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Barbarians are one of the playable classes in Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.

They are the wild, unconventional counterparts to fighters – distinguished by their recklessness, ferocity, and their predilection to substitute discipline for raw aggression. Lacking the accuracy and strong Deflection of the fighter, the barbarian makes up for this through sheer speed, savagery, and abilities tailored for fighting groups of enemies. Barbarians are a challenge to deal with on a battlefield, though they are vulnerable to exhaustion if they don't pace themselves.[1][2]

Description[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Brutes. Madmen. Berserkers. Though city-dwelling people often use the term "barbarian" with a dose of disrespect, these rural warriors are respected by their communities for their ferocity and fearsome presence on the battlefield. Barbarians have a special, almost religious role in some cultures, but in many places, the undisciplined, fearless style of the barbarian is simply how warriors conduct themselves.

Background[ | ]

Barbarians come from many of the more remote cultures found across the world. In the Eastern Reach, barbarians most often come from Eir Glanfath, though some can be found in rural Dyrwoodan communities or drifting in from abroad through port cities like Defiance Bay and New Heomar. Barbarians are often used as shock troops for dealing with mobs or simply to intimidate the easily-cowed with their ferocity. As the Dyrwood has settled down over time, the regular employment of foreign barbarians has slowed significantly, but they still make up the majority of Glanfathan front-line forces. Barbarians all have a strong skill focus in Athletics and lesser focus in Survival.[1]

Statistics[ | ]

Game Resources Endurance Health Accuracy Defenses Skill bonuses
DEF Deflection FOR Fortitude REF Reflex WIL Will
Pillars of Eternity - 48 + 16 per level 6x Endurance 25 15 20 20 20
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Rage - 46 + 16 per level 20 15 30 20 15

Abilities[ | ]

List of abilities[ | ]

Rage[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Barbarian abilities require and consume Rage on use. Outside of combat, a barbarian's Rage is restored, ready to be used in the next encounter.

Rage is an additional "power pool" resource added in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Barbarians begin combat with full Rage (the amount of which is relative to their current level) and spend points to cast certain abilities, with more powerful abilities costing more points. After an encounter, Rage is replenished.

Talents[ | ]

  • Accurate Carnage – The barbarian learns to line up his or her most savage blows, improving the Accuracy of secondary attacks from Carnage.
  • Greater Frenzy – Cultivates the barbarian's inner rage, granting additional bonuses while under the effects of Frenzy.
  • Powerful Sprint – The barbarian's charges become even more ferocious. Speed of Wild Sprint is increased.
  • Stalwart Defiance – Strengthens Savage Defiance, causing it to provide a bonus to all defenses.
  • Barbaric Blow – The barbarian deals a massive blow, causing additional critical hits and extra critical hit damage for both the blow and any resulting hits from Carnage. Carnage also hits a bigger area.

Progression[ | ]

In Pillars of Eternity[ | ]

  • At character creation, barbarians automatically learn the passive ability Carnage.
  • Barbarians are able to select one ability at every odd level (1, 3, 5, etc.). Each time, new and more powerful abilities are unlocked and are added to the list of abilities that can be learned.
  • As with other classes, barbarians learn one talent at every even level (2, 4, 6, etc.).
  • Barbarian abilities specify their own max uses and restoration type, independent of the barbarian's level.

In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire[ | ]

  • At character creation, barbarians select one 1st level ability (active only), and automatically learn the passive ability Carnage. This does not change for multiclass characters.
  • As with other classes, barbarians pick 2 abilities at every level where a new power level is unlocked excluding the first (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19), and one ability at all other levels (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20). Ability points may be spent on active or passive abilities, and on any currently-unlocked power levels.
    • Multiclass characters pick 1 ability from either the barbarian ability tree or the other class tree at all levels where a new power level isn't unlocked, and 1 ability for both classes at all levels where a new power level is unlocked (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19).
  • Barbarians use Rage (a power pool resource) to cast abilities. As with other power pool resources, the barbarian starts with a pool of 3 rage, which is increased by 1 at every power level, capping out at 11.
  • As with other classes, new ability power levels are learned every second level from level 1 (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13), then every third level from level 13 (16, 19). Multiclass characters may only learn up to (and including) power level 7 abilities, and unlock a new power level every third level from level 1 (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19).
Ability points at each level
Level Power level learned Points available
Single Multi Single Multi
1 1 (I) 1 (I) 1 1+1
2 1 1
3 2 (II) 2 1
4 2 (II) 1 1+1
5 3 (III) 2 1
6 1 1
7 4 (IV) 3 (III) 2 1+1
8 1 1
9 5 (V) 2 1
10 4 (IV) 1 1+1
11 6 (VI) 2 1
12 1 1
13 7 (VII) 5 (V) 2 1+1
14 1 1
15 1 1
16 8 (VIII) 6 (VI) 2 1+1
17 1 1
18 1 1
19 9 (IX) 7 (VII) 2 1+1
20 1 1
Power pool capacity
Power
level
Character level Power
pool
Single Multi
1 (I) 1 1 3
2 (II) 3 4 4
3 (III) 5 7 5
4 (IV) 7 10 6
5 (V) 9 13 7
6 (VI) 11 16 8
7 (VII) 13 19 9
8 (VIII) 16 22 10
9 (IX) 19 25 11
10 (X) 22 28 11
11 (XI) 25 - 11
12 (XI) 28 - 11

Subclasses[ | ]

Barbarians in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire are able to choose between four subclasses (or no subclass): Berserker, Corpse-Eater, Mage Slayer, and Furyshaper.

