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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Devoted Operator class W.I.P.



sorryjzargo
2015-11-26, 03:36 PM
I'm slightly stumped about where to take this class. Any feedback for this class would be greatly appreciated!

Devoted Operator
An elf wearing leather armor and a tranquil smile readies her spear and charges at the orc raiders. Mid-stride, a flash of light covers her in an extra layer of armor, and her movements become faster, her strikes deadlier. Their weapons seem to barely scratch her, if they manage to land a blow at all.
A human in scale mail creeps behind the unwary gnoll sentry, shrouded in shadows and completely silent despite his armor. He mutters a quick prayer under his breath before plunging his blade deep into the gnoll’s back.
A dwarf with the symbol of Moradin etched into his skin roars as he smashes his axe against the minotaur champion. Moradin’s power flows through the dwarf, creating a shockwave that launches the minotaur back several feet.
Devoted operators are warriors completely dedicated to their god or an ideal that channel the divine power they receive into enhancing their combat abilities and manifesting an exoskeleton of divine power to make them more powerful and tougher to kill. They way they express their devotion influences how their power manifests.

Class Features
As a devoted operator, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per devoted operator level.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier.
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per devoted operator level after 1st.

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Stealth.

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) studded leather armor, light crossbow, and 20 bolts or (b) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows.
(a) a martial weapon or (b) a simple weapon and a shield.
(a) a priest’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack.



Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Divine Body


1st
+2
Divine Protection 1d4, Fighting Style
-


2nd
+2
Divine Body
1


3rd
+2
Devotion
1


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
2


5th
+3
Extra Attack
2


6th
+3
Divine Weaponry, Divine Protection 1d6
3


7th
+3
Devotion feature
3


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
4


9th
+4
Divine Empowerment
4


10th
+4
Devotion feature
5


11th
+4
Divine Fortune
5


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement, Divine Protection 1d8
6


13th
+5
Spell Reflection 6th level
6


14th
+5
Divine Insight
7


15th
+5
Devotion feature, Spell Reflection 7th level
7


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
8


17th
+6
Great Force, Spell Reflection 8th level
8


18th
+6
Devotion feature, Divine Protection 1d10
9


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
9


20th
+6
Determination
10



Divine Protection
Your piety does not go unnoticed. When an enemy attacks you, you can choose to roll 1d4 and add the result of the roll to your AC. You can choose to make the roll after the enemy’s attack roll has been made. This does not count as a Reaction. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
At 6th level the die increases to 1d6, at 12th level the die increases to 1d8, and at 18th level the die increases to 1d10.

Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Reach
If you move less than 10 feet in your turn, you can use your reaction to attack any creature that moves into the range of your weapon. The weapon must have the reach property for you to gain this benefit.
Two Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Divine Body
Your fervent piety grants you more than just a slight amount of protection. You can create an exoskeleton of divine power around yourself as a bonus action. The body lasts for one minute, but it can be dismissed as a bonus action. When the divine body is active, you gain the following benefits:

You gain a +2 bonus to either your Strength or Dexterity scores, up to a maximum of 20, chosen at the time of creation.
Your armor does not affect your movement speed and your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
You have resistance to to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

You can create a divine body a number of times equal to half your devoted operator level, rounded down. You must finish a long rest to regain uses of the divine body. If you are knocked unconscious, the divine body is dismissed.

Devotion
At 3rd level, you choose a form of devotion that influences your connection with the divine. Choose Dogged Pursuer or Shrouded Acolyte, all detailed at the end of the class description. The devotion you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.

Divine Weaponry
Beginning at 6th level, your weapons count as magical weapons in terms of overcoming damage resistance.

Divine Empowerment
Beginning at 9th level, when the divine body is active, it now provides the operator either a +2 bonus to both your Strength and Dexterity scores, up to a maximum of 20, or a +4 bonus to either your Strength or Dexterity score, up to a maximum of 22.

