[RPG] How to a barbarian rage more often without taking levels or feats

barbarianclass-featurednd-3.5emagic-itemsspells

Barbarian is frequently cited as an excellent 1-level- or 2-level-long class. When the wizard can use the 2nd-level spell rope trick [trans] (PH 273) to make the adventuring day 15 min. long, a lone rage per day is acceptable,1 but until then—or if on a clock or if the party is without a wizard for some reason2—one rage a day just isn't enough.

What ways are available to a creature that can normally rage but once a day to rage more often without taking class levels or feats?3

The cheap is preferred over the expensive, the obvious over that necessitating DM intervention, the official over the third-party, and the published over the custom-made, but I suspect options are so few (mostly magic items and spells) that this list can be inclusive without being excessive, so any sources are acceptable. Finally, Pathfinder changed how the barbarian's rage functions, so options from that game are probably unacceptable.

If it matters, my character is currently a barbarian 1/fighter 1/ranger 1/totemist 1 who ends up with an even wilder array of classes by level 20, but will only ever have a Use Magic Device skill bonus of +3 and no other spell list but the ranger's. Other party members are a bard, a binder, a beguiler, a shadowcaster, and a warlock (hence the need for more rage). The other party members are experts with the skill Use Magic Device, and, if I need rely on them to do so, they can use on my behalf just about any magic item.

1 Or, more appropriately, the rage variant whirling frenzy, as that's what my character has.
2 Such as in a campaign like the one I'm in wherein players agree to play classes of Tiers 3 to 6. (No, nobody's multiclassing into commoner.)
3 For example, the feat Extra Rage (CW 98), the prestige class totem rager (MoI 153-7), and the prestige class runescarred berserker (Una 31-2) don't do me any good; I've classes and feats picked already. I already know that a custom magic item that grants the feat Extra Rage has an estimated cost of between 10,000 gp and 20,000 gp (AE 128), so don't include that.

Best Answer

There're at least two ways...

The following let the barbarian actually rage using his own kind of rage more often than normal. "Whirling frenzy is otherwise identical to the standard barbarian rage" (UA 66), so these should work with that, too.

  • The 2nd-level Drd spell blood frenzy [trans] (Spell Compendium 33) causes 1 touched creature to rage as if it used its special ability rage normally "but this rage does not count toward the creature’s number of rage attempts per day." Note: Rage attempts?

    This is likely the best choice, equipping an ally with a wand of blood frenzy (2nd-level spell at caster level 3) (90 gp/charge) and the barbarian himself with a potion of blood frenzy (2nd-level spell at caster level 3) (300 gp; 0 lbs.) in a potion bracer (Sharn: City of Towers 158, 159) (100 gp; 1.5 lbs.) for emergencies (that is, if the DM's not ready for the ready-drink helm to enter her campaign.)

  • The shoulders slot item mantle of rage ("New Magic Items" 2) (6,000 gp; 1 lb.) grants the wearer, if a barbarian, the ability to rage 1 additional time per day, and, if not a barbarian, the ability 1/day to rage like a level 1 barbarian.

...And a clutch of edge cases

In addition to the 3rd-level Sor/Wiz spell rage [ench] (PH 268) et al. (which isn't really rage but a buff spell with attached penalties), there are a few lesser alternative sources of barbarian rage not involving taking levels or feats.

  • The gutworm (Fiend Folio 220) is a symbiont that at will can cause the host to "enter a frenzied state identical to a barbarian’s rage" for 4 rounds, but this rage explictly provides bonuses like the typical level 1 barbarian's rage. Note: More rage, but not the right kind of rage.
  • The face slot item mask of fury (Dragon #324 76) (12,000 gp; 2 lbs.) 2/day grants the wearer the ability to take either a free action (if he's been wounded within the last hour) or a standard action and deal himself 3 hp of damage (if he hasn't been wounded within the last hour) to enter a rage "as the barbarian ability." Note: Whether this can be a barbarian wearer's own rage or must be the rage of a level 1 barbarian is the DM's call.
  • The supernatural ability past life (DMG2 159-60) has one option that 1/day can grant the possessor the ability to enter explicitly a greater rage as a level 11 barbarian. This special ability is nominally for NPCs and has a (ridiculous) Level Adjustment of +5. Note: Probably too late for this barbarian and too stupid for any PC (or, for that matter, any PC's follower or cohort).

Yes, that last scrapes the barrel's bottom.

Related Topic