Karlach -- Throwbarian (Berserker 5 / Thief 4 / Champion 3)
Your Role: Ranged and melee wrecking ball. Rage, then hurl weapons at enemies for massive damage from any distance. Tavern Brawler doubles your Strength modifier on throws, Thief gives you a second bonus action for double throws, and Action Surge lets you unload 6-8 throws in a single turn. Also, you can pick up enemies and throw them off cliffs.
At a Glance
Race: Zariel Tiefling (Karlach's default -- fire resistance, Soul Coin bonus 1d4 fire damage while raging) Background: Outlander or Soldier (Athletics + Survival or Athletics + Intimidation)
Stats (respec at Withers): STR 17 / DEX 14 / CON 14 / INT 8 / WIS 10 / CHA 10 STR is everything. Tavern Brawler doubles your STR bonus on thrown attacks.
Auntie Ethel's Hair goes to Karlach. +1 STR permanently. Progression: 17 base -> 18 (Tavern Brawler at level 4) -> 19 (Ethel Hair) -> 20 (+2 ASI at Rogue 4). This path reaches 20 STR efficiently.
Level-by-Level
Level 1 -- Barbarian 1
You gain:
- Rage (2 charges/long rest) -- Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. +2 to melee/thrown damage. Always rage before fighting.
- Unarmored Defense -- AC = 10 + DEX + CON (16 with 14/14). Medium armor is usually better until late game.
Gameplay: Equip medium armor, grab a weapon, and start smashing. Early levels are straightforward. Throw javelins when enemies are out of melee range.
Level 2 -- Barbarian 2
You gain:
- Reckless Attack -- Advantage on all melee/thrown attack rolls for the turn, but enemies have Advantage on attacks against you until your next turn. Use when you need guaranteed hits; skip when survival matters more.
- Danger Sense -- Advantage on DEX saving throws you can see (like dodging Fireballs). Helps survive AoEs.
Level 3 -- Barbarian 3 (Berserker)
You gain:
- Frenzy -- Your Rage becomes Frenzy, unlocking two new bonus actions:
- Frenzied Strike -- Bonus action melee attack. Extra swing per turn.
- Enraged Throw -- Bonus action throw with your STR modifier added as bonus damage. This is the build's bread and butter. Every turn you can make a powerful throw as a bonus action on top of your regular attacks.
- Improvised Weapon Proficiency -- You can throw anything. Including enemies, furniture, and corpses.
Note: Frenzied attacks apply a stacking -1 to attack rolls per use. This penalty is mostly negated by Tavern Brawler's bonus at level 4. Don't worry about it.
Level 4 -- Barbarian 4
The build-defining feat.
You gain:
- Feat: Tavern Brawler -- +1 STR (17 -> 18). Your STR modifier is added TWICE to attack and damage rolls with thrown weapons and unarmed attacks. With 18 STR (+4 mod), every throw gets +8 damage instead of +4. This is the engine of the entire build.
Use Auntie Ethel's Hair to bump STR from 18 to 19 if you have it.
Level 5 -- Barbarian 5
Major power spike.
You gain:
- Extra Attack -- Two weapon attacks per Action. You can now throw twice with your Action, then Enraged Throw with your bonus action = 3 throws per turn.
- Fast Movement -- +3m movement speed while not in heavy armor. Helps get to high ground.
- Extra Rage Charge
Level 6 -- Rogue 1
You gain:
- Sneak Attack (1d6) -- Extra damage once per turn when you have Advantage (from Reckless Attack) or an ally is within 1.5m of the target.
- Expertise (pick 2): Athletics (for throws, shoves, and grapples) + Stealth (for surprising enemies)
- Bonus Skill Proficiency
Level 7 -- Rogue 2
You gain:
- Cunning Action -- Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. More mobility options beyond Enraged Throw.
Level 8 -- Rogue 3 (Thief)
The second pillar of the build.
You gain:
- Fast Hands -- Gain a second bonus action per turn. You can now:
- Enraged Throw (bonus action 1)
- Enraged Throw (bonus action 2)
- Two throws with your Action (Extra Attack)
- Total: 4 throws per turn as your baseline every single round.
- Sneak Attack scales to 2d6
Level 9 -- Rogue 4
You gain:
- Feat: +2 STR. If you used Ethel's Hair and hit 19, this brings you to 20. If not, adjust accordingly. 20 STR (+5 mod, doubled to +10 per throw by Tavern Brawler) is the goal.
- If already 20: Savage Attacker (reroll weapon damage dice), Great Weapon Master (melee backup), or Alert.
Level 10 -- Fighter 1
You gain:
- Fighting Style: Archery (+2 to ranged/thrown attack rolls -- applies to thrown weapons!) or Defense (+1 AC). Archery is the damage pick; Defense is the survivability pick.
- Second Wind -- Bonus action self-heal (1d10 + Fighter level). Emergency HP.
Level 11 -- Fighter 2
Action Surge. The third pillar.
You gain:
- Action Surge -- Once per short rest, gain an additional Action. Your turn one becomes:
- Action (Extra Attack): 2 throws
- Bonus Action 1 (Enraged Throw): 1 throw
- Bonus Action 2 (Fast Hands + Enraged Throw): 1 throw
- Action Surge (Extra Attack): 2 throws
- Total: 6 throws in one turn
Level 12 -- Fighter 3 (Champion)
You gain:
- Improved Critical -- Crit on 19-20 instead of just 20. With Reckless Attack granting Advantage (rolling twice), you crit significantly more often. Crits double ALL your throw damage dice.
