By Riley Rath 

 

The barbarian 5e class may be simple, but it's not boring! It is well designed, and with the right subclasses and a few ideas they can be a blast in combat, exploration, and social encounters!

 

I'm sick of people saying "5e barbarians are so boring. You just rage and hit things." 

 

D&D barbarians aren't boring... YOU'RE BORING!!!

 

... Sorry about that... that was a little over the top... 

 

Online debates abound on whether or not the barbarian class from Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition is a boring class to play for a long-term campaign. 

 

With this post, I am attempting to end that discussion once and for all by explaining the reasoning behind the class design and providing you with practical options to make it a more enjoyable role-playing experience. 

 

Simply put: if you are creative... they can be SO MUCH FUN!!! 

 

Table of Contents 

 

- Common Complaints With the 5e Barbarian

 

- The "Spirit" of the Dnd Barbarian 5e Class

- Role-Play: The Key to a Unique Dnd Barbarian

- "Is the DnD Barbarian Boring?"

 

- Class Basics That Create a Fun Barbarian 

- D&D 5e Character Class Essentials 

- Barbarian 5e Class-Specific Mechanics 

 

- The 5e Barbarian Subclasses 

- Path of the Berserker 

- Path of the Totem Warrior

- Path of the Ancestral Guardian

- Path of the Battleranger

- Path of the Storm Herald

- Path of the Zealot

- Path of the Beast

- Path of the Wild Magic

- Path of the Giant

 

- 17 Tips for a More Fun, Interesting 5e Barbarian

- Break the "Stupid" Stereotype 

- More Strategy Than You Think

- Elaborate Your Attacks!

- Become a Hoarder

- Anything Can Be a Weapon

- Fight Differently

- Embrace Anger

- Avoid Anger

- Be Stealthy

- Go Deep Into Your Senses for Skill Checks

- Use Your Pack and Tools

- Be a Fish Out of Water!

- Consider Their Home Culture

- Downtime!

- Add Feats Instead of Stats

- Move Quickly Across the Battlefield

- Be Magical Anyways With Multiclassing!

 

- Conclusion: The Fun DnD Barbarian Build

 

Rolling stats for your barbarian?

Try rolling these barbarian 5e dice!

 

Common Complaints With the 5e Barbarian

 

Let's review the most common argument for why barbarians are boring. And don't worry, it will be fair... no straw man arguments allowed! 

 

The stereotypical barbarian player character is a hulking beast of a humanoid capable of dishing out and taking savage blows. With this in mind, most players go through combat encounters like this: 

 

1. "My barbarian rages..." 
2. "She runs up to the monster..." 
3. "She attacks..." 
4. "She chooses to 'Reckless Attack' for advantage and then she attacks again..." 
5. (Roll damage)

 

And they do the same thing on their next turn... and the next turn... and the next encounter... and next session...  on and on and on... running the gambit from goblin to demigod... the same damn sequence. 

 

Admittedly, this repetitive version of the barbarian 5e class IS boring. 

 

However, this is not the fault of the barbarian 5e character class, but the category of class the barbarian belongs to. The barbarian belongs to a group of character classes called the "martial classes." These are classes that, in combat, rely on weapons rather than spells. 

 

And every single martial class is less complex than even the simplest spell casting class. 

 

Why? 

 

Because to be an effective spellcaster, you have to know A) D&D's rules, B) your spell's rules, and C) how the spell breaks the normal rules to your benefit. And with a variety of spells at your disposal, there is the feeling of having infinite non-damage-doing-options as a spellcaster. In any combat encounter, you can disguise with illusions, charm away a conflict, teleport out of danger (etc.). 

 

But with lots of options comes lots of complexity. But martial classes, like fighters, rogues, and barbarians? They are simple! Ultimately, they just go hit things, and that's good too! 

 

But the barbarian 5e class gets the moniker of being "boring barbarians" because they are even SIMPLER than the other martial classes. The "issue" (and I put that in quotes sarcastically because, as I shall soon demonstrate, it is NOT a real issue) is as a barbarian character levels up, the new class and subclass abilities you receive are often passive or upgrades of existing abilities. 

 

Unlike the other martial classes, the 5e barbarian gains mostly passive abilities or boosts as they level up... which can sometimes feel not as fresh or exciting to detail-oriented players. 

