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bc56
2018-01-14, 06:28 PM
I like lizardfolk an awful lot, and I decided to create some feats for them. Are they balanced, and if not, how could they be fixed?

Aquatic Reptile
All lizardfolk are capable swimmers, but you are especially adept, and have the latent ability to breathe underwater.

Increase your Strength or Constitution by 1, to maximum of 20.

Your swim speed increases to 40 feet.

You can breathe underwater.

Venomous Bite
Your fangs contain poison, ready to be injected into your foes.

Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20.

When you hit a creature with a bite attack, you may choose to inject your venom into it. It must make a Constitution save or be poisoned for one minute. The DC for this save is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. The target may repeat the save at the end of each of it's turns, ending the effect on a success. You may do this a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1), and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Blackbando
2018-01-14, 09:38 PM
Aquatic Reptile seems fine.

Venomous Bite, however, is not. It can poison pretty damn consistently, without remorse, provided the character is able to bite consistently (like some potential fighter builds, or as a monk). I'd personally make it so after they succeed they're immune to the effect for 24 hours.

suplee215
2018-01-15, 01:57 AM
Venomous Bite should have some sort of limit. A poison check every time you attack is insane. Perhaps making it a part of Hungry Jaws or just once a rest. Or given how insane the poison condition is, adding 1d4 poison to each attack would be fitting instead. And poison is the most resisted type in the game so it won't feel broken.

suplee215
2018-01-15, 06:19 AM
Also I'll increase the swim speed to 60 but someone correct me if this is abusable. In the 3 years I've been playing DND not once did a swim speed ever help in combat. It might help a little bit in a campaign I am running which currently has the party sailing but I am unsure. This will help as an exploration ability and being 10 more feet faster in water doesn't seem impressive enough even witht he combine water breathing (however long the hold breath (i forget) is more than enough for most places).

bc56
2018-01-15, 07:21 AM
Venomous Bite should have some sort of limit. A poison check every time you attack is insane. Perhaps making it a part of Hungry Jaws or just once a rest. Or given how insane the poison condition is, adding 1d4 poison to each attack would be fitting instead. And poison is the most resisted type in the game so it won't feel broken.

For the same reason, poisoning is the most common condition for a monster to be immune to. However after some thought, a limit would be good. Maybe Con mod per long rest, minimum 1. I'm comparing it mainly to Dragon Fear, because it's a similar ability, and fear is approximately as strong as poison.


Also I'll increase the swim speed to 60 but someone correct me if this is abusable. In the 3 years I've been playing DND not once did a swim speed ever help in combat. It might help a little bit in a campaign I am running which currently has the party sailing but I am unsure. This will help as an exploration ability and being 10 more feet faster in water doesn't seem impressive enough even witht he combine water breathing (however long the hold breath (i forget) is more than enough for most places).

Like any feat, the benefits are situational and depend on the DM. 60ft is incredibly fast. With a 60ft swim speed, you are on par with a kraken and able to outrun an aquatic dragon (even an ancient one). In addition, I see water breathing and swim speeds as more useful, but I like to put water based traps in my dungeons, and also, of course, aquatic monsters (usually lurking in murky pools)

Actually, I might use aquatic monsters in murky pools too much. My last dungeon had a froghemoth, a hydra, a homebrewed giant cone snail, and a group of over 30 giant crabs. (Admittedly, it is a megadungeon, so that's less than a tenth of the encounters, but that trick must be getting old by now)

suplee215
2018-01-15, 12:17 PM
For the same reason, poisoning is the most common condition for a monster to be immune to. However after some thought, a limit would be good. Maybe Con mod per long rest, minimum 1. I'm comparing it mainly to Dragon Fear, because it's a similar ability, and fear is approximately as strong as poison.
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While true, the poison condition wrecks encounters where they are not immune whereas as extra damage does not. But yea, I haven't read that feat so not sure of the exact limits but should be some.

JNAProductions
2018-01-15, 12:55 PM
Agreed that the Poisoned condition is too strong. I'd say either once per short rest or Con Mod per long rest.

The other one seems fine, though.

Gluteus_Maximus
2018-01-16, 02:08 PM
Once per short rest has a purpose in the flavor to be there, because the venom would take a little bit to recharge.

Ashtagon
2018-01-16, 02:42 PM
I'd say limit it both by Con modifier per long rest (or day if that's the same thing), and no more than once per encounter (or five minutes; not sure if that's how 5e defines a short rest).

suplee215
2018-01-16, 10:06 PM
I'd say limit it both by Con modifier per long rest (or day if that's the same thing), and no more than once per encounter (or five minutes; not sure if that's how 5e defines a short rest).

A short rest is 1 hour.