Why is the barbarian its own class?

Remove all ads!

I would like to discuss why the barbarian has been made into its own class rather than just being a subclass of the fighter or a kit, rather, like it used to be. I’m not too up-to-date on my 3E or 3.5E rules and don’t know that rationale for many of the changes Wizards made to the rules but this one escapes me. In 1E there was the barbarian as its own class. Then, in 2E they did away with the barbarian kit because, as they explained it (paraphrase) a barbarian was a fighter with a certain mythos/culture and there was no need to make it a class of its own. All you had to do was give your fighter a lot of STR and CON and little INT and CHA. Top him/her off with a horned helmet, furry underwear, an oversized weapon and some proper role-playing and you’re done.

The Complete Fighter’s handbook (IRC) had a kit called the barbarian and it traded some of the standard fighter’s abilities for some barbarianesque powers, and resembled rather closely the Baldur’s Gate incarnation of the class.

Now, the barbarian is its own class again and I’m wondering why. Couldn’t WOTC have just put out some barbarianesque feats for players to choose from instead of making another character class with a whole set of rules? I suppose this line of questioning could be used for paladins and rangers, but I think the similarities between the fighter and the barbarian are too close for it to warrant its own class. More so than the paladin or ranger. How about the barbarian as a prestige class or something? Just some thoughts. These are the things that keep me up at night.

 

The d12 thingy maybe?
Barbarians rely on their incredible strength and rage. Whereas a fighter relies on his weapon skill.

Why isn't sorcerer a mage kit? Because sorcerer has his/her spells as innate powers and a mage learns them.

So simply: Barbarian and sorcerer are, mages and fighters learn to be what they are.

 

Actually, they didn't do away with the Barbarians in 2e. If you look around, you can find a Complete Barbarian's Handbook that is much like the Complete Fighter's Handbook or any other Complete [Class]'s Handbook. The public wanted barbarians as a class, so they gave them barbarians.

 

Hygiene.

 

Fighter assumes a degree of combat skill, as evidenced by all the extra feats they get.

Barbarians rely more on strength and instinct, as evidenced by Rage, fast movement, more skill points, d12 Hit dice, Uncanny dodge and more skill points...

 

Only in D&D will you see the words 'Barbarian' and 'class' in the same sentence.

 

Good enough for me.