Vallmyr's 5e Homebrew thread.
So instead of making a new thread everytime I have an idea for 5e I'll just have this that I constantly update and such. You'll see my wildkin and pixie race ideas on here so sorry for the repeats if you already read those threads. Alot of this is for my homebrew D&D setting so you'll see lore bits mixed with the mechanics. So the next few posts will be my Wildkin and Pixie race followed by a prestige class idea.
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Comments
Wildkin
Ability Score Increase: +2 Dex
Age: Maturity at 15 and live to 80.
Speed: 30 ft
Darkvision: 60 ft
Keen Senses: Proficiency with the Perception Skill.
Claws: All Wildkin can deal 1d4 slashing damage using their claws. Treat as a light finesse weapon.
Wild Speech: Speak with animals of its type.
Born Subservience: You have disadvantage on saving throws to spells that apply the charmed condition.
Subraces:
Kitsune (Fox)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
Alignment: Kitsune tend to be Chaotic in nature.
Nature's Trickster: You know the Dancing Lights cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Fox's Deceit: You gain proficiency in the Deception Skill.
Size: Kitsune tend to be from four and a half feet to about five and a half feet. Your size is Medium.
Wolven (Wolf)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
Alignment: Wolven tend to be Lawful, particularly Lawful Neutral.
Ancestral Guidance: You can cast the Speak With Dead spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Deathless: Advantage on Death Saving Throws and Spells that cause instant death without dealing damage.
Quick: 35 ft movement speed.
Size: Wolven Stand at five and a half feet tall to just over six feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Aviel (Bird)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence
Alignment: Aviel tend to be any of the good alignments.
Scholar's Fatigue: You can only fly when wearing light or no armor.
Scholar's Flight: You can fly at half your movement speed.
Size: Aviel stand at four feet and four inches to five feet and six inches. Your size is Medium.
Lazeran (Lizard)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
Alignment: Lazeran tend to be evil in nature due to the constant fight for survival within their homeland.
Poison Skin: You have resistance to poison damage.
Swamp's Wrath: You can cast the Poison Spray Cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Size: Lazeran stand anywhere from four feet tall to seven feet tall. Their size is medium.
Katahn (Cat)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
Alignment: Katahn lean toward the Chaotic and Good alignments.
Cat's Grace: You gain Proficiency with Acrobatics and Stealth
Quick Escape: You can use the Disengage ability as a bonus action.
Size: Katahn range from four feet tall to five and a half feet tall. Your size is medium.
Ursan (Bear)
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Alignment: Ursan lean towards Lawful alignments due to their traditional culture.
Bear's Resolve: +1 HP per level
Fearless: You have advantage versus spells that give the frightened condition.
Intimidating Roar: You have advantage on Intimidation checks.
Size: Ursan stand anywhere from five and a half feet tall to well over seven feet in height. Your size is medium.
Age: Pixies reach adulthood around 100 years old and can live into the thousands on their home plane but only to 500 on the material plane.
Alignment: Pixies often drift towards the Chaotic Alignments due to their whimsical nature.
Size: Pixies stand anywhere from 1 to 2 feet in height. Pixies are Tiny
Speed: 10 ft land, 30 ft fly
Darkvision: 60 ft
Ability Score Increase: Increase a Pixie's Charisma by 2 and their Dexterity by 1.
Tiny Warrior: Pixies receive disadvantage on all weapons that do not have the "light" descriptor. They cannot wield weapons with the "heavy" descriptor. Pixies must have weapons and armor for them specially manufactured. Magical Items Resize to fit their stature.
Tiny Wings: You must end each of your turns 5 feet above the ground if you are flying, otherwise you fall until you reach that height.
Fey Heritage: Due to the whimsical nature of the fey realm a Pixie gains a number of spells randomly each day. Each time you finish a long rest, you gain the ability to cast cantrips and spells randomly determined from a short list. At 1st level, you can cast a cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can also cast a 1st-level spell. At 5th level, you can cast a 2nd-level spell.You can cast a spell gained from this trait only once until you complete your next long rest. You can cast a cantrip gained from this trait at will, as normal. For 1st-level spells whose effect changes if cast using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you cast the spell as if using a 2nd-level slot. Spells of 2nd level are cast as if using a 2nd-level slot. At the end of each long rest, you lose the cantrips and spells previously granted by this feature, even if you did not cast them. You replace those cantrips and spells by rolling for new ones on the Fey Arcana Spells table. Roll separately for each cantrip and spell. If you roll the same spell or cantrip you gained at the end of your previous long rest, roll again until you get a different result. Charisma is the casting stat for these abilities.
