Xefas
2017-01-31, 06:15 PM
I've been hammering away at writing setting information for a few days now, and I just had an itch to balance that out with poking at numbers for a few hours.
In 3.5e, racial class variants were a thing, ostensibly providing an avenue for a race to mesh with a class that it is usually anti-synergistic with, or showing off a particularly flavorful race/class combo with a unique ability. I haven't seen any homebrew for 5e that brings back this concept, so I figured I would give it a shot myself, focusing on the former (enabling anti-synergistic race/class combinations) purpose.
My first subject is the Tiefling. Its Intelligence + Charisma ability score bonuses aren't really optimal for anything, and they're the two de-facto dump stats for many classes. This is despite the fact that a big scaly horned devil monster is exactly the kind of thing some people are going to want for their stabby, smashy characters.
In terms of feedback, I'm looking for:
Is X variant awesome, flavor wise?
Does X variant actually make the race a mechanically reasonable option for the class?
Does X variant do enough to make the combination distinctive in play?
Is X variant actually too good, to the point where it would make other racial options notably disadvantageous?
Tiefling Racial Options
While Tieflings make potent spellcasters through the exploitation of their infernal heritage, the magical corruption of Asmodeus has left them more frail and specialized than their human cousins. Still, every society will need its bruisers and thugs, and every society will find it has members that are all too happy to cut, punch, and stab their problems away. For Tieflings, this means learning and adapting, turning their power and intellect to more martial pursuits.
Below are presented Racial Class Variants. These are only available to members of the race they are presented for, in this case Tieflings, and replace normal class features provided by a specific class. A character must choose, when they take the first level in a class, whether or not they are taking the normal version, or a racial variant. They cannot change this decision later, so a single character must take all or none of the racial variant; they cannot pick and choose which features to replace.
Fighter Variant: Ninth Circle Hellknight
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Ninth Circle Hellknights must take the Eldritch Knight Martial Archetype when they become 3rd level Fighters.
3rd level: Inherited Spellcasting
Alters: Spellcasting
This class feature functions exactly like the 3rd level Eldritch Knight class feature, Spellcasting, with the following exceptions.
Your spellcasting ability for Eldritch Knight spells is Charisma, rather than Intelligence.
You automatically add Hellish Rebuke to your list of 1st level Eldritch Knight spells known, in addition to those you would normally choose.
At 7th level, you add Darkness to your list of 2nd level Eldritch Knight spells known, in addition to those you would normally choose.
9th, 13th, 17th level: Infernal Metamorphosis
Replaces: Indomitable
At 9th level, you begin to take on more of your fiendish legacy. Your eyes begin to emit wisps of dark flame, and you can now see in magical and non-magical darkness, out to 120ft.
At 13th level, your body temperature raises to a sweltering degree, enough to kill a normal human. On cold days, visible steam wafts from your body. Your Hellish Resistance racial feature upgrades to provide Immunity to fire damage, Resistance to poison damage, and Advantage on saving throws to resist the poisoned condition.
At 17th level, your blood becomes a brilliant, luminous red. When you are taken by anger, it shines so brightly that it becomes visible beneath your skin. Your Hellish Resistance racial feature improves again, now granting Immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and Resistance to cold damage.
Fighter Variant: Blood War Officer
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Blood War Officers must take the Battle Master Martial Archetype when they become 3rd level Fighters.
1st level: Infernal Fortitude
Replaces: Second Wind
Although you may be less brutish than the warriors of other races, the magic in your blood bolsters you with a constant aura of fiendish vitality. You may use your Charisma modifier in place of your Constitution modifier for determining your maximum hit points, if it is higher.
In addition, you may reroll any one Constitution saving throw, once per short rest, by calling on a surge of your devil's blood.
3rd level: Blood War Superiority
Alters: Combat Superiority
This class features functions exactly like the 3rd level Battle Master class feature, Combat Superiority, with the following exception.
You lose the ability to cast Hellish Rebuke via your Infernal Legacy racial feature. Instead, one of your Superiority Dice becomes a Hellfire Superiority Die. You may want to use a differently colored die to distinguish it amongst your pool of other, plain, Superiority Dice.
When you use a Hellfire Superiority Die to power one of your Maneuvers, any attack made as part of that Maneuver is wreathed in black flames and bypasses any racial Resistances or Immunities possessed by the target, though not Resistances or Immunities acquired from class features or spells.
At 5th level, you lose the ability to cast Darkness via your Infernal Legacy racial feature. Instead, one of your Superiority Dice becomes a Cursed Superiority Die. You may want to use a die colored different than your plain Superiority Dice and your Hellfire Superiority Die.
When you use a Cursed Superiority Die to power one of your Maneuvers, dark energy surges across your torso and around your hands, and the DC of any saving throw made as part of the Maneuver is increased by your Charisma modifier.
