AD&D Character Class: Barbarian

Barbarians gain a special AC bonus for Dexterity. If the character is not wearing bulky or fairly bulky armor, he gains 2 points for each point of Dexterity above 14 (2 at 15, 4 at 16, 6 at 17); in such restrictive armor, his bonus is normal (one point per point over 14). There is also a special Constitution hp bonus, increased to +2 hp per point of Constitution above 14, which is double that for other character classes.

Barbarians may not be Lawful in alignment, and do not speak an alignment language. They are limited to common and their own racial or tribal language, but can learn additional languages up to the limits imposed by intelligence and race. Non-human barbarians under MyWorld rules are deemed to have some familiarity with the languages known to their non-barbarian cousins, being able to recognize the languages when heard and learn them more easily than other languages. Barbarians cannot read or write at the beginning of the game, and must learn these skills for any language for which they desire them.

Barbarians have a 15" base movement rate. They gain d12 hp/level, plus Con bonus. They fight on the fighter tables, gain multiple attacks with higher levels, and may learn to use any weapons, armor, and shield they can find. However, initial weapons will be dictated by the DM according to the tribe of the Barbarian, and will always include hand ax, knife, spear, and three others.

Barbarians fear and oppose all magic except the simplest of clerical magics (ministrations of the gods). They cannot use magic items of any sort at low levels, and will always gain experience points for destroying any magic item. They will not knowingly work with magic-users at low levels, and at even the highest levels will view such wizards with suspicion even if well known to them. This chart shows the degree to which magic will be tolerated by barbarians:

To compensate for their reluctance to use magic items, the barbarian is presumed to have the ability to hit creatures normally protected by the requirement that magic weapons be used. This is based on the power and ferocity of the barbarian's attack; it does not indicate an increased chance to hit. The level of the barbarian affects the degree of this ability:

Level:	Can hit:
1-3	No Special Creatures
4-5	Creatures hit by +1 weapons.
6-7	Creatures hit by +1 and +2 weapons.
8-9	Creatures hit by +1, +2, and +3 weapons.
10-11	Creatures hit by +1, +2, +3, and +4 weapons.
12+	Creatures hit by any magic weapons.

Certain barbarian saving throws are bonused: Poison +4; Paralyzation, Death magic, Petrification, Polymorph +3; Rod, Wand, Staff, and Breath Weapon +2. Additionally, every fourth level (4, 8, 12) the barbarian increases his saving throw against spells by +1.

Barbarians can climb cliffs, trees, and other natural vertical faces common to his tribal area as well as a thief of the same level can climb walls. This ability can be transferred to walls and other surfaces if the character has the opportunity to practice.

A barbarian can hide in any natural surroundings as well as a thief of the same level can hide in shadows. If the natural surroundings are of a type familiar to the barbarian, he hides at a rate three levels higher.

Barbarians surprise others 3/6, 4/6 in familiar terrain; they are surprised only 1/10, 1/20 in familiar terrain.

The barbarian has a 5% per level chance of detecting any effort to attack him from behind. If the attack is detected, it is automatically changed to a normal attack, and the barbarian gains an automatic counter-attack even if all attacks for the round have been used.

A barbarian can perform a standing jump of 10' forward or 3' backward or 3' upward. With a running start these distances increase to 15+d6' forward or 4+d4/2' upward. Using a step or other raised surface from which to spring enables a standing upward jump of 3+d4'.

Barbarians who focus their attention for a full minute (round) on any object which is an illusion have a 5% chance per level of determining that it is an illusion, up to a maximum chance of 75%. Any type of illusion, including illusory sound, may be recognized. With all other types of magic, the chance of recognizing it as magic but not illusion is 20% plus 5% per level, up to 90%. It does not identify spell casters, but only magical effects and items, and it will never reveal the type of magic other than distinguishing illusion from any other type.

In dealing with other Barbarians, the character's effective charisma is increased by his level; this does not affect comeliness, which is discounted in such situations.

The barbarian can survive in the wild, if it is like that from which he came or he spends a month becoming familiar with the new area.

The barbarian has special first aid skills. Such first aid will immediately restore one hit point to whoever is treated (including the barbarian). The barbarian who cares for himself (assumed) gains 2 hp/day of rest, 1hp/day if activity continues. Caring for others will double their rate of healing. He can also concoct cures for natural poisons, with a 10% chance of effecting a cure of an unknown poison. This becomes 50% plus the victim's Con if the poison is known. (Barbarian first aid is compared with the healing and herbalism non-weapon proficiencies in M. J. Young's Dungeons & Dragons Materials, Special Rules, Forms of Medical Assistance.)

The barbarian has skills of a third level druid to detect plants and animals and to predict weather as the spell, and can determine directions above ground. They can also track as a ranger, but only outdoors.

The barbarian may also have several additional skills if the referee determines these to be appropriate to the tribal background. These may include Animal Handling (usually dogs), Horsemanship, Long-distance Signaling, Running (over several days) and Endurance, Small Water Craft (canoes, rowboats, and/or small sailboats), Sound Imitation (of animal noises), or Snare Building.

Upon reaching level 8, the character may call a barbarian horde, a large number of barbarians from his native land who will come to perform a particular mission over a brief period, and then disperse. Details of this ability are in Unearthed Arcana™, page 20f.

Advancement table:

1	0	6000
2	6001	12000
3	12001	24000
4	24001	48000
5	48001	80000
6	80001	150000
7	150001	275000
8	275001	500000
9	500001	1000000
10	1000001	1500000
11	1500001	2000000

Occidental Humans, Kender, Kagonesti, Krynn Hill Dwarfs, Gully Dwarfs, and Minotaurs may be Barbarians.

M. J. Young's Dungeons & Dragons Materials
Collection of such pages as the much-praised Alignment Quiz, What is an RPG? (excerpted from Multiverser), the highly valued Confessions of a Dungeons & Dragons™ Addict, along with special rules and player aids in both written and computer formats, this site was highly praised by RAWS, linked by Gary Gygax, and is worth a look even if you don't like what you found here.

The Multiverser Information Center
The complexity of creating a D&D character always reminds me of how much simpler it is to play Multiverser®, the game which incorporates all other games, all other worlds, everything imaginable, with nothing else to buy.

Temporal Anomalies in Popular Movies
There are enough time travel films out there now that most of the things which could go wrong in time have been shown on the silver screen. This page applies a new conception of how time works (discussed in the Multiverser® game system to help referees sort out game scenarios in which player characters travel in time) to unraveling the most popular of such movies. An Event Horizon Hot Spot and Sci Fi Weekly Site of the Week which has won the author national recognition as an authority on time travel in fiction.

Index to the Pages of M. J. Young
An eclectic collection of materials which includes RPG stories, commentary on law and Bible, song lyrics, and indices to material all over the web.