How would you keep a Frenzied Beserker from killing the whole party?

[Jeremy]

Side Tangent:

You can sense when someone passes a saving throw and your spell fails? Where does it say that? That'd be good to know.

 

[Xarlen]

Here's a question.

If, when you are frenzied, you see all those around you as enemies, WHY, in an in character manner, would you forgo your saving throw?

That's just like volunteering to fail that enemy wizard's fireball. You see everyone around you as an enemy. Therefor, why would you volunteer to fail?

 

[James McMurray]

And, since you are in a killing frenzy, not a hugging frenzy, draw your dagger before you grapple the wizard, that way you get to kill him and avoid those nasty spell effects.

 

[Templetroll]

***sorta quote***
While Frenzied the character cannont use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration ...
***end sorta quote***
You can Use Trip, Bull Rush, Charge (provoking Trip Attacks from Allies), Fight Defensively and use Shields.
Metalsmith

My sorta quote... "In a rage, the barbarian... becomes reckless and less able to defend himself."

The character suffers a -2 to AC when raging. Why would that character then use Fighting Defensively to get a +2 dodge bonus to AC?

As I understand it the Frenzy being discussed is even more out of control than mere barbarian rage. Why would someone frenzied merely trip a foe instead of attacking to kill them? Why would they use a defensive item like a shield? I could see using a shield if the barbarian used it for an attack, however; that makes sense. The minus from a tower shield would merely annoy the frenzied character and get the shield thrown at an enemy.

This is how I would run it in my campaign. Rage and frenzy have affects beyond that explicitly stated in the books.

 

[Artoomis]

Take this with a grain of salt because I do not know everything about the Frenzied Berserker:

Is the following what may happen?:

1. FB attacks enemies wildly, in a Rage, with many extra hit points.

2. FB takes enough damage to be at -11, but is still on his feat because of his Raging extra hit points from temporarily raised Con.

3. FB kill all enemies and is still Raging - he missed his Will save. Or, alternately, he makes his will save and dies because he stops Raging and his Con drops to normal.

4. FB is "Calmed" via Calm Emotions or other means. FB dies because he stops Raging.

Or:

Party attempts to heal FB. First, a touch attack is needed because the FB is avoiding the heal, thinking he is being attacked (he's still Raging, after all). FB takes his AoO with greater Power Attack and kills the cleric who is trying to heal him.

FB stops raging and dies as he is below -10 hit points.

I'm think that, properly role-played, a FB is not survivable because of the above.

The FB might only be viable as an NPC. That certainly seems to be true if it is role-played as in a bezerk frenzy when Raging.

 

[Lela]

Take this with a grain of salt because I do not know everything about the Frenzied Berserker:

Is the following what may happen?:

1. FB attacks enemies wildly, in a Rage, with many extra hit points.

2. FB takes enough damage to be at -11, but is still on his feat because of his Raging extra hit points from temporarily raised Con.

3. FB kill all enemies and is still Raging - he missed his Will save. Or, alternately, he makes his will save and dies because he stops Raging and his Con drops to normal.

4. FB is "Calmed" via Calm Emotions or other means. FB dies because he stops Raging.

Or:

Party attempts to heal FB. First, a touch attack is needed because the FB is avoiding the heal, thinking he is being attacked (he's still Raging, after all). FB takes his AoO with greater Power Attack and kills the cleric who is trying to heal him.

FB stops raging and dies as he is below -10 hit points.

I'm think that, properly role-played, a FB is not survivable because of the above.

The FB might only be viable as an NPC. That certainly seems to be true if it is role-played as in a bezerk frenzy when Raging.

The only problem I could find was that the FB wouldn't get and AoO against that Cleric (touch attack doesn't provoke one). Other than that, I would say that you're right.

But those are the same problems you'd face with Rage. If you drop out of it at the wrong time, you die. It's one of the drawbacks of the class. Hopfully, you know these risks before going in.

 

[Xarlen]

He'd get one if the cleric cast in his threatening area.

 

[Lela]

He'd get one if the cleric cast in his threatening area.

Oh, well, that's true. But I would think that a Cleric high enough level to be travling with a FB has a good enough Concentration check or is smart enough to hold the spell and walk in. Of course, that implies that he knows the FB isn't in control of himself.

 

[Xarlen]

But if he holds the charge, then that's one more round the FB could Die or attack someone else. And, it doesn't matter about his concentration check; that FB's likely going to Kill Him. Even IF his spell goes off, he has to touch the FB.

 

[Hejdun]

I thought you could cast, move, touch in a round. Gotta go look it up...