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Barbarian Armory: A Guide to Weapons in D&D

What weapons do Barbarians use in D&D? Barbarians, by class definition, possess proficiency with simple and martial weapons. This gives them a wide range of options, from the humble club to the mighty greatsword, allowing them to tailor their weapon choices to their character concept and preferred combat style.

Understanding Barbarian Weapon Proficiencies

Barbarians aren’t restricted to any specific type of weapon. Their proficiency grants them the ability to effectively wield any weapon classified as simple or martial without suffering disadvantage on attack rolls. This broad access fuels the Barbarian’s potential for damage output and customization.

Simple Weapons

Simple weapons are generally easier to learn and handle, often representing basic tools or improvised implements. Examples include:

Clubs: A basic bludgeoning weapon.
Daggers: Versatile for throwing and melee combat.
Greatclubs: Larger and more damaging than regular clubs.
Handaxes: Light and throwable.
Javelins: Thrown spears.
Light Hammers: Useful for both combat and utility.
Maces: Bludgeoning weapons effective against armored foes.
Quarterstaffs: Versatile two-handed weapons.
Sickles: Light slashing weapons.
Slings: Ranged weapons that use stones or other projectiles.
Spears: Thrusting and throwing weapons.

Martial Weapons

Martial weapons are more complex and require specialized training to use effectively. This category contains a larger variety of options, offering different damage types, properties, and combat applications. Common choices for Barbarians include:

Battleaxes: Heavy, damaging axes.
Flails: Difficult to defend against, good for bypassing shields.
Glaives: Reach weapons with slashing damage.
Greataxes: Extremely powerful two-handed axes.
Greatswords: Iconic two-handed swords, dealing significant slashing damage.
Halberds: Reach weapons with both piercing and slashing damage.
Lances: Used primarily while mounted.
Longswords: Versatile one-handed swords.
Mauls: Heavy two-handed hammers dealing massive bludgeoning damage.
Morningstars: Piercing and bludgeoning damage combined.
Pikes: Extremely long reach weapons.
Rapiers: Finesse weapons, typically not favored by Barbarians prioritizing Strength.
Scimitars: Light, curved swords favored for their speed.
Shortswords: Lightweight and easy to wield.
Tridents: Spears with three prongs, usable underwater.
War Picks: Designed to pierce armor.
Warhammers: Versatile hammers dealing bludgeoning damage.
Whips: Reach weapons that deal nonlethal damage.
Bows (Longbows and Shortbows): Though generally not the primary weapon, Barbarians can use bows effectively, especially with ranged fighting subclasses.
Crossbows (Heavy and Light): Similar to bows, these can provide ranged options, but often require feats to be truly optimized for a Barbarian.

Barbarian Weapon Choice Considerations

Several factors influence a Barbarian’s weapon selection beyond simply having proficiency.

Damage Type: Barbarians often face creatures resistant or immune to certain damage types. Having access to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning weapons helps overcome these resistances.
Damage Dice: Barbarians, especially those relying on Brutal Critical, benefit greatly from larger damage dice (like d12 on a greataxe) which maximizes their damage output on critical hits.
Weapon Properties: The Heavy property synergizes well with the Great Weapon Master feat, allowing for powerful bonus action attacks or increased accuracy. The Reach property is valuable for controlling the battlefield.
Feats: Feats like Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, and Savage Attacker can significantly enhance a Barbarian’s combat prowess, impacting weapon choice.
Roleplaying: A Barbarian’s background, tribe, or personal history might influence their preferred weapon. A seafaring Barbarian might favor a trident, while a mountain-dwelling one might prefer a warhammer.
Party Composition: The party’s needs might dictate a Barbarian’s weapon choice. If the party lacks crowd control, a glaive or halberd with Polearm Master can be beneficial.

The Importance of Great Weapon Master

The Great Weapon Master (GWM) feat is a popular and powerful choice for Barbarians who wield heavy, two-handed weapons. It allows them to:

Take a -5 penalty to their attack rolls to add +10 to their damage rolls. This risk/reward mechanic can significantly increase damage output, especially when combined with advantage.
Make a bonus action attack if they reduce a creature to 0 hit points or score a critical hit on their turn. This provides additional opportunities for damage and can snowball into multiple attacks.

