Character Classes Barbarian - Class Overview History - Harbingers of destruction. Children of Bul-Kathos, the great and ancient king of the Northern Steppes. Men of the mountain. All of these refer to the Barbarians of Mount Arreat, the resting place of the great source of Sanctuary's powers, nestled deep in the wilds north of Entsteig. Since the beginning of time, when the world was in infancy, it is said that the gods bestowed upon these people the task of protecting the mountain they call their home, and the energies contained within it. Perhaps the most legendary, and yet seldomly contacted race of peoples in all of Sanctuary, the Barbarians are, without doubt, the lords of the land. Known for their feats of strength and willingness to die in protection of their mountain, these people are a segregated group. No more than they choose to allow to be known is recorded about this mythical race of immense beings. Other than their system of clans, their territorial instinct, and their knack for bartering for exactly what they need, Barbarians are as mysterious as they come. Perhaps their most misunderstood aspect is their title, which leads most to believe them to be a savage, vicious creatures, when they in fact are nowhere near as violent as rumors make them out to be. It is because of this that, since a time long before the Time of Troubles, Barbarians have been feared, avoided, and shunned by other races. Over the centuries, this race has existed on their own terms, by their own will in the haze of the mountains of the North. Establishing an intricate system of beliefs, operation, and clan structure, these people have succeeded in obtaining complete control over their lifestyles, and therfore have come to know a certain level of peace and harmony with this Earth. It is perhaps because of this adaptation that the Barbarian people have realized their ultimate position in the Great Cycle of Being, and are therefore able to use their shamanistic culture to develop their combat skills for use in defense of Mount Arreat, and the destruction of the Three Prime Evils, their only true adversaries in the quest to obtain total freedom from those bent on pillaging their homeland. It has only been seen very recently that Barbarians are roaming the lands of Sanctuary in all directions from their usual stoops atop the cliffs and valleys surrounding their mountain stronghold. Most speculate that this is because of a direct threat felt by the presence of Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal. Indefinately, they will prove themselves as a valued ally to the armies of the Western Cities, and the Eastern Jungles alike who will be engaging in combat with the evil pillaging the countryside. Role - The Barbarian is purely the enforcer. The physical wall between life and death in a group, their strength has every value imaginable. Able to deal crushing blows in a single swing of their massive iron and steel weaponry, and able to absorb the punishment demonic forces of Sanctuary are known for bestowing upon traveling warriors, the Barbarian is the cornerstone of the fight to stop the Three Prime Evils. Alongside his damage, the Barbarian is able to imbue his allies with the powers of the forces of nature, using an elaborate array of war cries to increase statistics of allies, while at the same time decreasing those of enemies. Strengths and Weaknesses - Without a doubt, strength is the first thing that comes to mind when considering the strong point of a Barbarian. The ability to crush an opponent in a single blow is coveted, valuable, and a dangerous thing to come into contact with when hostilities flare. Another strong point is a high reserve of vitality, and an astonishing amount of defense, coming from the strength a Barbarian has, which allows him to wear much larger, much stronger pieces of armor. As dangerous as he comes, however, this class has some of the worst weaknesses possible. An intense problem with avoiding magical attacks is one of the largest downfalls a Barbarian will suffer, as he himself has very little mana to use in defense against such attacks. Also, his primative way of life gained from so many centuries atop Mount Arreat leaves him with a narrow-minded sense of the different disciplines of magic, thus leaving him with a big disadvantage when facing a Necromancer or Sorceress, who base their attacks around such magics. Most Important Attribute - Strength, above and beyond all else. The Barbarian is known for being able to absorb and return a huge amount of damage, and therefore requires an immense amount of attribute points devoted to strength. Not only will this increase the amount of damage a Barbarian can deal, but it will also increase the range of different armors and weapons you can use, opening up many new options to your character. Beginning Attributes - Strength - 30 Dexterity - 20 Vitality - 25 Energy - 10 Stamina - 91 Hit Points - 55 Mana - 10 Level Bonuses - Per level you gain when using a Barbarian, the following bonuses are applied to your character's statistics. It is because of these bonuses that the Barbarian is not very energy-intensive Vitality - 4 Life, 1 Stamina Energy - 1 Mana Life - 2 Added to Life Orb Stamina - 1 Added to Stamina Bar Mana - 1 Added to Mana Orb Weapons and Armor - The Barbarian has several weapons, item sets, and unique items that add skill points and are vital to his melee-based system of attacks. These weapons and armor are great for normal difficulty, but will need to be replaced in most cases with better items in Nightmare and Hell difficulties. Weapon Axe Sword Armor Great Helm Item Set Berserker's Garb Cleglaw's Brace Isenhart's Armory Sigon's Complete Steel Tancred's Battle Gear Unique The Face of Horror Goldwrap Silks of the Victor Tearhaunch Bladebuckle Stone of Jordan Eye of Etlich Goreshovel The Humongous Hellplague The Patriarch Prefixes Prismatic (+15-25% Resis [Amulet], +15% Resist [Ring]) Slayer's (+1 Barbarian Skills) Berserker's (+2 Barbarian Skills) Suffixes of the Titan (+16-20 Strength) of the Colossus (+41-60 Life) Item Concerns - The Barbarian has item concerns like no other character, as he is concerned with only three things. Adding to strength, life, and resistances. While dexterity and attack rating are also very helpful, they are secondary in regards to their proportion to the top three concerns. Until later in the game, two-handed weapons are not worth the work, as they do nowhere near enough damage. The only true two-handed weapon that is damaging enough to wield is a Martel De Fer, and in that case, it needs to be rare. As for armor, concern yourself with anything high in durability, armor, and magical properties that will help your priorities.