Barbarian Rage is an Outrage to the Barbarian class!

[ToddRodd]

It has long been my thought that the Rage Feat of the Barbarian Class is so limited in the way it is applied that, even well before a character is in epic level gear... the use of Rage does nothing other than lower the users AC! Because it adds directly to Strength and does not merge with equipment, such as happens when a Druid or Shifter transform, and even though the class also gets DR as Barbarian levels are taken, why take the hit in AC for a bit of DR when you can take Dwarven Defender and get the benefits of the Stance feat? I can not recall the last time I logged into see just one if never more than one Barbarian classed character being played.

If developing Rage like a merge such as Druid and Shifter forms get is not easily done, then couldn't it take the form of a direct AB buff like Bard Song, with the +8 to Strength from Mighty Rage translating to a direct + 4 increase to AB just as now it is a direct decrease to AC?

I think it would be fun for the older players to have this venerable class to rediscover as an effective class to mix into a build and for newer players to explore here in NS3.5. In NS4 the Rage feats do stack over equipment so, this is something that has already been developed and should be reasonable to adapt to the 3.5 server. As fair as it has been to diminish dragons and the way that feat stacks with a character and how it is equipped or how Cleric buffs were changed to reduce the power of Harm. Why can't the barbarian class be raised up onto this new more level playing field to join the rest of the character classes we so frequently use?

Rage/Greater Rage + Mighty Rage
It would be nice to see a maximum Rage give the kind of AB buff that a bard Song can grant as you take enough levels to gain Greater Rage and a number of levels required to reach a maximum empowered Rage/Great Rage of adequate duration by say level 32 and having to take the additional feat of Mighty Rage. That would still allow for a level of a max Tumble class like Rogue or Monk and minimum 7 levels of Weapon Master could still be added to gain the Improved Critical Multiplier and Threat Range feats. Of course the reduction in AC will still apply when enraged.

Terrifying Rage
Terrifying Rage could be taken like a weaker Bard Curse Song giving just the -2 in attacks and -2 on saves verses opponents if 25 points are placed in Intimidate and maybe building a little but more as you max Intimidate. Maybe Terrifying Rage can improve even a little more with additional points of Intimidation gained from equipping a few new Barbarian gear items from a new Barbarian Sabar Chest or from Enchanted NS Armor and Twilight Armors and Helm.. maybe even adding Intimidation points to existing gear like Tangar's Gages and make a pair of Epic Intimidate Bracers that have +30 Intimidate on them and nothing else.

Thundering Rage
Thundering Rage could be kept just as it was created. It is similar to the Ranger's Feat Bane of Enemies without the add to AB against Favored Enemies. Not becoming available until a base 25 Strength is obtained and still granting an additional 2d8 damage if someone wishes to expend an Epic feat to take it.

There have been many great and challenging changes made to 3.5's areas, gear, character classes and spells. I just think it is time for the Barbarian class to finally make a reappearance on the NS 3.5 stage and in doing so give everyone the enjoyment of rethink some builds and creating others not ever seen here or not seen here in a very long time. The Bards have their song and the DD's have their stance... It is time for the Barbarians to RAGE!

I am most happy to talk more about this and indeed, hope to see some discussion about it!

I would loudly applaud and praise the Dev's if this could be a gift to the server for 2014.

ToddRodd

[Pros]

I believe I am the only one left from the NS3.5 dev team. I am not even sure where to look to tweak rage its been so long but I can certainly explore. I am also fairly rusty so I'll be fumbling around in the toolset. A few gear items may be possible too if I can figure out where a good place they can be obtained by the barbarian in game.

The feats override file might be a good place to start. I'll go thru that and make adjustments to see what happens. May be a day or two before its in effect. The gear part will take longer as that isn't tweaks.

[Pros]

ToddRodd, send me your thoughts (pros1@sbcglobal.net) about modifying existing gear stats(intimidation) or where new bracers would be found in game. I would like to stay away from creating a questline for barbarian stuff since that would be a bit of work. Adding a Barbarian vendor and/or modifying some existing gear would be best for me. I'm open to ideas and suggestions.

[Lokey]

They run 5% faster = big enough bonus and they do ok on items, the problem is clerics get way too much of the good stuff too

Since the feats.2da is based off ns4, it's a not an action to use, right? Everything you meet after level 2 is fear or mind spell immune so two of the rage feats are worthless there (those are annoying to deal with, a couple script functions that are used all over the place).

You can change the cap for stats, but casters can make a lot more use off that. Also upping the ab bonus cap means casters get more use out of it too.

Be happy to do something like give a bit of bonus damage (say sonic), one/2 barb levels that lasts a turn or a round per barb level--which ever higher (and doesn't stack, ya cheaters)? Or whatever other ideas...but bard song + 10 from item + item of bless/prayer/aid and you're at the ab cap already anyway.

[Pros]

Well not much I can do at moment. I'm getting "Access violation at address 0040BD05 in module 'nwtoolset.exe' read of address 00000030."
I installed NWN1 on a different machine and get the same error whenever I try to load a mod. I've tried everything I can think of with no success as of yet.

[Lokey]

If 64bit winOS...I know there's something you need in 32bit to be happy and forget.

New winOS means install outside Program Files and run as really unsafe environment setting I think, but haven't tried in anything past 32bit XP By the by, fully patched and have tried opening a default campaign mod?

[Pros]

Toolset worked 3 days ago on my older machine and now it doesn't. Only thing new would be virus definitions. I even defrag'd drive in case it was bad sector. old machine 32 bit new machine 64. same results. No mods open, i tried the defaults ones that come with game. Google no help so far.

[Pros]

It was the feat file in override folder. I went in there a few days ago to set a parameter from false to true and thats what was hosing up loading the mod in toolset. Now to see if the same file is doing the same to the server.

[Pros]

After going through Terrifying Rage, Thundering Rage, and Mighty Rage scripts it looks as they are doing what they are supposed to do. I think its just that with the uber gear and as Lokey said about immunes everywhere, Rage doesn't get the bang it would in a less uber mod. It looks like a 2d6 massive crits gets applied to one of the rages mentioned with str and con buffs for the duration. Mighty rage needs +21 str and +21 con.

[Pros]

When I switch mod from the xmas theme back to normal(end of year), the Gnoll Champion should drop Bracers of the Brave useable only by Barbarians. I remember that place being challenging with lots of running, hiding, and drinking potions. I don't recall what level that place was but the bracers should be worth the trip. If not, post what sucks about them. The bracers have no level restriction on them.