Making An Invulnerable Rager Barbarian


Advice

Silver Crusade

PFS Build:
NG Half-Elf Invulnerable Rager Barbarian of Torag

Str: 18
Dex: 10
Con: 15
Int: 14
Wis: 12
Cha: 7

Alternate Racial Traits: Water Child

Main Weapon: Cutlass
Backup Weapons: Bec De Corbin, Comp. Longbow

Feats and Rage Powers
1: Raging Vitality
2: Superstition
3: Power Attack
4: Witch Hunter
5: Extra Rage Power or Improved Sunder
6: World Serpent Totem, Lesser Elemental Totem (fire or earth), or Spell Sunder
7: Extra Rage Power or Improved Sunder

Skills: Acrobatics MAX, a Craft or Profession MAX, Perception MAX, 1 ranks in many other skills

Favored Class Bonus: Human option

Traits: Totemist, Warrior Of Old

Things that I will not change due to flavor: Race, Diety, Alignment, Cutlass, a Day Job, Totem Choices, Water Child

Anything else I need to change or fix?


I know you said you don't want to change stats but, I'd suggest dropping your STR to an 18 and boosting your dex or wis. because really there's not much benefit to the odd values and a 17 is much more cost than the 16, and you'd probably want to put your lv4 into con to get the 15 needed for raging vitality.

Also how are you qualifying for Arcane Strike as barbarians don't cast arcane spells?

Silver Crusade

Chess Pwn wrote:

I know you said you don't want to change stats but, I'd suggest dropping your STR to an 18 and boosting your dex or wis. because really there's not much benefit to the odd values and a 17 is much more cost than the 16, and you'd probably want to put your lv4 into con to get the 15 needed for raging vitality.

Also how are you qualifying for Arcane Strike as barbarians don't cast arcane spells?

At 4th level, I would then have 20 Str, but I see what you mean and will consider it.

Elven Spirit for Envoy trait

EDIT: I'll post a second stats option.


Recent FAQ ruling removed that option for SLA's qualifying for Arcane Strike and others that are simply "Ability to cast arcane spells" and the like.


You should get Strength Surge rage power to really ensure your spell sunder hits.


Ah so you're not aware of the new FAQ change on SLA counting as spells. SLA no longer count for arcane strike and the likes, so you'll probably want to change that feat and you don't qualify for Arcane Strike.


I second Chess Pwn's suggestion for Raging Vitality. Swap out Elven Spirit (Envoy) for it as it basically doesn't let you do what you want it to anymore. A barbarian without Raging Vitality is like a crummy smartphone battery that dies way faster than advertised. If you're raging and go into negatives, you end rage and lose your extra rage hitpoints immediately and that can usually spell autodeath at anything higher level than 3 or 4.


With all the stuff you're unwilling to change, there's not much feedback to give. You are obviously not trying to create an optimal build, as there are many sub-optimal choices in there (your stat distribution, totem choice, and weapon choice for example).

That pretty much just leaves feats. I don't see the point of spending an extra feat (elvent spirit) to get arcane strike. It's not that much damage, and as a barbarian, getting extra rage powers is almost always better than getting standard feats. If you want to play a barbarian who can cast magic, play a bloodrager.

Silver Crusade

...that post says 2011? And what about older characters with that combo?


Now raging vitality needs a 15 con, so I'd pick it up at lv5 after your lv4 boost goes to con. If you want it lv1 then you'll need to scrounge the points for it from somewhere.


zanbato13 wrote:
...that post says 2011? And what about older characters with that combo?

Look at the one below it?

FAQ wrote:

Spell-Like Abilities, Casting, and Prerequisites: Does a creature with a spell-like ability count as being able to cast that spell for the purpose of prerequisites or requirements?

Only if the pre-requisite calls out the name of a spell explicitly. For instance, the Dimensional Agility feat (Ultimate Combat) has "ability to use the abundant step class feature or cast dimension door" as a prerequisite; a barghest has dimension door as a spell-like ability, so the barghest meets the "able to cast dimension door prerequisite for that feat. However, the barghest's dimension door would not meet requirements such as "Ability to cast 4th level spells" or "Ability to cast arcane spells".

posted Wed, Feb 18, 2015

All the older characters with that combo got invalidated.

Here's a PFS ruling PFS if that's what you're caring about.

For Arcane Strike:

John Compton wrote:
•A character who has a non-class option for which he qualified using a spell-like ability in place of standard spellcasting ability must retrain those features and any features that rely on them as prerequisites (e.g. Arcane Strike and Bloodied Arcane Strike) at no cost.

