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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next The Dilettante; OR, The Red Mage [PEACH]



Hootman
2017-10-23, 10:44 AM
This post seems super-long, so I'll just put this at the beginning...

TL;DR I made a custom class based on the Red Mage jobs you find in various JRPGs. I think it's pretty cool, and I'm looking for feedback and help with coming up with a few more abilities.

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So, I've been struggling with something recently; I have no idea what class the character I want to play is. I have a personality, background, and a rough outline of their skillset, and it doesn't fit anything quite right. The discussion with my DM went something like this:

"Hey, I can't figure out what class my character should be. Nothing fits."
"Well, what do they do?"
"Really generic archaeological adventuring. Researching lost civilizations, opening up tombs, dodging traps, stealing long-lost treasures, that sort of thing. Like...an Indiana Jones type, I guess."
"Sounds like a Rogue. Locks, traps, treasure..."
"And skills. But Sneak Attack doesn't make any sense, and neither do any of the archetypes. I want them to be more intellectual, not a backstabber. They win fights by being clever rather than just being the best at fighting."
"Wizard? They're Int-based, have to plan for things, can pretend to be Rogues with Knock and Invisibility, do tons of research..."
"But then I'm either only picking utility spells and useless in combat, or falling back on the staple spells, and not doing my thing."
"Eld-"
"And Eldritch Knight is too focused on only being good at fighting."
"Then it's a Bard. Skills, decent at fighting, utility spells, Magical Secrets can be ancient magic plundered from the Pharaoh's tomb or whatever. It's perfect."
"Except it's Charisma-based, and I can't figure out how to fluff Bardic Inspiration that it fits. I don't want to be inspiring others, I want to be...I don't know."
".........Why don't you just make your own class?"
And here we are.

This is my first major attempt at homebrew for 5e, so I'm sure it'll need a lot of revisions, but I was hoping to get some feedback before I begin making edits. (Also, I'd love some ideas for what to put in the few empty spaces, I've run out of ideas for the moment.) The idea started as something cosmopolitan that could do a little bit of everything, and ended up being needlessly complicated (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html)--it actually pretty much is a Fighter/Rogue/Sorcerer, but instead of specializing in enchantments, it has access to some healing spells. You know...like a Bard does. Wait, what was I doing, again?

RIGHT. The class. Since I eventually determined that I wanted "a Bard, but without the Bard stuff", I drew inspiration from the Red Mage class from various JRPGs (Final Fantasy [various], Bravely Default, etc) to fill in the gaps. It can fight with weapons; use offensive, defensive, and healing magic; and has a nifty trick to cheat the normal action economy. I think it has a lot of potential, but hopefully isn't too powerful in its kitchen-sink approach to abilities. I'd like to improve it before the game actually starts in a few weeks, if at all possible, so feedback of any kind is welcome.

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The Dilettante

A journeyman in every field, but a genuine master of none. They cannot fight as well as a career swordsman, nor cast spells that level mountains, but that is not to say they are incompetent . What they seem to lack in one field, they compensate for with another, weaving together a thousand and one tricks to form a versatile adventurer perfect for filling any hole a party might have.




Level
Proficiency
Bonus
Features
Cantrips
Known
Spells
Known
~Spell
1st
Slots
2nd
Per
3rd
Spell
4th
Level~
5th


1
+2
Expertise, Spellcasting
2
-
-
-
-
-
-


2
+2
--
2
2
2
-
-
-
-


3
+2
Red Magic
2
3
3
-
-
-
-


4
+2
Ability Score Improvement
2
4
3
-
-
-
-


5
+3
War Magic
3
5
4
2
-
-
-


6
+3
(Feature TBD)
3
6
4
2
-
-
-


7
+3
Doublecast (one use)
3
7
4
3
-
-
-


8
+3
Ability Score Increase
3
8
4
3
-
-
-


9
+4
--
3
9
4
3
2
-
-


10
+4
Eldritch Strike
4
9
4
3
2
-
-


11
+4
Expertise
4
10
4
3
3
-
-


12
+4
Ability Score Increase
4
10
4
3
3
-
-


13
+5
--
4
11
4
3
3
1
-


14
+5
Doublecast (two uses)
4
11
4
3
3
1
-


15
+5
Mystic Strike
4
12
4
3
3
2



16
+5
Ability Score Increase
4
12
4
3
3
2
-


17
+6
--
4
13
4
3
3
3
1


18
+6
(Feature TBD)
4
13
4
3
3
3
1


19
+6
Ability Score Increase
4
14
4
3
3
3
2


20
+6
Doublecast (three uses); (Feature TBD)
4
14
4
3
3
3
2



Class Features

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Dilettante level
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, longswords, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords
Tools: Any one tool of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose any three

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

(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
(a) any simple melee weapon or (b) a shield
(a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
a tool or set of tools with which you are proficient


Expertise
__**This is identical to the Bard/Rogue feature, except that you may gain double-proficiency in any two skills you are proficient with, or in one skill and one tool you are proficient with. You gain this feature at 1st level, and again at 11th level.**

Spellcasting
__Unlike most spellcasters, the dilettante practice a small number of spells drawn from a wide variety of sources. Instead of being focused on the academic schools of magic like a wizard, dilettante's divide magic into two simple color-coded camps: Black Magic, and White Magic. This is not a moral judgement, but a simplistic filing system used to keep one's repertoire from getting too focused.

