Difference between revisions of "Berserker"

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{{flavour|Berserkers are hardy warriors who worship Trog the Wrathful, from whom they get the power to go berserk (as well as a number of other powers, should they prove worthy), but who forbids the use of spell magic. They enter the dungeon with a weapon of their choice, and dressed in animal skins.}}
 
{{flavour|Berserkers are hardy warriors who worship Trog the Wrathful, from whom they get the power to go berserk (as well as a number of other powers, should they prove worthy), but who forbids the use of spell magic. They enter the dungeon with a weapon of their choice, and dressed in animal skins.}}
'''Berserkers''' are savage warriors who worship [[Trog|Trog the Wrathful]]. Like other gods, Trog offers further powers and gifts to those who prove worthy before him. Berserkers can thus be seen as a kind of holy warrior, albeit of a faith that values carnage for its own sake rather than a devotion to good (or evil, for that matter). They are forbidden to learn or use spells.
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'''Berserkers''' are savage warriors who worship [[Trog|Trog the Wrathful]]. Like other gods, Trog offers further powers and gifts to those who prove worthy. Berserkers can thus be seen as a kind of holy warrior, albeit of a faith that values carnage for its own sake rather than a devotion to good (or evil, for that matter). They are forbidden to learn or use spells.
  
Berserkers start with 35 [[piety]].
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Berserkers start with 35 [[piety]], giving them immediate access to the [[berserk]] ability on turn 1.
  
 
==Preferred Races==
 
==Preferred Races==
  
[[Hill Orc]], [[Halfling]], [[Ogre]], [[Merfolk]], [[Minotaur]], [[Gargoyle]] and [[Demonspawn]] are the recommended races if you pick a Berserker Background.
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[[Hill Orc]], [[Minotaur]], [[Merfolk]], [[Gargoyle]], [[Halfling]], [[Demonspawn]] and [[Ogre]] are the recommended races if you pick a Berserker background.
  
 
==Racial Restrictions==
 
==Racial Restrictions==
 
[[Demigod]]s may not become Berserkers (or any other religious background).  
 
[[Demigod]]s may not become Berserkers (or any other religious background).  
  
While [[Ghoul]]s and [[Mummy|Mummies]] are not banned, their lifeless bodies cannot go berserk, robbing them of this background's main benefit.  
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While [[Formicid]]s, [[Ghoul]]s, and [[Mummy|Mummies]] are not banned, they cannot berserk, robbing them of this background's main benefit.  
  
[[Vampire]]s also face difficulty as Berserkers, as they cannot berserk if they are at less than full [[satiation]]. They will also stop berserking (and be slowed) if their satiation falls below this level - and berserking has a high satiation cost. Thus, the "window" in which Vampires can safely berserk is much smaller than with other species.
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[[Vampire]]s also face difficulty as Berserkers, as they cannot berserk if they are [[thirsty]] or below. They will also stop berserking (and be slowed) if their satiation falls below this level - and berserking has a high satiation cost. Thus, the "window" in which Vampires can safely berserk is much smaller than with other species.
  
 
==Starting Equipment==
 
==Starting Equipment==
 
Some [[species]] may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.
 
Some [[species]] may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.
*+0 [[weapon of choice]] ([[short sword]], [[mace]], [[hand axe]], [[falchion]], or [[spear]])
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*+0 [[weapon of choice]] ([[short sword]], [[mace]], [[hand axe]], [[falchion]] or [[spear]], or [[unarmed]])
 
*+0 [[animal skin]]
 
*+0 [[animal skin]]
*[[Bread ration]]
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*[[Ration]]
  
 
==Starting Skills and Stats==
 
==Starting Skills and Stats==
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==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
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Immediate access to [[Trog]]'s berserk ability makes berserker one of the strongest backgrounds in the game, as long as you are careful with when you berserk:
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Ironically, Berserkers actually need to be played with ''more'' restraint than other warrior backgrounds. With their [[berserk]] ability, they may seem much more powerful than plain old [[Fighter]]s, but many a careless Berserker has perished because they fell out of berserking (and got [[slow|exhausted]]) while still surrounded by enemies. Remember that Trog may extend your berserk rage with every kill - when fighting a really tough monster, it may be worth sparing a turn whacking a weak monster next to it. Once you score enough piety to summon allies, they too can block for you if you get caught exhausted.
 