Fey Arcana:
d6 1st Level
1 Dancing lights
2 Druidcraft
3 Light
4 Message
5 Minor Illusion
6 Prestidigitation
d6 3rd Level
1 Animal Friendship
2 Faerie Fire
3 Tasha's Hideous Laughter
4 Sleep
5 Charm Person
6 Entangle
d6 5th Level
1 Gust of Wind
2 Moon Beam
3 Phantasmal Force
4 Detect Thoughts
5 Spike Growth
6 Invisibility
Languages: You can speak Common and Sylvan
I was inspired for the randomly rolling for spells from this
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/old-black-magic
Requirements
Character Level 5
Proficiency in Perform, Acrobatics, Stealth
Dexterity 13
Must complete a test of shadows (RP quest).
1d8 hp per level (or 5+con)
1 - Summon Shadow, Improved Dark Vision, Spellcasting Progression.
2 - Shadowstep 60 ft
3 - Winter's Ghost
4 - Night's Embrace
5 - Shadowdance
Summon Shadow - Once per long rest you can summon a shadow (see MM). It acts independently from you but shares your initiative and can be given orders. This shadow cannot create spawn.
Improved Darkvision - You gain Darkvision 120 ft. Does nothing if you already have Darkvision 120 ft.
Spellcasting Progression: For the purpose of multiclassing, to determine your total spell slots, add your levels in Shadowdancer to your levels in classes that grant you the Spellcasting feature. For example, if you are a master of radiance 4/wizard 6, you would have the spell slots of a 10th level character, in addition to having the cantrips and spellbook of a 6th level wizard.
Shadowstep - At 2nd level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in snow, dim light, or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in snow, dim light, or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn. This range goes to 120 ft if you are a monk that already has the Shadowstep ability.
Winter's Ghost - Resistance to Cold Damage. Advantage on stealth checks when in a snowy environment, Dim Light, or Darkness.
Night's Embrace - You can stealth anytime you are in a snowy environment, dim light, or darkness. If a creature is watching you then you take disadvantage on this check.
Shadowdance - you may perform a dance to spread the wrath of the winter court. You make a performance check as shadows, ice, snow, and cold winds spread in a 40 ft area around you. All creatures caught take damage equal to the performance check with a dexterity saving throw for half. Half of this damage is necrotic and the other half is cold. For 5 minutes the 40 ft zone around you is shadowed in dim light and is considered to be a snowy environment. This can be used once per short rest. DC is 8+Shadowdancer level+charisma.
Edit: I originally wasn't going to do prestige classes for 5e until I saw the Unearthed Arcana article about them.
Requirements
Character Level 5
Proficiency in Nature, Survival, Religion
Wisdom 13
Charisma 13
Be able to cast the Fire Bolt Cantrip
Must complete a quest of light (RP quest).
1d8 hp per level (or 5+con)
1 - Sunlight Bolt, Spellcasting Progression.
2 - Nature's Light
3 - Day's Embrace
4 - Banish Darkness
5 - Blessing of the Summer Court
Sunlight Bolt: When you cast the fire bolt cantrip, you can choose to deal radiant damage instead of fire damage. When you use this ability, your target sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius until the beginning of your next turn.
Spellcasting Progression: For the purpose of multiclassing, to determine your total spell slots, add your levels in master of radiance to your levels in classes that grant you the Spellcasting feature. For example, if you are a master of radiance 4/wizard 6, you would have the spell slots of a 10th level character, in addition to having the cantrips and spellbook of a 6th level wizard.
Nature's Light - You gain resistance to fire. You gain advantage on attack rolls while standing within your Daylight spell or Radiant Aura daylight.
Day's Embrace: While in an area of bright light, your Armor Class cannot be lower than 16.
Banish Darkness - You can cast Daylight once per long rest.
Blessing of the Summer Court: You can cast hallow. When you cast the spell in this way, you may only choose one of the following extra effects: Courage, Daylight, Energy Protection (necrotic), Energy Vulnerability (radiant), Everlasting Rest, Fear, or Tongues. After you use this ability, you cannot cast the spell again until you finish a long rest.
