Berserker"Honestly, I don't know how much of the blood is mine and how much is his."Berserkers are exceptionally tough combatants. They have mastered a fighting style that channels their fury and rage into well-directed attacks. Their inner strength allows them to stay standing while injured in ways that defy logic, and makes them capable of inhuman feats of strength. While many associated this style of fighting with primitive races and cultures, a good number of berserkers are trained in more advanced societies. Several armies are known for training berserkers specifically to be used as shock troopers.
The Berserker Hit Die: d12
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
Save Save Save
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1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Fury, adrenaline surge, iron skin
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Uncanny dodge, sprint, bombard
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Demolish, vigor
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Resilience, leap
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Clout (15')
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Improved uncanny dodge, haste
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Break magic, burst
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Shout, my love for you is like a truck berserker!
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Never stop, second chance
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Clout (30'), haste (continued)
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Bone breaker
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Shake it off
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Just a flesh wound
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Foresight
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Clout (45')
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Focused rage
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Back on your feet
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Tireless rage
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Vorpal strike
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Tenacity, clout (60')
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Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level.
Class Skills: As Barbarian.
Class FeaturesYour class features focus on combat and channeling your fury.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Berserkers are proficient with simple and martial weapons, as well as light armor, medium armor, and shields (but not tower shields).
Fury (Ex): A berserker is able to fly into a rage, channeling his fury into raw power. Any time the berserker deals damage (to a creature or an object), he may gain a point of fury. He may only gain one point per attack. If he takes damage (lethal or nonlethal, but excluding damage from thirst, starvation, suffocation, or similar threats), he must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or gain a point of fury. He may voluntarily fail this saving throw if he wants to gain fury. The first time the berserker gains fury (starting from zero points), he gains
three points. Each gain thereafter is only one point.
Once the berserker has at least one point of fury, he enters a state of rage. Upon entering the rage, he gains a number of temporary Hit Points equal to double his level. These temporary Hit Points are lost when his rage ends. During this time, he gains a +4 rage bonus to Strength, a +2 rage bonus to Fortitude and Will saves, but suffers a -2 penalty to Armor Class. Each round, at the beginning of his turn, he loses one point of fury. If he is fatigued, he loses two points at the beginning of his turn, and three points if he is exhausted. If at any point he has zero points of fury, his rage ends, and he becomes fatigued for five minutes. He may not gain fury during this time. Even if he keeps his fury total above zero, his rage cannot last longer than one minute per point of his Constitution bonus (minimum one). At this time, he loses all fury and becomes fatigued as normal.
A berserker may have a maximum number of fury points at any time equal to his Constitution bonus (minimum one) plus one quarter his level (round down), to a total minimum of three points. In addition, when the berserker gains levels, he gains new abilities to use during his rage. Some of these are passive, working so long as he has fury. Some are activated by spending points of fury.
Note that a berserker does not gain fury by making an attack that uses fury, such as Demolish. He may gain fury from attacks made while under the effects of abilities powered by fury, such as Haste.
Adrenaline surge (Ex): At 1st level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a swift action to heal an amount of damage equal to double his level. In addition, he gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength until the beginning of his next turn. This bonus increases to +6 at 6th level, +8 at 12th, and +10 at 18th.
For
two points of fury, the berserker may use this ability as an immediate action.
Iron Skin (Ex): At 1st level, if the berserker has at least one point of fury, he gains a +4 Armor bonus to his Armor Class. This bonus increases by 1 point every even level.
Regardless of if he has any fury, he may get tattoos of magical ink to enchant his skin as though he were enchanting magic armor. The costs and abilities are identical to the costs of enchanting armor normally. The bonuses function with or without fury, but do not function if he is wearing any armor.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, the berserker gains Uncanny Dodge as a Barbarian (PHB 26).
Sprint (Ex): At 2nd level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a full-round action to run at incredible speeds. He may move up to five times his base land speed, but he is not limited to running only in a straight line. He may change direction by up to 90 degrees every 20 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity nor cause him to lose his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. He also gains a +4 bonus to Reflex saves and a +10 bonus to Jump checks until the beginning of his next turn.
