The Berserk OCC

[The Baron of chaos]

The Berserk
Everyone know of Biotics, They are people basically forced to become expendable genetically engineered cannon fodder.
But not all those poor unfortunate soul become the wild Biotic, one each thousand are turned into the even more wild and savage Berserk! The Librarians theorize that this anomaly is due the presence of a “berserk” gene in the DNA that somehow disrupt the correct Engineering process; or perhaps the Splicing process trigger something present in the DNA of this guys. At first they look like normal Biotics, but after few days they apparently revert into their human form, actually evolving into Berserk. The Berserk are really a trouble to deal with. From one side they are really powerful and ruthless in battle, able to throw Steeltroppers away like bowling balls, but on other side they are truly limited in obeying complex orders and they’re prone to lose the control, unable to distinguish friends from foes.
Their best use in the battlefield is as heavy shocktrooper, side by side with Warmounts and Biotics. Outside Battlefield, well, berserk run a very recluse life. Due their nature they are forced to bear a bio-hazard tattoo over their body, and cannot move freely around, often having a Roughneck or even a young Dreadguard as uneasy guardian angel, to prevent them to go wild in Human Sanctuaries. Due to this Berserk search to fight very often, because they feel truly alive only when they are there, when they can assume their true form

Alignment: Any but Anarchist in their Berserk form

Attribute bonus:
+1d6 ME, +1d4 to PE, add 2d6 to Hit Points
OCC bonus:
Base SDC: 30+2d8 plus additiona SDc from skills
Powers:
Transform into a berserk form
This take only one action , but is uncontrollable, triggered by fear, anxiety and stress. A roll vs. Transformation(12) is needed to control the transformation, both to prevent it to happen and to trigger it, when not in stressful situation.
Bonus when transformed:
- Increase height by 1d4ft
- Increase weight by 2d6x10 lb
- Supernatural PS: +10+2d6 PS note:the Bio-E cost for additional PS is halved for Berserk
- Superhuman lifting power: The massive size and muscolature allow to carry heavier loads. Carry 50 times PS and Lift 150 times +10lb per 5 Bio-E point spent
- Impervious to radiation and poison
- fatigue at half the normal rate
- Natural MDC: SDC+HPx3
- Regeneration: heal 1d6 per minute
- Bio -Energy points: ME+PE+1d4x10+20 , they get an additional 2d10 at level 3, 9 and 15; mostly spend onto Offensive weapons, increased attributes and additional MDC


Side Effect:
- Uncontrolled : See above remember they are kind frail in their human form, and due the morphing they cannot use additional armours without ripping them apart. And in case of splicer armour this has some gory effect.
- Hyper metabolism : The monstrous form burn energies very fast , requiring the Berserk to eat his modified weight in food, daily
- Reduced mental faculty: -1d6 to IQ and MA, most skills are performed at - 15%, Exception are Physical, Wilderness and WP
- Partial Speech : The berserk tone is more low and guttural and often growl and hiss, or seem he is about o start growling, while speaking. All this make harder to understand him/her, even for friends
- Monstrous appearance: often animal like, humanoid canine, apish outlook, Neanderthal, lizard like, insect looking; anything goes -1d6 PB, HF: 12
- Insanities: The automatically suffer from Psychosis: Violent rage, plus another random rolled insanity form Biotics table. If 98-00 is rolled, the Violent Rage become the true and wild FRENZY – This insanities apply also when in human form.

Common Skills: standard

O.C.C. Skill Programs: Infantryman (+10%) plus two other skill program of choice(same limit as biotics)
Elective Skills: Select 3 Skill from the following list at first level. Plus select another Elective skill at levels 2, 6, 10 and 14. all new skills start at level one proficiency.
Communications:
Domestic: Any(+5%)
Espionage: Wilderness Survival only
Medical :None
Military : Any(+10%)
Physical : Any(+15% when possible)
Rogue: None
Science: None
Technical : Any
Transportation : Any except Host Armor Combat, Wing Pack and War Mount Combat
Wilderness : Any(+15%)
W.P.s : Any except WP. Armor and Siege Weapons

Secondary Skills: The character get to select 4 secondary skills at level one plus one at level 6, 9 and 12. These are additional area of knowledge starting without any O.C.C. bonus

M.D.C. “Living” Body Armor: As was said above, The berserk have problems with armor, due their morphing ability, but they usually got an unmodified living body armor as backup, just in case they have to assume their human form in dangerous areas.

