OD&D Barbarian Redux

Already an update to yesterday’s post—this update assumes a game with a Strength ability modifier to melee damage, or at least Fighter melee damage. Basically this update just eliminates the two-handed weapons with one hand advantage and the magic-wary disadvantage.

Barbarian

Minimum Ability Requirement: N/A

Weapons, XP, HD/Level, and Saves as Fighter 

Advantages

1. Climb as Thief; must be in light or no armor.

2. Exceptional Strength: +3 to Strength at the start. 

3. Frazetta Wear: When unarmored, AC is improved by 1 for every point of Dexterity over 10 (does not stack with Dex modifier).

4. Oxen Hale: One-time (1st level) bonus of 1 hp per point of Constitution over 10 (does not stack with Con modifier).

5. Unbreakable: If Constitution is 13+, take ½ damage from falls and save vs. stone for ¼ damage.

Disadvantages

1. Armor restriction: Leather (from level 1), Chain (from level 5), Plate (from level 9).

2. Starting money (1d6 × 10).

3. Reaction rolls involving other people –2.

4. Illiterate (at start, may invest in learning as levels gained).

OD&D Barbarian

I've updated my OD&D Barbarian class. I've play-tested it in two solo sessions now (using Richard Bartle’s The Solo Dungeon) and I'm liking it.

This class is especially made for my modified version of OED, but I'm pretty sure it can work for most any OD&D-based system. My key OED modifications relevant to this class are the same, or very similar, to my OD&D rules that I've posted on this blog in the past, namely (1) d6-based HD—though now I give thieves 2/3 HD per level and Wizards 1/2 HD per level; (2) 1d6 damage—with 1d8 used for two-handed melee weapons; (3) Strength modifies Melee To Hit but not Damage.

Barbarian

Minimum Ability Requirement: N/A

Weapons, XP, HD/Level, and Saves as Fighter 

Advantages

1. Climb as Thief; must be in light or no armor.

2. Exceptional Strength: +3 to Strength at start of game. 

3. Hand of the Wheel: Barbarians with a minimum Strength of 18 can wield a two-handed sword or battle ax with one hand (1d8 damage).

4. Frazetta Wear: When unarmored, AC is improved by 1 for every point of Dexterity over 10 (does not stack with Dex modifier).

5. Oxen Hale: One-time (1st level) bonus of 1 hp per point of Constitution over 10 (does not stack with Con modifier).

6. Unbreakable: If Constitution is 13+, take ½ damage from falls and save vs. stone for ¼ damage.

Disadvantages

1. Armor restriction: Leather (from level 1), Chain (from level 5), Plate (from level 9).

2. Starting money (1d6 × 10).

3. Reaction rolls involving humans –2.

4. Illiterate (at start, may invest in learning as levels gained).

5. Magic Wary: No spellcasting by any means (e.g., Protection scroll); health-related potions only; must save vs. spells to take up other magic items, including weapons/armor.

Final Thoughts

I like how the different ability-score-based advantages—especially when combined with Delta's Fighter Feats—allow for variation. I think this is an improvement over having ability score minimums. The “Magic Wary” disadvantage is one that still needs some experimenting with and may well need to be tweaked. I did have one other Advantage, which I just today removed in the interest of simplifying things a bit, but I could still go either way on it—Indomitable: Saves against mental attacks (including charm, fear, illusions, etc.) are at +1 per point of Wisdom over 10 (does not stack with Wis modifier).

