RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
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Hello,
How would an Urban Barbarian in a Controlled Rage work with the Blood Vengeance feat for Half-Orcs in ARG? Would the Blood Vengeance stack with the Controlled Rage, granting the +2 to Str and Con on top of whatever the Urban Barbarian selected for the Controlled Rage, effectively boosting it? If so, would the Urban Barbarian then get the other effects of a normal rage (+2 to Will saves, -2 AC, limited skill use) or stick with the Controlled Rage effects?
Sincerely,
BPC
1) Apparently Controlled Rage is OPTONAL: " When an urban barbarian rages, instead of making a normal rage she MAY..."
meaning you could choose to use 'normal' Rage any time you want (you still have it, the ability doesn't replace it).
2) If you are using Controlled Rage, I believe that Blood Vengeance would apply to it...
(again, you still have the Rage class feature, and are Raging when you are using your Rage Rounds)
with the caveat that in order for Blood Rage to increase the morale bonuses to STR and CON that you get from Rage,
you must be getting morale bonuses to STR and CON from Rage,
so if you choose to boost only STR, then Blood Rage will only increase the STR bonus by +2,
you will need to SPLIT Controlled Rage's bonus to apply to both STR and CON in order for Blood Rage to increase both morale bonuses.
3) Blood Rage will not add back in Will Save Bonus, AC penalty, etc, since it never mentions those.
See 1) if you want to use those, but Controlled Rage still is using the Rage class feature and Rage Rounds,
so you shouldn't invoke the 'no rage' scenario effects to stack on top of your Controlled Rage.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
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Unfortunately, I don't see the choice between rages; JJ has made an unofficial ruling on it already and it's mostly public consensus that the Urban Barbarian can only Controlled Rage.
As far as 2 goes, that is an interesting take, although one could then argue that Controlled Rage allows a default +0 to Str, Dex and Con and allows the U.B. to increase those in increments of 2. A bit of a stretch, but also more convoluted for an interaction.
Which leads back into the question of does Blood Vengeance actually work with Controlled Rage if one is Controlled Raging when Blood Vengeance triggers and then how so.
I would agree that in all likelyhood Controlled Rage IS supposed to replace normal Rage and not be an option, although that is (possible) RAI and not RAW.
I still go with 2) for when you ARE using Controlled Rage.
Imagining that the effect is applying a +0 bonus to STR, DEX, and CON
(and why not INT, WIS, CHA, all Saves, all Skills, AC, etc?) seems too much a stretch.
Yes, it is a very different functionality than normal bonus stacking, but that is kind of the point:
the 'increase' wording allows INFINITE 'stackability' since it isn't a bonus itself , but only modifies an existing bonus (if it exists).
Honestly though, on the other hand I believe there IS cases of 'increases to Natural Armor' that I've always seen played as being applicable to creatures with no Natural Armor bonus, i.e. +0 Natural Armor is assumed. EDIT: but that is supported by the rules, e.g. barkskin says all creatures default to having +0 Natural Armor. So I would have to say that the more conservative reading of RAW is that you aren't considered to have +0 morale bonuses to anything and everything (just waiting for something to increase that +0 bonus).
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I once read a ruling from a Dev that Raging Vitality works with Controlled Rage and would grant the +2 Con. I can't find it so I can't link it but I am fairly confident that it would work just fine. The idea was if you are raging then anything that affects rage applies even if rage has been changed.
It's probably indigestion. You'll pass thru sooner or later. ;-P