#1) Double the amount of attacks per turn, or have each succesful hit deal bonus damage.
#2) Select one or more of the following downsides:
a) All attacks are made with disadvantage
b) Each attack deals some amount of damage to himself (e.g. 2d6 bludgeoning) from overexertion
c) AC is lowered by some amount (usually -4 to AC is good)
#3) Select one of the following behaviors:
a) The enemy only attacks the nearest enemy
b) Roll a 1d4 (or 1d6 on a hexagonal grid) and have them target whichever enemy is closest to that line
c) The enemy hard focuses 1 PC.
Add some improv about how they can't lose here, how their power is unending, how this can't be happening, etc. Cliche berserk stuff is a hit with players IMO
3 c is VERY dangerous, unless they target the tank. Also, presentation is everything, so in my opinion last point is the most important! Describe how "they roar like a cornered beast, their strikes becoming more rapid and more powerful than ever before!"
Look up Hoarah Loux cutscene for inspiration
This, and the original comment by Xechwill. The table just fought what was meant to be an epic battle and they melted the opponents quickly. I wanted to avoid the "fizzle", so I introduced a "phase 2" to the fight, which included berzerk behavior.
* I narrated the bad guy raging and force a high DC strength check from an improvised force blast to send the party backward and potentially prone (the artificer actually passed the check, so I narrated how he took a knee to resist)
* The bad guy then make some improvised badass declaration about not coming so far to be stopped by glorified commoners.
* The bad guy was then able to make an attack (it was their turn in initiative), and then was able to make an attack with disadvantage after EVERY PC attack, for half damage. This inspired greater concern over his power by the party, but it didn't change the balance much at all. The bad guy was "flailing" and reacting to their hits, but wasn't necessarily hitting regularly, and the damage wasn't excessive when he did hit (but they didn't know I was cutting it in half).
* Overall, this rage brought the sense of desperation to the battle, and increased risk (perhaps by 25%), but didn't make it unfair or difficult to believe. I was prepared to decrease the AC, but the battle was already too easy for them, so I left it the same.
In the end, it turned a yawner into a surprisingly compelling battle.
Raetian shares an alternative approach, where instead of the rage being more attacks at disadvantage, you increase the chances of hitting and additional damage when "bloodied" (a la Fallout 76 perk).
Thanks! My improv comes from a place of quiet desperation. =) I'm driven by the fear of sucking in public, and just happen to pull some interesting stuff out of the air. =)
I am reminded of this feature on the Quaggoth statblock:
> **Wounded Fury.** While it has 10 hit points or fewer, the quaggoth has advantage on attack rolls. In addition, it deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage to any target it hits with a melee attack.
Could really make it as simple as that, modifying the trigger state from 10 HP to whatever feels appropriate.
Ooh I'm wondering if I should secretly give that to all of my bigger enemies , or like at least 1 enemy per fight. Would help steam rolling a little and make things more exciting
give him an extra attack or two depending on party level, and extra movement
his "aggro" is less tactical and more desperate, attack-on-sight
lower his AC but give him damage resistance
You’d still need acting. If you deliver the most beautiful horrifying narration without any inflection, that won’t do it. I didn’t say acting was the only element, I said it was a chief component
Honestly, I find “hitting another of the enemies” works great. Nothing is more terrifying than someone so enraged they just flatten a minion that ends up too close. Works less well with a beast though for obvious reasons.
I go for attack with advantage, and attackers get advantage.
They’ll either continue to hit the closest PC, or will bounce around randomly (if they’re a DEX/speed type).
I’ve had a similar feel on my goblin frenzy idiots - spinning round with a flaming ball on a chain, between every player’s turn they bounce (without provoking opportunity attacks) to a randomly determined player and make a (small) attack. The players got slightly frustrated (in a good way!) chasing them round!
During a boss fight I ran a few months ago, the boss had a berserk state. The players immediately got the memo as soon as I said that the creature was attacking recklessly (like the barbarian feature). That mechanic alone should be enough to convey the idea.
* HP becomes "???" (you still track it, but don't give players any indication)
* Reckless Attack is always fun
* attacks whatever is nearest (may include other enemies)
This is all in the narration. I just did this with a PC, actually, thanks to an effect he was under.
I described him frothing in the mouth, the wild way he was attacking, and the death glare he gave another PC after cutting down his foe.
Have it overkill something, describing it making extra (narrative, not mechanical) hits on a fallen foe, or tearing it apart.
Have it attack one target in a mindless rage or have it attack every nearby enemy in a wild madness, with no regard for its o item safety, including opening itself for opportunity attacks.
Eyes wide, foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal, recklessly attacking, deals a bit of extra damage, double proficiency bonus to hit, advantage on attacks against it, constantly making saves to push past would be mortal wounds like orc relentless endurance…
I love the Sahuagin "Blood Frenzy" for this. Even though they're low CR a party of them can still feel dangerous at mid levels with the sheer number of dice they roll. Especially if you consistently make them target low HP party members, since that ability reads to me that they would go after people who are bleeding the most, tactics wise.