Divine Fortune
Beginning at 11th level, you can choose to gain advantage on a roll that you are not proficient in, whether it is an attack, skill check, or saving throw. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Spell Reflection
If you make a successful saving throw against a 6th level or lower spell, or a spell misses you, you can choose another creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. The spell affects the chosen creature instead of you. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Beginning at 15th level, you can use this feature to reflect spells of 7th level or lower, and at 17th level you can use this feature to reflect spells of 8th level or lower.

Divine Insight
Your devotion makes up for training you might lack. When you finish a long rest, you can choose to become proficient in any one skill, saving throw, tool, or weapon that you are not already proficient in. You remain proficient in whatever you chose until you finish a long rest.

Great Force
When your divine body is active, all melee attacks made against creatures one size category larger than you or smaller that hit force them to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to your Strength modifier plus your divine operator level. If they fail the save, they are pushed 5 feet in a direction of your choice.

Determination
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep. When your divine body is active, you are immune to being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep.


Dogged Pursuer
Your devotion to your cause is expressed by your unfaltering pursuit of your enemies. Your drive lends you extra ferocity and you are always ready to smite your enemies down with your weapons. Your single-minded obsession with your enemies grants you significant advantage over them.

Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Survival skill.

Sworn Enemy
Beginning at third level, you can choose one enemy that you can see or have seen in the past 24 hours to be your sworn enemy as a bonus action. Until your sworn enemy has died, you have a +1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls made against the sworn enemy. In addition, you have advantage in all Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your sworn enemy. You can only have one sworn enemy at a time, and you can not choose another sworn enemy until you finish a long rest.

Unhindered
Starting at 7th level, nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement when you are pursuing your sworn enemy (rulings on when you are pursuing your sworn enemy is up to DM discretion). In addition, your armor does not hinder your movement speed, even without your divine body active.

Archrival
Starting at 10th level, if your sworn enemy has remained the same for over a week, you gain advantage on all attacks made against them and you deal an extra 1d6 radiant or necrotic damage against them. They are considered your archrival, and you can designate a new target as your sworn enemy without losing your bonus against them. You can only have one archrival at a time.
At 15th level, the extra damage increases to 2d6 and can also deal fire or lightning damage instead of radiant or necrotic damage. At 18th level, the extra damage increases to 3d6 and can also deal psychic or poison damage.

Shared Nemesis
Starting at 15th level, you can share your zeal with your allies. All allies within 30 feet of you gain +1 to attack and damage rolls against your sworn enemy and your archrival, and nonmagical terrain costs them no extra movement they are pursuing your sworn enemy or archrival.

Fickle Adversary
Starting at 18th level, you can choose a new sworn enemy after finishing a short rest or a long rest, and you deal an extra 1d6 radiant or necrotic damage against your sworn enemy (this does not stack with the extra damage dealt to your archrival).

Shrouded Acolyte
Your devotion to your cause is expressed in the shadows. The power granted by your resolve makes you difficult to spot, and lethal if undetected. You know how to strike to cause the most damage.

Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Stealth skill.

Shroud Armor
Beginning at 3rd level, you are proficient in Stealth. Also, armor does not cause you disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. When your divine body is active, it creates an area of magical haze around you, giving you advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Sneak Attack
Beginning at 7th level, you know how to strike an unwary foe to deal extra damage. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 (2d6 if your divine body is active) damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or ranged weapon unless your divine body is active.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
The amount of extra damage increases to 2d6 (4d6) at 10th level, 3d6 (6d6) at 15th level, and 4d6 (8d6) at 18th level.

Shadow Drain
Starting at 10th level, whenever you deal sneak attack damage, you recover half the number of hit points that you deal.

Nimble Escape
Starting at 15th level, you can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Hastened Invisibility
Starting at 18th level, you can use a bonus action to turn invisible if your divine body is active. The effect lasts as long as your divine body remains, and the effect ends if you attack or cast spells. You can only use this ability once per use of divine body.

