Barbarian

## Barbarians - The Wolves of the Northlands

### **Background**

   Barbarians use wisdom and formidable brawn to defend honor and justice. Their magnificent stature is a sight to behold, even more so when it is unleashed in battle. Barbarians are one of the tallest races to walk the lands of Norrath. As a tribal culture, Barbarians are a little rough around the edges when it comes to interactions with other races. Even the Barbarians’ mannerisms and features have a rugged quality. Their simple homes are often decorated with trophies from battle as well as skins and hides used as tapestries for recording their culture’s history and lore.

While their physical structure makes them ideal Fighters, Barbarians also make surprisingly agile Scouts. In fact, the gruff charm of many Barbarians has made the practice of the roguish arts an accepted part of their culture. The inherent wisdom of the Barbarian race also lends itself well to those who choose to take up a more priestly profession. Shamans are very popular among the Northmen. Barbarians are known for wearing their emotions on their sleeves, and have no problem with telling you exactly what they think of you. They will gladly back up their boasts with a show of force. A small minority of exceptional Barbarians may choose to take up an arcane profession, but you will rarely encounter one in your travels.

### **Faith**

While many Barbarians worship the Marr twins who created them, Fighters tend to honor the militaristic traditions of Rallos Zek. This race’s highly developed sense of justice inspires many to worship the Tribunal, which can spur near fanatical devotion amongst the religious caste.

### **Effects of the Shattering**

Barbarians were forced to retreat from Halas at the start of the Rallosian War, when savage snow orcs began to take control of the northern lands. After the defeat of the orcs, some Barbarians reclaimed their home, though many stayed behind in the cities of men. Although saddened by the loss of their ancestral home in the Shattering, Barbarians are an extremely adaptable race. Since many of them had already made their homes in the Human cities, adapting to life in the current age has been relatively easy.

### **Pros and Cons**

**Pros:**

* Their high Strength (increased damage, carrying capacity) makes them good Fighters.
* Barbarians also have high Stamina (increased Health), yet another reason to be a Fighter.
* While they have a slightly lower Wisdom, Barbarians can also make good Priest types; they do a fairly good job in the healer role but, more importantly, they are much harder to kill then a high-Wisdom low-Agility race. Remember, more Power means nothing if you die!
* Lots of Barbarian NPCs speak Barbarian … a language which only you can understand! This is quite annoying to other races, but it gives Barbarians a plus … you get secret NPCs!
* Because of their height, Barbarians can get further out into water before switching into swim mode. That’s a big plus over Gnomes and Halflings, and even Elves!

**Cons:**

* Barbarians have below-average Wisdom, reducing their effectiveness as Priests.
* Barbarians have a very low Intelligence, making them ineffective Mages. High Agility and Stamina would make for a hearty Mage, but the hit on Intelligence is just too high to be worth it.