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These are a few ideas I had about new options for barbarians:
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Chem Berserkers are result of tinkering with humanoid physiology. Some of them are self-made, through the ingestion of toxic herbs and minerals while others are product of alchemical mutagens tested upon them - either due to pure curiosity of their creators or deliberate attempts to create chemically-empowered killing machines. Chem Berserkes have following class features:
Class Skills: Chem Berserkers remove Handle Animals from their class skill list and replace it with Heal.
Alchemical Rage (Ex): This ability counts and works like regular barbarian rage except it grants +4 alchemical bonus to Strength, +2 natural armor bonus and -2 Intelligence penalty instead of morale bonus to Strength, Constitution and Will save and penalty to AC. After Alchemical Rage ends character is sickened instead of being fatigued. Chem Berserker cannot enter Alchemical Rage while sickened or nauseated but can use it while fatigued or exhausted.
Greater Alchemical Rage grants +6 alchemical bonus to Strength and +4 natural armor bonus. Mighty Alchemical Rage grants +8 alchemical bonus to Strength and +6 natural bonus.
This ability alters Rage, Greater Rage and Might Rage features.
Poison Resistance: 3rd level Chem Berserkers gain +1 bonus to all saving throws against poisons. This bonus increases by one at 6th level and every three levels thereafter.
This ability replaces Trap Sense.
Stable Rage: Starting at 17th level Chem Berserker no longer becomes sickened after end of her rage. This ability replaces Tireless Rage.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the chem berserker archetype: Internal Fortitude, Regenerative Vigor, Renewed Vigor, Renewed Vitality.
Not every barbarian focuses his anger into burst of might and resilience. A few channel their rage into animalistic state of enhanced awareness that hones their senses and reactions instead. Watchful Barbarian have following class features:
Quickening Rage (Ex): This ability counts as and works like regular barbarian rage except it grants +4 morale bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom scores instead of Strength and Constitution and grants no bonus to Will saves nor penalty to AC. Greater Quickening Rage feature grants +6 morale bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom scores and Might Quickening Rage grants +8 morale bonus.
This ability alters Rage, Greater Rage and Mighty Rage features.
Vigilant Dodge: 7th level Watchful Barbarian gains +1 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases by 1 at 10th level and every three levels thereafter.
This ability replaces Damage Reduction.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the watchful barbarian archetype: guarded stance, quick reflexes, rolling dodge, scent, swiftfoot.
Every barbarian can draw upon his anger to show extraordinary strength, however some are capable of doing it without actually raging.
Prerequisites: Rage feature that grants bonus to Strength.
Benefits: As a swift action character can call upon his inner rage to grant him sudden burst of Strength. Using this ability grants +4 bonus to Strength until the end of the Barbarian's turn and expends one round of rage. This bonus increases to +6 for Barbarians with Greater Rage feature and +8 with Mighty Rage feature. Bonus type of this ability matches type of Strength bonus granted by Rage feature possessed (usually morale).
You have learned how to call upon your totem without loosing oneself to the rage.
Prerequisites: Any totem rage power
Benefits: As a swift action character can call upon his totem. He gains benefits of his totem rage powers as if was raging for one round per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round). Using this ability expends two rounds of rage.
I like the gist of where you're going with this, but I'm not sure the alternate rages are quite balanced. -2 Int for the Chem Berserker seems to be basically a non-issue. Yeah, they're giving up the bonus to Con and Will, but still... maybe make it -2 Wis? The chemicals pumping through their bodies fog their minds and weaken their willpower. I feel like that would be a more substantial penalty.
I picked Int penalty by looking at the alchemist mutagen (which was direct inspiration for alchemical rage) but you are right - changing it into penalty to wisdom would be more appropriate.
Likewise, I get that Dex and Wis aren't as straight-up powerful as Str and Con, but I'm not comfortable with Quickening Rage granting NO penalties at all. A penalty to Con because they use up their body's resources and run themselves into the ground... I'd like to offer multiple solutions, but I'm having trouble flavoring any of the others.
Actually primary penalty of both Quickening and Alchemical Rage is that they are still rage and thus prevent use of any Int, Dex and Cha-based skills as well as any actions that require patience or concentration. Do you think that its not enough for Quickening Rage? Also, should I add note to both rages or maybe rewrite them as full descriptions instead of using "This ability counts as and works like regular barbarian rage except.." to be more clear?
