Serker (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

The serker is a barbarian brought up in the way of the body. A serker gains a mystical identification with a family of animals, gaining animal strength, hardiness, natural attacks, and form. Serker means one who wears garb, and a serker must be clothed in the skins of the beast whose abilities she seeks. In a spiritual sense, the serker dons the garb or identity of her animal, much like normal folk wear the garb or armor of their social identity.

Depending on the animal family the serker bonds with, she might be known as a baerserker (bear), bukkrserker (stag), fillserker (mammoth), haukserker (raptor), herserk (hare), hestserker (horse), hrafnserker (raven), hvalserker (cetaceans ), ormserker (snake), svinserker (boar), tjorserker (cattle), ulfserker (wolf), vedrserker (ram), or vognserker (seal, walrus).

Class Information

This is a martial arts archetype, a barbarian of the way of the body.

Starting Money: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp)

Hit Die: d12.

Class Abilities

The serker has all the class abilities of the barbarian, except as noted below.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A serker is proficient with all simple and martial melee weapons and with shields (except tower shields) but not with any ranged weapons or armor.

Way of the Body Armor Bonus (Ex)

As long as she is not wearing any armor, a serker gains a circumstance bonus to natural armor equal to her Constitution bonus. She can use shields normally and the bonus stacks with both natural armor and with enchantment bonuses to natural armor.

Note that temporary Constitution modifiers, such as those from bear's endurance, do not increase the armor class bonus from this ability.

Animal Family (Ex)

At first level a serker must choose a totem animal among those listed in the animal families chapter. In order to use any supernatural class features, the serker must be wearing the pelt of an animal from this animal family that she herself has killed. When transforming wholly or partially, the serker's body merges with the garb into a mix of animal and her original form. A serker cannot use any supernatural abilities from the class unless she is wearing an appropriate pelt.

Animal Senses (Ex)

At 2nd level the serker gains the senses of her animal family in both her original and animal form, as outlined in the animal families section.

Natural Attacks (Su)

At 4th level the serker gains the ability to instantly shift parts of her body into natural weapons without changing her overall shape. She can use the natural attacks of her animal family in her original form, as outlined in the animal families section.

Beast Shape (Su)

At 6rd level the serker can assume the animal forms listed in the animal families section. She can use this ability at will and it lasts until she dies or resumes her normal shape as a standard action. At level 6 she can assume the shape of Small and Medium animals of her family, as beast shape I. At 10th level, she can assume the form of a Tiny or Large member of her animal family, as beast shape II. At 14th level she can change between animal and her original for as a swift action. Note that some animal families do not have access to all size categories. Each use of this ability costs one round of rage per hour of transformation (or part thereof). This ability counts as wild shape into an animal for the purpose of prerequisites and what other abilities it can be used with.

When a serker assumes an animal form, all her gear is absorbed into her assumed form. Items that provide continuous bonuses continue to provide those bonuses, except armor. When a magic weapon is absorbed this way, the serker can apply its enchantment to one type of natural attacks.

Example Benugan has a +2 frost longbow and a +2 keen dagger. She assumes the form of a lion. She chooses to apply the +2 frost enchantment to all her claws and the +2 keen enchantment to her bite.

The serker can also change into hybrid forms as a free action, adding cosmetic traits from her animal forms to her original appearance. This has no game effect.

Damage Reduction (Ex)

At 7th level, while raging, a serker gains damage reduction 2/silver. Subtract 2 from the damage the barbarian takes each time she is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack as long as that attack is not made by a silver weapon (or a weapon with an enchantment bonus of +3 or more). At 10th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, this damage reduction increases by 2 points. Damage Reduction can reduce damage to 0, but not below 0. This is a modification of the damage reduction ability.

Special Qualities (Su)

At 8th level the serker gains the special qualities of her animal family, as outlined in the animal families section. She can use these special qualities in her original and animal form.

Special Attacks (Su)

At 12th level the serker gains the special attacks of her animal family, as outlined in the animal families section. She can use these special attacks with natural attacks in her original and animal form.

Animal Movement (Su)

At 16th level the serker gains the movement abilities of her animal family in original form, as outlined in the animal families section. Her body partially changes shape to allow this.

Shapechanger (Ex)

At 18th level, the serker gains the shapeshifter subtype.

Animal Gift (Sp)

At 20th level the serker can bestow the animal gift on others. Once per day the serker can use animal shapes (sp). The assumed form must be of the serker's animal family.

Summary of Lost Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency
• Rage Powers (all)
• Damage Reduction

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