Porkslope
2015-11-03, 12:29 AM
I've got a D&D 5e game in the works with a setting inspired by 90s JRPGs, primarily Phantasy Star (specifically 4) and Final Fantasy (also specifically 4) and decided to try my hand at making something in that flavour. This went through like five different iterations until I settled on these mechanics, but even these aren't final. I wanted to imitate the other archetypes that give characters multiple choices when they gain archetype features, such as the totem warrior barbarian or the hunter ranger. I also tried as much as possible to pull from existing game mechanics rather than inventing entirely new mechanics or importing mechanics from other games, and I tried to keep things as simple as possible and to imitate the writing style of the books.
My main concern is that it's overpowered. PEACH!
Dark Sword
At level 3, you gain the ability to sacrifice your vitality to infuse your weapon with profane energies. On your turn, you can activate Dark Sword as a bonus action. When you make a melee attack while using Dark Sword, you add bonus necrotic damage to the damage roll. At level 3, this bonus damage is +2. At level 10, it becomes +3. At level 15, it becomes +4. When you first activate it and at the beginning of each of your turns while using Dark Sword, you take necrotic damage equal to your bonus damage. The necrotic damage you take from this feature cannot be reduced or negated in any way. You can end Dark Sword as a bonus action at the beginning of your subsequent turns, before you would take any damage.
This is the centerpiece of the archetype. I modeled this after the barbarian's rage damage but wanted to keep the "damage yourself to deal more damage" theme that most dark knights have throughout FF games. Earlier versions had additional damage dice in exchange for hit dice, which are normally spent on healing during short rests and partly recovered during long rests, but I felt it was too costly and could end up being too powerful if I tried too hard and overcompensated for that cost. It's important to remember that while you only take the self-inflicted damage once per round, the bonus damage to your melee attacks is per attack. This makes it pretty good at low levels, but really good at higher levels, which is why I kept the bonus damage relatively low.
Dark Artes
At level 3, you learn a unique method that alters how Dark Sword works. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Cornered Fury: While you are at half or fewer HP, Dark Sword deals no damage to you.
Ferocity: While using Dark Sword, your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Aura of Spite: While using Dark Sword, enemies who hit you with melee attacks take necrotic damage equal to your Dark Sword bonus damage.
Avenge the Fallen: While using Dark Sword, if an ally you can see is reduced to 0 HP, you have advantage on melee attacks for 1 minute.
These are where the customization I mentioned above comes into play. My main fear is that there's a Right Choice for this, instead of each having their own appeal and usefulness. I originally had like five other abilities that depended on being at half or fewer HP but felt that was a bit too video game-y and might encourage players to hurt themselves just to get those sweet sweet bonuses, or that the archetype would be underpowered until hitting 50% HP. I feel like Ferocity might be stepping on the champion fighter archetype's toes a little too much, and that Aura of Spite might be too powerful for level 3.
Infernal Fortitude
At level 7, you learn a unique method that allows you to recover your vitality in battle. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Shadowskin: While using Dark Sword, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Ravenous Void: While using Dark Sword, if you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you regain HP equal to the total damage dealt.
Slayer: While using Dark Sword, if you reduce a hostile creature to 0 HP, you regain HP equal to the total damage dealt.
Strength from the Fallen: While using Dark Sword, if an ally you can see is reduced to 0 HP, you regain 1d10 HP plus your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short rest.
I wanted to add some defensive options to the archetype and ways to recover HP. I spent a long time trying to decide exactly how much HP Ravenous Void and Slayer should restore, but settled on it equaling how much you deal in that single attack to keep it from being too powerful, even if as the fighter, you're the one who is probably going to be dealing killing blows most often. I'm not sure Strength from the Fallen should even exist, but at least it's limited to short rests.
Dark Arte
At level 10, you learn a second Dark Arte to complement your fighting style.
More customization, but I'm still worried about there being an obvious right choice, where one of these is way more powerful than the others.
Guarded Soul
At level 10, your constant exposure to profane energies has strengthened your soul. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and your HP maximum cannot be reduced.
I'm not sure it's a good idea to give two archetype features in a single level, but it's worth noting that Guarded Soul and later Impervious Soul do not affect Dark Sword's self-inflicted damage. I like to think of Guarded Soul as one of those things that's useful but not particularly powerful, and since most (if not all) undead are resistant or immune to necrotic damage, this makes dark knights slightly less useless against them.
Infernal Fortitude
At level 15, you learn a second Infernal Fortitude to aid you in battle.
Impervious Soul
At level 15, your mastery of dark energies has given you some measure of protection from sacred power. You gain immunity to necrotic damage and resistance to radiant damage.
I'm not sure this should even exist.