 

Whether it's buffing your rage, giving you a resistance, or adding an additional damage die, the end result is that THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING a barbarian remains similar between levels 3 and 20. But there is a very good reason why the barbarian's mechanics are particularly simple, even for a martial class... 

 

 

The "Spirit" of the Dnd Barbarian 5e Class

 

The historical and fantastical lore surrounding barbarians is of a proud people full of strength, intuition, and tradition. In battle, they run straight at the enemy and place themselves smack dab in the middle of danger where they can do the most damage. 

 

They do not overthink, but act on instinct. They learn from their surroundings, not books. And they believe if a strong mind, body, and spirit can endure enough... they can overcome anything. 

 

So, what did Wizards of the Coast do?

 

They married the simple themes and tone with simple mechanics. 

 

This is NOT a class where you: 

 

• Think outside the box for a unique solution
• Cleverly manage your resources, tools, and spells
• Engage in complex, indirect problem solving

 

The mechanics of the class steer you away from such strategic thinking so that you can experience your character, as well as the encounters and adventure, in a different way. Instead of thinking three steps ahead, they invite you/your barbarian 5e character to remain IN THE MOMENT... with all the visuals, emotions, and thoughts that come with staying in the present. 

 

To summarize, the barbarian 5e is simple BY DESIGN... it is all about facing your challenges head on, conquering through your own strength, instinct, and will to overcome. It is a poetic harmony... and perhaps the most balanced and well-designed class in all of fifth edition. 

 

So do not confuse "simple" with "boring." And besides, since when do mechanics condemn a class to boredom in fifth edition D&D, the most role-play obsessed edition yet!? 

 

Vercingetorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar by Lionel-Noel Royer

 

Role-Play: The Key to a Unique Dnd Barbarian

 

Finally, no fifth edition player can ever claim ANY class to be objectively boring for one simple reason: 

 

DND 5e is no longer a war game with some role-playing elements.

 

Rather...

 

DND 5e is a role-playing game that includes instances of wargaming.

 

DnD 5e is a TTRPG that blends combat, exploration, and role-playing to accomplish shared storytelling. Dungeons and Dragons is not Warhammer 40k, Gloomhaven, or Witcher III: Wild Hunt... in D&D, the combat mechanics of a character class do NOT make of break an interesting, fun character. 

 

Any class, no matter how mechanically sophisticated, will eventually become boring if you, the player, lack engagement or imagination. 

 

The truth applies as much to the ferocious barbarian as it does to the grizzled fighter, wise old wizard, and lusty bard. If you are going to spend countless hours as a character, cooperating with friends to tell a story, that character needs to be interesting beyond what they can do in combat... they cannot be one-dimensional. 

 

Any class can be boring if the player lacks engagement and imagination. 

 

Now, you might object: "But Riley... those other classes have skills and spells and class abilities to help them in social encounters... the barbarian doesn't!"

 

Fair point, but here is my counterpoint: do those skills and spells and class abilities help you have more fun? Or does a part of you feel like you need them because they will help you WIN those encounters? And since when does D&D 5e have winners and losers? 

 

Take the photo for this section of the blog... that is Vercingetorix, a Gallic chieftan/king, surrendering to Julias Caesar. He would most certainly classify as a barbarian... and yet is he some mindless animal? Does he have to approach every social encounter as a complete doofus like Gronk or Grog Strongjaw? 

 

Noooooo! No, no, no, no, no! NO. 

 

He just comes from a tribe and culture with social habits that are different than "civilized" Rome! And guess what? You, the player, get to cooperate with the Dungeon Master to determine aaaaaaall those different social standards that will influence how you role-play your character through social encounters during the campaign! 

 

Simply put, over a long campaign, a lack of character depth will get in the way of your enjoyment much more than a lack of cool rules you can tinker with. 

 

"Is the DnD Barbarian Boring?" 

 

In summary, the DnD barbarian 5e class is often considered boring because it has simple and passive combat mechanics. But the mechanics mesh with the class themes, and an intentional, creative player can still have tons of fun playing the class even at high levels. 

 

Granted, if the mechanics of a class are why you play the game, and rolling dice is the most exciting aspect, then the barbarian 5e might not be for you. And that is okay! I personally do not like playing a druid and I have friends that cannot imagine playing a rogue or a bard. As my father told me, some people like blue shirts and some people like white shirts... we all have our preferences! 

