Saving the world on a Sunday afternoon
IC: Welcome to the BarbariansTo our newest barbarian,
So, ye’ve decided te pack yer bags an’ make a name fer yerself have ye? An in tha kingdom no less? Well, they du seem te have a lot o’ problems fe a fine highlander te fix (an’ a fair numbe’ that a wee bastard can solve te boot!)
Principles
NEVER TRUST MAGIK! Am shur ye’ witchdocte’ has been tellin’ ye’s tha’ since ye were suckling at yer muther’s teet, but it bears repeatin’. Don’t trust ‘em, don’t trust their lies an’ neve’ accept their evil powa’s. Magik is evil.
NEVER TRUST THE WEIRD FOLK! Again, this isnea advanced shamanin’. If it’s green, yer cannea trust it. If it’s grey yer cannea trust it and if it’s got ears ye’s can hang a hat on yer definiately cunnae trust it. Unde’stud?
Skills
This’ll vary depending on what ye ken an’ what yer call is.
As a berserka’ you’re worth ten o’ any finga’ wagglin’ wally an’, in my experience, yer shur ken that. Ye’s will be able te learn te fight as gud as the heroes in sagas o’ old but, more importantly, ye’ll be able to embrace the blood-lust. Many simply call this a “rage”, allowin yer te push your body far beyond it’s normal limits o’ pain, strength and tuffness. As yer learn more aboot it ye’ll be able te access the rage more often and improve it’s powa.
As a shaman ye seek te aid yer allies and empowa yerself with the divine grace o’ yer chosen deity, similar te a priest in many respects. However, yes tend te call on yer deity through ceremonies te barter wi’ them, which take time, rather than demanding powa now. Ye’ll also receive a spirit guide from yer deity who will assist ye in the learnin’s o’ the religion as well as the fightin o’ yer foes.
Finally, as a witchdocta’ ye’ll defend yer allies from magik and it’s many horrors. Ye’ll be able te perform rituals, protectin’ yerself from the magiks evil while calling doon it’s effects to harm yer foes. Ye’ll also be able te summon a magikal ‘fetch’ te do sum o’ yer dirty work, this’ll let ye learn aboot magic wit’oot speakin wit’ dirty mages an help ye in battle.
Anyhoo, Ah luk forward te feastin wit’ ye soon.
‘Big’ Angus MacAskill
None at present.
The full rules for the Barbarians can be found under:
Player Rules – OutKingdom – Barbarians
Barbarians are the TL equivalent of the Clans of the Scottish Highlands, complete with tartan, kilts, and a broad accent. As an Outkingdom group they don’t join the guild so much as they are born into it, and that way of life affects their abilities; life in the cold, treacherous mountains means they are more hardy than humans from the Kingdom.
Barbarians are a particularly difficult class to play due to their strong roleplay restrictions. You must show hatred for magic users, in whatever form you choose for that to take, and show distrust of non-humans. This can make for some very interesting characters, but also for a lot of friction with others, which can be a challenge to play. If you choose to play a Barbarian you need to be aware of this.
You will also need to be able to put on an accent – officially Scottish, but there have been Irish and Geordie Barbarians as well.
Character inspiration can be drawn from many sources which show Celts, Picts or Scottish Highlanders in action, whether this be Braveheart or The Eagle. The main thing that you need to decide is why your character has left the Highlands. Are you running from something or are you seeking glory on new battlefields?
Berserkers are what you would expect. These characters are built with the total destruction of their enemy in mind with access to advanced weapon, armour and shield skills. In addition, they can enter a Berserk Rage, temporarily increasing their fighting capabilities at the cost of the ability to make rational decisions – they simply keep fighting until no more enemies are left.
Shaman make powerful fighters in their own right, able to buff themselves with their castings. Guided by the spirits of their ancestors, they have access to advanced religious skills. They can also be powerful support characters, using their castings to improve the fighting ability of other party members.
Witchdoctors play out similar to Shaman, with their Fetch (a companion from one of the Planes of Magic) giving them access to advanced magic skills. Unlike a normal mage their instant cast spells are very limited, usually relying on rituals, which makes a support or self-buffing role much more viable than a combat mage. To this end, Witchdoctors have cheaper access to normal fighting skills than the average mage.
As a Barbarian you may in fact know very little about the Kingdom. The Highlands are intentionally ill-defined, so you can think of some background for the area you were brought up in and start playing knowing that much. Your character will be aware that the Kingdom is full of magic-users and non-humans, and that it has it’s own laws about what is acceptable behaviour towards them.
Some players have created barbarian clans. If you would like to play a character from one of these clans, please contact the creator for permission.