Let’s look at the specific Spirit Animals:
- “Scorpion”: While “Scorpion” is very good in the very early game, more important for the damage output in the early levels was still – “Cleave” and using a reach weapon.
My Barbarian, Deathknight and Jorad had very similar attributes and all three had “Cleave”, but only Jorad didn’t use a reach weapon and he got himself out of the reach of targets a lot more often than the others – and this disadvantage could, surprisingly, not be compensated with his “Scorpion” ability.
(Remember: “Scorpion” needs a Full-Round-Action!)
In the late game, using a two-handed “Skewer” weapon”, “Scorpion” is still quite useful. Its practical value in the late game was higher than I anticipated.
It is also the Spirit Animal with the broadest utility.
- “Rhinoceros”:
Playing the tutorial with the new barbarian class, I got the impression that “Rhinoceros” will be the biggest game changer for the barbarian and that it will catapult the barbarian on the top of the best-tank-in-the-game-list, as you can easily get DR 10-12 with activated Rage and “Rhinoceros”- at level 5!
Fortunately, yes – fortunately, the reality in “Augury of Chaos” was more nuanced. For three reasons:
First: the available magic equipment in AoC is a lot more reasonable than in the tutorial. At Level 5 you can get, with activated Rage, perhaps DR 7-8.
Second: Almost all early monster in AoC cause ability damage too! Pierre seems to love these kinds of annoying pests! A few hits and your best damage-per-round hero becomes totally useless – even if he doesn’t take much damage.
Third and most important: The A.I. is just to smart! The enemies tend to ignore the buffed up barbarian.
But – hehe – this can, in some cases, become an opportunity in itself, because the A.I. may be smart, but it can’t cope well with “Ready vs Approach” and reach weapons and “Greater Trip” and “Combat Reflexes”...
Well, while I didn’t find a reliable way to utilize “Rhinoceros” in an effective tank tactic, I did find a noticeable difference in survivability and the needed healing resources between my barbarian and Jorad. I was finally so annoyed with Jorads perpetual near-death experiences and healing needs that I just had to give him “Rhinoceros” too – despite my intentions to let him test other Spirit Animals.
For me, “Rhinoceros” is a must have – but I’m a scrooge.
(Between: Giving Barbarians the “Die Hard”-feat for free is the best!)
So – is all good?
I still see the possibility that “Rhinoceros” could “unhinge” a module – not one of Pierres official modules (
considering his creepy critter-fetish), but something like Hearkenworld, a module with a lot of conventional small fights.
But that’s just speculation.
- “Elephant”:
The most annoying hostile barbarians were “Elephant”- users. Especially if a group of these barbarians began to stalk my poor party of innocent heroes.
I was also positively surprised about Jorads “Elephant”.
In an earlier run I was quite underwhelmed with the usefulness of the fire breath of a Fire-Drake-Fighter. But a Barbarian doesn’t have “Wade In” and this gives him many opportunities to use “Elephant” without sacrificing a Full-Round Attack – ‘cause he didn’t have the chance for one to begin with. A Fire-Drake-Barbarian looks like an interesting concept.
- “Porpoise”:
The most controversial Spirit Animal in this thread. But I found our worries were – unfounded? No, that’s not quite the right term. “Porpoise” is unproblematic in AoC, because in the early game there are almost no enemies “Porpoise” would give an advantage against (with the exception of some minor “Blurr”-effects).
After I chose “Porpoise” at Level 5, I activated it the first time at Level 7-8?
Only around Level 10 I began to use “Porpoise” regularly and it finally became the most important and defining Spirit Animal for my Barbarian for the rest of the game.
While all other Spirit Animals are nice to have, “Porpoise” gives the barbarian a chance for a specific purpose in a party.
But around Level 15/16 you can get at least 3 kinds of magic equipments that give True-Seeing/Blindsight-effects. So there are only about 7-8 Levels in which a barbarian can reclaim this “exclusive” advantage against other melee-classes (disregarding spells and the new monk specialisation of course).
I think that’s o.k.
[Besides, a lot of enemies also use True Seeing equipment – which mysteriously tends to destroy itself...]
“By the way, another change that could be done easily is to switch certain Spirit Animals (e.g. Porpoise) from Free Action to Move Action or Standard Action.”
One of the most satisfying action of my Barbarian: activating “Porpoise” (free action), run to one of these pesky Warlocks (move action), seize him by his collar with “Greater Grappling” (free action) and “Pin” him to earth (move action).
This wouldn’t be possible if “Porpoise” costs a move action – so I’m not in favour of such a change -even if it would be “fairer”; it would also take the fun out of it a bit.
[Grappling someone inside enemy-territory has its own risk, so I don’t see such action as unbalanced]
My concerns about “Porpoise” are still rather related to the early levels. There is no problem in AoC, but doesn’t the possibility of such a powerful ability restrict module-makers? Perhaps someone wants to create an evil mage boss for a Level 5 party … and then a barbarian “one-punches” him?
- “Bull”:
In the tutorial I chose “Bull” from the beginning. And I got a very strong impression of it. Small maps, many elemental traps - it was a feast for my barbarian.
In AoC however … the beginning doesn’t give many opportunities to use it and after Level 6, when you can get “Greater Bullrush”, I almost never activated it – and I never needed to use it.
I think this is a problem in the conception of the “Bull”. Its utility is just to narrow!
So I would prefer my idea of the “Bull” (Enlarge-effect and free Bull-rush-feats). But not all Spirit Animals have to be great – you can choose only 6 anyway.
- “Jaguar”:
In a prior run, one of my heroes was a dexterity-focused mantis gladiator – and for him the (very expensive) “Belt of the Lion”, which gives the same “Pounce” ability as “Jaguar”, was an essential magic equipment.
So I was quite astonished that for my barbarian “Jaguar” wasn’t that important at all– and that indeed “Jaguar” was seldom used. Well, I would have liked to use it more often, but you have to “charge” to use it and “charging” wasn’t possible in many cases. (Back then I changed the formations for my mantis gladiator, so that he was alone and separate from the others → and such a change did help with the “charging” opportunities. But may barbarian is more a social butterfly kind of type.)
The astonishing fact was, that it didn’t matter so much, ‘cause my strength-focused barbarian could utilize the many strength-based combat-manoeuvres in a very effective way – while my mantis gladiator was capable as a damage-dealer only.
- “Spider”:
I gave this Spirit Animal Jordan at Level 15 – and, if remember correctly, I never used it. - What? - Yes, there wasn’t any reason to use it ever – at Level 15 and above.
But, as I have written above, I wished I had it in the lower levels, when still all the “Web” and “Grease” spells were lying around.
“Spider” has the best secondary traits and I therefore thought “Spider” would be preferable to “Eagle”, but …
-”Eagle”:
“Eagle” is evil - and I love it!
“Aye, you should’ve seen it! I was first there … then there …. on the top, I grasped one of those suckers, squished him and threw him down the wall! Aye, you should’ve seen it, the fear in their eyes! But for this, you’ve to be strong, as strong as us barbarians, ha, not like this feeble paladin girl...”
Yeah, it is cool.
However, in AoC, there are only a few fights on the last map during which you can enjoy such situations.
-”Bear”:
I levelled up just before the last fight, so I never used the “Bear”. But we all are familiar with “Evasion” and the “Bear” isn’t that different, is it?