Bombard(Ex): At 2nd level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a standard action to throw a creature or object that weighs less than or equal to his light load. The thrown object or creature is treated as a thrown ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet, and deals 1d6 points of damage per 25 pounds (maximum 1d6 per level), plus his Strength modifier. Both the target and the creature or object thrown take this damage. Soft objects (such as a bag of flour) deal nonlethal damage.
To throw a creature, the berserker must already be successfully grappling it.
Demolish (Ex): At 3rd level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a standard action to make a single powerful melee attack. The attack deals an extra 1d6 points of damage per level and ignores damage reduction and hardness.
Vigor (Ex): At 3rd level, the so long as the berserker has at least one point of fury, he heals one Hit Point per two levels per round. He also heals one point of ability damage to each ability score per round.
Resilience (Ex): At 4th level, if the berserker has at least one point of fury, he gains damage reduction X/-, where X is 1/3 his level.
Leap (Ex): At 4th level, the berserker lessens any falling damage he takes by an amount equal to his damage reduction
per damage die. He may also spend a point of fury as a move-action to jump a distance of up to his base land speed. He may instead use a full-round action to jump up to double his land speed. If he does, he may make a charge attack at the end of his movement.
At 6th level, this ability no longer costs fury, but he must have at least one point to use it. The berserker may also use this ability to jump off of walls or other surfaces that could support his weight. He may end his turn on such a surface. On his next turn, he must jump again to continue his movement, or he falls.
At 9th level, the berserker may make leaps that last longer than one round. Each round, he travels at four times his base land speed in a straight line or downward arc. He may jump for a number of consecutive rounds equal to one third his level. He may make a single charge attack each round at any point along the movement.
Clout (Ex): At 5th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a standard action to make a single, powerful melee attack. If the attack hits the target, all creatures in a 15-foot cone directly behind the target take damage equal to half the amount the primary target took.
All affected creatures must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ the berserker's level + his Strength modifier) or fall prone. Any of the secondary creatures affected in the cone take half damage if their save is successful. Creatures with the stability trait may apply its bonus to this save.
The cone extends to 30 feet at 10th level, 45 feet at 15th level, and 60 feet at 20th.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 6th level, the berserker gains Improved Uncanny Dodge as a Barbarian (PHB 26).
Haste (Ex): At 6th level, as a swift action, the berserker may spend a point of fury to gain the effects of
Haste (PHB 239) for one round.
At 10th level, the berserker may choose to extend the duration to one round per level, or until his rage end, whichever comes first.
Break Magic (Su): At 7th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a standard action to make a single attack. If the attack strikes the target, it is affected by a targeted version of
Greater Dispel Magic (PHB 223). The attack does not need to deal damage for this ability to work. The berserker uses his class level for the caster level check.
Burst (Ex): At 7th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a swift action to gain a +10 rage bonus on checks and saving throws to escape a grapple, being entangled, or similar effects. This ability lasts until the start of his next turn.
Shout (Ex): At 8th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a standard action to let out a terrifying shout. All opponents within 30 feet must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ the berserker's level + his Charisma modifier) or be shaken for one round per level. All opponents with 4 or fewer Hit Dice than the berserker are frightened for the first round. This is a [fear] effect.
My Love for You is Like a Truck, Berserker! (Ex): At 8th level, if an ally is the target of an attack, spell, or ability, the berserker may place himself in harm's way, making himself the target. As an immediate action, he may move up to his base land speed, so long as he would end adjacent to the ally, in a square that is a valid target for the effect he is intercepting. For example: if he is attempting to take a melee attack for his ally, he must end within one of the attacking creature's threatening squares. If he is already in a valid square when he uses this ability, he does not need to move for it to work.
Using this ability uses the berserker's
move-action for the next round, instead of his swift action. This ability may only be used once per round, even if the berserker has an extra immediate action.
