Fury

Originally from: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?702955-13th-Age-Alternate-Berserker-Type-Class-The-Fury

The Fury is a berserker, a warrior who draws upon primal fury and spiritual might to cut a frenzied swathe through the enemy. Possessing more than simple rage, the fury practices esoteric and extreme forms of war-trance to bring about utter devastation. Whether the champion of a sacred spirit-totem or a grim-faced and wild reaver who burns with hatred, a fury bears the mark of something other.

Furies are often associated with figures of vengeance in many cultures, whether those figures are spirits, demons or angels; some fury traditions involve direct emulation or prayer of such beings. Furies are also commonly associated with the female gender, and although there are numerous male mystic berserkers too, depictions of furies in stories, theatre and writing often portray them as solely female in aspect.

Overview:

Playstyle: The fury is a more complex counterpart of the barbarian class. Like a barbarian, a fury is a berserker warrior who is all about plunging into battle and hacking at the foe; but the fury lets the player pick and choose between different frenzies, and demands that they pay attention to building tempo to get the best out of the class. The fury waxes through the course of the battle, building up to a crescendo before starting again.

When playing a fury, you'll find yourself judging risk versus reward and choosing whether to repeatedly perform low Tempo Burn Outs or to try and accrue the maximum Tempo Rating possible for one immense Burn Out. The fury can be pushed quite far in the pursuit of power, but it may come at a hefty cost in Recoveries.

Ability Scores: Strength is the most important score for a fury; constitution comes a close second as furies tend to be found where the fighting is thickest. Wisdom is significant for some Furies who tap deeply into the most mystical of Frenzies. Dexterity can also serve well for a Fury who wishes to make use of throwing weapons and the Storm of Blades talent.

Furies gain a +2 class bonus to Strength, Constitution or Wisdom, as long as it isn't the same ability you increased with your +2 racial bonus.

Races: Furies tend to stem from the same cultures as barbarians, and hence are found most often amongst humans, half-orcs and half-elves, but the more mystic elements of the class mean several wood elf war-cults also practice the fury traditions of battle. Some more civilised lands train cults of furies as temple troops or avengers as well.

Backgrounds: Champion of the tribal totem, cursed warrior of the red rage, ecstatic war-dancer, savage monster-hunter (you hunt and slay great beasts to honour or consume their spirits), beast-aspect berserker, holy zealot, shamanic vessel of the spirits, last survivor of the tribe, mad-eyed avenger.

Icons: Barbarian furies often aid or serve the Orc Lord or High Druid; a few, the most bloodthirsty and vicious, align themselves with the Diabolist. Some furies, serving notions of vengeance or patron spirits, oppose the more antagonistic Icons on principle; those esoteric religious orders which train cultists in the art of the war-trance are usually in the service of either the Crusader or the Priestess.


Fury Level Progression

Note that I've not included all the basic stuff that is exactly the same across all classes, like number of feats at each level - assume these as the rest of the classes. The Fury, unlike the Barbarian, only has 3 Talents and does not get more.

Fury Stats

Ability Bonus +2 Str, Con or Wis

Armour Class (Light) 12

Armour Class (Light + Shield) 13

Base PD 11

Base MD 11

Hit Points (7 + Con Mod) x level modifier

Recoveries (probably) 9

Recovery Dice (1d10 x level) + Con Mod

Talents 3

Feats 1/level


Gear

At 1st level, furies start with one or (more usually) two melee weapons of their choice, a brace of throwing weapons, light armour of some kind, and a number of spiritual charms and fetishes or some grisly trophies of their kills.

Furies can start with 25gp in their bags if they've been preparing for a journey; furies who have recently been to war can start with 1d6 x 10gp.


Armour

Furies usually wear light armour on the battlefield, preferring the ease of movement it offers compared to heavy armour's hindering bulk. Hide, furs and leathers are often adorned or enhanced with carved bone, trophies taken from prey or spiritual markings and symbols. Furies can use shields adeptly and some prefer the additional protection one offers, but most would rather arm themselves more heavily than rely on defence.