 

But STOP saying the barbarian 5e class is a boring class. 

 

It's not. 

 

It's just not your cup of tea!

 

© Robert E. Howard

 

Class Basics That Create a Fun Barbarian

 

Later on in the blog, we will cover 17 different tips that bring fun diversity to the barbarian 5e class. But virtually all those suggestions expand on the basics of the class, so it's important to briefly cover those here, as found in the Player's Handbook. 

 

If you optimize your barbarian, you are going to get a barbarian 5e character that is very similar to the archetypal fantasy barbarian: Robert E. Howard's classic "Conan." 

 

If you are already familiar with the basics, move on to the next section. 

 

D&D 5e Character Class Essentials

 

- Ability Scores: As stated above, the barbarian 5e is all about being at one with their physical body. So your skills should be in this order, from highest roll to lowest: Strength, constitution, dexterity, wisdom, charisma, intelligence. 

- Race: Any race works well if you are using Tasha's customizable origin, but when following the tradition rules the best races are (in this order) half-orc, mountain dwarf, goliath, stout halfling, human, and dragonborn.

- Backgrounds: Outlander or Soldier are obvious ones, but have some overlap with skills. 

- Hit Dice: Barbarians are the only class with a d12 as their hit die (for more info, see our post on HP). And with your high constitution modifier, you should be able to take a lot of damage.

- Weapons: Like all martial classes, the barbarian is proficient in all weapons. But you are the only class that can start of with a GREATAXE. 

- Feats: If you select a human variant, or choose to forgo an ability score improvement, the following feats are the most common for a 5e barbarian: 

- Great Weapon Master feat: Most barbarians wield giant "F-YOU," two-handed weapons, and being able to do +10 additional damage ain't bad. 

- Sentinel: You have plenty of hit points to take damage on behalf of your allies. 

- Ability Score Improvement: You gain 2 ability points at barbarian levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19. 

- Extra Attack(s): No martial character is worth their salt without getting multiple attack rolls! At level 5, barbarians gain an extra attack.

 

Barbarian 5e Class-Specific Mechanics

 

- Rage Mechanic(s): This is the signature ability of the 5e barbarian class... and is a bit more complicated than anything else: 

- You are resistant to standard weapon attacks.

- You have advantage on strength checks and saving throws. 

- You cannot cast concentration spells. 

- You gain extra damage to STR melee attacks. 

- You can only rage for a minute, and it ends if you are unconscious or stop attacking, and you can only rage a certain number of times per barbarian 5e level. 

- Your rage also improves at higher levels: 

- Relentless Rage: Succeed a CON save, and you never die. 

- Persistent Rage: Only stop raging if you choose to or if you are sedated.

- Unarmored Movement Mechanic: Even if your race can use heavy armor or medium armor, you are going to eventually dispose of any armor. Your armor class is a combination of 10 + your dexterity modifier + your constitution modifier. 

- Reckless Attack Mechanic: All your strength attacks get advantage... but all enemy attacks against you are ALSO at advantage. 

- Danger Sense: Advantage on dexterity saving throws.

- Brutal Critical: At 9th level, you gain an additional damage die when you score a critical hit. Another one at levels 13 and 17. 

- Fast Movement: Move 10 feet faster (5th level). 

- Feral Instinct: Use rage... don't get ambushed or surprised.

- Primal Knowledge(s): This is an option upgrade since ONEDND... at 3rd and 10th level, you get to choose another skill.

- Indomitable Might: Long story short... never fail a strength check again.

- Primal Champion: Become a hulking badass by boosting your STR and CON scores by 4 each.

 

In summary... the barbarian 5e class is about brute force, not fighting styles. They are characterized by the use of strength attacks with melee weapons, high damage output with more damage rolls, and acting on instinct due to being in tune with nature. Their mechanics are focused on combat and exploration encounters.

 

 

The 5e Barbarian Subclasses

 

Before we cover the 17 tips for making an interesting, unique, fun barbarian 5e character, you need to pick the right subclass.

 

As stated before, the barbarian 5e class is special because the mechanics harmonize with the tone and themes of the idea of a fantasy barbarian. To maintain that symmetry, you'll want to make sure you choose the right dnd barbarian subclass before you choose the ways you want your barbarian to stand out from the stereotype. 

