Draconic Paragon Class PEACH, WIP

[JNAProductions]

Hit Die: d10
Weapon/Armor Proficiency: Simple Weapons
Saves: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Pick two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persausion, and Religion

Starting Equipment
-Explorer's Pack or Dungeoneer's Pack
-One Simple Weapon of your choice



Level
Prof.
NW
Features
Move


1
+2
1d4
Natural Weapons, Scales, Darkvision 120'
-


2
+2
1d4
Flight, Draconic
+5'


3
+2
1d4
Draconic Affiliation
+5'


4
+2
1d4
Ability Score Improvement
+5'


5
+3
1d6
Extra Attack
+10'


6
+3
1d6
Breath Attack
+10'


7
+3
1d6
Draconic Affiliation, Draconic Strikes
+10'


8
+3
1d6
Ability Score Improvement
+10'


9
+4
1d6
Blindsight 30'
+15'


10
+4
1d6
Improved Flight
+15'


11
+4
1d8
Improved Breath Attack
+15'


12
+4
1d8
Ability Score Improvement
+15'


13
+5
1d8
Improved Natural Weapons
+20'


14
+5
1d8
Perfected Flight
+20'


15
+5
1d8
Draconic Affiliation
+20'


16
+5
1d8
Ability Score Improvement
+20'


17
+6
1d10
-
+30'


18
+6
1d10
Perfected Breath Attack
+30'


19
+6
1d10
Ability Score Improvement
+30'


20
+6
1d10
Draconic Affiliation
+30'



Natural Weapons-You gain two claw attacks and one bite attack, each of which deals 1d4 slashing (for claws) and piercing (for bite) damage and progresses as shown on the table. You can make one attack as an action and a second as a bonus action in any combination, and each attack adds either your Strength or Dexterity modifier to its damage.

Scales-You have hardened, scaly skin. Your AC, when unarmored, is equal to 10+Con Mod+Dex Mod or Str Mod.

Flight-You grow a pair of dragon wings. These wings provide an increase to your base movement speed as shown on the table.

In addition, you are able to fly at a speed equal to your adjusted walking speed. In combat, you must end each turn on the ground or fall. Out of combat, you can fly for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifer.

Draconic-At level two, you learn to speak Draconic. If you already know Draconic, learn another language instead.

Draconic Affiliation-Choose a type of dragon-Metallic or Chromatic-and a color. These determine what benefits you get at Draconic Affiliation levels.

Draconic Strike-Your natural weapons now count as magical.

Breath Attack-You gain a breath attack of your chosen element, usable Constitution modifier times per long rest dealing 3d6+Con Mod damage in a 30' cone on a failed Dexterity saving throw. DC is equal to 8+Proficiency+Con Mod.

Breath attacks use the same damage type (but not shape) as Dragonborn breath attacks. (PHB Page 34)

Improved Flight-You may now fly without falling after each round. You can maintain flight for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier per day.

Improved Breath Attack-Your breath attack is now Constitution modifier times per short rest. In addition, it now deals 5d6 damage.

Improved Natural Weapons-You can now attack twice your bonus action rather than once. In addition, your natural attacks can now deal the element of your chosen draconic ancestry in damage instead of slashing or piercing.

Perfected Flight-Your flying speed is now twice your ajdusted walking speed. In addition, you can fly indefinitely.

Perfected Breath Attack-Your breath attack now deals 8d6 damage. In addition, you can use a weakened version that deals 3d6 damage at will.

Draconic Affiliations

Metallic
3-HP increases by one per level.
7-AC increases by 1 when not wearing armor.
15-Advantage on any Persausion checks.
20-HP and AC increase by 1 more each, for a total of 2.

Chromatic
3-Natural Weapons gain a +1 to damage rolls.
7-Natural Weapons gain a +1 to attack rolls.
15-Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
20-An additional +1 to attack and damage rolls.

[JNAProductions]

Spellcasting removed, extra speed and elemntal natural attacks added.

[Wartex1]

You should make your unarmed strikes count as magical weapons at one point in order to adjust for the number of monsters who resist non-magical weapons.

EDIT: What do you mean by modified move speed?

