BERSERKER

The true embodiment of war.  The ultimate focus of rage.  These warriors don’t fight for some lowly cause or bringing down an evil tyrant, but for the pure rush.  The stench of combat gives the berserker an ultimate high.

 

The berserker has mastered the art of the barbarian rage.  Manifesting this rage into what is called a frenzy, a scarier, heightened, strenuous version of the rage. Eventually berserkers become so in tune with their rage, it manifests itself into a primal alteration.  Allowing the berserker to wild shape as druids do.

 

The berserker’s unpredictable nature allows only those in chaotic nature.  The frenzies might differ in their motive, whether for pure pleasure or protecting allies, it is still an uncontrollable force.

 

The frenzied berserker's path is unsuited for most adventurers. Because of their traditional love for battle, orc and half-orc barbarians are the ones who

most frequently adopt this prestige class, though human and dwarven barbarians also find it appealing. It might seem that elves would be good candidates because of

their chaotic nature, but the elven aesthetic and love of grace are at odds with the frenzied berserker's devaluation of the self. Spellcasting characters and monks almost never become berserkers .

Hit Die: d12.

Requirements:

To become a berserker, a character must fulfill the following criteria .

Race: Dwarf, Half-orc, Human

Alignment: Any chaotic .

Base Attack Bonus: +6 .

Feats: Destructive Rage, Intimidating Rage, Instantaneous Rage, Endurance

Special: Must have killed at least 5 creatures in one rage or equivalent (killed a 5 HD creature)

Class Skills

The  berserker's class skills (and the key ability

for each skill) are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str) .

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Berserker Progression:

Level	Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Frenzy 1/day, immune to fear
2	+2	+3	+0	+0	Wild Shape 1/day
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	Frenzy 2/day
4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Wild Shape (Large)
5	+5	+4	+2	+2	Frenzy 3/day
6	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Wild Shape 2/day
7	+7/+2	+5	+3	+3	Frenzy 4/day
8	+8/+3	+6	+3	+3	Wild Shape (dire)
9	+9/+4	+6	+4	+4	Frenzy 5/day
10	+10/+5	+7	+4	+4	Wild Shape (3/day)

Class Features The following are class features of the berserker prestige class .

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: 

berserkers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies .

Frenzy (Ex):

Beginning at 1st level, the berserker can enter a frenzy during combat. While frenzied, she gains a +6 bonus to Strength and a single extra attack each round at her highest bonus. (This latter effect is not cumulative with haste.) However, she also suffers a -4 penalty to AC and takes 1 points of subdual damage per round. A frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the  berserker's Constitution modifier. To end the frenzy before its duration expires, the character may attempt a Will save (DC 20) once per round as a free action . Success ends the frenzy immediately ; failure means it continues . The effects of frenzy stack with those from rage . All feats concerned with rage apply with frenzy.  At 1st level, the character can enter a frenzy once per day. Thereafter, she gains one additional use per day of this ability for every two berserker levels she acquires. The character can enter a frenzy as a free action. Even though this takes no time, she can do it only during her action, not in response to another's action . In addition, if she suffers damage from an attack, spell, trap, or any other source, she automatically enters a frenzy at the start of her next action, as long as she still has at least one daily usage of the ability left .

 

A berserker becomes so engrossed in battle that his mind becomes as strong as his force.  In the middle of a frenzy, a berserker will gain a +2 to all Will Saves.  This does not apply to exiting a frenzy, however.  It’s kind of tough to charm a man when he is in a blood-pumping fury. 

 

To avoid entering a frenzy in response to damage, the character must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + points of damage suffered since her last action) at the start of her next action . While frenzied, the character cannot use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration (such as Move Silently), nor can she cast spells, drink potions, activate magic items, or read scrolls. She can use any feat she has except Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus in a skill that requires patience or concentration. During a frenzy, the frenzied berserker must attack those she perceives as foes to the best of her ability. Should she run out of enemies before her frenzy expires, her rampage continues. She must then attack the nearest creature (determine randomly if several potential foes are equidistant) and fight that opponent without regard to friendship, innocence, or health (the target's or her own). When a frenzy ends, the frenzied berserker is fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, unable to charge or run) for the duration of the encounter, or until she enters another frenzy, whichever comes first.

 

At 10^th level, she is no longer fatigued after a frenzy, though she still suffers the subdual damage for each round it lasts. Starting at 8th level, the character's frenzy bonus to Strength becomes +10 instead of +6 .

 

Wild Shape:

This extraordinary ability is described under druid in the player’s handbook.  The berserker attunes his frenzy into his own physical nature, transforming him into a fearsome beast.  The berserker can only wild shape into beasts of a dangerous or fierce nature.  If she wants to become a bird to escape a battle, it won’t happen.  This doesn’t display the fearsome nature of a berserker’s frenzy. 

 

 

Also, after attaining this ability, there is a 25% chance when a berserker starts a frenzy, he might accidentally wild shape into a fearsome beast.  It’s still as if he is in a frenzy, but not as fearsome.  He changes and goes into an automatic rage, like that of a wolverine gaining +4 to Con and Str and –2 to AC. This rage last as long as a normal frenzy, but the berserker doesn’t suffer subdual damage.  When the frenzy is finished, the berserker reverts to normal form and still suffers normal exhaustion. This uses up how many frenzy’s per day a berserker can use, not how many wild shape’s he can use.

 

The above table describes the progression of the wild shape.