Alright, this build tries to make using a barbarian fun.
First, you need to get into character. As a Zen barbarian, you have obtained enlightenment, and have thus forsaken all worldly possessions. You are the wizened old man who taunts and jeers at his enemies, using non-violent means of self-defense to make them look like fools. You understand the true futility of violence. You will never wear gear or wield a weapon. You will never have gold to lose or potions to heal with. You are fearless, and will never run from battle. You may, on occasion, pick up a scroll of town portal, but you must use it immediately!
So:
Stats – Split equally between Vitality and Energy, putting points into energy first.
Skills:
20 Leap
1 Find potion
1 Find Item
20 Grim Totem
1 Increased Stamina
20 Increased Speed
1 Howl
1 Taunt
Max Leap first, then Increased Speed and Grim Totem. You cannot be hit when leaping, and grim totem is extremely effective at making monsters run away. Use these skills combined with Taunt to control combat. There really is no reason to put more points in taunt, because it lasts seemingly forever, and you are just attracting the attention of monsters to keep them off from the party, or call them back to meet there doom at someone elses hands.
Note on leap: The radius that you knock monsters back increases with every level, and eventually you will be sending monsters to all four corners of a room when you jump in the center of it. In fact, at level 20, you can keep cows at the very edge of your screen perpetually. Melee monsters should never get close enough to hit you are the party. In fact, sorc's and zon's will love you, but hammerdins and melee characters will be annoyed by you constantly spreading the enemies around and knocking them away.
All of your stat points go into energy and vitality. Your strength and dex don’t matter, because you have forsaken earthly possessions. You will not die very often at all. Doing nightmare baal runs, I die maybe once every 3 runs, and that's becasue of Burning Souls.
Of course, you realize the ultimate key to success is allowing others to do the work. Your goal is to spread chaos and keep your party alive.
At level 60, I have killed two fallen and one level 74 javazon (not at all sure how it happened, but it cleary said "Mada_java was slain by Tim_Ferno").
Zen Barbarian
When it comes to dueling, you will, of course, never "win." Okay, one time...
However, you will annoy everyone.
If dueling a sorc, zon, or ranged character, leap close to them, and try to get them in a stun lock of sorts, by making a series of shorts leaps around them, or forcing them against a wall.
When dueling a melee character, stay out of range of their weapons. Avoid leaping OVER them (for some reason, this doesn't work well, and they will kill you). You will get a feel for how far away you can be and still knock them back. In truth, you shouldn't need to be anywhere near them.
When dueling a barb, it is easy to stay out of range of ww, you can't knock them back while they are doing it. When they see that ww is futile, they may try to attack you, and this is even more futile. I forced two high level ww barbs out of a duel game, because they could not kill me and I disrupted them so much they couldn't kill anything at all.
Paladin charge attack is damaging if you leap toward or around them. Leaping directly away works the best, getting you out of range and knocking them away again when you land.
You have nothing, and I mean nothing to fear from melee minions. You knock them around like they're common monsters. They should never get close enough to hit you. Discovered today that clay golem (possibly other golems too) are UNEFFECTED by leap
Basically, you are almost immortal against melee. Guided arrow is your worst enemy.
Hammerdins make for very boring duelers. It is easy to avoid their hammers with leap, and they don't care when you knock them around, so it is basically a stalemate. Neither one of you will be doing anything note worthy.
However, you will annoy everyone.
If dueling a sorc, zon, or ranged character, leap close to them, and try to get them in a stun lock of sorts, by making a series of shorts leaps around them, or forcing them against a wall.
When dueling a melee character, stay out of range of their weapons. Avoid leaping OVER them (for some reason, this doesn't work well, and they will kill you). You will get a feel for how far away you can be and still knock them back. In truth, you shouldn't need to be anywhere near them.
When dueling a barb, it is easy to stay out of range of ww, you can't knock them back while they are doing it. When they see that ww is futile, they may try to attack you, and this is even more futile. I forced two high level ww barbs out of a duel game, because they could not kill me and I disrupted them so much they couldn't kill anything at all.
Paladin charge attack is damaging if you leap toward or around them. Leaping directly away works the best, getting you out of range and knocking them away again when you land.
You have nothing, and I mean nothing to fear from melee minions. You knock them around like they're common monsters. They should never get close enough to hit you. Discovered today that clay golem (possibly other golems too) are UNEFFECTED by leap
Basically, you are almost immortal against melee. Guided arrow is your worst enemy.
Hammerdins make for very boring duelers. It is easy to avoid their hammers with leap, and they don't care when you knock them around, so it is basically a stalemate. Neither one of you will be doing anything note worthy.
There is a glitch related to this build. Every now and then, the game will prevent you from using the skill leap. I have tried running in and out of town, using wp's, switching to different skills and then back, but the game refuses to let me leap. The only solution is to leave the game and come back. I am not sure what triggers it, it happens in about 1/4 of the games I go into.
Also, I killed a level 85 barb today, using leap. I am still not sure how this happens. My only guess is that someone else kills them, but the stun radius on leap hits them last (or at the same time), and i get credited with the kill.
Also, I killed a level 85 barb today, using leap. I am still not sure how this happens. My only guess is that someone else kills them, but the stun radius on leap hits them last (or at the same time), and i get credited with the kill.