Fury Armour and AC

Melee Weapons

Furies are lethal combatants with pretty much anything they can get their hands on, but by far the most common are vicious axes or crushing hammers, preferably one in each hand. Some furies prefer larger, heavier great-weapons to really make an impact on their opponents; either way, the fury is assured to carve a swathe of bloodshed through the foe. Fury weapons are particularly likely to be marked with spiritual sigils or be regularly anointed with sacred oils, all to please whatever patron spirit or deity the fury may supplicate.


Ranged Weapons

Furies generally eschew ranged weapons apart from throwing axes, knives, javelins and the like – weapons that directly bring the strength of their arm to the enemy. They can use bows well enough, but are more likely to do so when hunting game than giving battle; although some furies who favour bows directly liken themselves to predators on the hunt.


Fury Melee Weapons

Fury Ranged Weapons

Basic Attacks

Furies mostly use basic attacks in battle; however, many of their Frenzies offer some additional benefit to such attacks.

Melee Attack
At Will
Target: One Enemy
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
Hit: Weapon + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level


Ranged Attack
At Will
Target: One Enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: Weapon + Dexterity damage
Miss: –


Class Features:

All furies have the Resilient, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Tempo and Burn Out class features.

Resilient: You start with 9 recoveries rather than the usual 8.
Adventurer Feat: Increase your total recoveries by 1.

Frenzy: Furies have access to a special kind of power called Frenzy. Unlike the rage of a barbarian, a fury has a number of Frenzies to choose from and can switch between them during the course of a battle. Some Frenzies are distinctly supernatural in nature as the fury becomes a vessel for spiritual wrath; others are entirely mundane apart from the extreme violence involved in their practice. And yes, unless otherwise noted, being in a Frenzy is loud.

Depending on the Fury's level, you have a number of Frenzies that you may choose. Some frenzies are available from level 1; others can only be accessed once you have reached a higher level. Like spells, you may change what Frenzies you have available whenever you have a full rest.

Initiating a Frenzy is a Quick Action; the Fury then gains the regular abilities of that Frenzy for its duration. Normally, a Frenzy lasts until Tempo is lost (see the Tempo class feature), the Fury uses the Frenzy's Burn Out power, or the Fury switches to another Frenzy with a Quick Action. You may also voluntarily end the Frenzy at any time, losing any accrued Tempo with it.
Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you may enter a Frenzy as a free action when Initiative is rolled, entering the first round of combat already in a Frenzy.

Furious Assault: Once per turn when you are Frenzied and you miss with a Basic Melee Attack, you may expend an unused Frenzy to reroll the attack (the second result stands). Using a Frenzy in this way still allows for you to roll its Recharge after the battle as normal.

Tempo: The fury relies on building up their frenzied rage into a terrifying crescendo; this is measured in their Tempo. On the turn that a Frenzy is initiated, the Fury gains +1 Tempo; this escalates by an additional +1 every turn, up to a maximum of +5. While the fury is Frenzied, the Tempo rating is added to all melee damage rolls as bonus damage; this bonus is doubled at Champion and tripled at Epic.

However, the rising momentum of the Fury's berserker rage is easily lost and ebbs just as fast as it builds. Every turn, the fury must successfully perform (or suffer) one of the following Tempo Builders:

Successfully hit with a melee attack (even against an ally!)
Expend a single Recovery as a Free Action (this does not heal the fury)
Have suffered a critical hit from an enemy since their last action

Specific Talents and Frenzies may offer additional Tempo Builders.

If a Tempo Builder is not performed by the end of the fury's turn, then the Frenzy immediately ends. If the fury initiates a new Frenzy in their following turn, then it begins with the same Tempo Rating as the last one ended on; otherwise, all Tempo Rating that has been accrued is lost.

Once the Tempo Rating reaches +5, it has hit a crescendo; the fury is highly advised to Burn Out, as the turn after reaching its maximum Tempo resets down to +1.
Adventurer Feat: Once per day, at the beginning of your turn, you choose to automatically count as successfully performing a Tempo Builder that turn.
Champion Feat: When you expend a Recovery as a Tempo Builder, you are healed for 15 hit points (25 at Epic).
Epic Feat: When initiating a Frenzy, you start at +2 Tempo rather than +1.

