Berserkers
Battle-Frenzied Warriors of Blood and Glory
Berserkers are warriors gripped by a primal fury. Blood-soaked and unrelenting, a berserker is consumed by an adrenaline-fueled recklessness that drives them head-first into the fray.
Unlike disciplined soldiers such as Warriors or Guards, Berserkers don't march or form ranks. They crash into battle as howling shock troops, disrupting formations and challenging the strongest enemy they can find. Their armor is light, their weapons heavy, and their bravado is absolute.
Some fight for personal glory, others out of grief, vengeance, or sheer bloodlust. Many serve in tribal warbands led by Berserker Commanders - scarred veterans who inspire their kin with primal chants, brutal rituals, and the promise of a glorious death. These commanders channel strange rites and primal magic that heightens their prowess and binds their followers to them.
To a berserker, a good death is the only kind worth having. To fall in battle, weapon in hand, is the highest calling and the only way to earn a place amongst the storied heroes of old.
Berserker Lore
- Berserkers are lightly-armored, heavily-armed shock troops driven by rage and instinct
- They prefer charges and duels to formations and tactics
- Some are pit fighters or raiders; others are grief-stricken or zealously devoted to battle
- Berserkers rarely flee, for combat is both their purpose and calling
Berserker Tactics
Berserkers are the classic 5E Bruiser. They aren't mindless idiots, but they are also straightforward and aggressive in their approach:
- Berserkers rush vulnerable foes, ignoring formations to break lines and sow chaos
- They trade defense for offense, using powers like Reckless Flurry and Overrun to maximize damage output.
- Berserkers stay in the fight longer than expected, leveraging Bloodied Rage or Just A Scratch to push through wounds.
- They often call out the party’s fiercest warrior to a duel, using abilities like Challenge, forcing high-stakes 1v1s to test their might.
Berserker Statblocks
More Martial NPC Statblocks
See Soldiers and Fighters for more martial NPC statblocks.
Berserker
A Berserker is a frenzied warrior who charges headlong into danger, wielding brute strength and wild fury with no regard for defense.
Berserker
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Berserker)
AC 15 (Berserker's Rage) Initiative +2 (12)
HP 45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| Dex | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Con | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| Wis | 8 | -1 | -1 |
| Cha | 9 | -1 | -1 |
Skills Athletics +5
Immunities Frightened
Senses Passive Perception 9
Languages Common
CR 2 (450 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Reckless. At the start of their turn, the berserker can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls made during this turn, but attack rolls against them have advantage until the start of their next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The berserker makes two Greataxe attacks.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.
Wild Cleave (Recharge 5-6). The berserker makes an attack against every creature within 10 ft. On a hit, the creature is pushed up to 5 feet away.
Reactions
Just A Scratch (1/day). When the berserker is reduced to 20 hit points, it roars in defiance and gains 10 temporary hitpoints. While those temporary hitpoints are active, the berserker has advantage on all attack rolls and saving throws.
Berserker Veteran
A seasoned veteran of a hundred battles, the Berserker Veteran channels their rage with ruthless precision.
Berserker Veteran
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Berserker)
AC 15 (Berserker's Rage) Initiative +2 (12)
HP 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 18 | +4 | +6 |
| Dex | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Con | 16 | +3 | +5 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| Wis | 7 | -2 | -2 |
| Cha | 9 | -1 | -1 |
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +0
Immunities Frightened
Senses Passive Perception 10
Languages Common
CR 4 (1,100 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Bloodied Rage. When the berserker's current hit points are below 40, then it may make an extra attack as part of its Multiattack.
Reckless. At the start of their turn, the berserker can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls made during this turn, but attack rolls against them have advantage until the start of their next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The berserker makes two Greataxe attacks.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage and 7 (2d6) cold damage. On a hit, the target is pushed up to 10 feet horizontally.
Bonus Actions
Overrun (1/day). Immediately after the berserker hits an enemy with an attack, it may move up to half its movement without triggering opportunity attacks. If it ends its movement next to another creature, it may make an attack against that creature.
Berserker Legend
Wherever they walk, battle follows. The Berserker Legend is myth made flesh, fighting as if to impress Death himself.
Berserker Legend
Summoned with Foe FoundryMedium Humanoid (Berserker)
AC 17 (Berserker's Rage) Initiative +11 (21)
HP 220 (21d8 + 126)
Speed 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 22 | +6 | +10 |
| Dex | 17 | +3 | +3 |
| Con | 22 | +6 | +10 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 11 | +0 | +0 |
| Wis | 11 | +0 | +4 |
| Cha | 11 | +0 | +0 |
Skills Athletics +10, Perception +4
Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Passive Perception 14
Languages Common
CR 12 (8,400 XP; PB +4)
Traits
Mortal Vow. The berserker has sworn a sacred vow. If the vow is threatened or violated by an enemy, the berserker immediately gains 90 temp hp and takes an additional turn after the current turn ends.
Reckless. At the start of their turn, the berserker can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls made during this turn, but attack rolls against them have advantage until the start of their next turn.