 

This post is about guiding you through making a fun, interesting, and unique barbarian 5e character. So rather than walking you through every single strategic benefit of each subclass, I'm going to mention a nifty mechanic or two and tell you about the theme, tone, and spirit of the subclass.

 

If you want a complete walk-through of every pro and con to the barbarian 5e subclasses, there is no better resource than RPGBOT (check it out here). And if you have already chosen your subclass, go ahead and skip to the next section!

 

Path of the Berserker (PHB)

 

If you like the Rage mechanic, like, A LOT, then you will want to play the Berserker... which turns the rage dial up to 11. When you frenzy, you get to make an additional melee attack as a bonus action. Similar to the intoxicated viking warriors that are this barbarian 5e subclass's namesake, you truly become a mindless killing machine that hacks everything in your path. Though be careful... with every frenzy you take a level of exhaustion, which can be DEADLY. 

 

Path of the Totem Warrior (PHB)

 

Many ancient tribes believed in some form of totemism: the idea that humans have a connection with some sort of spirit animal. A path of the totem warrior barbarian is inspired by these traditions, allowing players to choose from a variety of "totem spirits." These spirits offer various rage enhancements at different levels, and players can channel them in order to specialize in battlefield movement, assisting allies, and feats of strength. In particular, the bear totem is famous for its resistance to ALL damage except psychic damage. 

 

Path of the Ancestral Guardian (Xanathar's...)

 

If you prefer your character to venerate dead ancestors, this subclass is for you. The thematic focus is on communing with and calling upon the mighty ancestors from your barbarian's past and etching their icons into your skin via tattoos. As you swing your axe, they will swirl around you, offering supernatural protection (reducing damage) and exacting vengeance (providing additional damage). 

 

Path of the Battleranger (Sword Coast...)

 

Lore wise, this barbarian 5e class is unique to dwarves... but even if you are not playing a homebrew campaign, I am sure your DM can make an exception. Basically, on top of your axe attacks, you get spiked armor and throw yourself at enemies to perform deadly hugs. 

 

Path of the Storm Herald (Sword Coast...)

 

Choose this if you want your rage to take the form of lightning and thunder instead of bloodlust. You select a biome of origin, which provides different elemental auras that provide damage resistance, temporary hit points, and deal enough passive damage that enemies will NOT want to go near you. 

 

Path of the Zealot (Xanathar's...)

 

This is the cleric version of the barbarian, except instead of preaching homilies of peace, you are a shaman screaming war cries to your followers to drive the invaders from your homeland. Your ancient god will save you from death, embolden your allies in the midst of the onslaught, and fuel your weapon attacks with radiant or necrotic damage from on high. Your zealous presence can mean the difference between triumph and a TPK. 

 

Path of the Beast (Tasha's...)

 

Most barbarians love martial melee weapons... but only these dnd barbarians love them so much that they prefer their very body become a weapon. This character would be as much animal as they would be humanoid. When you rage, you can grow natural weapons such as fangs, claws, or a tail and use them in your attacks. From your perspective, every combat encounter becomes a HUNT. 

 

Path of Wild Magic (Tasha's...)

 

The barbarian 5e class comes with the stereotype of despising magic; after all, they are all about the natural world, and magic is literally super natural. This subclass does a good job at combining the two by insisting that the barbarian's magic is as wild as their fury. These barbarians hail from the uncivilized and chaotic magical planes, and whenever you rage, a random magical effect takes place. 

 

Path of the Giant (Giants...)

 

Giants in Dungeons and Dragons are big and elemental... barbarian 5e characters that choose this path also 1) grow a size larger and 2) infuse their attacks with elemental energy. And if there is one thing giants do well it's throw rocks! Alongside your attack action, at level 10 you can use a bonus action to THROW an ally. Thematically, the subclass is all about going beyond history, to primordial eras when giants roamed the material plane. 

 

 

17 Tips for a More Fun, Interesting 5e Barbarian

 

With all that said, time to offer practical ideas to make sure your "boring 5e barbarian" stays a thing of the past!

 

If you are still convinced the mechanics are a snooze, there are so many other ways to make your barbarian interesting and fun to play! 

 

Here are 17 different ways to spice up your barbarian in such a way that it makes them fresh session after session after session. 

