Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General So, is the best race for a barbarian...

...no longer a Shield Dwarf which did have +2 Strength and +2 Const but prolly a Githyanki which has a longer dash range but also Githyanki Sonic Jump + Misty Step? Without the racial proficiencies of Early Access, the previous advantages of Dwarves as Barbarians is easily outclassed by the Githyanki ability to get into melee range first and fastest. At least that's how I see it. Am I missing something here?

Rage prevents you from casting spells, that means Githyanki spell kit is not that effective for a barb. I think gnomes are among the best races for barbarians right now because gnome cunning solves wisdom saving throws and let's you dump it, which is huge. Reach should not be a problem for a barb since they get + movement speed at level 5 and they can throw things while out of reach.

'Best' is subjective, but humans are the worst; they get nothing a Barb doesn't already have.

Now, a Wood Elf is very quick - which is what I really, really like about them. With added Barbspeed you at least have to worry less about actually getting your melee fighter in melee. If anything, that's what I struggled with in EA. Laezal could do all kinds of awesome stuff... If she were in range. Often, she was just wasting rounds and being arrowbait.
But, I feel weird running a STR based Elf and will probably never do it.

Next.

Halflings never roll ones on a D20. That is awesome for a damage build that hits often, so especially if you go dual-wield. Critical misses happen quite often, but the halfling negates that entirely and become even more reliable.
But, I feel weird running a STR based Halfling and will probably never do it.

Next

HalfOrcs have increased Crit Damage. I like that. Big numbers are tasty. Like chicken. Which isn;t all that tasty on it's own, actually, but with some seasoning it becomes tasty. That's what I mean.
I don't feel weird running a STR based HalfOrc *at all*, they're made for it.

Jump requires an action, rage a bonus. Gith barbs cast jump then rage and leap incredible distances to engage the enemy and protect your squishies. Jump isn't concentration. Gith make pretty good barbs.

But really half orcs just suit it thematically and mechanically, don't they? I'm definitely planning a half orc barb at some time. Ugly and brutal, intimidating every time I can, great axe strictly only.

And this thread shows why the floating ASI are a mistake. They remove flavour from a race and the minmaxer will still only play certain combinations because now the racial abilities determine what race is best for a class.
Much was lost and nothing was gained.

Oh the irony.

5e(2014) had only very few viable races for min/maxers for each class.
If a race didn't have your main stats it wasn't viable for that class.
For a Barbarian it was usually either a Half-Orc or a Shield Dwarf.

5e(2024) allows you to choose any race without compromising your stats and Min/Maxers will choose the race whose features compliments their preferred play-style.

As for the OP's question:
If I wanted a Barbarian who did great Damage I'd choose a Half-Orc.
If I wanted a Barbarian with a breath-weapon I'd choose a Dragonborn.
If I wanted a Barbarian with increased mobility I might choose a Wood Elf, a Githyanki, or a Wood Half-Elf.
If I wanted a Lucky Barbarian that beats the odds I might choose a Halfling.

5e(2024) gives you so many more viable choices for your preferred class.

Thank you for proving my point.
5e(2014) had only very few optimal minmaxed races for each class. Most players didn't care because they played interesting characters and not spreadsheets

5e(2024) allows minmaxers to optimise more, not having to account for ability score allowing them to focus on special abilities, because suits having decided that catering to less demanding minmaxers is more profitable.

That statement could not be more false. Lol.
There were far fewer viable builds for min/maxers in 5e(2014)

In 5e(2024) If I wanted a Barbarian who did burst Damage I'd choose a Half-Orc.
If I wanted a Barbarian with a breath-weapon I'd choose a Dragonborn.
If I wanted a Barbarian with increased mobility I might choose a Wood Elf, a Githyanki, or a Wood Half-Elf.
If I wanted a Lucky Barbarian that beats the odds I might choose a Halfling.

The same folks who would have ignored min/maxing 10 years ago will ignore it today.


5e(2024) allows you to choose the race you think is cool and still have a very viable character.

And minmaxers were (are?) only a tiny amount of the RPG players, but who came to dictate in which direction RPGs are developed because of their excessive whining, forcing their extremely limited view on how RPGs are played (like saying that only minmaxed characters are viable) on everyone else.

Which is why you should embrace 5e(2024).
All races are viable for all classes.
No min/maxing required.

1. All races have always been viable for all classes since 3E did away with racial class limits.
2. As this thread shows minmaxers will just seek something new to minmax and exclusively play that, so nothing has improved except flavour getting destroyed.

Min/maxers will always optimize. That is there nature.
The good news is I heard they are a very small part of the community.


So we really don't need to worry about them.


No my melodramatic interlocutor, no flavour was destroyed in 5e(2024).
Each race still has its own history, and culture and identity.
It's odd that you think all of that was tied to Stat bonuses.

The big decision to make regarding race is whether you want to be thrown by your companions. If so, choose a light race (I.e., gnome or halfling).

Just give shield dwarfs, humans and half-elves back their missing attribute amounts. Let them allocate them freely just like everyone else, they'll just have extra points since that's literally what separated them from everyone else.

This is kind of off topic

Nah I'd rather them not nerf human and half elf non martials by going back to the old way.

More on topic to the op, dragonborn gith half orc and halfling are all great choices

Dragonborn? Is the breath weapon and elemental resistance even useful for a barbarian? To be fair, dragonborns sound suboptimal for pretty much everything.

If you go lightening bear total dragonborn with shadowheart making things wet you'll be able to tank in the electrified pool of water this combo could probably 2 man the entire goblin base

Sadly we do have to worry about minmaxer because their constant whining about how their inability to play something without having "the biggest numbers" is someone elses fault instead of just their own convinces suits to turn role playing games into soulless number games which results in nonsense like Tasha or Larians floating ASI where piece by piece flavour gets sacrificed needlessly. Because as this thread shows minmaxer will just pick something else and will continue their whines and lies that only certain race/class combinations are viable.
It will not be long until racial special abilities will also be floating, destroying any form of racial identity.
WotC removal of half elves and half orcs as distinct races and "everyone can create hybrids" plan was already a step into that direction.

Yes the 'rage/no spell' condition is a good point. But I never enter rage until I'm beside/in melee range of an enemy because it costs a turn (I think).

In Italy we had a trash tv show about occult stuff and shit, Mistero, that spread the meme "gnome with an axe".
THE MEME LIVES!