A Better Berserker 5E Subclass
By Beren Goguen
{Note: This post has been updated to address the upcoming changes from OneDnD}
No other fantasy warrior archetype should be more badass than an enraged barbarian going completely berserk on the battlefield.
Yet, out of the box, the 5E Berserker subclass (from the 2014 core rules) is trash.
Most consider it to be the worst barbarian subclass in the game, which is a travesty, because no other archetype should be more relentlessly savage and brutal in melee combat than a berserker.
Why the Original 5E Berserker Subclass Sucked
The Berserker’s Frenzy ability would be awesome, but it had a terrible cost: Exhaustion.
Zee Bashew does a great job of explaining why (video below).
Bottom line: The tradeoff of gaining exhaustion after a battle frenzy totally nerfs this subclass from being effective or fun.
BTW, if you dislike exhaustion as much as we do, consider using our alternative Poise System.
How WotC Will Fix the Berserker Subclass
According to the 2023 UC Player’s Handbook Playtest material released by WotC, they plan to remove the Exhaustion caveat from Berserker’s Frenzy ability in the new 2024 PHB. In addition to not causing exhaustion, Frenzy allows your Berserker to dish out extra damage each round, but only when using Reckless Attack.
However, they are taking away the Bonus Action attack, which they say conflicts with Rage’s use of a Bonus Action.
Other changes include:
Mindless Rage ends the Charmed and Frightened conditions rather than merely suspending them.
Retaliation has moved up to 10th level (from 14th).
Intimidating Presence has been pushed back to 14th level (from 10th level), but has been enhanced sop that it can affect multiple creatures (instead of just one). Rage also extends its range and you don’t have to spend your action to extend its duration.
These changes all seem fine and dandy, but still a little underwhelming.
Dumping the Exhaustion caveat was a no-brainer.
But why take away the extra attack for a few D6 of extra damage (and only if you attack recklessly)?
This just seems… meh.
How We Fixed the Berserker Subclass
In our view, the Berserker should be an unbridled melee combat machine, and taking away the extra attack diminishes that.
Here’s our take on the berserker, which fits much better into the grimdark world we’re creating, Shadow Over Elidir.
The Blood Oath Berserker (Barbarian Path)
For ten generations, the Sangün Tribe of Northern Oranth has produced the most fearless and brutal warriors in all of Elidir, known as the Blood Oath Berserkers.
Blood Frenzy
Level 3 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
Starting when you choose this path at level 3, you can cut yourself as a bonus action, taking 2D4 slashing damage before entering a Rage. You then smear blood across your face, immediately entering a Blood Frenzy that lasts the duration of your Rage, increasing your speed by 10 and giving you an additional melee attack action on each of your turns.
Steeled Will
Level 3 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
Your body and mind have been hardened by war. You have advantage on saving throws against being Intimidated, Frightened, or Charmed.
Battle Animus
Level 6 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
Your Rage has distilled into the purest expression of Fury. While in a Blood Frenzy:
You gain a +3 bonus to AC while wearing no armor
Your speed is increased by an additional 10 (20 total)
You are immune to being Frightened, Intimidated, or Charmed. If you are frightened or charmed when you enter a Blood Frenzy, the effect immediately ends.
Inspire Hatred
Level 9 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
Your rage is so potent, you can now infect the minds of enemies, causing them to attack you and temporarily ignore your allies. While in a Blood Frenzy, you can compel one enemy creature within 30 feet of you to engage only you. The creature makes a WIS save (DC 10 + your proficiency modifier + your CHA modifier). On a failed save, the creature can only attack you, cannot willingly move further away from you, and will essentially ignore any other party members for 2D4 turns. This effect ends if you attack any other creature or if you end your turn more than 30 feet from the target. If a creature succeeds on its saving throw, you cannot use this feature on that individual creature again.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. You can use Inspire Hatred twice between rests starting at 12th level, three times starting at 15th level, and four times at 17th level.
Tenacious Resolve
Level 14 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
You can now expend a hit die as a bonus action to regain 1D12 +2 Hit Points and 1D4 + 2 Poise. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Blood for Blood
Level 17 Blood Oath Berserker Feature
While in a Blood Frenzy and when you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee counter-attack against that creature. Your melee counter-attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 (making your Brutal Critical much more deadly).
Why This Fix Works Better
Blood Frenzy functions similarly to original Frenzy, but without the huge caveat of Exhaustion. Instead, the only sacrifice you make to become a demigod of destruction with an extra attack action is 2d4 hit points. Plus, you gain a speed boost and can still take bonus actions during subsequent turns. We think this is more fun than just doing extra reckless attack damage.
With Steeled Will, you gain additional resistances at 3rd level, which become even better at 6th level with Battle Animus, along with a buff to your AC (with no armor) and even more speed while in a Blood Frenzy.
Although frightening enemies with Intimidating Presence isn’t bad, it’s too situational. So we replaced this feature with something even more badass (and useful): Inspire Hatred, which let’s you force enemies to focus their aggro on you, taking pressure off the rest of your party.
Instead of Retaliation at level 14, we’ve opted for some healing with Tenacious Resolve (which also helps regain Poise, if you’re using that mechanic).
Finally, the pièce de résistance comes at level 17 with Blood for Blood, which functions much like Retaliation, only way better because you have a higher chance to score a crit (giving your more chances to score those oh-so-sweet Brutal Criticals).
We hope you enjoy testing out this new subclass variant for 5E D&D. Happy head hunting!
“I live, I love, I slay, and I am content.”
