Emirikol
Adventurer
I'm looking for some help on the Berserk PrC. I have posted most of the relevant information below (or look up in your Dieites & Demigods p.201):
Questions:
1. Does the Berserk's "battle fury" stack with a Barbarians "Rage" ?
2. Can the Berserk-Barbarian use "Rage" while in "Beast Shape" ?
3. Does the Berserk's "Battle Fury" increase the hit points by total character level, or just the number of "Berserk" levels?
Thanks!
Jay
THE BERSERK
Deities & Demigods: p210-2
PRESTIGE CLASS: BERSERK
Berserks are warriors who dress themselves in bearskins ("berserk" comes from "bear sark," or "bear shirt"), taking advantage of the fear most people have for wild animals
and simultaneously inviting hte wild rage of the animal into the warriors body. Berserks whip themselves into a battle frenzy, biting their shields and howling like animals. They are ferocious fighters and seemingly insensitive ot pain while this madness lasts. Berserks make formidable enemies. In their rage they have even known ot attack the boulders and trees of the forest, and it is not uncommon for them ot kill their own people.
Barbarians generally disdain berserks, whose lack of control in battle goes beyond even barbarians' legendary rages. The Asgardian gods are often arcane spellcasters themselves, so even wizards and sorcerers may find themselves "blessed" with battle fury.
As nonplayer characters, berserks are indistinguishable form other fighters and warriors until their madness overtakes them. They rarely travel together, knowing firsthand how dangerous they can be to their own allies.
Hit Dice: d12
(Table 6-4 goes here)
Requirements
To become a berserk, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Armor proficiency (medium), Martial Weapon Proficiency (battleaxe, longsword, or warhammer), Shield Proficiency
Class Skills
The berserk's class skills are Animal Empathy, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Spot, Swim, and Wilderness Lore.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2+ Int modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the berserk prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Berserks gain proficiency with light armor as well as all simple and martial melee weapons, if they did not have these profiencies form a previoius class.
Battle Fury (Ex): Starting at 1st level, berserks can enter battle fury as a standard action. They gain +6 to Strength, +6 to Constitution, and a +3 morale bonus on Will saves, but suffer a -2 penalty to AC while in battle fury. The increase in Constitution increases the berserk's hit points by 3 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the fury when the Constitution score drops back to normal. (these extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points in Chapter 8 of the Players's Handbook.) WHile in his fury, a berserk cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells (the only class skills he can't use are Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore). He cannot use ranged weapons. He can use any feat he might have except Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus (if it's tied to a skill that requires patience or concentration). While in a fury, berserks attack every being they can see. When a berserk begins attacking a foe, she continues until that foe dies, the berserk dies or becomes incapacitated, or the fury ends.
In order ot avoid attacking a friend or innocent bystander, the berserk must make a Will save (DC 15 + the number of rounds already spent in a fury). A fit of battle fury lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's (newly improved ) Constitution modifier. The berserk may not prematurely end the gbattle fury voluntarily. If ther eare no longer any beings in sight, the berserk randomly attacks walls, rocks, trees, dorrs, or anything else she can see. At the end of a fury, the berserk is fatigued (-2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The berserk can only fly into a fury once per encounter and only a certain number of times per day (determined by level).
Movement Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, berserks increase their movement rate by 10 feet. This bonus applies only to the berserk's human and hybrid forms.
Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, the berserk gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subract 1 from the damage the berserk takes form each time she is dealt damage. At 4th level, this damage reduction rises to 2. At 6th level it rises to 3. At 8th level it rises to 4. Damage reduction can reduce the damage to 0 but not below 0.
Beast Shape (Su): At 3rd level, the berserk selects a totem animal from the following list: bear (brown), boar, eagle, raven, whale (cachalot), or wolf. A number of times per day determined by level, the berserk may change shape into a hybrid creature with features that combine human and animal, or into the animal itself. A hybrid retains the use of human arms, hands, and intelligence, but loses the power of speech. A hybrid cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells (the only class skills he can't use are Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore). He can use any feat he might have except for Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus (if it's tied ot a skill that requires patience or concentration). Hybrids also gain +2 strength and +2 Constitution. The increase in Constitution increases the berserk's hit points by 1 point per level, but these hit points go away at the end of hte fury when the Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points in Chapter 8 of the Players's Handbook.)
While in animal form, the berserk gains the abilities and movement speeds of the animal and retains her human intelligence. A berserk cannot use battle fury while in either hybrid or animal form, nor can she use beast shape while in battle fury. A berserk can always change back to human form. No equipment or clothign transforms with the berserk.
