Berserker, Variant 2 (5e Class)

Berserker (variant)

Berserkers walk armor-less into battle and are as crazed as dogs or wolves and as strong as bears or bulls. They bit their shields and slew men in droves while they themselves were harmed by neither fire nor iron.

A tall human swordsman strides through a blood-soaked battlefield, wielding that which was too big to be called a sword, massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron and of all men who walked that battlefield that day, none could doubt that mans strength or that weapons impracticality as he dyed its black steel crimson.

Despite a commander's best efforts, no magic of the Weave, nor blade made of man could stop the indomitable goliath that broken the will of all men who dared walk before him, as if he was an avatar of war itself, he warped what was the twisted stench of death and strive, into a one-sided conquest through his immeasurable fortitude and strength, for he alone was the Hell walker.

In the darkness of the forest, an enemy scouting party stops, disturbed by the slender figure of a man who blocks their path, his unblinking eyes watching them like a wolf of the night. Granted power through the teachings of Fenrir, his movements are fast and unrelenting, as he cleaves through the unit like the beast himself. In his ravenous bloodlust he found no satisfaction; and with rushing blood he scoured the forest of those who had fled, their wounds carving a path to them through the dense foliage and sealing their inescapable fates.

As if possessed by the Æsir themselves, his iron will remain steadfast against the hellfire that threatened to consume him, shielding the weak and defenseless with his own body as the flames seared his flesh and bone, but it was then when the fires subsided that the man marched towards the servants of hell, hunting them with barbarous cruelty as if he had passed through the divide as none but demon had before.

A Berserker makes his place in any battle, dying a thousand times and walking out alive, surviving wounds and attacks that would kill most only to come back the next day in search of his next fight. Their insatiable desire for battle leads them to become fierce nigh-unkillable soldiers of war, that embody some of the most dangerous beings of the Norse pantheon, primary, Fenrir and the Æsir. All those who face a Berserkers wrath be warned, for their presence and will alone break even the most fearless of men...

Creating a Berserker

A Berserker can live multiple types of life. They can make their place in society and civilization as mercenaries or hired hands, they can live a life in the wild as hunters or nomads. They usually live a life of vigorous training and constant states of battle.

Quick Build

You can make a Berserker quickly by following these suggestions. First, pick Constitution or Strength followed by the other and then pick Charisma. Lastly, choose either the Soldier or the Outlander as your background.

Class Features

As a Berserker you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Berserker level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Berserker level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: shields, Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) one simple weapons and a shield or (b) one martial weapons
• (a) four javelins or (b) one martial weapons
• (a) a explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• a trophy from a slain adversary
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10gp in funds.

Table: The Berserker

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Bloodrush/Warpath
1st	+2	Intimidating Stature, Unarmored Defense, Fighting Style	--
2nd	+2	Strength from Pain, Reckless Attack	--
3rd	+2	Beserker's Path	4
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4
5th	+3	Brutal Speed, Path Feature	4
6th	+3	Rip and Tear	5
7th	+3	Breath of Battle, Path Feature	5
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Battle-Hardened Endurance	5
9th	+4	Brutal Critical, Path Feature	6
10th	+4	Denying Death	6
11th	+4	Path Feature	6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7
13th	+5	Intimidating Presence	7
14th	+5	Path Feature	7
15th	+5	Unyielding Body	8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8
17th	+6	Unbreakable Will	8
18th	+6	Indomitable Might, Path Feature	9
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10
20th	+6	Ragnarök	10

Berserker Features

Whenever this class refers to a Berserker save DC you use the formula below to calculate it.

Berserker save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier

Intimidating Stature

At 1st level, you are incredibly high and powerful. You are considered to be one size larger for all intents and purposes. Your actual size does not change.

Additionally, you can use your Strength modifier, instead of your Charisma, for Charisma (Intimidation) checks, and have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks based on your physical appearance against creatures of lower size than yours.

Unarmored Defense

Starting at 1st level, while you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Strength modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Fighting Style

Also at 1st level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options that best suits your Berserker nature:

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Obstruction

Before the outcome of the roll is determined, you can use your reaction to gain a +2 bonus to your Armor Class against that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss. You must have a weapon with the heavy property or shield in your hand to use this.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Strength from Pain

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. This is the creed of all berserkers and you know it well. Starting at 2nd level, when a creature deals damage to you, you can use that pain to fuel your combat prowess. On your next turn, as a bonus action, you can deal additional damage on your next successful melee attack equal to half the total damage that creature dealt. For example, if an opponent rolls a 12 on their greatsword strike and adds 4 due to their Strength modifier, you can deal 8 additional damage with this feature, regardless of resistances.

Reckless Attack

Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.

