I always felt that beserking was never just a fanaticism spell, it should be much much more. These people should be truly feared for what they are, killing machines. The person without fear of death is the most frightening foe to face.
Beserking
By Martin Laurie, 1995
Knowledge Skill (00%)
This skill is available to several major and minor religions. The most noted
are Storm
Bull, Zorak Zoran, Urain, Babeester Gor and Basmol.
Usually initiates of these faiths are the only people to get this ability
(beginning at 5%+
Knowledge bonus), gained during the initiation rituals themselves. However in
all
barbarian cultures with a history of violence there is a 5% chance that any
individual of a
warrior background also has this skill.
This skill cannot be increased with training, it must be improved with experience.
Warriors with the power of the beserk within them are terrifying in their battle
rage.
Often, in beserkers who have stayed alive for some time, the catalysts for such
rages
become easier and easier to find. Every time a beserker is presented with a
confrontation
situation, or is wounded, a beserking roll must be made. As the initiate
becomes more and
more prone to the rage, they are like timebombs, waiting to explode. This can
be very
dangerous in a place full of non-combatants, like a town for example.
To come out of a beserk rage a warrior must either be calmed by a Chalana Arroy
healer
or roll his/her INT as a percentage.
Rune Masters of these cults (except Urain) gain a greater degree of control and
roll INT x
5 or less to leave the rage. In most cases a beserker must reach Rune Mastery
or become
a great danger to the world around him.
Effects:
(1). A beserker has his Strength and Constitution multiplied by 11/2 and his
Dexterity by
11/4.
(2). He can no longer parry or dodge.
(3). His defense is halfed.
(4). All attacks are made at 11/2% of normal skill level.
(5). Wounds that bring any location to a minus level can be ignored on a
successful
Constitution x 5 roll. However bleeding is not stopped and any severed location
is still
severed. It is quite likely that a beserk will actually be dead of wounds yet
in his fury,
keep fighting.
(6). Mind effecting magics have less effect on the raging furnace of the
beserkers brain.
Abstract this at his POW x 11/2 against these spells.
(7). A beserk can keep going till he collapses exhausted, but as they gain
superhuman
strength and endurance from their rages this may take some time.
Powered by hypermail