THE BARBARIAN
Brian Asbury's 'Barbarian' appeared in White Dwarf 4 (1977) and was revised a few issues later after the publication of AD&D; the revised version appeared in Best of White Dwarf Articles I (1980). This is a revised version of the Barbarian for White Box.
Barbarians are warriors of an uncivilised tribe who rely on instinctual powers and fericity in place of trained skills or discipline.
Barbarians must be Humans or (at the Referee's discretion) Half-Orcs. Some campaign settings might include Savage Elves, Neanderhalflings or Cave Dwarves who would qualify as Barbarians. The Prime Attribute is Constitution and a Barbarian character gains +05% to earned XP if this is 15+. Barbarians may be any alignment.
Barbarians must be Humans or (at the Referee's discretion) Half-Orcs. Some campaign settings might include Savage Elves, Neanderhalflings or Cave Dwarves who would qualify as Barbarians. The Prime Attribute is Constitution and a Barbarian character gains +05% to earned XP if this is 15+. Barbarians may be any alignment.
Armour & Weapon Restrictions
Barbarians cannot wear armour. They can carry shields. They can use any weapons. They can make use of all magic items usable by Fighters but also Cloaks of Protection.
Sense Danger
The player may ask the Referee if instincts warn of danger and the Referee secretly rolls a d6 and compares it to the Instincts score; if successful, the Referee warns the player of danger (but not its nature) and direction or source. This could detect approaching monsters or traps.
Self Preservation
The Instincts score is added to the Barbarian's Armour Class. It is also added to some saving throws (see below).
Sign Language
A successful Instincts test enables a Barbarian to communicate simple intentions, directions or requests to an animal or non-magical creature of animal-like intelligence. It does not enable the Barbarian to understand replies.
Undead and creatures that can only be harmed by magical weapons will not respond to Sign Language.
Sign Language also enables two Barbarians to communicate wordlessly (often while hunting or trading). In this case, the Instincts test can be used to communicate complicated concepts or to use Sign Language without bystanders noticing.
Undead and creatures that can only be harmed by magical weapons will not respond to Sign Language.
Sign Language also enables two Barbarians to communicate wordlessly (often while hunting or trading). In this case, the Instincts test can be used to communicate complicated concepts or to use Sign Language without bystanders noticing.
First Attack Ferocity
At the start of a combat encounter, the Barbarian can forfeit one round to work herself into a battle frenzy. She then gains +2 To Hit and rolls the damage dice twice on her next attack. This can only be attempted once per combat (and cannot be used a second time if the Barbarian moves to attack a fresh opponent).
Uncivilised
Barbarians are not used to civilised ways or actively disdain them. They suffer a -2 penalty on Reaction Tests in towns and cities and pay double for supplies, armour and weapons from trading stores.
Saving Throws
Barbarians add their Instincts to saving throws vs fear and disease. At the Referee's discretion, Instincts may also be added to saving throws versus effects which can be dodged or evaded (spell effects like fireball, gaze attacks of monsters like Medusas, falling rocks, dragon breath).
Establish a Lodge
At 9th level, the Barbarian becomes a Barbarian Chief and can build a Lodge, which is a sort of camp-cum-fortress in the wilderness where the Barbarian celebrates victories, feasts and hunts. He will attract a group of tribesmen and women, who might be Barbarians or barbarian-flavoured Fighters, Clerics, Rangers, etc.
Trauma
Barbarians do not gain Trauma from the death of companions in battle or from traveling through the wilderness in extreme weather. They do not have to make a Trauma Test after an Adrenaline Boost (they they still add 1 Trauma for doing it). They gain extra Trauma from one type of monster they hold in superstitious dread: Demons, Fey, Giants, Giant Animals, Undead.
Barbarian Feats
- Armoured Barbarian: You can wear leather armour; you may choose this Feat a second time to wear chain mail armour
- Blade Venom: You can coat weapons or arrows in a toxin that causes an enemy who takes damage from it to save vs Poison or take 1d6-1 extra damage; you can envenom a number of weapons equal to your Instinct and each envenomed weapon has one use per adventure
- Camouflage: You may use your Instincts ability to hide from sight in Wilderness settings
- Frenzy: You gain +4 To Hit with your First-attack Frenzy
- Hunter: You may use your Instincts skill to follow a trail in Wilderness settings (but not in dungeons)
- Traditional Enemy: Choose a non-magical monster type (e.g. Bandits, Giants, Orcs, Wolves) against whom you gain +1 To Hit and damage
- Trophy: Gain 1d6 Hit Points after victory in battle
Barbarian Flavour for other classes
A simple way to give your Ranger, Druid or other character class the 'Barbarian Flavour' is to give them the Uncivilised restriction in exchange for the use of Sign Language or any Barbarian Feat (except Armoured Barbarian/Frenzy). If a test of Instincts is required, the barbarian-flavoured character is assumed to have Instincts 2.
The barbaric character can choose Feats (except Armoured Barbarian/Frenzy) from the Barbarian Feats instead of their own Feats. However, their Instinct score never increases. If they forego the Uncivilised restriction later on, they lose the benefits of Barbarian Feats or abilities they picked up.
The barbaric character can choose Feats (except Armoured Barbarian/Frenzy) from the Barbarian Feats instead of their own Feats. However, their Instinct score never increases. If they forego the Uncivilised restriction later on, they lose the benefits of Barbarian Feats or abilities they picked up.
