Barbarians are the most straightforward feat-choosers in D&D 5e 2014: they want raw offensive power, some battlefield control, and survivability. They face three major constraints: they are Multiple Ability Dependent (needing Strength, Constitution, and sometimes Charisma for Intimidation); they cannot concentrate on spells while raging, making War Caster and caster-hybrid feats irrelevant; and they receive only two ASI/feat slots by level 12. Every choice has to pull its full weight.
Disclaimer
This guide uses 2014 D&D Player's Handbook rules and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (TCoE) supplement. Terminology: Ability Score Improvement, Race, Feats, Spell Level. This is not a 2024 edition guide.
Barbarian Feat Priorities
Barbarians have narrow feat needs but high impact when those needs are met. Priority order:
- Strength 20 - Get there before spending feats in most cases
- Great Weapon Master - The damage multiplier that defines the class's power
- Polearm Master / Sentinel - Battlefield control layer
- Lucky / Alert / Tough - Survivability and reliability
Barbarians cannot use concentration spells while raging, which eliminates a massive category of feats (War Caster, Resilient) as primary investments. Feats that require concentration upkeep are low priority.
Top Feats for Barbarian
● Great Weapon Master
The mandatory feat for any two-handed weapon Barbarian. Reckless Attack provides built-in advantage that offsets the -5 penalty. Rage adds flat damage. The bonus action attack on kills and crits creates action economy on cleanup turns. Great Weapon Master section
● Sentinel
Barbarians with Sentinel become true tanks, locking enemies down, protecting allies, and maximizing the reaction-based opportunity attacks that Reckless Attack advantage makes reliable. Combined with Polearm Master, this creates the most oppressive melee control available to the class. Sentinel section
● Polearm Master
Pairs beautifully with GWM and Sentinel. The bonus action butt-end attack adds consistent damage. The approach-triggered opportunity attack with Sentinel creates a movement lockdown. A Barbarian with PAM/Sentinel/GWM is the highest-output melee control build in the game. Polearm Master section
● Tough
Barbarians already have d12 hit dice and often high Constitution. Tough adds +2 HP per level on top, meaningful during the long rests between brutal multi-encounter days. Not dramatic, but reliable survivability insurance. Tough guide
● Alert
Going first means raging before enemies can act. A Barbarian who acts on initiative 1 can charge the priority target before it summons, casts, or repositions. Alert's +5 initiative combined with a typical Barbarian's Dexterity creates consistent first-strike capability. Alert guide
● Lucky
Three rerolls per long rest on any d20. Useful for death saves, critical Strength checks, and important Constitution saves when not raging. Universally applicable and never wasted. Lucky guide
● Fey Touched
Misty Step as a bonus action once per long rest and a 1st-level enchantment/divination spell. Barbarians don't use their bonus action every turn (unless they have PAM), making the Misty Step occasionally useful for repositioning. The stat bump to Wisdom or Charisma is usually wasted for a pure Barbarian. Fey Touched guide
● Mobile
+10 movement helps Barbarians close distance on kiting enemies. The no-OA benefit after attacking means they can charge in, hit, and reposition. Useful for subclasses that want to attack multiple enemies per turn. Mobile guide
● Gift of the Metallic Dragon (Fizban's)
Puts a free once-per-long-rest Cure Wounds on a class with zero native healing, and Protective Wings' reaction adds a defensive layer to Rage's existing physical-damage resistance. No Ability Score Increase, but strong in a party with no dedicated healer. Gift of the Metallic Dragon guide
● Gift of the Chromatic Dragon (Fizban's)
Reactive Resistance covers elemental damage types Rage's physical resistance doesn't touch, and Chromatic Infusion's bonus weapon damage adds up over a Reckless Attack-fueled turn. No Ability Score Increase caps its ceiling. Gift of the Chromatic Dragon guide
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Start BuildingFeats to Avoid
War Caster: Barbarians cannot spellcast while raging. This feat provides zero benefit to a pure Barbarian build.
Resilient (Constitution): Barbarians already have Constitution save proficiency. Resilient (Con) would be wasted; only the +1 stat bump would apply.
Savage Attacker: +1.7 average damage per turn. GWM adds +10 per hit. Skip. Savage Attacker section
Example Feat Progression
This progression assumes a standard Barbarian starting with Strength 16 and Constitution 16:
Level 4: ASI, Strength 16 to 18. Priority is getting Strength to 20 first; wait before taking feats.
Alternative Level 4 for Variant Human: Great Weapon Master at level 1. With Reckless Attack at level 2, GWM fires at full efficiency from level 5 onward. A Variant Human can skip the first ASI in Strength and trust GWM's damage gap to compensate.
Level 8: Great Weapon Master (if not taken at level 1) or ASI to Strength 20. Get Strength to 20 before any feat if it is below that threshold.
Level 12: Sentinel or Polearm Master. By level 12, Strength should be at 20 and GWM should be active. The third ASI slot goes to battlefield control. Sentinel is the top pick; PAM is the companion piece.
FAQ
Can a Barbarian use War Caster? No. Barbarians don't have Spellcasting or Pact Magic by default.
When should a Barbarian take an ASI instead? When Strength is below 20. Fix the stat first, then take feats.
Does Great Weapon Master work well on a Barbarian? Yes. Reckless Attack offsets the -5 penalty effectively.
Is Sentinel good on a Barbarian? Yes, particularly for tank builds wanting to control enemy movement.
Should a Barbarian take Lucky? Yes. After GWM and Sentinel, Lucky is the best follow-up option.
