Based on this, only the third paragraph suggests that it would have to be Barbarians. However the idea that there could be Cleric/Barbarians or Ranger/Barbarians implies that a hero might develop the traits of a battlerager later (starting out as a Ranger lvl1 and taking Barbarian levels later).Dwarven battleragers, or kuldjargh ("axe idiots"), are legendary berserker warriors who can enter a battle frenzy through ritualistic singing. They are believed to have been touched by the dwarven gods of battle, who taught them that if they die in battle, they will return to Faerûn stronger than before as a just reward. Therefore, they have no fear of death. They are given to drinking, rowdy and boisterous singing, and drunken dancing. Battleragers command grudging, if fearful, respect within dwarven society, where they are known to have coined such philosophically complex dwarven maxims like "head first" and "if it moves, kill it." Most live short, glorious lives.
While enraged, a battlerager's face becomes distorted and twisted. His teeth grind together as spittle flies from his mouth and dribbles down his beard. His eyes enlarge, bulge, and become bloodshot. Charging into battle, he bellows forth his clan or holy war song, throwing his hammers and axes all the way, before cleaving his foes with his mighty dwarven waraxe. In short, he becomes almost unstoppable. Battleragers are often covered from head to toe in body art, from tattoos to brands to ritual scars. They prefer to wear spiked armor, and some of them ride specially trained boars into battle.
Battleragers are usually single classed barbarians before taking the prestige class, though multiclass barbarian/fighters are also common. Barbarians/rangers and barbarian/clerics (known as "vindicators") are not uncommon as well. Other multiclass combinations are almost unheard of.
The battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarf society and culture. He is a fearless and impulsive warrior, able to enter into an insane rampage. Battleragers are ruthlessly used by dwarf generals for their shock power against attacking armies. NPC battleragers often come from a familial clan made up predominantly of battleragers. These clans often form guilds or halls within dwarven society, though these "guilds" are often more akin to a family or fraternal order. Regardless, battlerager guilds are often located on the fringes of dwarven society, kept out of view and away from easily influenced dwarven children, who often hear of the kuldjarghs' fearlessness but rarely their folly. While heroic battle is honored ifi dwarven society and battleragers often excel in this, more often than not they also epitomize lives wasted in stupid rage, something most dwarves realize they cannot afford in a world filled with orcs and goblins.
So I think that if a fighter, or ranger specialized into being a Frenzied Berzerker, learning to Frenzy and falling in love with it
They would be able to pursue being Dwarven Battleragers as well.For the frenzied berserker, the insanity of battle is like an addictive drug -- they must constantly seek out more conflict to feed their craving for battle
Mechanically I think opening up the Battlerager class to Fighters, Ranger or other martial class / Frenzied Berserker doesn't seem like it would be too over powered.
Because Dwarves favor Fighter class you can currently be a Fighter/Barbarian/Berserker/Battlerager. But a Ranger/Berserker/Battlerager or a medium BAB class (maybe a Bard) has to take a XP penalty from Barbarian levels.
You lose the benefit of the Battlerager's free Great Cleave feat since you had to take it to qualify for Frenzied Berserker. However you do benefit from the Extend Rage, which you really want as a Berserker since you don't get a Constitution bonus during Frenzy.
Another benefit is freeing up that fourth class slot as well. I can imagine this being used for Fist of the Forest, Dervish or Weapon Master. But I don't think that this would create any balance issues compared to Fighter/Berserker/Weapon Master, which will probably be stronger than a Fighter/Berserker/Battlerager/Weapon Master.
I believe 12 Fighter / 3 Fist / 5 Battlerager / 10 Frenzied Berserker would be strong and fun to play, but not unbalanced compared to what you can get in the game. The same goes for a Dervish, Favored Powerattack Ranger or Bard 21/Frenzied/Battlerager.
Since Berserkers must be non-lawful, this does *not* open up crossclass to Dwarven Defender, which will likely remain the more consistently strong option for a Dwarven melee hero.
Thanks for reading.
