Early Edition Barbarians

[ryuplaneswalker]

So, I got in an argument with someone involving the Thematics of what a "Berserker" is and I was hoping that maybe someone around here had the template for the Early Barbarian classes who I imagine are something of a template for how the current Berserk classes in RPGs work. Would anyone have a template or some rules for a Raging Berserker build from the early days of DnD?

[Digitalelf]

So, I got in an argument with someone involving the Thematics of what a "Berserker" is and I was hoping that maybe someone around here had the template for the Early Barbarian classes who I imagine are something of a template for how the current Berserk classes in RPGs work. Would anyone have a template or some rules for a Raging Berserker build from the early days of DnD?

The Barbarian class first appeared in AD&D in Dragon Magazine Issue #72, and then later appeared in Unearthed Arcana.

The 1st Edition Barbarian had no "Rage" ability (as far as I can find, looking in the UA), and in 2nd edition, there was no Barbarian class until much much later in that edition's run. And when it finally did appear, it was nothing like the 1st edition class...

[lunaticfringe]

This blog (http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/36289/barbarians-vs-berserkers) article might help.

[Khedrac]

I have a memory that Avalon Hill RuneQuest (3) covered Berserks in the Vikings supplement, but the system is so different to D&D I don't think a meaningful comparison can be drawn.

One thing I would say is that if somoene did write something like 3.5 rage for AD&D it would not grant strength bonuses, instead it would grant modifiers on most things affected by strength.
Stats over 18 (or 18 00) were very very hard to get and were pretty strictly "beyond human" in their abilities.
To be honest, in many ways the entire way characteristics worked was changed between 2nd Ed AD&D and D&D 3.0.

[Thrudd]

So, I got in an argument with someone involving the Thematics of what a "Berserker" is and I was hoping that maybe someone around here had the template for the Early Barbarian classes who I imagine are something of a template for how the current Berserk classes in RPGs work. Would anyone have a template or some rules for a Raging Berserker build from the early days of DnD?

The first Barbarian class was more about being anti-magic. It was sort of like a paladin, but instead of needing to be good and destroy evil, they needed to reject arcane magic and attempt to destroy it. In return for hating and destroying magic items and refusing to be in a party with any magic users, their class ability was to have AC and extra damage that scaled with level to make up for not having magic items; they actually received an XP award for destroying magic items. They also were able to command barbarian hordes when they became higher level.

Early Berserkers were a type of monster/human NPC that got a bonus to hit and damage, attacked anything/everything, and didn't wear armor.

[Re4XN]

In 2nd Edition, the Berserkers are a fighter kit that enables them to "achieve an ecstatic state of mind that will enable him to fight longer, harder, and more savagely than any human being has a right to.". They have been touched by supernatural forces which they use to defend their people. These are the guys who have access to the "Rage" ability (called "Go Berserk"), gaining To Hit and Damage bonuses and AC penalties (and I think they also get temporary Health Points).

That main difference between the Barbarians and the other Fighters is that they get 1d12 Health Points per level, instead of the standard 1d10.

At least, this is the impression I have.

[2D8HP]

Berserker in The Dragon #3 (http://annarchive.com/files/Drmg003.pdf)

Barbarian in Dragon #63 (http://annarchive.com/files/Drmg063.pdf)

[Elderand]

There were earlier berserker than this, but not as PC class.
They were mentionned as far back as Od&d in the monster booklet.

[Toofey]

I always looked to the battleragers in "Dwarves Deep", and the Bezerker Rashemi from "Spellbound" for Bezerker inspiration in 2nd ed, but yeah "barbarian" didn't necessarily imply bezerker yet.

[hamlet]

Personally, I've never been a fan of the "Barbarian" as a class. Ever.

Barbarian is a social-political classification (earliest definition was, I believe, simply "not Roman"), not a character class.

That's a semantic argument though.

The early edition Barbarian was not a berserker, as has been noted above. The class was much more closely modeled on the REH stories of Conan and Kull. I think, really, it was 2nd edition that brought in the idea of a Berserker in the format that we would largely recognize today rather than the original Monster Manual entry where they were just noted as being crazy and getting some mild to-hit bonuses.

The berserker kit in the Complete Fighter's handbook was quite good, though I've always modified it slightly. The 10 minutes to rage countdown was always an issue for me, but instead of cutting it out, I left it there and added in some triggers that would cause the character to enter a rage unwillingly: such as taking a certain amount of damage, or a mortal enemy (recurring villain so to speak), or something like that. And once that was handled, the player had to have a successful save the end the rage or he'd start turning towards other PC's to sate his bloodlust.

The Hackmaster game (the old one) actually handled it fairly well too with the "HackFrenzy" and "HackLust" quirks which every Berserker got at the same time. Easily adaptable really.

[Thrudd]

Personally, I've never been a fan of the "Barbarian" as a class. Ever.

Barbarian is a social-political classification (earliest definition was, I believe, simply "not Roman"), not a character class.

That's a semantic argument though.


Greek (barbaros), derived from the Greek's derisive description of what non-Greek speaking people sound like when they talk: "bar bar bar", basically unitelligible babble.

I agree, I don't like it as a class, either. It's not a thing you can train to be, not a profession or set of skills. It's a label other people give you because you seem strange or wild/uncivilized to them.

[thorr-kan]

Now I want to play a Barbarian (CompBarb) Berserker (CompFighter).