Barbarian Meditate
For information on inner fire and meditating on chakrel/fire items check out the Inner Fire page and the Barbarian Items page. However, there is also another fun way to make use of meditate.
MEDITATE HELP will bring you this syntax:
Usage: MEDITATE <object> to meditate on a flame.
MEDITATE <object> CRUSH|BASH|SMASH| to destroy a magical item.
Meditating on runestones cause you to destroy it in a multitude of delightful ways. Thus far celestial jewelry, gaethzen, rods, and cambrinth items do not count as a magical item you can destroy. (You'll just have to kill the mage the old fashioned way)
There are around 10 or 11 different messages you can get using different verbs. Some verbs to try are CRUSH, BASH, SMASH, EAT, and ASSAULT. There are three different messages for BASH and ASSAULT. There appears to be only one message for the others. ASSAULT is based on what weapon you are holding in your hand and BASH appears to be based on both random draw and which hand you are holding the runestone in (and if your other hand is empty). Sometimes crushing runestones can leave you with minor injuries from the magic sparking, but you're a barbarian. You can handle it.
Barbarian Whirlwind
Whirlwind is a Barbarian-only attack that will attempt to strike everything within range of the attacker's weapon. With a suitable weapon, whirlwind can also be used to remove webs from the Barbarian and others. Type WHIRLWIND HELP for a useful in-game guide.
Whirlwind as a combat maneuver
The combat maneuver of WHIRLWIND has its noticeable benefits and penalties. First you must have 350 in the weapon you are wishing to whirlwind with, and you must have 32 agility. You must be using a suitable weapon such as a blade or blunt (experiment around for other weapons). It will leave you unbalanced, with a high combat maneuver penalty (a little worse than LUNGE) and with a higher roundtime than if you were just to attack normally. It will attempt to attack anything within the range of your weapon, including hidden targets. If you are using a pole ranged weapon it will attack anything within melee and pole range.
There are a preset amount of minimum roundtimes for whirlwind that are determined by the weapon you are attacking with. If you are berserking cyclone there is a 1 second reduction in your RT.
Light edge/blunt - 3 seconds
Medium edge/blunt - 4 seconds
Heavy edge/blunt - 7 seconds
Two-handed edge/blunt - 7 seconds
Here's what it looks like:
whirlwind
Centering upon your bastard sword, like the eye of a storm, you become a rapidly rotating column of death.
Your bastard sword lands a heavy strike to an asaren celpeze's chest!
The asaren celpeze thrashes about for a moment, then lies still.
Your bastard sword lands a heavy strike to an asaren celpeze's right hand!
The asaren celpeze is lightly stunned!
Your bastard sword lands a powerful strike to an asaren celpeze's abdomen!
The asaren celpeze's flared crest wobbles, then collapses as the celpeze falls over and lies still.
[You're solidly balanced]
Roundtime: 7 sec.
Whirlwind to escape webbing:
You may also utilize the WHIRLWIND ability to attempt to escape webbing, as well as free others from webbing. It has the much lower requirement of only 200 in the weapon you are using. I am unsure of the agility requirement but I certainly hope you were wise enough to train agility to par if you have 200 in a blade. Attempting to break webbing does not leave you unbalanced and the RT is much lower than using it as an attack.
Here's what it looks like:
Algion gestures at you.
A thousand tiny spiders crawl out of their hiding places and begin crawling over you, trapping you in a cocoon of sticky webbing!
>
You struggle helplessly against your bonds.
Roundtime: 3 sec.
>
whirlwind
Summoning your inner strength you turn and pivot, your sword whirling about your head and body as you cut through your bonds. The bonds fall from your body like shreds of paper.
Roundtime: 3 sec.
You may also attempt to cut other targets out of webbing using whirlwind, such as other players. It is easier to cut them out using lighter blades than heavier blades. Be warned though, in attempting to free someone you may also cut them as well! With that in mind, the syntax is WHIRLWIND <TARGET> to give it a shot. Freeing fellow Barbarians unharmed is the easiest followed by thieves.
Whirlwind Silly:
When a barbarian of inadequate skill or when any guild uses WHIRLWIND SILLY this lovely effect happens-
Phii spins around, frolicking like a beautiful pixie. Has she been in the samatak?
Dual Wield Whirlwind
Barbarians with sufficient skill can use their offhand weapon skill to whirlwind with two weapons at the same time. The same requirements for 'normal' whirlwind apply (350 ranks of the weapon in your right hand and 32 agility for the weapon in your right hand) as well as between 250-300 offhand ranks (in order to attack with the weapon in your left hand. If you meet these requirements you will attack with both weapons in your hands simultaneously. The roundtime of the whirlwind is determined by the weapon in your right hand. While still an unbalancing attack, its extremely vicious and trains offhand very well.
