Barbarians in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5E) are fearsome warriors fueled by primal rage. They’re known for their incredible strength, resilience, and ability to withstand devastating blows while dealing out massive damage. Whether you’re new to the game or looking for a fun, straightforward class to play, the Barbarian offers a powerful and engaging experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create and play a Barbarian in D&D 5E.

What is a Barbarian in D&D 5E?

Barbarians are melee-focused warriors who rely on their immense physical power and primal fury to overcome enemies. They are defined by their ability to Rage, which increases their damage output, makes them more resistant to damage, and grants them combat-related benefits. Their playstyle is straightforward and rewarding, excelling in both tanking and dealing out damage.

Barbarians are a fantastic choice for players who want to be on the front lines, taking hits and dishing them out, while also embracing a wild and untamed approach to combat.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Barbarian

1. Choose Your Barbarian Subclass (Primal Path)

At 3rd level, you’ll select a Primal Path, which determines the type of barbarian you are and grants you unique abilities as you level up. The Player’s Handbook (PHB) and subsequent expansions provide a range of Barbarian subclasses, each with its own flavor and strengths:

• Path of the Berserker (PHB): This is the most straightforward and rage-focused subclass. It grants you the ability to enter a Frenzy during combat, giving you extra attacks while raging. However, it comes with the drawback of exhaustion after the frenzy ends.
• Path of the Totem Warrior (PHB): This subclass offers a more spiritual approach, with the ability to choose animal totems (Bear, Wolf, Eagle) that grant you various bonuses while raging. The Bear totem is particularly popular, as it gives you resistance to all types of damage except psychic while raging.
• Path of the Ancestral Guardian (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): This path lets you call upon your ancestors to protect your allies in battle. It’s a great subclass for players who want to focus on defending and helping the party.
• Path of the Storm Herald (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): Channel the power of nature, with your rage activating elemental effects like fire, thunder, or cold that damage or hinder nearby enemies.
• Path of the Zealot (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): Zealots are fueled by divine rage, making them the ideal Barbarian for players who want to embody unstoppable, holy fury. They can even be resurrected for free in certain circumstances!

Your subclass choice should match the role you want to play within your group. For pure damage, Berserker and Zealotare top-tier, while Totem Warrior and Ancestral Guardian are great for tanking and support roles.

2. Choose Your Race

Barbarians rely heavily on Strength for attacking and Constitution for tanking, so choosing a race that boosts one or both of these stats is important.

• Half-Orc: A classic Barbarian choice. Half-Orcs get a bonus to Strength and Constitution, along with features like Relentless Endurance (lets you stay standing at 1 HP when you would drop to 0) and Savage Attacks (extra damage on critical hits).
• Goliath: Goliaths get a bonus to Strength and Constitution, and their Stone’s Endurance ability lets them reduce incoming damage, perfect for a Barbarian who wants to tank hits.
• Mountain Dwarf: Mountain Dwarves get a bonus to Strength and Constitution, and they also gain proficiency in medium armor and battle axes.
• Variant Human: With the Variant Human, you can get a feat at 1st level, such as Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master, to make your Barbarian even stronger in combat.

Choose a race that fits your character’s backstory and playstyle. Most races with Strength or Constitution bonuses work well for Barbarians, and some races like Half-Orcs and Goliaths have specific traits that make them especially formidable.

3. Ability Scores and Skills

When creating your Barbarian, focus on Strength and Constitution for maximum combat effectiveness. Dexterity is useful for improving your Armor Class (AC), especially if you’re not wearing heavy armor.

A sample ability score priority might look like this:

1. Strength (for melee attacks and damage)
2. Constitution (for hit points and resilience)
3. Dexterity (for AC and initiative)

If you’re using point-buy, a solid starting array could be:

• Strength 15 (17 with a racial bonus)
• Constitution 15 (17 with a racial bonus)
• Dexterity 14
• Everything else can go into secondary stats like Wisdom (to resist effects like mind control) or Intelligence (if it fits your character concept).

Skills that complement a Barbarian include:

• Athletics: For grappling, climbing, and feats of physical strength.
• Perception: To spot danger and avoid ambushes.
• Survival: Good for wilderness exploration and tracking enemies.

