As (very) long-time readers may know, I have a certain fondness for the wild and weird world of Warhammer and its various offshoots. Admittedly I haven't played tabletop for about 15 years, what with moving house, country and occasionally continent, and also discovering that I was far more into the narrative and individual characters than a murderous tactical wargame really supported (hence my slide into RPGs). But I still find myself coming back to the ideas.

In a recent Pathfinder campaign, by which of course I mean one I started three years ago and haven't got close to finishing, a player was interested in a Khorne Berserker barbarian and had put together a suggested archetype. We tried it out with some revisions, and I've continued to tinker with it ever since. The version presented below is several steps removed from that, but nonetheless the core credit goes to Will rather than me.

This is the second in this themed series; the first was the Wellspring of Change spellcaster archetype.

Encarmine Berserker (Barbarian Archetype)

It is the gravest of errors to coax an encarmine berserker into his full rage, for battle and destruction are more than a necessity to the servants of the Blood God; they are a holy sacrament. The ferocity of a barbarian is reinforced by descent into a religious frenzy, unleashing a barely-contained boiling tide of fury.

Blood is life. It drives the actions of the living, and carries the gifts and memories of distant ancestors into the present. The vibrancy of existence is embodied in blood: the racing of a heart overwhelmed with excitement or with fear; the flushing heat of rage and love; the deep slow pulse that torments silent ears in the weary throes of melancholy. Blood brings life to the newborn, and death to the wounded; in the wild hunt and the kitchen alike, it bridges the gap between living and dead. The Blood God goes by many names, and their worship takes many forms, from the frenzied ecstasy of emotion-drunk acolytes to the meditations of surgeon-priests preparing their tools. In the veins of lovers, the hearts of mourners or the trickling from dying lips - it matters not whence or where the blood flows, only that it does not flow unappreciated.

Most infamous, however, are those who join their religious fervour with martial inclinations. Warriors sworn to the Blood God may be ferocious protectors of those whose sacred blood might be spilled, or cruel assassins who relish their power over the lives of others. Tales of gore and slaughter abound, and indeed there are many acolytes who find euphoria in killing for its own sake, and in letting the land run red. Others serve the Blood God not merely in carnage, but in the meeting of life and death: the unrivalled thrill of a desperate battle with their lives on the line, savouring the life-giving blood to its utmost as their veins sing, and offering it as a willing sacrifice if their god so chooses.

Table: Encarmine Berserker

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Ethos, scarlet rage, strength of arms, witch hate 2
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Gruesome finale, rage power
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Wake of carnage
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Improved gruesome finale
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Battle spirit guide, rage power, slayer’s intuition
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Blood god’s wager, damage reduction 1/-
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Rage power, witch hate 3
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Damage reduction 2/-, rage power
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Greater rage
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Rage power, slayer’s intuition +1
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Damage reduction 3/-
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Indomitable will, rage power
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Damage reduction 4/-, rage power, witch hate 4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Tireless rage
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Rage power, slayer’s intuition +2
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Damage reduction 5/-
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Mighty rage, rage power

Deity

An encarmine berserker must have the Blood God as his patron deity.

Ethos

An encarmine berserker may not retreat from a worthy fight, nor refuse a warrior’s death to any who demand it. An encarmine berserker can’t take levels of any class that grants spellcasting. These are considered a violation of his code of ethics, and he immediately loses the benefits of this archetype, reverting to a standard barbarian. He must atone for his transgressions (as the spell) in order to regain its benefits and any blessings of the Blood God.

Encarmine Weapons

For the purposes of this archetype, encarmine weapons include any non-light, non-finesseable melee weapons, as well as unarmed strikes and natural weapons. Abilities that allow you to treat a weapon as another type or benefit from abilities that apply to particular types of weapons (such as the Ascetic Style chain) don’t allow them to qualify as encarmine weapons.

Witch Hate (Ex)

The followers of the Blood God are taught to despise and condemn the deceptive arts of magic. An encarmine berserker suffers a -2 morale penalty on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks against arcane and psychic casters, but gains a +2 morale bonus on Intimidate and Sense Motive checks against them. This modifier increases to 3 at 8th level and 4 at 16th level.