You glance down to see an engraved scimitar hilted in flame-kissed gold in your right hand and a bastard sword in your left hand.
>
* With the speed and temerity of a swooping falcon, an asaren celpeze claws at you. You dodge, barely leaning out of harm's reach.
[You're invigorated, slightly off balance with opponent in excellent position.]
>whirl
You take a step forward and pivot, swinging your scimitar in a wide, sweeping arc.
Your engraved scimitar lands a good strike to an asaren celpeze's head!
Your bastard sword lands a very heavy hit to an asaren celpeze's right leg!
[You're slightly off balance]
Roundtime: 4 sec.
Choke
Barbarians have the unique ability to choke a creature or person to death while brawling and grappled. With creatures you can also break their necks by choking them while grappled, then entering choke again (if you have the necessary strength). Be warned though, choking out your opponent (and grappling in general) lowers your defenses significantly.
First choke:
You shift your body and wrap your right arm around the neck of the goblin shaman and squeeze with all of your might!
Roundtime: 5 seconds.
Second choke:
You shift your body and wrap your right arm around the neck of the goblin shaman and squeeze with all of your might!
Roundtime: 5 seconds.
>
Your pulse quickens with the imminent demise of the goblin shaman trapped in your grasp, as a deep, blood red fills your vision. Letting loose a roar of which Trothfang himself would be proud, with one brutal twist you yank your arm across your chest and shatter the neck of the goblin shaman with a gruesome "CRACK"!
You drop the carcass of the shaman to the ground. Pretty cool, huh?
Barbarian Dual Load
Its not completely a barbarian-only a ability since rangers can also dual load, but its worth mentioning. Barbarians that have 201 in any bow (crossbows not included), 30 agility, and 30 reflex can dual load while eagle dancing. Dual load is of course, loading two arrows into a bow and firing them at the same time. When rangers dual load they must have HOL up.
The syntax is "load arrows", and you will receive a little extra round time.
Barbarian Dual Wield
As the only weapon primary guild, Barbarians can use their Offhand skill to dual wield light, medium, and heavy edged/blunt weapons in melee combat. As of now, no guilds can use 2HE/2HB in melee offhand. Weapon secondary guilds (paladin, warrior mages, thieves, bards, rangers, clerics) can use medium and light melee weapons while weapon tertiary guilds (traders, bards, empaths, moon mages) can only use light melee. Ability to put this to use is decided by 70% of your offhand skill and 30% of the weapon you are attacking with.
Syntax is as follows:
[VERB] [TARGET]* [HAND] [AREA]*
* = optional
JAB RIGHT - Right hand jab
SLICE LEFT - Left hand slice
ATTACK GOBLIN LEFT RIGHT EYE - Attack goblin via left hand weapon and target the right eye.
Basically you want to specify hand before specifying area.
Describe
Describe <person> is a barb only verb that allows a barbarian to see if another barbarian is dancing. It will look like this:
Phii glances at you with a knowing look in her eye, weighing your form and posture.
You can also use it on yourself to see if you are under the affect of a dance.
If you describe a non-barbarian it looks like:
The gaping absence of inner fire in Algion tells a woeful tale of his misdirected life.
The poor dear.
Horse Training
Barbarians can use the INSTRUCT verb to teach horses mounted loading. (So the rider can load a bow while mounted).
The syntax is INSTRUCT PLAYER LOAD. You need to stay in the room with the person until the training is complete, and if you stop for any reason you'll have to start from the beginning. I believe you have to be at least 40th circle and have a ranged over 100.
Ranged Parry
Barbarians (and paladins) have the ability to parry ranged weapon attacked if they are at melee. Its based directly on your parry skills vs. their ranged weapon skills. However, how often are you at melee with someone shooting an arrow at you? At least its nice to know.
Barbarian Handshake
Between barbarians you can express guild pride with the Barbarian handshake. Thieves can impersonate the handshake if you shake their hand, but they themselves cannot initiate it.
Clamping a fist around Galren's forearm, you pull him heartily toward you in a bone-crushing Barbarian greeting.
Galren clamps his fist around your forearm and hauls you over for a merciless Barbarian greeting. You return the compliment, the satisfying sensation of sinew crunching in your grip.
There is also a difference in handshakes depending strength. When you shake a barbarian's hand, or he shakes yours and has less than 30 strength (this is an estimation) it will appear as:
Littlebarb grasps your forearm with a sturdy grip and holds your gaze for a moment. In kinship, you return the greeting, though you are sorely tempted to offer him an arm-wrestle.
Phii clamps her fist around your forearm and hauls you over for a merciless Barbarian greeting. Stifling a grimace, you wonder if you'll ever wield a weapon again.
