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Depends on whether you have ToB as well. Barbarians get Rage innate ability which increases their Str and Con by 4 points for 5 rounds. At the end of ToB you'll have 10 of these per day. With the Hell Tears done you'll have 25 Str and Con for 50 rounds per day naturally. Thats with ToB of course though. If you only have SoA then Crom Faeyr and Flail of Ages rock, or Two Handed Swords and 25 Str and 23 Con will do for most of the game. It sucks to be stuck with the Crom Faeyr as your weapon for so long for the 25 Str it gives. Rage and use any weapon you want with 25 Str.
Barbarians greatest features are their huge HP and ability to suck up damage (20% natural + 40% Hardiness). Although they can only wear up to chain armour, Aslyferund Chain is the best they can get right at the end of SoA (gives immunity to normal weapons too, great if you take the evil +2 to Con over Immunity later). In ToB you get White Dragon Scale, probably the best armour in the game, as Thieves retain their skills with it and Barbs can wear it.
Axe of Unyielding and Foebane are perfect for the Barbarian, again in ToB. I havent really played the Barbarian in SoA only, I always plan my characters for ToB.
If SoA only, then the beserker wins. His Enrage ability protects against more nasty enemy spells and abilities. I think its a bug also that it protects against level drain when its not supposed to. With that bug it beats Barbarians Rage, without it its a more even match. Barbs have more HP, beserker +15 HP comes close to making up for this. The +2 to hit and damage is nice, especially combined with Crom Faeyr as you wanted, can get more + THAC0 and damage than Barb.
[ 05-30-2002, 02:13 PM: Message edited by: Tim Tam ]
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