Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Rinslin Merwind]

I wonder if people, who complain about barbarian being "skinny weakling" ever considered that for gaining muscle there needs to be a steady source of protein and systematic exercise (among other factors ofc, but still).
And no, hunting isn't steady source of protein, especially in fantasy setting where half of the forest fauna consists from inedible monsters, which would like to chew on humans instead in their turn.
Raiding cattle farms is an option, but raiders will face fierce resistance from people (hardened by battles with above mentioned monsters) and cattle should be fed and sheltered somewhere (which in turn results in various different problems).
Systematic exercise needs some form of discipline and the more you want to gain - the more rigorous training needed, not to mention there needs to be a DIET at some point (how later/early - depends on genetic predisposition).
Dunno about you all, but words: diet, discipline and cultivating livestock does not fit stereotypical image of Barbarians at all.
IRL, "barbarians" were just people with culture different from Rome, yes there was significant technological difference, but these people weren't in Stone Age.

God damn it, every time when there discussion about barbarians pops up, I trying to analyze class and (system in general) and despair overflows me.
Just WHY there was decision to have separate classes named "fighter" (very shitty name btw) and barbarian, instead of having chad class named "Warrior" and two sub classes - one being more in line with our boring yet familiar fighter class and other being "Tribal warrior" - a sub-class with same flavor as barbarian. This way everybody have "cool toys to play" and there more room for more sub-classes. Also nobody have to endure word "fighter" again.
Oh, well, history decided otherwise.

 

[perfectslumbers]

I wonder if people, who complain about barbarian being "skinny weakling" ever considered that for gaining muscle there needs to be a steady source of protein and systematic exercise (among other factors ofc, but still).

I don't care about the realism of it, I just want to live out the fantasy of being Conan the Barbarian

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I wonder if people, who complain about barbarian being "skinny weakling" ever considered that for gaining muscle there needs to be a steady source of protein and systematic exercise (among other factors ofc, but still).

I don't care about the realism of it, I just want to live out the fantasy of being Conan the Barbarian

your wish is granted

finger on the monkey's paw retracts

 

[Rinslin Merwind]

I don't care about the realism of it, I just want to live out the fantasy of being Conan the Barbarian

Then you should to worry about lack of correspondent body sliders in character creation more than "skinny dude" model in video/press material surrounding the game.
Not only "Conan enjoyers" suffering from lack of ability to create buff gaint, btw. Some people can barely contain absurd desire to create 3m tall wizards to loom over battlefield, yet they can't because character creation isn't extensive enough.

 

[Reinhardt]

I wonder if people, who complain about barbarian being "skinny weakling" ever considered that for gaining muscle there needs to be a steady source of protein and systematic exercise (among other factors ofc, but still).
And no, hunting isn't steady source of protein, especially in fantasy setting where half of the forest fauna consists from inedible monsters, which would like to chew on humans instead in their turn.
Raiding cattle farms is an option, but raiders will face fierce resistance from people (hardened by battles with above mentioned monsters) and cattle should be fed and sheltered somewhere (which in turn results in various different problems).
Systematic exercise needs some form of discipline and the more you want to gain - the more rigorous training needed, not to mention there needs to be a DIET at some point (how later/early - depends on genetic predisposition).
Dunno about you all, but words: diet, discipline and cultivating livestock does not fit stereotypical image of Barbarians at all.
IRL, "barbarians" were just people with culture different from Rome, yes there was significant technological difference, but these people weren't in Stone Age.

God damn it, every time when there discussion about barbarians pops up, I trying to analyze class and (system in general) and despair overflows me.
Just WHY there was decision to have separate classes named "fighter" (very shitty name btw) and barbarian, instead of having chad class named "Warrior" and two sub classes - one being more in line with our boring yet familiar fighter class and other being "Tribal warrior" - a sub-class with same flavor as barbarian. This way everybody have "cool toys to play" and there more room for more sub-classes. Also nobody have to endure word "fighter" again.
Oh, well, history decided otherwise.

