Berserker Creation

Creation | Skills | AA's | Disc | Epic 1.0 | Epic 1.5 | Epic 2.0

The Berserker class is one with both great strengths and weaknesses.  A specialist form of melee, the Berserker is primarily a medium armored, high damage dealer.  While they posses a short range of unique skills achieved by throwing axes they can summon and combat abilities, they are predominantly right in the middle of the melee action.

Berserkers are set apart from other classes by two unique abilities.

The first, axe throwing, allows them to summon axes which can be used as a throwing weapon.  These are very useful when pulling, or to achieve other desired results such as snaring a mob or interrupting casters with a stun.  While these are generally only useful in small group or solo situations (as compared to a raid where magic users can fill these secondary roles better), they provide the Berserker with a little more diversity than straight melee classes such as a Warrior or Rogue.

The second is their Frenzy ability.  This ability works similar to the Flying Kick skill that monks get.  The damage the frenzy skill deals increases as the Berserker levels up and increases their skill in the Frenzy ability.  The skill basically executes an additional round of combat and can often do double attacks or rarely triple attacks.  Over time this can greatly increase the damage-per-second (DPS) output of the class, but can have the additional side-affect of getting them a lot of aggro, particularly in small groups.

Defensively speaking Berserkers wear chain armor.  This puts them in the same tanking class as Rangers & Rogues.  They can take a few hits in LDON dungeons or experience zones, but they will die rapidly if they are forced to tank high end mobs in a main-tank or crowd control role.  They receive a few skills to help them in this including Dodge & Parry, but these two primary defense skills max out at only 175, leaving them well short on the evasive capacity they need to be at the top of the NPC's target list for long.

They do also receive Combat Agility & Combat Stability as melee alternate advancement skills from Level 55; but take heed to try and play this class a bit like a monk or rogue, knowing when to back off in order to stay alive.

Berserkers do also receive a combat ability to help reduce their aggro with NPC's.  These require the use of endurance in order to succeed, but can help considerably in intense fights where you don't want to have to back off in order to lower aggro.

Berserkers also get intimidation which allows them to fear a mob.  Used in conjunction with their snare axe attack they can effectively reverse kite to a small extent if need be.

Berserkers do not have a lot of regenerative abilities aside from bandaging.  Many players choose Trolls in order to compensate for this with their innate regenerative bonus.  You may want to also investigate acquiring regenerative items, or using favor points to have a regen bonus for your character.  Keep in mind though that in short order, like most melee classes, you are going to need to group with a healer to level up.

At End Game, Berserkers have the War Cry ability for Raiding.  This ability gives their entire group increased haste and ATK that stacks with all other abilities and skills.  This bonues increases the groups attack rate, base and max damage and chance to hit an enemy NPC.  This makes Berserkers very useful for offensive melee groups on raids.

Berserkers are not really a class well suited to people who want to solo.  They are a very fun class to play however with their high DPS.  Players should also note that they are limited to two-handed weapons and chain armor.  Whilst there is a lot of equipment out there to customize your character, if you want a very broad range of weapon options this may not be the class for you.  Two-Handed weapons generally look pretty cool though, which is always a bonus.

Don't choose Berserkers if you aren't willing to really keep track of your aggro and play your character properly, you will die a lot and get frustrated as mobs refuse to leave you alone and beat you into the ground with your low AC.  If you prefer to play a less involved melee style consider the Warrior class. 

Other classes similar to the Berserker in play style include the Ranger, Rogue and Monk, however Berserkers are on the Knight HP table giving them more hitpoints than any of these other classes.

Statistics

Strength: Strength determines how much you can carry.  It influences maximum and average damage and how quickly you learn many offensive skills.  Strength is fairly easily raised with spells and items however and at creation you probably don't need to add anything to this.

Stamina: Stamina affects how many hit points you have and your endurance for combat abilities.  This is an essential stat and you should put all your extra points into this in order to have the best character once you reach level 65.

Agility: Agility affects how quickly you can learn some defensive skills, how difficult it is to hit you as well as how much damage you take when you are hit.  The true effect of Agility is often debated.  As a Berserker you will want to try and avoid being hit as much as possible and the best way to do this is through managing your aggro, not through having high agility stats.

Dexterity: Dexterity affects how quickly you learn weapon skills, and how often weapons will do their special.  Whilst this statistic is relevant to Berserkers, it is nowhere near as important as Stamina, and there are many items in the game to improve it if you wish to at a later point.   You should not put points into this skill at creation.

Wisdom: Wisdom affects the amount of mana the priest classes have, also rangers and paladins.   It also affects how quickly you can learn many skills if your wisdom is higher than your Intelligence.  This skill has absolutely no relevance to Berserkers except for learning trade and weapon skills. You should not increase it at creation. 

Intelligence: Intelligence directly affects how quickly you can learn most skills.  It affects the amount of mana for bards and all pure casters, as well as shadow knights.  This statistic is only useful if it is higher than wisdom, at which point it helps for raising trade and weapon skills.  Do not worry about intelligence when making your character.

Charisma: This affects amount you will be paid for goods by NPC merchants, and how much they will pay you.  It is not a statistic to put bonus points into at creation.

Choosing A Race

The first thing you have to pick then is your race.   Which race you pick will determine the foundation of you character for the rest of your life in Norrath so it is kind of important you pick one you like.

Berserkers can be made from the following races: Dwarf, Barbarians, Vah Shir, Troll or Ogre.

• Dwarfs are a small race and have the highest base dexterity of any race for Berserkers.  They also have some night vision bonus to make it easier when hunting at night.

• Barbarians are a large race, they get the Slam ability which allows them to stun an NPC and possibly interrupt their casting.

• Vah Shir have the added bonuses of night vision, safe fall (prevent damage when falling large distances) and sneak.

• Trolls get the Slam ability as well as an innate regeneration bonus. 

• Ogres also get the Slam ability and the added bonus of not being able to be stunned when they are facing an NPC.

You should also note however that Trolls & Ogres take longer to raise to Level 65 than the other classes.  This is because of their special abilities.  Vah Shir also consume food and water faster than other races.

Trolls & Ogres are also considered "Evil" and will be killed on sight in some cities.  The other races are all considered "Good/Neutral" and can visit any city except Neriak, Cabalis and Oggok.

Base Statistics

Spending Your Bonus Points

In today’s EverQuest starting stats are not as crucial as they were in the beginning. We suggest maxing out your stamina stats first, and training the rest of your starting points in strength.

Religion

Religion is not a hugely important choice for the classes.  There are not many deity specific items in EverQuest aside from cultural armors which are only useful for a short window of your characters life.  Pick a god which sounds like one you will enjoy.