If the ability affects an area rather than individual targets, the original target gains a +4 cover bonus to its Armor Class, saving throws, and other d20 rolls against the effect.
Note that the berserker may choose whom he considers an ally when using this effect, such as innocent bystanders, or even an object he is guarding.
Never Stop (Ex): At 9th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a free action to gain another swift or immediate action for their turn. This new action
must be spent on an ability that costs rage to use.
The berserker may use this ability when it is not his turn when gaining an immediate action.
Second Chance (Ex): At 9th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury to reroll a save as an immediate action. He may decide to use this ability after he finds out if his initial save succeed or not, but if used, he must accept the result of the second roll. This ability can only be used once per saving throw made, although it can be used more than once per round on different saves if the berserker has sufficient immediate actions to spend.
Bone Breaker (Ex): At 11th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury to make a bone-breaking attack as a standard action. The target must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the berserker's level + his Strength modifier) or take 2d6 points of Constitution damage in addition to the normal damage. If the target takes Constitution damage, a bone is broken. The effects last until the Constitution damage is fully healed. Pick the type of injury at the time of making the attack:
- Head – Target has a -4 penalty to Will saves and Perception checks.
- Ribs – Target has a -4 penalty to Fortitude saves and any skill check that is affected by Armor Check Penalty.
- Arm – Target cannot use the arm to attack, perform skills, or other actions. If all arms are broken, it cannot perform somatic gestures.
- Leg – Reduce target's land speed:
- to ½ speed if fewer than half its legs are broken.
- to 5' if at least half its legs (but not all legs) are broken.
- to crawling only, if all of its legs are broken.
- Wing – Target cannot use its wings to fly.
If the target succeeds at their Fortitude save, the Constitution damage is halved, and they do not suffer any of the above-listed effects.
Note that a creature must have bones for this ability to work on them. At the DM's discretion, creatures with bones that would normally be immune to ability damage may be affected by this ability.
Shake it Off (Ex): At 12th level, the berserker may spend a point of fury as a swift action to remove any one status condition from himself, so long as he is capable of acting. If he is nauseated, he may use this ability as a move-action.
Conditions such as ability damaged, ability drained, and energy drained cannot be removed directly, but one individual negative level, or an amount of ability damage or drain to one ability equal to his class level can be removed. He may not use this ability to remove fatigue or exhaustion.
Just a Flesh Wound (Ex): At 13th level, if the berserker has at least one point of fury, he converts one half of the damage he takes (round down) to nonlethal damage. This ability does not work if he is immune to nonlethal damage.
Foresight (Ex): At 14th level, the berserker adds his Wisdom bonus (minimum of 1) to Initiative rolls and Reflex saves.
Focused Rage (Ex): At 16th level, if the berserker has at least one point of fury, he is immune to charms, compulsions, and fear.
Back on Your Feet (Ex): At 17th level, if the berserker has at least one point of fury, if he becomes dead, unconscious, paralyzed, or petrified, he automatically recovers at the beginning of his next turn. He loses any and all of the above-listed conditions, and if he is below half his maximum Hit Points, he is healed to that amount. He then immediately loses all of his fury and cannot regain fury this round. At the end of that turn, he is exhausted.
This ability does not work if his body is wholly destroyed.
Tireless Rage (Ex): At 18th level, the berserker may spend two points of fury a as a swift action to remove the fatigued condition from himself, or to lessen exhaustion to fatigue.
Vorpal Strike (Ex): At 19th level, the berserker may spend three points of fury as a standard action to cut off his opponent's head. If the target fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the berserker's level + his Strength modifier), it dies. Targets without heads cannot be targeted by this ability, and targets that do not need their head to survive (such as trolls) are decapitated, but not killed.
Tenacity (Ex): This ability functions as Back on Your Feet, except instead of losing all fury, the berserker instead loses three points of fury. Tenacity may only be used once per round, even if the berserker has extra immediate actions.