Berserker

For some, there is only rage. In the ways of their people, in the fury of their passion, in the howl of battle, conflict is all these brutal souls know. Savages, hired muscle, masters of vicious martial techniques, they are not soldiers or professional warriors—they are the battle possessed, creatures of slaughter and spirits of war. Known as berserkers, these warmongers know little of training, preparation, or the rules of warfare; for them, only the moment exists, with the foes that stand before them and the knowledge that the next moment might hold their death. They possess a sixth sense in regard to danger and the endurance to weather all that might entail. These brutal warriors might rise from all walks of life, both civilized and savage, though whole societies embracing such philosophies roam the wild places of the world. Within berserkers storms the primal spirit of battle, and woe to those who face their rage.

Class Traits

Role: Striker. You use powerful two-handed weapons to deal serious damage to your enemies. Your physical power and daunting presence can cause foes to cower before you, and you can temporarily increase your abilities by harnessing great bursts of terrifying rage. Depending on your choice of class features and powers, you lean toward either defender or leader as a secondary role.
Power Source: Martial and primal
Key Abilities: Strength, Constitution, Charisma

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, light shield
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple (Melee), Military (Melee)
Bonus to Defenses: +1 Fortitude

Hit Points: 15 + Constitution score at 1st level
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6
Healing surges per Day: 8 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: From the class skills list below, choose three trained skills at 1st level: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis).

Class Features: Rage Strike, Rampage, Berserker Fury, Defender Aura, Vengeful Guardian

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the berserker.

Rage Strike

Berserker daily attack powers have the rage keyword. They allow you to unleash powerful bursts of emotion, willpower, and primal energy. Each rage power starts with a mighty attack, and then you enter a rage, which grants an ongoing benefit. At 5th level, you gain the Rage Strike power, which lets you channel an unused rage power into a devastating attack while you’re raging. Using rage strike is an alternative to using a second rage power in a climactic battle; it gives you the damage output of a daily power without forcing you to enter a different rage.

Rampage

Once per round, when you score a critical hit with a berserker attack power, you can immediately make a melee basic attack as a free action. You do not have to attack the same target that you scored a critical hit against.

Berserker Fury

When you use a berserker primal attack power, you enter berserker fury until the end of the encounter. Alternatively, you can use a minor action while you are bloodied to enter the fury. The fury has the following effects:

• Your defender aura ends, if it was active, and you cannot use defender aura or vengeful guardian until the fury ends.
• Some of your powers, such as your berserker martial at-will attack powers, gain additional benefits, as noted in those powers.
• Your melee basic attacks deal 1d8 extra damage. This extra damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level and 3d8 at 21st level.

Defender Aura

Berserkers with the Defender Aura class feature gain defender aura as an at-will utility power. Defender aura creates an aura 1 that penalizes unmarked enemy attack rolls against allies without a defender aura by −2.

Defender Aura (Berserker Utility 1)

At-Will ✦ Aura
Minor Action ✦ Personal
Effect: You activate an aura 1 that lasts until you end it as a minor action or until you fall unconscious. While in the aura, any enemy takes a −2 penalty to attack rolls when it makes an attack that does not include among its targets either you or an ally of yours who has this aura active. Marked enemies are not subject to this aura.

Vengeful Guardian

Berserkers with the Vengeful Guardian class feature gain vengeful guardian as an at-will attack power. Vengeful guardian can be used as an opportunity action triggered by enemies within the berserker’s defender aura shift or attack an ally without a defender aura.

Vengeful Guardian (Berserker Attack 1)

At-Will ✦ Martial
Opportunity Action ✦ Personal
Trigger: “An enemy subject to your defender aura either shifts or makes an attack that targets you or an ally who has an active defender aura.”
Effect: “You make a melee basic attack against the triggering enemy and deal 1d8 extra damage to it.
level 11: 2d8 extra damage.
level 21: 3d8 extra damage. On a miss, the attack deals half damage to the triggering enemy.