[3.5] Party of Frenzied Berserkers

[Kyouhen]

Greetings Playgrounders!

So, for the fun of it my friends and I have agreed to make a party of drunk dwarven frenzied berserkers the next time our DM decides to give us another high-level campaign. (Or one-shot session, or any time he gives us the ability to make an entire party of sufficient level) The general hilarious idea is that we want to be high enough level to get the ability to make nearby allies go into a frenzy when any of us enter a frenzy, and end up with a party that will go completely berserk at the drop of a hat.

Now, this obviously has the minor problem of what happens when we murder every potential source of our rage. Our current best strategies are to either just go unarmed and never actually kill anything, or to ask the DM if he'll homebrew an enchantment that will cause our weapons to do nonlethal damage against a specific race and choose dwarf.

So the question here is if anyone has any better ideas about how to go about doing this. Anyone have a better idea how to avoid accidentally murdering each other? (Knocking each other out is acceptable, just not murder)

[LanSlyde]

Greetings Playgrounders!

So, for the fun of it my friends and I have agreed to make a party of drunk dwarven frenzied berserkers the next time our DM decides to give us another high-level campaign. (Or one-shot session, or any time he gives us the ability to make an entire party of sufficient level) The general hilarious idea is that we want to be high enough level to get the ability to make nearby allies go into a frenzy when any of us enter a frenzy, and end up with a party that will go completely berserk at the drop of a hat.

Now, this obviously has the minor problem of what happens when we murder every potential source of our rage. Our current best strategies are to either just go unarmed and never actually kill anything, or to ask the DM if he'll homebrew an enchantment that will cause our weapons to do nonlethal damage against a specific race and choose dwarf.

So the question here is if anyone has any better ideas about how to go about doing this. Anyone have a better idea how to avoid accidentally murdering each other? (Knocking each other out is acceptable, just not murder)

Use Merciful weapons?

[avr]

It's been suggested that a beserker could use Iron Heart Surge to end a rage. If so, a warblade dip is your answer.

An NPC cohort with calm emotions or similar might work. Your long-suffering scribe recording your mighty deeds, perhaps.

[herrhauptmann]

It's been suggested that a beserker could use Iron Heart Surge to end a rage. If so, a warblade dip is your answer.

An NPC cohort with calm emotions or similar might work. Your long-suffering scribe recording your mighty deeds, perhaps.

While at the bar:
Dwarf1: You spilled my beer! GRAAH!
Dwarf2: GRAAH!!
Dwarf3: GRAAH!!!
Dwarf4: GRAAH!!!!
Elf bard: "Dangit, not again..."

You guys will definitely have to read up on how to make your berserkers so that they're not walking TPK's.

[StreamOfTheSky]

IH Surge does not work. You have to take a standard action to do it, but the frenzy requires you to attack. "If I can take a standard to use IH Surge, why can't I just waste my standards on [insert something else] and never get attacks other than AoOs instead?" Answer: You can't.

Righteous Wrath feat is the most "legit" method, in my opinion. The types of rage it does or does not apply to are vague, but considering it does jack nothing for actual barbarian rage, it's pretty reasonable to assume they had the frenzy in mind when writing it. And paying a feat to offset the major drawback of frenzy seems fair.

Or you could just all kill each other. It'd be entertaining, at least.

[Dumbledore lives]

Honestly for a one shot the idea of everyone killing each other at the end is quite amusing, especially if you get deathless frenzy so everyone goes to like -200 before they actually die. I mean for early combats just one person would go in frenzy, with the rest ready to grease or marbles or whatever but in the final combat just go all out and have a huge brawl with no one emerging victorious, a fitting end for a party of drunk dwarves.

[Kyouhen]

Use Merciful weapons?

Merciful would be great, except part of the problem with that is that it requires a command to activate/deactivate. If we're fighting undead we're going to turn it off, but then we'll run out of undead to kill and be wielding lethal weapons again. Which would be bad. :smalltongue:


It's been suggested that a beserker could use Iron Heart Surge to end a rage. If so, a warblade dip is your answer.

An NPC cohort with calm emotions or similar might work. Your long-suffering scribe recording your mighty deeds, perhaps.

We aren't really looking for a way to turn it off. We're doing this for the sole purpose of being really amusing and more or less trolling the DM. Most of us have played joke characters in previous sessions which have been huge hits. Now we're planning on making a full joke party, and we want to see how long we can keep a party that beats itself to death alive. :smalltongue:

[Kazyan]

See if you can get away with items of Repelling Shield. Anyone who hits you must make a Reflex Save or be pushed back 5 feet.

