Battlerager Houseruled

[Edwin]

(sorry for my bad English, it`s not my first language)
My group thinks that the battlerager is far too strong, but we like the idea of the build. So, I tried to create a new, more balanced build.

1. If the battlerager took damage from a close or melee attack since his last turn and wears chainmail, light armor or no armor, he adds +2 to his attacks until the start of his next turn.
2. If the battlerager uses a one handed axe, a hammer or mace and uses a power with the invigorating keyword, he adds his half constitution modifier to his damage roll. If he uses a two handed axe, mace or hammer, he adds his full constitution modifier to the damage of the attack.

Do these houserules fix the problems?

 

[jbear]

I'm not sure what 'problem' you think the battle rager has that needs fixing.

A question does spring to mind: you know the Fighter only receives Temp. HP one time per round, not everytime he is hit?

Also my Fighter swapped to Battlerager, as what he wanted to do was lay down the smack, not defend the group. His AC dropped to 16, and his Reflex Defense is 10 now (taking a double weapon against a 1Handed weapon and Heavy Shield). He is usually very easy to hit. Without the Temp. HP buff he would go down very fast!!!

 

[Stalker0]

A question does spring to mind: you know the Fighter only receives Temp. HP one time per round, not everytime he is hit?

Jbear, unfortunately you are wrong on this one. The battlerager does in fact recieve Temp HP EVERY time he is hit with a melee or close attack.

Here's how it works with a 20 con fighter.

DM: I hit you for 10 damage
Player: I take 10 damage, and gain 5 temp hp.
DM: I hit you for 10 damage.
Player: I take 5 damage (5 off temp hp, 5 real). I gain 5 temp hp.
DM: I hit you for 10 damage.
Player: I take 5 damage.

In this way, if you disregard other sources of temp hitpoint, after the 1st attack in a fighter the fighter simply has DR equal to his con mod in most cases (not quite as good, but close).

Now if you want to houserule it to be once per round, I think its a fine idea and brings the power more in line.

 

[Edwin]

Actually, I wanted to replace the whole temp hp thing (as you can see). In my group, we were argueing all the time about how they stack...and in every case, the battlerager was far stronger than the other types of fighters.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

Actually, I wanted to replace the whole temp hp thing (as you can see). In my group, we were argueing all the time about how they stack...and in every case, the battlerager was far stronger than the other types of fighters.

Well, the rule is pretty easy: temp hp doesn't stack, unless you're a battlerager fighter and the temp hp came from an invigorating power. So even if you got hit for 1 damage 10 times and had a con mod of +4, you'd still only have 4 temp hp at the end. Now, if you used an invigorating power afterward, you'd go up. But say you had 3 temp hp before getting hit by an attack, even if the attack did 1 damage, you only have 4 temp hp, not 6. I also imagine the temp hp gain from battlerager starts to balance out to be less relatively powerful as you get higher in level with it meaning a lot more at lower levels...

 

[jbear]

Jbear, unfortunately you are wrong on this one. The battlerager does in fact recieve Temp HP EVERY time he is hit with a melee or close attack.

Here's how it works with a 20 con fighter.

DM: I hit you for 10 damage
Player: I take 10 damage, and gain 5 temp hp.
DM: I hit you for 10 damage.
Player: I take 5 damage (5 off temp hp, 5 real). I gain 5 temp hp.
DM: I hit you for 10 damage.
Player: I take 5 damage.

In this way, if you disregard other sources of temp hitpoint, after the 1st attack in a fighter the fighter simply has DR equal to his con mod in most cases (not quite as good, but close).

Now if you want to houserule it to be once per round, I think its a fine idea and brings the power more in line.

oO''... really??? That does seem overpowered if that is the case. I must have misread the book...going to reread that now...gulp.

Yes that is obviously the case.

Does seem very powerful doesn't it. I'm going to start offering cloth armour to my fighter, it doesn't really matter if he gits hit, does it?

Thanks for the correction Stalker0

 

[jbear]

Well, the rule is pretty easy: temp hp doesn't stack, unless you're a battlerager fighter and the temp hp came from an invigorating power. So even if you got hit for 1 damage 10 times and had a con mod of +4, you'd still only have 4 temp hp at the end. Now, if you used an invigorating power afterward, you'd go up. But say you had 3 temp hp before getting hit by an attack, even if the attack did 1 damage, you only have 4 temp hp, not 6. I also imagine the temp hp gain from battlerager starts to balance out to be less relatively powerful as you get higher in level with it meaning a lot more at lower levels...

yes, they don't stack but the fighter has a constanr damage reduction of 4 or 5 which will slowly rise as you level up.

If a fighter chooses this build and forfits extra damage by using a one handed weapon, a heavy shield, and spending a Feat on Plate Armour he's going to be very hard to hit, and when hit very hard to damage. Imagine the combo with the lvl2 Utility 'Boundless Endurance' where they receive regeneration when bloodied, or a Genasi Fighter with pumped up Elemental damage reductions (through feats)...

A virtual unstoppable fantasy terminator

 

[Aramax]

I hate,Hate,HATE battleraging.sigh at least they dont hit very often....