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[DEPRECATED] True Berserker Minsc, a berserker ranger kit mod

 TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
edited August 2018 in General Modding
"Despair not! I will inspire you by charging blindly on!"

This is a kit mod for Minsc, largely inspired by the Frenzied Berserker prestige class.

Component 1: Kit

RASHEMI BERSERKER: The distant land of Rashemen has a strong tradition of berserker warriors. The berserkers of Rashemen are organized into lodges named after local creatures, such as the Ice Dragon Berserker Lodge. True to their names, Rashemi berserkers are famed for their mighty rage, but also for their prowess in battle, sense of honor, and fierce loyalty to their land and rulers, the wychlaran. Newly inducted berserkers undertake a coming-of-age tradition known as 'dajemma', a journey far from their homeland to see and understand the world. Often, they travel alongside a wychlaran to whom they are sworn to defend with their lives. The berserkers of Rashemen are the mortal enemies of the Red Wizards of Thay, who they have been at war with for centuries.

ADVANTAGES:
- Hit Die: d12
- May achieve mastery in any melee weapon.
- May use the Berserker Rage ability once per day. Gains one additional use every 5 levels.

BERSERKER RAGE: The Rashemi berserker becomes enraged for 2 turns. While enraged, he gains a +2 bonus to his Strength, one extra attack per round and becomes immune to charm, confusion, fear, feeblemind, hold, level drain, maze, stun, and sleep. He also gains 15 temporary Hit Points, which are taken away at the end of the berserk spree (possibly knocking him unconscious). However, his armor class is penalized by 4 points while enraged. Additionally, the berserker is unable to perform any action aside from movement and attacking, such as spellcasting, using items, stealth or talking until the rage has ended. The berserker is also nearly incapable of using ranged weapons while enraged. Bonuses to Strength increase to +4 at 12th level and +6 at 20th level. Once the duration has ended, the berserker becomes winded, losing 4 points of THAC0, AC and damage and is unable to go berserk again for one turn.

- 5th level: May use Mighty Blow.

MIGHTY BLOW: The Rashemi berserker may choose to forsake accuracy for more power, reducing his THAC0 by 4 but dealing 4 extra points of damage per hit (melee only). THAC0 and damage modifiers increase to 8 from level 20 onwards. This ability may be toggled at will.

- 8th level: Gains Unbreakable Will.

UNBREAKABLE WILL: Rashemi berserkers have tremendous willpower. The berserker permanently gains +3 to saves vs. spell, which is doubled while berserk. The Rashemi berserker also gains immunity to psionics while berserk.

- 12th level: Gains Unstoppable Rage.

UNSTOPPABLE RAGE: The Rashemi berserker has become a juggernaut while enraged, truly a being to be feared. The berserker is immune to all movement-hindering effects and Imprisonment while berserk.

- 16th level: Gains Tireless Rage.

TIRELESS RAGE: The Rashemi berserker is no longer winded and will not suffer damage after his rage has ended.

- 18th level: Gains Deathless Frenzy.

DEATHLESS FRENZY: The Rashemi berserker's rage is so great that it allows him to temporarily stave off death. From 18th level onwards, the Rashemi berserker is unable to die by any means within the first five rounds of entering rage.

DISADVANTAGES:
- May cast one less priest spell per level.
- May not wear armor heavier than splint mail.
- May not specialize in ranged weapons.


Minsc is one of my favorite NPCs. Unfortunately, he has a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to gameplay and just falls short of being great at any particular role. His berserk is one of the most impractical abilities in the whole game. I made this kit to hopefully remedy both problems. This kit turns him into a glass cannon with a huge emphasis on the cannon. He's less versatile but far, far more powerful.

I didn't remove his spellcasting unlike most Minsc mods, though I did reduce his ability a little. I actually like that feature of Minsc - Rashemen is a very spiritual land, after all. It hurt me to take heavy armor away from him ("Full plate and packing steel" and all) but like I said, he's supposed to be a glass cannon. As for ranged weapons, well - the point of this kit is to charge headfirst into battle, not sit in the sidelines shooting arrows.