Berserker's Path

At 3rd level, a Berserker defines his call to battle by either the Path of Fenrir, becoming as savage as Fenrir, the great wolf that will slay the even mighty Odin come Ragnarök, or they follow the Path of the Æsir, embodying the mighty Norse Gods whose wars can be felt across the nine realms and whose power keeps the realms in balance.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Brutal Speed

At 5th level, being fast on the battlefield is a requirement in order to survive. Starting at 5th level, you can make 2 actions in your turn. This turns to 3 actions at 10th level and 4 actions at 15th level. In addition, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing heavy armor.

Rip and Tear

Starting at 6th level, all forms of defense feel the effect of your onslaught. Whenever you successfully make two melee weapon attacks against the same creature on the same turn, the target receives a -1 penalty to their Armor Class. This only applies if the target posses a form of armor whether it be natural or otherwise. This penalty can stack, to a maximum penalty equal to half your proficiency bonus rounded down. A creature with natural armor is no longer under the effect of this feature when they are healed to their hit point maximum. Magic armor is unaffected by this feature unless the weapon damage is also magical. Finally, this feature cannot reduce a target below 10 + the targets Dexterity modifier.

Breath of Battle

You live, breathe, and thrive in the heat of combat. Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on your initiative rolls.

Battle Hardened Endurance

Starting at 8th level, when you make a Constitution saving throw and the result is less than your Constitution score, you can use that score in place of the total. You may do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain expanded uses of this feature when you complete a long rest.

Brutal Critical

Beginning at 9th level, your critical strike range scales to 19-20 and you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

This increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.

Denying Death

Starting at 10th level, your rage can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points while you're raging and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.

Intimidating Presence

Starting at 13th level, your presence alone is enough to break both man and monster, triggering their most primal instinct, fight or flight. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient with the Intimidation skill, you may add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. In addition, when you make a Intimidation check against a creature within 30 feet you may attempt to instil fear in the target creature, who must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Intimidation check or becoming frightened of you for one minute. A frightened creature may repeat their save at the end of their turn, ending the condition on a success. You may intimidate creatures this way a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum of 2 per long rest) and regain all expanded uses when you complete a long rest.

Unyielding Body

Starting from 15th level, your Strength score, your Constitution score, and your hit point maximum cannot be reduced. In addition, anytime you come under the effect of exhaustion you can treat it as one level less then it actually is.

Unbreakable Will

Your experience on countless battlefields has made you as wise as you are strong, especially when confronting some of the most potent of magical effects. At 17th level, you gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Indomitable Might

Beginning at 18th level, if your total for a Strength check is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.

Ragnarök

The final struggle of a dying beast is enough to shatter even the most impossible limits. Starting from when you reach 20th level, when you gain a failed death save or are outright killed, you may immediately stand up if prone and make a single attack, the call of Ragnarök demanding one final blow. This attack gains a range of 120 feet, advantage and deals its normal damage plus the value of your Blood Pool before you were downed or the number of temporary hit points you gain from entering your warpath. Whether it is the strength of the god behind your last blow, or the hatred of the great wolves, the bones and muscles in your body shatter and tear, your form collapsing as you, fall prone, and die. Any magic that would bring you back life does so, however, you are brought back with six levels of exhaustion, your body, mind, and soul pushed far past what any normal mortal would be capable of.

Path of Fenrir

Black by Tobias Kwan

Upon choosing this path, you become a Berserker of great strength, through the embodiment of the savage and as insatiable nature of the ever-growing Fenrir.

Bloodrush

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you've learned of an uncontrollable thirst that bubbles beneath the surface. On your turn, you can enter what is called a blood rush, as a bonus action. While in a bloodrush, you regain your full hit points + your hit dices and the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:

• You can ignore the two-handed weapon property on weapons, allowing you to wield two-handed weapons in one hand. In addition, when using two weapon fighting you no longer limited are to light weapons. Your Strength score must be at least 16 and you must be proficient in both weapons, else, you cannot gain these benefits.

• Like the wolf, you strike best when your target is prone. When you make a successful melee attack against a prone creature you can treat the attack as if it was a critical hit.

• When your hit points are reduced, half the damage you take as normal(rounded down) and the other half(rounded up) goes into what is called a Blood Pool. When your bloodrush ends, your hit points are reduced by an amount equal to the value of your Blood Pool. However, if your bloodrush ends and your Blood Pool is less then your hit point maximum, the damage you take from your Blood Pool cannot reduce your hit points below 1. When you are healed using magic or otherwise and the value of your Blood Pool doesn't equal zero you instead decrease the value of your Blood Pool equal to the number of hit points recovered until it reaches zero at which point you can begin recovering hit points normally. Any excess points of healing are transferred over to your current hit points.

