[b16] Splat the Dwarf Berserker

[PowerWyrm]

Final setup can be found here: http://te4.org/characters/1002/tome/d92 ... 1cc000edf0

Having mostly played archmages up to beta 13, I decided this time to play the complete opposite character, a Berserker with Antimagic tree. The most difficult part... is to survive to level 2! It seems that most of your blows will miss at level 1. Putting a point in Weapon Combat seems to fix the problem instantly... After that, it's quite simple: avoid staying in LOS of casters, and blast everything with your weapon!

My thoughts on talents:

Two-handed Weapons Offense
- Death Dance: awesome, especially if you have Resolve on and used Battle Call just before; no need to max it, but a few points will add extra damage
- Berserker: maxed, for extra damage and stun/pinning resistances
- Warshout: 1 point for the confusion effect
- Death Blow: 4 points for extra damage... at high level, the stamina drain is quickly replenished by Resolve + Death Dance on weak monsters; however, since it's a one-time effect (high cooldown), it's only really useful for low/mid-level bosses; at high level, it won't scratch the bosses and the critical effect is marginal, since your natural crit bonus will already be high (59% on this particular character); so I didn't use this talent very much and the points could have been spent elsewhere

Two-handed Weapons Cripple
- Stunning Blow: the stunning effect is really helpful throughout the whole game; no need to max it, but a few points will add extra damage
- Sunder Armour/Sunder Arms/Blood Frenzy: skipped, the first two being weak compared to Stunning Blow, and the last one being useless with such high stamina costs (fixed + each turn)

Superiority (activated at level 20)
- Juggernaut: 1 point for prerequisite, could put more if your physical resistance is low and you're paranoid about strong melee opponents
- Onslaught: 1 point for prerequisite
- Battle Call: maxed... the Battle Call/Death Dance combo is devastating
- Shattering Impact: maxed, almost doubles your damage output; the stamina drain is bearable if it's the only talent you activate that costs stamina for each use

Bloodthirst (activated at level 10)
- Bloodbath: maxed, for almost guaranteed +10/20% HPs and life/stamina regeneration
- Mortal Terror: maxed for extra stunning/dazing
- Bloodrage: extra strength = extra damage; no need to max, just put a few points if your base strength is not high enough
- Unstoppable: maxed, it's basically a cheat death option; activate it when low on HPs, kill a few enemies, and not only you don't die, but you get fully healed after the battle!

Warcries (skipped)
- Shattering Shout: limited ranged attack... but you're supposed to rush at enemies no?
- Second Wind: instant stamina regeneration; I've never experienced with this char a moment when it could have been useful...
- Battle Shout: extra HP/stamina... redundant with Bloodbath, and it's weaker since you have to activate it
- Battle Cry: marginal defense penalty on enemies... too weak to invest points

Combat Techniques (Active)
- Precise Strikes: maxed... didn't feel the speed penalty too much, but the extra 15% crit is really precious (need to invest a bit on dex)
- Rush: maxed (extra range)
- Perfect Strike: skipped, only useful once in the whole game (if you meet a dread during Zigur's test)
- Blinding Speed: skipped; high cooldown, low duration... and I'm not sure the speed boost makes any difference

Combat Techniques (Passive)
- Quick Recovery: 1 point for prerequisite, could put more if you need faster stamina regen
- Fast Metabolism: idem (for life regen)
- Spell Shield: 1 point for prerequisite... I don't know if the extra spell save makes any difference
- Unending Frenzy: maxed... with Shattering Impact costing 15 stamina per blow, you really need the extra 13 stamina per death!

Field Control (activated at level 30)
- Disengage: 1 point for prerequisite... never used it, but it could be helpful if you don't have phase door
- Track: 1 point, put more if you want a bigger radius (usually, you will pump Cun for extra crits, so the radius should be ok even with 1 point)
- Heave/Slow Motion: not really suited for berserker, skipped

Combat Training
- Heavy/Massive Armour Training: 1 point to be able to wear any armour
- Health: maxed (extra 200 HPs)
- Weapon Combat/Mastery: maxed (extra tohit/todam)
- Knife Mastery: pointless
- Exotic Weapons Mastery: skipped... but tridents seem nice

Survival
- Trap Detection: 1 point (should be enough with high Cun)
- Heightened Senses: 1 point for prerequisite
- Trap Disarm: 1 point (should be enough with high Cun)
- Evasion: skipped (works on what attacks?)

Antimagic
- Resolve: 1 point, priceless to replenish stamina/equilibrium quickly; more points will give a marginal extra % chance of resisting elemental damage
- Aura of Silence: max it if you can for the extra range/duration... silence also applies to your berserker, but the combat techniques don't require speaking, so it's all benefit!
- Antimagic Shield: 1 point for prerequisite (if on, Resolve doesn't work)
- Mana Clash: maxed... deplenishes enemies' mana, and harm them with their own mana (and it costs only equilibrium that can be regained with Resolve)!

Things to fix for next beta:
- The slowdown problem!.. I had to restart the final fight due to summoned Wretchlings (Corrosive Vapor effect froze the game)
- Gloves: ended up using a crappy randart, because I didn't find anything more useful in the whole game! (there should be more ego gloves for melee character: gloves of slaying, of power, of critical hits...)

[darkgod]

Well done!