..
Questions:
1. Does the Berserk's "battle fury" stack with a Barbarians "Rage" ?
2. Can the Berserk-Barbarian use "Rage" while in "Beast Shape" ?
3. Does the Berserk's "Battle Fury" increase the hit points by total character level, or just the number of "Berserk" levels?
Thanks!
Jay
THE BERSERK
Deities & Demigods: p210-2
PRESTIGE CLASS: BERSERK
Berserks are warriors who dress themselves in bearskins ("berserk" comes from "bear sark," or "bear shirt"), taking advantage of the fear most people have for wild animals
and simultaneously inviting hte wild rage of the animal into the warriors body. Berserks whip themselves into a battle frenzy, biting their shields and howling like animals. They are ferocious fighters and seemingly insensitive ot pain while this madness lasts. Berserks make formidable enemies. In their rage they have even known ot attack the boulders and trees of the forest, and it is not uncommon for them ot kill their own people.
Barbarians generally disdain berserks, whose lack of control in battle goes beyond even barbarians' legendary rages. The Asgardian gods are often arcane spellcasters themselves, so even wizards and sorcerers may find themselves "blessed" with battle fury.
As nonplayer characters, berserks are indistinguishable form other fighters and warriors until their madness overtakes them. They rarely travel together, knowing firsthand how dangerous they can be to their own allies.
Hit Dice: d12
(Table 6-4 goes here)
Requirements
To become a berserk, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Armor proficiency (medium), Martial Weapon Proficiency (battleaxe, longsword, or warhammer), Shield Proficiency
Class Skills
The berserk's class skills are Animal Empathy, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Spot, Swim, and Wilderness Lore.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2+ Int modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the berserk prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Berserks gain proficiency with light armor as well as all simple and martial melee weapons, if they did not have these profiencies form a previoius class.
Battle Fury (Ex): Starting at 1st level, berserks can enter battle fury as a standard action. They gain +6 to Strength, +6 to Constitution, and a +3 morale bonus on Will saves, but suffer a -2 penalty to AC while in battle fury. The increase in Constitution increases the berserk's hit points by 3 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the fury when the Constitution score drops back to normal. (these extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points in Chapter 8 of the Players's Handbook.) WHile in his fury, a berserk cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells (the only class skills he can't use are Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore). He cannot use ranged weapons. He can use any feat he might have except Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus (if it's tied to a skill that requires patience or concentration). While in a fury, berserks attack every being they can see. When a berserk begins attacking a foe, she continues until that foe dies, the berserk dies or becomes incapacitated, or the fury ends.
In order ot avoid attacking a friend or innocent bystander, the berserk must make a Will save (DC 15 + the number of rounds already spent in a fury). A fit of battle fury lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's (newly improved ) Constitution modifier. The berserk may not prematurely end the gbattle fury voluntarily. If ther eare no longer any beings in sight, the berserk randomly attacks walls, rocks, trees, dorrs, or anything else she can see. At the end of a fury, the berserk is fatigued (-2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The berserk can only fly into a fury once per encounter and only a certain number of times per day (determined by level).
Movement Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, berserks increase their movement rate by 10 feet. This bonus applies only to the berserk's human and hybrid forms.
Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, the berserk gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subract 1 from the damage the berserk takes form each time she is dealt damage. At 4th level, this damage reduction rises to 2. At 6th level it rises to 3. At 8th level it rises to 4. Damage reduction can reduce the damage to 0 but not below 0.
Beast Shape (Su): At 3rd level, the berserk selects a totem animal from the following list: bear (brown), boar, eagle, raven, whale (cachalot), or wolf. A number of times per day determined by level, the berserk may change shape into a hybrid creature with features that combine human and animal, or into the animal itself. A hybrid retains the use of human arms, hands, and intelligence, but loses the power of speech. A hybrid cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells (the only class skills he can't use are Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore). He can use any feat he might have except for Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus (if it's tied ot a skill that requires patience or concentration). Hybrids also gain +2 strength and +2 Constitution. The increase in Constitution increases the berserk's hit points by 1 point per level, but these hit points go away at the end of hte fury when the Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points in Chapter 8 of the Players's Handbook.)
While in animal form, the berserk gains the abilities and movement speeds of the animal and retains her human intelligence. A berserk cannot use battle fury while in either hybrid or animal form, nor can she use beast shape while in battle fury. A berserk can always change back to human form. No equipment or clothign transforms with the berserk.
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