PDA

View Full Version : [3.5e PRC] Serene Fury Berserker



Merk
2010-02-02, 11:56 PM
Serene Fury Berserker

Most warriors who call themselves "berserkers" use anger as a conduit to channel strength. However, there exist a class of warriors who have learned to subdue their rage in favor of entering a state of mindless violence. These stoic swordsmen empty their minds, and by doing so, use their instinct to transcend conventional limitations. These warriors are known as serene fury berserkers.

Most serene fury berserkers are multiclassed barbarians, as the path to Perfect Fury begins with the raw, emotional expression of anger. Psychic Warriors, Soulknives, Swordsages, and Warblades also occasionally seek the path of the serene fury berserker.

Entry Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Autohypnosis 4 Ranks, Concentration 4 Ranks
Feats: Iron Will, Psionic Weapon (Or Psionic Fist), Deep Impact, Unnerving Calm
Psionics: Must have a power point reserve of at least 1 power point.
Special: Rage or frenzy class feature. Must not possess any Frenzied Berserker class levels.

Serene Fury Berserker; Hit Die: d12
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Powers Known

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Serene Fury| -

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|DR 1/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind|+1 level of existing manifesting class

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1| - |+1 level of existing manifesting class

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|DR 2/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+5|Calm Visage of Terror|+1 level of existing manifesting class

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+5|Fury Beyond Death|+1 level of existing manifesting class

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+6|DR 3/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Pristine Sanctum of the Mind|+1 level of existing manifesting class

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Perfected Fury| - [/table]
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Psionics), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spot, Survival, Swim.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Serene fury berserkers gain no new proficiencies.

Powers Known
At every level except 1st and 10th level, a serene fury berserker gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of serene fury berserker to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.

If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a serene fury berserker, she must decide to which class she adds the new level of slayer for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

If the character did not belong to a manifesting class before taking this prestige class, she does not gain manifesting levels.

Serene Fury (Ex)
The signature ability of a serene fury berserker is to enter into a special type of controlled rage; a destructive trance. When the serene fury berserker enters into a rage or frenzy, the bonus to strength decreases by 2. However, the serene fury berserker receives her wisdom modifier (if positive) as a bonus to attack and damage rolls. She can use any skill or feat she possesses, may manifest any power she knows and can manifest, and may initiate any maneuver she has readied.

Damage Reduction (Ex)
The serene fury berserker gains damage reduction at 2nd, 5th, and 8th level. This stacks with damage reduction from other class levels, such as barbarian.

Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind (Su)
Serene fury berserkers gain a +4 bonus on Will saves against enchantments.

Calm Visage of Terror (Ex)
As a standard action, a serene fury berserker may make a concentration check in combat. All enemies within 60 ft. must make a Will save (DC 10 + serene fury berserker class level + Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1 round.

Fury Beyond Death (Ex)
While in a fury, the serene fury berserker gains the benefit of the diehard feat, except that he functions as if he had between -1 and -9 HP even at -10 HP or below. If the serene fury berserker quits his rage or frenzy while still below -9 HP, he immediately dies.

Pristine Sanctum of the Mind (Su)
At 9th level, serene fury berserkers gain immunity to all mind-affecting effects.

Perfected Fury (Ex)
The pinnacle of the serene fury berserker's art is the state of perfected fury. While in a fury, all of the serene fury berserker's attacks resolve as touch attacks and bypass any damage reduction or hardness. In addition, the serene fury berserker is no longer fatigued after a rage or frenzy.

FlamingKobold
2010-02-03, 12:22 AM
I like the class. A few nitpicks.

1. Heavy prereqs. Seriously. +5 BAB, 4(!) feats, power points (which limits race or class. Or makes it 5 feats) and rage. Oh, and spending 1 skill point every level on CC skills you probably won't use, when you more likely than not have very few skill points to begin with. Think barbarian: 4+int per level, with int as pretty much a dump stat. This could take up half of their skills each level. I recommend lessening the feat prereqs and making it BAB +4, so a Barby 4, PW 1 gets in.

2. Level 4: Should not be dead. Also, table error in the will save comlumn.

3. Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind: Meh. MAybe another effect, to make this interesting?