 

       1. Break the "Stupid" Stereotype! 

 

Usually, both for thematic and mechanical reasons, the dump stat of the barbarian is intelligence. But just because you have a low intelligence ability score doesn't mean you have to play a character that is as dumb as a brick. 

 

You absolutely can and you might find it fun! Bit it also might get old. Low intelligence can just mean they are uneducated or lack classical book learning. 

 

Most barbarians would probably know nature, some battle tactics, and that diplomacy is sometimes better than violence. And even if they have a simple or flawed logic ruled by emotions, a smart party member could still use that same logic to convince them otherwise. 

 

You get the point: playing a barbarian does not box you into playing a stupid, constantly violent moron. 

 

       2. More Strategy Than You Think 

 

Melee classes are simple; barbarians even more so. But barbarians still have "Rage," "Reckless Attack," and can grapple, meaning there is a lot more strategy to a barbarian in combat than you might think. 

 

Here are some examples: 

• Every time you "recklessly attack," you gain advantage... BUT your enemy also gains advantage when attacking you. So the question becomes: how badly do you need to land this hit right now? 

 

• Your "rage" ends when you do not attack an enemy on your turn. Furthermore, you can only rage a certain number of times per long rest. So, each encounter, you need to ask yourself: does this situation DEMAND that I rage? Can I afford to rage? 

 

• With your high STR score, you can reliably grapple and shove enemies, which is your version of "battlefield control." So when an angry enemy is grappled, do you want to attack them again? Or shove them into another enemy? Or throw them off a ledge? Or take their spell-casting focus or weapon out of their hands? 

 

• And, finally, you fight with others! So do you run ahead or position yourself at their flanks? Do you heal, help, distract...? 

 

Basically, "Reckless Attack," "Rage," and grapple are similar to the classic "rifle, melee, grenades" trio from Halo... they can be strategically mixed and matched for a wide variety of fun! 

 

 

       3. Elaborate Your Attacks!

 

 

So many players describe in the most basic terms how they run up to attack and then roll. Then, the DM tells them if they hit or not and they roll the damage. But then they let the DM do the fun part: explaining why you hit/missed and what it looks/feels like. 

 

Don't let the DM take the fun part! Based on the result of your role, take the initiative to describe your combat. Describe HOW did you run up to the monster? WHERE did your attack hit? WHY did your attack miss? 

 

These questions will turn "I attack" into something new and exciting every round! 

 

       4. Become a Hoarder 

 

A lot of DnD 5e players build a martial class that is exceptional at one thing: spear and shield, two-handed fighting, etc. But while their specialty maximizes their potential in combat, it also dooms you to get bored with your character. Even a sorcerer would get bored casting fireball every turn! 

 

You see, spell casters may have a variety of spells, but melee fighters have a variety of WEAPONS. 

 

Have you forgotten that, as a barbarian, you get ALL the weapons?!?!!

 

And yes, I mean ANY weapon (5e is ridiculously open minded about this). Are you a tough mountain clansman? Doesn't matter, pick up those nunchucks and go to town. 

 

The art or home base should be stacked high with weapons, the bag of holding bursting with them. You should have multiple colors of each weapon, all from different makers and nations.

 

       5. Or Improvise Anything and Everything as a Weapon 

 

And if you  have no weapons available... MAKE ONE. 

 

Swing the corpse of a goblin... 

 

Throw a halfling rogue companion as a weapon... 

 

Rip the horns off an elk and stab an evil druid... 

 

Pull a shark out of the water to beat another shark to death... 

 

(Taking the Tavern Brawler feat makes this particularly effective). 

 

I mean, come on... NONE of those things are boring! Very bloody... but fun! 

 

       6. Change How You Fight 

 

Just because you have d12 hit die, huge strength, and high constitution, that doesn't mean you always have to attack the biggest baddie on the battlefield. 

 

You can choose to stock up on javelins and hurl them at a distance. 

 

You can get on a horse a joust with the best of them. 

 

You can circle around and wait for the party to get the BBEG distracted so you can hopefully land a crit.  

 

And even if the party says: "Hey! We need you to do this so we stay safe!" tell them to screw off... you aren't solving a puzzle, you are role-playing an awesome combat! 

 

 

       7. Dive Deep Into the Emotion of Anger 

 

The "Rage" mechanic basically defines the barbarian... they are angry people, seeing red all the time. 

