Berserking as an Action or Mod?

[leska]

I have been playing around with asgardians a bit and I've had one character I made i never felt she was where she should be. Like, she is a part of a Asgardian tribe of bersekers. Her main advantage is going into a state of primal rage where she becomes in lack of a better term, a juggernaut. But I always felt like maybe her berserking would be better done as maybe an action than a transformation. Because she isn't becoming a monster just she's brining out her anger to use as a weapon.

I know in folk lore about berserkers, they would fall into a trance and go into the rage mode. I've been tinkering with it as an action but not sure how to go about that or the idea entirely. Anyone have any tips or advice?

[Brainstem]

Transform Self. Done.

[WildKnight]

I don't see that there has to be any one "right" way to do this. Whatever works for your game. My most likely choice would be to make it a Modifier that "turns on" once the character takes damage, enhancing the character's strength (and probably toughness) depending on the cost of the Modifier. It would probably also necessarily limit their action choices (a berzerker shouldn't be able to fly a ship or hack into a network while berzerk). That's how I would do it, but not the only way it could be done, depending on the group's preferences. There's no reason it couldn't be an enhancement action

[Brainstem]

My biggest issue is that Transform Self, poorly written though it may be, exists for these kinds of characters. Alternatives could be dropping Actions by a CL if you only use them at a certain point when not raging, but the issue there is that there's really no reason not to be raging. If the character is in a combat situation, the character will rage and the "powered down" aspect of the character is meaningless. It's great for roleplay, but mechanically doesn't necessitate making up new rules to accommodate. The best house rule I've seen for this kind of power is Power Up/Power Down. The cost is pretty insignificant, probably 0r for this (1r for the Modifier, -1r because it's Out of Control), but it reflects, without much complication, that your character has a less powerful form while also recognizing that this less powerful form doesn't necessitate any kind of mechanical benefit.

Also, I apologize for my shortness in response earlier. It was late and I overlooked the part where you mentioned not wanting to use Transform Self.

[lilithsboy]

It is a modifier may I direct you to page 24 of the core rule book.

[shazam]

Pg 4 of the MURPG House Rules there's a Modifier called Rage that could do that but its not so much control as it just happens, the Core Rules for Hulk are....iffy, I don't think they even have anything for it till the Avengers book. While Wildknight is correct is stating there is no "one" method, you might want to consider either a buff up form or a power that you can argue makes you stronger, like say...Growth, but you don't "literally" grow you just get the STR & DUR bonuses.

[WildKnight]

Mar 2, 2015 22:17:44 GMT -5 Brainstem said:

My biggest issue is that Transform Self, poorly written though it may be, exists for these kinds of characters.

... but its poorly written and frankly, sucks. 8) The RAW of this system is pure sewage.

[Gris]

Even if the system as written is quite bad (and there is no way I will deny that) it's also malleable and versatile. In this case it depends on the depiction of that anger you want to portray. A transform self (retouched since it sucks, as it had been said) sounds like a little bit too much for the effect. The "no-growing growth" solution presented isn't half bad either. You could also bake some kind of "catch all" action like Concentration or some kind of modifier like Claws or even some middle ground (an action that creates modifier stones, like psi weapon) and rebrand it to suit you.

I would personally try with this: Example with Psi-Weapon:

Generic Combat Power Up Action (CL = AN + 3)
* You can spend stones that remain on the action box while conscious and they can combine as a weapon modifier to combat actions.
Options:
- Berzerker Rage (CL - 1) The character suffers a conditional modifier to all non-combat actions equal to the stones on this action box.
- Full Tilt (CL - 1) If you put stones in this action, you have to put the maximum amount possible by the AN. If you don't have enough, the action can't be used.
+ Weaponized Rage (CL +2) This action does not longer count as a weapon modifier, thus allowing you to use a weapon with it.

MaybeProbably the CL things are wrong, but I guess that you get the picture.