[JNAProductions]

Draconic Strike added 7th level, alongside Draconic Affiliation.

[meltodowno]

Feedback incoming!

- No clarification on damage type of base Natural weapons

- How about giving the claws finesse, but the bite strength based, to match general monster baselines.

- Flight needs rewording "In addition, you can use your wings to add to your base walking speed. " + "You can fly at your move speed" = infinite loop. Recommend removing the 'add to your base walking speed', especially with the addition of a move speed increase in last update.

- Clarity on improved natural attacks needed. Recommend minor rewording to make it clear you can deal Elemental damages OR Physical.

-Perfected flight : See Flight exploit.

- Perfected Breath attack: " recharging on a 5 or 6." No clarification on dice type ... assuming it's a D6 ?

-Metallic line: "15-Advantage on any Charisma checks made to help others." Aiding another now only provides advantage. Fail too see an application for this.

- No clarifications on breath weapon damage types.

- No Starting wealth given.

- No starting gear picks given.

[JNAProductions]

Feedback incoming!

- No Starting wealth given.

- No starting gear picks given.

First off, thank you.

Second off, all items which I edited are erased.

For these last two, I'm not really sure what to give them. They're pretty gear-independent.

[eleazzaar]

Seems to me it is pretty heaviily front-loaded with Scales, Flight (even if limited), and a move bonus. Looks like it is inviting a 2 level dip.



Draconic Paragon Class
Does this mean it is supposed to be limited to draconic creatures? That's what paragon classes used to be. If so, it will probably be taken by a dragonborn, and thus already have a breath weapon. (though i see this one is better)

[JNAProductions]

I suppose you're right about it being a bit front-loaded. Then again, a ton of 5E classes are.

Do you have any recomendations for more evenly distributing it, or is it okay as-is?

And no, it can be taken by anyone. It's like Sorcerer-you've got some dragon blood in you, but instead of magic, you get dragon body.

[meltodowno]

Perfected Breath Attack-Your breath attack now deals 8d6 damage. In addition, you can use a weakened version that deals 3d6 damage once per short rest, recharging on a 5 or 6 on a d6, rolled at the start of each turn.

One of these isn't meant to be here :smallbiggrin:

As to gear ... keep it simple. Admitedly, no proficiencies doesn't help. Perhaps give it simple weapons prof, and a simple weapons pick - that way they can at least pick up a shortbow for a ranged combat option ? Even wizards get simple prof.


- Simple weapon of your choice.
- A Dungeoneer or Explorers pack.

[JNAProductions]

Fixed Perfected Breath Attack.

Added basic starting gear and simple weapon proficiency.

[JNAProductions]

Added Darkvision, Magical Darkvision (for seeing through magical darkness), and Truesight.

Changed Breath attacks to Con Mod per rest rather than once.

[JNAProductions]

Slightly changed speed. Made it 5' every four levels, with a bonus 5' (for a total of +30) at level 17.

Changed Truesight to Blindsight.

Changed Blindsight to level 9 and 30'.

Now need a level 17 feature.

[Ramsus]

Looking over this more carefully, a few things strike me.

The first is that the class almost completely lacks non-combat features (they get one at level 15 when they should probably have two by level 5). Since I would assume the flavor of the class is to be like a dragon, perhaps add some more magical feeling ones that don't mimic existing spells. One simple possibly is to add in the ability to speak Draconic or another language if you already know Draconic and maybe some very minor thing that goes along with that, probably at level 2. Good levels for other non-combat features would be 4 or 5, 8, and obviously 17 since it's currently unoccupied. (Not that you necessarily need to add that many things, I'd probably stick with something at 2, 4 or 5, and 17.)