GWM is most effective when the Barbarian can consistently hit their targets, often through advantage granted by Reckless Attack.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can Barbarians use ranged weapons?

Yes, Barbarians are proficient with both simple and martial weapons, which include ranged options like shortbows, longbows, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows. However, they often excel in melee combat due to features like Rage and Reckless Attack.

2. Are there any weapons Barbarians can’t use?

Barbarians cannot use weapons with which they lack proficiency. Generally, this means they cannot use exotic weapons (if any exist in a specific campaign setting) without gaining proficiency through feats, multiclassing, or other means.

3. Does Strength or Dexterity affect Barbarian weapon choices?

Strength is the primary ability score for most Barbarian builds, as it affects attack rolls, damage rolls, and carrying capacity. Dexterity is important for Armor Class, especially when unarmored, but it doesn’t directly influence the effectiveness of Strength-based weapons. Finesse weapons (like rapiers and shortswords) can use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls, but Barbarians typically favor Strength for higher damage output.

4. Is it better for a Barbarian to use a two-handed weapon or dual-wield?

Two-handed weapons (like greataxes and greatswords) generally offer higher damage potential, especially when combined with Great Weapon Master. Dual-wielding can provide more attacks per round, but it requires the Dual Wielder feat to be truly effective and doesn’t synergize as well with core Barbarian features.

5. How does Rage affect weapon damage?

Rage grants a bonus to melee weapon damage rolls based on the Barbarian’s level. This bonus is a flat amount added to each damage roll, making it a significant damage boost.

6. What is the best weapon for a Barbarian at level 1?

A greataxe is a popular choice at level 1 due to its high damage die (1d12), which maximizes the impact of Brutal Critical later on. A greatsword (2d6) is another viable option offering consistent damage.

7. Does Reckless Attack work with ranged weapons?

No, the Reckless Attack feature only grants advantage on melee weapon attack rolls.

8. How does Brutal Critical affect weapon damage?

Brutal Critical allows the Barbarian to roll one additional weapon damage die when scoring a critical hit. The higher the damage die of the weapon, the greater the potential benefit from Brutal Critical.

9. Can a Barbarian use a shield?

Yes, Barbarians can use shields, as they are proficient with them. However, using a shield prevents them from wielding a two-handed weapon and taking advantage of the Great Weapon Master feat. Some Barbarian builds might benefit from the added defense of a shield, especially in campaigns with high-AC enemies.

10. What are some good feats for a Barbarian besides Great Weapon Master?

Other effective feats include:

Polearm Master: Grants an additional attack with a glaive, halberd, or quarterstaff, and allows for opportunity attacks when enemies enter your reach.
Savage Attacker: Allows you to reroll one of the weapon’s damage dice on your turn, potentially increasing damage output.
Tough: Provides additional hit points, increasing survivability.
Sentinel: Enhances battlefield control and provides opportunities for attacks of opportunity.

11. How does multiclassing affect Barbarian weapon choices?

Multiclassing can grant proficiency with additional weapons or armor. For example, multiclassing into Fighter can provide proficiency with heavy armor, while multiclassing into Rogue can grant expertise in skills that complement the Barbarian’s abilities. However, multiclassing can also delay access to higher-level Barbarian features.

12. Is a magic weapon important for a Barbarian?

Yes, magic weapons can significantly enhance a Barbarian’s damage output and combat effectiveness. Magic weapons often have bonus to attack and damage rolls and may possess additional magical properties.

13. How does the Path of the Totem Warrior affect weapon choice?

The Path of the Totem Warrior doesn’t directly influence weapon choice, but its defensive benefits (like resistance to damage) allow the Barbarian to be more aggressive in combat, potentially encouraging the use of high-risk, high-reward weapons like the greataxe with Great Weapon Master.

14. What if my Barbarian has low Strength?

A Barbarian with low Strength is significantly disadvantaged. Strength is crucial for attack rolls, damage rolls, and many other class features. It is strongly recommended to prioritize Strength when building a Barbarian.

15. Can a Barbarian use improvised weapons effectively?

While Barbarians are proficient with simple weapons, which can include improvised weapons, the effectiveness of improvised weapons is often determined by the DM. If the DM allows improvised weapons to deal reasonable damage (comparable to a simple weapon), a Barbarian can use them effectively, especially if their preferred weapon is unavailable.

What weapons do Barbarians use D&D?