Barbarians are angery wommynz from barbarian school!

 

[Fedora Master]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

Barbarian peoples were generally considered healthier and stronger than settled people. There was a reason Genghis Khan made sure to rotate his troops back to the steppes to keep them strong and sharp.

Even the Roman army preferred to recruit from villagers and rural populations more than urban ones.

 

[Blutwurstritter]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

I'd think they'd look more like Brian Blessed in his prime.

Larian might just go for it and have them look like this,

Spoiler

or like that,

Spoiler

 

[mediocrepoet]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

I'd think they'd look more like Brian Blessed in his prime.

Larian might just go for it and have them look like this,

Spoiler

I change my mind. I need to play as this guy in this outfit. Also, I need to keep the boots in the cringe sex scenes. Make it so!

 

[Thonius]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

I'd think they'd look more like Brian Blessed in his prime.

Larian might just go for it and have them look like this,

Spoiler

I change my mind. I need to play as this guy in this outfit. Also, I need to keep the boots in the cringe sex scenes. Make it so!

"That Dude" that's Sean Connery!

 

[gurugeorge]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

I'd think they'd look more like Brian Blessed in his prime.

Larian might just go for it and have them look like this,

Spoiler

I change my mind. I need to play as this guy in this outfit. Also, I need to keep the boots in the cringe sex scenes. Make it so!

"That Dude" that's Sean Connery!

Indeed it is, in Zardoz, a wonderful period piece from the early 70s, quite a whacky movie overall, with the feel of one of those old tattered s-f paperbacks from the 70s with weird covers. Philosophically interesting too.

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

This isn't really an argument, but an actual "barbarian" in a medieval fantasy subsistence environment would be more likely to look like a wiry lunatic (think Sting in Dune 1984) than a protein shake-chugging gym bro. It's kind of interesting that they went in this pseudo-realistic direction.

Barbarian wasn't usually used in the medieval environment. The term itself really didn't start to be used again until it was used by the English with an entirely different meaning (a wild or rude person) in the 15th century. Historically, Barbarian comes from "Barbaroi," which was just a derogatory word for "foreigner" or non-Greek. It later became commonly used by Romans for anyone who wasn't a Roman or Greek like an Egyptian, Persian, Celt, etc. Some of which were more advanced than the Romans. The Barbarian in D&D is influenced more by Conan the Barbarian and the Norse/Germanic Berserker (Norse/Germanics themselves being observed to be notably larger in stature than the people they raided).

This pic is probably more what TSR were influence by when making D&D as well as this is what Conan looked like as much as seven years before D&D was in Gygax's imagination.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

*ahem*

 

[Falksi]

Fuckinghell, if they can't get a Barbarian right they've no hope.

More shitness on display.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Gary Gygax introduced the barbarian class to AD&D in an article titled "The Big, Bad Barbarian" appearing in Dragon Magazine #63 (July 1982). Rather than the player selecting the barbarian class after rolling ability scores, Gygax instead established that certain, varying dice would be rolled for each ability score after a player had chosen to play a barbarian. For strength, the dice rolled would be 9d6, with the best 3 selected, resulting in a mean strength of 15.77 (with a 62.3% chance of rolling a 16, 17, or 18), which implies a high degree of muscularity for barbarians, who were also assigned high numbers of dice for rolling dexterity (best 3 of 7d6, mean 14.9) and constitution (best 3 of 8d6, mean 15.39) with special bonuses for scores over 14 in these two attributes.

The version of the barbarian appearing in Unearthed Arcana (1985) mandated a minimum of 15 strength, 14 dexterity, and 15 constitution (with a maximum of 16 wisdom!). Although the barbarian class was no longer tied to a specific method of rolling ability scores, Gygax also presented in Unearthed Arcana a new Method V for rolling ability scores, in which the class selected for a character would determine how many six-sided dice should be rolled for each ability score (always selecting the best 3), and as before the dice rolled for barbarians were 9d6 for strength, 7d6 for dexterity, and 8d6 for constitution.

