Giegue
2016-06-09, 09:13 PM
While 5e clerics are...fun...there are two things I miss about clerics from older editions that did not make it into 3.5e. The first is that back in the day, clerics could benefit from being charismatic. The flavor of the cleric class lends itself very well to charismatic characters and older editions, such as 3.5e and even 4e, acknowledged this in a bit way. 4e in my eyes handled cha and clerics the best. It had a build for clerics that let them benefit from a strong cha, but did not "require" cha as the 3.x cleric class did. However, my least favorite take on clerics and cha is 5e. In 5e, clerics have 0 reason to be charismatic and are in fact penalized heavily if they put points into cha from a charaOP standpoint. While this makes sense for some classes fluff wise(the bookish and socially awkward wizard, gruff ranger, the stodgey monk, the feral druid or barbarian etc..), a cleric seems like it should be a class that has the option to be charismatic if it wants, much like the fighter and rogue who while not mandated to be charismatic has some features that can benefit from it that they can opt to take.
Additionally, another complaint I have about 5e clerics is how bad they are at undead minion mastery. In older editions clerics where the archetypal undead reanimators. Now, they fall behind wizards by leagues, even if they have the DMG death domain.
Thus, I've created some homebrew spells to fix these issues. Now, some of they may be too broken or OP, and thats where you come in! I need your help putting these in-line balance wise and am taking any and all suggestions that will help in that department! Also, general thoughts would also be appreciated! So, with that in mind I give you the spells!
Zealous Strike
Evocation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You call out a zealous battle cry in your deity's name, making your next attack through sheer conviction. The next time you make an attack roll and damage roll with a melee weapon, you use your Charisma modifier in place of your Strength modifier on those rolls. If you have 1 or more levels in a class other than cleric, you cannot cast this spell.
Armor of Zeal
1st-level Evocation [Ritual]
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 hour
You focus your conviction, turning it into armor and shield. For the duration of this spell, as long as you are wearing no armor and carrying no shield you add your Charisma modifier to your armor class and treat your Dexterity modifier as being 2 points higher for the purpose of calculating your armor class. If this spell would cause you to treat your Dexterity modifier as higher than +5 you treat it as +5 instead. If you have 1 or more levels in a class other than cleric, you cannot cast this spell.
Command Undead
2nd-level Necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30ft radius spread, centered on you.
Components: V, S, M (Your Holy Symbol)
Duration: Instantaneous
You present your holy symbol and exert your deity’s divine authority over the undead before you. Each undead creature that you can see within 30ft of you must make a wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its save it is charmed by you for 1 minute. While charmed by you it cannot harm you, or creatures you designate.
As an action you may issue simple commands such as “stay here”, “go there”, “attack him” or “guard this person” to any mindless undead you have charmed. Once given a command, mindless undead will continue that course action while they remain charmed. Any undead you have charmed with this spell may repeat their saves when they take damage; if they succeed, the charm effects on that undead ends.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a 9th level slot, the undead you charm remained charmed indefinitely. Additionally, they do not repeat their saves when they take damage, but intelligent undead are entitled to a new wisdom save to end the charm effect each day.
Desecrate
2nd-level Necromancy [Ritual]
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 20ft radius spread, centered on you
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 hour
You perform a vile ritual that taints a 20ft radius area, causing undead reanimated there to be bolstered in power. When you cast a necromancy spell that creates undead (Such as Animate Dead or Create Undead) within this spread during this spell’s duration, all undead created by that spell gain the following benefits:
They add your spellcasting class level to their hit point maximums. If you have 2 or more spellcasting classes you use only the level of the class that gave you access to this spell to calculate this.
They add your proficiency bonus to their weapon damage rolls.
These benefits do not stack with identical benefits from class features (Such as the School of Necromancy's Undead Thralls feature.)
Additionally, another complaint I have about 5e clerics is how bad they are at undead minion mastery. In older editions clerics where the archetypal undead reanimators. Now, they fall behind wizards by leagues, even if they have the DMG death domain.
Thus, I've created some homebrew spells to fix these issues. Now, some of they may be too broken or OP, and thats where you come in! I need your help putting these in-line balance wise and am taking any and all suggestions that will help in that department! Also, general thoughts would also be appreciated! So, with that in mind I give you the spells!
Zealous Strike
Evocation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You call out a zealous battle cry in your deity's name, making your next attack through sheer conviction. The next time you make an attack roll and damage roll with a melee weapon, you use your Charisma modifier in place of your Strength modifier on those rolls. If you have 1 or more levels in a class other than cleric, you cannot cast this spell.
Armor of Zeal
1st-level Evocation [Ritual]
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 hour
You focus your conviction, turning it into armor and shield. For the duration of this spell, as long as you are wearing no armor and carrying no shield you add your Charisma modifier to your armor class and treat your Dexterity modifier as being 2 points higher for the purpose of calculating your armor class. If this spell would cause you to treat your Dexterity modifier as higher than +5 you treat it as +5 instead. If you have 1 or more levels in a class other than cleric, you cannot cast this spell.
Command Undead
2nd-level Necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30ft radius spread, centered on you.
Components: V, S, M (Your Holy Symbol)
Duration: Instantaneous
You present your holy symbol and exert your deity’s divine authority over the undead before you. Each undead creature that you can see within 30ft of you must make a wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its save it is charmed by you for 1 minute. While charmed by you it cannot harm you, or creatures you designate.
As an action you may issue simple commands such as “stay here”, “go there”, “attack him” or “guard this person” to any mindless undead you have charmed. Once given a command, mindless undead will continue that course action while they remain charmed. Any undead you have charmed with this spell may repeat their saves when they take damage; if they succeed, the charm effects on that undead ends.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a 9th level slot, the undead you charm remained charmed indefinitely. Additionally, they do not repeat their saves when they take damage, but intelligent undead are entitled to a new wisdom save to end the charm effect each day.
Desecrate
2nd-level Necromancy [Ritual]
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 20ft radius spread, centered on you
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 hour
You perform a vile ritual that taints a 20ft radius area, causing undead reanimated there to be bolstered in power. When you cast a necromancy spell that creates undead (Such as Animate Dead or Create Undead) within this spread during this spell’s duration, all undead created by that spell gain the following benefits:
They add your spellcasting class level to their hit point maximums. If you have 2 or more spellcasting classes you use only the level of the class that gave you access to this spell to calculate this.
They add your proficiency bonus to their weapon damage rolls.
These benefits do not stack with identical benefits from class features (Such as the School of Necromancy's Undead Thralls feature.)