Standard Equipment: Clothes he/she is wearing, plus a couple of additional replacement set of clothes, generally large and comfortable ones. After all is always embarrassing hanging around naked on the battlefield. Survival knife ,tinted goggles, one weapon for each WP and appropriate ammunition, backpack, tent, bedroll, two water skin, hatchet for cutting wood, Emergency food rations(should be two week supply but rarely last more than one), some personal items.

Money: Has trade items, salvaged artefacts and precious metals worth of 2d6x10 credits. As always money can be spent immediately on additional equipment or saved

The Upside: Man, there are very few that can withstand you in sheer power, when you lose control. You’re a force of nature, a marauding machine of destruction. In the heat of the battle even the Dreadguards look upon you for help, and dislike your Biotics cousins you retain a pretty human face. In some way these are the only reasons you're still alive.

The Downside: Well, you’re a freaky monster. A mistake. You are lucky you were not supressed like a rabid dog. Sure,you can asusme human form, but whenever you lose temper you turn into a butt ugly beast. And is not easy reamin calm all the time, expecially in this disgraced world. To make things worst when you assume your combat shape, is hard to think and to connect facts. Everything seem harder to do when in that form, except of course smashing things.

Modified, with additiona material, thank for the comments. hope you like it

[The Baron of chaos]

Not even a comment...hmm is not a good sign.

[demos606]

Give us a few days on class reviews... we usually like to play with em a bit before we comment in detail Hard to point out flaws in the design without actually having used it a few times, though in my group biotics are horribly unpopular (nobody has even asked about playing one) so I'm probly not going to have much input on this one beyond cost tweaking for bio-e. after Ive read it in more detail.

[demos606]

I actually have a few concerns about these guys......

1) Why design a weapon you can't control? BIG problem for me here.
2) SN PS? Somehow just seems wrong. I'd go PS+10+2d6 instead I think and leave em at Splicer PS.
3) Your improved lifting power goes beyond even SN PS... I'd adjust it down to fit somewhere between SN and Splicer strength.
4) Your hyper-metabolism seems off but I'll have to look at scarecrows again to see what their food requirements are.

[The Baron of chaos]

I actually have a few concerns about these guys......

1) Why design a weapon you can't control? BIG problem for me here.
It was not designed, it is accidental mutation from normalbiotics, and even librarian and engineers dont understand why it happen, much they dont understand how technojackers do what they do.
2) SN PS? Somehow just seems wrong. I'd go PS+10+2d6 instead I think and leave em at Splicer PS.
hmm I thought about it, but then it was not fitting my idea, and again consider that the berserk are basically human war mounts and war moutns do have SN strenght. By the way perhaps I'll reatouch the PS value, but not the type of PS.
3) Your improved lifting power goes beyond even SN PS... I'd adjust it down to fit somewhere between SN and Splicer strength.
Well I took it directly form HU, EX PS, and again I personally was one of those STRONGLY against that miserable lifting value of Sueprnatural Ps tha tis present in so many Palladium games. I mean I wanna give theseguys at kleast a chanc eot lift a Battle Track opver their head!.
4) Your hyper-metabolism seems off but I'll have to look at scarecrows again to see what their food requirements are
What do you mean seem off? .

OK, thank for opinion, made me think about it. I still think I gonna same most of it by the way

[demos606]

I guess my biggest problem with this is that Biotics are already the dregs of society. Why would the librarians allow an uncontrollable being to live when they monitor *every* aspect of the transformation from dreg to biotic (to the point of direct mental contact for a memory wipe)? The Librarians have already long proven themselves ruthless and cunning and more than willing to sacrifice everyone in their house to meet their own ends when they go megalo so I have real issues believing they wouldnt destroy a being they cant control.

[The Baron of chaos]

Yes, but there are more than a way to control someon, not just by genetic engineering.
After all many Berserks tend to beleive the (false) promise of Librarians.
Anywa A flaw I was unsure to add or not was a weakness toward Saints and Eningeers. basically the berserks seem to develope an innat simpathy for the Saints and these ones ar ethe only one able to calm donw a Bersekr when in his furios state. Oftne Berserks act as Body Gurads for the Saints and when the organism develop in Engineer they will walk out Gene Pool chambers.
Note that the costant attempt of Librairans ot get rid of Berserk race is a source of funny plots(come one haven' t you ever read a comic or manga? they are filled with such stories)