That said, I like the flavor and the other abilities all look great. Both feats look fun as well. Nicely done.
Flavor was primary reason for creation of Chem Berserker. For Watchful Barbarian it was part the flavor and part the desire for Barbarian Archer.
A few minor tweaks - mostly Rage clarified by reusing the text for original Rage feature:
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Chem Berserkers are result of tinkering with humanoid physiology. Some of them are self-made, through the ingestion of toxic herbs and minerals while others are product of alchemical mutagens tested upon them - either due to pure curiosity of their creators or deliberate attempts to create chemically-empowered killing machines.
Chem berserkes have following class features:
Class Skills: Chem berserkers remove Handle Animals from their class skill list and replace it with Heal.
Alchemical Rage (Ex): A chem berserker can call upon mutagenic residue flowing in her veins, granting her additional combat prowess. Starting at 1st level, a chem berserker can rage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, she can rage for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution do not increase the total number of rounds that a character can rage per day. A chem berserker can enter rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.
While in alchemical rage, a chem berserker gains a +4 alchemical bonus to her Strength and +2 natural armor bonus. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Wisdom. While in alchemical rage, a chem berserker cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.
A chem berserker can end her alchemical rage as a free action and is sickened after rage for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the rage.
A chem berserker cannot enter a new rage while sickened or nauseated but can otherwise enter rage multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a chem berserker falls unconscious, her rage immediately ends.
This ability repalces regular Rage feature but counts as it for the purpose of feats, rage powers and other abilities.
Poison Resistance (Ex): 3rd level chem berserkers gain +1 bonus to all saving throws against poisons. This bonus increases by one at 6th level and every three levels thereafter.
This ability replaces Trap Sense.
Greater Alchemical Rage (Ex): Starting at 11th level, when a chem berserker enters alchemical rage, the alchemical bonus to her Strength increases to +6 and natural armor bonus increases to +4.
This ability replaces Greater Rage feature.
Stable Alchemical Rage (Ex): Starting at 17th level chem berserker no longer becomes sickened after end of her rage. This ability replaces Tireless Rage.
Mighty Alchemical Rage (Ex): At 20th level, when a chem berserker enters alchemical rage, the alchemical bonus to her Strength increases to +8 and the natural armor bonus increases to +6.
This ability replaces Mighty Rage.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the chem berserker archetype: Internal Fortitude, Regenerative Vigor, Renewed Vigor, Renewed Vitality.
Not every barbarian focuses his anger into burst of might and resilience. A few channel their rage into animalistic state of enhanced awareness that hones their senses and reactions instead.
Watchful barbarian have following class features:
Quickening Rage (Ex): A watchful barbarian can call upon his wild instincs, granting him additional combat prowess. Starting at 1st level, a watchful barbarian can rage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, he can rage for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution do not increase the total number of rounds that a watchful barbarian can rage per day. A watchful barbarian can enter rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.
While in quickening rage, a watchful barbarian gains a +4 morale bonus to his Dexterity and Wisdom scores. While in quickening rage, a watchful barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, Ride and Knowledge checks made to identify abilities and weaknesses of monsters) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.
A watchful barbarian can end his rage as a free action and is fatigued after rage for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the rage. A watchful barbarian cannot enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter rage multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a watchful barbarian falls unconscious, his rage immediately ends.
This ability repalces regular Rage feature but counts as it for the purpose of feats, rage powers and other abilities.
Vigilant Dodge: 7th level Watchful Barbarian gains +1 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases by 1 at 10th level and every three levels thereafter.
This ability replaces Damage Reduction.
Greater Quickening Rage (Ex): Starting at 11th level, when a watchful barbarian enters quickening rage, the morale bonus to his Dexterity and Wisdom increases to +6.
This ability replaces Greater Rage feature.
Paranoid Cunning (Ex): While in rage, a watchful barbarian of 14th level or higher gains a +4 bonus on all saves to resist illusions. This ability replaces Indomitable Will.
Mighty Quickening Rage (Ex): At 20th level, when a watchful barbarian enters quickening rage, the morale bonus to his Dexterity and Wisdom increases to +8.
This ability replaces Might Rage.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the watchful barbarian archetype: guarded stance, quick reflexes, rolling dodge, scent, swiftfoot.