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The Rage Cycler

So, the main weakness of Rage is that you can’t use it if Fatigued. So what if we were Immune to Fatigue? Many great rage powers suddenly become quite interesting as you can turn your Rage on and off to activate these powers waaay more often than you should be allowed to.

Enters both the True Primitive Barbarian Archetype and the Horizon Walker Prestige Class. Your Leveling should go as follows: Barbarian 6/Horizon Walker 3/Barbarian +11. Meaning your levels 7-8-9 will be levels of Horizon Walker.

Class

Barbarian (True Primitive) 6/Horizon Walker 3/Barbarian (True Primitive) 11

Race:

Half-Orc, again with the Shaman’s Apprentice Alternative Racial Feature, but also the Sacred Tattoo one, giving you a +1 Luck bonus on all Saving Throws. We are off to a great start. Your floating +2 naturally goes to Strength.

Ability Scores

Round up Constitution, then everything up in Strength as usual.

15Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 7/Wis 11/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 8/Wis 12/Cha 8

25Point-Buy

Str 20/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 8/Wis 12/Cha 7

Traits

I am sure you are expecting me to say Reactionary right? Well, yes, do take Reactionary. Higher Initiative means a faster way to beat people’s faces in. Anything that boosts your Will save as secondary will do.

Skills

Perception and you need to spend 6 points in Knowledge(Geography). It won’t be a Class Skill until you take a level in Horizon Walker but that should be fine. If you’ve got the skill points to spare, Horizon Walker turns Stealth into a Class Skill >.>. Survival fits nicely thematically too.

Favorite Class Bonus

You were expecting HP huh? Actually, Skill, or as a Half-Orc you can add Rage rounds/day. You can mix and match or focus on one or the other to get more skills or more ragecycling.

Feats per Level

1-Power Attack

Half-Orc Bonus-Endurance

3-Raging Vitality

5-Improved Initiative

7-Toughness

9-Extra Rage

11-Combat Reflexes

13-Extra Rage

15-Extra Rage

17-Extra Rage

19-Extra Rage

We’re keeping this very simple with this one. Power Attack and Raging Vitality are musts of course. Improved Initiative throws your Initiative at +8, Toughness increases your HP fairly well, and Combat Reflexes makes you a dangerous enemy to try and bypass to go attack your allies. Everything else goes into Extra Rage for more Ragecycling.

Rage Powers per Level

2-Superstition

4-Savage Intuition

6-Ghost Rager

11-Powerful Blow

13-Eater of Magic

15-Come and Get Me

17-Clear Mind

19-Crippling Blow

Okay so Superstition, Eater of Magic and Clear Mind allow for some extremely good protection against Spells, Savage Intuition allows you to Rage out of Combat to deal against effects, Powerful Blow and Crippling Blow allow once per rage(so for you 1/round) some extra damage and even possibly ability damage into Str/Dex of the enemy. Finally, Ghost Rager gives you some extra combat utility and Come and Get Me pairs well with Combat Reflexes.

Equipment

Hide armor, a Spear.

Final Thoughts on the Build

With True Primitive‘s Trophies you can reach truly ridiculous amounts of damage, your Spear gives you Reach which is great, make sure to carry something for close quarter though, and with Horizon Walker, choose the Desert Terrain Dominance at 3rd level for Immunity to Fatigue, allowing you to get in and out of Rage every round to start a new Rage, thus allowing your stronger abilities like Powerful Blow and Clear Mind to be in effect almost every single round.

You can also use your Trophies to further boost your Saving Throws if you feel like it’s needed.

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