D&D: Path of the Giant “easily the most fun” Barbarian so far
Wizards of the CoastA new giant-themed Barbarian subclass is earning rave reviews, and players are hoping it’s a sign of things to come for martial classes.
Giant power isn’t just for Goliaths and Rune Knights any more. The release of Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants has brought with it an incredible new Barbarian subclass, which many players are saying is among the best in 5e.
With powerful ranged options – a rarity for Barbarians – and the ability to grow to an intimidating size, the Path of the Giant has revitalized community interest in the Barbarian.
The class has always been popular in 5e, but its exceptionally streamlined nature can be both a blessing and a curse. Fans are hoping that powerful new options like the Path of the Giant herald an across-the-board power increase in D&D’s 2024’s One D&D update.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has caused interest in D&D’s Barbarian to spike
Many D&D players relish the chance to rage out and break stuff with the Barbarian, but equally many may find its overt simplicity offputting. Thankfully, Barbarians couldn’t have asked for a better advocate than Baldur’s Gate 3.
Anyone that fell in love with Karlach’s abilities (or just with Karlach herself) will have learned that being a Barbarian doesn’t mean losing out on character nuance.
And as things stand, the Path of the Giant Barbarian’s throwing abilities bear more than a little resemblance to the BG3’s version of Berserker and its Enraged Throw skill. The Path of the Giant may have arrived at the perfect time to boost players’ enthusiasm for martial classes as D&D gears up for its major new update.
D&d 5e Players react to the Path of the Giant Barbarian
During the playtesting phase of the Path of the Giant, Reddit user Several_Resolve_5754’s early reaction to the class was that ‘this is the most fun I’ve seen a barbarian be(…) and anyone can benefit from this versatile and profoundly fun subclass’.
The post highlights the strength and unusual options afforded by the subclass, and comments were similarly positive. And on full release in the Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants sourcebook, it appears that the class hasn’t lost any steam. Reddit user mastersmash56 commented on the full release ‘I think this is easily the most fun and probably the best barb subclass now available’.
Players have been raving about the Path of the Giant since its Unearthed Arcana playtesting days, and it’s gratifying to see the class release in full more or less unaltered. But despite the positive reaction to the Path of the Giant, there are some concerns among the community that this kind of power is not being taken forward substantially into the One D&D playtests.
Martial classes can be seen as limited in 5e
Linear design and limited mechanics have long plagued martial classes in D&D Fifth Edition. The ‘martial-caster gap’ is a popular community viewpoint; a perceived disparity between martial classes and spellcasters, with spellcasters being afforded extra power and options.
The initial playtest for 5e offered more complexity for martials – with resources and maneuvers that eventually became a signature of the Battlemaster instead of the norm – but eventually simplicity was prioritized.
The Weapon Master feature is One D&D’s biggest swing towards away from martial simplicity, adding new gameplay choices for Barbarians, Fighters, and more, gifting characters with different abilities depending on the weapon they are currently wielding. Hopefully Weapon Mastery and new toolkits like the Path of the Giant are an encouraging sign that martials will continue to be granted increases in power and flexibility.
Though the playtests have shown a few concrete improvements, it appears as though martial class design in D&D’s next edition could still be hewing closer to 5e than some players would prefer. Still, the Path of the Giant is an encouraging sign that WOTC are willing to bring new ideas into the design space and create powerful, varied new subclass options without fear of overtuning.