# Good race for Barbarian?



## ColdoTannen (Sep 11, 2011)

I'm building a lvl 1 Barbarian, but I don't want to use one of the basic races. Does anyone know a good race for a Barbarian?


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## Dandu (Sep 11, 2011)

Well, according to Being Bane: A Guide to Crackling Small Men, a guide written by smart and sexy people for other smart and sexy people, Lesser Gensai make good barbarians.


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## Empirate (Sep 11, 2011)

1. Human
2. Dwarf
3. Orc
4. Half-Orc

If you want to make an archer Barbarian based on the Whirling Frenzy variant, Wild Elf and Wood Elf might be OK options.

EDIT: should read the OP more thoroughly... yeah, for non-core races, how about Lesser Earth Genasi? Lesser Zenythri (MM2)  is good for basically anything, as well. Apply the Mineral Warrior (Underdark) template, and you're good! That LA+1 really pays off.


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## marcielle (Sep 11, 2011)

Those are all basic races, Empirate. As a guy who likes wierd races myself, here's my hat off to you, Tennen.

Mongrelfolk if you want long rages and hp up the wazoo. 
Dvati if you want to be 2 people at once(warning, hp is split between the Dvati twins). Take Spirit Lion Totem variant for pounce, learn shocktrooper line and devastate everything with more attacks than TWF at full power attack bonus at regualr BAB.
Dragon born are the win. Lesser Earth Genasi and Mongrelfolk make good dragonization candidates.
Neanderthalls. Don't remember them much but I think they made good Barbarians
Warforged. No huge stat bonuses but a TON of immunities which include, IIRC, FATIGUE. MWAHAHAHA. Also, you're a robot barbarian. Your fists are made of STEEL.
Water Orcs. Nice bonuses and a swim speed.

For future reference only since you start at level one: Try goliath.  They are awesome if you have LA buyoff. Don't remember if you  automatically get large size reach but if your DM gives it to you, then  worth it even without buyoff.


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## StreamOfTheSky (Sep 11, 2011)

Neanderthal
Water Orc
Wood Elf
Warforged
Goliath
Earth Dwarf
Darfellan

And yeah, Dragonborn is good, too.

People already mentioned most of these, so I'm just confirming.


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## Jackinthegreen (Sep 11, 2011)

Marcielle, anything with Powerful Build gets its base reach, not extended reach based on the weapon it wields.  That said, there is a racial substitution for Goliath Barbarians that actually DOES make them Large when they Rage.


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## irdeggman (Sep 12, 2011)

Jackinthegreen said:


> Marcielle, anything with Powerful Build gets its base reach, not extended reach based on the weapon it wields.  That said, there is a racial substitution for Goliath Barbarians that actually DOES make them Large when they Rage.




This one.

The racial substitution levels for goliath barbarian (in Races of Stone) make them really, really good. And they are ony a +1 LA race to boot.


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## kitcik (Sep 12, 2011)

ColdoTannen said:


> Does anyone know a good race for a Barbarian?




The Waterdeep 3-miler.

It's tough on a soft track, but barbarians often win by a head.


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## Visigani (Sep 12, 2011)

Dvati with that one variant that provides bonuses based on what percentage of your max hp you have? Would that even help? I forget.


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## Empirate (Sep 12, 2011)

What about Changeling Barbarian with a few levels of Warshaper for constant +4 Con, +4 Str?

what do you guys think about Shifter Barbarians?


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## Dandu (Sep 12, 2011)

Sounds awesome.


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## Jackinthegreen (Sep 12, 2011)

irdeggman said:


> This one.
> 
> The racial substitution levels for goliath barbarian (in Races of Stone) make them really, really good. And they are ony a +1 LA race to boot.




Some DM's might allow the substitution for any class with Rage too, such as the Avenger variant of Druid.  Of course, this also leads up to the possibility of giving other classes with certain features the option to substitute.  Goliath Monk with Mettle of the Mountains, anyone?


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## marcielle (Sep 14, 2011)

Jackinthegreen said:


> Marcielle, anything with Powerful Build gets its base reach, not extended reach based on the weapon it wields.  That said, there is a racial substitution for Goliath Barbarians that actually DOES make them Large when they Rage.




Ah. Racial substitutions. THAT'S where I heard of them getting reach.


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## Jackinthegreen (Sep 14, 2011)

marcielle said:


> Ah. Racial substitutions. THAT'S where I heard of them getting reach.



Fun little addition to this: If a Goliath Barbarian Rages and becomes Large, he can benefit from Monkey Grip or Strongarm Bracers like normal since his actual size has now increased to Large.

If I read it right, a Goliath Barbarian with level in Druid and the feat Powerful Wild Shape can Rage to gain a size increase in whatever form he's in.  Gargantuan Triceratops anyone?


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## StreamOfTheSky (Sep 14, 2011)

A goliath barbarian could do that, but it seems like a waste of money for an only occasional effect (rage).  And you'd basically need a sizing weapon at that point.

Much easier is to just be human, not have a level adjustment, have the strong arm bracers working for you continuously, and drinking a cheap enlarge potion or using a wand.  Either way you end up as a large creature using a huge sized weapon.  And no, a Goliath cannot benefit from enlarge person.


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