Barbarian

Barbarians are mighty warriors who rely on their strength and incredible toughness to win battles. As handy with a weapon as a Fighter (though barbarians tend to go for larger weapons than fighters) they become tougher & more agile as they become more powerful.

The most distinctive aspect of barbarians is their ability to 'rage'. When they rage, barbarians become stronger and are able to shrug off the nastiest of attacks.

The most prominent ability scores of the barbarian are:
 * Strength: As a front-line fighter, strength is important to deal damage as well as boost certain skills.
 * Dexterity: Barbarians wear light armor, so having a high dexterity reduces the chances of them being hit by an enemy.
 * Constitution: Barbarians channel the force of their inner rage into a tangible frenzy, and constitution can not only extend this but also having a high constitution boosts hit points.
 * Wisdom: A high wisdom is important because a number of class skills require it.

Abilities
The barbarian has fewer distinct tactical options the fighter. Instead of the many bonus feats that the fighter can choose from, barbarians receive a small but unique list of special abilities that make them unique on the battlefield.

Rage
Barbarians can tap their inner fury to fly into a berserker-like rage, beginning once a day at first level. While in this state, the barbarian's Strength and Constitution increase by 4 or more. However, this rage comes at a price: the barbarian loses some ability to avoid attacks, as well as the use of certain concentration-based skills.

Once the rage is expended, the barbarian becomes fatigued for the remainder of the encounter. This state gives constant penalties to strength and dexterity based checks, and the formerly fast barbarian cannot even run or charge an opponent.

As barbarians rise in experience, their rage can be used more often and provides even stronger Strength and Constitution bonuses, while taking less of a toll on their bodies.

Other Abilities
Also unlike the fighter, the barbarian class confers a number of specific abilities to the character. Most of these come from the barbarian's feral alertness, and from sheer speed and endurance.

Barbarians can instinctively guard themselves against ambushes or opponents that surround them, as well as reacting more swiftly against traps. In straight movement they also enjoy faster than average speed for their race, able to run down most foes.

Groups
Notable groups of barbarians include the Uthgardt of the Silver Marches and Icewind Dale, the barbarians of the Reghed Glacier & the famous berzerkers of Rashemen.