You'll still end up whacking each other, but that will break everyone's full attacks and make the dwarves bounce off each other like pinball bumpers. :smallbiggrin:

[Slipperychicken]

If you have ~210,000gp to blow, get items of Revivify for everyone, maybe mitigate the cost down to WBL by limiting it to the number of frenzies/day. Now you will revive after your crazy blood mania. Who needs weapons anyway? Just swing random objects like furniture and body parts at people.

The party is now an angry walking Valhalla. Odin would be proud.

[toapat]

See if you can get away with items of Repelling Shield. Anyone who hits you must make a Reflex Save or be pushed back 5 feet.

You'll still end up whacking each other, but that will break everyone's full attacks and make the dwarves bounce off each other like pinball bumpers. :smallbiggrin:

well, with the objective of "be a silly group", this is even better

[Lapak]

Designate one 'zerker per combat as the 'scout' and one as the 'berzerk.' When combat begins, the berzerk starts a Frenzy, and everyone else but the Scout fights normally (for now.) It's his job to run straight into enemy territory until he encounters something. If this is likely to be out of visual range, get a psionic item of Mindlink powerful enough to link you all so you all are aware of each other's enemies at all times. When he finds something, he Frenzies.

When the rest of you finish off your current targets, you can run up to join him - except one of you keeps on going until you find another enemy. Repeat. As soon as the first guy's Frenzy expires, he becomes the new Scout and runs ahead as soon as you are down to 1 group of enemies.

PROS:
- you never run out of enemies, thus never frenzy on each other (at least until you clear the entire enemy stronghold)
- you NEVER STOP FIGHTING
- by the fourth encounter, you are ALL FRENZYING, ALL THE TIME

CONS:
- you're probably not going to heal much during this process.

[nedz]

The standard trick is to optimise your will saves, but that's boring.

Instead everyone should take Leadership and bring along a Bard — though they will need some way of hiding from the madness — and you get to have backing music. You could then describe your dwarves as the Roadies from Valhalla.

[herrhauptmann]

The standard trick is to optimise your will saves, but that's boring.

Instead everyone should take Leadership and bring along a Bard — though they will need some way of hiding from the madness — and you get to have backing music. You could then describe your dwarves as the Roadies from Valhalla.

Pixie bards? Just ride in their backpacks where they cant actually get targeted.

[Urpriest]

I really like the idea of you all just fighting unarmed, because it would result in every battle potentially ending with all of you waking up in an unconscious pile.

[Darius Kane]

Remember that without IUS they might suck a little too much when fighting unarmed. Also they are still capable of dealing lethal damage, so depending on how the DM interprets "fighting to their best ability", this trick might not work.

[nedz]

It might be a bit too high level but could you not Astral Project in ?
In the worst case of a TPK you just reboot the party back at base.
Perhaps you could get this on a party item ?

This might be a bit tricky if you have a partial TPK however.

[Urpriest]

It might be a bit too high level but could you not Astral Project in ?
In the worst case of a TPK you just reboot the party back at base.
Perhaps you could get this on a party item ?

This might be a bit tricky if you have a partial TPK however.

Depending on your opt-level, I could totally see these guys beating a Nightmare into submission to give them free Astral Projections.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

While at the bar:
Dwarf1: You spilled my beer! GRAAH!
Dwarf2: GRAAH!!
Dwarf3: GRAAH!!!
Dwarf4: GRAAH!!!!
Elf bard: "Dangit, not again..."

You guys will definitely have to read up on how to make your berserkers so that they're not walking TPK's.

So basically we're doing D&D: Dwarf Fortress now?

[Jack_Simth]

Depending on your opt-level, I could totally see these guys beating a Nightmare into submission to give them free Astral Projections.
Well, a Nightmare is only 10th level for purposes of being a cohort from Leadership. Could work out very well... and they'd all have nifty horses.

[Acanous]

There is no situation in which this is not the best possible outcome.

[herrhauptmann]

So basically we're doing D&D: Dwarf Fortress now?

Maybe? Haven't played it before.

[toapat]

Maybe? Haven't played it before.

yes, they are.

Minus the use of babies as improvised bludgeons.

[Acanous]

That can be rectified.