Burn Out: Every Frenzy has a Burn Out power; this may be a triggered option or may be an attack or action that the fury can choose to perform on their turn. Using that power immediately ends the current Frenzy and expends all Tempo. Burn Out powers usually have increasing effects depending on the current Tempo Rating, the higher the better.


Talents

Choose three of the following class talents.

Beast Slayer
Mighty beasts and monsters are the greatest of all challenges; but they also give the greatest trophies and serve as the best offerings to the spirits. Your Crit range against Large and Huge enemies increases by 1.
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to AC and PD against Large and Huge enemies.
Champion Feat: Your Crit range against Huge enemies expands by 1 (to +2).
Epic Feat: Once per day, when you successfully hit a Large or Huge enemy, they become dazed for one round.

Burning Blood
Poison in your veins or manacles round your ankles only stirs you to greater, fevered heights of frenzy. Suffering ongoing poison damage, being weakened or being stunned all serve as Tempo Builders for you.
Adventurer Feat: Being afraid or being vulnerable also serve as Tempo Builders for you.
Champion Feat: Being stuck also serves as a Tempo Builder for you.

Dread Slaughterer
You make a horrific mess of your opponents. Whenever you stagger an enemy, you gain a +2 bonus to your next attack roll against that enemy in the following turn. Once per battle, when you drop an enemy to 0 hit points, you gain a +2 bonus on your next attack roll against another enemy.
Adventurer Feat: If you successfully hit the enemy after using Dread Slaughterer's once-per-battle ability, they also becomed Dazed.

Frenzied Heart
Like the ocean, your boiling rage is deep and unending. You gain a +2 bonus to the recharge rolls for Frenzies that you have expended.
Adventurer Feat: When you use a Burn Out, you may make an immediate bonus save against a condition that you are currently suffering.
Champion Feat: When you fail a recharge roll for a Frenzy, you may expend another unused Frenzy to reroll the die.

Sacred Markings
You're marked with the protective sign of something greater, whether swirling spirit-tattoos or chakra-channeling scarification. The warding markings provide a +1 bonus to MD against spells that target you.
Adventurer Feat: The sacred markings also provide a +1 bonus to PD against spells.
Champion Feat: Once per day, when an enemy misses you with a spell, you may immediately recharge an expended Frenzy.
Epic Feat: The bonus to MD and PD applies to all supernatural abilities, not just spells.

Storm of Blades
You're a veritable storm of destruction with throwing weapons. When using a throwing weapon of any kind, you cause damage equal to your level even on a miss. You can also use Frenzied Assault with throwing weapons, and may treat a successful hit with a throwing weapon as a Tempo Builder.
Adventurer Feat: Throwing weapon damage increases by 1 step of the die (small throwing weapons deal d6 damage, light throwing weapons deal d8).

Temple Zealot
You are a force of righteous devastation thanks to your years of training in a strange temple-cult of furies. As a temple soldier, you do not suffer any attack penalties for wearing heavy armour, but your number of Frenzies is reduced by one due to the restrictive training of your order. You also take a single point of relationship to spend on the Priestess or Crusader.

Totem Warrior
A powerful totem is your patron, its spiritual energies made manifest in battle. Once per day, when you are hit by an attack, you may add +2 to your AC against that attack; this may cause the attack to become a miss.
Adventurer Feat: You may use this power 2/day.
Champion Feat: The whispers of your patron give you mystic knowledge - you may use the ability when you may a Background roll instead of against attacks, adding +2 to the result.

Two-Weapon Tempest
Put a weapon in each hand and you're a death-dealing engine of destruction. While dual-wielding weapons, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
Adventurer Feat: When you attack with a Burn Out, increase the dual-wielding attack bonus to +2 as long as you are dual-wielding.
Champion Feat: When dual-wielding, if you roll a natural 20 and are Frenzied, add +1 to your current Tempo Rating.

Warcry
Choose two Bard Battle Cries of your level or lower. Those Battle Cries are now part of your powers (you can change them out as normal) and can each be used 1/day. Remember that flexible attack powers only work with basic melee attacks.
Adventurer Feat: Choose an additional Battle Cry.
Champion Feat: Choose an additional Battle Cry.
Epic Feat: When you use a Battle Cry while Frenzied, increase your Tempo Rating by +1