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I'm considering "tweaking" Minsc in my party to one of these classes.. it just seems to fit him a little better, and might help him be a bit better in melee combat.

I don't really need to dual class him to any spell caster, since I have Edwin/Imoen for arcane and Jaherira/Viconia for divine spells.

Ok

Cool. Have fun with the kit.

Erm..
I guess I forgot to include the real point of my first post.

What's the main difference between Barbarian and Berserker?

Berserker is more fighter, Barbs get more hit points and can't wear heavy armour (which sucks a fair bit).

Berserker rage is also more powerful, since it protects from Imprisonment. Barbarian rage does not.

Ah, I thought there might have been a question lurking there

Well, to steal from the Game Banshee site class info

Berserker: (Fighter kit)
Available Races All
Primary Attributes Strength (9 Minimum)

Strengths
Can use Berserker Rage once per day for every 4 levels (While raged: +2 bonus to hit and damage, -2 AC bonus, Immune to: Charm, Hold, Fear, Maze, Imprisonment, Stun, and Sleep, temporary 15 HP increase [taken away at end of rage - could cause death])
Advanced Weapon Specialization (+++++)
Can use any weapon / armor

Weaknesses
Winded after Rage (suffers -2 penalty to hit and damage, and a +2 AC penalty)
Cannot specialize in ranged weapons

Barbarian(Class)
Available Races All
Primary Attributes Strength (9 Minimum)

Strengths
Immune to Backstab
1-12 HP per level rather than 1-10
+2 Movement Bonus
Rage once/day for every 4 levels (while raged, +4 Constitution and Strength for 5 rounds, +2 AC penalty, +2 Save vs. Magic, Immune to Charm, Hold, Fear, Maze, Confusion, Level Drain)
At level 11, 10% resistance to Slashing, Piercing, Crushing, and Missile Weapons (+5% for every 4 levels thereafter)

Weaknesses
Cannot wear full plate or plate mail armor
Cannot go beyond normal weapon specialization (++)

So, Rage is a wash - it's a trade off on the Berserker's ability to wear heavy armour, have melee weapons Grandmastery and Dual class if desired VS Extra HPs, immunity to backstab, weapons resists at level 11+ and +2 movement on the Barb.

I would think the munchkin argument would go to the Barbarian, but I've never played either, let alone both. Faute de mieux, I'd go Barbarian with Minsc if you want to hack him. Others opinions might differ - but they're probably just Al-Qaeda agents trying to weaken your resolve

I think Barbarian fits his character just a bit better. Also him not being superspecialized in a weapon stays the same if you hack him to Barb. The super rage strength makes a lot of sense if you think on how he escapes the cage in the beginning.

Rav

Minsc is a member of the Ice Dragon Berserker's Lodge in Rashemon, if I remember correctly. Hence his obsession with ice weasels; apparently, the Rangers have to spend a lot of time controlling them. Does this make him a Ranger? Apparently so. Does it make him a Berserker? To some extent, yes. Does it make him a Barbarian? Well, I don't know, but the Mages up there (like Dynaheir) are called "Witches", so maybe the warriors are "Barbarians".

The final factor to me is, what does Minsc really want to be? He's a Ranger, of course, but tracking, spellcasting, ranged weapons, and stealth are not his strong points. IMO, "Full plate and packing steel" and "Swords, not words" say it all. Think full plate armor, Grand Mastery, and Two Handed Weapon Style. I think the Berserker class suits him the best.

the two warrior types are pretty much the same, their trade-offs being quite fair. there are some marginal differences, and all-in-all IMHO the barbarian earns his money slightly better (read: "is even more over-powered by level 25"), especially in the higher levels, with great damage reduction (20%+hardiness+items!) and a better rage.

other thing that makes the barb more appealing from the start is the fact that you cannot put more than ++ into a weapon, which is always a big temptation for me, even if the extra points do not add much. thus, the barb will be proficient with a lot more weapons, which he will be able to effectively use through the game vs different enemies.

but then again, minsc without a full plate?..

decisions, decisions...