Berserker

When an enemy attacks you and deals damage, you must make a Self-Control + Focus check or fly into an adrenaline-induced violent frenzy. You may spend a Fate point to avoid the frenzy and the Self-Control check, you may also voluntarily fail the check. You remain Berserk for a number of rounds equal to your (temporarily enhanced) Endurance score, or until all enemies are disabled, whichever comes first. You may spend a Fate point to exit the Berserk frenzy.

In your rage, you must engage in combat; you may not use an item unless it has a direct offensive capability, you will always seek to advance to melee range and may not use ranged attacks while there are melee opponents to fight. You may under no circumstances back down, surrender, or flee. You take a −4 to any Skill checks that are not combat-oriented or augmented by your frenzy.

You will attack combatants hostile to you first, followed by whoever is at hand. Once you engage an enemy, you must attack it exclusively until it is dead (unless the enemy puts itself out of your reach). If there are no combatants left besides allies, you may make a second Self-Control check. Allies can attempt to placate you using either a Leadership or Negotiate check against a DL of 18.

Each time you end a Berserk frenzy, you move one place down the Condition Track as the process has exhausted your body. As is normal for impaired Condition, the penalties go away once the character has rested.

Many other Trumps and Faults put a great strain on the Berserker character — in particular, Peacemaker/Pacifist and Called. Such a character may have to go to great lengths to atone for his actions while gripped by rage.

The bonuses listed below can exceed your normal racial limits.

Incompatible with

• Perspective

Ranks

1. Bloodlust

5 points

You gain a +2 bonus to your Muscle (and thus Attacks rolls), Endurance (and thus Defense rolls), and Courage (and thus Fear Saves).

2. Bloodbath

5 points

Your bonuses while frenzied are: +4 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage.

3. Carnage

5 points

Some think allies with Carnage are a liability. While going Berserk your bonuses are: +6 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage. You are unable to speak in your Berserk state, except for guttural screams and growls.

4. Slaughter

5 points

+8 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage.

5. Massacre

5 points

A Berserker who can Massacre is a whispered nightmare among soldiers; a ruthless killing machine that stands on a mountain of corpses. You gain +10 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage. You can keep attacking even if reduced to 0 Health Points with the expenditure of a Fate point. Nothing short of the disintegration of your body or severing of all of your limbs can cease your rage (even without a head, your body will still wildly flail at the nearest target).