I'll offer my notes and suggestions on the Master of Radiance prestige class first. I like the idea, although I think I would word the prerequisites differently; Proficiency +3 is going to be universal for any character of 5th level or higher, so you can just say "Character Level 5th". I would also add Charisma 13 to the list of requirements--that will mean that there's a bit of multiclass synergy with Sorcerers, while also encouraging Clerics and Druids to branch out from their normal comfort zone.
I'd also add the Fire Bolt cantrip to the list of requirements. I'll get to that in a minute.
Looking at the class features, Banish Darkness is a cool ability but three times per long rest is too many; Daylight is a 3rd level spell, so one free casting of it seems like plenty to me.
I would also modify the Sunlight Bolt feature to be an optional modification to that spell. That makes accessing the class a little more difficult for Druids and Clerics, but it also means that a Summer Elf can plan to take the prestige class from Level 1. Here's how I'd word the Sunlight Bolt feature: Day's Embrace and Nature's Light, together with Sunlight Bolt, create an uncomfortable combo potential for me. Basically any time you're outside in the daytime, your Summer Elf Rogue 5 / Master of Radiance 3 character gets to sneak attack for +3d6 damage every round. If the campaign has a lot of fights during the day, that's a constant +3d6 buff on your character, which is very significant.
My suggestion would be to change Day's Embrace to the following: That basically gives your character a free Barkskin effect; it doesn't make them unstoppable, but it makes them more formidable in specific circumstances. It's also slightly better than a Dragon-blooded Sorcerer's starting ability (13+Dex), meaning that your character will actually notice the difference when it takes effect.
Nature's Light has the same problems as Day's Embrace. Here's what I'd do: Again, I'm turning a common buff into a much less common buff. By giving the class an advantage in enemy territory (i.e. the dark), you let them compete on even terms, without having to create their own light source. Blindness immunity doesn't let you see in the dark, but it does mean that you'll never be subject to the most common effects of sun-related spells.
Radiant Aura...Too much, too much. Remember that this is a level 5 ability on a class that you can take starting at level 6; that means your character will be level 10 when they get the ability to immediately dispel a Level 9 Darkness effect, then cast Daylight, Mass Cure Wounds, and a reverse Antilife Shell--all in a single action. Too much.
If you want to give the class a powerful capstone, here's what I'd suggest: That's a powerful 5th level spell, but its effects are limited, and it takes a full day and 1,000 gp of material components in order to cast it. It becomes a spell that the character is expected to cast as a representative of the Summer Court, rather than something they're likely to use every time they get into combat.
The last thing I would do is rearrange the order of abilities; Sunlight Bolt is something you want the character to be able to do immediately; it's the bread and butter of the class, so I'd put it at level 1. Day's Embrace works well at level 3, and Nature's Light, a passive ability that's only useful in specific circumstances, works well at level 2. Banish Darkness, then, makes sense at level 4; that's a minum level of 9, which is appropriate for a free 3rd-level spell casting. Blessing of the Summer Court then replaces Radiant Aura at level 5; so my final suggested progression would be... I hope that all makes sense!
A. Ditch it entirely, let the player make that hard choice. Not ideal; you're designing this for clerics and druids and sorcerers, so you want them to want to take it.
B. Give the class some kind of spell progression of its own. Could work well, but that means a lot of work figuring out spell lists.
C. Make it part of the class's first-level abilities that they add the class's level to their existing spellcasting progression. They don't get new spells, but they get more spell slots with which to cast their existing ones.
I'd go with option C, personally. It's pretty close to what you have now, with the added benefit of not having to do "half your level" math on an odd-numbered class.
Your design choices are always a great help! Thanks again!
And yeah, I was going to make it a rogue archetype but after reading the article decided to make it something that multiple classes might want to take. In the end I may end up re-naming the Shadowdancer since half of it is like the old shadowdancer and the other half is all winter-themed.
The blade in general is strange because they're sort of portrayed as bardic assassins in the 2e fluff but also often states how they're all show with less skill. Unsure how to really portray and balance that. I'm also thinking about removing unerving flourish. Like I get it mechanically, but not the flavor.
Blade rework
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Blades at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and with a single martial weapon of your choice.
Fighting Style
The College of Blades emphasizes mastery with weapons, granting you access to the two-weapon fighting option for the Fighting Style class feature.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Blade Flourish
At 3rd level, you learn to conduct impressive displays of skill with your weapons. When you use the Attack action on your turn and attack with a dagger, longsword, rapier, scimitar, or shortsword, you can attempt one of the following flourishes.
