Barbarians: inspiration and mechanics

[rjshae]

Battle Surge -- In this state, the barbarian gains a sudden rush of stamina and is able to fight on even when he would normally drop from exhaustion. The surge significant boosts strength but lowers reason by an equal amount, turning the barbarian into a brute-force killing machine. The duration of this effect is dependent on the level of the barbarian. At the end of the surge, the stamina boost is lost, which may cause the barbarian to fall unconscious unless some other means of boosting stamina is obtained.

 

Note that the stamina rush may increase the barbarian's stamina above the normal maximum. But the main intention is to keep the barbarian fighting past the point where a normal combatant would have fallen (like a wild boar).

Edited January 27, 2013 by rjshae

[Yaskaleh]

An ancestral side to the Barbarian would fit. The Germanic and Norse "barbarians" revered their anscestors, to call upon your anscestors in time of need would fit if they based the Barbarian class upon them. It could take the form of a spirit mask or a physical mask as some has suggested.

They, just like tribal groups aronud the globe, had shaman. To add a shamanistic side to the Barbarian class would be interesting.