With great anger comes great resp… well, smashing of stuff, really. Here are three ways that immense fury can be modeled.
Frenzy
Some characters can focus their anger into a burst of furious action. This furious action is referred to as a ‘frenzy’.
A character who can frenzy mayactivate it as a free action on his own turn. He cannot do so on another character’s turn, nor may he do so if unconscious. A character may only frenzy once per encounter and only a limited number of times per day.
When frenzied, a character gets a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Dexterity, and a +2 bonus to Reflex saves. While frenzied, a character can attack with a Flurry of Blows when making a full attack, much like a monk. He can make an additional attack at his best base attack bonus, but suffers a -2 penalty to all attacks made that round.
While frenzied, a character cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration. Spellcasting is precluded while frenzied. Combat Expertise cannot be used while frenzied, but other feats in the Expertise tree are still available.
A frenzy lasts for a base of three rounds plus the one round per point of Constitution bonus. The character may choose to end his frenzy earlier but still suffers the post-frenzy fatigue.
After a frenzy, the character loses all bonuses gained from the frenzy and is fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Constitution, and cannot run or charge) for the remainder of the encounter.
When fatigued like this, a character cannot rage or frenzy.
Rage
Some characters can enter a savage fury when fighting that gives them certain advantages. This savage fury is referred to as ‘raging’.
A character who can rage can activate it as a free action on his own turn. He cannot do so on another character’s turn, nor may he do so if unconscious. A character may only rage once per encounter and only a limited number of times per day.
When raging, a character gets a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, but suffers a -2 penalty to armor class. The bonuses has the normal effects (including improving Fortitude saves and increasing hit points). Increased hit points are not temporary hit points; they are not lost first as hit points from some spells.
While raging, a character cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration. Spellcasting is precluded while raging. Combat Expertise cannot be used while raging, but other feats in the Expertise tree are still available.
Raging lasts for a base of three rounds plus one round per point of modified Constitution bonus. The character may choose to end his rage earlier but still suffers the post-rage fatigue.
After raging, the character loses all bonuses gained from the rage and is fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, and cannot run or charge) for the remainder of the encounter. All hit points gained from the increased Constitution are immediately lost.
When fatigued like this, a character cannot rage or frenzy.
Frenzied Rage
Under normal circumstances rage and frenzy are incompatible because they both require so much of the character. Some develop the ability to go beyond this.
When in a frenzied rage, a character gets the benefits of both rage and frenzy. While unnamed, they are considered being of the same source and therefore do not stack (net +4 bonus to Strength, for example). The frenzied rage lasts 3 rounds + one round per point of modified Constitution bonus. Extended Rage and Extended Frenzy do not lengthen this, unless both feats are taken, in which case the frenzied rage lasts four rounds longer.
If the character has Greater Rage, Mighty Rage, Greater Frenzy, or Mighty Frenzy, the increased effects are used.
The character will fall unconscious at the end of the frenzied rage, unless he has one of Tireless Rage or Tireless Frenzy, in which case he will be fatigued (-2 Strength and -2 Dexterity, cannot run, charge, rage, or frenzy). If he has both tireless feats, he will not be fatigued at the end of his frenzied rage.