Rage v Berserk

[tedcahill2]

One is triggered manually, the other triggered by dropping to a certain HP value.

Anyone have any experience with these? Which do you prefer?

[Venger]

Rage is better. You don't want to rely on getting hurt.

[Necroticplague]

rage>berserk. Berzek provides better bonuses (dr X/, and the bonus is to all saves, not just Will), but requires you to not just be 'at low health' but basically "knocking on death's door". Plus, the size of of the HP window doesn't scale very well with level, and only scales with Barbarian levels (which, I find is typically only useful as a dipping class for whichever totem variants are useful for you). So at higher levels, it's not horribly unthinkable to go from 'not berzerking' to 'dead', without any time to enjoy your Stregnth. The action cost for normal Rage is A: fair enough, since basically everyone has some buff they wanna get up round 1, and B: mitigatable by use of other mechancis (Like the Instantaneous Rage feat, which does exactly what it says).

[KillianHawkeye]

The action cost for normal Rage is A: fair enough, since basically everyone has some buff they wanna get up round 1, and B: mitigatable by use of other mechancis (Like the Instantaneous Rage feat, which does exactly what it says).

Not sure what you mean by this. Rage is already a free action. Instantaneous Rage just lets you enter rage on someone else's turn.

[Necroticplague]

Not sure what you mean by this. Rage is already a free action. Instantaneous Rage just lets you enter rage on someone else's turn.

Derp, I thought it was normally a standard action. That just tips things even more in normal Rage's favor.

[Mr Adventurer]

Yeah, rage is better.

However I'd love to play a 'fixed' berzerk barbarian - where anything that stacks or advances Rage also advances Berzerk, it counts as rage for other effects, etc.

Then play a Bear Warrior. You turn into a bear whenever you get too angry!

[CharonsHelper]

Then play a Bear Warrior. You turn into a bear whenever you get too angry!

Could the bear be green and talk about himself in the third person?

[Twurps]

Could the bear be green and talk about himself in the third person?

step 1: Be a regular human, of for more fun: a halfling.
step 2: qualify for, and then take 3 levels of stoneblessed (RoS) for stonebond->Goliath, you now count as a goliath to for all things related to rage.
Step 3: take a level of barbarian, with the goliath Acf that turns you to 'huge' when you rage. instantaneous rage feat recommended for extra fun.
Step 4: Take Frenzied berserker, just for Laughs.
Step 5: profit

you're now just a small halfling, but at the drop of a hat (or more accurately: once you get hit and fail your save, probably on purpose) you turn LARGE, frenzied and raging. HULK SMASH!!

bonus points if you work intimidating rage and fling enemy into your build.

Back on topic: Rage over berserk anytime, exept if you have a permanencied 'delay death' and 'beastland ferocity' spell active.

[Venger]

step 1: Be a regular human, of for more fun: a halfling.
step 2: qualify for, and then take 3 levels of stoneblessed (RoS) for stonebond->Goliath, you now count as a goliath to for all things related to rage.
Step 3: take a level of barbarian, with the goliath Acf that turns you to 'huge' when you rage. instantaneous rage feat recommended for extra fun.
Step 4: Take Frenzied berserker, just for Laughs.
Step 5: profit

you're now just a small halfling, but at the drop of a hat (or more accurately: once you get hit and fail your save, probably on purpose) you turn LARGE, frenzied and raging. HULK SMASH!!

bonus points if you work intimidating rage and fling enemy into your build.

Back on topic: Rage over berserk anytime, exept if you have a permanencied 'delay death' and 'beastland ferocity' spell active.
love the hulk trick, but one small clarification:

mountain rage does not make you huge when you use it, just large, filling in all the gaps that remain from powerful build. it doesn't stack with powerful build letting you deal huge weapon damage.