Darkside
At level 18, you can transform your suffering into strength to deliver a devastating attack. While you are at half or fewer HP and using Dark Sword and you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal an additional 10d8 necrotic damage. The target can make a Constitution save (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution bonus) to take half the necrotic damage. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
I agonized for like a month about how much damage this should do and how often it should be able to be used and I'm still not satisfied with it. It used to deal 1d6 damage for every 10 hp below maximum, but decided it needed to be simpler so I settled on the numbers you see here.
My main concern is that it's overpowered. PEACH!
Dark Sword
At level 3, you gain the ability to sacrifice your vitality to infuse your weapon with profane energies. On your turn, you can activate Dark Sword as a bonus action. When you make a melee attack while using Dark Sword, you add bonus necrotic damage to the damage roll. At level 3, this bonus damage is +2. At level 10, it becomes +3. At level 15, it becomes +4. When you first activate it and at the beginning of each of your turns while using Dark Sword, you take necrotic damage equal to your bonus damage. The necrotic damage you take from this feature cannot be reduced or negated in any way. You can end Dark Sword as a bonus action at the beginning of your subsequent turns, before you would take any damage.
This is the centerpiece of the archetype. I modeled this after the barbarian's rage damage but wanted to keep the "damage yourself to deal more damage" theme that most dark knights have throughout FF games. Earlier versions had additional damage dice in exchange for hit dice, which are normally spent on healing during short rests and partly recovered during long rests, but I felt it was too costly and could end up being too powerful if I tried too hard and overcompensated for that cost. It's important to remember that while you only take the self-inflicted damage once per round, the bonus damage to your melee attacks is per attack. This makes it pretty good at low levels, but really good at higher levels, which is why I kept the bonus damage relatively low.
Dark Artes
At level 3, you learn a unique method that alters how Dark Sword works. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Cornered Fury: While you are at half or fewer HP, Dark Sword deals no damage to you.
Ferocity: While using Dark Sword, your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Aura of Spite: While using Dark Sword, enemies who hit you with melee attacks take necrotic damage equal to your Dark Sword bonus damage.
Avenge the Fallen: While using Dark Sword, if an ally you can see is reduced to 0 HP, you have advantage on melee attacks for 1 minute.
These are where the customization I mentioned above comes into play. My main fear is that there's a Right Choice for this, instead of each having their own appeal and usefulness. I originally had like five other abilities that depended on being at half or fewer HP but felt that was a bit too video game-y and might encourage players to hurt themselves just to get those sweet sweet bonuses, or that the archetype would be underpowered until hitting 50% HP. I feel like Ferocity might be stepping on the champion fighter archetype's toes a little too much, and that Aura of Spite might be too powerful for level 3.
Infernal Fortitude
At level 7, you learn a unique method that allows you to recover your vitality in battle. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Shadowskin: While using Dark Sword, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Ravenous Void: While using Dark Sword, if you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you regain HP equal to the total damage dealt.
Slayer: While using Dark Sword, if you reduce a hostile creature to 0 HP, you regain HP equal to the total damage dealt.
Strength from the Fallen: While using Dark Sword, if an ally you can see is reduced to 0 HP, you regain 1d10 HP plus your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short rest.
I wanted to add some defensive options to the archetype and ways to recover HP. I spent a long time trying to decide exactly how much HP Ravenous Void and Slayer should restore, but settled on it equaling how much you deal in that single attack to keep it from being too powerful, even if as the fighter, you're the one who is probably going to be dealing killing blows most often. I'm not sure Strength from the Fallen should even exist, but at least it's limited to short rests.
Dark Arte
At level 10, you learn a second Dark Arte to complement your fighting style.
More customization, but I'm still worried about there being an obvious right choice, where one of these is way more powerful than the others.
Guarded Soul
At level 10, your constant exposure to profane energies has strengthened your soul. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and your HP maximum cannot be reduced.
I'm not sure it's a good idea to give two archetype features in a single level, but it's worth noting that Guarded Soul and later Impervious Soul do not affect Dark Sword's self-inflicted damage. I like to think of Guarded Soul as one of those things that's useful but not particularly powerful, and since most (if not all) undead are resistant or immune to necrotic damage, this makes dark knights slightly less useless against them.
Infernal Fortitude
At level 15, you learn a second Infernal Fortitude to aid you in battle.
Impervious Soul
At level 15, your mastery of dark energies has given you some measure of protection from sacred power. You gain immunity to necrotic damage and resistance to radiant damage.
I'm not sure this should even exist.
Darkside
At level 18, you can transform your suffering into strength to deliver a devastating attack. While you are at half or fewer HP and using Dark Sword and you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal an additional 10d8 necrotic damage. The target can make a Constitution save (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution bonus) to take half the necrotic damage. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
I agonized for like a month about how much damage this should do and how often it should be able to be used and I'm still not satisfied with it. It used to deal 1d6 damage for every 10 hp below maximum, but decided it needed to be simpler so I settled on the numbers you see here.