Unlike Fortify (a conditional damage-reduction effect), Barrier fully PREVENTS damage up to its current amount, always depleting before your actual Life total is touched; several active Barrier sources add their amounts together into one pool, though each instance still expires on its own independent timer.
This makes Barrier the more reliable answer to 'what stops the very first big hit of a fight,' precisely where Fortify is weakest (see def_fortify_overflow_single_hit_reduction) - a full Barrier absorbs 100% of damage up to its size regardless of your current Life.
Barrier is implemented as a separate depletable pool checked before Life on every incoming hit, rather than a percentage-reduction modifier like Fortify or Armor/Resistance.
Total Barrier is capped at your current Maximum Life. Example source: effects that heal beyond 100% Life instead grant a Barrier of roughly 40-80% of Maximum Life for 8 seconds.
For burst-heavy content (Pit bosses, high-tier packs), prioritize refreshing Barrier uptime specifically around the moments you expect to take a big opening hit, rather than relying solely on Fortify or raw Life pool for that specific danger window.
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