PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Divine Domain: Magic Domain



Samhaim
2015-04-02, 05:35 AM
Always for your consideration and imput

Magic Domain
Gods of magic are often aloof, compared to other deities, mostly interested in proclaiming magic as the most fundamental force in existence, a force sometimes in opposition with those of life and nature. They promote that with the study of magic will follow knowledge, power, control over one's fate and the world around them. Their clerics are students of one of the mightiest forces that hold influence over all of the planes, sometimes experimenting and manipulating forces sometimes best left alone.

Magic Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
3rd detect magic, magic missile
5th invisibility, magic weapon
9th dispel magic, magic circle
13th arcane eye, polymorph
17th circle of power, teleportation circle

Arcane Cantrip
At 1st level, you learn the eldritch blast cantrip from the warlock's spell list, you can treat it as a cleric's spell.

Occult Sacrifice
Starting at 1st level, you begin to learn how manipulate the arcane currents pervading all of existence and can channel them to help someone regain some magical energy. As an action, you can touch a creature with your holy symbol and draw power from the world around you to restore a number of spell levels equal to half your level. The amount of magic that a creature can manipulate is limited though as magic energies wrack both your bodies. The target of this ability and you both, suffer force damage equal to three times the number of spell levels restored, this damage may not be reduced or prevented in any way. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Arcane Infusion
Also 2nd level, you can gather magical energy from the environment around you to focus the potency of your spells. When you deal damage to a single creature with a spell, you can decide take force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier, which can’t be reduced in any way. If you do, the spell deals extra force damage equal to twice the damage you suffer in this way.

Magic Dampening
At 6th level, you can use you ability to influence the currents of magic, in order to diminish their strenght for a brief time. As a reaction, whenever a creature in your line of sight casts a spell, you may cause the forces of magic around you to disperse for a brief istant, creating a sphere 30 feet in diameter centered on you,. All that is within that sphere gain damage reduction and a bonus on saving throws against the triggering creature' spell equal to your Wisdom modifier. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short rest.

Potent Spellcasting
Beginning at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Eldritch Battery
At 17th level, you can use an action to transfer arcane energies inside a magic item with charges. You touch the item, recharging a number of expended charges equal to your Wisdom modifier. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

MrStabby
2015-04-02, 07:37 AM
I don't think the cantrip should be eldritch blast. It is basically the signature of a Warlock; I would recommend anything from the Wizard or bard list instead (with the exception of cutting words for similar reasons).

Occult sacrifice is like a better arcane recovery. It gets problematic as you have, for certain, a healer in the party. The drawback is only significant if you use it in combat. Also, for clarity you may want to specify per cleric level, rather than per level. Sometimes it can generate debates that could have been avoided. If nothing else, it is probably worth

Arcane infusion is a bit more balanced if only because it causes you pain in combat where it may matter. The downside is that it seems pretty powerful especially if you can hide at the back and have some regeneration effects. Given the power of this ability you wouldn't need to use your spell slots for offensive spells so casting a cantrip + healing word on your turns would be pretty good. (Just realised its channel divinity so it isn't on all the time - makes it MUCH more reasonable (although maybe you may want to adjust it to scale with cleric level somehow?))

Magic Dampening seems sound. I like this.

Eldritch Battery also seems reasonable for a level 17 effect.

Spells seem a reasonable selection. Did you do a keyword search for "magic" in the title?

Flavour-wise the whole self harm theme doesn't really speak magic domain to me. It seems to be more some kind of evil, life draining cleric magic type of thing. This may just be me though. The Wizard overchannnel ability does do necrotic damage which feels more expected.


I do quite like this though and would be tempted to play one.

Samhaim
2015-04-02, 08:36 AM
I don't think the cantrip should be eldritch blast. It is basically the signature of a Warlock; I would recommend anything from the Wizard or bard list instead (with the exception of cutting words for similar reasons).