Defensive Flourish. You spin your weapon around you in swift circles, creating a hypnotic display. As a bonus action, you expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and applying the number rolled as a bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Trick Shooter’s Flourish. This favorite trick of knife throwers allows you to expend one use of Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and apply the number rolled as a bonus to the next ranged attack roll you make with a dagger this turn. If the target of the attack is an unattended, inanimate object, the bonus equals double the die roll.
Unnerving Flourish. Your deadly display of combat prowess unnerves your opponents, leaving them cowering in fear and at your mercy. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, and instead leave the creature at 1 hit point. The creature is frightened of you for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier. It must also make a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to your spellcasting DC + a bonus equal to the roll of your Bardic Inspiration die. If the creature fails this saving throw, it answers truthfully any questions you ask it and obeys your direct orders while it is frightened by this effect.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Weapon Display
As an action you can perform a brilliant weapon display. Targets must understand how weapons work and have an intelligence of 5 or more. You choose a number of targets up to your charisma modifier. You roll a bardic inspiration dice and allies you choose apply the roll to their next attack roll while enemies subtract it from their next attack roll.
1st Suggested: A number of time equal to your charisma modifier you can use a bonus action to feint your opponent. When you do this your next attack has advantage.
2nd Suggested: A number of times up to your charisma modifier you can perform a dazzling flourish. They must make a wisdom save equal to 8 + Proficiency + Charisma Modifier or become incapacitated for as long as you keep up the performance. This performance requires concentration and can be kept up to 1 minute. Attacks against the incapacitated target breaks this affect. The incapacitated target is allowed a new save each round.
College of Mirrors:
At level 3 you gain the following.
Proficiency in Shields*.
Deceiver's Image
As a bonus action roll a bardic inspiration die and summon half that number in mirror images that function as per the spell.
Mirror Strike
As a bonus action allow your mirror images to strike an enemy. Roll a bardic inspiration dice. They must make a wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + proficiency + charisma or take psychic damage equal to your bardic inspiration dice roll.
Displacer's Veil
At 6th level as an action you may summon a silent image up to 30 ft near you. You may expend all movement to trade places with your silent image. If this silent image is within five feet of the target you're attacking you have advantage. This silent image lasts a number of rounds equal to your character level.
Master Illusionist
At level 14 you can create a solid simulacrum of yourself as an action. It wears non-magical variants of the gear you are wearing. It acts as you direct it verbally and lasts a number of rounds equal to your bard level plus charisma modifier. If it casts spells it uses your spell slots. The simulacrum has half your HP and uses your attributes, saving throws, and proficiency. You may use this once per long rest.
*Rp-wise upon joining the college of mirrors you receive a mirror shield that's symbolic of your mirror images. I'll probably make a new magic item that's a shield that's specific to this school.
"Born Subservience:Disadvantage to spells that apply the charmed condition."
Every time you gain a spell like ability you gain 1 tail. You have 1 tail at 1, 2 tails at 3, and the 3 tails at 5.
Feats:
"Kitsune Tail Magic
Upon obtaining this feat you gain three tails. Your spell-like abilities also improve.
- Dancing Lights can be used as per magic missile, firing three bolts dealing 1d4+1 damage. Half the damage is fire and the other half is radiant. This takes an action and has a range of 60 feet.
- Disguise Self lasts 1 hour per character level.
-I nvisibility now becomes Improved Invisibility"
"Improved Kitsune Tail Magic
- Requires Kitsune Tail Magic
- +1 to Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma
- Upon obtaining this feat you gain three tails. You may use your Kitsune spells twice per long rest as opposed to once per long rest."
Shield proficiency is attached to armor proficiency,
Light armor grants proficiency with bucklers.
Buckler
- +1 to AC
- 12 dexterity requirement
- Bonus action to don/doff
Medium Armor grants proficiency with shields (as per normal).
Shield
- +2 AC
Heavy Armor grants proficiency with tower shields.
Tower Shield
- +3 AC
- 12 strength requirement
- Disadvantage on Stealth checks
- May use an action to plant shield in place. This makes your movement 0 but grants full cover.
I'm going to make Kitsune, Wolven, and my Bear people into their own race with subraces I think.
Ability Score Increase: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity.
Age: Maturity at 15 and live to 80.
Alignment: Kitsune tend to be Chaotic in nature.
Size: Kitsune tend to be from four and a half feet to about five and a half feet. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Your vulpine eyes let you see in the dark. You can see dim light within 60 feet of you as though it were bright light and darkness as if it were dim light. You can not discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Keen Senses: You have proficiency with the Perception Skill.
