So, I decided I wanted to play a Barbarian in our Pathfinder 2e campaign. Just felt like hitting things really hard, you know? Seemed simple enough on the surface.
Getting Started – The Build
First thing I had to figure out was the Instinct. This is kinda the core flavour. I looked through them all. Animal Instinct looked cool, turning into a beast, but I kinda wanted to use big weapons. Dragon Instinct? Bit too magical for the vibe I wanted this time. Spirit? Nah. Fury? Felt a bit plain. Giant Instinct, though? Yeah, that sounded right. Big dude, bigger weapon, massive damage. Seemed perfect for just wrecking stuff. So, Giant Instinct it was.
Next up, stats. Strength, obviously, maxed that out first thing. You gotta hit hard. Then Constitution, because I figured I’d be taking hits, especially with the Rage AC penalty. Dexterity got a little bit, just enough for some AC and Reflex saves. Dumped Intelligence and Charisma pretty low, wasn’t planning on being the brains or the face of the operation. Wisdom got whatever was left, mostly for Will saves, which I heard could be a problem.
For Ancestry, I went with Orc. Felt classic for a Barbarian, plus more Strength? Yes please. Got some useful Orc feats later too.
Early Levels – Smashing and Getting Smashed
Okay, levels 1 to maybe 4 or 5. Hitting that Rage button felt great. First time I declared Rage and rolled that extra damage, felt awesome. The Giant Instinct let me use a large weapon, which was clunky but oh man, the damage dice. Enemies noticed me, that’s for sure.
But here’s the thing: that Rage AC penalty is real. I got hit. A lot. Especially early on when my HP wasn’t massive. I learned fast that just running in screaming wasn’t always the best plan. Needed the party healer nearby, or I had to pick my moments. I grabbed Sudden Charge as soon as I could. Closing the distance fast was vital. Standing back meant getting pelted by arrows, which sucked.
- Needed Strength
- Needed Constitution
- Giant Instinct meant big hits
- AC penalty hurt early
- Sudden Charge was a must-have
Mid Levels – Finding the Groove
As I leveled up, things got smoother. More HP helped soak the hits. I started picking up more feats. Attack of Opportunity wasn’t easily available for my instinct path early on, which was a bit annoying, I admit. But I focused on things that helped me hit harder or survive better. Cleave was decent when facing mobs.
Gear-wise, I stuck with the biggest two-handed weapon I could find, usually a greataxe or greatsword, but sized up for Giant Instinct. That large weapon thing can be tricky indoors sometimes, gotta watch the space. For armor, I stuck with Medium Armor. Heavy Armor just restricted speed too much, and speed felt important for getting into the fight.
Managing Rage became more second nature. Learned not to Rage if I thought I might need to, like, open a door or use a potion quickly, since you get locked out of Concentrate actions. Got caught out by that once or twice early on. Embarrassing to drop your weapon because you raged and then tried to do something fiddly.
Dealing with the Downsides
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Will saves remained a weak spot. Anything targeting the mind? Yeah, that was scary. Had a few close calls where the party had to snap me out of some enchantment. Also, enemies that could fly or stay at extreme range were a pain until I could corner them. Relying on the party for ranged support or control effects became pretty important.
The Giant Instinct’s drawback, the clumsiness with the big weapon, mostly just meant I wasn’t doing delicate tasks. Not a huge deal for my character concept, but something to remember.
Was It Fun? Yeah.
Playing the Barbarian was a blast, honestly. There’s a simple satisfaction in declaring Rage and rolling huge handfuls of dice. You feel impactful in combat. You’re tough, you hit hard. It’s straightforward, maybe not subtle, but very effective at its job: breaking things.
My advice? Embrace the simplicity. Know your job is to deal damage and take hits. Work with your party healer. Pick your moments to Rage, don’t just do it turn one every time. And watch out for those mind-affecting spells. If you like getting stuck in and causing chaos, give the Barbarian a try. Worked for me.