• When you use your Strength from Pain feature, the bonus damage you deal with it reduces the value of your Blood Pool by an equivalent amount to a minimum of 0.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while in a bloodrush. Your bloodrush lasts for 10 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end a bloodrush on your turn as a bonus action. Once you have entered a bloodrush a number of times shown for your Berserker level in the Bloodrush/Warpath column of the Berserker table, you must finish a long rest before you can enter a bloodrush again.

Teachings of Fenrir

Starting at 5th level, you become far more attuned to your senses of smell and hearing. You gain the following abilities while in a bloodrush:

• You have advantage on Wisdom(Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

• You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track any creature with blood that is not at their hit point maximum.

• On your turn, you have advantage on your first attack roll against creatures, if at least one of your allies are within 5 feet of the creature and that ally isn't incapacitated.

Wolf's Agility

Beginning at 7th level, while in a bloodrush, you are a continuous blur of motion in battle as you cleave through your opposition. Your speed increases by 10 feet while in a bloodrush. This bonus increases to 20 feet at 11th level and increases again to 30 feet at 18th level. In addition, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws while in a bloodrush, provided you are not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Go for the Throat

At 9th level, your primal savagery and unrelenting assaults break through even the strongest of bulwarks. While in a bloodrush, your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Primal Fear

Starting from 11th level, if you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while in a bloodrush, you can unleash a bone-chilling howl as a reaction. All hostile creatures within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw equal to your Berserker save DC. On a failed save, hostile creatures, flinch and are paralyzed with fear until the end of your next turn or until they take damage. If your bloodrush ends while a creature is paralyzed they can remake their save. Once used you must complete a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Infinite Duress

Starting at 14th level, while in a bloodrush, you can momentarily lose yourself, pushing yourself beyond your normal limits. When you take the attack action on your turn, you can take one additional Attack action as if you had an additional action on top of your regular action. Allowing you to take twice as many attacks as you normally would, not including bonus actions. The moment you use this feature you become almost feral in your style of fighting drooling, howling as you beat your opponent down with the sole focus on killing them. This state of mind lasts until your bloodlust ends, you slay a living creature or you fall unconscious. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Pack Leader's Call

Starting at level 18, while in a bloodrush, as an action you can let out a long, deep howl that can be heard from 300 feet away that lasts until the beginning of your next turn. If you are damaged during this time, you must maintain your concentration as if concentrating on a spell. Once this howl ends, a number of winter wolves equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) materialize in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet of you. These winter wolves are friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the summoned winter wolves as a group, which have their own turn. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise, take no actions. These winter wolves gain a bonus to their damage rolls equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

These winter wolves disappear when they drop to 0 hit points or after 1 hour has passed. Once you use this feature you can't use it again until after you complete a long rest.

Path of the Æsir

Olaf by Felipe Escobar

Upon choosing the Path of the Æsir, you have chosen to become like the Æsir, the Norse gods connected to power and war.

Warpath

By the time you have chosen this path at 3rd level, you've tapped into a deep well of strength and power. On your turn, you can enter a warpath as a bonus action. While on a Warpath, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:

• You gain temporary hit points equal to five times your Berserker level, adding your Constitution modifier to the total. At 10th level, this increases to ten times your Berserker level.

• While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 12 + your Constitution modifier + your Strength modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

• You have advantage on all Strength checks that involve grappling.

• You can ignore the two-handed weapon property on weapons, allowing you to wield a shield and a two-handed weapons in one hand.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while on a warpath. Your warpath lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then, ending this effect early causes a level of exhaustion. You cannot end your Warpath otherwise and once it ends you cannot re-enter a warpath for 1 minute. Once you have entered a warpath the number of times shown for your Berserker level in the Bloodrush/Warpath column of the Berserker table, you must finish a long rest before you can enter a warpath again.

Intervention

Starting at 5th level, when a hostile creature you can see takes an Attack action against an ally, as a reaction you may move up to twice your movement towards the hostile creature, knocking them back 5 feet and interposing yourself between them and your ally. The attacking creature's initial attack then targets you, and it makes its attack roll, if any, with disadvantage. Your speed is then reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn, and you cannot benefit from any bonus to your speed. You have resistance to damage from any opportunity attacks made against you while using this feature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) and regain all expanded uses when you complete a long rest.

Mocking Bellow

Beginning at 7th level, while on a warpath, as an action you can taunt all hostile creatures within a 30-foot cone. All hostile creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw versus your Berserker save DC. On a failed save, they must use their reaction to move their speed towards you and for 1 minute they have disadvantage on attacks against anyone other than you. Any affected creatures can remake their save each time they take damage from you. This effect ends early if warpath ends. Once used you must complete a short or long rest before you can use this feature again. Creatures that are immune to the charmed condition are immune to this feature.

