Barbarian skills

This page lists all known Barbarian skills, with information that was current as of August 2011. This page is a quick listing; follow the links to the individual skill pages for full discussion of every skill, including first hand reports, Blue quotes, runestone information, and numerous screenshots and other images.

All character skills have undergone considerable changes during development, with the biggest change coming before Blizzcon 2010, when skill trees and passive skills were removed from the skill listing and Traits were introduced. See the Barbarian skill archive for information about skill changes over time.

Useful skill links:

• Skills - General skill design and mechanics.
  • Active skills -- Skills where effects are activated by the player.
  • Passive skills -- Skills where effects are activated automatically, by the computer or by special events.
  • Signature skills -- Skills that define characters.
  • Shouts -- Skills that buff the player or debuff monsters.
• Fury -- The Barbarian's energy resource.
• Runestones -- The huge skill customization and improvement system.
• Barbarian skill archive -- Removed Barbarian skills.
• Barbarian traits -- Passive skills in Diablo III were called traits for a while before reverting back.

Active Skills

Barbarian Skill Tree interpretation by Muldric.

Click to the individual skill pages for more details about these skills including numbers, screenshots, runestone information, blue quotes, and much more.

Bash

Bash is available at level 1.
A powerful melee swiping attack, this hits a single target for heavy damage, with a chance to knockback as well.

• Description: Bashes the enemy for X-X weapon damage, with a X% chance to cause knockback.

Ground Stomp

Ground Stomp is available at level 1.
This defensive skill causes the Barbarian to stomp his foot, crushing the earth and stunning all nearby enemies. With runestones it can add damage, knockback, and more.

• Description: Shakes the ground, stunning all enemies within X feet for X seconds.

Hammer of the Ancients

Hammer of the Ancients is available at level 2.
The Barbarian swings a huge yellow hammer overhead, crushing it down on enemies for massive damage, plus a good chance of critical damage.

• Description: Calls forth a massive hammer to smash the enemy for X% weapon damage, and has a X% critical chance.

Battle Rage

Battle Rage is available at level 3.
A shout that provides a damage boost and critical hit improvement for a short duration.

• Description: Enter a rage which provides a X% damage boost and X% critical hit bonus for X seconds.

Ignore Pain

Ignore Pain is available at level 4.
A shout, this skill reduces all damage taken and grants immunity to most debuffs.

• Description: Reduces all damage taken by X% and grants immunity to root, snare and stun effects for X seconds.

Cleave

Cleave is available at level 5.
A powerful melee attack, this hits multiple enemies per swing; as many as are within the sweep of the Barbarian's reach, dealing substantial damage to everything.

• Description: The Barbarian swings at multiple targets at once, dealing X% weapon damage to all targets in front of him.

Leap Attack

Leap Attack is available at level 6.
A deadly fast attack, this one allows the Barbarian to leap into attack, moving far faster than running speed, as well as vaulting over obstacles or monsters between him and his prey.

• Description: The Barbarian makes a mighty leap, causing X% weapon damage to all enemies within X feet upon landing.

Weapon Throw

Weapon Throw is available at level 7.
A powerful ranged attack, this one allows the Barbarian to hurl his weapon at enemies. Runestones add amazing effects, including one in which the Barbarian hurls a monster corpse, dealing high damage to nearby targets.

• Description: The Barbarian hurls a weapon at his foes, causing X% weapon damage and slows the target to X% of their normal movement speed for X seconds.

Rend

Rend is available at level 8.
A melee attack that deals considerable bonus damage to all enemies within range.

• Description: Perform a slashing vicious blow to all enemies within X feet, dealing X% weapon damage and an additional X-X physical damage over X seconds.

Threatening Shout

Threatening Shout is available at level 9.
A shout that debuffs enemies, lowering their damage.

• Description: Shouts with great ferocity, reducing damage done by enemies within X feet by X% for X seconds.

Frenzy

Frenzy is available at level 11.
Consecutive hits with this melee skill grant increased attack speed and weapon damage.

• Description: Each strike grants a X% attack speed and X% weapon damage boost for X seconds. Frenzy can be stacked up to X times for a total bonus of X% attack speed and X% weapon damage.

Revenge

Revenge is available at level 12.
A melee skill, this one becomes available when when the Barbarian is hit. It deals a fast spinning hit that can strike multiple enemies for considerable damage. When seen at Blizzcon 2010, this skill was an active one; players had to hit the button to trigger it once it was enabled. The skill was changed to a direct, automated strike of some sort during later development, though details are not yet known.

• Description: When hit, there is a X% chance the Barbarian may strike all enemies within X feet, dealing X% weapon damage and gaining X% health for each enemy hit.

War Cry

War Cry is available at level 14.
This shout boosts the Barbarian's Fury, as well as the armor of the Barbarian and all nearby party members.

• Description: A terrifying cry that provides X fury and increases the armor of the Barbarian and all party members within X feet by X% for X seconds.

Furious Charge

Furious Charge is available at level 16.
A very fast moving charge attack, enabling the Barbarian to pass through enemies on the way to his target.

• Description: Charge directly at an enemy causing X% weapon damage to them and X% damage to enemies in the way.

Seismic Slam

Seismic Slam is available at level 18.
A more powerful version of Ground Stomp, this skill deals higher damage and knocks back enemies, rather than stunning them.

• Description: Slam the ground causing a wave of destruction that deals X% weapon damage in front of the Barbarian and causes knockback.

Overpower

Overpower is available at level 19.
No description is available.

Ancient Spear

Ancient Spear is available at level 21.
"Get over here!" A spear on a chain, hurled to skewer enemies and drag them closer. Runestones can add the ability to skewer multiple enemies on a single spear. This skill should really be called "Ancient Harpoon" since harpoons have barbs and ropes to pull in the aquatic life form they are used to skewer. Spears have neither barbs nor ropes attached.

• Description: Throws a spear with a maximum range of X feet, pulling each target back to the Barbarian, slowing movement speed and dealing X-X damage.

Whirlwind

Whirlwind is available at level 22.
The classic Diablo 2 skill, this one allows the Barbarian to whirl in a moving circle, landing multiple hits to anything in range. Can be quite dangerous in PvP, since a slowed Barbarian becomes a sitting duck, unable to exit the WW in case of emergency.

• Description: The Barbarian swirls in a cyclone, delivering multiple attacks to everything in his path with each hit doing X% weapon damage.

Sprint

Sprint is available at level 23.
A shout that buffs the Barbarian with extra movement speed.

• Description: Grants X% speed boost for X seconds.

Earthquake

Earthquake is available at level 24.
This stomp causes massive damage to all nearby enemies.

• Description: Shakes the earth violently, causing massive damage to all nearby enemies.

Call of the Ancients

Call of the Ancients is available at level 27.
The only summoning skill of the Barbarian, this one allows him to summon the Ancients from Diablo II, who will briefly assist in battle.

• Description: Summons three ancient Barbarians; Talic, Korlic and Madawc, who inflict X% weapon damage. Lasts X seconds.

Wrath of the Berserker

Wrath of the Berserker is available at level 29.
This shout grants higher stats and enables the Barbarian to partially break monster immunities.

• Description: Enter a heightened sense of fury, raising several stats (Critical Hit, Attack Speed, Dodge Chance, Movement Speed) for X seconds. Monsters with damage immunities will take X% less damage from the Barbarian's attacks rather than being immune.

Passive Skills

Passive skills replaced Traits during late game development in 2011. Many Traits were simply changed to passive skills, but some are all new. See the Barbarian traits page for a full list of those passives.

Icon	Name	Req Level	Description
	Animosity	-	Increases Fury generation by X% and adds Y points to the maximum amount of Fury.
	Berserker Rage	-	Increases damage by X% when the Barbarian's Fury is 100%.
	Bloodthirst	-	10% of damage (dealt or taken??) is gained as HP.
	Pound of Flesh	-	Increases the chance to find Health Globes by X% and healing done by these is increased by Y%.
	Relentless	-	When the Barbarian is below X% health, skills cost no Fury and the damage is reduced by Y%
	Ruthless	-	Increases critical strike chance by X% and increases critical strike damage by Y%.
	Unforgiving	-	Fury does not degenerate any longer. Also, the Barbarian gains X Fury every 5 seconds.
	Iron skin	10	Increases armor by X%.
	Intimidation	13	Increases damage dealt by X% and reduces repair costs by Y%.
	Cruelty	15	X% of damage dealt is gained as HP.
	Aggression	17	Increases attack by X%.
	Superior Skill	19	Increases precision by X%.
	Expert Defense	20	Increases defense by X%.
	Toughness	23	Increases vitality by X%.
	Weak Spot	25	Increases critical strike damage by X%.
	Superstition	26	Reduces non-physical damage taken by X%.
	Slaughter	28	Increases damage dealt by X% when the Barbarian's Fury is at its maximum.
	Bad Temper	31	Increases Fury generation by X%.
	Frenzied Attacks	31	When wielding two weapons, the Barbarian has X% increased critical strike chance and Y% increased critical strike damage.
	Insane Courage	31	When the Barbarian has under X% HP, damage taken is reduced by Y%.
	Second Wind	31	Regenerate X% HP per minute.
	Shield of Iron	31	Increases the chance to block attacks with a shield by X%.

Development

The Barbarian's skills and skill trees were first seen at BlizzCon 2008, with only a few skills enabled and many showing nothing more than vague descriptions in the skill tree.

Removed Skills

• Rampage
• Taunt

The updated Barbarian skills list at Blizzcon 2010 removed all earlier passive skills (they became Barbarian traits) and changed around a number of active skills as well.

Five skills were added in Blizzcon 2010.

• Rampage
• War Cry
• Ancient Spear
• Rend
• Call of the Ancients

The following skills were present in 2009, and gone in 2010. Many of these were turned, more or less directly, into Barbarian Traits.

• Berserker Skills
  • Bad Temper
  • Double Strike
  • Slashing Strike
  • Berserker State
  • Onslaught
• Juggernaut Skills
  • Scavenge
  • Invigorated
  • Bloodthirst
  • Recovery
  • Strong Constitution
• Battlemaster Skills
  • Battle Cry
  • Second Wind
  • Stubborn
  • Enrage
  • Inspiration
  • Retaliation
  • Cripple

References

• Full Barbarian Skill Trees and Stats
• JudgeHype.com July 2011 Press Event Coverage - The Barbarian (Translated by Zediono)