Fixing the barbarian

Combat Skills

Movement

  • Leap max leap distance of 16 yards
  • Leap Attack max leap distance of 16 yards, pull enemies towards where you land
  • Whirlwind undo IAS/attack frame nerf, make 4 frame attacks possible again, enable CTC on hit at 1/2 cast chance

Attacks

  • Bash now cleaves hitting 1 adjacent target next to primary target, if target is stunned cleave hits 2 adjacent target next to your primary target instead
  • Stun now cleaves hitting 1 adjacent target next to primary target, remove War Cry synergy and increase base stun duration per level
  • Concentrate always hits, remove Berserk Synergy
  • Berserk replace Howl synergy with Whirlwind ED synergy

Dual Wield

  • Double Swing now cleaves hitting 1 adjacent target next to primary target each swing, replace Bash synergy with Frenzy ED synergy
  • Double Throw move chance to not consume and replenish quantity on critical from Throwing Mastery to Double Throw, add Frenzy AR synergy
  • Frenzy remove Increased Stamina synergy and increase base duration per level,15 seconds duration max duration, replace Taunt synergy with Battle Orders ED synergy, remove Berserk synergy

Combat Masteries

Weapons

  • Blade Mastery add chance of open wounds per level, 20% chance max
  • Axe Mastery add chance to crushing blow per level, 10% chance max
  • Mace Mastery add chance to always hit per level, 25% chance max
  • Polearm Mastery add chance to cleave hitting 1 adjacent target next to primary target per level, 50% chance max, if used with a skill that cleaves already it hits 1 additional adjacent target
  • Throwing Mastery move chance to not consume and replenish quantity on critical to Double Throw, 50% pierce chance max
  • Spear Mastery add chance to block both attacks and spells when not using a shield per level, 25% chance max, block chance reduce to 1/3 while running

Stats

  • Increased Stamina gives +1 replenish life per level synergy to Iron Skin and Natural Resistance
  • Iron Skin enhance defence 1.5 times higher than Shout, has +1 replenish life per level synergy from Increased Stamina
  • Natural Resistance has +1 replenish life per level synergy from Increased Stamina

Warcries

Shouts

  • Taunt now works on champions
  • Battle Cry now taunts monsters into attacking you as well, increase radius to same as Howl
  • War Cry increase radius to 6 yards max, increase base damage, remove Taunt as synergy and increase other synergy to compensate

Scavenging

  • Find Potion corpse is not consumed after using skill, replenishes health and mana in addition to chance finding potion
  • Grim Ward no longer fears monsters
2 Likes

Nice suggestions. Not necessarily how I’d do things, but I do like the approach of adding some cleaving rather than splash damage or “random area damage” in terms of play style and theme.

I might prefer they just replace Stun with a Cleave skill that either:

  1. hits x enemies in an arc in front of the Barb, and x increases with more skill points
    or
  2. hits all enemies in an arc of x degrees in the front of the Barb and x increases with more skill points.

But I’d be okay with what you have posted. IMO Frenzy and DS being able to hit adjacent targets is already a reasonable multi-target mechanic, if a cleave type skill is added and WW exists also, provided DS/Frenzy damage/ar is sufficient (and it’s likely not right now without GG gear.

Similarly I’d have to think through all the synergy change suggestions, but WW could certainly use an ED buff (and AR!) and Conc going always hit would be cool and make sense. Given how skill point constrained Barb builds already are I would also be in favor of just pushing for WW skill damage/AR itself to improve rather than an additional synergy, but additional synergy is reasonable too, especially if it’s a useful skill.

Hope we get some Barb love soon!

1 Like

can we fix the massive durability loss when using ww or just melee in general? i have to repair 5 times during a cs run in classic.

1 Like