1Forge
2015-11-29, 10:55 PM
While it's cool the exo-skeleton seems a little powerfull at the lowest levels, they seem fine later, but maybe till level 3 they could just act as magic armour and at level 3 you choose an archtype that could incresase dexterity, strength, or otherwise.

sorryjzargo
2015-11-30, 12:30 AM
Thanks for the feedback! I made the first level not provide the exoskeleton to discourage multiclass dippers, but you're probably right about it being a little overpowered in the early levels. I'm going to playtest the first three levels soon, so hopefully that will give me pointers where to rebalance it. I like your suggestion, but I'll hold out changing it for the moment.
Also, since you've commented I added the last two core class features if you want to check them out. I'm going to start working on the subclasses tonight!

cooldes
2015-11-30, 04:04 AM
i really love the class. i may even steal it for an NPC in my lvl 20 campaign.
i do have to say though that i agree with what was said before. it looks Very powerful in first levels, and seems to smooth out after. i believe level 1-10 power level eclipses every other class at those levels. it seems they get the benefits of barbarian in rage(but better because instead of +2 to damage,they get +1 to checks and saves & +1 to attack and damage for either dex or str), while also getting the free Monk "magic weapon attacks" benefit, all while still benefitting from Fighter/Ranger/Paly fighting style. all of these are base, so you also get benefits from archetype.

after level 10 the class definitely even out though seeming to then be eclipsed by fighter's getting Manuvers or high crit range or spells etc while also attacking 9 times in a turn. and spell casters getting level 8s and 9s. barbarians doing crazy damage while taking half etc.

certainly an amazing idea, and even though the first half does seem high power level, i'd still keep it as it honestly. i wouldn't recommend any nerfs. i can see a lot of thought and work was put in, so i'd take the class as is over anything else. it's a really great class idea tbh.

sorryjzargo
2015-11-30, 11:42 AM
Thanks for the feedback, cooldes! I tried to make every feature roughly balanced with what other classes were getting at that level, but I think I did go overpowered in the early levels. I'm going to be playtesting it soon, so hopefully that will give me some idea about where to implement changes, but I also think it's pretty balanced at higher levels like you said.

Ivellius
2015-12-01, 03:35 PM
I would love to have more fluff for this class to explain what's going on with it. It's an interesting concept (I like the idea of doing a more defensive / transmorphic class), but especially when it comes to the archetypes it seems a little muddled. I don't really understand how those tie into the class itself. I think settling the class's identity would help in determining where to push it.

A few comments on features:

Divine Body seems fairly strong at some levels you can access it, and I almost wonder if the capstone shouldn't just be unlimited use of it.

I think more of the offensive features (save the built-in ability bonus on DB) come too late as well and should be spaced out. Perhaps give more uses of Divine Protection and permit them to be used on offense as well (somewhat similar to Bardic Inspiration, I suppose).

The archetypes probably have too much of the power budget for the class, which makes balancing them against each other quite difficult and more work into doing class archetypes.

I think the class as a whole is a bit heavy on the combat side--can there be more utility / exploratory type features built into the base chassis at lower levels?

sorryjzargo
2015-12-02, 12:59 AM
Thanks, Ivellius! I left out the fluff because I knew it would give me writer's block and I wanted to get the class done before I got stuck on that. Now that it's done I'll go back to adding that.
Unlimited uses of the divine body was my original plan for the capstone. I might change it back to that, but I felt it was too similar to the druid's capstone.
I like your idea about having offensive divine protection. I think the idea crossed my mind at one point, but I forgot about it when I was getting to the later class features.
As for utility, I had originally planned for the subclasses to be more utility-focused, but that's not how it ended up. If I get around to making a third subclass, it'll definitely be focused on utility and teamwork. I'll look and see if I can add a little more utility to the lower levels of the class as well.