Barbarian

Explore the Barbarian class in Pillars of Eternity. Learn about its roles, primary attributes, key abilities like Carnage and Frenzy, and passive bonuses for effective gameplay.

The Barbarian in Pillars of Eternity eschews the discipline of the Fighter for raw aggression, recklessness, and speed. They excel in Crowd Control and as Defenders, boasting the highest Endurance and Health pools in the game. Their primary attributes are Might, Constitution, Dexterity, and Intellect, with notable skill bonuses in Athletics and Survival.

A unique aspect of the Barbarian is the synergy between Intellect and their abilities, increasing the area of effect for skills like Carnage and the duration of buffs such as Frenzy and Wild Sprint. While Carnage, their signature ability, deals reduced weapon damage in an area around the target and can be inaccurate initially, its Accuracy improves with level, making it a potent AoE attack by higher levels. Barbarians benefit from talents that trigger at low Endurance, like the human racial talent Fighting Spirit, and can offset their mediocre defenses with abilities like Savage Defiance.

Core abilities include Carnage for AoE damage, Barbaric Yell to Frighten enemies, and Frenzy for a significant boost to Might, Constitution, and Attack Speed at the cost of Accuracy. As they level up, Barbarians gain passive abilities like Blooded (+25% damage at <50% Endurance), Brute Force (attacks target lower of Fortitude/Deflection), and One Stands Alone (bonus damage when adjacent to multiple enemies). Higher-level abilities include Barbaric Shout to Terrify foes, Vengeful Defeat (a Full Attack upon reaching 0 Endurance), and Dragon Leap for engaging distant threats.

Barbarian Abilities

• Carnage (Passive): At level 1, Barbarian weapon attacks inflict -34% weapon damage in a 1.5m AoE around the target. Accuracy is -10 vs. Deflection.
• Barbaric Yell (2/encounter): Enemies within 5m are Frightened for 12s.
• Frenzy (1/encounter): Grants +4 Might, +4 Constitution, and +33% Attack Speed for 12s, with a -10 Accuracy penalty.
• Blooded (Passive, Level 3): +25% damage while Endurance is below 50%.
• Savage Defiance (1/encounter, Level 3): Restores 100 Endurance over 12s.
• Wild Sprint (3/rest, Level 3): Grants +3.5 Move Speed and +12 Deflection vs. disengagement attacks for 5s. Ignores Engagement.
• Bloodlust (Passive, Level 5): +25% Attack Speed for 8s after killing two enemies.
• Brute Force (Passive, Level 5): Attacks target the lower of Fortitude and Deflection.
• One Stands Alone (Passive, Level 5): Can only be flanked by three or more enemies. +20% damage when adjacent to multiple enemies.
• Bloodthirst (Passive, Level 7): May attack again immediately after killing an enemy.
• Thick-Skinned (Passive, Level 7): +3 DR vs. Crush, Pierce, and Slash damage.
• Threatening Presence (Passive, Level 7): Enemies within 1.25m are Sickened for 3s when the Barbarian stands still.
• Barbaric Shout (2/rest, Level 9): Foes within 7.5m are Terrified for 20s.
• Vengeful Defeat (Passive, Level 9): Upon reaching 0 Endurance, performs a Full Attack against nearby enemies.
• Eye of the Storm (Passive, Level 11): Cannot be Engaged by enemies more than 1 level below.
• Heart of Fury (1/encounter, Level 11): Attacks all nearby enemies, inflicting +25% damage.
• Barbaric Retaliation (Passive, Level 13): Enemies striking the Barbarian take 8-12 Raw damage.
• Dragon Leap (1/encounter, Level 13): (Description truncated in source)