Base Class: Barbarian
The random madness of the thunderstorm and the unpredictability of the slaadi come together in the soul of a manic. Unlike most other characters, they do not fight to achieve some heroic goal or defeat a loathsome villain. Those are mere excuses - it is the thrill of combat that draws them. For a maniac, the insanity of battle is much like an addictive drug - they must constantly seek out more conflict to feed their craving for battle.
Along the wild borderlands and in the evil kingdoms of the world, maniacs often lead warbands that include a variety of character types - and even other maniacs. Some such groups turn to banditry and brigandage; others serve as specialized mercenaries. Whatever their origin, such warbands naturally gravitate toward situations of instability and conflict, because wars and civil strife are their bread and butter. Indeed, the coming of a maniac is the most obvious herald of troubled times.
The maniac’s path is unsuited for most adventurers - a fact for which the peace-lovers of the world can be thankful. Because of their traditional love for battle, orc and half-orc barbarians are the ones who most frequently adopt this subclass, though human and dwarf barbarians also find it appealing. It might seem that elves would be good candidates because of their chaotic nature, but the elven aesthetic and love of grace are at odds with the maniac’s devaluation of the self. Spellcasting characters and monks almost never become frenzied berserkers.
NPC maniacw often lead tribal warbands or raiders made up of fighters, barbarians, or other martial characters. Some fall in with humanoids and even giantish tribes, but not all maniacs turn their chaotic strength to evil. A few have found homes in small villages or in rural areas, acting as members of the settlement’s defenses. Most people give even such well-intentioned maniacs a wide berth, however, and they often find themselves wandering as loners in the wilderness.
Level 6: Insanity
Whenever your rage starts, you may exchange an amount of your armor class up to your proficiency modifier, to get the same amount as a bonus to your strenght (to a maximum of 30)
Furthermore, whenever you are affected by a emotion altering magical or supernatural ability, you may make a strenght saving throw contested by the entity’s spell saving DC. If you suceed by over 5, and the entity was an active participant in the altercation, it take 3d6 psychic damage and is confused.
