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View Full Version : [3.5] Holy Berserker Revamped



Procyonpi
2011-11-16, 06:10 PM
Design notes: The Holy Berserker is essentially a mash-up of the Barbarian and Paladin. A berserker is a righteous warrior who flies into a fit of fury while battling the forces of evil. He maintains the Paladin's smite evil ability and the Barbarian's rage (with a few modifications), although smite evil can only be used in a rage. He loses the paladin's spellcasting abilities and the mount, as well as most barbarian abilities not related to raging. I made an earlier version (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200782) that was admittedly pretty weak, so this is my re-vamp. Feedback would be appreciated.

Holy Berserker

Alignment: Any good

Hit Dice: d10

Class Skills: Ride (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Craft (weapon) (Int), Craft (armor) (Int), Intimidate (Cha)

Skill points at first level: (3 + Int bonus)x4

Skill points at each subsequent level: 3 + Int bonus

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Holy Berserkers a proficient with simple and martial weapons, and all forms of armor and shields (except tower shields)

{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Righteous Fury 1/day, Smite Evil 1/day

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+1|

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Divine Grace

4th|+4|+4|+1|+2|Righteous Fury 2/day

5th|+5|+4|+1|+2|Auora of Courage, Smite Evil 2/day, Special Mount

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+3|Damage Reduction 1/-

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+3|Righteous Fury 3/day

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+4|Deathly Fury

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+4|Smite Evil 3/day, Damage Reduction 2/-

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+4|Greater Fury

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+5|Righteous Fury 4/day

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+5|Damage Reduction 3/-

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+6|

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+6|Smite Evil 4/day

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+6|Righteous Fury 5/day, Damage Reduction 4/-

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+7|Tireless Fury

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+7|

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+8|Damage Reduction 5/-

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+8|Mighty Fury, Righteous Fury 6/day Smite Evil 5/day
[/table]
Class Features:

Detect Evil: Holy Berserkers can use detect evil at will

Righteous Fury: A Holy Berserker can fly into a righteous fury a certain number of times per day. The Berserker temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a +10 bonus to movement speed, but takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class. However, the Berserker does not suffer the typical penalties to Armor class for charging. The increase in Constitution increases the berserker’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the fury when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While in a righteous fury, the Berserker cannot use any Dexterity, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A righteous fury lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A berserker may prematurely end his fury. At the end of the fury, the berserker loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge orrun) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level Holy Berserker, at which point this limitation no longer applies).

A berserker can fly into fury only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his righteous fury ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level). Entering a fury takes no time itself, but a berserker can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action.

Smite Evil: Once per day while in a righteous fury, a Holy Berserker may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per Holy Berserker level. If the berserker accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.

At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the berserker may smite evil one additional time per day, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.

Divine Grace: Starting at 3rd level, a Holy Berserker gains a bonus equal to her charisma bonus (if any} on all saving throws.

Aura of Courage: Beginning at 5th level, a Holy Berserker immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each Ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against fear effects.

Special Mount: At 5th level, the Holy Berserker gains a special mount that functions exactly like a Paladin’s special mount.

Damage Reduction:
At 7th level, a berserker gains Damage Reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage the berserker takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three berserker levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.


Deathly Fury: At 9th level, a berserker loses any negative levels and gains immunity to death effects as if under the effects of the spell death ward. The effect cannot be dispelled, countered, or suppressed in any way, but ends when the fury ends.

Greater Fury: At 11th level, a berserker’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his Righteous Fury each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at -2.

Tireless Fury:
At 17th level and higher, a berserker no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his Righteous Fury. In addition, the berserker no longer takes a -2 Penalty to AC while charging.

Mighty Fury:
At 20th level, a berserker’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his Righteous Fury each increase to +8, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +4.

Ex-Berserkers: A Holy Berserker who commits an evil act loses all class abilities, including Aura of Courage, Divine Grace, Smite Evil and Righteous Fury. An atonement spell is required to regain class abilities.

Grod_The_Giant
2011-11-16, 06:55 PM
Hmm. Doesn't look terrible, although it's not a whole lot stronger than a barbarian. Smite Evil is pretty anemic, despite being copied from the book-- at the very least, I'd make it usable x/rage, rather than x/day. It's not a lot of bonus damage, and it only applies to one attack. Also, 3 skill points per level is kind of weird-- I'd crank it up to 4/level, and add Sense Motive and Knowledge (Religion) to the list.