The half-elf Barbarian surveys the scene. A plethora of zombies are ahead, and two necromancers battle beyond the fray, vying for control. There’s a manticore too!
So many enemies to fight!
The barbarian ignites his Rage and bursts into the fight, and thanks to high initiative, he can be ahead of his teammates.
He aims for the zombies just 10 feet before him and scores a hit with his great axe! The Barbarian is counting on his chain armor to protect him. –Seemingly out of options, he ends his turn.
Meanwhile, some of the seasoned players give the barbarian player a look.
THE LOOK.
As a Barbarian, you ask yourself what you did wrong.
You raged! Check.
You attacked! Check.
You are tanking for your party! Check.
So what went wrong?
My article aims to break down the Barbarian’s capabilities at level 5 so new players can learn what to expect when they get to that level and what to anticipate when they start playing at higher levels. In this case, I’ll use the Barbarian class as a general example to help describe lesser-known D&D game facts. In a later article, I’ll focus on racial traits. So those will be ignored for now.
The features and abilities listed below follow the Players Handbook (PHB).
What Barbarians Can Do At Level 5
The Barbarian is designed to tank and deal a significant chunk of damage. But what does that mean exactly? Here’s a general list of what you can expect from a Barbarian class at level 5:
Rage
Barbarians at level 5 can use the Rage Feature from the first level. Every turn in combat, they can Rage as a bonus action up to 3 times. This lasts for six rounds (1 minute). As long as you aren’t wearing heavy armor, you could:
- Have an Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When you make a melee weapon attack that uses Strength, you gain +2 for the damage roll.
- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage types.
*Remember that you can’t cast spells or concentrate on them while using this feature. It ends early when you are unconscious. It also ends if you haven’t received or inflicted damage. You could also end your Rage as a bonus action if you wished.
If your Barbarian doesn’t wear any armor, they can rage and enjoy the above benefits. Remember kids! A naked Barbarian is a good Barbarian.
Unarmored Defense
To further expand on my point about naked Barbarians, there is the Unarmored Defense Feature.
- While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class (AC) equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.
- You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
This, combined with benefits to AC from racial traits or some other feat, could lead to a pretty hard-to-hit character. –And you don’t have to wear any armor at all.
Danger Sense
Barbarians at level 5 will have the Danger Sense Feature, which is excellent for dealing with traps or spells that require Dexterity saves. This feature can be easily forgotten during play for players and the DM alike! I’ve forgotten about this feature plenty of times, to the players’ chagrin.
- You have an advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects you can see, such as traps and spells.
*Remember that you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Extra Attack
It’s good to be level 5 because this is the very level all Barbarians get the Extra Attack Feat! This is the exact feat available to Fighters, for which I wrote a similar article.
- The Extra Attack Feat allows you to attack one extra time whenever the Barbarian takes the attack action on their turn.
This very feature is what gives the Barbarian class such excellent damage potential. It would be best to remember this feat when you play.
Fast Movement
Another overlooked 5th-level ability is the Fast Movement Feature that the Barbarian receives.
- Your Barbarian’s speed increases by 10 feet.
*Barbarians cannot be wearing armor for this ability to take effect.
Primal Paths (Class Specializations)
There are a couple of ways to specialize in the Barbarian Class, according to the PHB.
- The Path of the Berserker
- The Path of the Totem Warrior.
It’s important to note that you only receive the 3rd-level feature for these specializations. Still, you receive more abilities at higher Barbarian levels.
The Path of the Berserker:
A level 5 Barbarian with the Path of the Berserker Specialization can use the Frenzy Feature.
- When using the Rage Feature, you can also use the Frenzy Feature. When activated, your Barbarian can make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action for the duration of that Rage!
*When the Rage ends, the Barbarian suffers one level of exhaustion. Exhaustion has up to six levels, and there are many disadvantages to having this condition (Up to and including death). I will write an article describing exhaustion soon. The 1st level of exhaustion means you get a disadvantage on all ability checks, and a point of exhaustion can only be removed with food + drink with a long rest.