The second is that the skills and abilities of the class as well as the concept of being dragon-like pull the character in multiple different directions. One would think from the concept of fighting with tooth and claw and being dragon-like that strength would be a good ability for this class, but the features completely undermine this. Instead it works out so that it's a Dexterity primary build, which is very strange since when I think of dragons I think a lot more about how strong they are than how agile they are. Then there is the fact that the skills consist of neither Athletics or any of the Dexterity skills so all of the skills are from the mental abilities... but none of the class features have anything to do with them with the exception of Charisma saving throw proficiency. (Which is balanced to other classes but kind of pointless because I'm not even sure there is even a single monster in the MM or spell that forces a Charisma save. The point is not that this is a thing you should change, but that's it's not relevant to making Charisma important to the class aside from as a token gesture.) I understand why you chose those skills, except Religion which I think would make a lot more sense if replaced with History. As is the optimal ability spread for the class is Dex, Con, Chr and with three ability dependencies like this and the way the features work, that's all this class will ever see since barring very unusual circumstances a character won't have enough high ability scores to build a character of this class any other way.

One suggestion I have would be to change the Scales feature so that it reads: Scales - You have hardened, scaly skin. Your AC, when unarmored, is equal to 10+Con Mod+ Str or Dex Mod.

This single simple change would allow high Str characters entry into this class. And while it might seem strange, it actually is still a mechanically weaker option rather than a strong one since Str only has one skill, Str saves are less common than Dex saves, Dex still determines Initiative, this class doesn't grant proficiency in either Str or Dex saves so no change there, and Str and Dex would work out the same for AC and attacks.

[JNAProductions]

Dex or Str for AC has been added. I'll do some thinking about what else to add.

Originally, by the way, this was a half-caster class, but that was removed for being too powerful. Thoughts on bringing it back?

Edit: Added draconic (the language) at level 2.

[Ramsus]

No, caster stuff really would be too powerful, but there have to be ways of going about being "magical" without casting actual spells. I'll think on this for sure. My first instinct is to go look and see what kind of magicalish features and flavor stuff dragons have going on in this edition. I know in previous editions (and maybe this one) they could sometimes polymorph themselves, but I'm pretty sure Disguise Self is all over the place already even not in homebrew stuff and Warlocks and Changelings would probably get annoyed if you just do so at will, so probably... not that. (Though I suppose it's an option if nobody can think of anything else.)

Edit: Also a second no to caster stuff, because I actually think the class is much more mechanically interesting the way it is. I'm sure there are plenty of other homebrew classes for half-caster types already.

[cooldes]

looks nice, i like the idea. also, nice youtube channel. i checked it out. you really do have a lot of homebrew

[Ramsus]

Just noticed that Claws, the way you've written them, can only add Dex to their damage. I think that would make them the only melee weapon in the entire game that doesn't have the option of using Str. Also that makes Str builds a bit awkward as they then have to use a weapon for their main attack. Might want to change that so they can use both.

Also a bit weird to explain how your claws can't do more damage because you're strong... since they're connected right to your arms and all. :smallamused:

Edit: Actually, read it more carefully. If I'm correct it only allows you to use one of the two claws or bites as a bonus action if you used another as an attack action. So yeah, claws really need to be able to do Str damage or Str builds don't function at all.

Edit 2: The fact that this change means Str builds have a choice between slashing and piercing damage and Dex kind of gets stuck with slashing damage is probably a non-issue. Not sure if there's any monsters that care about one of those two types and not the other and if there is it has to be less than a handful. And Dex is still a better save and determines initiative, so things are still in Dex's favor.

[JNAProductions]

Updated to make it stat agnostic. It's not really needed.

[Ramsus]

Ok so... idea #1 for non-combat stuff. The ability to smell precious metals and gemstones and add + your prof bonus to perception and passive perception to detect them. So if you already have perception it's doubling your prof in it, if not it's giving you prof in that particular aspect. Alternatively it could work like the Detect Magic spell, only for precious metals and gems.

I also noticed pretty much every dragon has an additional movement speed besides ground movement and flight... but I imagine movement speed stuff isn't really "non-combat" stuff. Also have no idea if tunneling on PCs is balanced.

One kinda cool idea is that you could have a few choices of things similar to the regional effects of a dragon's lair happen around the area while the character is taking a long rest, at their option of course because you probably don't want a lot of these things happening in the city every day.
Examples: Fog lightly obscuring the area, thunderstorms or winds that help or hamper flying creatures, physical traces of your and your parties presence vanishing, illusionary creatures patrolling the area, intelligent creatures become prone to giggling fits, gems and pearls emit dim light.