Cantrips: At 1st level, you know one cantrip of your choice from the Dilettante (Black Magic) spell list, and one cantrip of your choice from the Dilettante (White Magic) spell list. You learn additional dilettante cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Dilettante table, which may be selected from either of those spell lists.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher: By 2nd level, you have begun adding more potent spells to your repertoire. You know one 1st level spell of your choice from the Dilettante (Black Magic) spell list, and one 1st level spell of your choice from the Dilettante (White Magic) spell list.
__The Spells Known column of the dilettante table show when you learn more dilettante spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Whenever you learn a new dilettante spell of 1st level or higher, it must come from the sub-list (Black Magic or White Magic) from which you have learned the fewest spells. In the case of a tie, you may select from either list. For example, when you reach 3rd level, you may choose either a Black or a White spell, because you already possess an equal number (one each). If you select burning hands, a Black spell, then when you reach 4th level you must choose a spell from the White Magic spell list to return to an equal number (two each). At level 5, you may again freely select an appropriate spell from either list, and so on.
__Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the dilettante spells you know and replace it with another spell from the same sub-list (Black Magic or White Magic). This new spell must also be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, at 5th level, you could replace your burning hands spell with any 1st or 2nd level spell from the Black Magic list, but not with any spell from the White Magic list.

Red Magic
__By 3rd level, your flexible mind and the simplified nature of your magic allows you to begin preparing one cantrip even as you cast another. During your turn, whenever you cast a cantrip that has a casting time of 1 action, you may choose to cast a second cantrip that also has a casting time of 1 action. If you do so, change the casting time of the second cantrip to 1 bonus action for this casting. The second cantrip may be cast at any time before the end of your turn, and need not have the same target as the first cantrip (if any). The second cantrip need not actually be a different spell; for example, if you cast Firebolt as an action, you may use this feature to cast Firebolt a second time as a bonus action.
__You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Ability Score Improvement
__**As normal. You gain this feature at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19.**

War Magic
__Beginning at 5th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

(Feature TBD)
__Beginning at 6th level, you get some sort of feature that is a lot less useful in combat, because the other abilities of this class are thus-far almost entirely combat focused. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it. I considered just dropping in Jack of All Trades (or a minor variation thereof), but that seemed too strong. This class is already a wish-list of a class, and I'm struggling to come up with any features that would be considered "ribbons"--amusing tassels to hang off the class, rather than anything structural.

Doublecast
__**This ability is identical to the Fighter's Action Surge, but with restrictions.**
__Beginning at 7th level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits of spellcasting for a moment. On your turn, if you cast a spell of 1st level or higher (with a casting time of 1 action) as an action, you may take one additional action in order to cast another spell of 1st level or higher (with a casting time of 1 action).
__Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 14th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn. At 20th level, you can use is three times before a rest, but still only once on the same turn.

Eldritch Strike
__**This is identical to the Eldritch Knight feature of the same level.**
__At 10th level, you learn how to make your weapon strikes undercut a creature’s resistance to your spells. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast before the end of your next turn.

Mystic Strike
__Starting at 15th level, you add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage of your weapon attacks.

(Feature TBD, Lv18)
__At 18th level, you gain another feature. This is also something I haven't figured out. This is essentially the capstone of the class, so it should be something impressive, right? But what, if anything, could top Doublecasting spells? SHOULD anything top that? I really don't know what to do for this one...


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Black Magic Spell List
__**Basically any spell that deals with Fire, Ice, or Lightning. Firebolt, Witchbolt, Cone of Cold, a whole bunch of evocation magic to blow stuff up. Probably also Poison spells, like Ray of Sickness. I'll add the first draft of the spell list later.**

White Magic Spell List
__**Basically any spell that heals hp or cures status conditions. Healing Word, Lesser Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds, that sort of thing. Also the Sleep spell. I'll add the first draft of the spell list later.**

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And that's what I have right now. If you have the time and inclination, please tell me what you think of things. I tried to be as clear as possible with the wording on the abilities that I created myself while still following the basic writing conventions of the 5e writers. If there is anything you do not understand, or any obviously broken combos that you can foresee, please let me know so I can make adjustments.



Edit Log:
10.23 - Removed 'Mystic Strike' (identical to Lv8/14 Nature Cleric ability) from levels 10/15. It let the character throw way too many dice of damage per turn.
10.23 - Added a new version of Mystic Strike to fill the 15th level feature slot. Used the 14th level ability of the Bladesinger as a reference. Seems much more balanced, especially since the Red Mage is generally only going to have one martial attack. Haste will not be on their spell list, and they don't get Extra Attack.