Re: reassign skills ?
I would advise you to manipulate the players setting. Press enter, and type /players8 and the game will act as if there are seven additional players in the game. Monsters get harder, but you will level much more quickly.
And a barbarian is a very tough character for your first, as the damage they dish out is very item dependent. A sorceress, trapping assassin, or Javelin amazon would probably be easier. Doesn't mean you should give up or that you're a bad player, just that you're still getting accustomed to the game and how it works. My first couple of characters, I had points all over the place in skills I never should have gone near. It's part of the fun of exploring the game.
I'd be happy to help you out with some single player items. I've been playing for years, and have thousands of items in stashes that I'm not likely to ever touch. Do you use ATMA or GoMule? I recommend either of them highly, as they allow you to save and trade items. They can be found in the Single Player Forum, and if you send me a private message with your e-mail address I would be happy to send you a stash with some items that should help you out. If you'd prefer to play with only self-found items, that's perfectly understandable.
In any event, if you come over to the Single Player Forum and post an introduction thread, I think you'll find that we SPF'ers are a friendly lot for the most part, and can give you plenty of helpful hints on playing the game through.
Best of luck to you regardless of what path you choose!
- Noodle