This character class has been culled from a back issue of Dragon(tm) Magazine and details a character classes for use in a 1st Edition AD&D game.

Beserkers

Berserkers are a subclass of the fighter class. They are always human and always true neutral. A berserker's strength and constitution must both be greater than 9, while intelligence must be less than 9. At 1st level, a berserker's best allowable armor class is 6. Berserkers may use any magical items available to fighters, with the exception of magical armor and shields. In addition to any experience bonuses for strength, berserkers receive double experience points for kills until they earn their wereshape (see below). Berserkers will never have psionics.

Each berserker must become a shieldbrother in one of the following clans: Wererat, Werewolf, Wereboar, Weretiger, or Werebear. When the berserker earns his wereshape he will take that form when berserk, receiving all “to hit” and damage bonuses which apply. The berserker does not receive any of the special characteristics of lycanthropes, though while in were-shape he may melee with creatures which are only vulnerable to magical weaponry.

Each clan has one Clanmaster, with combat for this top spot being conducted as with other classes' hierarchies. Shield-brothers will always be friendly and help each other when possible. Failure of a shieldbrother to do so results in outlawry and open season on the outcast. Neutral lycanthropes of the same type as the clan of a berserker will not attack the berserker, though they may refuse to give him aid. When the berserker earns his wereshape, he gains the ability to speak the lycanthropic language while in human form and communicate well enough empathetically with normal animals of his clan type to give simple commands which will be followed.

Since a berserker is careless of his person in battle, he relies on his gods to protect him from the fatal blow. Since the gods approve of brave deeds (we hope!), the more of them the berserker performs, the more protection he will receive. Therefore, for every two levels the berserker rises, his best allowable armor class is bettered by 1 (to 5 at 3rd level, 4 at 5th level, etc.).

Special abilities and restrictions

Followers

Berserking

Advantages while berserking: Intelligent opponents must check morale, if applicable. All attacks by the berserker are at +2 to hit, in addition to any strength bonuses. The berserker is immune to psionic attack while in a berserk state.

Disadvantages of berserking: A berserker may not withdraw from melee while berserk. A berserker remains berserk for as many melee rounds as he has points of constitution, but he attacks at -2 to hit and damage for the rest of the melee beyond that point. If in wereshape, he will maintain it for the duration of the melee even after returning to a normal (non-berserk) state.

If a berserker is still berserk at the end of a melee, there is a 10% chance per round thereafter (non-cumulative) that the berserker will turn on members of his own party. This chance should be rolled for each round until the berserk fit wears off or until the berserker is killed or rendered unconscious. Deduct 1% per level from this chance, down to a minimum of 1% for all berserkers except for Clanmasters, who will never turn on their friends.

The berserker must rest for a complete turn after each berserk fit, regardless of its duration.

Example: A werebear berserker of level 10 with a strength of 16 and a constitution of 10 will drop his weapons and attack as a werebear when berserk. Hit probability is +3, damage is 2-4/claw and 3-9/bite (3-17/hug), and armor class is 2 (7-5). After 10 rounds, the berserk fit will wear off and he will fight at -2, each claw doing 1 and each bite 1-6 (hug 1-14).

This page and its contents are presented solely for the purpose of the RPG game events conducted by a private group. Any references to people or places is explicitly within the context of these RPG games and has no connection to any other similarly named source.