4. Barbarian Class Features

Barbarians have a number of powerful class features that make them incredible front-line warriors:

• Rage: The Barbarian’s signature ability. While raging, you gain bonus damage on your attacks, resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and advantage on Strength checks and saving throws. Rage lasts for 1 minute and can be used a limited number of times per long rest.
• Unarmored Defense: Barbarians don’t need heavy armor to be effective in combat. When not wearing armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. This can result in surprisingly high AC if you have good Constitution and Dexterity scores.
• Reckless Attack: Starting at 2nd level, you can make attacks with advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during your turn, but enemies also get advantage on attacks against you until your next turn. It’s a powerful ability that increases your offensive potential, though it leaves you more vulnerable.
• Danger Sense: Also at 2nd level, you gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects you can see, such as traps and spells like Fireball.
• Extra Attack: At 5th level, you gain an extra attack when you take the Attack action. This doubles your damage output and makes you even more fearsome in combat.

As you level up, you’ll gain more powerful abilities, including Feral Instinct (improved initiative), Brutal Critical(extra damage dice on critical hits), and Persistent Rage (your rage never ends as long as you keep fighting).

5. Combat Strategy

Barbarians excel at getting up close and personal with their enemies. You’ll want to charge into battle, using your Rage to soak up damage and dish out powerful strikes. Here are some basic combat strategies for a Barbarian:

• Offensive Power: Use Reckless Attack and Rage to deal maximum damage. While Rage is active, your attacks deal extra damage, and you gain resistance to most physical damage types.
• Defensive Tactics: With Unarmored Defense and Rage, you can take hits that would drop other characters. Choose a shield if you want to boost your AC even higher, though two-handed weapons paired with feats like Great Weapon Master are popular choices for Barbarians who want to focus on damage output.
• Tanking: With high hit points, Rage resistance, and a decent AC, Barbarians are excellent tanks. Focus on drawing attention from enemies and holding the line for your party.

6. Choosing Weapons and Feats

Barbarians thrive with heavy weapons that deal lots of damage. Two-handed weapons like greatswords, greataxes, and mauls are the Barbarian’s bread and butter. Combine these with your Rage damage bonus and you’ll be hitting hard every turn.

Feats can further enhance your combat abilities. Popular choices include:

• Great Weapon Master: This feat lets you take a -5 penalty to your attack roll in exchange for a +10 bonus to damage, which is a devastating combo when you have advantage from Reckless Attack.
• Polearm Master: With this feat, you can use a polearm like a glaive or halberd to make opportunity attacks when enemies enter your reach. It also gives you an extra attack with the weapon’s butt end.
• Tough: If you want to be even tankier, Tough gives you additional hit points, which pairs well with the Barbarian’s already massive health pool.

Playing a Barbarian: Role-Playing and Combat

1. Role-Playing Your Barbarian

Barbarians often come from tribal or wilderness backgrounds, but you don’t have to stick to that trope. Your character’s backstory can be whatever you want. Maybe your Barbarian is a former soldier who grew disillusioned with military life, or a noble who embraces primal strength to protect their people.

When role-playing, think about where your Barbarian’s rage comes from. Is it a natural fury, a desire for vengeance, or perhaps a spiritual connection to ancient powers? How does your character view the civilized world, and how do they interact with people outside of combat?

2. Combat Role

In combat, your job is simple: charge into battle, soak up damage, and take down enemies with brute force. Barbarians are frontline warriors, excelling at dealing and surviving large amounts of damage.

You can use Reckless Attack to deal consistent damage with advantage, even if it leaves you open to retaliation. Be strategic about when to use Rage, as you have a limited number of uses. Make sure to conserve it for important battles or when your party needs you to tank hits and deal significant damage.

Conclusion

Barbarians in D&D 5E are a straightforward but incredibly powerful class. Their ability to dish out massive damage while soaking up enemy attacks makes them a valuable asset in any party. By choosing the right subclass, optimizing your ability scores, and utilizing your Rage effectively, you’ll be an unstoppable force on the battlefield.

With a well-built Barbarian, you can let loose and enjoy the thrill of combat while protecting your allies and leading the charge into every battle.