter
21. SAVING THROWS = fighter
22. MAGIC ITEMS = 3rd: may use potions, 4th: may
use magic weapons, 5th: may use magic armor, 7th: may use weapon-like miscellaneous
magic items, 9th: may use protection scrolls, 10th: may use most magic
items available to fighters
* required at 1st level: hand axe, knife, spear