[Kyouhen]

See if you can get away with items of Repelling Shield. Anyone who hits you must make a Reflex Save or be pushed back 5 feet.

You'll still end up whacking each other, but that will break everyone's full attacks and make the dwarves bounce off each other like pinball bumpers. :smallbiggrin:

Oooohhhh I like this idea. Then we need to wear nothing but spiked armour! :smallbiggrin:


If you have ~210,000gp to blow, get items of Revivify for everyone, maybe mitigate the cost down to WBL by limiting it to the number of frenzies/day. Now you will revive after your crazy blood mania. Who needs weapons anyway? Just swing random objects like furniture and body parts at people.

The party is now an angry walking Valhalla. Odin would be proud.

Frenzied berserkers with respawn? I like the sounds of this. And it would be hilarious to have actual scary bosses beat us down only to have us get back up and start foaming at the mouth again.


Designate one 'zerker per combat as the 'scout' and one as the 'berzerk.' When combat begins, the berzerk starts a Frenzy, and everyone else but the Scout fights normally (for now.) It's his job to run straight into enemy territory until he encounters something. If this is likely to be out of visual range, get a psionic item of Mindlink powerful enough to link you all so you all are aware of each other's enemies at all times. When he finds something, he Frenzies.

When the rest of you finish off your current targets, you can run up to join him - except one of you keeps on going until you find another enemy. Repeat. As soon as the first guy's Frenzy expires, he becomes the new Scout and runs ahead as soon as you are down to 1 group of enemies.

PROS:
- you never run out of enemies, thus never frenzy on each other (at least until you clear the entire enemy stronghold)
- you NEVER STOP FIGHTING
- by the fourth encounter, you are ALL FRENZYING, ALL THE TIME

CONS:
- you're probably not going to heal much during this process.

Speed run through the enemy fortress. I approve of this. Get some vampiric weapons and we're good to go. Just have to watch out for pit traps though, that could cause problems.


Remember that without IUS they might suck a little too much when fighting unarmed. Also they are still capable of dealing lethal damage, so depending on how the DM interprets "fighting to their best ability", this trick might not work.

That and all it takes is a single undead or construct to completely screw the party. Trust me, I've thought of this, and really wish we could just go the nonlethal route. Other options have included using only saps, or running around with merciful weapons that look like nerf swords/axes/etc. :smalltongue: They just all suffer the same issue of not working against things immune to nonlethal.

Also the DM has minor issues with Leadership. I don't want to follow any plan that relies on it as he's both banned and allowed it in the past.

Also loving some of these ideas guys, keep them coming! :smallbiggrin:

[gallagher]

Have everyone dual-wield saps. Extra penalties to hit with nonlethal damage and you get to hit eachother with glorified hackisacks on sticks.

Also, a halfling rogue with a skiprock might accidentally own your entire party

[Urpriest]

I've got it!

Purify Spell from Book of Exalted Deeds makes a spell deal no damage to good creatures, while still dealing full damage to evil, and more to evil outsiders. If you guys are all good, you won't be damaged by it. Then all you need is a weaponlike spell that can be two-handed (flame blade works, though there may be better choices) plus a way to cast it in rage (I recommend magic items, possibly custom, though you could also skip the problem if it has a long enough duration).

[Jack_Simth]

Also the DM has minor issues with Leadership. I don't want to follow any plan that relies on it as he's both banned and allowed it in the past.OK. Backup plan: Hire a casting (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spellcastingAndServices) of Simulacrum (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/simulacrum.htm) for your Nightmare (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightmare.htm), and have the hireling wizard tell the nightmare to follow your every command like it would his. Then depart with your fake nightmare.

Should cost:
7th level spell * 13th level caster = 910 gp for the spell slot
1000 xp = 5,000 gp for the xp component
3 HD (final result) * 100 gp/hd = 300 gp for the material component
=6,210 gp to hire the casting, if you can find someone to do it who's willing.

I've got it!

Purify Spell from Book of Exalted Deeds makes a spell deal no damage to good creatures, while still dealing full damage to evil, and more to evil outsiders. If you guys are all good, you won't be damaged by it. Then all you need is a weaponlike spell that can be two-handed (flame blade works, though there may be better choices) plus a way to cast it in rage (I recommend magic items, possibly custom, though you could also skip the problem if it has a long enough duration).
Make it a Searing Spell flame blade, and you're set (don't want to get slaughtered by the first fire elemental you run across, after all).