Berserker[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Giving themselves over entirely to their rage, berserkers lose themselves in their frenzy. They become oblivious to their own well-being, their carnage affecting both friend and foe. Though highly respected by their communities, berserkers often live solitary lives. Many are haunted by their own anger and the damage it causes to those around them.

Bonus Penalty
  • Frenzy grants the Tenacious and Hardy Inspirations, instead of Strong and Fit.
  • Gain significant Hit to Crit conversion on melee and carnage attacks while frenzied.
  • Confused while frenzied.
  • Cannot see Health while frenzied.
  • Takes Raw damage continuously while frenzied.

Corpse-Eater[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Often loathed by their enemies, corpse eaters consume the flesh of fallen foes to gain their power. No mere cannibals, the corpse eater must conduct their rites in the heat of battle. Outside of their communities, corpse eaters are often misunderstood as desecrators of the dead. In the minds of the corpse eaters, consuming the flesh of an opponent honors them and their sacrifice.

Bonus Penalty
  • Gains "Flesh Communion" - Target a hostile unconscious Kith, Wilder, or Beast to devour their corpse, healing the barbarian and granting them Rage.
  • All Rage abilities are increased in cost by 1.

Mage Slayer[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Mage slayers are typically from isolated communities that have little exposure to academics of any sort and have a general distrust for magical arts. The exposure they do have is usually hostile, and mage slayers are trained to deal with them in the most efficient way possible. Swearing off the use of many magical devices, mage slayers inure themselves to magical effects to better fight spellcasters.

Bonus Penalty
  • Successful melee weapon attacks add Spell Disruption to the target, causing wizard, priest, druid, cipher, or chanter spells to have a chance to fail when cast.
  • Gain passive Spell Resistance.
  • Cannot use potions or scrolls.
  • Passive Spell Resistance affects Friendly and Hostile spells

Furyshaper[ | ]

Items in italics are quoted directly from the game.

Furyshapers carry a burden of trauma in their past lives, suffering when those emotions inexplicably bleed into their current psyche. These rare individuals can manifest their emotions in a physical form, inflicting their rage, terror or madness onto the world.

Bonus Penalty
  • If a Ward is destroyed, take immediate Raw Damage and a Power Level penalty until combat ends.
  • Will is reduced.

Suggestions[ | ]

Barbarians are not the most accurate of available classes, but in that regard, they fall in between the melee specialists and the caster specialists. They provide superior Area of Effect damage with weapon attacks in a smaller concentrated area than a spell might possibly hit. They provide excellent damage with either ranged weapons or up close at the front line of combat. You might prefer bow types for ranged weapons, except for arbalests, if you go for a single class Barbarian. Typically as a damage dealer, a Barbarian should not wear heavy armor to keep recovery penalties low and damage coming out relatively fast. If your built group of five characters already has a tanky type, then you can employ other means to reduce incoming spell damage.

While multi-classing provides very strong options, you typically need to know ahead of time exactly what abilities you want to pair with the Barbarian class to make it stronger. Also, this eliminates Tier 8 and 9 abilities if you want to experience those. An incredibly strong multiclass build involves Barbarian (Furyshaper) / Ranger (Ghost Heart) focused towards single wielded pistols. With the Furyshaper subclass, you can go with the Frenzy ability and support your front line members with your Shape Ward totems at your discretion. The ranger subclass Ghost Heart will enable you to summon a powerful pet to Flank a target, assist your front line, or run interference from an enemy running at your character. The Ghost Heart subclass causes no penalty if you lose the pet, summoning it occurs in a near instant, and the Class Resource comes very cheap in any regard. However, you must actively choose to bring the pet into combat. If you go with the abilities of Marksman, One-Handed Style, Gunner, and Shot on the Run, then it will pair beautifully with wielding just one pistol. It can come helpful though to have a war bow or hunting bow ready in case some things, like certain skeletons, completely resist the normal piercing damage of your pistol. Lastly, the ranger class provides very good Accuracy, which is never a bad thing.

Related items[ | ]

Icon Name Item type Enchantments
Belt broad berserk icon Berserker's Belt Belt


Shield dragons mouth shield icon Dragon's Maw Shield Medium shield


Great sword st ydwens redeemer icon St. Ydwen's Redeemer Great sword


Px4 club war club of the mataru icon War Club of the Mataru Club

Notable characters[ | ]

Pillars of Eternity

The White March - Part II

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Gallery[ | ]

References


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