The Barbarian is a classic in any RPG, with theDungeons and Dragonsversion of the classic being iconic in its own right. The very name explains to players what they should expect: light-armored, heavy-hitting, simple-to-play, and otherwise endurable characters. InDungeons and Dragons 5E, the Barbarian thrives thanks to its Rage mechanic, its ability to reduce incoming damage, its Reckless Attack options, and its wealth of hit points. It is arguably thesimplest class inDungeons and Dragons, although the 2024 changes added more strategic elements to the class. With more options for Reckless Attack, a more persistent Rage, better skill options, and general improvements, players can keep the simplicity of the Barbarian but have more options for that expression.
Interestingly,Sunderfolk’s Berserker seems to be more in line with the improved Barbarian fromDungeons and Dragons 5E’s 2024 revisions rather than the original. That’s because it retains all of the beloved simple elements—the rage, the hit and tank strategies—while tying intoSunderfolk’s more strategic gameplay. The result is a class that’s easy to recommend wheneverSunderfolkreleases in 2025.
Sunderfolk’s Berserker vs. DnD 5E’s Barbarian
To get this out of the way, the most obvious difference comes from racial customization. While there are plenty of races that perfectly complement the Barbarian inDungeons and Dragons,Sunderfolkclasses have set races; in this instance, the Berserker is a Bear. In general, customization is going to be different because of the way each game expresses the class. There are plenty of magic items, weapons, and armor to really hone in on theDnDBarbarian, and whileSunderfolkhas its fair share of equipment (namely Weapons and Trinkets), it’s going to be a little different. Obviously, a tabletop game limited only by imagination is going to be different from a video game, but the difference is small enough that it’s just a matter of expression.
For example, instead of a D20, Sunderfolk characters use Fate Decks. It aids the same element of randomness that keeps tabletop fresh, but players are able to customize bonuses and penalties with additional effects. Weapons give players unique abilities to express their class, some of which will trigger outside of normal turn order, while trinkets unlock small abilities like certain throwables, creating vines in locations, and so forth. The class expression and customization are perhaps the biggest differences betweenSunderfolk’s class and theDungeons and Dragonsequivalent, but they both hit that same fantasy of hit-and-tank tactics with some elements of strategy.
Sunderfolk Berserker Class Abilities Are Barbaric
Nowhere is this more strategic element obvious than in theSunderfolk’sclass abilitiesfor the Berserker, as the game recently showed off some on its official Twitter account.
During my preview ofSunderfolkearlier this year, I also got a closer look at a couple of other abilities. I gained a Whirlwind attack to target a handful of enemies, which is pretty much a 1:1 ability equivalent to the Whirlwind Attackfeat inDungeons and Dragons. It’s pretty standard fare, but it exemplifies the Berserker/Barbarian class expression perfectly. Furthermore, I had another ability focused on moving and provoking as many enemies as possible, again tapping into the strategic elements of the class.
Ultimately, theSunderfolkBerserker is easy to recommend to anyone who likestheDungeons and DragonsBarbarian, but it also removes the most common complaint of the pre-2024 revisions of the Barbarian.Sunderfolk’s Berserker is simple to play and hits all marks required for the class expression, but it is not oversimplistic with a one-size-fits-all combat strategy. The added strategy goes a long way for the Berserker, just as it does for the Barbarian.
