GM's Tip of the Day

        Barring any actual experience playing one, which I still haven’t managed to procure, I’m going to take a look at the barbarian class anyway, it interests me, and one of these days…. ah hem. Anyway.

    So, we know, more or less, the tropes; usually an outsized, well-muscled individual lacking ‘civilized’ manners with some kind of personal code of conduct, frequently carrying a massive axe or sword and prone to turning into a raging death machine with little to no warning.

    Such warriors are also frequently illiterate, and many play up the Me Big Dumb Brute thing, as well.

    Now, as GM setting up a barbarian NPC, you can do any of that, or run with the (in my opinion, just as over-played) noble savage routine, or you can go and borrow a page from Howard’s book, quite literally (if you have not read his Conan stories, put down the internet, go find a book store or library and get a copy. We’ll wait), and take a look at the iconic barbarian of his stories.

    That is a man who is often referred to as a barbarian; who is at the same time literate, well and broadly educated, who has served in a number of roles over his working life time; everything from thief to king, who is frequently considered to be the iconic barbarian. Quite a contrast, no?

    For most people, playing a character that multifaceted is going to be difficult, if not impossible. For a GM, the trick with playing such a character is going to be the fine line between having them take center stage, and having them be a useful and valued ally to the party.

    Some settings give you starting information; Eberron’s Talenta halfings are frequently described as barbarians. So are Golarion’s Shoanti, and Krynn’s Plainsfolk. Most settings will have some form of ‘barbarian culture’, and most of them will pull from a whole slew of real world examples. Some will be good, some will be positively cringe-worthy, and a very few will be excellence defined. Some of the former two you may find you can improve on; your mileage, as always, may vary, but it should be borne in mind that for most of these cultures, the people calling them barbaric are probably going to look just as barbaric to the so-called barbarians; and this sort of clash can, if handled correctly, make for good stories.