Berserk
From Harath Rules
| Cost: | -5 CP/level |
| Description: | When you are hit in combat you are prone to go on an all-out attack, with no thought to defending or retreating. At it’s most extreme, this state lasts until all of your enemies or you are dead! |
| Gameplay: | You must make a Will roll (TN=4) every time you are injured in combat. Note that this Disability also has a form of advantage as well. While in the throws of your Beserk rage, you never need to roll Heroism rolls. |
Common situational modifiers that can add or subtract levels to overcome your Beserk tendencies:
- Severity of injury
- Repeated injuries
- Already Berserk
This Disability provides specific ramifications for failing your Will roll:
| -Ss | Character’s Reaction | Attack Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | N/A |
| 1 | Calculated strong attack vs. one who injured you | +2 Str |
| 2 | Immediate strong attack vs. one who injured you | +4 Str, -1 Skill |
| 3 | Determined strong attack vs. one who injured you | +6 Str, -1 Skill |
| 4 | Wild strong attack vs. one who injured you | +8 Str, -2 Skill |
| 5 | Frenzied strong attack vs. one who injured you | +10 Str, -2 Skill |
| 6 | Frenzied srong attack vs. nearby enemies | +12 Str, -3 Skill |
| 7 | Frenzied strong attack vs. all enemies | +14 Str, -4 Skill |
Sheldon has Beserk=3 and Will=5. He is fighting a pair of armed Orcs, and has just suffered his third wound, a nasty one. He avoided going Beserk after the first two wounds, but this one is more significant. Because of the repeated wounds and the severity of this one, the GM assesses a 3-level penalty to Sheldon’s Berserk (now=6). Sheldon rolls 5 dice for Will, managing just 3 Ss. Since he needed 6 Ss, he failed by 3 Ss. Sheldon loses control of his ability to restrain his anger, and begins a determined attack against the Orc that just wounded him, completely ignoring the second Orc. His adrenaline starts pumping overtime, lending Sheldon a temporary 6-point boost in Str, although the frenzy with which he attacks causes his sword skill to suffer a 1-point penalty. Should he kill the Orc before being wounded again, his Berserk rage will dissipate, allowing him to behave normally while fighting the remaining Orc.