Kicking off the Quintessential Barbarian is Character Concepts, and this has to be the most detailed yet seen for any Quintessential book. A range of new characters are now possible with the Barbarian class, such as the Abandoned (raised by animals), the Diplomat (sent to communicate with civilization by his tribe or clan), Exile, Explorer, Ex-Slave, Gladiator, Guide, Lunatic, Manhunter (amazon), Noble, Quester, Raider, Stoic Warrior, and Thug. For race specific Barbarians, there are Wilderness Defenders (elves), Dwarven Berserkers, Tunnel Fighters (gnomes), Feral Hunter (halfling) and Orc Champion. However, choices for Character Concepts do not end there - characters can be further modified by the type of tribe they come from (Dark Age, Primitive Era or Bronze Age) and by the terrain or region they hail from – Coastal Barbarians may look a little like the Norse in your campaign, for example, while those from Cold regions will be similar to eskimos. There has to be more choice for customizing a 1st-level Barbarian than any other class now!
The Prestige Barbarian is a chapter for players looking to take their characters in a specific direction, and there are some very strong archetypes available here. The Dervish, for example, or the Despoiler, Devolutionary, Fetish Warrior, Horse Nomad, Master of the Hunt, Mind Killer, Pit Fighter, Planar Savage, Runner, Scavenger, Sea Wolf and Wizard Slayer.
In Tricks of the Trade, this class can now have a go at Bartering, Predicting Weather, adopting Camouflage, Long Distance Signaling, Mimic Animal Sounds, find lots new ways to use the Intimidate skill (fighters might want to have a look at this too) and taking the Shape Journey - a meditative process whereby the Barbarian's spirit adopts an animalistic form.
Barbarian Feats adds the final touch for character customization and there are lots of new abilities that will be of interest to the wild warrior. Fervor of the Boar will allow a seriously injured Barbarian to carry on fighting, for example, while Back Protection can give those trying sneak attacks a nasty surprise. An incredible 60 new feats have been squeezed into this chapter.
Tools of the Trade is the chapter for Barbarians looking to get themselves some serious new 'toys'. Full rules are provided for weapons and armour made out of alternative materials, such as bone, stone, wood, bronze and iron, if you are looking to bring the full realism of Barbarian culture to your game. There is also a new type of weapon suitable for Barbarians seeking to avoid magic - the Peerless Weapon, an item that goes far beyond what is possible with mere masterworked equipment. New weapons are also featured - if the Greatsword or Great Axe is just not good enough for your 7-foot tall Barbarian, take a look at the Elephant Axe or Zweihander - if they were any bigger, you would need to be a giant to wield them! Mundane equipment has not been neglected, either, and from the Hunters or Shamans Outfits to the Body Sleigh and Hunting Horn, there is plenty to make your Barbarian ready for both the wilderness and his clan. The chapter winds up with mounts that are perhaps more suitable for the heroic fantasy Barbarian - what can be cooler than going into battle on a War Elk?
Barbarians are very physical characters and there is nothing many like more than testing themselves against their peers - the Contests chapter allows them to do just that. Full rules and expectations of the contests are provided, as well as the contests themselves, which involve either Contests of Stamina (plunging hands into boiling water, arm wrestling and such like), Contests of War (hunting priests!) and other, less serious types (bare-knuckle boxing, stone throwing, trunk climbing, etc).
Survival is a large chapter all about staying alive in the wilderness, the Barbarian's true home. Rules are given for travelling, navigating, climbing, swimming, surviving extremes of temperature, the importance of food and water, hunting, fishing and stalking. Of course, these apply just as well to a large horde of goblins or orcs as the evening's meal, making the Barbarian a party's first choice as an escort in the wild.
The Hordes chapter brings back one of the favorite rules of the original Barbarian class - high level Barbarians now get access to a modified version of the Leadership feat, allowing them to call upon a mighty horde in times of danger. This chapter covers the formation of a horde, the characters within it, raiding settlements, the use of standards (magical and otherwise) and what a Barbarian at the head of the horde can achieve.
Before the Index, Character Sheet and Rules Summary, the Quintessential Barbarian winds up with Fortifications, a guide to creating permanent settlements in the wilderness. Few Barbarians crave the mighty castles, towers and temples of their civilized peers, so this chapter gives the Barbarian fortified settlements that are more realistic to build and defend in the wilderness. Together with a section on active defenses and weaponry, this will form the perfect base for your rampaging horde as it carves out its own territory far from any nation.
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