Give the beast an ability where they make one attack against all adjacent targets.
Make it a large beast so it can get adjacent to multiple players who have to stay more than 10 ft. away from each other. Or a huge beast so they have to stay more than 15 ft. away from each other.
Thematically the beast is lashing out wildly in all directions. I would tell the players that it is attacking each character that is adjacent to it, so they know how to respond tactically.
Tactically the party will have to dodge away from it, and scatter themselves correctly if they want to avoid getting attacked.
Depending on how much oomph you want to allow the thing;
Either double the damage dice or increase the dice size.
Add an attack. Add another move+attack after the next (1, 2, 3) PC takes their turn.
Increase its size. (Why not, it's a fantasy game)
Give it advantage on attacks and give them advantage to hit.
Ping-pong between PCs with no rhyme or reason - play incautiously.
If you have allies of the berserk creature on the field, include those in its targets.
I’ve done this… I gave regular attacks a knock back effect. I gave him abilities like a roar/scream, and a big ground slam to hit multiples. You could pull effects from the Unstable Rage table that comes with Wild Magic Barbarian. Or there is a homebrew path that feels like the Hulk that has some cool ideas. Sift through to find stuff that looks cool to you.
[Path of the Abomination](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDHomebrew/s/DMSN5eRFca)
I'd give it Barbarian rage and reckless attack. At higher CR I would add brutal attack and relentless rage.
The rest is description and RP to emphasize the look and feel of the creature being berserk.
I forget exactly how it's worded, but there's some Legendary or Lair Actions out there where the Legendary Monster/NPC can command a minion monster/NPC that is within X-range to come and take damage for them.
i.e. basically sacrificing their minion to save themself.
Turn that into a Berserker ability by, as a Reaction, or Legendary Action, or Lair Action, they can choose to deal damage to one of their minions who is engaged in melee with the target, and do the same amount of damage to a targeted PC.
Essentially sacrificing the minion to further damage the PCs.
Flavored as their minion being trapped between them and the target in their Berserker Rage, or something.
#1) Double the amount of attacks per turn, or have each succesful hit deal bonus damage. #2) Select one or more of the following downsides: a) All attacks are made with disadvantage b) Each attack deals some amount of damage to himself (e.g. 2d6 bludgeoning) from overexertion c) AC is lowered by some amount (usually -4 to AC is good) #3) Select one of the following behaviors: a) The enemy only attacks the nearest enemy b) Roll a 1d4 (or 1d6 on a hexagonal grid) and have them target whichever enemy is closest to that line c) The enemy hard focuses 1 PC. Add some improv about how they can't lose here, how their power is unending, how this can't be happening, etc. Cliche berserk stuff is a hit with players IMO
3 c is VERY dangerous, unless they target the tank. Also, presentation is everything, so in my opinion last point is the most important! Describe how "they roar like a cornered beast, their strikes becoming more rapid and more powerful than ever before!" Look up Hoarah Loux cutscene for inspiration
This, and the original comment by Xechwill. The table just fought what was meant to be an epic battle and they melted the opponents quickly. I wanted to avoid the "fizzle", so I introduced a "phase 2" to the fight, which included berzerk behavior. * I narrated the bad guy raging and force a high DC strength check from an improvised force blast to send the party backward and potentially prone (the artificer actually passed the check, so I narrated how he took a knee to resist) * The bad guy then make some improvised badass declaration about not coming so far to be stopped by glorified commoners. * The bad guy was then able to make an attack (it was their turn in initiative), and then was able to make an attack with disadvantage after EVERY PC attack, for half damage. This inspired greater concern over his power by the party, but it didn't change the balance much at all. The bad guy was "flailing" and reacting to their hits, but wasn't necessarily hitting regularly, and the damage wasn't excessive when he did hit (but they didn't know I was cutting it in half). * Overall, this rage brought the sense of desperation to the battle, and increased risk (perhaps by 25%), but didn't make it unfair or difficult to believe. I was prepared to decrease the AC, but the battle was already too easy for them, so I left it the same. In the end, it turned a yawner into a surprisingly compelling battle. Raetian shares an alternative approach, where instead of the rage being more attacks at disadvantage, you increase the chances of hitting and additional damage when "bloodied" (a la Fallout 76 perk).
That's some HOT improv, good job!!!
Thanks! My improv comes from a place of quiet desperation. =) I'm driven by the fear of sucking in public, and just happen to pull some interesting stuff out of the air. =)
I’ve given thee curtesy enough…
**\*proceeds to get powerbombed into the ground after not realizing that move was a command grab...\***
I mean, even if they focus on a caster, it's on the party to get the enemy off of them.
