Barbarian passives

Passive skills replaced Traits late in game development. Many passives are very similar to previously-known traits, with the main changes coming in changes to the character level requirements, and the fact that passives are on/off, rather than using 1, 3, or 5 points, as Traits did. Characters only get three passive in total, with one slot opening up for a passive at Clvl 10, 20, and 30.

Barbarian Passives

This list is tentative and based on the beta build. Expect further refinements in the final game.

Bloodthirst

Bloodthirst is unlocked at Level 10.
Causes the Barbarian to gain life based on the amount of damage he deals, in a traditional leech-skill.

Description: Gain 10% of all damage done as Life.

Pound of Flesh

Pound of Flesh is unlocked at Level 10.
Increases the frequency and healing power of health globes.

Description: Increases the chance of finding a health globe by 25% and you gain 100% additional health from health globes.

Ruthless

Ruthless is unlocked at Level 12.
Increases the chance and damage of critical hits.

Description: Critical hit chance increased by 5%. Critical hit damage increased by 50%.

• Many skills and runestone effects rely on critical hits to trigger their effects.

Weapons Master

Weapons Master is unlocked at Level 13.
Provides a bonus based on weapon type.

Description: Gain a bonus based on the weapon type of your main hand weapon:
• Swords/Daggers: 10% increased damage
• Maces/Axes: 10% chance to critical hit
• Polearms/Spears: 10% attack speed
• Mighty Weapons: 1 Fury per hit

Inspiring Presence

Inspiring Presence is unlocked at Level 15.
Doubles the length of the Barbarian's shouts and regenerates Life.

Description: The duration of your shouts is doubled. While benefiting from War Cry or Battle Rage you regenerate 20% of your total Life per minute.

• Battle Rage
• Threatening Shout
• War Cry

Berserker Rage

Berserker Rage is unlocked at Level 17.
Increases the Barbarian's damage when he is full of Fury.

Description: You inflict an additional 20% damage while at maximum Fury.

Animosity

Animosity is unlocked at Level 19.
Increases Fury generation and maximum Fury.

Description: Increases Fury generation by 10% and maximum Fury is increased by 20.

• Fury is used to power your most powerful attacks.

Superstition

Superstition is unlocked at Level 20.
Reduces non-physical damage and increases Fury generation.

Description: Reduces all non-physical damage taken by 20%. Whenever you take damage from a ranged or elemental attack you gain 3 Fury.

Tough as Nails

Tough as Nails is unlocked at Level 22.
Increases the Barbarian's armor and thorns damage.

Description: Increases armor by 100%.
Thorns damage dealt increased by 100%.

No Escape

No Escape is unlocked at Level 23.
Increases the damage of Ancient Spear and Weapon Throw, and provides buffs for both.

Description: Increases the damage of Ancient Spear and Weapon Throw by 100%. In addition, killing an enemy with Ancient Spear automatically resets the cooldown and killing an enemy with Weapon Throw returns 20 Fury.

Relentless

Relentless is unlocked at Level 25.
Reduces damage taken and eliminates Fury cost when the Barbarian is badly injured.

Description: While below 20% Life, all skills cost no Fury and all damage taken is reduced by 50%.

Brawler

Brawler is unlocked at Level 26.
Increases the Barbarian's damage when he is swarmed.

Description: As long as there are 5 enemies within 8 yards, all of your damage is increased by 30%.

Juggernaut

Juggernaut is unlocked at Level 28.
Reduces the effects of debuffs on the Barbarian.

Description: The duration of control impairing effects on you are reduced by 20%. In addition, whenever you become stunned, feared, or charmed you recover 15% of your maximum Life.

Boon of Bul-Kathos

Boon of Bul-Kathos is unlocked at Level 30.
Reduces the cooldown on Earthquake, Call of the Ancients, and Wrath of the Berserker.

Description: The cooldown on your Earthquake, Call of the Ancients, and Wrath of the Berserker skills is reduced by 30 seconds.

Unforgiving

Unforgiving is unlocked at Level 30.
Eliminates Fury decay and increases Fury regeneration.

Description: You no longer degenerate Fury. Instead, you gain 1 Fury every 5 seconds.

Development

• See the Barbarian skill archive for the full list, with descriptions, of all active and passive skills that have been removed from the game during development.

The Barbarian's skills and skill trees were first seen at BlizzCon 2008 as a mix of active and passive skills (mostly passive), with only a few enabled and many showing nothing more than vague descriptions in the skill trees.

For the BlizzCon 2009 build, 24 of the Barbarian's passive skills were removed, and only five new passives were introduced: Scavenge, Strong Constitution, Bloodthirst, Retaliation, and Cripple.

For BlizzCon 2010, passive skills were removed from the skill trees and replaced by traits. Twelve of the Barbarian's passive skills were removed, but this time, 28 new traits were introduced. Only two passives were turned, more or less directly, into traits: Bad Temper and Second Wind.

By the July 2011 Press Event, the skill system had once again been completely redesigned. The traits system was scrapped, and replaced by a new version of passive skills, but still separate from the active skills. Although 13 of the Barbarian's traits were turned into passives, 18 of them were removed, and 9 passives were brand new.

The list of Barbarian passives shown at the press event was obviously still in development. There were several issues: Pound of Flesh was listed twice, Cruelty had the same description and icon as Bloodthirst, Slaughter had the same description and icon as Berserker Rage, and 6 passives had no level requirements, possibly so beta players could try them out right from the beginning. Also, the list of Barbarian passives was noticeably longer than that of the other classes, and will no doubt be shortened.

Just a few days later, the passive Tough As Nails was announced, which seems to be designed to replace Iron Skin and another passive.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• Blizzard on Class-Specific Armor Benefits -- IncGamers 9th Aug 2011
• Kastigar's Really Big Barb thread -- IncGamers 8th Sep 2011

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Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

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