The four Sagard the Barbarian gamebooks co-authored by Gary Gygax and Flint Dille (brother of Lorraine Dille Williams, who ousted Gygax from TSR) were not D&D/AD&D gamebooks and were not published by TSR. Also, the British versions had cover art that depicted Sagard as far more muscular and masculine than the American versions:

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Also, the British versions had cover art that depicted Sagard as far more muscular and masculine than the American versions:

But it's obvious Gygax would have had much more input into the American versions.

Face it, barbarians were wimps.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Also, the British versions had cover art that depicted Sagard as far more muscular and masculine than the American versions:

But it's obvious Gygax would have had much more input into the American versions.

Face it, barbarians were wimps.

Not with that str score.

 

[AliceAlcina]

Did anybody tried druid and how do they compare to ranger? Best subclass (currently in the game)?

 

[Lacrymas]

Moon Druid is probably as busted as in tabletop.

 

[hell bovine]

Did anybody tried druid and how do they compare to ranger? Best subclass (currently in the game)?

Ranger melee was better than the druid in combat when I've tried, but druid was more fun to play. Spells like charm person and enhance ability made passing skill checks easy, and animal forms were fun uitility. My fav was the land circle druid, on lvl 3 pick coast and you get misty step and mirror image as bonus spells. Use that one cantrip which makes it so that clubs and staves use wisdom for attack and he's not bad in melee either.

Moon Druid is probably as busted as in tabletop.

Nope, now that barbarian is in, it's imo the weakest class. The only bonus animal forms it gets are bear, which has big hp, but weak attack, and bird, which is easily replaced with misty step. People have been advertising the bear for tanking, but here is the thing: while the ai is not great, it's not that bad either and will go for the guy in the dress wizard robe anyway. And now the dwarven bear barbarian with their rage is in, who is both very tanky and unlike the bear can hit. That said, you don't need tanking with a dwarven berserker. :D

 

[underground nymph]

I want more feats that both provide interesting ways of customization and clever/lore friendly in idea (and have synergies and prerequisites). Like e.g. the feat for dwarves that gives bonus to AC (?) while fighting in small spaces. Can’t remember where it is from though.

Does 5e have such?

 

[Cael]

Moon Druid is probably as busted as in tabletop.

Nope, now that barbarian is in, it's imo the weakest class. The only bonus animal forms it gets are bear, which has big hp, but weak attack, and bird, which is easily replaced with misty step. People have been advertising the bear for tanking, but here is the thing: while the ai is not great, it's not that bad either and will go for the guy in the dress wizard robe anyway. And now the dwarven bear barbarian with their rage is in, who is both very tanky and unlike the bear can hit. That said, you don't need tanking with a dwarven berserker. :D

I remember a scene from one of the FR books, I think it is part of the Cleric Quintet, where something like this happened with a psycho dwarf:

Ogre: RARRRGGHHHH!!!!! *thumps chest*
Dwarf: RARRRGGGH!! *runs between ogre's legs with axe raised*
Ogre: *falls over with a stupified look on its face*

 

[hell bovine]

Ogre: RARRRGGHHHH!!!!! *thumps chest*
Dwarf: RARRRGGGH!! *runs between ogre's legs with axe raised*
Ogre: *falls over with a stupified look on its face*

The game doesn't state this in class description, but yes, the berserker gets special intimidation dialogue (instead of the standard barbarian which the other class gets). And it is all CAPSLOCK RAGE. And he gets advantage on these checks in dialogue. :D

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

BTW, why is this game 100GB? All that file space wasted on cinematics I skip because if I wanted to watch a movie, I'd be doing so. Video games are for gameplay. Those cutscenes and such are just a waste of space.

 

[jackofshadows]

UHD textures for 4k gaming and such I assume.

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

UHD textures for 4k gaming and such I assume.

What a waste. Can anyone really tell the difference between 4096 and 2048?