[nedz]

Well, a Nightmare is only 10th level for purposes of being a cohort from Leadership. Could work out very well... and they'd all have nifty horses.

The four riders of the Beerpocalypse.


yes, they are.
Minus the use of babies as improvised bludgeons.
Well,

Have everyone dual-wield saps. Extra penalties to hit with nonlethal damage and you get to hit eachother with glorified hackisacks on sticks.

Hmmm, babies as improvised saps :smalleek::smallyuk::smallfrown:

These characters were meant to be anti-heroes ?

What have we done ?:smallfrown:

[Darth Stabber]

Prepare for the alcoholocaust!

There is so much win in this plan.

If you can't figure out a way to stop the TPK, have one player be a human bard who follows you around, because there are going to be songs and stories about these guys. It worked for felix and gortek, I don't see why it wouldn't work with three gorteks.

[Cespenar]

Can't you force-end a frenzy with a will save? If so, pump Concentration, get Warblade 1 and grab Mind over Body (or whatever it's called) maneuver.

[Artillery]

Can't, Moment of Perfect Mind is a concentration check. Can't do concentration checks when frenzied/raging. Calm person works.

Pump constitution and get the feat that's adds you con instead of wis mod to your will save.
Steadfast determination.

[Slipperychicken]

Can't, Moment of Perfect Mind is a concentration check. Can't do concentration checks when frenzied/raging. Calm person works.

Pump constitution and get the feat that's adds you con instead of wis mod to your will save.
Steadfast determination.

Get a Luck Blade or other reroll in case you roll a 1.

[nedz]

Prepare for the alcocaust!

There is so much win in this plan.

If you can't figure out a way to stop the TPK, have one player be a human bard who follows you around, because there are going to be songs and stories about these guys. It worked for felix and gortek, I don't see why it wouldn't work with three gorteks.

I like this, they could be the three Scousers :smallbiggrin:
But one player might feel left out, and what happens when the plan goes wrong and he gets dropped ?


Can't you force-end a frenzy with a will save?

There are plenty of ways of doing this — but these were called out as boring quite a way up thread.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Weren't there a set of feats in Races of Stone that let you throw allies? This gives me an idea...

Basically, whenever you run out of enemies, you throw each other (or chase the people being thrown) into the next encounter.

[Mishkov]

Weren't there a set of feats in Races of Stone that let you throw allies? This gives me an idea...

Basically, whenever you run out of enemies, you throw each other (or chase the people being thrown) into the next encounter.

Or have one guy be the more "reasonable" one. Take a level of monk with him, pump his will save through various boring methods. Maybe make him be a goliath and have his grapple be better.

Whenever you run out of people, he starts throwing everyone away from each other so you don't kill each other...much.

[nedz]

I think that this can all be done with a Cohort, there are several options.
The Cohort needs to be able to keep out of the way and then calm things down later. Almost any mind effecting SLA or spell will suffice. Cohorts with some additional utility would be useful.

[golem1972]

Did something vaguely similar one kinda hazy night. A little short on details, did I mention the night was a little hazy?

All goliath party. Gestalt dragon shaman (ice) // brawler variant goliath barbarians / frost rager / frenzied berserker. We did a lot of cold damage that also healed us. I think we might have used flaws to be troll blooded.

Anyway it started out as a good idea. Probably inspired by one of the rumplminz (sp?). There might or might not have been a quest to find dire polar bears for mounts.

[Da'Shain]

Instead everyone should take Leadership and bring along a Bard — though they will need some way of hiding from the madness — and you get to have backing music. You could then describe your dwarves as the Roadies from Valhalla.I am stealing this for usage in the near future as the METAL!!! campaign.

That is all.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I think that this can all be done with a Cohort, there are several options.
The Cohort needs to be able to keep out of the way and then calm things down later. Almost any mind effecting SLA or spell will suffice. Cohorts with some additional utility would be useful.

Pixie Bards would work. At-will Improved Invisibility and Flight ought to keep them safe from their more destructive counterparts.

[nedz]

I am stealing this for usage in the near future as the METAL!!! campaign.
You're welcome :smallcool:

Pixie Bards would work. At-will Improved Invisibility and Flight ought to keep them safe from their more destructive counterparts.

They would work very well, but do they go with Dwarf Roadies ?

Half-Fey Gnomes have less LA, and would be similar — or Half-Fey Hobbits ?