Titan's Stance

Starting at level 9, while on a warpath, you can use your action to become resistant to all damage types and delay all negative effects applied to you until after your stance ends such as conditions. In addition, allies within 30 feet of you have half the damage they are dealt moved to you. This stance lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) during which time you cannot attack or move, however, you may end it early at the beginning of your turn. Once used you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Asgardian Reserve

Beginning at 11th level, while on the border of life and death you can feel the call of the Valkyrie, inspiring you and bringing forward strength from your deepest well of stamina. When your hit points are reduced to 0 while on a warpath you regain 1 hit point and gain half the temporary hit points, rounded down, you would usually get when entering a warpath. Doing this extends the duration of warpath as if you had just entered one. These temporary hit points last until depleted or warpath ends. If you don't have any uses of warpath left when this feature would trigger, it doesn't. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Brick by Brick

Starting at level 14, whenever you take more than damage 50 you can, instead of taking that damage, take 50 damage as an irreducible amount of typeless damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier. You regain all expanded uses when you complete a long rest.

Undying Regeneration

Starting at level 18, while in a Warpath, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to twice your Constitution modifier as long as you have at least 1 hit point remaining. In addition, when not on a warpath, severed body members such as fingers, legs, tails, and so on can be restored over the course of a short or long rest at the cost of a single use of Warpath per each severed limb and a level of exhaustion. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, the limb knits to the stump after a minute, this doesn't require a use of Warpath to be expanded and doesn't cause a level of exhaustion.

Warrior Path: Path of The Psychotic

When you choose this berserker path, you become mentally disabled. Warriors who follow this path are the most ferocious and reckless warriors.

Starvation Rage

As a Psychotic at level 3, you have learned to starve yourself without dying. You gain disadvantage on Constitution saving throws. You gain a level of hungriness know as your Hunger level. Hunger levels represent your ferocity through your controlled starvation, and determines how ferocious you are in battle. You gain a maximum of an 10 hunger level, which increases by 1 per level. Each time you eat food, your hunger level halves(when at one, goes to 0, for odd, round down), and resets every two days if you have not eaten. You still need to eat at least once per every two days to survive. When your hunger level is above 0, you gain the following features: -When you attack with a melee weapon, you deal extra damage equal to your hunger level. -You have Advantage against creatures who half hit points below half of their maximum. -Your hitpoint maximum is temporarily decreased your hunger level. When your hunger level changes, your hitpoint maximum changes with it. (round up when subtracting).

Mental Doom(level 5)

Because your mind is so violent, these thought can channel into negative energy. Any creature who attempts to read your mind is overwhelmed by these vicious thoughts, and is forced to roll a Constitution saving throw(DC Strength + Prof. Bonus + Wisdom + 5) or fail in reading your mind and take psychic damage equal to your hunger level. Additionally, you are unable to concentrate on one object or thing for over a minute, such is a side effect of going mad.

Bloodthirsty rage(level 7)

When attacking a creature with half it's hitpoints or lower, you are forced to attack twice, and if you hit, you gain a number of temporary hitpoints which last until the end of your next turn, equal to your berserker level. (applies to friendly OR hostile)

Supreme Mental Instability(level 11)

When you are hurt by a creature which has less than half of it's hitpoints, on your next turn, you are enraged. Roll a d20. On any number other than a one, you use your next action to move up to the nearest hostile creature and attack the creature. if you are too far away to attack, you use your action to dash toward it. On a hit, you deal a critical hit. On a one, you enter berserk until the end of the battle. You attack the creature closest to you, friendly or hostile. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. You have advantage on who ever you attack.

Death Wish(level 15)

You can choose to deal double damage, while attacks against you are critical until your next turn. If your hitpoints are less than one third of your hitpoint maximum, your are forced to use this feature.

True Destruction(level 18)

When you use this ability, you enter a stage of fury unmatched by anything that exists. You release your mental fury, targeting up to five creatures of your choice, or you can focus your mental fury on one creature. For multiple, each takes 2d20 psychic damage, while a concentrated attack deals 5d20 + your hunger level psychic damage. Additionally, you gain the following benefits: You are immune to damage until your next turn. All of your attacks are critical until the battle ends. You enter berserk if you are not in it already. (See Supreme Mental Disability)

At the end of the battle, you suffer heavy psychic consequences. Your Constitution score becomes 1(-5) for 1d4 days. You are knocked out and have one fail on your saving throw. If you succeed, you cannot be woken for an entire day(24 hours). You can use this feature once per week.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Berserker class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 and Constitution 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Berserker class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons.

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