Syne
2008-07-27, 05:00 PM
Conditioned Berserker: Description
A man is standing in the corpse-ridden hall before you. He is breathing heavily, leaning on his bloody sword. Bits of gore still drip from it, and its point leaves marks of blood on the marble floor. He seems to be staring at nothing, oblivious to the pile of dismembered body parts and organs at his feet.
Suddenly he gives a loud grunt, and surveys the room. As he turns towards you, you see his face, distorted and tight in a mockery of human expression. There are red stains around his lips and his eyes are open wider than you’d think was possible. He makes a bizarre sound, something between a grunt and a scream, and starts babbling insanely about pain, and blood, and fear, and death. Especially yours. You and your companions ready yourselves as he, or possibly it, wildly charges in your direction.
Conditioned Berserkers are the result of deranged psionic experiments on humanoids. These are beings whose minds were fully and utterly shattered, and then reassembled at the best of the psionicist’s ability. The goal, in most cases, was to create a perfect fighting machine, oblivious to pain and death, without the loadstone of conscious thought to drudge it down. The goal was fully accomplished, perhaps even better than expected. The human body and mind hide much power, locked behind the iron seal of consciousness. Breaking that seal can be dangerous, however. Even after the rigorous conditioning given to the Berserker, the controller is only partially immune from his rage, which defies all logic and sense.
Conditioned Berserkers, while unprovoked and uncommanded, do nothing but babble incoherently, usually about the rigors of their conditioning, not even bothering to eat, drink or defend themselves from obvious threats. When commanded or attacked, however, they immediately enter a wild rage and kill all those in the vicinity, except for the controller, though even the controller is not 100% safe. Their power is the strongest near-death.
One of the unexpected, but not unwelcome (by their creators, of course), aspects of the Conditioned Berserker is the strength of their insanity, which leaks it and distracts all nearby creatures with mad and perverted thoughts.
Conditioned Berserker: Rules Information
“Conditioned Berserker” is a template that can be added to any living humanoid or monstrous humanoid.
Conditioned Berserkers cannot speak coherently but can understand common. They are capable of communicating basic messages, such as 'yes' or 'no'.
Size and Type: The creature type is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Unchanged, except that the Conditioned Berserker gains full BAB for every hit die.
Speed: Same as base creature.
Armor Class: Unchanged.
Attack: A Conditioned Berserker retains all the attacks of the base creature. If the base creature can use weapons, the Conditioned Berserker retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A Conditioned Berserker fighting without weapons uses his natural weapons (if any) or his unarmed attack. A Conditioned Berserker armed with a weapon uses its weapon.
Full Attack: A Conditioned Berserker fighting without weapons uses either his natural weapons (if any) or its unarmed strike. If armed with a weapon, he usually attacks with the weapon
Special Attacks
A Conditioned Berserker retains all special attacks of the base creature, except those that rely on concentration and intelligence, including all psi-like and spell-like abilities, and special attacks derived from class levels.
Special Qualities
The Conditioned Berserker retains all special qualities of the base creature except those that rely on concentration and intelligence, including all psi-like and spell-like abilities, and special qualities derived from class levels.
Damage Reduction (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker has 5/-- Damage Reduction.
Turbulent Mind (Su): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to all mind-affecting effects that do not stem from his own abilities, as well as any effect that deals damage or drain to mental ability scores.
Any creature attempting to detect the thoughts of a Conditioned Berserker must make a Will save or suffer 4d6 points of damage and become confused for 2d4 rounds.
Tireless (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to fatigue, exhaustion, and non-lethal damage.
Unconscious Thought (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to all unconsciousness and sleep effects.
Interference (Su): Uncontained insanity and psychic noise radiate from the Conditioned Berserker at all times. All creatures within 30 feet of the Conditioned Berserker must make Concentration checks (DC 10 + ½ HD + Charisma modifier) to cast spells or manifest powers.