 

But anger is a complex emotion. There are a LOT of different ways a person can be angry. Angry people often feel offended, resentful, bitter, aggressive, pugnacious, etc. 

 

It's a long list... google "emotions wheel" for more options! 

 

Furthermore, for humans at least, anger is a secondary emotion used to cover up deeper, more complex emotions, shame, or fear. Imagine the depth you can give your barbarian as they discover they have been using anger to hide deep seated shame? 

 

 

       8. Or Pick a Different Emotion Than Anger 

 

Alternatively, you could talk to your DM about picking another emotion that dominates your barbarians personality and guides them in battle: 

 

What if they love killing so much they are filled with joy, singing their war songs as they are covered in blood? 

 

Or, even stranger, perhaps they weep with tears as they fight, knowing what pain and judgment awaits those they kill? 

 

Or maybe they maniacally laugh the more they cleave enemies in two? 

 

If I were a nasty little goblin, I would find all three as terrifying as a raging barbarian! 

 

© Russel Dongjun Lu

 

      9. Be a Big Stealthy Boy 

 

In order to get that high unarmored defense AC, a barbarian also needs high dexterity. Which means you can choose the "stealth" skill and put it to great use! 

 

So even though you are a bad mofo with an 8ft glaive, you can still tag along with the rogue to surprise an enemy encampment. 

 

Not only that, but spell casters will usually be more than happy to let you go off into danger by buffing you even further with spells like "pass without a trace" or even "enhance ability." 

 

       10. Go Deep Into Your Senses for Skill Checks 

 

Part of the flavor for the barbarian is that they are more attuned to their senses (think their "Danger Sense" class ability). They are raised in a culture more attuned to hunting in nature and have developed other parts of their brain and practical skills. 

 

Lean into that intuitive, unexplained ability to sense things when you make skill checks. Interact with the world more like a creature, taking things in and letting your instinct guide you. While your party members overthink, you can go with your gut... you may be surprised by the results!

 

On that same note, let your insight checks be something you smell rather than something you see. When they sense magic, let it be something they feel in their bones but don't understand or notice. When they do a history check, have it be through the myths they grew up hearing rather than academic lecture. 

 

 

       11. Use Your Pack and Tools 

 

Most barbarians would probably prefer to survive living off the land, but a simple explorers pack gives you access to a backpack, a bedroll, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of rations, 50ft of rope, and a waterskin. 

 

And there is A LOT you can do with just that... not to mention the innumerable mundane items you can find in any general store. 

 

For more information, I suggest listening to this episode from the "It's a Mimic!" podcast. They spend a couple hours going through every item they can think of and the weird ways you can use them. 

 

       12. Be a Fish Out of Water! 

 

Remember science class in middle school, and looking in wonder at what the teacher could do with a few chemicals? 

 

As a barbarian, that feeling would be experienced constantly. 

 

Every city, guild, government, industry has potential to FASCINATE your character. Everything, not just the Feywild or Wizard Tower, has a feeling of magic to it. Each experience is strange and new... which makes for fun, hilarious, and exciting role-playing opportunities! 

 

For example, I played a barbarian that couldn't believe what other cultures were able to do with food. He was so used to wild plants and grilled meats that he was dumbfounded when he came across pastries and spices. It sparked a whole side quest for him (more on that later). 

 

 

       13. Consider Their Home Culture 

 

There are cultural differences that shaped your barbarian into a very different sort of person than a feudal knight. 

 

A shaman is different from a cleric... a chieftain is different from a king... hunting and gathering is different from raising cattle and farming crops. 

 

So ask yourself about the culture that shaped your character. 

 

• What was their tribe like? What occupied their time? 
•  Who led them and who/what did they worship? 
•  And what are their ethics and moral code? How do they view property, beauty, honor, sexuality, or integrity? 

 

In the end, you could easily have a lawful good barbarian that is constantly at odds with a lawful good paladin, even though both hold themselves to an incredibly high moral standard! 

 

 

       14. Downtime! 

 

Downtime may not be a quest, but it's still tons of fun! 

 

Remember that food-fascinated barbarian I mentioned earlier? Well, in every city the party visited, his downtime activity was discovering the food and drink of that particular region. It was a creative nightmare for my DM, but the whole table certainly enjoyed discovering what cuisine he discovered next. 