- Alternative: Battle Master (4 Superiority Dice, maneuvers like Precision Attack and Trip Attack). More tactical flexibility, but Champion's passive crit range works on every attack automatically.
Throws Per Turn Summary
| Normal Turn | Burst Turn (Action Surge) |
|---|---|
| 2 (Action) + 2 (Bonus Actions) = 4 | 2 + 2 + 2 (Surge) = 6 |
With Elixir of Bloodlust (kill = extra Action), burst turns can hit 8 throws.
Damage per throw (Nyrulna, 20 STR): 1d6+1d4 (trident base) + 10 (STR x2 Tavern Brawler) + 2 (Rage) + 3 (Nyrulna enchantment) + 1d6 (Nyrulna thunder) + 1d6 (Helldusk Gloves fire) + 1d4 (Soul Coin fire) = roughly 28-35 per throw. Times 6 = 170-210 on a burst turn.
Gear to Grab
Act 1
Returning Pike Where: Sold by Dammon at Emerald Grove Why: Returns after throwing. Essential early game weapon until you get better returning weapons. Stock spare javelins as backup.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength Where: Craft from Hill Giant Fingernails + any sublimate. Buy fingernails from vendors. Why: Sets STR to 21 (+5 mod, doubled to +10 per throw by Tavern Brawler). Use these every long rest until your natural STR reaches 20, then switch to Elixir of Bloodlust.
Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo Where: Monastery/Creche area Why: +1d4 damage on thrown attacks while not wearing armor. Strong if going unarmored, otherwise replaced by Helldusk Gloves in Act 3.
Adamantine Scale Mail Where: Grymforge, Adamantine Forge (Scale Mail Mould + Mithral Ore) Why: 16+DEX (max +2) = 18 AC with shield. Crits become normal hits. Best medium armor Act 1.
Haste Helm Where: Blighted Village, locked chest (X: 29, Y: 405) Why: Start-of-combat Momentum. Helps reach high ground on turn one.
Act 2
Enraging Heart Garb Where: Act 2 chest or vendor Why: Medium armor that grants Wrath stacking (+1 melee damage per stack) when you take damage. Stacks with Rage bonus. You WANT to be hit.
Elixir of Bloodlust Where: Craft from Worg Fang + any sublimate. Buy ingredients at Last Light Inn. Why: Kill an enemy = 5 temp HP + extra Action that turn. Makes 8-throw burst turns possible. Craft these in bulk. This is your elixir once natural STR reaches 20.
Dwarven Thrower (warhammer) Where: Act 2 loot or vendor Why: Returning warhammer, +1d8 bonus damage when thrown. Upgrade from Returning Pike.
Act 3
Nyrulna (trident) Where: Circus of the Last Days in Rivington. Win from Akabi the Djinni's rigged wheel -- let him scam you, then pickpocket the real ticket from him. He teleports you to a jungle; the trident is at the end. Why: Best throwing weapon in the game. Legendary, +3, returns when thrown, +1d6 thunder damage, AoE thunder explosion on impact. Every throw is a mini-bomb.
Helldusk Gloves Where: House of Hope, Boudoir (behind a painting in a safe, key from Haarleep) Why: +1d6 fire damage on ALL weapon attacks. On 6 throws per turn, that's 6d6 extra fire damage per burst turn. Nobody in the party benefits more from these than you.
Boots of Persistence Where: Sold by Dammon at the Forge of the Nine, Lower City Why: Freedom of Movement (immune to difficult terrain, paralysis, restraint) + Legendary Resistance 1/short rest. Can't be locked down.
Quick Tips
Rage EVERY fight. Rage -> Frenzy -> throw weapons. If you don't attack or take damage each turn, Rage ends. Keep throwing.
Only use Returning weapons. Non-returning weapons are one-throw-and-done. Nyrulna, Returning Pike, and Dwarven Thrower all come back to your hand.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength until STR 20. Tavern Brawler doubles your STR mod on throws. 21 STR = +10 damage per throw from a potion. Once you naturally hit 20 STR, switch to Elixir of Bloodlust.
High ground = +2 to thrown attack rolls. Position Karlach on elevated terrain for accuracy.
You can throw ENEMIES. Enraged Throw lets you pick up smaller enemies and hurl them into other enemies or off cliffs. It's hilarious and effective.
Reckless Attack works on throws. Advantage on all your thrown attacks for the turn. Great for ensuring Sharpshooter-like accuracy without needing the feat.
Party Gear Assignments
This build gets: Nyrulna, Helldusk Gloves, Auntie Ethel's Hair (+1 STR), Enraging Heart Garb
Passes to others:
- Helldusk Armor -> Paladin/Hexblade. You wear medium armor + use Rage resistance.
- Helldusk Boots -> Astarion. Backup: Boots of Persistence.
- Helm of Balduran -> Life Cleric. Backup: Haste Helm.
- Cloak of Displacement -> Gloomstalker or Astarion. You have Rage damage resistance already.
- All caster gear -> Irrelevant to you.