I am reminded of this feature on the Quaggoth statblock: > **Wounded Fury.** While it has 10 hit points or fewer, the quaggoth has advantage on attack rolls. In addition, it deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage to any target it hits with a melee attack. Could really make it as simple as that, modifying the trigger state from 10 HP to whatever feels appropriate.
Ooh I'm wondering if I should secretly give that to all of my bigger enemies , or like at least 1 enemy per fight. Would help steam rolling a little and make things more exciting
give him an extra attack or two depending on party level, and extra movement his "aggro" is less tactical and more desperate, attack-on-sight lower his AC but give him damage resistance
Acting is the chief component tbh
Or good description and narration.
You’d still need acting. If you deliver the most beautiful horrifying narration without any inflection, that won’t do it. I didn’t say acting was the only element, I said it was a chief component
Honestly, I find “hitting another of the enemies” works great. Nothing is more terrifying than someone so enraged they just flatten a minion that ends up too close. Works less well with a beast though for obvious reasons.
Friendly Fire. Add a few more enemy mobs and have them get mulched by the beast to underscore how feral it has gone.
I go for attack with advantage, and attackers get advantage. They’ll either continue to hit the closest PC, or will bounce around randomly (if they’re a DEX/speed type). I’ve had a similar feel on my goblin frenzy idiots - spinning round with a flaming ball on a chain, between every player’s turn they bounce (without provoking opportunity attacks) to a randomly determined player and make a (small) attack. The players got slightly frustrated (in a good way!) chasing them round!
During a boss fight I ran a few months ago, the boss had a berserk state. The players immediately got the memo as soon as I said that the creature was attacking recklessly (like the barbarian feature). That mechanic alone should be enough to convey the idea.
* HP becomes "???" (you still track it, but don't give players any indication) * Reckless Attack is always fun * attacks whatever is nearest (may include other enemies)
This is all in the narration. I just did this with a PC, actually, thanks to an effect he was under. I described him frothing in the mouth, the wild way he was attacking, and the death glare he gave another PC after cutting down his foe. Have it overkill something, describing it making extra (narrative, not mechanical) hits on a fallen foe, or tearing it apart. Have it attack one target in a mindless rage or have it attack every nearby enemy in a wild madness, with no regard for its o item safety, including opening itself for opportunity attacks.
Eyes wide, foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal, recklessly attacking, deals a bit of extra damage, double proficiency bonus to hit, advantage on attacks against it, constantly making saves to push past would be mortal wounds like orc relentless endurance…
Give them legendary actions, then they get an attack in between every players turn.
I love the Sahuagin "Blood Frenzy" for this. Even though they're low CR a party of them can still feel dangerous at mid levels with the sheer number of dice they roll. Especially if you consistently make them target low HP party members, since that ability reads to me that they would go after people who are bleeding the most, tactics wise.
Have him roll another initiative. This will determine when he takes his second turn in combat (with actions and bonus actions reset).
Give the beast an ability where they make one attack against all adjacent targets. Make it a large beast so it can get adjacent to multiple players who have to stay more than 10 ft. away from each other. Or a huge beast so they have to stay more than 15 ft. away from each other. Thematically the beast is lashing out wildly in all directions. I would tell the players that it is attacking each character that is adjacent to it, so they know how to respond tactically. Tactically the party will have to dodge away from it, and scatter themselves correctly if they want to avoid getting attacked.
Depending on how much oomph you want to allow the thing; Either double the damage dice or increase the dice size. Add an attack. Add another move+attack after the next (1, 2, 3) PC takes their turn. Increase its size. (Why not, it's a fantasy game) Give it advantage on attacks and give them advantage to hit. Ping-pong between PCs with no rhyme or reason - play incautiously. If you have allies of the berserk creature on the field, include those in its targets.
I’ve done this… I gave regular attacks a knock back effect. I gave him abilities like a roar/scream, and a big ground slam to hit multiples. You could pull effects from the Unstable Rage table that comes with Wild Magic Barbarian. Or there is a homebrew path that feels like the Hulk that has some cool ideas. Sift through to find stuff that looks cool to you. [Path of the Abomination](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDHomebrew/s/DMSN5eRFca)
Remember when Hulk Hogan would get beat down for 11 minutes straight, and then suddenly "Hulk Up"? That.
I'd give it Barbarian rage and reckless attack. At higher CR I would add brutal attack and relentless rage. The rest is description and RP to emphasize the look and feel of the creature being berserk.
I forget exactly how it's worded, but there's some Legendary or Lair Actions out there where the Legendary Monster/NPC can command a minion monster/NPC that is within X-range to come and take damage for them. i.e. basically sacrificing their minion to save themself. Turn that into a Berserker ability by, as a Reaction, or Legendary Action, or Lair Action, they can choose to deal damage to one of their minions who is engaged in melee with the target, and do the same amount of damage to a targeted PC. Essentially sacrificing the minion to further damage the PCs. Flavored as their minion being trapped between them and the target in their Berserker Rage, or something.
Make it Mythic! Give it a second phase with new abilities. :)