Sneak Peek: The Berserker

Amid the chaotic aspects of midterms and the relaxing nature of spring break, I have managed to get a new AI type created. It's a treat for those who would like to fight bosses that do fun things, like smash through doors and placeables, or whack you with a hit strong enough to send you flying. I won't be putting up all the AIs I make onto this blog. (Where would the surprise be if the players expect everything?)

However, to generate some excitement, I present to you:

The Berserker

When it hits you so hard that dust flies

The Berserker AI type was inspired by a number of more modern games, among them Diablo III (or the preview videos, at least). I was a big fan of those bosses who could really represent their size. I found it frustrating that huge creatures like the gray render/dust elemental, the giant and the ogre could only whack you the same way a kobold would. True, there was the knockdown feat, but it looks no more impressive than an ogre bonking you on the head with a club and you falling to your knees.

However, in the DIII previews I saw, there were bosses that hit you and that pick you up. There were enormous creatures that charged at you and made craters in the floor.

For this reason, I have added a bit more spice to monstrous creatures by giving them some nice physical area-of-effect moves and some ferocity. 

Passive Abilities

Juiced Up: Packing a Punch

The Berserker gets a special form of rage that barbarians don't get. They howl like minogons (but deal damage instead of stun) and will always get a haste buff and a boost to their dexterity, strength and constitution. This rage lasts for two minutes no matter what and the Berserker is endowed with a orange, burning glow that identifies it as dangerous. Thus, Berserkers always look like they are almost twitching in their battle fever.

Inescapable

When I play Neverwinter Nights, I am usually very mobile. I kite a lot using archers and I use doors to get extra sneak attacks with rogues. Other times, I use doors to block my opponents and buy myself time for a potion or two.

Well, with a Berserker, this option is no longer available. Berserkers are so powerful that they literally smash right through the door to keep on running after their fleeing enemies. The only way to escape from a Berserker is to disappear. As a converse of the popular maxim, you can hide, but you can't run. (Unless hasted.)

The Power Moves

The Berserker, as it is designed now, has two automatically triggering AOE attacks. They are not creature abilities, so the Berserker does not waste a round using them.

The Ground Smash

The Berserker has a chance each turn of running a ground smash attack that damages all other creatures (hostile or friendly) in front of it through a dust-raising pulse attack. The Smash scales with level, so (for instance) low-level Berserkers will not be doing 10+ damage to level 5 characters and their henchmen with each AOE.

The Knockback

Instead of the Ground Smash, the Berserker can sometimes swing its arms in an AOE knockdown attack that throws all unfortunate creatures a short distance away onto their backs. The Knockback deals some damage, but it also scales with the Berserker's level. 

Fortunately, the Knockback only pushes the character down for two floating seconds, a third of the time that characters stay down for the Knockdown feat. This is to make combat more fluid and less frustrating. In game, your characters pop right back up after a Knockback, so you don't have to lose control and so it doesn't disrupt the flow of combat.

A Dramatic Death

The Berserker is usually large enough that when it dies, it shakes the earth hard enough to send up a cloud of dust and sometimes knock your characters down. Advice - kill the Berserker last! (Or other creatures will get attacks on you while you're down from the Berserker's death.)

"Overpowered Much?" You Say.

I promise the Berserker is definitely not an OP AI. There are many ways to fight Berserkers, and they are usually specialized enough that you will encounter them mostly by themselves. Even if Berserkers had henchmen, their AOE attacks would damage their own henchies as well.

This module is set to end with your character at level 11, at most. For this reason, you will not be ordered to enter caves full of ogres and giants (an overused plot device anyway), and you almost never encounter more than one Berserker at a time. It would be a tad silly (especially when I note that Berserkers can damage and push each other down).

My advice when facing Berserkers is to fight smart and with a balanced party. Summoned creatures can tank for you, and archers and mages won't be damaged by the AOE's if they are far enough.

More AI types are yet to come! Any feedback would be very much appreciated. :)