Barbarian 5eClass Guide & NPC Generator
Primal paths, the Rage table, Unarmored Defense and the stats that matter — then forge a finished barbarian NPC, portrait and all, without typing a thing twice.
A barbarian is a d12 and a very simple plan. Rage halves almost everything the world throws at you, Unarmored Defense means the vest was always enough, and Relentless Rage means zero hit points is a suggestion.
Choose your subclass
Barbarian Subclasses — The Primal Paths
Six paths, six reasons the rage arrives. Choose one; the forge follows.
Pure fury
Path of the Berserker
Frenzy — an extra attack every round of the rage, at the cost of exhaustion. The simplest path, and the one that hurts you nearly as much as them.
Full Path of the Berserker guide →The Forge
Forge Path of the Berserker Barbarian
Everything you have chosen travels with you and arrives pre-filled. Nothing to type twice — just press Generate.
Path of the Berserker · level 5 · pre-filled for you
Role in party
The Immovable Object
Barbarian = the party’s front wall and its heaviest hitter — resistance-soaked durability with a huge damage swing on top.
You want to walk to the front, take the hits everyone else can’t, and hand them straight back.
Forged this morning
The Clan Shield
Path of the Ancestral Guardian · Level 10 · Lawful Good
Old Yrsa
Fights with four generations standing behind her. Anyone who swings past her finds out how many opinions they have — and how little the living get a say in it.
Chosen lineage
Best Races for a Barbarian
Strength swings and Constitution keeps you standing, so the best lineages raise one of the two — or add durability on top of Unarmored Defense.
Half-OrcGUIDE →
Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks — extra critical dice stack straight onto Reckless Attack. The textbook barbarian.
Mountain DwarfGUIDE →
Both barbarian stats at once, plus dwarven resilience — the sturdiest chassis the class can start on.
GoliathGUIDE →
Stone’s Endurance shrugs off a hit each turn, on top of Rage resistance — Powerful Build carries the loot, too.
DragonbornGUIDE →
Breath weapon gives you a rare bit of AOE, and the draconic frame suits a two-handed raider.
Variant HumanGUIDE →
Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master online at level 1 — the damage build comes together immediately.
The whole class, in three buttons
The Rage Engine
A barbarian has no spell list — this is the core loop that replaces it. Rage every fight, attack recklessly, and let Unarmored Defense keep the AC high with no armour at all.
Rage
Advantage on Strength checks and saves, bonus damage on Strength melee hits (+2 rising to +4), and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing — halving most damage in the game. Two uses at level 1, up to unlimited at 20.
Reckless Attack
Take advantage on all your Strength attacks this turn; enemies get advantage back until your next. With resistance up, that trade is heavily in your favour — you hit far more often for full while they hit for half.
Unarmored Defense
No armour required. A barbarian with 16 DEX and 18 CON walks around at AC 17 wearing a vest — and every point of Constitution buys hit points and armour class at the same time.
Where the points go
Barbarian Builds — Where the Points Go
Constitution is not a “nice to have” here — it is your armour class, your hit points and your Relentless Rage saves all at once. Strength swings the weapon; everything else waits.
Great weapon (default)
Strength swings, Constitution is both your hit points and your armour class. Dexterity third because Unarmored Defense uses it too.
Unarmored tank
Bear Totem or Ancestral Guardian. Constitution first is legitimate here — it is AC, HP and Relentless Rage saves at once.
Thrower / mobile
Javelins and Fast Movement. Same stats; you just arrive first and throw things on the way.
Top picks
Best Feats for a Barbarian
Reckless Attack means you almost always have advantage — so the feats that reward every hit are worth more to a barbarian than to anyone else.
Multiclass combos
Best Barbarian Multiclass Combos
Rage caps at your barbarian levels, so most builds stay barbarian-heavy and dip only a level or two for the extras.
Barbarian / FighterGUIDE →
Action Surge doubles your Reckless swings for a nova turn, and a second Fighting Style tightens the build — the classic damage dip.
Barbarian / RogueGUIDE →
Reckless Attack guarantees Sneak Attack every turn, and Cunning Action adds the mobility the class otherwise lacks.
Barbarian / Druid (Moon)GUIDE →
Rage in Wild Shape stacks resistance onto a bear’s huge hit points — a famously hard-to-kill front line.
Armory
Best Barbarian Equipment by Tier
What to carry as you level — remember that any armour switches Unarmored Defense off, so a barbarian’s upgrades are weapons, not plate.
The Long Fury
Features by Level
From the forge
Barbarians Made Here
Six paths, six furies. Take any one — the whole build travels with it.
Ulf Redhand
Has never once retreated, and the scar tissue keeps a full record of every occasion that was the wrong call.
Use this build →
Bera Bearkin
Walks into the fire because the fire will get bored first. Nothing has moved her off a doorway in nine years.
Use this build →
Old Yrsa
Fights with four generations standing behind her. Anyone who swings past her finds out how many opinions they have.
Use this build →
Kord the Unburied
Has died twice and returned laughing both times. His god finds this funny. Nobody else does.
Use this build →
Skadi Stormborn
The temperature drops when she gets angry. Her raiding party has learned to stand very close to her.
Use this build →
Thrag Clawborn
Grows a different set of teeth each time. He does not discuss where they come from, and nobody asks twice.
Use this build →Counsel
Frequently Asked
What is a barbarian in D&D 5e?
The pure martial bruiser: d12 hit points, no armour needed, and Rage — bonus damage plus resistance to almost all weapon damage. Barbarians do not cast, do not plan, and are extremely hard to remove from a fight.
How do I build a barbarian in 5e?
Max Strength, then Constitution — it is your hit points *and* your armour class via Unarmored Defense. Skip armour entirely. Rage every fight, Reckless Attack nearly every turn, and pick your Primal Path at level 3.
What is the best barbarian subclass?
Totem Warrior (Bear) is the most durable thing in the game — resistance to everything but psychic while raging. Ancestral Guardian is the best actual tank because it protects allies. Zealot is the simplest strong damage pick.
How does Rage work?
Bonus action to start. You get advantage on Strength checks and saves, bonus damage on Strength melee hits (+2 rising to +4), and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing — halving most damage in the game. It lasts a minute if you keep fighting.
What are the best stats for a barbarian?
Strength first, Constitution a very close second — Constitution is hit points, armour class and Relentless Rage saves all at once. Dexterity third, since Unarmored Defense uses it too. Never wear armour; it turns the feature off.
Why is Reckless Attack good if enemies get advantage back?
Because you have resistance. They hit you more often for half damage, while you hit far more often for full — and with Great Weapon Master or Brutal Critical, advantage is worth much more to you than to them.
Fighter vs Barbarian — which should I play?
Fighter for flexibility, range and the most attacks; barbarian for raw durability and damage while raging. Fighters can archer, tank or gish; barbarians do one thing — take hits and hit back — extremely well.
Let It Out
Read the rules, choose your path, and forge the barbarian — all on one page. Your first is free.
Forge a Barbarian NPC