Strength of Arms (Ex)

If the encarmine berserker’s Intelligence score is less than 13, it counts as 13 for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of combat feats. He can use Strength in place of Dexterity to qualify for combat feats that affect his attacks; if he does so, these benefits apply only while wielding encarmine weapons. For example, while wielding battleaxes, his Strength can be used to quality for Two-Weapon Fighting or Spring Attack, but not for Juke.

This ability replaces fast movement.

Scarlet Rage (Ex)

While raging, the encarmine berserker scorns self-defence. He suffers an additional -1 penalty to his AC and can’t fight defensively or use the total defence action. His attacks with encarmine weapons deal 1 point of bleed damage; this stacks with bleed from other sources and with itself. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the bleed damage and the AC penalty increase by 1. He can’t choose to deal nonlethal damage while raging, even with a merciful weapon or equivalent ability.

A scarlet rage is intoxicating, and emerging from it requires a series of prayers and catechisms. The encarmine berserker must make a Will save as a free action to end his scarlet rage. He is then affected as though exhausted for 10 minutes, although he can overcome these effects by meditating for three consecutive full-round actions. If he fails the Will save, he must roll 1d4 on the frenzy table below and continue to expend rounds of rage. He may repeat this Will save if he deals damage to an ally, and on each of his subsequent turns. The DC is 10 + 1/2 level, with a + 2 penalty if there is a psychic caster within 30ft. or within the area of effect of an ongoing psychic effect.

If forced out of a scarlet rage, backlash sears the encarmine berserker’s mind, leaving him staggered for 1 round, as well as exhausted as above.

This ability modifies rage.

Scarlet Rage Frenzy Table

Even during a scarlet rage, an encarmine berserker has a measure of moral and intuitive constraint. He isn’t compelled to take any action that would contravene his alignment. A non-evil encarmine berserker won’t harm noncombatants, helpless or surrendered creatures as a result of his frenzy, though he may mistake an allied warrior for an enemy. He won’t destroy objects of obvious importance to himself or anyone he cares about, or any object that he has a reason to protect or revere (such as the target of a quest or any item associated with the Blood God).

d6 roll	Behaviour
1	Perform a display of triumph as a full-round action.
2	Make a single attack against your latest victim, even if they are unconscious or dead.
3	As a move action, smash a solid object nearby to disperse pent-up energy (either as a Strength check or a Sunder combat manoeuvre).
4	Lash out violently, making a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus, aimed at a random square within reach.
5	Daub yourself with the blood of a fallen enemy or worthy ally; you move if necessary, but don’t recklessly endanger yourself to do so.
6	Close your eyes and mutter or howl to the Blood God as the thrill of battle overwhelms you. You are considered blind for 1 round.

An encarmine berserker cannot select the calm stance or guarded stance rage powers.

Gruesome Finale (Su)

The Bloody-Handed One gifts his followers with the ability to sustain themselves through carnage. From 2nd level, once per round when the encarmine berserker makes a kill with an encarmine weapon while in his scarlet rage, he regains hit points up to half the target’s hit dice. This applies only if the target’s hit dice are equal to or higher than half the encarmine berserker’s level.

At 5th level, he instead regains hitpoints equal to the target’s full hit dice on making a kill.

This ability replaces uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.

Wake of Carnage (Ex)

From 4th level, once per round when the encarmine berserker deals damage with a melee attack, he can make one additional melee attack against a different target as though using the Cleave feat. This bonus attack is a casual blow from a pommel, haft or backhand punch, and suffers a -5 penalty to hit (as though it were a secondary natural attack). It deals damage equal to a gauntlet of appropriate size, but does not count as a gauntlet or unarmed strike for other purposes.

This ability stacks with the additional attacks granted by the Cleave feat and its associated feats. This attack is not modified by feats which otherwise modify Cleave.

This ability replaces the rage power gained at 4th level.

Slayer’s Intuition (Ex)

At 6th level, the encarmine berserker uses his agility not to evade blows, but to throw himself upon a dodging foe. The encarmine berserker gains the benefits of the Anticipate Dodge feat while in a scarlet rage, but loses any dodge bonus he had. At 12th and 18th level, the maximum bonus from this ability increases by 1.

This ability replaces trap sense.

