Barbarian = Half-Orc ?

[Skinbeard]

Has anyone EVER played a barbarian that wasn't a half-orc? Honestly? I do believe that half-orcs are being typecast I've a mind to make myself a cute little gnomish female barbarian just because I can

[Bill]

I've played a human barbarian.
And nice thought there Skinbeard.Why dont' you try a halfling berzerker ?

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"ÃçñÜóêù áåß äéäáóêüìåíïò"

[Crovax]

orc culture most of the time leeds them to become barbarians. Its perfectly possible for a gnome 2 become barbarian. A group of gnomes can be isolated in the forrest and after years of hardship lose their ways and refinnes and become barbarians.

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beer-for-love

[Bill]

Actually,does anyone know what the exact meaning of the word "barbarian" means ?
Hint :It has nothing to do with living in the woods or near nature.I have an advantage here,since it comes from the ancient Greeks.

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"ÃçñÜóêù áåß äéäáóêüìåíïò"

[Skinbeard]

Well... from what I remember of my history in ancient Greece people who did not speak Greek were referred to as "barbar" (which basically meant uneducated) Hence our use of the word "barbarian" for any people we deem savage or uneducated.

[Crovax]

daduh i had greek 2

but the fact is i didnot mention the woods becuase of that........I MENTIONED IT FOR ITS ISOLATION AND THEREFOR ITS POSSIBLE EFFECT ON MEN (LOSING THEIR EDUCATIONAL SKILLZ AND THAT KINDA STUFF)

[Maurice]

The 'barbar' sound was what the Greek heard when they saw large groups of foreigners (whom they considered uneducated and wild) talking amongst themselves. If you listen to what you hear when you stand in a crowded place, where lots of people are talking, you can hear an overall sound that sounds like 'barbar'.

Well, and from there the word ended up in other languages to finally become Barbarian, which stands for some wild and uneducated person. Can't say they try to alter that picture in any way!

[Bill]

Yes,you are correct.The term "âÜñâáñïò" (barbarian) meant the foreigner,the stranger and this distinction was based on the language they spoke (and not their civilization level)
For example ancient Persai (people living in todays Iran-Iraq) which invaded Greece around 500 B.C were considered barbarians (because they didn't speak Greek) but they were not uncivilized-in fact they had a very advanced civilization.
The term passed from Greeks to Romans and since the Roman empire was frequently invaded by different tribes,the term thereafter was used to describe both foreigners and uncivilized people.


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"ÃçñÜóêù áåß äéäáóêüìåíïò"

[Crovax]

For the greeks the perzians were uncivalized. Its like how we compare our civilastion 2 that of the Azteks. For us they are uncivallized but in their own way they where civallized. Education is just a simple method to compare how civallized someone is, compared to your self.

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beer-for-love

[flinfman]

Ahh, but the barbarians of which you speak, are they exclusively limited to lands which were, at one time or another, considered to be lands of savages? Or are you referring to places like the Nordic lands which commonly gave birth to races of people who used large hand-held weaponry to do battle and were fierce warriors?

[bullions27]

AD&D Barbarians, are like stronger, less wiser, offshoot of the rangers. They live off the land and they wander like nomads. They aren't necessarily individualists but it's a stronger feeling impressed upon you if you are living in the wild than say a city.

In regards to the last post, I don't consider Nordic lands to be barbaric. Their society functioned pretty much the same as the rest of Europe during the time but without Christianity. They weren't primitive but many of the English, French, and other victims of Nordic raids would call them barbarians simply becuase they don't worship their type of religion and they don't fight 'orderly'.

[This message has been edited by bullions27 (edited 11-26-2000).]

[Craig]

i have a halfling barbarian quite good

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Craig lover of Onions,user of Hammers and player of RPG's across the world