URFAD: The Barbarian

This is the bonus class I would be most likely to introduce into my campaign, because it proceeds from a grounding in its history and geography (though with the exact details still to be worked out). Unfortunately it’s also the most complicated bonus class (the only one extending over a single page) and it still needs work as far as the special weapons/attacks go. A lot of streamlining has taken place—the first version of this from a few years ago relied on introducing mana points, from there the special attacks were relegated by Wisdom + level, then later Constitution + level—and this also has been walked back from being mistaken as a berserker class thanks to wisdom gained from reading a couple of threads over at odd74.proboards.com/. From that forum, also, I procured the idea of a penalty to reactions. As always, I’m open to suggestions (except, perhaps, as concerns the level titles, I had a lot of fun with those and the only pause I have right now is whether to replace “Hellbreaker” with “Destroyer”).
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Barbarian Level Progression
Level	Title	XP	HD	Atk
1	Roughneck	0	1+1	+1
2	Warrior	2,000	2+1	+2
3	Hetman	4,000	3+1	+3
4	Hero	8,000	4+2	+4
5	Hellbreaker	16,000	5+2	+5
6	Oathtaker	32,000	6+2	+6
7	Lawgiver	64,000	7+3	+7
8	Superhero	120,000	8+3	+8
9	Conqueror	240,000	9+3	+9
10	Lord	360,000	10+4	+10

Barbarian in this case refers to any member of the various nomadic clans, remnants of the lost civilization of Barbairos, who share the same mysterious heritage. Outsiders among the kingdoms, the barbarians mostly keep to themselves and their own ancient customs and rites. And though definitely a minority, barbarian clans may be found in any sparsely populated region. Barbarian warriors believe that the power of their gods and the spirit of their ancestors are manifest in their weapons as achieved through ritual incantations and engravings. Each warrior’s “spirit weapon” has a magical property, allowing special attacks.

Barbarians have the level progression, hit dice, and attack bonus of fighters. They may use any weapon without penalty, including slings. Barbarians do not wear armor (at least not unless they find themselves settling down as the head of a castle or stronghold), but they do use shields and helms. Barbarians with 13 Strength and 13 Dexterity can dual wield as per fighters.

The prime requisites for barbarians are Strength and Constitution. A barbarian with a score of 13 or greater in both Strength and Constitution receives a 5% earned experience bonus. Barbarians with a score of 16 or greater in both receive an earned experience bonus of 10%. Barbarians must have a minimum score of 13 in Strength and 9 in Wisdom and Constitution.

Barbarians with Intelligence 9 or higher will be familiar enough with Common to speak it, but only those with Intelligence 13 or higher will read and write it. Barbarians will not rely on hirelings or retainers (unless, again, they have built, or are in the process of building, a castle or stronghold at level 9 or 10), but they have been known to reluctantly accept followers.

Barbarians have a +2 bonus for disease- and poison-based saves. They have a –3 for all reaction rolls with other humans (may be partially offset by high Charisma), but any human who does follow a barbarian need not check loyalty (assuming no blatant maltreatment).

Each barbarian’s spirit weapon has a special attack that may be used once per day per every third level (round up), but no one special attack may be used more than once in a single battle. Barbarians may wield their spirit weapons one-handed or two-handed. Their battle axes and great swords are treated as per the weapons table. Their clubs and hammers deal 1–6 damage (one-handed) or 1–8 damage (two-handed).

Determine starting weapon as follows:

1	Barrel Hammer
2	Walloping Club
3	Thunder Axe
4	God Sword

SPIRIT WEAPON SPECIAL ATTACKS TABLE

Effect	Weapon	Range	Damage
Shock	axe	—	2–7 + stun 1 round
Storm	axe	10'/level	1–4 (from fall)  + stun 2 rounds
Quake	club	10'/level	Level/2 (round up) in 6 chance of cracking open ground—foe must save or fall d6 × 10' into opening; if saves, then 1–4 (from fall) + stun (rounds = to dam)
Mysterious Wallop	club	—	2–12 (one-handed) / 3–18 (two-handed)
Boomerang	hammer	10'/level	1–6 (+ str) + stun 1 round (hammer returns)
Tremor	hammer	10'/level	1–3 damage (from fall) + stun 2 rounds
Lightning	sword	10'/level	1–6 + level + stun (rounds equal to the d6 dam roll)
Whirlwind	sword	30'–90'	1–6 + thrown d6 × 10' + stun (rounds per tens of feet)