Barbarian 3.0
As the the Barbarian Guild is currently undergoing a complete rewrite, this article is for information about the end result.
The changes will likely occur at the same time as the Magic 3.0 changes.
Supernatural Skills
One of the larger changes Barbarians will undergo is that their abilities will use and require skills within the supernatural skillset. In addition to the standard Augmentation, Debilitation, and Warding skills, Barbarians will gain access to the Inner Fire skill.
The Inner Fire skill controls how efficient Inner Fire is used to power abilities, with more skill resulting in smaller drains for the same effect. In addition, it will also control how many abilities may be used simultaneously.
Augmentation will affect how effectively forms, berserks, and meditiations provide improvements.
Debilitation will determine how effectively roars will impede opponents.
Warding determines the power of anti-magic abilities.
Inner Fire
The first change is that all Barbarians will have the same amount of Inner Fire. When abilities are used, they will drain Fire at variable rates. Passive regeneration of Inner Fire is limited to 1/3rd of maximum power, further increase requires killing of opponents.
In addition, active Forms will affect the rate at which Inner Fire regenerates.
Inner Fire drains down to the passive limit much faster out of combat.
Expert abilities use 5x the Inner Fire of Intro abilities, base. The Inner Fire skill can reduce this.
Inner Fire levels can be refilled using the MEDITATE FILL command (test server only).
Powers
Barbarians gain access to three paths of abilities: Predator, Horde, and Flame. Abilities require spending variable slot costs depending on the power of the ability. From 1st to 70th circle, a slot will be gained every other circle. After that, it will be one every four circles.
More powerful abilities require that you already know a certain number of abilities in that path. Each guildhall has a different selection of abilties, and they are detailed on the banner, sign, and placard located in the main rooms.
It should be noted that Forms and Berserks are no longer mutually excluse, though the number of abilities that can be active is not unlimited.
The first ability, Meditation Flame, is free to all Barbarians, and can give a rough level of the user's Inner Fire level and active abilities.
Forms
Forms are the renamed dances, and are accessed via the FORM command. When Forms are active, they reduce the amount of Inner Fire that is passively regenerated (modified by the Inner Fire skill). In addition to the base reduction, there is a slight additional reduction for each Form after the first.
Forms can be started and stopped at will, and no longer are affected by water levels. However, Forms require up to a minute to ramp up to their full power.
Berserks
Berserks no longer have the knock down, stun, or death results when they end (some restrictions apply), and have had their restrictions on vision and movement removed.
When berserks are activated, they consume a large of Inner Fire, and further have a small drain while they are active. While it is possible to have multiple Berserks going, the cost will make it impractical without a steady stream of victims.
Berserks may break the effects of a meditation, and they cannot be started while Berserking.
Meditations
Meditations are a new type of ability that perform better while wearing or holding Chakrel. To access them, you should use the MEDITATE verb. Chakrel isn't required, but it causes the Meditation to activate faster. In general, one must be sitting, not Berserking, and out of combat in order for a Meditation to be used, and any disruption can cause the meditation to not work. Once completed, the Meditation's effects do not require any effort to sustain.
Roars
Roars will be similar to previous incarnations, though they will only affect a single creature or all engaged to the roarer. Use of roars will sap a small amount of Inner Fire. With insufficient Inner Fire, such as when you've depleted it all using other abilities, you may not be able to roar at all until you've replenished some Inner Fire. If so you may receive the following messaging: "Strain though you might, you cannot muster enough inner fire to vocalize your fighting spirit."
Single targeting is both easier and less costly, and Roar Helms, Berserks, and Cynr Ales will bonus them as normal.
While previous versions of this ability were tied into the vocals skill, that is no longer the case.
Magic Resistance
Innate passive magic resistance has been removed, and instead replaced with active magic resistance derived from abilities.
Circle Requirements
Restricted skills will be:
Thievery
Sorcery
Utility
Targeted Magic
Note: Arcana is not restricted but it has been noted that there will be penalties for learning. No word on what these penalties are have been released.
Augmentation will be Grandfathered at the rate of 1st Supernatural, Debilitation will be Grandfathered at rate of 2nd Supernatural, and Warding will be Grandfathered at rate of 1/circle
Inner Fire will be Grandfathered to circle.
Evasion is now a Hard Requirement, it does not count toward Nth Survival.
| Skill | 1-10 | 11-30 | 31-70 | 71-100 | 101-150 | 151-200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Armor | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 2nd Armor | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 1st Weapon | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| 2nd Weapon | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| 3rd Weapon | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
| 4th Weapon | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| Parry | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
| Primary Mastery | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| 1st Supernatural | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2nd Supernatural | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| Inner Fire | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 1st Survival | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2nd Survival | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 3rd Survival | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 4th Survival | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Evasion | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| 1st Lore | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Tactics | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
FAQ
- Q: What happened to the Endurance and Expertise skills?
- A: Those skills exist (EXP ENDURANCE will show 0 ranks) but they aren't currently developed. When sufficiently robust systems are designed for them, they'll have their day in the sun (and will be grandfathered accordingly).