Weathercock's Better Berserker Barbarian

[Xeviat]

Yeah, I did test the fighter with action surge. It tests 3 rounds per combat, 6 combats per day, and 2 short rests per day. But I don't have any feats in my test. From what I've seen, a few feats do really mess with things, but I think that means those feats are worth more than the +2 primary ability score they're supposed to be worth, especially GWM, PM, and SS.

As for retaliate being every round, with reckless attack there is a good shot of getting it triggered every round in meaningful combat.

But, yes, the issue does come down to feats. I argue, though, that a Barbarian is better suited to pumping their ability scores than taking feats, except maybe GWFer. With GWFer, though, I wouldn't want a bonus action extra attack, I'd feel like I was losing out on half of GWFer; that's sort of why I've been wanting to break the feats up into 2 since I saw them, but I'd also like to see feats and ability score progressions like the "good old days".

I think the existing berserker is balanced under the base guidelines of the game. Feats do mess with that. Advantage can get easy to get in certain groups, but in that case then the Barbarian gets even more survivability than the fighter since they won't have to hurt their AC (effectively) to boost their offense.

There's a lot of variables.

As for Intimidating Presence being a combat ability, I'd never use it in combat. I have always seen it as a social ability. The DC just seems like it would be too low in combat, and it seems more useful to just wack someone with my axe than to stare them down especially since you have to give up your actions to keep the stare down going. I like your simplicity of just giving double intimidation proficiency.

 

[Weathercock]

Yeah, I did test the fighter with action surge. It tests 3 rounds per combat, 6 combats per day, and 2 short rests per day. But I don't have any feats in my test. From what I've seen, a few feats do really mess with things, but I think that means those feats are worth more than the +2 primary ability score they're supposed to be worth, especially GWM, PM, and SS.

Fighter 0-resource DPR with great weapon mastery (Halberd), polearm mastery

Level 5 v AC 13: 25.5/39.9 (Str +3) <-- 76.5/119.6 per 3 rounds, 178.6/279.1 per 7 rounds
Level 11 v AC 15: 42.1/64.3 (Str +5) <-- 126.3/192.9 per 3 rounds, 294.6/450.1 per 7 rounds
Level 20 v AC 19: 43.0/69.6 (Str +5) <-- 128.9/208.8 per 3 rounds, 300.8/487.3 per 7 rounds


Keep in mind that this simulation does not include damage from an attack of opportunity, which is very easy to get with Polearm Mastery. A fighter of any discipline should have no trouble keeping up with my Better Berserker (who does have to utilize a daily resource and does end up exposing itself to a lot of damage) if they are utilizing their resources.

Without feats, things should actually fall quite a bit further in the Fighter's favour, since their inability to force advantage or get higher than 20 strength for higher accuracy difference between Fighter and Barbarian is much less important, with the volume of attacks available cleanly overpowering what the Barbarian might offer.

As for retaliate being every round, with reckless attack there is a good shot of getting it triggered every round in meaningful combat.

Similarly, it's not particularly difficult to get Polearm Mastery or Sentinel's effects to trigger every round either. And neither effect requires you to lose HP to activate.

But, yes, the issue does come down to feats. I argue, though, that a Barbarian is better suited to pumping their ability scores than taking feats, except maybe GWFer. With GWFer, though, I wouldn't want a bonus action extra attack, I'd feel like I was losing out on half of GWFer; that's sort of why I've been wanting to break the feats up into 2 since I saw them, but I'd also like to see feats and ability score progressions like the "good old days".

With a Barbarian, the chance of the bonus action from GWM actually activating is around 19% on any given turn you can get your full attacks in with advantage, assuming you're not actually killing anything. Compared to the old Frenzy, which gave it unconditionally, mine now requires you to be using Reckless Attack. GWM's bonus attack potential can still have value when you would already have advantage and don't want to open yourself up to more damage, giving it its own niche still.

I think the existing berserker is balanced under the base guidelines of the game. Feats do mess with that. Advantage can get easy to get in certain groups, but in that case then the Barbarian gets even more survivability than the fighter since they won't have to hurt their AC (effectively) to boost their offense.

Where as mine has to compromise his defense if he wants his offensive bonuses, no matter the situation. That said, even without feats, I don't believe that the old Frenzy's high cost can justify its use. In a no-feat fight that's 3 rounds long at level 20, a Berserker's Frenzy (including Retaliation) is going to get about as much damage over three turns as a Fighter with advantage using a single action surge. That just doesn't seem worth it at all for an ability that cripples you for the entire rest of an adventuring day.

That said, what my variant does offer might be a bit over the top at middle-to-higher levels in featless games, and feat-based campaigns are the ones which I've concentrated by balance considerations on. But what the original Berserker Barbarian offers was clearly never designed with any measure of scaleability in mind, let alone potential for the variant rules featured in the same rulebook. For that reason, I'd recommend caution in using my Better Berserker in featless games. But then again, I'd also recommend players be weary of using the original version too.

 

[AnalogBass]

I have a suggestion
10th level
Frenzy
Your rage drives you into bloodthirsty frenzy. You can enter a state of frenzy when raging which allows you to make on additional attack as a part of Attack action. However you must use Attack action every turn (or Dash if there is no creatures within your movement range). Frenzy ends if your rage ends or if you use your bonus action to end, but you must pass DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. DC is increased by 5 after each instance of entering frenzy and resets on short rest.
And retaliation stays at 14th level as in PHB
P.S. sry for my english