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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Monstrous Subclasses [PEACH]



Amechra
2015-01-06, 12:24 PM
Essentially, these are a rough equivalent of Savage Progressions from 3.5, except they are in nice, compact Subclass form. These aren't intended to make you exactly like the monsters (since monsters are balanced way differently than PCs), but should give you a lot of the flavor, as well as some nice, unique abilities.

So here's an example:



Ghost-Blooded (Sorcerous Origin, Ghost)

Some people are blessed by death; whether they had a narrow scrape when they were a child, their mother was possessed by a Ghost while they were in the womb, or they have died and come back, they are forever marked by their half-dead nature.

Dead Heritage
At 1st level, you gain the Undead Nature trait; you may be turned as if you were Undead, but may not be destroyed by failing your save against Turn Undead. You also learn the Chill Touch cantrip.

Walk Through Flesh
Also at 1st level, you may move through creatures as if they were difficult terrain, your body briefly becoming a chill mist that passes through flesh like a biting wind. You may also see up to 20ft, plus 20ft x the highest spell level you can cast, into the Ethereal plane while on the Material Plane, and vice-versa.

Ghostly Nature
At 6th level, you may use Walk Through Flesh to move through objects as if they were difficult terrain; ending your turn inside an object causes you to take 1d10 force damage. You also gain immunity to your choice of the charmed or frightened conditions.

Ethereal Mastery
At 14th level, you must replace one of your spells known with Etherealness if you do not already know it. You also are immune to both the charmed and frightened conditions, and may use the Possession action of a Ghost.

Horrific Visage
At 18th level, you may reveal the mark of your near (or actual) death for the world to see, a nauseating spectacle of rotten flesh and bloated viscera. As an action, you may spend 5 Sorcery points to reveal your horrifying rotten visage, horrifying those that can see you clearly. For the next minute, or until you lose your concentration, each hostile non-Undead creature that starts their turn inside 60' must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the aura ends.
Any creature that fails a saving throw also ages 5 years; any creature that succeeds on their save is immune to your Horrific Visage for the next 24 hours.



Thoughts?

mictrepanier
2015-01-06, 03:10 PM
Your 1st level feature is Op, unless you suffer AoO as well. Mobility feat may help ignore the penalty.

Ethereal Mastery: the spell should be add to the list, not swapped

Amechra
2015-01-06, 03:22 PM
Walk Through Flesh doesn't prevent you from suffering an AoO, so you suffer an AoO.

And Ethereal Mastery forces a swap for balance purposes; free 7th level spell AND an extra immunity AND the ability to possess creatures is a bit much.

mictrepanier
2015-01-06, 03:26 PM
18th level ability- as a comparaison, see oathbreaker ability from DMG, p 97 or fear spell. To evaluate its power, the warlock offers a point of comparaison. At 15th, an invocation gives 2nd level spell at will. Your feature is a level 3 spell, it should be fine, maybe a little underpowered.

Amechra
2015-01-06, 03:27 PM
It's literally the 18th level ability for the Draconic Sorcerous Origin, minus the ability to Awe, plus the aging. I think it's fine.

mictrepanier
2015-01-06, 03:28 PM
And Ethereal Mastery forces a swap for balance purposes; free 7th level spell AND an extra immunity AND the ability to possess creatures is a bit much.

The balance is vs other sorcerer features of the same level; don't reduce 14th feature power to compensate for 6th level OP. immunity at 14th and no swap ?

ThatKreacher
2015-01-06, 10:12 PM
I absolutely love the idea of this!

It reminds me of how I was thinking about brewing a subclass of monk/barbarian which revolves around natural attacks in the forms of claws/tails/bites etc. Do you have any more subclasses upcoming? very excited to see the results :)