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About this mod
This mod is a ring that grants several berserker flavor bonuses. See description and images for more info! Rage on!
- Permissions and credits
3/2/24: Undergoing a revamp of this mod. Fixing several issues and making it more focused. Updates coming over the next several days.
I've archived all older versions of this mod, and the current version is available and explained below.
This mod is inspired by the idea of the "berserker" from some old stories and myths. While, the term "berserker" isn't really used much in sources, it has, in modern times, developed into a pretty approachable concept that a lot of modern characters and stories have portrayed. With this mod, I'm choosing to take specific inspiration from the concepts of the berserker from Norse myths, sagas, Beowulf, and JRR Tolkien.
More specifically, the inspiration is from the following characters and sources:
1) Bodvar Bjarki from Hrolf Kraki's saga (and even his father, Bjorn)
2) Beorn from The Hobbit
3) Grettir from Grettir's Saga
4) Egil from Egil's Saga
5) Beowulf from Beowulf
6) Verrrrry loosely some tiny concepts from the Prose and Poetic Eddas
7) Verrrrry loosely based on some general concepts of ancient animism
8) Northern Courage from JRR Tolkien
I mentioned that there isn't really a clear-cut definition of the berserker from our sources. Media will tell you that berserkers were well defined and were rage monsters in battle. Sources don't make it so clear and neat. However, based on my study of the material, and given that there is enough room for some leeway, I choose to interpret the concept of the "berserker" as a warrior who may have taken some inspiration from animals and tried to apply some of that ferocity in battle. I think the "bear shirt" seems plausible and I have little doubt that some warriors would wear bear, or other animal pelts into battle for some form of psychological advantage. Otherwise, I think they were generally just champion fighters. I don't think they necessarily had to be "barbarian" types. Berserkers, to me, tend to take on more of the concept of "Nothern Courage" that Tolkien weaved into his stories. Berserkers weren't just rage monsters - they could be any type of person. As such, the mod was also designed to be played as any class, without the need to have to choose the Barbarian class.
I'm also pulling heavy on the idea of the "bear." I think the bear really captures the essence of what the "berserker" is, particularly if the origin is truly of men wearing "bear skins" and perhaps even acting like a bear in battle or other situations. Interestingly, humans do share a common ancestor with the bear through evolution. Although, those genetic similarities split millions and millions of years ago (and those shared genes are pretty basic things that most mammals share today), it does tie into some of the more ancient ideas and tropes that fantasy stories like this like to pull from, so it is just sort of a cool wink to that connection.
That's enough of the lecture. Wrapping all of those thoughts and concepts into one thing results in this mod.
There are two versions of this.
Bodvar Version: This is intended to be more balanced, but is still very powerful. It grants you an adjusted version of Bear Rage as well as the ability to shapeshift into a Cave Bear at will. There are no adjustments to the Cave Bear wildshape and has no scaling (unless you're a druid). Honestly, it's mostly there just for flavor, but should be helpful in early game.
Bear Rage for this version grants you the following:
- No cost to activate
- Lasts for 30 turns
- One use per long rest
- 5 bonus damage to all attacks
- Triggers Fury of the Marrow on activation which will do a total of 15 Force damage in a 5m radius
- Regain full HP upon activation
- Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, Saving Throws
- Grants 2 additional action points per turn
- Grants 10m of extra movement
- Doubles jump distance
- Ignores fall damage
God Version: This is intended to be broken. Everything can be cast as much as you want and you turn into an invincible berserker, doing incredible damage and getting 20 attacks per round. Very broken.
I've archived all older versions of this mod, and the current version is available and explained below.
This mod is inspired by the idea of the "berserker" from some old stories and myths. While, the term "berserker" isn't really used much in sources, it has, in modern times, developed into a pretty approachable concept that a lot of modern characters and stories have portrayed. With this mod, I'm choosing to take specific inspiration from the concepts of the berserker from Norse myths, sagas, Beowulf, and JRR Tolkien.
More specifically, the inspiration is from the following characters and sources:
1) Bodvar Bjarki from Hrolf Kraki's saga (and even his father, Bjorn)
2) Beorn from The Hobbit
3) Grettir from Grettir's Saga
4) Egil from Egil's Saga
5) Beowulf from Beowulf
6) Verrrrry loosely some tiny concepts from the Prose and Poetic Eddas
7) Verrrrry loosely based on some general concepts of ancient animism
8) Northern Courage from JRR Tolkien
I mentioned that there isn't really a clear-cut definition of the berserker from our sources. Media will tell you that berserkers were well defined and were rage monsters in battle. Sources don't make it so clear and neat. However, based on my study of the material, and given that there is enough room for some leeway, I choose to interpret the concept of the "berserker" as a warrior who may have taken some inspiration from animals and tried to apply some of that ferocity in battle. I think the "bear shirt" seems plausible and I have little doubt that some warriors would wear bear, or other animal pelts into battle for some form of psychological advantage. Otherwise, I think they were generally just champion fighters. I don't think they necessarily had to be "barbarian" types. Berserkers, to me, tend to take on more of the concept of "Nothern Courage" that Tolkien weaved into his stories. Berserkers weren't just rage monsters - they could be any type of person. As such, the mod was also designed to be played as any class, without the need to have to choose the Barbarian class.
I'm also pulling heavy on the idea of the "bear." I think the bear really captures the essence of what the "berserker" is, particularly if the origin is truly of men wearing "bear skins" and perhaps even acting like a bear in battle or other situations. Interestingly, humans do share a common ancestor with the bear through evolution. Although, those genetic similarities split millions and millions of years ago (and those shared genes are pretty basic things that most mammals share today), it does tie into some of the more ancient ideas and tropes that fantasy stories like this like to pull from, so it is just sort of a cool wink to that connection.
That's enough of the lecture. Wrapping all of those thoughts and concepts into one thing results in this mod.
There are two versions of this.
Bodvar Version: This is intended to be more balanced, but is still very powerful. It grants you an adjusted version of Bear Rage as well as the ability to shapeshift into a Cave Bear at will. There are no adjustments to the Cave Bear wildshape and has no scaling (unless you're a druid). Honestly, it's mostly there just for flavor, but should be helpful in early game.
Bear Rage for this version grants you the following:
- No cost to activate
- Lasts for 30 turns
- One use per long rest
- 5 bonus damage to all attacks
- Triggers Fury of the Marrow on activation which will do a total of 15 Force damage in a 5m radius
- Regain full HP upon activation
- Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, Saving Throws
- Grants 2 additional action points per turn
- Grants 10m of extra movement
- Doubles jump distance
- Ignores fall damage
God Version: This is intended to be broken. Everything can be cast as much as you want and you turn into an invincible berserker, doing incredible damage and getting 20 attacks per round. Very broken.