Chapter 1 - Class - Character Kits - Dwarven Kits
Battlerager
Note: This kit is taken from the book Complete Book of Dwarves.
The Battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarf society and culture. He is a fearless
warrior, able to create an insane rage within himself which increases his fighting ability
and distorts his physical features.
While enraged, a Battlerager's face becomes twisted and his teeth grind together.
Spittle flies from his mouth and dribbles down his beard. His eyes enlarge, bulge, and
become bloodshot. Size increases (his height by an inch or more) as his muscles swell
and his body expands.
His fighting ability becomes awesome, allowing him to fight longer and harder than
any other dwarf. While in his rage, he is almost unstoppable. A dangerous enemy, he is a
menace to friend and foe alike.
A Battlerager must have a minimum Strength of 15 and Intelligence and Wisdom
scores no higher than 10.
Role: He is believed to have been touched by a dwarven deity, and is held in
reverence and fear by his fellows. Madness and irrational behavior are commonly
associated with Battleragers. Many believe that, if killed in battle, Battleragers return to
the earth, to be reborn with more power. Therefore they have no fear of death.
While there is no Battlerager Guild, they tend to band together and occupy outlying
sections of strongholds. They are given to drinking, rowdy and boisterous singing, and
drunken dancing. Others prefer not to socialize with Battleragers if possible. They are
quick to anger and will avenge any imagined insult with a battle axe.
In war Battleragers come into their own. Groups, and even individuals, will charge
ahead of the military to attack the enemy with no regard for their own safety.
In a campaign, Battleragers are dangerous not only to others but to themselves.Battleragers players must be reckless, never weighing the odds. They are argumentative,
coarse, and definitely not diplomats! "If it moves, kill it!" is the likely response of a
Battlerager. Most of them live short, often glorious, lives.
Secondary Skills: Battleragers have no secondary skills of any worth.
Weapon Proficiencies: Battleragers must specialize in battle axe (single or twohanded) and warhammer. Warhammers are thrown at enemies while charging, usually
accompanied by a battle cry such as "Stitch that, Goblin!" They cannot start with any
other ranged weapon proficiency, and it is forbidden to learn or use a ranged weapon.
(Unthinkable! Missile weapons are coward's toys!)
Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Intimidation, Singing.
Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Armorer, Blind-fighting,
Dancing, Direction Sense, Sound Analysis, Underground Navigation, Underground
Survival.
Equipment: Battleragers must start play with a battle axe and a warhammer. They
may wear any type of armor, but it must be slightly larger than required to accommodate
the increased size when in battle rage. They usually carry wineskins containing a vile
concoction of fermented goat's milk and herbs "gutshaker". They are the only creatures
known to drink gutshaker without becoming violently ill.
Distinctive Appearance: Battleragers are the most distinctive of warriors. With rings
through their noses, ears, and sometimes lips, they will dye their hair and beards vivid
colors. They often shave their faces and heads, sometimes leaving long tufts of hair that
are stiffened with lime or thick grease. Tattoos on the face and body in the form of spirals
and abstract designs are a source of intense pride for all Battleragers.
Special Benefits: They excel at fighting. Not only are they specialists with battle axe
and warhammer, they are able to enter a furious killing rage that endangers friend and foe
alike. They have little control over it. Any time one feels insulted, threatened, or when in
combat, he will bellow a battle song at the top of his lungs. After five rounds, during
which time he can fight or perform other activities, he enters the rage. This lasts until
there are no enemies left to slay. Whether enemies are standing to fight or lying wounded
on the ground, the Battlerager will hack them apart. He will then turn to anyone left alive,
even his friends. During the rage, Battleragers continue to sing, pausing only to scream
insults at foes.
A Battlerager can try to come out of the rage at the beginning of each round by
making a Wisdom check. If he succeeds, his rage ends and he suffers the effects below. If
not, he remains enraged. He may attempt withdrawal each round, until he succeeds.
He may attempt to prevent a killing rage by making a successful Wisdom check. If he
succeeds, he can control himself for the rest of the encounter. During the next five
rounds, he will gnaw ferociously on his shield rim or grind his teeth together in an effort
to control himself. If he fails the check, he enters the rage.
A silence spell will prevent him from entering a rage, but he will attack the character
who cast the spell, if he can tell who it was. If not, he will attack all who get in his way.
The Killing Rage: While in a killing rage, the Battlerager receives the following special benefits:
- +1 to attack, +3 to damage, +10 hp, and -1 bonus to his AC (e.g., AC 4 drops to AC 3).
- Immunity to these wizard spells (no saving throw necessary) charm person, emotion, fear, friends, hypnotism, sleep, irritation, ray of enfeeblement, scare, geas; and these clerical spells command, charm person or mammal, enthrall, cloak of bravery, remove fear, symbol.
- He gets a +4 saving throw bonus, on top of his dwarf bonus, against these wizard spells: blindness, Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter, hold person, charm monster, confusion; and against these clerical spells hold person, hold animal.
- The finger of death spell kills a Battlerager instantly, if he fails to make a saving throw. If he makes his save, he doesn't suffer the 2d8+1 points of damage until his killing rage ends.
- While in the rage, he is immune to KO results from the Punching and Wrestling rules and takes only half damage from bare-hand attacks.
Killing Rage Disadvantages: A Battlerager suffers the following disadvantages while enraged:
- He is oblivious to pain. The DM takes note of the Battlerager's current hit points when the character first enters his killing rage, reducing them as he takes damage. The player is not told how many points of damage he takes from enemy attacks, or how many he has left. He is only aware that he is enjoying himself tremendously. He is told how much damage his character has received when he falls over dead or the rage ends.
- He must continue to fight each melee round until all opponents have been killed. He may attack any enemy within range of his weapon. If none are in range, or once he kills an opponent, he must attack the nearest enemy.
- He cannot take cover from missile attacks.
- If another character does something that he interprets as an attack, such as hitting him to move him out of the way, he must roll an Intelligence check. If successful, the Battlerager may ignore his friend. If he fails, his friend becomes his enemy, and is treated as an enemy until the fight is over and the rage has passed.
- He is temporarily unaffected by the clerical spells bless, cure light wounds, aid, cure serious wounds, cure critical wounds, heal, regenerate, and wither. He only gains the benefits of these spells when he is not enraged.
- The taunt spell is automatically successful and causes him to abandon his current enemy and rush to attack the taunter.
- Once the rage is over, he loses all of its advantages, including the 10 bonus hit points. This could cause him to die instantly, or collapse unconscious, if he has 0 or less hit points remaining.
- After the rage subsides, he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack rolls, a -3 penalty to damage rolls, and +1 penalty to his AC. This effect remains for the same number of rounds that he was enraged.
Special Hindrances: Being a psychopathic killer with an axe is a special hindrance
in itself, particularly because he is a liability to himself and all who adventure with him.
Other dwarves react to Battleragers with a -3 reaction adjustment penalty. But instead of
attacking, they will withdraw. Other races automatically sense the latent violence in a
Battlerager and react to him with a -2 penalty, though they may not have enough common
sense not to attack him.
Wealth Options: The Battlerager receives the normal 5d4x10 gp.