4. Calm Visage of Terror: Meh again. THere's a feat that does this, or at least something very similar.

5. Capstone: Um... no. When you rage, you hit on basically every attack for a ton of damage? High level stuff generally has low touch AC, and a primary defense is super high DR. This severely messes that up, by going above and beyond one of the most frequesnt charop spells ever: wraithtouch.

6. No more uses of rage per day. You have to blow even more feats on extra rage just to remain comopetitive.

Temotei
2010-02-03, 01:11 AM
Capstone: Um... no. When you rage, you hit on basically every attack for a ton of damage? High level stuff generally has low touch AC, and a primary defense is super high DR. This severely messes that up, by going above and beyond one of the most frequesnt charop spells ever: wraithtouch.

Not to mention you get no fatigue after at 15th level (probably), when the barbarian gets the last part at 17th, and never gets anything even remotely close to this.

Maybe if it was once per day, it would be better.

TabletopNuke
2010-02-03, 03:00 AM
I must tell you how much I like this concept. It's one I've played with in my head for a long time, but was never able to really put it into mechanics. I commend you on this.

However, "Serene Fury Berserker" a little redundant and unwieldy. Maybe you should just go with "Serene Berserker" or "Tranquil Berserker"

Oh, and "Unnerving Calm" requires knowledge of a Diamond Mind strike. Would you be employing a house rule that allows the character to substitute this with knowledge of a power or perhaps a power point supply?

Oh, and there's also the Combat Focus feats in PH2, which are deserving of a prestige class of their own.

I agree with FlamingKobold, if you are set in using the class as it is. I do have another suggestion, though. The Book of Exalted Deeds has a barbarian PrC called "Champion of Gwynharwyf" that could be used as a base.

Looking at that class, I have this idea. It is best-suited for Barbarian with a dip in a psionic class. If it needs more, it can be buffed up. I included class feature notes where things have changed.:

Requirements: BAB +6, Autohypnosis 4 Ranks, Concentration 4 Ranks, Psionic Weapon (Or Psionic Fist), Deep Impact, Unnerving Calm

Serene Fury Berserker
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind +1, Serene fury|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Damage reduction 1/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind +2|-

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Calm visage of terror, Damage reduction 2/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind +3|-

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|damage reduction 3/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Fury beyond death, Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind +4|-

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|damage reduction 4/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Pristine Sanctum of the Mind|-

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|damage reduction 5/-|+1 level of existing manifesting class [/table]

Serene Fury (Ex):The signature ability of a serene fury berserker is to enter into a special type of controlled rage; a destructive trance. When the serene fury berserker enters into a rage or frenzy, the bonus to strength decreases by 2. However, the serene fury berserker can use Concentration and Wisdom-based skills and any feat she possesses. She may manifest any power she knows and can manifest. Levels in serene fury berserker stack with barbarian levels for the purpose of determining rage abilities (mighty rage, ect).

Hallowed Sanctum of the Mind (Su)
Serene fury berserkers gain a +1 morale bonus on Will saves against mind-affecting effects. This increases to +2 at 3th level, +3 at 5th level, and +4 at 7th level.

Calm Visage of Terror (Ex)
When a serene fury berserker enters a serene fury, she makes a concentration check. Any enemy within 30 feet of her while she is in a fury must make a Will save against a DC equal to her Concentration check result. Those who fail become shaken for 1d4+1 rounds or the duration of the fury, whichever is longer.

Rithaniel
2010-02-03, 04:16 AM
Okay, yeah, touch attack stuff is WAY, WAY too strong, factoring in Power Attack, the Expansion power, and Serene Furry bonus to attack and damge (+12 Wisdom, drools), and things are just getting a little uncontrollable.

I'd recommend, if you wanna make it be a really awesome capstone, make it so that you can take a full-round attack option, as a standard action, or that any power that you can manifest as a swift action, you can manifest as an attack option instead (four swift action powers at a time would be very nice). Though, the intimidate/concentration thingy is just sort of 'bleh, whatever'. Would not take this class for that, and would not put any stock into that.

imp_fireball
2010-02-10, 05:11 PM
Bump for continued peaching.

DracoDei
2010-02-10, 06:56 PM
she must decide to which class she adds the new level of slayer for the purpose of determining power points per day,

Shouldn't be "slayer"