Legendary Prowess (3/day). The berserker can choose to succeed on a saving throw or ability check instead of failing. When it does so, it takes 10 force damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The berserker makes three Greataxe attacks.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (1d12 + 6) slashing damage and 5 (2d4) fire damage. If the attack hits and there is another hostile target within 5 ft then that target also takes 6 slashing damage. On a hit, the target must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked Prone
Bonus Actions
Action Surge (1/day). The berserker takes another action this round. If it has any recharge abilities, it may roll to refresh these abilities.
Reactions
Just A Scratch (1/day). When the berserker is reduced to 110 hit points, it roars in defiance and gains 55 temporary hitpoints. While those temporary hitpoints are active, the berserker has advantage on all attack rolls and saving throws.
Legendary Actions (3)
Attack. The berserker makes a Greataxe attack.
Move. The berserker moves up to its speed.
Replenish. The berserker gains 10 temporary hitpoints. It can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Berserker Encounters
Looking for berserker encounter ideas for 5E? These dynamic combat scenes drop your players into duels, last stands, and blood-soaked challenges against furious warriors.
- The PCs stumble across the corpse of a great monster (such as a Chimera) freshly killed and surrounded by the bodies of fallen Berserkers. A single warrior clings to life, waiting to pass on the saga of the fallen
- A dwindling band of Berserkers makes a heroic last stand against an overwhelming squad of Hobgoblins. Despite being outnumbered, they refuse to break.
- The PCs interrupt two Berserker Veterans engaged in ritual combat. The two rivals meet each day at noon to continue their decade-long feud.
- The only bridge over a dangerous chasm is guarded by a Berserker Legend who will only let worthy combatants pass. She took a vow to never let a coward pass.
Berserker Adventures
These berserker-themed 5E adventure hooks add emotional depth, deadly rivalries, and mythic stakes to your next sessions and are perfect for one-shots or ongoing campaigns.
- A Berserker Veteran has been exiled for the one crime their kind cannot forgive - cowardice in battle. In truth, another warrior fled the field and cast blame to preserve their own honor, and now sings songs of false victory. Hunted and disgraced, the veteran seeks the party's help to lure the traitor into a formal duel to reclaim their honor.
- A beautiful but desperate woman hires the party to free her former lover, a captured warrior now forced to fight as a Berserker in brutal gladiatorial matches. Once a proud soldier, he's become a blood-soaked spectacle and is convinced she betrayed him. In truth, she tried to ransom him after his capture, but her payment was intercepted by a rival Noble who intends to see him die in the pit.
- The party is hired to stop a duel between Lorentz, a grieving tribal chieftain (Berserker Veteran), and Julen, a Noble heir. At first, it seems like a political feud, until the party learns that Julen and Lorentz’s sister Romara were secret lovers, and her recent death in childbirth is the spark for this blood feud.
- A Death Cultist Grand Master and his cult have robbed the grave of a Berserker Legend as part of a foul plot to resurrect the warrior as an undead slave to their cause. To do so, they must collect two of his three famed weapons. Each relic was entrusted to one of the legend’s proteges, now war-chieftains locked in a brutal three-way feud. The party must navigate their rivalries before the cult claims the blades and unleashes the legend’s fury against the living.
FAQ: Berserkers in 5E
What is the CR and XP for a standard Berserker in 5E?
The baseline Berserker is Challenge Rating 2 and awards 450 XP. Foe Foundry offers tougher variants like the Berserker Veteran and Berserker Legend for higher-tier encounters.
What makes Berserkers different from other melee monsters?
Berserkers are reckless shock troops who rush into combat without fear. They favor raw aggression over tactics, often using powers like Reckless Flurry, Wild Cleave, and Bloodied Rage.
Is this the same as the “Path of the Berserker” barbarian subclass?
No. Path of the Berserker is a player-facing subclass for barbarians. Berserker monsters are NPC enemies with their own statblocks and behaviors, though they share similar themes of rage and fearlessness.
How do I roleplay or describe a Berserker in combat?
Berserkers scream war cries, taunt foes into duels, and seem to welcome death. Some fight for honor or grief, others for glory or sheer bloodlust.
Can Berserkers be used as allies or party NPCs?
Yes. A berserker might serve as a bodyguard, rival, or tragic companion — especially if the party respects their code of honor or helps them reclaim lost glory.
What environments or cultures do Berserkers come from?
Berserkers often hail from tribal warbands, remote frontiers, or warrior cults. They're common in harsh climates, contested borderlands, or anywhere honor and battle are sacred.
How do Berserkers interact with fear, charm, or mind control?
All Foe Foundry Berserkers are immune to being Frightened. The Berserker Legend is also immune to being Charmed. This is due to their sheer ferocity overpowering any foreign mental influence.
What’s the best level for a Berserker encounter?
A single berserker (CR 2) with 4 Shock Infantry fits well against a level 4 party. Veterans and Legends are suitable for mid to high-tier play and can be used as solo minibosses or elite skirmishers.
How are Berserkers different from barbarians in 5E?
Barbarians are player characters with custom class features like Rage and Reckless Attack. Berserkers are monsters — often simpler, but built to deliver high-risk melee pressure in combat.
Can Berserkers use magic or rituals?
Some can. Foe Foundry's Berserker Legends wield minor rites, war chants, or battlefield blessings to inspire allies and invoke ancient pacts before battle.