Any variants of Minsc above level 4 have proficiencies slightly altered (+1 point in two-handed swords, -1 point in longbows)

Have fun, and hopefully this mod helps make Minsc a much more viable choice in comparison to the other warriors of the game.

Component 2: Red Bearskin Hide

In one of the many caves near the Gnoll Stronghold, the party will find a rather strong bear. After killing it, the party may take its skin to Taerom to have it made into a strong hide armor.
Post edited by TheArtisan on
ZaghoulContemplative_Hamster[Deleted User]Grammarsaladtbone1johntylGusinda

Comments

  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Fixed a mistake with copying Mighty Blow's .eff files.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Fixed a few things involving berserker rage - rage will not stack and a Death Ward icon is added to indicate Deathless Frenzy is active.
  • Contemplative_HamsterContemplative_Hamster Member Posts: 844
    Sounds great! Will include on my next reinstall.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    ArtonaGrammarsalad
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    It is taking berserk to the most literal sense of the word. It's also horribly unfun.

    It also doesn't make sense by FR lore. By Rashemi law, if Minsc couldn't control his rages he'd have been given a blunt sword and been forbidden from ever touching any other weapon so that he wouldn't hurt his companions.
    Loldrup
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited May 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    Loldrup
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Updated to v1.3, which alters the rage quite a lot, and fixes a huge bug.
    • Fixes a bug preventing Minsc from getting rage benefits after using the spell once
    • Added a few drawbacks to berserker rage: -4 to AC while berserk, cannot use items or drink potions while enraged, becomes winded after rage ends. Tireless Rage eliminates the last drawback.
    • Switched around Tireless Rage with Unstoppable Rage
    [Deleted User]
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited May 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Added a new piece of armor that is meant for Minsc and barbarians.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    v1.5:
    • Rebalanced berserker rage: Dexterity bonus removed, fatigue duration increased to one turn, Minsc is unable to perform any action (spellcasting, using items, stealth, talk) except special abilities, movement and attacking while enraged, -20 penalty to ranged THAC0 while enraged, added +1 to attacks per round while enraged
    • Description corrected to show that berserker is allowed to wear splint mail
    • Mighty Blow changed to +4/+8 bonus to melee damage
    • Red Bearskin Hide armor effects changed slightly
    ArctodusZaghoulDJKajuru
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    edited August 2017
    I think you have a well balanced version of the Berserk ability. I suppose you picked up a few ideas from the thread about vanilla's Minsc ability in the BG1 section, if I'm not wrong. Would you consider to remove the immunities to maze and level drain though ? With +1 attack per round, that ability would still be very powerful.

    Also, maybe making a standalone mod that would change the Berserk ability of Berserkers and Barbarians with your version would probably be a nice addition. :)
    Zaghoul
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    Updated this little mod. This fixes the issue of Mighty Blow stacking up uses when Minsc is kicked out, which could be abused to stack the damage bonus infinitely.
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    @Artemius_I Is it EET-compatible?
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    @Raduziel

    Yes. Maybe. It worked the last time I installed it manually, but my only EET install is currently broken.
    Raduziel
  • BennettBennett Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2019
    Thanks for this mod.

    I am using the Red Bearskin Mail on a barbarian version of Minsc.

    Being a barbarian, he uses Barbarian Rage (SPCL152) and not Enrage (SPCL321) This sadly do not trigger the spell on the armor increasing the melee resists from 10% to 30%.

    I have tried using DLTCEP to alter this on my own, but alas my skills were not good enough.

    Any chance you can make a version of the armor that triggers on Barb Rage?
  • BennettBennett Member Posts: 14
    It would be nice if you would do this of cause, but for now I just renamed the Barbarian Rage Spell to Enrage, and now it triggers the armor as well. :) Not sure if this renaming messes with anything else though.
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