What Bonus do Barbarians Get by Not Wearing Armor?

Barbarians receive their Constitution (Con) bonus to Armor Class (AC) in addition to their Dexterity (Dex) bonus if they are not wearing armor, making a high Constitution score beneficial for them. This unique ability allows barbarians to forgo traditional armor and still maintain a respectable AC, emphasizing the importance of physical ability scores in their character build.

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding Barbarian Mechanics

1. Do barbarians lose any abilities if they wear armor? Barbarians do not lose any abilities or receive penalties if they wear heavy armor, but they must take the heavy armor proficiency feat to do so without penalty.

2. What is the Barbarian Set bonus? The Barbarian Set reduces the Stamina required for Charged Attacks, making it ideal for fighting powerful monsters.

3. Do barbarians start with armor proficiency? Barbarians get proficiency in medium armor and can still rage while wearing medium armor.

4. Do barbarians get a bonus to AC? Barbarians can have a high AC without armor if their Dexterity and Constitution scores are good enough.

5. Should barbarians wear armor? Most barbarians prefer not to wear heavy armor as it doesn’t fit their combat style, opting for light or medium armor instead.

Combat and Rage

6. Do barbarians have a bonus action? Barbarians can enter a rage as a bonus action on their turn, gaining advantages on Strength checks and Strength saving throws if not wearing heavy armor.

7. Is Ancient armor better than Barbarian armor? Ancient Armor provides more defense per piece and a higher attack bonus to specific weapons compared to Barbarian armor.

8. Should a barbarian always rage? A barbarian should not rage every fight, as rage is a resource to be managed, and without it, a barbarian is significantly weaker.

9. What happens if a barbarian is knocked unconscious? If a barbarian is knocked unconscious, their rage ends immediately.

Armor and Equipment

10. What armor is best for a Barbarian? The Weathered armor set is a highly recommended choice for barbarians, offering a brilliant style and good defense early in the game.

11. Is Dragon scale armor the best? Dragon Scaled Armor is a late-game armor set considered one of the best in the game due to its high defense.

12. Do barbarians benefit from shields? Barbarians can use a shield and still benefit from Unarmored Defense, a deliberate design choice for balance.

Strategy and Builds

13. How many attacks do barbarians get per turn? At 5th level, barbarians gain the extra attack trait, allowing them to attack twice instead of once when taking the Attack action.

14. What is the best family bonus for a barbarian? The Tremor family bonus is considered the best for barbarians, especially for PvP, due to its attributes.

15. Do barbarians get exhausted after rage? After each rage, a barbarian suffers one level of exhaustion, which is removed after a long rest, highlighting the need to manage rage wisely to avoid depletion.