Silver Crusade

Protoman wrote:
zanbato13 wrote:
...that post says 2011? And what about older characters with that combo?

Look at the one below it?

FAQ wrote:

Spell-Like Abilities, Casting, and Prerequisites: Does a creature with a spell-like ability count as being able to cast that spell for the purpose of prerequisites or requirements?

Only if the pre-requisite calls out the name of a spell explicitly. For instance, the Dimensional Agility feat (Ultimate Combat) has "ability to use the abundant step class feature or cast dimension door" as a prerequisite; a barghest has dimension door as a spell-like ability, so the barghest meets the "able to cast dimension door prerequisite for that feat. However, the barghest's dimension door would not meet requirements such as "Ability to cast 4th level spells" or "Ability to cast arcane spells".

posted Wed, Feb 18, 2015

All the older characters with that combo got invalidated.

Here's a PFS ruling PFS if that's what you're caring about.

For Arcane Strike:

John Compton wrote:
•A character who has a non-class option for which he qualified using a spell-like ability in place of standard spellcasting ability must retrain those features and any features that rely on them as prerequisites (e.g. Arcane Strike and Bloodied Arcane Strike) at no cost.

Okay, I missed that. I kinda like and am okay with that change.

Silver Crusade

How are the changes I put in?


Way more survivable!

What armor do you plan on having?

Silver Crusade

Toughness feat at lvl 5? Also, suggested totem line?

Light or Mithral Medium.


I'd suggest playing it a few levels and see how he feels out. Then you'll have a better idea of where you're needing to take him. if you feel like you don't have enough HP, or if you need more AC or what you'll want from him.

Silver Crusade

Was Lame Oracle of Metal nerfed?


? In what way were they in potential of being nerfed?

Silver Crusade

Lame curse lowers speed, a Metal revelation counters this. Look at the dancing revelations of Flame and Metal.


Oh. No, that's fine.

Silver Crusade

Protoman wrote:
Oh. No, that's fine.

Recommended? Even if I dumped Charisma?


Hmm level dipping just to rage cycle thanks to fatigue immunity? Sure. But follow Chess Pwn's suggestion and play with it a few levels first before committing to anything as intensive as a level dip. You can better determine how much you'd wanna be able to turn rage off/on whenever by actually having to manage it first.

Silver Crusade

Protoman wrote:
Hmm level dipping just to rage cycle thanks to fatigue immunity? Sure. But follow Chess Pwn's suggestion and play with it a few levels first before committing to anything as intensive as a level dip. You can better determine how much you'd wanna be able to turn rage off/on whenever by actually having to manage it first.

Most people take the dip at lvl 9, when they would gain the immunity.


Exactly, so not something you gotta worry about for quite a while.

Silver Crusade

Is rage cycling important for PFS?


Play a few levels and determine for your play style if you'd need it.


zanbato13 wrote:
Is rage cycling important for PFS?

No, basically no optimisation is important in PFS.


I take 1 lvl of unarmed fighter for crane style.
1 lvl of metal oracle for fatigue immune.
Rest barb.
Feats:
1, power attack&endurance
3, diehard
5, stalwart&crane style
7, imp sunder
9+11, whatever
13, imp stalwart.

Ste surge and spell sunder and you are a super tanker.


666bender wrote:

I take 1 lvl of unarmed fighter for crane style.

1 lvl of metal oracle for fatigue immune.
Rest barb.
Feats:
1, power attack&endurance
3, diehard
5, stalwart&crane style
7, imp sunder
9+11, whatever
13, imp stalwart.

Ste surge and spell sunder and you are a super tanker.

i would rather have come and get me than 4 more situational DR at level 12-13


Cap. Darling wrote:
666bender wrote:

I take 1 lvl of unarmed fighter for crane style.

1 lvl of metal oracle for fatigue immune.
Rest barb.
Feats:
1, power attack&endurance
3, diehard
5, stalwart&crane style
7, imp sunder
9+11, whatever
13, imp stalwart.

Ste surge and spell sunder and you are a super tanker.

i would rather have come and get me than 4 more situational DR at level 12-13

Fatigue immune offer a lot more in my eyes.... Btw, theres the feat that 1/rnd offer *2 dr

Silver Crusade

I thought about the Stewart line but it feels too feat intensive compared to other defensive builds.

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

zanbato13 wrote:
I thought about the Stewart line but it feels too feat intensive compared to other defensive builds.

Take a single level of Unbreakable Fighter, and gain the two nasty prereq feats, as well as heavy armor proficiency.

At 11th level you'll have DR 13/- or 14/- if you've taken Increased DR 2 or 3 times as a Rage Power.

Silver Crusade

What does damage look like at those levels?

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