Fox's Deceit: You gain proficiency in the Deception Skill.
Claws: Kitsune can deal 1d4 slashing damage using their claws. Treat your claws as a light finesse weapon.
Wild Speech: Speak with foxes.
Born Subservience: You have disadvantage on saving throws to spells that apply the charmed condition.
Nature's Trickster: You know the Dancing Lights cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages:You can read and speak in Common and Sylvan.
Feats for Kitsune:
Kitsune Tail Magic
Upon obtaining this feat you gain three tails. Your spell-like abilities also improve.
- Dancing Lights can be used as per magic missile, firing three bolts dealing 1d4+1 damage. Half the damage is fire and the other half is radiant. This takes an action and has a range of 60 feet.
- Disguise Self lasts 1 hour per character level.
-Invisibility now becomes Improved Invisibility
Improved Kitsune Tail Magic
Upon obtaining this feat you gain three more tails and your spells from Nature's Trickster improve further.
- Requires Kitsune Tail Magic
- +1 to Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma
- You may use your Nature's Trickster spells twice per short rest as opposed to once per long rest.
Lore
Creatures of servitude:Kitsune were created by the Summer and Winter Court Seelie and Unseelie during their wars. The race has gained much independence from their creators but after lifetimes of being controlled with enchantment magics they are susceptible to spells that apply the charmed condition.
Natural Tricksters: Kitsune were created to be spies and assassins but most use their innate magic to perform pranks and tricks as opposed to true harm. Kitsune often become classes with an attatchment to nature or classes that lend themselves to their deceitful nature. These include Rangers, Druids, Bards, Rogues, Warlocks, and Barbarians. While Kitsune Clerics are not unheard of they are rare due to the distrust most Fey have of the Gods.
Physical features: Kitsune resemble their animal brethren and either come in the Red Fox variety or the Fennec Fox variety. Fennec Kitsune are slightly shorter than their red fox cousins as Fennec Kitsune are closer to four feet in height and red fox Kitsune are closer to five and a half feet in height. Their fur comes in a variety of colors such as red, orange, white, black, beige, and grey. Many Kitsune choose to grow fur on their heads long to resemble hair as many Kitsune are enamored by beauty. Their "hair" color is usually the same as their fur color though some will dye their fur. Kitsune also feature Digitigrade legs and feet, as opposed to Plantigrade.
Names: Kitsune usually share a family last name but give themselves a first name to be called by. These names are named after the fey of their plane of origin. Example names include: Sidhe, Cu, Leanan, Fauth, and Ghillie.
Kitsune Personality: Kitsune are sly but mean no harm for the most part. While there are good and evil members of every race Kitsune mostly lean towards neutral. They have little care for laws or structure however which is why they are often Chaotic. A Lawful Good Kitsune Paladin is one of the most rare things an individual could come across.
Nine Tailed Kitsune: As Kitsune become more experienced in their field or trade sometimes the magic of the fey realm allows them to undergo a transformation. The Number of tails a Kitsune has is equivalent to their experience. Most have one to three tails with few having six tails and even fewer having nine tails. These tails give them greater connection to the fey realm and allows their spells to be improved or used more often.
Dryad Race
Ability Score Increase: +2 Wisdom, +1 Constitution.
Age: Your survive as long as your tree does.
Alignment: Dryads tend to be neutral on at least one axis.
Size: Dryads tend to be five and a half feet tall to six and a half feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 50 feet while wearing light or no armor. Otherwise it is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Dryads can see in the dark. You can see dim light within 60 feet of you as though it were bright light and darkness as if it were dim light. You can not discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Bound by Nature: As long as your tree survives you do not need to eat or drink. However if your tree dies then you die.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep
Trance. Dryads don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Speak with Beasts and Plants: The dryad can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Nature's Call: You are proficient with the Nature and Survival skills.
Wisdom of the Fair Folk: You know the Druidcraft cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Entangle spell once per day as a 1st-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the barkskin spell. Entangle and Barkskin may only be used once per long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Quadruped: Enemies have disadvantage when trying to knock you prone.
Languages:You can read and speak in Common and Sylvan.
Dryads in my setting are like WoW Dryads physically.
Pictures that inspired the race:
by FENRYSK ENTERTAINMENT
by TCHOKUN
by Eva Widermann
And yeah, I'll add that enemies have disadvantage to knock them prone.