So lucky me, my mountain dwarf cleric/rogue picked up a Berserker Handaxe. Yay! LOL
The bonuses are easy to understand, but I just wanted to get clarification on how the curse functions in combat. It states that "Whenever a hostile creature damages you while the axe is in your possession, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or go berserk."
So does that mean every time I am hit, I need to make a wisdom saving throw if I hadn't already gone berserk? Is it possible, if I am berserk to keep trying to make a wisdom saving throw, or is it, that once I've gone berserk, that is it, I'm in full on berserk mode until there are no hostile creatures around me?
So does that mean every time I am hit, I need to make a wisdom saving throw if I hadn't already gone berserk?
Yes.
Is it possible, if I am berserk to keep trying to make a wisdom saving throw, or is it, that once I've gone berserk, that is it, I'm in full on berserk mode until there are no hostile creatures around me?
The only end condition stated for the berserk is having no creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear. Also, it is important to note that while only damage you take from hostile creatures triggers your berserk state, you attack any and all creatures (not just hostile ones), and remain berserk until all creatures (not just hostile ones) are more than 60 feet from you (or are invisible).
Ok, thanks for the clarification. So, this leads to another question; how can I do away with the curse?
I've been reading on various forums, the obvious one is have someone cast remove curse, that can break my attunement with the axe. Dispel magic from what I've read is a no-go as its strictly for spells. I have not found anything regarding if someone casts protection from evil, can that act as a way for me to safely remove the axe without harm?
EDIT: Also, something else I am wondering... When I use another weapon, I have disadvantage on that weapon as long as I am cursed. However, it does not specify what kind of weapon. So, in a situation where I have casted spiritual weapon to attack, does that mean that a non-physical weapon that I am using is also disadvantaged? The wording of the Berserker Axe makes me feel that it is strictly for actual physical weapons that I can wield. That it may not necessarily include the non-physical weapons that I can conjure.
you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon.
It's not 100% clear for me, but if it were my game, I would rule that the axe does NOT cause disadvantage for the attacks from Spiritual Weapon, because the spell description states that it is a SPELL ATTACK, rather than a WEAPON ATTACK.
My guess is they didn't want the curse to impact unarmed strikes and wanted spells like Steel Wind Strike to be affected too.
Spiritual Weapon is a spell effect, not a weapon, so the curse wouldn't be relevant even if it used weapon attacks.
Actually, for the same reason that spiritual weapon wouldn't be affected, neither would Steel Wind Strike. It says attacks made with weapons other than that. Strictly weapons. Not weapon attacks, just to be clear.
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You only lose if you die. Any time else, there's opportunity for a come back.
There's a pretty strong implication that the melee spell attack in Steel Wind Strike is being made with the melee weapon that's a material component for the spell. Spiritual Weapon doesn't use any of your weapons and isn't a weapon in itself.
Ok, thanks for the clarification. So, this leads to another question; how can I do away with the curse?
Unfortunately, the rules as written regarding cursed magic items in most versions of D&D (all but the BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia version, to my knowledge) only allow for cursed items to be discarded as the outcome of doing away with the curse.
For the curse to be actually removed, and the remaining item to be genuinely useful, you have to step into house-rule territory.
And protection from good and evil won't do anything because a cursed item is one of the limited creature types affected by that (and similar) spells.
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification on the protection from evil spell.
One more question just came to me, if I'm not wielding the axe but some other weapon, when I'm hit do I still go berserk? The wording of the item just says while it is in my possession. I would think that it only triggers when I'm actually wielding the axe.
One more question just came to me, if I'm not wielding the axe but some other weapon, when I'm hit do I still go berserk? The wording of the item just says while it is in my possession. I would think that it only triggers when I'm actually wielding the axe.
Yes. When the rules say "while the axe is in your possession" they mean exactly that - they aren't trying to trick you.
The effects of cursed items are not limited to just when you are choosing to use the cursed item - that's how this axe causes disadvantage when attacking with other weapons, and how cursed items in general prevent you from just putting them down and walking away.
Ok, thanks for the clarification. So, this leads to another question; how can I do away with the curse?
Unfortunately, the rules as written regarding cursed magic items in most versions of D&D (all but the BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia version, to my knowledge) only allow for cursed items to be discarded as the outcome of doing away with the curse.
For the curse to be actually removed, and the remaining item to be genuinely useful, you have to step into house-rule territory.
And protection from good and evil won't do anything because a cursed item is one of the limited creature types affected by that (and similar) spells.
Or items that specifically include ways of removing the curse without losing the weapon, like Sword of Vengeance. :D
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So lucky me, my mountain dwarf cleric/rogue picked up a Berserker Handaxe. Yay! LOL
The bonuses are easy to understand, but I just wanted to get clarification on how the curse functions in combat. It states that "Whenever a hostile creature damages you while the axe is in your possession, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or go berserk."
So does that mean every time I am hit, I need to make a wisdom saving throw if I hadn't already gone berserk? Is it possible, if I am berserk to keep trying to make a wisdom saving throw, or is it, that once I've gone berserk, that is it, I'm in full on berserk mode until there are no hostile creatures around me?
Ok, thanks for the clarification. So, this leads to another question; how can I do away with the curse?
I've been reading on various forums, the obvious one is have someone cast remove curse, that can break my attunement with the axe. Dispel magic from what I've read is a no-go as its strictly for spells. I have not found anything regarding if someone casts protection from evil, can that act as a way for me to safely remove the axe without harm?
EDIT: Also, something else I am wondering... When I use another weapon, I have disadvantage on that weapon as long as I am cursed. However, it does not specify what kind of weapon. So, in a situation where I have casted spiritual weapon to attack, does that mean that a non-physical weapon that I am using is also disadvantaged? The wording of the Berserker Axe makes me feel that it is strictly for actual physical weapons that I can wield. That it may not necessarily include the non-physical weapons that I can conjure.
The section on the Berserker Axe reads:
This is a little weird, as the rules would normally say, "Weapon attack rolls" but we should try not to infer too much from that.
The Spiritual Weapon says:
It's not 100% clear for me, but if it were my game, I would rule that the axe does NOT cause disadvantage for the attacks from Spiritual Weapon, because the spell description states that it is a SPELL ATTACK, rather than a WEAPON ATTACK.
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Great info guys, thanks a lot for your time!
You only lose if you die. Any time else, there's opportunity for a come back.
There's a pretty strong implication that the melee spell attack in Steel Wind Strike is being made with the melee weapon that's a material component for the spell. Spiritual Weapon doesn't use any of your weapons and isn't a weapon in itself.
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Ah ok, thanks for the clarification on the protection from evil spell.
One more question just came to me, if I'm not wielding the axe but some other weapon, when I'm hit do I still go berserk? The wording of the item just says while it is in my possession. I would think that it only triggers when I'm actually wielding the axe.
Doh!
Well, looks like I'll be needing every bit of that +5 WIS saving throw modifier, LOL. This is gonna make things interesting to say the least.