Ironically, Berserkers actually need to be played with ''more'' restraint than other warrior backgrounds. With their [[berserk]] ability, they may seem much more powerful than plain old [[Fighter]]s, but many a careless Berserker has perished because they fell out of berserking (and got [[slow|exhausted]]) while still surrounded by enemies. Remember that Trog may extend your berserk rage with every kill - when fighting a really tough monster, it may be worth sparing a turn whacking a weak monster next to it. Once you score enough piety to summon allies, they too can block for you if you get caught exhausted.
  
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For this reason, novice players might want to pick [[Troll]] for species, as they can eat chunks (and thus berserk) much more casually than other species. A Troll's high HP and [[regeneration]] makes them even more forgiving to new players. More advanced players may prefer a less voracious species, one who will have to berserk more carefully, but (unlike Trolls) has the aptitudes to make the most of Trog's weapon gifts.
 
For this reason, novice players might want to pick [[Troll]] for species, as they can eat chunks (and thus berserk) much more casually than other species. A Troll's high HP and [[regeneration]] makes them even more forgiving to new players. More advanced players may prefer a less voracious species, one who will have to berserk more carefully, but (unlike Trolls) has the aptitudes to make the most of Trog's weapon gifts.
 
[[Kobold]]s are another great species for this background. Like Trolls, they can eat chunks at any time and berserk almost at will (which goes a long way towards making up for their small size), but they level much faster and have fewer equipment issues.
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==

Revision as of 15:53, 6 April 2018

Version 0.21: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Berserkers are hardy warriors who worship Trog the Wrathful, from whom they get the power to go berserk (as well as a number of other powers, should they prove worthy), but who forbids the use of spell magic. They enter the dungeon with a weapon of their choice, and dressed in animal skins.

Berserkers are savage warriors who worship Trog the Wrathful. Like other gods, Trog offers further powers and gifts to those who prove worthy. Berserkers can thus be seen as a kind of holy warrior, albeit of a faith that values carnage for its own sake rather than a devotion to good (or evil, for that matter). They are forbidden to learn or use spells.

Berserkers start with 35 piety, giving them immediate access to the berserk ability on turn 1.

Preferred Races

Hill Orc, Minotaur, Merfolk, Gargoyle, Halfling, Demonspawn and Ogre are the recommended races if you pick a Berserker background.

Racial Restrictions

Demigods may not become Berserkers (or any other religious background).

While Formicids, Ghouls, and Mummies are not banned, they cannot berserk, robbing them of this background's main benefit.

Vampires also face difficulty as Berserkers, as they cannot berserk if they are thirsty or below. They will also stop berserking (and be slowed) if their satiation falls below this level - and berserking has a high satiation cost. Thus, the "window" in which Vampires can safely berserk is much smaller than with other species.

Starting Equipment

Some species may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.

Starting Skills and Stats

These are adjusted by your species' aptitudes.

Choosing Berserker adds 9 to your starting Strength, and 4 to your starting Dexterity, but reduces your starting Intelligence by 1.

Strategy

Immediate access to Trog's berserk ability makes berserker one of the strongest backgrounds in the game, as long as you are careful with when you berserk:

Ironically, Berserkers actually need to be played with more restraint than other warrior backgrounds. With their berserk ability, they may seem much more powerful than plain old Fighters, but many a careless Berserker has perished because they fell out of berserking (and got exhausted) while still surrounded by enemies. Remember that Trog may extend your berserk rage with every kill - when fighting a really tough monster, it may be worth sparing a turn whacking a weak monster next to it. Once you score enough piety to summon allies, they too can block for you if you get caught exhausted.

Berserkers also need to be careful about their food situation, as berserking has a high satiation cost. Most species can eat chunks only when hungry, and those who do will only be able to berserk once before they're hungry again. Finding enough permafood will free you from this, but don't berserk so often that you burn through it all!

For this reason, novice players might want to pick Troll for species, as they can eat chunks (and thus berserk) much more casually than other species. A Troll's high HP and regeneration makes them even more forgiving to new players. More advanced players may prefer a less voracious species, one who will have to berserk more carefully, but (unlike Trolls) has the aptitudes to make the most of Trog's weapon gifts.

History

Prior to 0.14, Berserkers started with 20 gold.

Backgrounds
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Zealots BerserkerChaos KnightCinder Acolyte
Warrior-mages WarperHexslingerEnchanterReaver
Mages Hedge WizardConjurerSummonerNecromancerFire ElementalistIce ElementalistAir ElementalistEarth ElementalistAlchemist
Adventurers ArtificerShapeshifterWandererDelver