Occult sacrifice is like a better arcane recovery. It gets problematic as you have, for certain, a healer in the party. The drawback is only significant if you use it in combat. Also, for clarity you may want to specify per cleric level, rather than per level. Sometimes it can generate debates that could have been avoided. If nothing else, it is probably worth

Arcane infusion is a bit more balanced if only because it causes you pain in combat where it may matter. The downside is that it seems pretty powerful especially if you can hide at the back and have some regeneration effects. Given the power of this ability you wouldn't need to use your spell slots for offensive spells so casting a cantrip + healing word on your turns would be pretty good. (Just realised its channel divinity so it isn't on all the time - makes it MUCH more reasonable (although maybe you may want to adjust it to scale with cleric level somehow?))

Magic Dampening seems sound. I like this.

Eldritch Battery also seems reasonable for a level 17 effect.

Spells seem a reasonable selection. Did you do a keyword search for "magic" in the title?

Flavour-wise the whole self harm theme doesn't really speak magic domain to me. It seems to be more some kind of evil, life draining cleric magic type of thing. This may just be me though. The Wizard overchannnel ability does do necrotic damage which feels more expected.


I do quite like this though and would be tempted to play one.

1- I picked EB for the force damage, since I wanted to be thematic.
2- See? that is why I decided to post on a forum! I always considered that ability to be usable exclusively during an encounter, did not think about it's use outside of combat. This needs correction! (also the cleric level thing, which I gave for implicit, apparently)
3- You mean add cleric level to both suffered and inflicted? would't that make it a bit too powerful (I am not very good with balance)?
4- Excellent!
5- Idem!

For the spells, I just picked what made me think about magic in general (but I can see why someone would think like you did :smallbiggrin: )
I had no idea there was a similar ability for the wizard (must be due to the fact I never cared for the evocation school :smalltongue: ),

The self harm theme is due to reasons: 1- power has a price; 2- magic is not evil or good, is neutral; 3- I was tempted with necrotic damage, but it felt way too dark, force damage is more neutral in flavour (I would have loved some kind of "arcane" damage type, though); 4- I wanted to apply a deviation on the theme (and I find I'm quite fond with it). It is also good to apply to all gods of magic, albeit I can understand why it would be a bit discordant with a good divinity, but then again, healing!

MrStabby
2015-04-02, 09:35 AM
1- I picked EB for the force damage, since I wanted to be thematic.
2- See? that is why I decided to post on a forum! I always considered that ability to be usable exclusively during an encounter, did not think about it's use outside of combat. This needs correction! (also the cleric level thing, which I gave for implicit, apparently)
3- You mean add cleric level to both suffered and inflicted? would't that make it a bit too powerful (I am not very good with balance)?
4- Excellent!
5- Idem!

For the spells, I just picked what made me think about magic in general (but I can see why someone would think like you did :smallbiggrin: )
I had no idea there was a similar ability for the wizard (must be due to the fact I never cared for the evocation school :smalltongue: ),

The self harm theme is due to reasons: 1- power has a price; 2- magic is not evil or good, is neutral; 3- I was tempted with necrotic damage, but it felt way too dark, force damage is more neutral in flavour (I would have loved some kind of "arcane" damage type, though); 4- I wanted to apply a deviation on the theme (and I find I'm quite fond with it). It is also good to apply to all gods of magic, albeit I can understand why it would be a bit discordant with a good divinity, but then again, healing!

Sorry, for scaling I just meant going up with level, not just as a 1:1 thing for your channel divinity. Yes Wisdom will rise but it will pretty quickly get capped. A once per fight ability, doing an extra 10 damage is no big deal (basically Divinity Paladins get to add Cha to each attack with their one for a minute with no penalty applied to their own health). Maybe add damage equal to the cleric's highest remaining spell slot and double to the enemy? Maybe taking some force damage to give a metamagic effect would scale appropriately with spell levels?



I have to say I am loving this class mechanically and would love to play it, but the more I think about it it does seem to be screaming for one of the shadier alignments, with the price of power and all that as well as draining magic etc..