Elves would lampshade a cliché.

But really it has to be Dwarves — More Dwarves, especially drummers.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You're welcome :smallcool:


They would work very well, but do they go with Dwarf Roadies ?

Half-Fey Gnomes have less LA, and would be similar — or Half-Fey Hobbits ?

Elves would lampshade a cliché.

But really it has to be Dwarves — More Dwarves, especially drummers.

Two words:

Hey! Listen!

[Kyouhen]

I've got it!

Purify Spell from Book of Exalted Deeds makes a spell deal no damage to good creatures, while still dealing full damage to evil, and more to evil outsiders. If you guys are all good, you won't be damaged by it. Then all you need is a weaponlike spell that can be two-handed (flame blade works, though there may be better choices) plus a way to cast it in rage (I recommend magic items, possibly custom, though you could also skip the problem if it has a long enough duration).

Hmmm, tempting. Only problem is we've fought various celestials out of nowhere before, and the DM would probably be quick to argue that attacking the nearest ally "To the best of our ability" would result in us dropping the magic weapon and engaging in fisticuffs. Then again the idea of having saps as a backup weapon would be hilarious. :smalltongue:


Prepare for the alcoholocaust!

There is so much win in this plan.

If you can't figure out a way to stop the TPK, have one player be a human bard who follows you around, because there are going to be songs and stories about these guys. It worked for felix and gortek, I don't see why it wouldn't work with three gorteks.

The DM actually has a fondness for bardic DMPCs. We don't need to do anything to bring a bard along as we're bound to find one before long anyway. :smalltongue: (I think we're on our 3rd or 4th one in his current campaign. That's total. We currently have access to 3 or 4 bards.)


Weren't there a set of feats in Races of Stone that let you throw allies? This gives me an idea...

Basically, whenever you run out of enemies, you throw each other (or chase the people being thrown) into the next encounter.

You need to be large size to get it and it only lets you throw enemies one size smaller than you. :smallfrown:

...Hmmm, where did those rules for Tiny McBigHuge go? Slight build and powerful build at the same time should cover it. :smalltongue:

~~~

Also another possible tactic would be for all of us to just smack ourselves a few times for nonlethal before we go anywhere. We'd have less HP overall, but we'd have more of a buffer where we'd be knocked out before we actually die. Not that this works if we end up being high enough level for the deathless rage thing.

Also if we have enough gold for it I'm tempted to suggest everyone get an item of continuous Delay Death and burn feats for Diehard. :smalltongue: Either way a continuous item of lesser vigor would probably be called for since whatever plan we go with we'll probably end up beating each other with nonlethal attacks. Anything to get us awake and moving again quickly is a good thing.

[toapat]

Hmmm, tempting. Only problem is we've fought various celestials out of nowhere before, and the DM would probably be quick to argue that attacking the nearest ally "To the best of our ability" would result in us dropping the magic weapon and engaging in fisticuffs. Then again the idea of having saps as a backup weapon would be hilarious. :smalltongue:



The DM actually has a fondness for bardic DMPCs. We don't need to do anything to bring a bard along as we're bound to find one before long anyway. :smalltongue: (I think we're on our 3rd or 4th one in his current campaign. That's total. We currently have access to 3 or 4 bards.)



You need to be large size to get it and it only lets you throw enemies one size smaller than you. :smallfrown:

...Hmmm, where did those rules for Tiny McBigHuge go? Slight build and powerful build at the same time should cover it. :smalltongue:

~~~

Also another possible tactic would be for all of us to just smack ourselves a few times for nonlethal before we go anywhere. We'd have less HP overall, but we'd have more of a buffer where we'd be knocked out before we actually die. Not that this works if we end up being high enough level for the deathless rage thing.

Also if we have enough gold for it I'm tempted to suggest everyone get an item of continuous Delay Death and burn feats for Diehard. :smalltongue: Either way a continuous item of lesser vigor would probably be called for since whatever plan we go with we'll probably end up beating each other with nonlethal attacks. Anything to get us awake and moving again quickly is a good thing.

Tiny Von BigMcLargeHuge only qualifies for every official printed size when that would be beneficial as according to the rules. So he has:

+8 attack bonus
+16 to hide
+16 to grapple and tactical manuevers
can fit into spaces of at least 3"
Has carrying capacity equal to 24 times normal for his strength.
Has reach of 30'
Is Unthrowable