D&D 4E 4e: First try at a Berserker/Barbarian type

[Doc Eldritch]

This is something I came up with after talking to an old player who was wanting some kind of quasi barbarian/berserker type to play in 4e. While not a barbarian per, se, if you took the right skills as trained skills, it can come somewhat close. The set up is designed to be used with most any class, being a Feat and power, then a Paragon Path. Fighters and Rangers probably get the most use out of it though. Let me know what you think!

New Feat
Rage
Prerequisites: Con 13, Level 3+
Benefit: You gain the Howling Rage encounter power in exchange for an Encounter Power you already know.

Howling Rage Feat Power
You work yourself into a murderous frenzy, gnashing your teeth and howling for the enemy's blood!
Encounter * Martial
Standard Action
Target: Self
Effect: By spending a Healing Surge, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and Strength checks, as well as a +2 bonus to Will Defense, and a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to twice your level. However, you take a -2 penalty on Armor Class and Reflex Defense. While raging, you can not make ranged attacks, delay, ready an action, or use total defense, and must either engage an enemy or move to be adjacent to an enemy on every round after you activate this power, or the rage ends.
At level 11, this becomes only a Move action to activate and the bonuses increase to +3.
At 21st level, the bonuses increase to +4
You can end this power as a Minor Action


Frenzied Berserker
“Gwaaaaaa!”
Prerequisite: Howling Rage power, Con 15+
Frenzied Berserkers charge into the fray, with little thought to their own well being or even any sort of tactical thinking. Their view on a target is “If I can see it and reach it, I can kill it.” A frenzied berserker can sustain wounds that would cow a less being, and can even keep going with wounds that would kill most people.

Frenzied Berserker Path Features
Raging Blows (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you gain Resist: 5 to all damage for the rest of the encounter.
First to the Fight (11th level): While raging, you gain +2 speed
Die! Die! Die! (16th level): While raging, you may add your Con bonus to all damage done.

Frenzied Berserker Powers
Rending Strike Frenzied Berserker Attack 11
Your blows are so savage that the foe's wounds bleed after each one.
Encounter*Martial, Reliable,Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength Modifier, and the target begins to bleed for [Strength Modifier] ongoing damage (save at -1 ends)

It's Not Over! Frenzied Berserker Utility 12
Even mortal wounds can not stop you from killing your foe.
Daily*Martial
Special,Reaction Personal
Trigger: You are dropped to 0 or fewer HP
Effect: At the end of the round when you have been dropped to 0 or fewer HP, you may immediately spend 2 Healing Surges and regain Hit Points equal to ¼ your total HP. If you do not have 2 Healing Surges left, you can not use this power.

You're Coming With Me! Frenzied Berserker Attack 20
With complete disregard for your own well being, you perform a mighty attack on your foe.
Daily*Martial,Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength + Special (see below) vs AC
Hit: 6[W] + Strength Modifier + Special (see below), and the target is dazed (save ends).
Miss: Half damage
Special: When you declare this attack, before you roll, subtract from your AC an amount between a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10. This penalty to AC lasts until the end of the encounter. The amount you subtract is used as a bonus for this power's attack roll and damage roll.

 

[PowerToast]

I suggest changing the +4 to strength to a simple +2 to hit and to damage with all attacks. That way it dosn't also have the potential of increasing your fort defense, and your skills.

Just my two cents though Looks cool.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

Ah, forgot about Fort defense. However, the skill increase I DO want. Mostly for things like the raging nutjob smashing his way through a door.

 

[generalhenry]

I suggest changing the +4 to strength to a simple +2 to hit and to damage with all attacks.

yep, temporary stat boosts don't exist in 4E

Oh and I'd make it a multiclass feat, with endurance as the skill. It's too strong for a normal feat, but just right for a multiclass feat.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

I would say, temp stat boosts don't exist "yet". I almost guarantee they will. And, it is purposely designed as a Strength increase, not an increase in just attack and damage. It is designed to make feats of strength "easier" as well as do more damage.

Edit: Made some slight changes, the feat gives less of a boost and the power requires you to spend a healing surge to activate it.

 

[generalhenry]

I would say, temp stat boosts don't exist "yet". I almost guarantee they will.

listen to the podcasts, they will never exist in 4E. It's a very purposeful design choice. Base stats effect a lot of things, so when they shift all the time it means you have to recalculate a lot of things all the time. It bogged down game play and lead to a people making a lot of errors.

It is designed to make feats of strength "easier" as well as do more damage.

I agree it seams right, but that just means you should state it as +2 power bonus to attack, damage and str checks. Yes it's a bit awkward to write out, but it easier when it comes to playing the game.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

Hmm, true that. I am still willing to bet that once we have some splats out we see them again (this is just me not trusting WotC not to overpower the splats yet again).

But that is not bad, and should cover most of the situations I can forsee.

Also, made a small change to it. Based on some other feedback about it possibly being too strong for a feat, I changed how you get it. Now it works somewhat like a substitution. You get the feat and it allows you to swap out the power for one of your current Encounter Powers.

 

[generalhenry]

(this is just me not trusting WotC not to overpower the splats yet again)

it's not even a balance issue, it's a playability issue.

Also, made a small change to it. Based on some other feedback about it possibly being too strong for a feat, I changed how you get it. Now it works somewhat like a substitution. You get the feat and it allows you to swap out the power for one of your current Encounter Powers.

yeah, in 4E it's very hard to get bonus powers, all classes have the same amount, each race adds one and each multiclass feat adds one.

Which is why my initial thought was to do it as a multiclass feat. A power swap feat is unprecedented, but it could work too.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

I had thought to just leave it as an "open" power, and let a PC use retraining to get it, but by the RAW, you have to only retrain powers in your class. So a "substitution" feat seemed a good idea. I might end up coming up with more "non class" powers, and substitution feats seem a good way to put them into players hands without giving them extra powers. I might end up giving the feat a little something extra (since really all it does now is let you retrain into a "special" power), so that folks don't feel the feat is "wasted".

 

[generalhenry]

I might end up giving the feat a little something extra (since really all it does now is let you retrain into a "special" power), so that folks don't feel the feat is "wasted".

that's all the most the multiclass feats do, and all the most broken characters use them.

It's fine as is imo.