[Iron Heroes] Do Berserkers just die a lot?

[Particle_Man]

Seems to me, with magic being so rare and unpredictable, that a Berserker that takes the ability to increase Con is asking to die. They will fight until unconscious, and then, without healing, their rage will run out and they will die. But there are no potions or scrolls of healing. The arcanist might not be a healer, or might screw up the spell.

Maybe I am missing something?

 

[Kaos]

Seems to me, with magic being so rare and unpredictable, that a Berserker that takes the ability to increase Con is asking to die. They will fight until unconscious, and then, without healing, their rage will run out and they will die. But there are no potions or scrolls of healing. The arcanist might not be a healer, or might screw up the spell.

Maybe I am missing something?

Two things.
1) At -10 HP, you make a con check to stay alive - dc is equal to your negative hitpoints.
2) Healing skill to stabilize a dying character, almost guaranteed someone will have it.

 

[Gold Roger]

Berserk thoughness helps as well.
But Berserker aren't for cautious players, that's for sure. If you play a Berserker, get friends with the idea that he'll someday take more than he can take.

 

[Kirin'Tor]

I've played a barbarian in a non-magic (IE no spellcasters/no items) campaign, and it's partially about luck, and about planning. I assume, aside from the -10 death save, IH has the equavalent of a 'Die Hard' feat, which can be essential for the Un-Raging Barb.

 

[Ruvion]

my personal beef with the berserker is that as an unarmored warrior he gets favourable armor feat mastery levels...I understand there need be some measure of defense but why armor and shield??

 

[ThirdWizard]

I've played a barbarian in a non-magic (IE no spellcasters/no items) campaign, and it's partially about luck, and about planning. I assume, aside from the -10 death save, IH has the equavalent of a 'Die Hard' feat, which can be essential for the Un-Raging Barb.

Note that you don't stop raging when you go unconcious.

However, without magical healing, you will lose a lot of hit points after the rage duration naturally runs out, leading to a slight problem in IH. One that is partially solved by the saving throw, but you could still drop so low that that save is pretty big.

 

[Savage Wombat]

my personal beef with the berserker is that as an unarmored warrior he gets favourable armor feat mastery levels...I understand there need be some measure of defense but why armor and shield??

Puzzled me too - but the armor feat doesn't say "only while wearing armor" - and the berserker does have his own DR. So the armor feats can be used to improve his innate DR.

 

[Dalamar]

Doesn't it actually say somewhere in the Berserker description that they are supposed to use the Armor feats with their natural DR, and if not, their Armor mastery is considered lower than that shown on the class table? I don't have my book with me so I can't check, and I've mostly just glanced through it so far.

 

[Particle_Man]

Note that you don't stop raging when you go unconcious.

However, without magical healing, you will lose a lot of hit points after the rage duration naturally runs out, leading to a slight problem in IH. One that is partially solved by the saving throw, but you could still drop so low that that save is pretty big.

This is exactly my worry. The rest of the party looks on sadly, as the unconscious berserker's rage runs out and his body suddenly shudders, and he dies.

I experimented in House Rules with replacing the Con bonus with a fort save bonus = to half of the former con bonus and a temporary hit point bonus = to (character level multiplied by half of the former con bonus). Its not like he can use the Concentration skill while raging anyhow, so this would give the same bonus, but give the guy a better chance to live when the rage leaves, I think.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Yeah, I actually hadn't thought about this before now. Maybe you could attempt to stablize the barbarian while still not dead. You patch up all the wounds while the adrenaline is keeping him going, so even if he's concious you could attempt a Heal check. Then when the rage ends, he falls to the ground stable at whatever negative total he's at and doesn't have to make any further Fort saves to live, but he still has to heal up.