Berserker

Berserkers were those fighters and barbarians who could tap into a particularly savage aspect of themselves in order to skip into a furious rage while in combat. Barbarians that followed the Path of the Berserker saw their rages as the best means to enjoy the thrill of battle, regardless of personal well-being.

Culture
Tribal berserkers were believed to have been granted supernatural forces that allowed them to better defend their people. These individuals lived in close-knit groups, often found in less-civilized locales. They looked out for their own kind within these communities.

Abilities
Berserkers focused their efforts on honing their skill with melee weapons and forewent training with those wielded at long range. Similarly, they eschewed most types of armor more cumbersome than splint mail.

These warriors were so named for their ability to "go berserk" and enter into a trance-like rage in battle. Once in this state a berserk fought with exceptional strength and ferocity. They could not be knocked out, were immune to a wide-range of mind-controlling spells and effects, and gained resistance to others that attempted to hinder their movement or actions. This fighting style was just as unpredictable as it was effective in battle.

A berserker's rage lasted until every enemy on the battlefield was downed. On occasion they could not differentiate friend from foe and would attack those who were in fact their allies. Afterwards, a berserker became physically exhausted and vulnerable to certain effects they shrugged off during their rage.

The sight of a veteran berserker in battle was so terrifying that some combatants fled from the battlefield entirely.

Notable Berserkers
The Rashemaar berserkers comprised several tribes of fearsome warriors from the far-eastern realm of Rashemen.

Individuals

 * Fyodor, the adventuring Rashemaar berserker from the Black Bear lodge of Dernovia.
 * Gaulguth, one member of the Trio Nefarious and general of the Army of Darkness.
 * Korgan Bloodaxe, the heartless dwarven mercenary captain from Athkatla.
 * Lorne Starling, an assassin of the Circle of Blades in Luskan.
 * Yaga-Shura, the bloodthirsty fire giant Bhaalspawn whose fortress lay within the Marching Mountains.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Windwalker
 * Video Games:
 * Baldur's Gate series (Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn) • Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter Nights 2