* Restricted: Berserkers only

Berserkers

Berserkers!

Fanatical Fighter / Clerics of ESCUS in The Kingdom of the North and Kyr may be Granted the Power of Berserkergang by ESCUS in Commune.  This has the following Effects:

  1.  May go Berserk in Melee, gaining +FtL (or +AL/ML) to A and DAM, and being irresistibly compelled to charge and attack the nearest enemy.  If he cannot perceive an enemy, he will charge and attack the nearest potential opponent irrespective of whether they are friend or foe (see also 6 below re Hallucinations).
  2. He must attack by Fighting only and will not stop until all opponents are killed and hacked apart.  Ripping their hearts out and eating them is optional.  Once all enemies are killed, he will not attack friends or neutrals unless they provoke him (and he will be easily provoked) or unless he has already started attacking them due to absence of enemies or provocation.  Stopping attacking in this way ends the Effect.
  3. He will not use Shields, and will discard them if carried on an arm.  He will also discard Armour if it is slowing him down or reducing the effectiveness of his attacks and can be quickly removed.  Berserkers will not wear any armour by choice, and prefer to dress only in a bear/boarskin.
  4. Fighter attacks may be made using Melee Weapons or hand to hand.  Ranged or Thrown Weapons may not be used, and he will drop them if carried.  He may choose his aiming point, but if he misses will switch to attacking the mid point in order to maximise his chances of doing Damage.
  5. Berserkers do not suffer Fatigue and will ignore Pain whilst Berserking, but will suffer the full effects of Fatigue and Pain once the Berserkergang ends.
  6. Berserkergang is Madness of Level 1 in the Domain of Delusion.  The Berserker therefore takes -1 on all Spells (though he will not wish to Cast them anyway) and has a 10% chance of Hallucinating (which will usually take the form of imagining friends are enemies).  The Madness is Cured when the Berserkergang Effect expires.  If the Target is already Mad he takes +1 to Level of Madness whilst Berserking.
  7. The Effect of the Berserkergang Power may be triggered at will by the Grantee on entering Melee, or may be triggered involuntarily if the Melee is ferocious (BTS 75% [Wp]).  It continues until he stops Fighting or is killed.

Berserkegang costs 225 Clerical Credit and is available to Northern or Kyrian Fighter / Clerics with Ft >= 15 in ESCUS, or who are Members of  ESCUS Bear or Boar Cults.

Failure to Fight fanatically for ESCUS at every opportunity regardless of one's own safety, or falling below -225 Clerical Credit may result in the Power being Revoked, temporarily or permanently.

Berserkers group together in Warrior Bands and go looking for fights for the greater glory of ESCUS, especially to slay Evils.  They form fearsome wedge formations in battle, but are prone to cut their way straight through the enemy and rampage out the other side, rather than follow any strategy.

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