BX Monsters A to Z: Berserker

 Another "B" of the Basic Rules, this time the ever-popular Berserker. Although later editions have merged elements of the berserker archetype with the barbarian PC class, at this point it was strictly a monster/NPC type, and for good reason.

"My love for you is like a truck BERSERKER!"

According to the description, berserkers are simply fighters who go mad when in battle. Their reaction rolls are made normally, and it's likely they are not immediately recognizable as berserkers until battle is joined. Once in combat, berserkers always fight to the death, sometimes attacking their own comrades, and gain +2 to attacks against humans and humanoid creatures. Their 1+1 Hit Dice imply something a bit tougher than an ordinary 1st-level fighter, as does their AC of 7. In Norse legend, berserkers fought naked, or at least unarmored. In D&D, I picture them wearing ragged clothing and carrying shields, with an extra point of AC for sheer ferocity in battle, though you could also go the conventional route and have them in leather armor. I'm prone to picturing wild-haired, bearded men when I think of berserkers, but there's no good reason why female berserkers shouldn't be a thing, either as part of a mixed band or one exclusively of berserk women warriors.

The loss of control in combat is the primary reason why berserkers would make very poor player characters. Though by the book they may sometimes attack their allies in the heat of battle, presumably they are at least somewhat capable of calming down once all their enemies are slain, or a berserker group would inevitably be whittled down to a single survivor (at most) after its first fight. At the very least, their gift/curse would make them very dangerous to ordinary folk, and thus unwelcome in civilized places, so they're likely relegated to a hardscrabble existence in small wilderness or dungeon enclaves.

Berserkers could make much more interesting non-combat roleplaying encounters than one might think. Who are these guys, anyway, and how did they come to be what they are? Have they purposely trained and cultivated their unusual ability in order to become their clan's most fearsome warriors? Is it a blessing or a curse bestowed upon them by the gods or other powers? Are they the fantasy equivalent of shell-shocked veterans, triggered to relive traumas from their past battles every time violence erupts? There's no reason why any or all of these things, and others besides, couldn't be true of different groups of berserkers.

How do they act outside battle? It's possible some berserkers are bloodthirsty maniacs who relish brutality and slaughter and attack with only the faintest provocation, but it's also possible that some aren't so eager to lose themselves to battle-rage. These types could be reclusive and surly, attempting to drive innocents away from danger they pose with an apathetic or chilly welcome. Another group might be scrupulously polite to strangers so as to avoid provoking needless fights. Still others might be bitter or resigned to their lot in life, not looking for fights but perfectly willing to give a band of boisterous, foolhardy adventurers what they've got coming if pushed too far. Do they try to blow off some of their bottled-up rage by hunting large game, or do they eschew meat entirely so as not to tempt battle-madness at all? How about a tribe of vegetarian berserkers? You can have some fun getting inside berserkers' heads and then surprising your players with the possibilities.

While individual berserkers carry next to no treasure (Type P, which consists of a handful of copper coins) they may have a hoard of Type B in their wilderness camps. Is their loot the spoils of war from their former lives as soldiers or mercenaries, plunder from mayhem and banditry, tribute from local humans or monsters, or from some other source? It's up to you as DM. In any case, a berserker group organized enough to have such a trove could conceivably engage in trade with nearby settlements, buying necessities they can't make for themselves, and maybe selling hides, furs, or simple crafts. They might even be willing to hire adventurers to negotiate or otherwise deal with problems that require more judicious use of violence than they're capable of.

Berserkers aren't the toughest opponents around, but for low-level parties they can prove to be a dangerous challenge. They can be a reminder that shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later is a strategy that can backfire hard on the PCs. For both the DM and players, they encourage outside-the-box thinking if played well: even those creatures with the most savage and bloodthirsty reputations are not always out to get them for the pure unadulterated hell of it, but have goals and priorities of their own that don't necessarily involve being sword-fodder for murderhobos.