Conditioned Frenzy (Ex): When a Conditioned Berserker is attacked, affected by any pain effect or an effect that deals continuous damage, or when ordered to do so by its controller, the Conditioned Berserker enters a Conditioned Frenzy. During the Conditioned Frenzy it gains a +8 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +4 bonus to Will saves, a -4 penalty to AC, can make one additional attack when making a full attack action, and an immunity to pain effects. Once he has entered the Conditioned Frenzy the Berserker will proceed to attack all creatures within line of sight except for its controller until all are slain. This effect lasts for 1 minute or as long as the Conditioned Berserker suffers the continuous damage or pain effect (whichever is longer). At the end of the Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker is dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Insane Frenzy (Ex): If a Conditioned Berserker falls under 10% of its maximum health while in a Conditioned Frenzy he enters an Insane Frenzy. During an Insane Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker's actions are random. Every round, roll d% to determine how the Conditioned Berserker acts:
{table=head]Action | Roll
Attack nearest creature, except controller | 0-50
Attack nearest creature, including controller | 51-70
Attack controller; if not within 1 move or less, attack nearest creature| 71-80
Become Shaken for 1 round, reroll | 81-100
[/table]
The Conditioned Berserker gains a +16 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +8 morale bonus to Will saves, his damage reduction increases to 10/--, he may perform two additional attacks when taking a full attack action, and he gains fast healing 5. The Conditioned Berserker leaves the Insane Frenzy if his health rises above 20% of its (new) maximum health. After leaving an Insane Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker remains in a Conditioned Frenzy for at least 1 minute.
If the Berserker's Conditioned Frenzy ends while he is also in an Insane Frenzy he does not become dazed until after the following Conditioned Frenzy ends.
Abilities: Strength +6, Dexterity +6, Constitution +6, Wisdom 1, Intelligence 3.
Skills: Unchanged.
Feats: Conditioned Berserkers lose all feats gained from class features. All Conditioned Berserkers gain Power Attack and Die Hard as bonus feats.
Environment: Any.
Organization: Solitary or with controller.
Challenge Rating: ½ * HD + 5
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Level Adjustment: --
Notes
Anyone has an idea for a better name?
A man is standing in the corpse-ridden hall before you. He is breathing heavily, leaning on his bloody sword. Bits of gore still drip from it, and its point leaves marks of blood on the marble floor. He seems to be staring at nothing, oblivious to the pile of dismembered body parts and organs at his feet.
Suddenly he gives a loud grunt, and surveys the room. As he turns towards you, you see his face, distorted and tight in a mockery of human expression. There are red stains around his lips and his eyes are open wider than you’d think was possible. He makes a bizarre sound, something between a grunt and a scream, and starts babbling insanely about pain, and blood, and fear, and death. Especially yours. You and your companions ready yourselves as he, or possibly it, wildly charges in your direction.
Conditioned Berserkers are the result of deranged psionic experiments on humanoids. These are beings whose minds were fully and utterly shattered, and then reassembled at the best of the psionicist’s ability. The goal, in most cases, was to create a perfect fighting machine, oblivious to pain and death, without the loadstone of conscious thought to drudge it down. The goal was fully accomplished, perhaps even better than expected. The human body and mind hide much power, locked behind the iron seal of consciousness. Breaking that seal can be dangerous, however. Even after the rigorous conditioning given to the Berserker, the controller is only partially immune from his rage, which defies all logic and sense.
Conditioned Berserkers, while unprovoked and uncommanded, do nothing but babble incoherently, usually about the rigors of their conditioning, not even bothering to eat, drink or defend themselves from obvious threats. When commanded or attacked, however, they immediately enter a wild rage and kill all those in the vicinity, except for the controller, though even the controller is not 100% safe. Their power is the strongest near-death.
One of the unexpected, but not unwelcome (by their creators, of course), aspects of the Conditioned Berserker is the strength of their insanity, which leaks it and distracts all nearby creatures with mad and perverted thoughts.
Conditioned Berserker: Rules Information
“Conditioned Berserker” is a template that can be added to any living humanoid or monstrous humanoid.
Conditioned Berserkers cannot speak coherently but can understand common. They are capable of communicating basic messages, such as 'yes' or 'no'.
