New Warlock Patron: The Titan

[wayfare]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OlKViriJLwQ/TUU5xzc9BmI/AAAAAAAAAVM/s8PAmq1lWas/s1600/Titan-Forge.jpg

The Titan
Your patron is an entity of primordial power, a mighty force of creation and chaos. Through your bond you apprehend forces fundamental to the cosmos, learning to shape yourself and the world around you to suit your whim.

Expanded Spell List
The Titan Patron grants you spells that allow you to shape the physical world and tap into raw creative energies.

1st: Chromatic Orb; Disguise Self
2nd: Enlarge/Reduce; Enhance Ability
3rd: Call Lightning; Gaseous Form
4th: Fabricate; Polymorph (Maybe Stoneskin Instead?)
5th: Creation; Bigby’s Hand

Least Creation
At 1st level, you can reshape nearby dust, dirt, or offal into an object that takes up no more than 1 cubic foot and weighs no more than 1lb/level. This object can be made out of any common material (common wood, copper, stone, iron, hemp, cotton, bronze, burlap, etc) and has all the properties of that material as long as you hold it. If the object is destroyed or if you let go of the object, it immediately crumbles into the material it was crafted from.

Manipulate Forces
At 6th level, you have learned the common core to all energy, allowing you to replace the wrath of heaven with an arctic blast or a blazing torrent. Whenever you inflict damage with a spell, you can convert that damage into your choice of cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.

Maul of the Titans
Starting at 10th level, when you inflict damage with a weapon or spell, you may use a bonus action to cause that damage to ignore any resistance possessed by the target. You may use this ability up to Charisma times per short or long rest.

Primordial Power
At 14th level, you have mastered the secrets of creation and can draw upon greater power as a result. Whenever you cast a spell of 5th level or lower, you cast it as if from a 6th level slot.

[wayfare]

Hey All:

This is my first attempt at 5e homebrew. It is for an upcoming game in which players will be worshiping the Greek and Norse gods. I thought I'd also give titans as an option for Warlocks. If you have any suggestions, please post -- I'd really like to have this ready in a few days.

Thanks!

--Wayfare

[Zweisteine]

This isn't half bad. I like the concept, and it seems well-made, but I suspect that it will have some balance issues.

What that last ability does is probably on the overpowered side, depending on what spells the warlock in question chooses. (Though I haven't reviewed the spells individually, so for all I know, most of them don't scale with slot level.)

For maul of the titans, I suggest two things: First, limit use somehow. I recommend allowing charisma modifier uses per long rest Second, I would sugget tht it be activated as a bonus action or a regular action (choose at time of use) immediately before casting a damaging spell (or making an attack with your pact weapon). That removes the unusual abiry to take a reaction on your turn, and balances it by making it less selective.

Manipulate forces might also need a use limiter, but it doesn't seem all tht powerful.

[wayfare]

Thanks for the suggestions! I've modified Maul of the Titans some.

What do you think about having Polymorph on the list?

[xyianth]

This looks pretty good. I like the concept and theme of the abilities. I do have a few observations that you might want to consider.

The Least Creation ability reminds me of the shapesand item or the Sand Shaper prestige class's ability sand shape from 3.5. As such, I recommend that you add a note preventing it from duplicating the properties of magic items in order to prevent some of the worst abuses of an otherwise flavorful and useful ability.

The spells look good to me, though I do think stoneskin fits better theme-wise than polymorph. Combined with my reservations towards the polymorph spell in general I would recommend the change. (If interested, my problem with polymorph is that it starts more powerful than a Moon Druid's wild shape ability ever gets, and only gets worse from there. Since it is concentration based, the proper way to use it is on one of your frontline fighters, not yourself, making this effectively the strongest buff spell currently in the game. With it on a Warlock's list, you can basically keep it up on one of your allies every encounter while not limiting your combat potential at all.)

I love the Manipulate Forces ability, potent and flavorful without being overpowering. The only thing to note is that all of the published Warlock patrons give some kind of defensive reaction ability at 6th level. By providing this offensive ability instead, Warlocks with the Titan patron will be less defensive. This works well with the theme if you intend the Titan patron to be more offense-minded, I just wanted to point it out in case it was something you hadn't considered.

I see a few issues with Maul of the Titans. The first is that it is basically useless for spells since the Manipulate Forces ability gives you an at-will ability to just change the energy type and avoid the resistance. The second is that it doesn't affect damage dealt by the familiar of a Chain Pact Warlock. As a result, this is really only useful for a Blade Pact Warlock, and only if his pact weapon damage type is the same as the creature's resistance. Since a pact weapon always counts as magical, the creature would have to be resistant to magical bludgeoning, piercing, and/or slashing damage. I think this makes this ability incredibly situational, especially when compared to the other 10th level published patron features. This is also another offense-oriented ability in a traditionally defensive 'slot.' Again, I think making the Titan patron more offense-oriented can work, I just want to make sure it is intentional.

The Primordial Power ability is certainly very powerful, but its power is based on which spells the Warlock decides to use. Converting Hellish Rebuke for example just adds an extra 1d10 damage output, but converting Hold Monster literally doubles the potency of the spell (since you can target 2 creatures instead of 1). I like the general concept of a power boost to a Titan Warlock's spell potency, but I think it might be better if it had some kind of cost attached. My recommendation would be to allow the Titan Warlock to spend 2 5th level slots to cast a single spell as if it were 7th level. This way, the Warlock has to trade an opportunity cost to get the power boost, but the power boost is improved to compensate. This is, of course, only a suggestion.

Overall, I really like it. Keep up the great work and best of luck in your upcoming campaign!

[Zweisteine]

Thanks for the suggestions! I've modified Maul of the Titans some.
Great! The wording's a bit clumsy, though, so I made you another one:
"Starting at 10th level, when you inflict damage with a weapon or spell, you may use a bonus action to cause that damage to ignore any resistance possessed by the target. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest."

Starting at 10th level, you may use a bonus action to grant your attacks the ability to pierce your foe's resistances. The next time you make a weapon attack or cast a spell this turn, any damage that attack or spell would deal ignores any resistances possessed by the target.
You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.


What do you think about having Polymorph on the list?
I feel like stoneskin or another spell would fit better. Polymorph is a powerful spell, and that power is multiplied by a warlock's casting methods. Besides that, it already exists as an invocation, so I don't think it should be able to get onto the spell list. Besides that, while becoming anything does fit with the powers of creation and chaos, element-based spells fit far, far better than polymorph does.