The Path of the Totem Warrior:
The Path of the Totem Warrior Specialization allows your Barbarian to supernaturally buff their character with a chosen spirit animal’s ability set! It is handy for players who like strategizing.
Under the Totem Warrior Specialization, the Spirit Seeker Feature gives your Barbarian two spells for interacting with animals they may encounter and befriend:
- The Beast Sense (Divination, Ritual) spell lets your Barbarian see and hear what a willing animal sees and hears. As long as they are willing and the ritual is completed correctly.
- The Speak With Animals (Divination, Ritual) spell lets your Barbarian communicate with animals. Very useful for information gathering and other interesting scenarios! Keep in mind this ability depends on the intelligence of the animal involved.
*These spells can only be cast as rituals, which means you add 10 minutes to the casting time of these spells. For Beast Sense, the time is 10 minutes. For Speak With Animals, the time is 20 minutes.
Totem Warrior specialized Barbarians also have the Totem Spirit Feature. It requires a physical object that incorporates a specific totem animal of their choice, which I listed below:
- Bear: When using the Rage Feature, your Barbarian resists all damage types except psychic damage. Good for tanking!
- Eagle: When using the Rage Feature, and you aren’t wearing armor, you can Dash as a bonus action. Your enemies have a disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls. Great for crowds!
- Wolf: When using the Rage Feature, your teammates get an advantage on melee attacks against enemies within 5 feet of your Barbarian. Excellent for team plays!
*According to the PHB, it’s unusual for players to have multiple animal totems. But it’s not impossible. So speak with your DM if you want numerous animal totems with your character!
Ability Score Improvement
Barbarians at level 5 will have been able to upgrade their ability scores. This should’ve been done at level 4, but your Barbarian will have improved significantly in rolling potential. You should have been able to give your Barbarian one of two options:
- 2 points for one ability score,
- Or 1 point for two ability scores.
Remember that you cannot move an ability score past 20, so no cheating. Or that dragon over there will smoke you.
Now You Know What A Level 5 Barbarian Can Do.
Let’s try the scenario again from the beginning of the article.
The half-naked and Half-Elf Barbarian takes his turn and surveys the zombies. Specializing in the Path of the Berserker, the player formulates a strategy. Instead of going directly for the zombies, he aims for the manticore. Focusing on the stronger enemy is better, especially since the necromancers appear to be fighting each other.
He uses the Rage Feature as a bonus action in preparation for what he’s about to do. Using his Fast Movement Feature, the Barbarian dodges a few opportunity attacks from the zombies and barely reaches the manticore.
Thanks to the Extra Attack Feature, the Barbarian attacks the manticore twice with his great axe! But the manticore is still in the fight. The Barbarian must do more damage to kill this dangerous creature. For now, the manticore cannot take flight without taking an opportunity attac k from the Barbarian.
He ends his turn, and while a zombie and the manticore attack him, the damage is minimal thanks to his high AC from the Unarmored Defense Feature combined with the benefits of Rage!
The Barbarian’s teammates get the zombies’ attention and manage to cull their numbers before they can surround the Barbarian.
On his next turn, the Barbarian activates the Frenzy Feature as a bonus action. Now, for the duration of his Rage, the Barbarian can effectively attack three times in one turn! He’ll have to get used to the point of exhaustion after the fight.
He deals a critical hit with a nat 20, and I get the pleasure of asking him how he wants to kill the manticore. He shears the head of the manticore and can grab it, getting the attention of the fighting necromancers.
One of them casts the Web spell at him. Still, thanks to the Barbarian’s Danger Sense Feature, he can get an advantage on the Dexterity Saving throw to avoid its more dangerous effects.
The fight continues, but this scene is undoubtedly a more exciting story and beneficial for the Barbarian.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned a thing or two about the Barbarian at level 5.
I plan to make similar articles for the rest of the classes available in D&D 5e. Did I miss anything that I should address? Leave me a comment below if so. Thanks so much for reading.