Barbarians are fierce and untamed warriors hailing from wild frontiers, wastelands, and distant mountains. Often viewed as uncivilized by city-folk, they live by strength, honor, and the traditions of their tribe. Their ways are foreign to settled peoples, and they are seldom welcome in towns save as mercenaries, bodyguards, or gladiators.
In the eyes of the civilized, Barbarians represent the savage unknown - hostile, unpredictable, and beholden to no crown. Tales abound of grim chieftains uniting scattered clans under one banner, descending upon soft cities with fire and steel, taking what they please, and vanishing again into the wilderness. Such raids are swift and brutal, for Barbarians have little interest in conquest - only plunder and glory.
Among adventurers, a Barbarian may serve as a mighty ally or a dangerous rival. Though ill at ease with magic and the trappings of civilization, their raw power and cunning make them formidable foes and valuable companions in the deep places of the world. Few who see a Barbarian charge heedless into battle doubt their courage - or their fury.
*Constitution hp adjustments no longer apply after the ninth level of experience. Each level gained thereafter grants +4 hit points.
Great Cleave. If the character deals a creature enough damage to make it drop (typically by dropping it to 0 hit points, killing it, etc.), the character gets an immediate, extra melee attack against another creature in the immediate vicinity. The character cannot take a 5-foot step before making this extra attack. The extra attack is with the same weapon and at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous creature. The cleaving is part of the original initiative order.
Berserk. The Barbarian can fly into a rage at the beginning of a combat, requiring a full round to whip himself up into a frenzy. This grants the Barbarian advantage on attack rolls for the rest of the combat, but also advantage on attack rolls against the Barbarian.
Bloody Slaughter. As combat grows more intense, the Barbarian can indulge the savage within him, to the detriment of his more civilized foes but to the benefit of his fellow Barbarians. This ability requires the Barbarian to down an opponent (kill or render unconscious) after which the Barbarian takes a full round to perform savage acts on the fallen foe. This grants the Barbarian and all other Barbarians who witness the act a +1 bonus to their attack and damage rolls for the rest of the combat. All non-barbarians witnessing this (including any allies of the Barbarian) suffer a - penalty to attack and damage rolls. Only one such bonus can apply at any given time (while multiple Barbarians can engage in bloody slaughter the maximum bonus or penalty is still +1 or -1).
Superstitious. Barbarians are notoriously suspicious of magic from outside their experience (Barbarian clans will tolerate Clerics and Druids but Magic-Users and Illusionists will be driven out). In part this lack of experience with magic is represented in the Barbarian’s saving throws against Aimed Magic Devices and Spells, which are very low.
Clan Leader. A Barbarian of 6th level and above has the respect of his clan, usually his family and some traditionally allied families who hail from the same area. If the promise of revenge against a traditional enemy or substantial loot is promised, the Barbarian can gather a small force of d6 1st level Barbarians times the Barbarian’s level (so 6d6 at 6th level, 7d6 at 7th level and so on), along with a war leader (a 3rd level Barbarian) and a clan Shaman (a 3rd level Druid). This force will stay together for the Barbarian as long as the goal he promised them remains within their reach (this is at the discretion of the game master).
War Chief. At 9th level the Barbarian has an even greater reputation among his people and can gather a larger force, equal to d8 1st level Barbarians per level. This force is accompanied by two war leaders (3rd level Barbarians), two clan shamans (3rd level Druids) and one clan leader (6th level Barbarian).
Warlord. At 15th level and above the Barbarian can summon a great number (often the majority) of his people to aid him in revenge or for the prospect of gaining treasure. This force numbers 2d10 1st level Barbarians per level, along with one war leader and clan shaman per 10 Barbarians and one clan leader for every 30 Barbarians.
| Level | Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) | Breath Weapons | Death, Paralysis, Poison | Petrifaction, Polymorph | Spells for unlisted categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 |
| 3-4 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 |
| 5-6 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 |
| 7-8 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| 9-10 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 14 |
| 11-12 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 13-14 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| 15-16 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 17+ | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |