Barbarian traits

Traits are passive skills. Points spent in these grant bonuses that affect other aspects of the character. Traits are not displayed in the skill listing, but are on their own separate Traits menu.

Unlike skill points, which are earned at every level up, Trait points are only awarded every other level. Only on odd numbered levels: 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on, up to 59.

Passive Skills

The updated Barbarian passive skills list at press tour august 2011

Skill	Name	Required Level	Description
	Animosity	-	10% improves the generation of Fury and adds 20 points to the maximum value of Fury.
	Berserker rage	-	Increases damage by 20% when the Barbarian Fury is 100%.
	Bloodthirst	-	10% Damage Taken Goes to life.
	Pound of flesh	-	5% improves the chances of finding the health globes and 10% caring for them
	Relentless	-	When the Barbarian is below 20% health, skills cost no Fury and the damage is reduced by 50%
	Ruthless	-	5% improves the chances of a critical hit and 50% critical damage.
	Unforgiving	-	The Fury does not degenerate anymore. In addition, the player gets one point every five seconds Fury.
	Iron skin	10	Increases of 100% armor value.
	Intimidation	13	15% improvement of the damage and reduces the repair cost by 5%.
	Cruelty	15	10% of the damage done is transferred to life.
	Aggression	17	Increases attack by 20% (i.e. the damage).
	Superior skill	19	Increases of 20% accuracy (i.e. the chances of making a critical hit).
	Expert defense	20	20% improves the defense.
	Toughness	23	20% improves vitality.
	Weak spot	25	Increases by 100% critical strike damage.
	Superstition	26	Reduced by 10% the non-physical damage.
	Slaughter	28	Increases damage by 20% when the value of Fury is at its maximum.
	Bad temper	31	10% improves the generation of the Fury.
	Frenzied attack	31	20% improves the chances of making critical hits and 30% critical strike damage when the barbarian has two arms.
	Insane courage	31	When the Barbarian is below 35% health, damage taken is reduced by 30%.
	Second wind	31	Used to regenerate 20% of the total life every minute.
	Shield of iron	31	Increases 10% chance to block with a shield.

Known Barbarian Traits

This listing comes from the Blizzcon 2010. It should be considered preliminary and subject to change and revision. In fact, the D3 Team said at Blizzcon that traits were very new and still undergoing development, and that with over 30 Traits for the established characters, there were probably too many of them at this point for players to make informed choices.

Click to the individual Traits pages for more details about the particular trait. Many common traits are available to more than one class. Traits become available in bunches, every 4 levels.

Level requirement: Under 10

The level requirements of the earliest Traits are not known, since they were observed on level 9+ characters, for whom they were all already available.

Bad Temper

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases fury generation and decreases fury decay.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Toughness

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases your vitality by 20%.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Legendary Might

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases your strength.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Iron Skin

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases your armor.
• Lore: Eventually the scars get thick enough to provide their own armor.

Lucky

• Max points: 3
• Description: Monsters drop higher amounts of gold.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Intimidation

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 11

Pound of Flesh

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases your chance to get health globes to drop.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Natural Leader

• Max points: 3
• Description: Unknown.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 15

Frenzied Attacks

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases the chance to deal critical strikes and increases critical strike damage when the Barbarian is wielding two weapons.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Shield of Iron

• Max points: 3
• Description: : Increases your chance to block attacks.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Thunderous Blows

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases damage done when the Barbarian is wielding a two-handed weapon.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 19

Inner Rage

• Max points: 5
• Description: Reduces fury decay and increases fury gain while attacking the same target.
• Lore: While most orders teach the merits of calming the seas of the soul, the guardians of Arreat have embraced the raging inner storm.

Slaughter

• Max points: 5
• Description: Melee attacks can hit other nearby targets. Requires one point in Double Strike.
• Lore: Not yet known.

The description was clearly not updated after this was transformed from a skill, since Double Strike is a removed Barbarian skill, but is not one of the listed Traits. Double Strike granted a small % chance to swing both weapons on a melee attack.

Level requirement: 23

Beast Hunter

• Max points: 3
• Description: Damage bonus against Beasts.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Demonsbane

• Max points: 3
• Description: Damage bonus against Demons.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Just...Stay...Dead!

• Max points: 3
• Description: Damage bonus against Undead.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 27

Cruelty

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases your chance of dealing critical strikes.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Battering Ram

• Max points: 3
• Description: Reduces slowing effects.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 31

Shield Slam

• Max points: 1
• Description: You have a chance to hit your target with your shield and interrupt them.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Massive Blow

• Max points: 1
• Description: You have a chance to hit all nearby targets with a single hit. Requires a two-handed weapon.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 35

Pig Sticker

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases damage done when the Barbarian is wielding a polearm, spears or when he throws weapons.
• Lore: Not yet known.

It's not clear if the description refers to damage when using throwing weapons (none of which have been seen in playable demos of the game) or when using the Weapon Throw skill.

Die by the Sword

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases damage done when the Barbarian is wielding swords.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 39

Axe Murderer

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases damage done when the Barbarian is wielding axes.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Brain Basher

• Max points: 3
• Description: Increases damage done when the Barbarian is wielding maces.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 43

Superior Skill

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases your dexterity.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Second Wind

• Max points: 3
• Description: Automatically regenerate a certain amount of health per minute. Requires one point in Bloodthirst.
• Lore: Not yet known.

The description was clearly not updated after this was transformed from a skill, since Bloodthirst is a removed Barbarian skill, but is not one of the listed Traits. It allowed the Barbarian to heal a % of the damage he dealt to enemies.

The Wall

• Max points: 3
• Description: Reduces melee damage taken..
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 47

Disbelief

• Max points: 3
• Description: Reduces magical damage taken.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Natural Resistance

• Max points: 5
• Description: Increases all resistances.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Level requirement: 51

Weak Spot

• Max points: 1
• Description: Increases critical strike damage.
• Lore: Not yet known.

Insane Courage

• Max points: 3
• Description: Reduces damage taken by 10% if the Barbarian's health goes below 50%.
• Lore: Not yet known.

References

• BlizzCon 2010 Diablo 3 Gameplay Panel.
• Barbarian traits translated from French.