Battle Spirit Guide (Su)

The Blood God often sends his disciples a spirit guide in the form of a totem; these savage totems goad his bearers into ever-greater feats of bloodlust. At 6th level, the encarmine berserker selects a totem from Beast, Chaos, Cult, Daemon and Fiend. Once per day while raging, he can exchange any rage power he has for the lesser totem power of that totem; the exchange persists until he rests and recovers rage. At 10th level he can exchange a second rage power to gain the totem power, and at 14th level he can exchange a third rage power to gain the greater totem power.

Blood God’s Wager (Ex)

The followers of the Blood God pride themselves on shrugging off crippling wounds, yet the price of the challenge is keenly felt after each battle. At 7th level, the encarmine berserker gains a pool of glory dice (d4) equal to his class level. Whenever he resists damage through his damage reduction class feature during scarlet rage, he may roll one die and add this to the amount of damage resisted. However, when his scarlet rage ends, he must roll all the glory dice expended in the scarlet rage and suffer damage equal to the total; this damage cannot be reduced or redirected in any way.

His glory dice recharge when he rests and regains his rounds of scarlet rage.

This ability modifies damage reduction.

Feats

Blood God’s Scorn

You despite magic, and in resisting it you earn your deity’s favour.

Prerequisite(s): Worshipper of the Blood God

Benefit(s): Whenever you pass the initial saving throw against a spell or spell-like ability, you gain temporary hit points equal to 5 + the level of the spell. These hit points last for up to one hour.

Blood God’s Contempt

You resist magical assaults with every fibre of your being, whatever the cost in pain

Prerequisite(s): Worshipper of the Blood God, Blood God’s Scorn

Benefit(s): When you fail a saving throw against a spell or spell-like ability, as an immediate action you can sacrifice hit points equal to twice the effect’s caster level to reroll the save. This damage cannot be resisted or otherwise negated.

Blood God’s Triumph

Nothing brings you greater satisfaction than striking down enemy mages

Prerequisite(s): Worshipper of the Blood God, Blood God’s Contempt

Benefit(s): Whenever you reduce an enemy spellcaster to 0 or fewer hit points, you gain a +2 sacred bonus to damage rolls and AC. This bonus lasts for one minute. If you have the Dazzling Display feat, you can use it as an immediate action whenever you trigger this feat’s benefit.

Gifts of the Blood God

Whenever they would gain a rage power, an encarmine berserker can instead choose to gain one of the following blessings.

Mind Needles

You gain Cranial Implantation as a bonus feat, and can use it a number of times per day equal to your witch hate bonus. You can’t use your own needles to enhance spells, but during a scarlet rage, the device helps you shrug off mental control, granting a +1 bonus to saving throws against charm, compulsion and pain effects. The bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. Whenever an arcane or psychic spell is used within 15 feet of you, you suffer nonlethal damage equal to twice the spell’s level, unless it would cause you to fall unconscious.

Blessing of Slaughter

Despite his loathing of magic, the Blood God will still bestow benefits upon his disciples’ weapons. When you score a critical hit with an encarmine weapon during scarlet rage, your weapon gains one of the following enhancements of your choice, in addition to any existing abilities: cruel, courageous, dispelling, distracting, flaming, heartseeker, keen, mighty cleaving, ominous, thundering, vicious. This enhancement only functions while in scarlet rage and disappears once the scarlet rage ends. You must be at least a 4th-level barbarian to select this gift.

Call of Glory

Your religious fervour calls you to ever-greater heights in the service of the Blood God. Your glory dice increase by 1 die size (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12). You can select this power once at 8th level and one additional time for every 4 barbarian levels after 8th.

Acolyte of Sharks

The brutality of feeding frenzies inspires you to aquatic ferocity. You gain a +4 bonus on Swim checks while raging. If you have a swim speed or the raging swimmer rage power, whenever you succeed on a Swim check to fight underwater, your damage with encarmine weapons isn’t reduced (though you take attack penalties as normal). You count as having both Improved Unarmed Strike and the aquatic subtype for the purpose of qualifying for the Blood Frenzy Style feat and its dependent feats, and while using Blood Frenzy Style, your unarmed strikes are considered encarmine weapons for the purpose of class features dependent on using encarmine weapons.

Tuesday, 9 March 2021

Conversions: Encarmine Berserker