3rd level: Sense Demons
Replaces: Student of War
The strength of the hatred between Demons and Devils is such that it exists even in the thinned blood given to your by Asmodeus. You inherently know when a Demon is within 30ft of you, and their general direction.
Barbarian Variant: Bloodfont Rager
Prerequisite: Tiefling
1st level: Blackblood Armor
Replaces: Unarmored Defense
Your monstrous heritage has deepened over time, and as you embraced the power of rage by taking up the mantle of a Barbarian, your blood darkened until it became pitch black. Soon, the magic in your blood began to overflow further, until it became too unstable to be contained in your meager mortal body. There came a day when you were wracked with agony as your blood burst forth from your veins at several points across your body, and from your eyes and mouth. Instead of draining away, it spiraled across your flesh in intricate designs as if moved by an intelligent will.
Now, your very meat and bones are infused with power for all to see, and you continually ooze a trail of cursed blood behind you, though your increased production prevents you from running dry.
While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Charisma modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
1st level: Infernal Rage
Alters: Rage
This class features functions exactly like the 1st level Barbarian class feature, Rage, with the following exception.
While raging, you can cast and concentrate on Warlock and Sorcerer spells, as well as spells derived from your Infernal Legacy racial feature.
7th level: Burning Hellfiend
Replaces: Feral Instinct
At 7th level, when you enter a Rage, the black blood across your body hums and then explodes in a conflagration of dark fire. You become Immune to fire damage, conveniently protecting you from the effects of being on fire. Furthermore, any time a creature ends their turn adjacent to you, or hits you with a melee attack, they take your Rage Damage in points of fire damage. Finally, your Rage no longers ends prematurely if you go a turn without taking damage or attacking something.
These effects end when your Rage ends.
Monk Variant: Akuma
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Akuma must take the Way of Shadow Monastic Tradition when they become 3rd level Monks.
1st level: Corrupted Ki Defense
Replaces: Unarmored Defense
Alters: Ki
Your tainted blood has changed the nature of your internal Ki, corrupting it with the same dark magic that has twisted your body. While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.
Furthermore, at 2nd level, your Ki class feature is altered such that your Ki save DC now equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
11th level: Eyes of Shadow
Replaces: Cloak of Shadows
At 11th level, your corrupted Ki strengthens your fiendish heritage, allowing you to see in magical and non-magical darkness out to 120ft.
13th level: Soul-Shaking Words
Replaces: Tongue of the Sun and Moon
At 13th level, your Ki emanates outward from you, unsettling the creatures around you as they come to instinctively understand that you are something powerful and otherworldly. You have Advantage on Intimidation checks.
In 3.5e, racial class variants were a thing, ostensibly providing an avenue for a race to mesh with a class that it is usually anti-synergistic with, or showing off a particularly flavorful race/class combo with a unique ability. I haven't seen any homebrew for 5e that brings back this concept, so I figured I would give it a shot myself, focusing on the former (enabling anti-synergistic race/class combinations) purpose.
My first subject is the Tiefling. Its Intelligence + Charisma ability score bonuses aren't really optimal for anything, and they're the two de-facto dump stats for many classes. This is despite the fact that a big scaly horned devil monster is exactly the kind of thing some people are going to want for their stabby, smashy characters.
In terms of feedback, I'm looking for:
Is X variant awesome, flavor wise?
Does X variant actually make the race a mechanically reasonable option for the class?
Does X variant do enough to make the combination distinctive in play?
Is X variant actually too good, to the point where it would make other racial options notably disadvantageous?
Tiefling Racial Options
While Tieflings make potent spellcasters through the exploitation of their infernal heritage, the magical corruption of Asmodeus has left them more frail and specialized than their human cousins. Still, every society will need its bruisers and thugs, and every society will find it has members that are all too happy to cut, punch, and stab their problems away. For Tieflings, this means learning and adapting, turning their power and intellect to more martial pursuits.
Below are presented Racial Class Variants. These are only available to members of the race they are presented for, in this case Tieflings, and replace normal class features provided by a specific class. A character must choose, when they take the first level in a class, whether or not they are taking the normal version, or a racial variant. They cannot change this decision later, so a single character must take all or none of the racial variant; they cannot pick and choose which features to replace.
Fighter Variant: Ninth Circle Hellknight
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Ninth Circle Hellknights must take the Eldritch Knight Martial Archetype when they become 3rd level Fighters.
3rd level: Inherited Spellcasting
Alters: Spellcasting
This class feature functions exactly like the 3rd level Eldritch Knight class feature, Spellcasting, with the following exceptions.
Your spellcasting ability for Eldritch Knight spells is Charisma, rather than Intelligence.
You automatically add Hellish Rebuke to your list of 1st level Eldritch Knight spells known, in addition to those you would normally choose.
At 7th level, you add Darkness to your list of 2nd level Eldritch Knight spells known, in addition to those you would normally choose.
