Balancing a d20 hit die

[DrSkull]

I've been running a Viking style game and worked up a Berserker class to emulate the berserkers from the old Chivalry and Sorcery game.

I gave these guys a d20 per level hit die, but only 1 skill point per level, the same saving throw progression as Commoners and limited them to light armor. Also, the player is kept ignorant of his character's hit point total during the entire adventure (pain and fear of death have no impact on the true berserker), and there is a chance that he will turn on his fellows while raging.

The point is to have these hack-o-rific psychos who kill fast and furious, but quickly leave a smoking corpse. Since I don't allow raise dead in a Viking game, the level of your next character is dependant on the mode of death of your dead one, a berserker character is meant to be a temporary one who makes a quick splash.

I think it's going alright, but still the d20 for hit points is an awful lot. Our one berserker has around 50 hit points at 3rd level (but is AC12 when raging). It's only been luck that has kept him alive at all so far.

Is there something else that could help balance the d20 hit points, or barring that, is there something else that would make the berserker stand out from an ordinary barbarian.

 

[Crothian]

Why not just make a normal barbarian and take a lot of rage oriented feats? I don't see why a Besrker would differ from a barbarian much at all. A different class skill list to reflect the culture, other then that i don't think anything else needs changing.

 

[nick]

It sounds like the character is already penalized quite a lot, with 1 skill point a level, light armour, and weak saves. All it takes is one failed save, and his HP will be about the same as the rest of the party.

 

[Thorvald Kviksverd]

Just a quick note before heading off to bed

I don't have any ideas wrt the d20 HD right now, but maybe this could work...

---d12 HD

---No Shield

---Ignorant of HPs while in Rage

---Can keep fighting till -HPs, at -HPs he falls dead.

---When coming out of his rage...

---------If HPs are positive, all is fine.

---------If HPs are negative, he falls unconscious and immediately begins losing HPs, dying at -10.

---------If HPs are at -10 or less, he immediately drops dead.

 

[drowdude]

It might not be exactly what you envision, but there is a "Berserk" PrC in Deities & Demigods that I think works pretty well.... and then of course there is the Frenzied Berserker PrC from Masters of the Wild.

As far as balancing a d20 HD on a class goes... I really dont think that is possible...

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

They are hard to find, but I have some 16 siders, sitting right next to my 32

Just a couple of ideas,

Have a +6 to start, +8 or 10 later, to rage increases.

Best of two D12 rolls.

Refuse magical healing, or healing from a non-tribal source.

Let them have 1.5 CON bonus to HP's.

Automatic CON increases at levels 1,3,6,9, to insure high HP's.

I do think that there are already enough powers/PrCs to get you what you want. Of course, I never played C&S, so I don't know what your going for.

 

[Khan the Warlord]

Why not just slightly augment the Barbarian class? You could easily just throw a couple of free Toughness feats at every three levels (or every other if you prefer).

Just a thought...

 

[mmadsen]

I've been running a Viking style game and worked up a Berserker class to emulate the berserkers from the old Chivalry and Sorcery game.

Sounds like a simple tweak of the Barbarian class -- or a Figher allowed to take Rage as a Feat.

I gave these guys a d20 per level hit die...

That's extreme. I think your real problem is that there's no d14, d16, or d18 between the d12 and d20. It's just too big a jump.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I do think it's possible to balance a d20 hit die, but I don't think that's the way. I suggest going with some other suggestions here: Toughness as a bonus feat, rage-based feats, etc.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I think the Barbarian is, essentially, a Berserker. I'd use it that way.

Regarding hit points, how about simply giving this Berserker double his Con bonus in hit points, but only gets the bonus when not wearing armor heavier than light?