|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 12:36PM
#1
|
Date Joined:
Jun 27, 2011
|
i just noticed the Berserker the other day and I don't think I got so pumped up over playing a class in a long time. I always like being a defender but being able to put some dps as a tank is sometimes hard to do. Anybody played them yet and if so how would you consider building him feat and skill wise. Half Orc seems to be the best choice for race with the racial stats and Furious Assasult.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:06PM
#2
|
|
|
Unless there's a racial feat you need, I generally favor Thri-Kreen over Half-Orc. The core features and racial power are a bit better, and +2 speed on charges vs. +1 speed always isn't really a major tradeoff.
Anyway, the basic problem to overcome as a Berserker is that your martial power options will generally suck, and as soon as you use a primal one you're switched out of defender. This means that you need to find a way to get other powers that are competitive with your barbarian picks, or drop your defender aspirations and just strike away. (This is less of a problem at low levels, a massive problem at high levels.) If you want a character who defends and strikes flexibly, a straight or hybrid fighter may be more to your taste.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:17PM
#3
|
Date Joined:
Jul 27, 2009
|
Yeah, Half Orc's are ideal. As to Builds for him... he JUST came out yesterday (officially)... That being said Frost cheese is still good for him, and so it charging. Build wise.... like I said he just came out yesterday. But here is my Heroic tier projection for my human Berserker. Level 1
Show
18 Hp:26 Healing surges: 8 Ac 20/18
11 +7 to hit, DPR (in Fury) 15. (6.5+4.5+4)
16
8
13
10
Arid Desert Heartland Berserker, pack outcast.
At wills: Stalking Strike, Jaring smash, and Run Down.
Enc: Batter Down
Daily: Thunder Hooves Rage
Feats: Full Blade Prof, and Unarmored Agillity.
Level 10
Show
20 Hp= 80, AC= 28/26 (15+3+4+2feat+ 2 enchantment+2defender Aura)
11 Fort= 21 Ref= 21 Will=17
18 To hit= 14 DPS= 1d12+1d8+5+1+2(enchantment)=19
8
13
10
At wills: Stalking Strike, Aggresive Lunge (retrained at 5), and Run Down.
Enc: Batter Down
level 3: Brutal Slam
Level 7:Curtain of Steel
Daily: Thunder Hooves Rage
Level 5: Feral rampage
Level 9: Eye of the maelstrom
Utillity:
Level 2:Bite of the Wolf (Pack Outcast option)
Level 6: Cull Weakness
Level 10: Circle of Battle
Feats:
Level 1: Full Blade Prof, (Human)Unarmored Agillity
Level 2: Berserk Vitality
Level 4: Two Handed Weapon Expertise (or Master at Arms... I can't decide..)
Level 6: Weapon Focus
Level 8: MC: Battle Awareness
Level 10: World Serpent's Grasp
Battle Crazed Fullblade (+2)
Bloodthread
Tactic wise, my Defender tactic is to focus on slowing and generally drawing fire to take advantage of my higher AC and pushing me closer to Bloody. When I no longer need to defend (because we have blunted their primary push, or because I am needed more as a striker.) Then i use Brutal Slam to enter my Fury. While in Fury I'll have 1d12+1d8+5+1+2+2d6=26 Base DPR, and I'll have the higher AC still.
Bite of the Wolf is to prone anyone I like (what with now having CA against anything next to me)
Cull Weakness is for when I want to push my Damage up 4 points to finish off the weaker foes faster (the CA doesn't stack, so i am considering trading this for Run Rampant or Wilderness Step.)
Circle of battle is fun because it can get your friends out of harms way as well as giving you some movement cancelation. Sadly it's just against one foe... but that can be helpful still.
Feat Wise it should all be pretty obvious, World Serpent's Grasp is to add some more prone to things
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:30PM
#4
|
Date Joined:
Jun 30, 2008
|
My big issue from skimming the berserker is that it discourages you from raging. And barbarian rages are very good. By late heroic you should be raging most encounters, usually in the first round, assuming a 5 encounter day.
And in Epic if you go with a barbarian paragon path you can rage 5 times a day, which means you should generally start off almost every encounter with a rage to get the full effect from it.
And you lose out on the good thaneborn and rageblood barbarian class features and power riders.
I don't see you getting enough to make those losses worth the trade.
my handbooks & builds
Show
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:36PM
#5
|
Date Joined:
Oct 16, 2007
|
My big issue from skimming the berserker is that it discourages you from raging. And barbarian rages are very good. By late heroic you should be raging most encounters, usually in the first round, assuming a 5 encounter day.
And in Epic if you go with a barbarian paragon path you can rage 5 times a day, which means you should generally start off almost every encounter with a rage to get the full effect from it.
The berserker is discouraged from raging for as long as he wants to be a defender, but I think there's a good argument that you should open up every Berserker Fury with an immediate action or a rage, in order to maximize your striker-ness for the remainder of the encounter.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:36PM
#6
|
Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
|
fyi, many of the encounter powers are primal powers and not all of the dailies are rages.
The concept does not "discourage" raging. What it means is that raging has a mechanical, role-based impact. The only reason you would be "discouraged" from raging is if you still value being a defender. Which is fine.
Now, if you are one of those characters who may be a defender more often, then you can take the martial daily powers. Hell, one of them is a L1 daily that's a 4[W] attack that can be used on a charge. That's easily competitive with Rage Strike (which is only 3[W] for a level 1), even for a PHB2 Barbarian. It could very well be a good choice to have more nova-this-encounter rather than another raging encounter.
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:37PM
#7
|
Date Joined:
Oct 28, 2010
|
You... get to be a pretty effective defender until you rage, as opposed to big and scary but more-or-less ignorable if you can shift.
I like the class for the flexibility it offers. It can be a competent striker, or a competent defender (roughly on a part with the Knight, given its slowing martial at-will), and it can do both, at will, when you want it to.
Maybe it won't excel at either role if you build for both, but I get the impression from reading the class, that it will be better than most off-defenders at defending, and better than most off-strikers at striking.
Some jacks-of-all-trades can be useful and fun, despite what the more rabid among us oppers would have people believe.
I'm really looking forward to playing one.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:39PM
#8
|
Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
|
Precisely. The Berserker is shaping up to be an excellent "fifth man" class.
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:44PM
#9
|
Date Joined:
Jun 30, 2008
|
I do have to say torrent of destruction is great for a regular barbarian to take, especially if he has boosted his speed at all.
my handbooks & builds
Show
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Nov 16, 2011 - 1:44PM
#10
|
Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
|
Just to note: a L1 18/18 str/dex Berserker with Defender Aura up has 19 AC. With a 2h weapon. For comparison, a L1 18/18 Warden has to use a heavy shield to get 19 AC. This means a berserker can start out with a poelarm and not have an AC loss, and can get Hafted Defense to boost it further. Within the constraints of being a defender aura defender, the Berserker is certainly no slouch.
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
|
|
|