Size and Type: The creature type is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Unchanged, except that the Conditioned Berserker gains full BAB for every hit die.
Speed: Same as base creature.
Armor Class: Unchanged.
Attack: A Conditioned Berserker retains all the attacks of the base creature. If the base creature can use weapons, the Conditioned Berserker retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A Conditioned Berserker fighting without weapons uses his natural weapons (if any) or his unarmed attack. A Conditioned Berserker armed with a weapon uses its weapon.
Full Attack: A Conditioned Berserker fighting without weapons uses either his natural weapons (if any) or its unarmed strike. If armed with a weapon, he usually attacks with the weapon
Special Attacks
A Conditioned Berserker retains all special attacks of the base creature, except those that rely on concentration and intelligence, including all psi-like and spell-like abilities, and special attacks derived from class levels.
Special Qualities
The Conditioned Berserker retains all special qualities of the base creature except those that rely on concentration and intelligence, including all psi-like and spell-like abilities, and special qualities derived from class levels.
Damage Reduction (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker has 5/-- Damage Reduction.
Turbulent Mind (Su): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to all mind-affecting effects that do not stem from his own abilities, as well as any effect that deals damage or drain to mental ability scores.
Any creature attempting to detect the thoughts of a Conditioned Berserker must make a Will save or suffer 4d6 points of damage and become confused for 2d4 rounds.
Tireless (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to fatigue, exhaustion, and non-lethal damage.
Unconscious Thought (Ex): The Conditioned Berserker is immune to all unconsciousness and sleep effects.
Interference (Su): Uncontained insanity and psychic noise radiate from the Conditioned Berserker at all times. All creatures within 30 feet of the Conditioned Berserker must make Concentration checks (DC 10 + ½ HD + Charisma modifier) to cast spells or manifest powers.
Conditioned Frenzy (Ex): When a Conditioned Berserker is attacked, affected by any pain effect or an effect that deals continuous damage, or when ordered to do so by its controller, the Conditioned Berserker enters a Conditioned Frenzy. During the Conditioned Frenzy it gains a +8 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +4 bonus to Will saves, a -4 penalty to AC, can make one additional attack when making a full attack action, and an immunity to pain effects. Once he has entered the Conditioned Frenzy the Berserker will proceed to attack all creatures within line of sight except for its controller until all are slain. This effect lasts for 1 minute or as long as the Conditioned Berserker suffers the continuous damage or pain effect (whichever is longer). At the end of the Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker is dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Insane Frenzy (Ex): If a Conditioned Berserker falls under 10% of its maximum health while in a Conditioned Frenzy he enters an Insane Frenzy. During an Insane Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker's actions are random. Every round, roll d% to determine how the Conditioned Berserker acts:
{table=head]Action | Roll
Attack nearest creature, except controller | 0-50
Attack nearest creature, including controller | 51-70
Attack controller; if not within 1 move or less, attack nearest creature| 71-80
Become Shaken for 1 round, reroll | 81-100
[/table]
The Conditioned Berserker gains a +16 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +8 morale bonus to Will saves, his damage reduction increases to 10/--, he may perform two additional attacks when taking a full attack action, and he gains fast healing 5. The Conditioned Berserker leaves the Insane Frenzy if his health rises above 20% of its (new) maximum health. After leaving an Insane Frenzy the Conditioned Berserker remains in a Conditioned Frenzy for at least 1 minute.
If the Berserker's Conditioned Frenzy ends while he is also in an Insane Frenzy he does not become dazed until after the following Conditioned Frenzy ends.
Abilities: Strength +6, Dexterity +6, Constitution +6, Wisdom 1, Intelligence 3.
Skills: Unchanged.
Feats: Conditioned Berserkers lose all feats gained from class features. All Conditioned Berserkers gain Power Attack and Die Hard as bonus feats.
Environment: Any.
Organization: Solitary or with controller.
Challenge Rating: ½ * HD + 5
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Level Adjustment: --
Notes
Anyone has an idea for a better name?