9th, 13th, 17th level: Infernal Metamorphosis
Replaces: Indomitable
At 9th level, you begin to take on more of your fiendish legacy. Your eyes begin to emit wisps of dark flame, and you can now see in magical and non-magical darkness, out to 120ft.
At 13th level, your body temperature raises to a sweltering degree, enough to kill a normal human. On cold days, visible steam wafts from your body. Your Hellish Resistance racial feature upgrades to provide Immunity to fire damage, Resistance to poison damage, and Advantage on saving throws to resist the poisoned condition.
At 17th level, your blood becomes a brilliant, luminous red. When you are taken by anger, it shines so brightly that it becomes visible beneath your skin. Your Hellish Resistance racial feature improves again, now granting Immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and Resistance to cold damage.
Fighter Variant: Blood War Officer
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Blood War Officers must take the Battle Master Martial Archetype when they become 3rd level Fighters.
1st level: Infernal Fortitude
Replaces: Second Wind
Although you may be less brutish than the warriors of other races, the magic in your blood bolsters you with a constant aura of fiendish vitality. You may use your Charisma modifier in place of your Constitution modifier for determining your maximum hit points, if it is higher.
In addition, you may reroll any one Constitution saving throw, once per short rest, by calling on a surge of your devil's blood.
3rd level: Blood War Superiority
Alters: Combat Superiority
This class features functions exactly like the 3rd level Battle Master class feature, Combat Superiority, with the following exception.
You lose the ability to cast Hellish Rebuke via your Infernal Legacy racial feature. Instead, one of your Superiority Dice becomes a Hellfire Superiority Die. You may want to use a differently colored die to distinguish it amongst your pool of other, plain, Superiority Dice.
When you use a Hellfire Superiority Die to power one of your Maneuvers, any attack made as part of that Maneuver is wreathed in black flames and bypasses any racial Resistances or Immunities possessed by the target, though not Resistances or Immunities acquired from class features or spells.
At 5th level, you lose the ability to cast Darkness via your Infernal Legacy racial feature. Instead, one of your Superiority Dice becomes a Cursed Superiority Die. You may want to use a die colored different than your plain Superiority Dice and your Hellfire Superiority Die.
When you use a Cursed Superiority Die to power one of your Maneuvers, dark energy surges across your torso and around your hands, and the DC of any saving throw made as part of the Maneuver is increased by your Charisma modifier.
3rd level: Sense Demons
Replaces: Student of War
The strength of the hatred between Demons and Devils is such that it exists even in the thinned blood given to your by Asmodeus. You inherently know when a Demon is within 30ft of you, and their general direction.
Barbarian Variant: Bloodfont Rager
Prerequisite: Tiefling
1st level: Blackblood Armor
Replaces: Unarmored Defense
Your monstrous heritage has deepened over time, and as you embraced the power of rage by taking up the mantle of a Barbarian, your blood darkened until it became pitch black. Soon, the magic in your blood began to overflow further, until it became too unstable to be contained in your meager mortal body. There came a day when you were wracked with agony as your blood burst forth from your veins at several points across your body, and from your eyes and mouth. Instead of draining away, it spiraled across your flesh in intricate designs as if moved by an intelligent will.
Now, your very meat and bones are infused with power for all to see, and you continually ooze a trail of cursed blood behind you, though your increased production prevents you from running dry.
While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Charisma modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
1st level: Infernal Rage
Alters: Rage
This class features functions exactly like the 1st level Barbarian class feature, Rage, with the following exception.
While raging, you can cast and concentrate on Warlock and Sorcerer spells, as well as spells derived from your Infernal Legacy racial feature.
7th level: Burning Hellfiend
Replaces: Feral Instinct
At 7th level, when you enter a Rage, the black blood across your body hums and then explodes in a conflagration of dark fire. You become Immune to fire damage, conveniently protecting you from the effects of being on fire. Furthermore, any time a creature ends their turn adjacent to you, or hits you with a melee attack, they take your Rage Damage in points of fire damage. Finally, your Rage no longers ends prematurely if you go a turn without taking damage or attacking something.
These effects end when your Rage ends.
Monk Variant: Akuma
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Special: Akuma must take the Way of Shadow Monastic Tradition when they become 3rd level Monks.
1st level: Corrupted Ki Defense
Replaces: Unarmored Defense
Alters: Ki
Your tainted blood has changed the nature of your internal Ki, corrupting it with the same dark magic that has twisted your body. While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.
Furthermore, at 2nd level, your Ki class feature is altered such that your Ki save DC now equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
11th level: Eyes of Shadow
Replaces: Cloak of Shadows
At 11th level, your corrupted Ki strengthens your fiendish heritage, allowing you to see in magical and non-magical darkness out to 120ft.
13th level: Soul-Shaking Words
Replaces: Tongue of the Sun and Moon
At 13th level, your Ki emanates outward from you, unsettling the creatures around you as they come to instinctively understand that you are something powerful and otherworldly. You have Advantage on Intimidation checks.