Barbarian Stance Upgrading
Every ten circles Barbarians get an additional 1% to add to their overall stance. That 1% stance point increases for barbarians to every 20 circles after 100th all the way up to 200th. This totals at an additional 15% stance point increases overall.
Paladins are the same as barbarians.
Warrior mages get a 1% stance increase every 15 circles.
All other guilded characters get an additional 1% stance increase every 20 circles.
Barbarian Only Verbs
Challenge
You puff out your chest, grunting and screaming, veins sticking out distinctly across taut sinew and bulging muscle!
*Phii puffs out her chest, grunting and screaming, her veins sticking out distinctly across taut sinew and bulging muscle!
You may also challenge critters for amusing messages. The weapon and/or shield you are holding (or not holding) will determine the messaging.
Belch
You open your mouth wide as a thunderous belch rolls up from the pit of your stomach.
Savoring the aroma for a moment, you realize that not everything tastes better the second time around.
*Phii opens her mouth wide as a thunderous belch rolls up from the pit of her stomach.
Clench fist
Your muscles ripple and your veins begin to stick out as you clench your fist.
*Phii's muscles ripple and her veins begin to stick out as she clenches her fist.
Grunt
You make a disgusting grunting noise.
*Phii makes a disgusting grunting noise.
While hiding people will see:
You hear some uncouth barbarian make a disgusting grunting noise.
Roar
You bare your teeth with fierce pride as a Barbarian's roar thunders from the depths of your spirit!
You feel ready to defeat an army! (see roar section for more on this.)
*Phii releases a thunderous roar, her teeth bared with fierce pride!
You can also roar quiet (roar q for short) to check your voice level. You can do it from hiding and remain hidden. Others will not see your messaging.
Snuff Cigar
The different snuffs seem to be random, and will leave you with small wounds.
You hold out your hand and twist the burning cigar, very slowly, into your upturned palm. Clenching your fist, you crumple the cigar and toss the charred remains aside.
*With deliberate slowness, Phii holds out her hand and twists a burning cigar into her upturned palm. Clenching her fist, she crumples the charred remains and casually tosses them aside.
You open your mouth in a wide grimace, and place the burning cigar on your tongue. Chewing slowly, a sliver of steam slips from your lips... then, grinning broadly, you give an exaggerated swallow!
*Phii smirks broadly and opens her mouth wide. With a flourish, she places a burning cigar on her tongue, and chews for a moment. With a gulp, a sliver of steam hisses from her blackened lips!
You raise your cigar to your head in a wide arc, casually pressing the burning embers to your forehead. Turning it slowly, you snuff out the red-hot embers on your own skin!
*Phii's eyes widen slightly as she grinds a burning cigar into her forehead, snuffing it out slowly against her own skin! The smell of charred flesh assaults your nostrils
Dance Flounder
This one is a parody dance that they had a contest for a few years back. Its the only ability in DR that will get you to a prone position while remaining solidly balanced.
You jump on the ground and start flailing wildly like a fish out of water.
*Phii falls to the ground and shakes about, flailing wildly like a fish out of water.
Dismantle <Box> Bash
If the box is made of wood:
Tossing common sense to the wind, you take the ironwood skippet and forcibly smash it against your forehead...
The impact causes your eyes to momentarily cross as pieces of the ironwood skippet burst around your head in a cloud of flying splinters. With a satisfied grunt, you drop the remains from your hand and grin.
*Phii suddenly smashes the ironwood skippet against her forehead. Her eyes cross momentarily as the ironwood skippet bursts in a flurry of flying splinters about her head. With a satisfied grunt, Phii grins savagely
If the box is made of metal:
Tossing common sense to the wind, you take the steel coffer and forcibly smash it against your forehead...
The impact causes your eyes to momentarily cross as your forehead produces a sizable dent in the steel coffer but fails to shatter it as intended. With a disgusted grunt you toss the coffer aside, offering a foolish grin to anyone who might have seen your failure.
*Phii suddenly smashes the steel coffer against her forehead. Her eyes cross momentarily as her forehead creates a sizable dent in the steel coffer. With a disgusted grunt, Phii tosses the coffer aside with a foolish grin.
Barbarian Forging
This probably doesn't need saying, but as I am trying to cover all the barb bases I will. When a barbarian forges a weapon there is an automatic bonus to the outcome of the weapon. Just because he or she was awesome enough to join the barbarian guild. Go you! So if a barbarian forged a weapon, and someone else of another guild with the exact weapon skills forged the same weapon, the barbarian's would still be superior. A Barbarian needs an average of 250 ranks in the edged weapons to cap all forged blades whereas a member of another guild needs about 600 average (rough guess, but its still a lot more).