 

But that's not all... eventually, his curiosity blossomed into a full-blown culinary passion. He began insisting on learning to cook from anyone willing to teach him. By the tail end of the campaign, adventuring had nearly become a means to an end of opening a tavern. 

 

Could any character class do this? Yes. Was it a liiiiittle more fun with my barbarian? I think so! 

 

       15. Add Feats Instead of Stats 

 

First of all, some tables do not allow feats, so ask your DM first. 

 

But if they are allowed, players everywhere use feats to exchange an ability improvement score and instead add some potentially game-changing abilities! 

 

It's like instead of getting better at strength or constitution, you instead get another class ability. 

 

You can choose any feat, but certain feats fit barbarians particularly well. 

 

• Take sentinel. If someone enters your space, they ain't leaving without a wound. 
•  Make your hard-hitting, giant-axe hit even harder with great weapon master. 
•  Use mobile to cleave your way through the battlefield without consequence. 
•  Pin enemies with a grapple that's extra hard to break. 
•  Slay mages before they get the chance to charm you (AGAIN). 
•  Get as drunk as you want knowing you are a Tavern Brawler that won't lose a fist fight. 

 

16. Move Quickly Across the Battlefield

 

D&D 5e has something called "opportunity attacks," which basically means that if you leave/pass through an enemy's range, then they get a free attack action on you. For most player characters, particularly spellcasters, this is a quick way to get very dead very fast. 

 

However... the vast majority of opportunity attacks are going to be with melee weapons which, unless they are magical, will only do 1/2 damage to your barbarian 5e character! That, combined with your huge pool of HP, means you an soak up damage like a sponge, no problemo! 

 

Not only that, but the barbarian's movement mechanics encourage this! By 5th level, you move 10 extra feet on your turn, and on 7th level you get Feral Instinct, which means no one gets to sneak attack you as you run by!

 

This can make combat SO MUCH MORE FUN for the barbarian! Rather than forcing you to wail on a single monster or BBEG with lots of attacks turn after turn... you can move around! You can race around the battlefield, killing one enemy after another, laughing and raging your way to bloody glory! 

 

17. Be Magical Anyways With Multiclassing!

 

The barbarian 5e class is notorious for being anti-magical, and not just the lore: you need high DEX, STR, and CON in order to be a good barbarian. Spellcasters need WIS, INT, or CHA, and not many players roll four high ability scores when filling out their character sheet!

 

However, of all the mental abilities, Wisdom is the safest bet. Some of the barbarian 5e class's abilities require wisdom, and the emphasis on intuition and awareness of surroundings fits the themes of the barbarian well. This opens two full spellcasting classes to the barbarian: druid and cleric. 

 

Neither of these would be an optimized character or a perfect fit... a druid's wild shape overlaps with many of the barbarian's exploration abilities, and a big benefit of the cleric is their ability to wear armor, which the barbarian doesn't use. 

 

But can you imagine a barbarian cleric just as capable of saving a bleeding comrade as they are spilling the blood of an enemy? Or a barbarian druid summoning a stag to help them impale some evil necormancer?! Bloody awesome (literally)!

 

 

Conclusion: A Fun DnD Barbarian Build

 

I can't make you find the barbarian interesting, but I just led you to 17 reasons that I can promise will make it fun and exciting if you give it a try (or second try). And if all of those fail, you can always spice things up by multiclassing with another class! 

 

But before we part, one last piece of advice... and this may be the most important: 

 

TALK TO YOUR DM. 

 

They aren't an enemy you need to outsmart, they are a friendly facilitator there to help everyone have fun telling a story and playing a game. So share your dreams and concerns for the barbarian class. 

 

• Tell her you are afraid of every battle being in a room or on a field and you will never have a chance to throw an enemy off a cliff... 
•  Communicate your frustrations with your turns taking 1 min and the spell casters turns making 5 minutes... 
•  Tell him you want to be able to cinematically crash through a door without ALWAYS having to roll an athletics check or wasting several turns to break it down. 
•  Tell him you are worried you might lose interest as the game goes on and that you look forward to some weird and interesting magic items... 

 

When all else fails, ask your DM to help you make your character. They are there to help! 

 

Oh, and if you want to be a Berserker, then absolutely tell your DM the "Frenzy mechanic" is broken, universally reviled, and brainstorm ways to make it better! 

 

By Riley Rath - Freelance DnD Copywriter